cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Illusion of Convergence: Federal Student Aid Policy in Community Colleges and Proprietary Schools

From a distance, it is easy to make the case that community colleges and pro- prietaries are converging. Both sectors serve an increasing number of non- traditional students who are older and more likely to be minorities and economically disadvantaged. Both sectors are willing to enroll students who were not successful in high school (Apling, 1993). Many community colleges have joined proprietary schools in making vocational training the primary focus of their instructional program (Brint and Karabel, 1989). Community colleges are shortening their vocational programs and focusing on certificates rather than degrees, while proprietary school programs are getting longer and more schools are beginning to offer degrees. More proprietaries are seeking regional accreditation in order to offer transferable credit. These arguments for convergence have been made vigorously in other chapters. A hidden assumption of those arguing that convergence is takq place is that the natural evolution of proprietary schools and community colleges moves them toward Convergence. I call this the organic convergence hypothesis.
Lead poisoning in precious metals refinery assayers: a failure to notify workers at high risk.

Lead poisoning in a precious metals refinery fire assayer and a routine OSHA inspection prompted an investigation of the index facility, a survey of the industry, and efforts to notify assayers of this previously unrecognized hazard. Air and blood samples were obtained at the index facility. Management personnel from all fire assay laboratories in Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts were interviewed. The industry's trade association, OSHA, NIOSH, trade unions, and the media were asked to assist in a nationwide notification effort. Assayers at the index facility had excessive exposures to lead due to an age-old, lead-based assaying method that remains the industry gold standard. Blood lead levels of the three assayers (mean 61.3 μ/dl, range 48–86 μg/dl) were considerably higher than those of 16 other refinery workers (mean 27.4 μg/dl, range 13–49 μg/dl). The industry survey revealed inadequate knowledge of both the lead hazard and the applicability of the OSHA lead standard. Notification efforts failed in large part due to economic obstacles. The notification of workers at high risk of lead exposure and the eradication of occupational lead poisoning will require greater attention to economic forces. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Semiempirical hyperspherical model for 4HeN clusters

A semiempirical hyperspherical model for the ground states of low- temperature helium clusters is proposed. Extension of the authors' delta function model for the helium dimer suggests an effective hyper-radial Schrodinger equation with two empirical parameters. The parameters are fitted so as to reproduce the ground-state energies and RMS interatomic distances in Blume and Greene's quantum Monte Carlo computations for 4 HeN clusters with N 3-10. The model can be extrapolated to N 3 to give a reasonable value for the binding energy per atom in a helium droplet.
Nonparametric Decision Support Systems in Medical Diagnosis: Modeling Pulmonary Embolism

Patients face a multitude of diseases, trauma, and related medical problems that are difficult to diagnose and have large treatment and diagnostic direct costs, including pulmonary embolism (PE), which has mortality rates as high as 10%. Advanced decision-making tools, such as nonparametric neural networks (NN), may improve diagnostic capabilities for these problematic medical conditions. The research develops a backpropagation trained neural network diagnostic model to predict the occurrence of PE. Laboratory database values for 292 patients who were determined to be at risk for PE, with almost 15% suffering a confirmed PE, were collected and used to evaluate various NN modelsâ€™ performances. Results indicate that using NN diagnostic models enables the leveraging of knowledge gained from standard clinical laboratory tests, specifically the d-dimer assay and reactive glucose, significantly improving overall positive predictive value, compared to using either test in isolation, and also increasing negative predictive performance.
Effectiveness of Nonpublic Report Cards for Reducing Trauma Mortality

Importance An Institute of Medicine report on patient safety that cited medical errors as the 8th leading cause of death fueled demand to use quality measurement as a catalyst for improving health care quality. Objective To determine whether providing hospitals with benchmarking information on their risk-adjusted trauma mortality outcomes will decrease mortality in trauma patients. Design, Setting, and Participants Hospitals were provided confidential reports of their trauma risk–adjusted mortality rates using data from the National Trauma Data Bank. Regression discontinuity modeling was used to examine the impact of nonpublic reporting on in-hospital mortality in a cohort of 326 206 trauma patients admitted to 44 hospitals, controlling for injury severity, patient case mix, hospital effects, and preexisting time trends. Main Outcomes and Measures In-hospital mortality rates. Results Performance benchmarking was not significantly associated with lower in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.89; 95% CI, 0.68-1.16; P = .39). Similar results were obtained in secondary analyses after stratifying patients by mechanism of trauma: blunt trauma (AOR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.69-1.20; P = .51) and penetrating trauma (AOR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.44-1.28; P = .29). We also did not find a significant association between nonpublic reporting and in-hospital mortality in either low-risk (AOR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.57-1.25; P = .40) or high-risk (AOR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.67-1.17; P = .38) patients. Conclusions and Relevance Nonpublic reporting of hospital risk-adjusted mortality rates does not lead to improved trauma mortality outcomes. The findings of this study may prove useful to the American College of Surgeons as it moves ahead to further develop and expand its national trauma benchmarking program.
Serum alkaline phosphatase and microsomal enzymes in the beagle dog.

