cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deep brain stimulation for epilepsy

Abstract The efficacy and safety of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT) for epilepsy (SANTE) trial was demonstrated by a randomized trial by Fisher et al. (2010). Based on this trial, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently granted approval for DBS therapy for epilepsy; the indication is as follows: “Bilateral stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT) for epilepsy is indicated as an adjunctive therapy for reducing the frequency of seizures in individuals 18 years of age or older diagnosed with epilepsy characterized by partial onset seizures with or without secondary generalization that are refractory to three or more antiepileptic medications”. This paper reviews the experimental data and the clinical experience using DBS for the treatment of epilepsy. “This article is part of the Supplement issue Neurostimulation for Epilepsy.”
Successful Antimicrobial Treatment of Phlegmonous Gastritis: A Case Report and Literature Review

Phlegmonous gastritis is an uncommon acute bacterial infection of the stomach that carries a fatal prognosis in spite of the advent of antibiotics. A high index of suspicion is required in patients with risk factors. An immunocompromised state is identified as one of the most important risk factors. We hereby report a case of successful antimicrobial treatment of phlegmonous gastritis in a patient who was receiving intensive chemotherapy for acute myelogenous leukemia. We have also carried out a review of literature over the past ten years. Streptococcus pyogenes is identified as the most common causative organism, and patient presentation is usually nonspecific. Conservative treatment with prompt institution of antibiotics can lead to rapid resolution in the majority of patients.
Biofertilizers and Drought Stress Effects on Yield and Yield Components of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.)

Effects of biofertilizers and stacosorb polymer* on yield and yield components of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) under drought stress were evaluated using a split-factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications at the agricultural research farm of Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran in 2013. The factors included drought condition (stressed and non-stressed) in the main plots, biofertilizer (nitroxin and barvar-2 phosphate) and stacosorb polymer [control and non-control] in the sub-plots. Results showed use of the biofertilizers had positive effects on the umbel number per plant, seed number per umbel, seed number per plant, harvest index, total dry matter, seed yield, plant height, and essential oil yield and percentage. The use of stacosorb had a significant positive effect on the plant height and seed number per plant under drought condition. The highest 1000-seed weight (4.82 g) was recorded in treatment with no fertilizer in the non-stressed plots. The highest total dry matter (192.7 g/m2) and seed yield (56.57 g/m2) were obtained from treatment with nitroxin in the non-stressed plots. The highest harvest index (45.24%) was recorded in treatment with the barvar-2 phosphate biofertilizer in the non-stressed plots. In conclusion, the biofertilizers affected significantly on some important traits of fennel. Also stacosorb polymer could counteract the unfavorable consequences of drought stress.
Programmable actuation of liquid crystal elastomers via "living" exchange reaction

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) have recently been intensively explored in various applications as soft actuating materials and opto-mechanical coupling materials. Since the orientation of mesogens in the elastomer largely determines its properties, various methods of programming the alignment of mesogens in LCEs have recently been developed. However, most of the methods either involve complex fabrication processes or have intrinsic limitations in their applicability. In this article, we synthesize a LCE with dynamic disulfide bonds and propose a facile room-temperature mechanical programming method via a "living" exchange reaction without requiring additional stimuli and catalysts. We also, for the first time, reveal the "living" exchange reaction of disulfide bonds at room temperature in a bulk polymer. Such a "living" exchange reaction relies on the significantly prolonged lifetime of free radicals generated during the breakage of disulfide bonds, which is counterintuitive and in contrast to most previous understandings. Thanks to the disulfide bond, the patterned orientation of the mesogens in the LCE is erasable and reprogrammable. In addition, the synthesized LCE also exhibits a shape memory effect, enabling the design of deployable soft actuating devices.
Balance, Health, and Workplace Safety: Experiences of New Nurses in the Context of Total Worker Health:

Transitioning into independent professional practice may be a difficult and trying process for newly licensed nurses, who may be at risk for burnout and quitting their jobs. Issues related to new nurses' well-being at work may also impact their personal lives. Using thematic analysis within the framework of Total Worker Health, this study examined factors related to the overall work, safety, and health of newly licensed nurses that should be addressed in work environments to promote well-being and prevent burnout and attrition. The main component of Total Worker Health is to find and understand the relevant issues that lead to safety and health risks in the workplace and affect workers' well-being at work and home. The overarching concept of Balance between Work and Life included three main themes: Health, Work Environment, and Learning to Be (a nurse). These themes with their subthemes described the difficulties participants had in balancing the complex interactions of work conditions and social life changes during the transition from student to professional nurse. Participants identified new physical health problems, mental health challenges, physical violence, lack of support structures at work, and alterations in family and friend relationships. However, they also developed protective factors from new connections with coworkers. These findings showed that new nurses are vulnerable to many factors at home and work that affect well-being and may lead to burnout and attrition. Implications include interventions at work that focus on health promotion, group support, and safety risk prevention through occupational nurse management.
Incidence and characteristics of cancer-associated thrombosis in a racially diverse population: A population-based study.