Abstract The association between increased serum alkaline phosphatase activity and increased hepatic microsomal-enzyme activity in the beagle has been investigated. Low doses of a combination of ethanol (633 μl/kg/day), propylene glycol (672 μl/kg/day) and chloroform (30 μl/kg/day) raised alkaline phosphatase activities in both serum and liver without concurrently increasing three microsomal enzymes (amidopyrine N -demethylase, p -nitroanisole O -demethylase and benzo[ a ]pyrene hydroxylase). Studies with enzyme inhibitors suggested that the increases in hepatic and serum alkaline-phosphatase levels were predominantly due to enzyme of the hepatic type.
Comparison of information structures in zero-sum games

Abstract This note provides simple necessary and sufficient conditions for the comparison of information structures in zero-sum games. This solves an open problem of Grossner and Mertens [Gossner, O., Mertens, J.-F., 2001. The value of information in zero-sum games. http://ogossner.free.fr/Articles/abstract.pdf ]. The conditions are phrased in terms of Blackwell garbling of information of each of the players.
Synthesis of Discrete Mass Poly(butylene glutarate) Oligomers

A series of discrete mass oligomers of the perfectly alternating copolymer poly(butylene glutarate) containing 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 structural units have been synthesized from glutaric anhydride and butanediol using an iterative divergent−convergent strategy. These materials were designed to serve as models for more complex polymer distributions. Orthogonal protection of difunctional starting material using 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl chloride and p-methoxybenyl alcohol allowed control of chain growth during coupling with 1-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide hydrochloride and (N,N-dimethylamino)pyridine. Condensation products were monofunctionalized by removal of one protecting group using mild acidic or basic conditions that preserved the orthogonal protecting group. The fully unprotected target products were isolated in highly pure form and, with the exception of the 64-mer, in high yield (>70%). The synthetic oligomers were characterized using 1H NMR, HPLC, GPC, EI-MS, CI-MS, LSI-MS, and M...
Influence strategy, perspective-taking, and relationships between high- and low-power individuals in cooperative and competitive contexts.

Summary Sixty-four undergraduates negotiated an exchange of resources in dyads. They had either high or low power relative to the other and negotiated within a cooperative or a competitive context. The results indicate that within a competitive context unequal-power relationships resulted in the higher-power person's use of coercion and the low-power person's attempts to negotiate. Both high- and low-power Ss perceived their relationship to be dominated by egocentric focus on one's own goals and attempts to control the other to meet one's needs. Within a cooperative context, however, both high- and low-power Ss were highly inducible to each other's influences, needed resources were provided to each other, high trust and liking occurred between Ss, and Ss were more accurate in understanding each other's perspectives. Unequal power seems to have undermined negotiations within a competitive context while not detracting from effective working relationships within a cooperative context.
Tools, drugs, and signals in the road from evolution to money

The problem of the biology of money is twofold: It subsumes both the identification of behavioral mechanisms that account for the power of money as an incentive, and the elucidation of the phylogeny of such mechanisms. The drugs–tool distinction, as articulated by Lea & Webley (L&W) in their fascinating synthesis, is a welcome step toward their solution. Compared to the direct invocation of instinctual drives, however, conditioning processes provide a conceptually and empirically clearer road from evolution to money.
Tunable dielectric liquid lens on flexible substrate

We demonstrate the fabrication of a tunable-focus dielectric liquid lens (DLL) on a flexible substrate made of polydimethylsiloxane, which was wrapped onto a goggle surface to show its functionality. As a positive meniscus converging lens, the DLL has the focal length variable from 14.2 to 6.3 mm in 1.3 s when the driving voltage increases to 125 Vrms. The resolving power of the DLL is 17.95 line pairs per mm. The DLL on a flexible, curvilinear surface is promising for expanded field of view covered as well as in reconfigurable optical systems.
Heat of Formation of the Difluoromethylene Radical

Majer and Patrick1 have recently reported a value for the heat of formation of CF2 which differs appreciably from that reported by Margrave et al.2 and regresses toward values from the older literature. This heat has been deduced from electron impact studies on C6H5CF3 and C6H4FCF3 and involves the appearance potentials of the C6H5F+ and C6H4F2+ ions, respectively. Since those ions are not formed directly from the parent molecules, it is obviously dangerous to utilize appearance potentials for thermochemical calculations of any except the most qualitative nature, and a detailed consideration of the data seems to indicate that − 17 kcal/mole is only a positive limit for the heat of formation of CF2.
Sediment transport capacity and erosion processes: model concepts and reality

Sediment transport capacity, Tc, defined as the maximum amount of sediment that a flow can carry, is the basic concept in determining detachment and deposition processes in current process-based erosion models. Although defined conceptually and used extensively in modelling erosion, Tc was rarely measured. Recently, a series of laboratory studies designed to quantify effects of surface hydrologic conditions on erosion processes produced data sets feasible to evaluate the concept of Tc. A dual-box system, consisting of 1·8 m long sediment feeder box and a 5 m long test box, was used. Depending on the relative magnitudes of sediment delivery from feeder and test boxes, five scenarios are proposed ranging from deposition-dominated to transport-dominated sediment regimes. Results showed that at 5 per cent slope under seepage or 10 per cent slope under drainage conditions, the runoff from the feeder box caused in the additional sediment transport in the test box, indicating a transport-dominated sediment regime. At 5 per cent slope under drainage conditions, deposition occurred at low rainfall intensities. Increases in slope steepness, rainfall intensity and soil erodibility shifted the dominant erosion process from deposition to transport. Erosion process concepts from the Meyer–Wishmeier, Foster–Meyer and Rose models were compared with the experimental data, and the Rose model was found to best describe processes occurring during rain. A process-based erosion model needs to have components that can represent surface conditions and physical processes and their dynamic interactions. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Crossing the Nuclear Envelope: Hierarchical Regulation of Nucleocytoplasmic Transport

Transport of macromolecules between the nucleus and cytoplasm is a critical cellular process for eukaryotes, and the machinery that mediates nucleocytoplasmic exchange is subject to multiple levels of control. Regulation is achieved by modulating the expression or function of single cargoes, transport receptors, or the transport channel. Each of these mechanisms has increasingly broad impacts on transport patterns and capacity, and this hierarchy of control directly affects gene expression, signal transduction, development, and disease.
Population regulation of the rock-boring sea urchin Echinometra mathaei (de Blainville)

Abstract Echinometra mathaei (de Blainville) population increases, attributable to removal of their predators by fishermen, results in competitive exclusion of herbivorous fish and other sea urchin species, high reef substratum bioerosion and decreased reef topographic complexity. This study explores the population regulation of E. mathaei under conditions of reduced predator abundance. Experimental density manipulations suggest some density-dependent mortality, yet populations on heavily fished reefs continue to increase despite high biomass and reduced food. On two of three studied reefs, including the site with the highest population density, adult and juvenile densities were positively correlated in 1-m 2 quadrats. Individuals on the high population-density reef had smaller gonads and gonad indices (gonad wt · body wt −1 ), lower relative gut weights, a higher fraction of calcium carbonate in their guts, larger Aristotle's lantern indices (jaw wt · body wt −1 ), and lower respiration rates than individuals on the low population density reef. Comparisons with individuals starved in aquaria indicate that these are responses to reduced food availability. There was no indication that larger individuals were able to avoid resource limitations more effectively than small individuals. Additionally, there was no indication of reduced body size with increasing population density. The frequency of intraspecific agonistic behavior during experimental manipulations was lower ( G test, p
Time-dependent models of single- and double-layer mantle convection

Time-dependent numerical models of two-dimensional convection which simulate mantle convection are presented. Starting from a fluid initially at rest with a purely conductive temperature profile, it is found that for a Rayleigh number of ten million, the model experiences a transient period of double-layer convection which lasts on the order of hundreds of millions of years when scaled to the earth's mantle. It is suggested that transient periods of double-layer convection in the earth's mantle may have existed in the past, whether or not such a period exists today.
MO-FF-A4-02: Automatic Shape-Based 3D Level Set Segmentation for Needle Tracking in 3D TRUS Guided Prostate Brachytherapy

Prostate brachytherapy is an effective treatment for early prostate cancer. The success depends critically on the correct needle implant position. We have devised an automatic shape‐based 3D level set segmentation tool for needle tracking in 3D trans‐rectal ultrasound(TRUS)images, which uses the shape information and 3D level set technique to localize the needle position and estimate the endpoint of needle in real‐time. Automatic initialization of the level set technique for ultrasoundimage is not trivial. We assume that the needle is most likely at the position with the highest intensity of a 3D TRUS difference image with subtraction of the 3D TRUSimage prior to the insertion of the needle. The initial point must meet two criteria: 1. Its intensity must above certain threshold; and 2. The volume around the intitial point extracted by thresholding must above the size of 5×10×3 voxels, (1×1x1 voxels = 0.2 × 0.1 × 5 mm). Otherwise, it is regarded as either noise or needle insertion failure. The 3D TRUSimages used in the evaluation of our tools are obtained using a 2D TRUStransducer from Ultrasonix and a computer controlled stepper motor system from Thorlabs. The accuracy and feedback mechanism have been validated using prostate phantoms and compared with 3D positions of these needles derived from expert segmentations. The ground truth used in this study is the expert segmentation of needle positions from 3D CTimages. The experiments were performed with 19 inserted needles. The mean errors of both automatic and expert segmentations are within 1 voxel for 16 out of 19 needles. Three needles failed to be detected because of poor image quality. Hence our automated method allows real‐time TRUS ‐based needle placement within 20% of the needle diameter compared to manual expert segementation.
Homocysteine and folate deficiency sensitize oligodendrocytes to the cell death-promoting effects of a presenilin-1 mutation and amyloid β-peptide

Although damage to white matter occurs in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Recent findings suggest that individuals with elevated levels of homocysteine are at increased risk of AD. Here we show that oligodendrocytes from mice expressing a mutant form of presenilin-1 (PS1) that causes familial AD exhibit increased sensitivity to death induced by homocysteine compared to oligodendrocytes from wild-type control mice. Homocysteine also sensitized oligodendrocytes to the cytotoxicity of amyloid β-peptide. Folate deficiency, which is known to result in elevated levels of homocysteine in vivo, also sensitized oligodendrocytes to the cell-death-promoting actions of mutant PS1 and amyloid β-peptide. Inhibitors of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and p53 protected oligodendrocytes against cell death induced by homocysteine and amyloid β-peptide, consistent with a role for a DNA-damage response in the cell death process. These findings demonstrate an adverse effect of homocysteine on oligodendrocytes, and suggest roles for homocysteine and folate deficiency in the white matter damage in AD and related neurodegenerative disorders.
The genome organization of Thermotoga maritima reflects its lifestyle.