e13088Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication in cancer patients, but contemporary data on the incidence and characteristics of cancer-associated VTE in different racial p...
In-Situ Thermal Imaging for Single Layer Build Time Alteration in Large-Scale Polymer Additive Manufacturing

Abstract Ideally, objects are constructed as quickly as possible; however, short build times for a layer can present an issue. Short layer build times do not provide enough time for the material to cool sufficiently. As a result, an object cannot support its own weight nor deal with overhanging features. Additionally, the generation of support structures may be impractical either due to geometry or, in the case of large-scale polymer additive manufacturing, due to being difficult to remove. To address these issues, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility investigated the use of a thermal camera mounted to a gantry to collect data on an object under construction. This data provided feedback for an in-situ control system to adjust layer build times. Adjustments were made in the form of additional waiting to allow the material to cool to specific thermal thresholds. This additional cooling time allowed the construction of objects with low layer build times or overhanging features that would have otherwise failed.
FairSight: Visual Analytics for Fairness in Decision Making

Data-driven decision making related to individuals has become increasingly pervasive, but the issue concerning the potential discrimination has been raised by recent studies. In response, researchers have made efforts to propose and implement fairness measures and algorithms, but those efforts have not been translated to the real-world practice of data-driven decision making. As such, there is still an urgent need to create a viable tool to facilitate fair decision making. We propose FairSight , a visual analytic system to address this need; it is designed to achieve different notions of fairness in ranking decisions through identifying the required actions – understanding, measuring, diagnosing and mitigating biases – that together lead to fairer decision making. Through a case study and user study, we demonstrate that the proposed visual analytic and diagnostic modules in the system are effective in understanding the fairness-aware decision pipeline and obtaining more fair outcomes.
Six Autobiographies and Two Realistic Fiction Books as Tools to Engage Students in Neurobiology of Disease: A Guide for Instructors

In this review, we discuss seven books, which we have utilized as compliments to textbooks in a Neurobiology of Disease course. These books describe neurological and psychiatric disorders from the viewpoint of the patient and include both fiction and nonfiction. We incorporate these texts in our course to engage a wide variety of students. For neuroscience and psychology students, these texts provide a more humanized view of the disease or disorder and a context for descriptions of symptoms or treatments. For students who take the course to fulfill a general education requirement, these texts are meant to make complex issues in science feel more accessible and relatable. Additionally, class discussion of these books facilitates the de-stigmatization of mental health issues. Here we present reviews of various books we have used in this approach and describe the educational value of each. We highlight the reasons why each book was chosen and identify particularly relevant or challenging sections of each book. We also offer points of consideration to aid educators in evaluating whether a book is appropriate for use in their own classrooms.
Is Slower More Sustainable? The Role of Speed in Achieving Environmental Goals

Abstract Given the major role that transportation plays in the urgent issue of climate change, as well as technological and societal changes currently underway, a comprehensive evaluation of speed’s role in achieving sustainable transportation goals is needed. This article presents a review of speed’s role in generating climate impacts. The relationships between speed and sustainable transportation factors are reviewed and quantified. Speed is then incorporated as a variable in the ASIF equation, an emissions-projection model used by the IPCC. By applying this model to a United States context, insights are drawn for how transportation speed factors into the achievement of ambitious climate, public transit, and active transportation goals. These insights are crucial for setting sustainable transportation agendas, especially in the nation’s major metropolitan areas, which have become centers of sustainability planning but also hubs of expanding transportation networks, especially via air travel. A motivating question for this study is whether future transportation activity must be slower overall, in order to meet sustainability goals. Importantly, the results do not rule out a faster transportation future but prove that there is far less solution “space” for increasing average mode-speed.
Transient kinetic analysis of oxidative dealkylation by the direct reversal DNA repair enzyme AlkB