The generation of genome-scale data is becoming more routine, yet the subsequent analysis of omics data remains a significant challenge. Here, an approach that integrates multiple omics datasets with bioinformatics tools was developed that produces a detailed annotation of several microbial genomic features. This methodology was used to characterize the genome of Thermotoga maritima—a phylogenetically deep-branching, hyperthermophilic bacterium. Experimental data were generated for whole-genome resequencing, transcription start site (TSS) determination, transcriptome profiling, and proteome profiling. These datasets, analyzed in combination with bioinformatics tools, served as a basis for the improvement of gene annotation, the elucidation of transcription units (TUs), the identification of putative non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), and the determination of promoters and ribosome binding sites. This revealed many distinctive properties of the T. maritima genome organization relative to other bacteria. This genome has a high number of genes per TU (3.3), a paucity of putative ncRNAs (12), and few TUs with multiple TSSs (3.7%). Quantitative analysis of promoters and ribosome binding sites showed increased sequence conservation relative to other bacteria. The 5′UTRs follow an atypical bimodal length distribution comprised of “Short” 5′UTRs (11–17 nt) and “Common” 5′UTRs (26–32 nt). Transcriptional regulation is limited by a lack of intergenic space for the majority of TUs. Lastly, a high fraction of annotated genes are expressed independent of growth state and a linear correlation of mRNA/protein is observed (Pearson r = 0.63, p<2.2×10−16 t-test). These distinctive properties are hypothesized to be a reflection of this organism's hyperthermophilic lifestyle and could yield novel insights into the evolutionary trajectory of microbial life on earth.
Simple and complex mental addition across development

Abstract Students in Grades 1, 4, 7, and 10 were timed as they solved simple and complex addition problems, then were presented similar problems in an untimed interview. A manipulation of confusion between addition and multiplication, in which multiplication answers were given to addition problems (3 + 4 = 12), revealed evidence for the hypothesized interrelatedness of these operations in memory only in 10th graders. The overall pattern of results suggests a strong reliance on memory retrieval, even in the first-grade group, with discernible time differences when “procedural” knowledge of carrying is required for problem solution. The results were judged consistent with a fact retrieval model which invokes explicit procedural information when problem difficulty is high or when processes like carrying and estimating magnitudes are required. In agreement with several other reports, the overall slowing of performance to larger problems is best explained in terms of normatively defined problem difficulty or associative strength in memory.
Hydrophobic interactions of brush border alkaline phosphatases: the role of phosphatidyl inositol.

Abstract Tissue-specific (intestinal) and tissue-nonspecific (kidney) rat alkaline phosphatases are released from their respective brush border membranes by different enzymes. To elucidate the mechanism underlying their membrane attachment, we tested the ability of these enzymes to partition into lipid or aqueous phases both before and after treatment with phospholipases and proteases. Interaction with Triton X-114 micelles was eliminated or decreased by treatment of intestinal enzyme with phospholipase A 2 or papain, while only phosphatidylinositol (PI)-specific phospholipase C (PIPLC) and subtilisin were effective with the kidney enzyme. Binding to octyl Sepharose for the intestinal enzyme was decreased by phospholipase A 2 more than by PIPLC, whereas the reverse was true for the kidney enzyme. Treatment with phospholipases decreased the apparent mass of the phosphatases by 50–80 kDa, presumably due to loss of bound lipid and detergent. PIPLC treatment of the kidney, but not the intestinal enzyme, prevented binding of the phosphatase to phospholipid vesicles. These results show that both enzymes are bound to respective membranes by hydrophobic anchor peptides to which phospholipids are bound. However, their sensitivity to phospholipases is different. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that, in the kidney enzyme, the PI is bound covalently, while with the intestinal enzyme, binding of PI appears to be tight but not covalent.
Measuring complexity and coverage of software specifications

Abstract Coverage testing in the context of Markov chain usage models refers to coverage of a model of the specification and profile of intended use, rather than coverage of the code that implements the specification. A new measure of specification complexity based on the number of statistically typical paths through the model of the specification is derived. Formulae are presented to compute bounds on the expected number of test cases required to achieve state and arc coverage. Formulae are presented to compare different usage models with respect to the amount of testing required to achieve coverage of typical paths. Convexity properties are established for these formulae to facilitate their use in optimization calculations that are used to generate transition probabilities for the usage models.
Structure of the three β-tubulin-encoding genes of the unicellular alga, Polytomella agilis

Abstract The quadriflagellate, unicellular, colorless alga, Polytomella agilis , contains several distinct microtubule arrays. To study the genetic basis of microtubule heterogeneity in P. agilis , we characterized its tubulin(Tub)-encoding genes ( tub ). The three β tub genes detected in blots of P. agilis DNA were isolated from a genomic library. The structure and organization of the genes were examined by restriction mapping and nucleotide (nt) sequencing. S1 nuclease protection studies showed that all three genes are expressed. The predicted amino acid (aa) sequences are more than 98% conserved with the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Volvox carteri β-Tubs, underscoring the close phylogenetic relationship of these species. Evolutionary divergence among the P. agilis genes is demonstrated by differences in intron number, nt sequences in noncoding regions, and silent nt substitutions in the coding regions. However, the proteins encoded by the β1 and β3 tub genes are identical; the β2 gene product differs by one conservative aa substitution. These results are in striking contrast to the C-terminal aa diversity reported within β tub gene families in animal, higher plant and fungal systems. The data support the hypothesis that those tub genes whose products assemble into axonemal microtubules are subject to strong selection against nt substitutions causing aa replacements.
Reactive power compensation control for stand-alone synchronous generator-based wind energy conversion system

This paper presents a controlled reactive power compensator (RPC) for a stand-alone synchronous generator (SG)-based wind energy conversion system (WECS). The proposed controlled RPC consists of a synchronous condenser (SC), an AC/DC converter whose output supplies the excitation circuit of the SC, and a control scheme that adapts the converter output to supply the field voltage required to fit the power factor to its desired value. A lab-scale system consisting of a WECS, an induction motor acting as lagging power factor load connected to the WECS in addition to the proposed controlled power factor corrector (PFC) was setup in hardware to examine its response using the DSpace 1104. The obtained results justify the validity and applicability of the proposed control scheme as a reliable tool to control the operation of an RPC.
Evolvability and speed of evolutionary algorithms in light of recent developments in biology

Biological and artificial evolutionary systems exhibit varying degrees of evolvability and different rates of evolution. Such quantities can be affected by various factors. Here, we review some evolutionary mechanisms and discuss new developments in biology that can potentially improve evolvability or accelerate evolution in artificial systems. Biological notions are discussed to the degree they correspond to notions in Evolutionary Computation. We hope that the findings put forward here can be used to design computational models of evolution that produce significant gains in evolvability and evolutionary speed.
Effect of particle loading on GM‐CSF production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a three‐phase fluidized bed bioreactor

Continuous production of a recombinant murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (MuGM-CSF) by immobilized yeast cells, Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain XV2181 (a/a, Trp1) containing plasmid pαADH2, in a fluidized bed bioreactor was studied at a 0.03 h−1 dilution rate and various particle loading rates ranging from 5% to 33% (v/v). Cells were immobilized on porous glass beads fluidized in an air-lift draft tube bioreactor. A selective medium containing glucose was used to start up the reactor. After reaching a stable cell concentration, the reactor feed was switched to a rich, nonselective medium containing ethanol as the carbon source for GM-CSF production. GM-CSF production increased initially and then dropped gradually to a stable level. During the same period, the fraction of plasmid-carrying cells declined continuously to a lower level, depending on the particle loading. The relatively stable GM-CSF production, despite the large decline in the fraction of plasmid-carrying cells, was attributed to cell immobilization. As the particle loading rate increased, the plasmid stability also increased. Also, as the particle loading increased from 5% to 33%, total cell density in the bioreactor increased from 16 to 36 g/L, and reactor volumetric productivity increased from 0.36 to 1.31 mg/L·h. However, the specific productivity of plasmid-carrying cells decreased from 0.55 to 0.07 mg/L·g cell. The decreased specific productivity at higher particle loading rates was attributed to reduced growth efficiency caused by nutrient limitations at higher cell densities. Both the reactor productivity and specific cell productivity increased by two- to threefold or higher when the dilution rate was increased from 0.03 to 0.07 h−1. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Diagnosis of microsporidial keratitis by confocal microscopy and the chromatrope stain

Purpose To illustrate the value of confocal microscopy and chromatrope stain in the diagnosis of microsporidial keratitis. Methods In vivo confocal microscopy was performed on a man with the human immunodeficiency virus who had severe bilateral epithelial keratitis refractory to topical antibacterial medications. The results were compared to conjunctival scrapings stained with the chromatrope-based Weber stain. Results Confocal microscopy demonstrated many small, intraepithelial opacities of the corneal epithelium, which were suggestive of Microsporidia. Results of the chromatrope stain of conjunctival scrapings confirmed the diagnosis of microsporidial keratitis. Conclusions Rapid diagnosis allowed prompt initiation of topical fumagillin, which permitted rapid, long-term control of the symptoms of microsporidial keratitis.
Linearization of mixed-integer products

Programs containing products of a binary variable and a function of continuous variables can be transformed into programs which are linear in the binary variables by applying the technique introduced by Glover (1975) for bitinear products. Of particular interest, though, is the ability to transform a class of programs containing such mixed-integer products into MINLP problems which can be solved with the outer-approximat ion algorithm developed by Duran and Grossmann (1986). The main feature of this class of programs is convexity with respect to the continuous variables.
Structure and topography of the surfaces of titanium alloys after thermodiffusion saturation from boron carbide in vacuum

The phase composition and topography of the surfaces of titanium alloys after thermodiffusion saturation from boron carbide depend on the procedure and temperature of saturation. After saturation at temperatures of 800–850°C, a layer of titanium monoboride (TiB) is formed on the surface. As temperature increases to 900–950°C, against the background of a dispersed structure of titanium monoboride, we observe the appearance of islets of titanium diboride (TiB2) responsible for the formation of a two-phase coating. This affects the quality of the surface. The procedure of holding at 850 and 900°C promotes a 1.5–2.5-fold increase in the vertical parameters of the profiles of materials in the case of noncontact saturation and a 2–3.5-fold increase in these parameters in the case of contact saturation. The classes of surface finish decrease by 1 and 2, respectively. At 950°C, we observe the intense growth of grains in the coating. In this case, the quality of the surface degrades by two classes.
Regulation of IgE antibody production by serum molecules. VI: Preliminary biochemical and immunological characterization of serum molecules active in suppressing IgE antibody production

Abstract Molecules present in the serum and ascites fluids of low IgE responder mice previously inoculated with complete Freund's adjuvant have been analyzed in terms of certain biochemical and immunological characteristics. These studies demonstrate that the active molecules, termed “suppressive factors of allergy” (SFA), are (1) nondialyzable, (2) not associated with low-density or high-density lipoproteins, (3) heat stable, (4) precipitable by ammonium sulfate, and (5) approximately 150,000 daltons in molecular size. Studies with immunoadsorbents prepared from various antisera indicate that the suppressive molecules are (1) not immunoglobulin in nature, (2) not reactive with specific anti-H-2 alloantiboodies, but (3) reactive with anti- β 2 m antibodies as well as (4) heterologous antisera raised against CFA-immune mouse serum.
Models for the effects of individual size and spatial scale on competition between species in heterogeneous environments.

A spatially explicit model for competition with dispersal in a heterogeneous environment is used to study the effects of individual size and the spatial scale of the environment on the competitive interactions between species. The model is a Lotka-Volterra competition system with diffusion and with spatial variation in some coefficients. The coefficients in the model are taken to reflect a situation where the larger competitor typically disperses farther in unit time than the smaller and reproduces less rapidly, but has an advantage in contests or other forms of interference competition. The environment is assumed to be closed, i.e., it is assumed that individuals do not leave through the boundary. The environment is generally assumed to consist of a patch of favorable habitat surrounded by less favorable regions. The effects of spatial scale are studied by examining how the predictions of the model change as the size of the favorable patch is varied. The predictions turn out to be in qualitative agreement with the results of some empirical studies.
The premature retina: A model for the in vivo study of molecular genetics?

Retinopathy of prematurity is a disease of developing blood vessels. Although it is seen predominantly in premature infants requiring life support systems to survive, it does occur in full-term infants, infants with hypoxia, cyanotic heart disease and in stillborn infants. Although oxygen has been considered to be the prime aetiologic agent, evidence for this, particularly in recent years, is not compelling. The timing of the occurrence of the disease is closely related to the conceptional age of the infant rather than weeks post birth, birth weight, ges-tational age at birth. In addition, the case to case similarity of the disease, as well as the diverse cell types produced in unfavourable outcomes (cicatricial ROP), point to the possibility of an in utero insult to the clone of cells giving rise to the vascular endothelium providing blood supply to the neural retina.
Flexion-extension cervical spine radiography in pediatric blunt trauma

Ligamentous cervical injury may not be apparent when viewed with static cervical spine radiography (CSR). Dynamic (flexion-extension) views of the cervical spine may aid in the identification of such injury. A retrospective descriptive study was carried out between July 1, 1990, and June 30, 1994, in an academic emergency department averaging 60,000 patient visits (of which 20% are pediatric) per year. The subjects were pediatric blunt trauma patients, 0–18 years of age. CSR was performed in the static (lateral, anteroposterior, odontoid) and dynamic (flexion and extension) views. One hundred thirty-seven patients (53% male; mean age, 12.9 years) met entry criteria. Mechanisms of injury included motor vehicle accident (57 patients, 43%), fall from a height (56 patients, 42%), and direct trauma (20 patients, 15%). Indications for CSR included a traumatic mechanism, the complaint of neck pain, and posterior midline neck tenderness on examination in all cases; abnormal static CSR was also an indication in 40 cases (30%). Results of static CSRs were normal in 93 patients (70%), all of whom had a normal dynamic CSR. Static CSRs were abnormal in 40 patients (30%), of whom 33 had a normal dynamic CSR. The 7 patients (5%) with an abnormal dynamic CSR had disruption of the lines of cervical contour (6), and/or reversal of lordotic curve (2) noted on the static CSR. No patient required invasive spine surgery, and all were discharged with a satisfactory neurologic outcome after hospital admission. No complications of dynamic CSR use occurred. Among patients who are alert and communicative, dynamic CSR is safe and assists in the evaluation of pediatric blunt neck trauma when patients present with pain, midline tenderness, and abnormal static CSR.
A Simple Model with Myofilament Compliance Predicts Activation-Dependent Crossbridge Kinetics in Skinned Skeletal Fibers

The contribution of thick and thin filaments to skeletal muscle fiber compliance has been shown to be significant. If similar to the compliance of cycling cross-bridges, myofilament compliance could explain the difference in time course of stiffness and force during the rise of tension in a tetanus as well as the difference in Ca 2 sensitivity of force and stiffness and more rapid phase 2 tension recovery (r) at low Ca 2 activation. To characterize the contribution of myofilament compliance to sarcomere compliance and isometric force kinetics, the Ca 2 -activation dependence of sarcomere compli- ance in single glycerinated rabbit psoas fibers, in the presence of ATP (5.0 mM), was measured using rapid length steps. At steady sarcomere length, the dependence of sarcomere compliance on the level of Ca 2 -activated force was similar in form to that observed for fibers in rigor where force was varied by changing length. Additionally, the ratio of stiffness/force was elevated at lower force (low (Ca 2 )) and r was faster, compared with maximum activation. A simple series mechanical model of myofilament and cross-bridge compliance in which only strong cross-bridge binding was activation dependent was used to describe the data. The model fit the data and predicted that the observed activation dependence of r can be explained if myofilament compliance contributes 60 -70% of the total fiber compliance, with no requirement that actomyosin kinetics be (Ca 2 ) dependent or that cooperative interactions contribute to strong cross-bridge binding.
TRANSPORT-MEDIATED RELEASE OF ENDOGENOUS GLUTAMATE IN THE VERTEBRATE RETINA

In the present study we measured calcium-dependent, vesicular glutamate release, and calcium-independent, transport-mediated glutamate release patterns in the vertebrate retina to better understand the sources of elevated glutamate in neural tissue under ischemic conditions. A potassium concentration of 40 mM, which mimics the extracellular potassium concentration in the central nervous system during ischemia, was applied to the bathing medium of a retinal slice prepared from zebrafish. High external potassium evoked release of endogenous glutamate that was measured using a glutamate-specific fluorometric assay applied to the bath. The slice was visualized under 668 nm light using Normarski optics and fluorescent images were captured using a cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. Following the elevation of external potassium to 40 mM several bands of glutamate fluorescence, reflecting the spatial distribution of glutamate release, were observed. A calcium-dependent cloud of glutamate was observed in the inner plexiform layer, that was antagonized by bath-applied nifedipine. A relatively dense glutamate cloud (1-10 microM) was observed over the ganglion cell layer, which was blocked by dihydrokainate, a glutamate transport antagonist. In contrast, nifedipine, an inhibitor of calcium-dependent neurotransmitter release in the retina, failed to block the cloud of released glutamate in the ganglion cell layer. These data suggest that under pathological conditions in the eye where glutamate levels are elevated surrounding retinal ganglion cells, such as observed in some forms of glaucoma, a possible source of the elevated glutamate is through a glutamate transporter operating in a reversed direction. A likely candidate for mediating this reversed transport of glutamate is the retinal Muller cell.
Effective surface heat-transfer coefficients encountered in air-blast freezing of single-plastic wrapped whole turkey.

Abstract The surface heat transfer coefficients during air blast freezing of single plastic overwrapped turkey were estimated under conditions encountered in commercial practice. Whole turkey was approximated by a hallow sphere. A numerical method based on enthalpy formulation was used to simulate the freezing process. A series of experiments were conducted to obtain the temperature profiles during air blast freezing. The experimental and simulated temperature histories were compared using a sum of error squares technique to estimate surface heat transfer coefficients. The results were presented as dimensional and non-dimensional correlations. An approximate analytical method based on Plank's equation was extended to predict freezing times of hollow spherical shape. The effects of air temperature, air humidity and plastic wrap on the surface heat transfer coefficient were analysed. Parametric effects on surface heat transfer coefficients and freezing times were studied.
The linguistic organization of public controversy: A note on the pragmatics of political discourse

This paper does not mean to imply that it is only public controversy that can meaningfully affect political outcomes, or even that it is the most important factor. Rather, we have attempted to indicate that public controversy constitutes a forum on which political actorsact; on which they attempt to implicate each other and the public in terms of some preferred view of the controversy at hand. It is certainly the case that the formal structure of the government and power relationships provides important constraints in terms of which controversy may take place. Yet within these constraints, actors can meaningfully construct various views of the structure of the controversy which differently construe the rights and obligations of participants. In this sense, the course of public controversy may in part be understood as a function of the language employed by these actors, both to the extent that particular expressions stand as documentary evidence of underlying discrepancies about the shape of the controversy and to the extent that the logic of certain speech-acts constrains the forms subsequent statements may take.
Long-term glycemic control through preserved β-cell function

3 .�Incretin-basedtherapiesthattarget� β-celldysfunctionmayamelioratethedysfunction,� therebypossiblypreventingorslowingtheprogressionof� diabetes. Inthefirstpaperinthiscollection,� 'Progressin� thetreatmentoftype� 2� diabetes:� newpharmacologic� approachestoimproveglycemiccontrol,'�AllisonCohen� andEdwardS.�Hortonoutlinethecurrentstandardsof� diabetestreatmentandexploreseveralnewandemerging� pharmacologicmodalities,�includingincretinmimetics� anddipeptidylpeptidase�(DPP-4)�inhibitors,�thatwill� providemoretreatmentoptions. In�'InhibitionofDPP-4:�anewtherapeuticapproach� forthetreatmentoftype�2�diabetes,'�AfshinSalsaliand� Idescribetherolethatpancreaticisletdysfunctionplays� intheonsetandprogressionofT2DM;�discussevidence� thatDPP-4�inhibitioniseffectiveatamelioratingislet� dysfunctionandimprovingglycemiccontrolinT2DM;� andsuggestthatDPP-4� inhibitorsaresafeandwell- toleratedasmonotherapyaswellasincombinationwith� otherantidiabeticagents. JerryMeecefocusesontheissueofisletcelldysfunction� inhispaper,� 'Pancreaticisletdysfunctionintype� 2� diabetes:�arationaltargetforincretin-basedtherapies.'� HedescribesT2DMasadiseaseof�'deterioratingisletcell� functioninthesettingofinsulinresistance,'�andnotesthat� treatmentshouldfocusonpancreaticisletdysfunction� andtheinsulin:glucagonratio.�Heprovidesanoverview� ofpancreaticisletfunctionandglucoseregulation,�and� discussestheroleofincretinhormonesasatherapeutic� target. ClaresaLevetanprovidesabriefreviewoftreatmentoptions� inherpaper,�'Oralantidiabeticagentsintype�2�diabetes.'� Sulfonylureas,�meglitinides,�biguanides,�thiazolidinediones, α-glucosidaseinhibitors,�DPP-4�inhibitors,�andglucagon- likepeptide�(GLP)-1�receptoragonistsareincludedinthe� discussion.�AddressingtheAmericanDiabetesAssociation/ EuropeanAssociationfortheStudyofDiabetes�(ADA/ EASD)�consensusstatementthattheeffectivetreatmentof� hyperglycemiamustbeatoppriority 4 ,�DrLevetanexplains�
Current cervical neoplasia screening practices of obstetrician/gynecologists in the US.

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine cervical cancer screening practices of obstetrician/gynecologists in the US after recent revised guidelines. Study design Questionnaires were mailed to 355 randomly selected US obstetrician/gynecologists. Questions were structured as clinical vignettes. Results Questionnaires were returned by 60% (213/355) of recipients; 185 were eligible. Seventy-four percent would begin screening virginal girls at age 18. Sixty percent would continue annual screening in a 35-year-old woman with 3 or more normal tests. Frequent screening is common in women after total hysterectomy for symptomatic fibroids and no history of dysplasia, and in 70-year-old women with a 30-year history of previous normal tests. Most (82%) use liquid-based cytology; 78% of female respondents would prefer it for themselves. Most (64%) would not adopt triennial Pap/HPV DNA screening, although 58% of women would choose it for themselves. Conclusion Most US obstetrician/gynecologists screen low-risk women often and indefinitely, despite national guidelines designed to minimize screening harms resulting from overtesting.
Laparoscopic nephrectomy of the lower kidney for crossed fused ectopia.

Laparoscopic renal surgery is a minimally invasive alternative to open surgery. To our knowledge we report the first case of laparoscopic nephrectomy of the lower kidney for crossed fused renal ectopia.
SUMOylation of the human cytomegalovirus 72-kilodalton IE1 protein facilitates expression of the 86-kilodalton IE2 protein and promotes viral replication

The 72-kDa immediate-early 1 protein (IE1-72kDa) of human cytomegalovirus has been previously shown to be posttranslationally modified by covalent conjugation to the ubiquitin-related protein SUMO-1. Using an infectious bacterial artificial chromosome clone of human cytomegalovirus, we constructed a mutant virus (BADpmIE1-K450R) that is deficient for SUMOylation of IE1-72kDa due to a single amino acid exchange in the SUMO-1 attachment site. Compared to wild-type virus, this mutant grew more slowly and generated a reduced yield in infected human fibroblasts, indicating that SUMO modification is required for the full activity of IE1-72kDa. The lack of SUMOylation did not affect the intranuclear localization of IE1-72kDa, including its ability to target to and disrupt PML bodies and to bind to mitotic chromatin. Likewise, SUMOylation-deficient IE1-72kDa activated several viral promoters as efficiently as the wild-type protein. However, the failure to modify IE1-72kDa resulted in substantially reduced levels of the IE2 transcript and its 86-kDa protein (IE2-86kDa). These observations suggest that SUMO modification of IE1-72kDa contributes to efficient HCMV replication by promoting the accumulation of IE2-86kDa.