AlkB is a bacterial Fe(II)– and 2-oxoglutarate–dependent dioxygenase that repairs a wide range of alkylated nucleobases in DNA and RNA as part of the adaptive response to exogenous nucleic acid–alkylating agents. Although there has been longstanding interest in the structure and specificity of Escherichia coli AlkB and its homologs, difficulties in assaying their repair activities have limited our understanding of their substrate specificities and kinetic mechanisms. Here, we used quantitative kinetic approaches to determine the transient kinetics of recognition and repair of alkylated DNA by AlkB. These experiments revealed that AlkB is a much faster alkylation repair enzyme than previously reported and that it is significantly faster than DNA repair glycosylases that recognize and excise some of the same base lesions. We observed that whereas 1,N6-ethenoadenine can be repaired by AlkB with similar efficiencies in both single- and double-stranded DNA, 1-methyladenine is preferentially repaired in single-stranded DNA. Our results lay the groundwork for future studies of AlkB and its human homologs ALKBH2 and ALKBH3.
CHAPTER FIVE – Pricing: Retailers

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the concept of pricing for retailers. The price that a retail store charges its customers for its merchandise is established to cover three financial categories: (1) the cost of the merchandise, (2) the expenses of the retail business, and (3) an allowance for a net income. The cost of the merchandise is the amount paid by a retailer to a manufacturer or wholesaler. The shipping charges are included in the calculation of the cost of the merchandise. The expenses of a retail business include items such as rent, utilities, and salaries. The net income of a retail business represents the income generated for the owners of the business. The owners can withdraw some or all of the profits for their personal use. The owners can also use some or all of the profits for reinvestment in the business. In retailing, the difference between the cost and selling price of an item is called the markup or gross profit. The markup rate can be expressed as a percent of the cost or sales price. When a retail business experiences difficulty selling its merchandise, the sales price is generally reduced.
Gestational weight gain in low-income and middle-income countries: a modelling analysis using nationally representative data.

Introduction Gestational weight gain (GWG) has important implications for maternal and child health and is an ideal modifiable factor for preconceptional and antenatal care. However, the average levels of GWG across all low-income and middle-income countries of the world have not been characterised using nationally representative data. Methods GWG estimates across time were computed using data from the Demographic and Health Surveys Program. A hierarchical model was developed to estimate the mean total GWG in the year 2015 for all countries to facilitate cross-country comparison. Year and country-level covariates were used as predictors, and variable selection was guided by the model fit. The final model included year (restricted cubic splines), geographical super-region (as defined by the Global Burden of Disease Study), mean adult female body mass index, gross domestic product per capita and total fertility rate. Uncertainty ranges (URs) were generated using non-parametric bootstrapping and a multiple imputation approach. Estimates were also computed for each super-region and region. Results Latin America and Caribbean (11.80 kg (95% UR: 6.18, 17.41)) and Central Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia (11.19 kg (95% UR: 6.16, 16.21)) were the super-regions with the highest GWG estimates in 2015. Sub-Saharan Africa (6.64 kg (95% UR: 3.39, 9.88)) and North Africa and Middle East (6.80 kg (95% UR: 3.17, 10.43)) were the super-regions with the lowest estimates in 2015. With the exception of Latin America and Caribbean, all super-regions were below the minimum GWG recommendation for normal-weight women, with Sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa and Middle East estimated to meet less than 60% of the minimum recommendation. Conclusion The levels of GWG are inadequate in most low-income and middle-income countries and regions. Longitudinal monitoring systems and population-based interventions are crucial to combat inadequate GWG in low-income and middle-income countries.
Partnering With Oppressive Institutions for Social Change: Roles, Ethics, and a Framework for Practicing Accountability.

Community psychology is driven by the values of social justice, action, and accountability to oppressed groups, with a large body of literature devoted to understanding how to work in partnership with communities through participatory methodologies (e.g., community-based participatory research, participatory action research). However, some community psychologists may work in partnership with oppressive institutions (e.g., the criminal justice system) in order to transform these institutions toward greater equity and justice. In this conceptual review, I explore the unique challenges and opportunities of partnering with oppressive institutions for social change. First, I define oppressive institutions as those that are hierarchy-enhancing under social dominance theory and draw on theories of social change to explain when and why we might choose to partner with these institutions in research and action. I then review case studies of the ethical dilemmas community psychologists have faced in such partnerships. Finally, I propose a conceptual framework for practicing accountability when partnering with hierarchy-enhancing institutions. This framework includes specific practices that research/evaluation teams might incorporate into their relationships with institutional partners and communities impacted by the institution.
Quark distribution inside a pion in many-flavor (2 +1 )-dimensional QCD using lattice computations: UV listens to IR

We study the changes in the short-distance quark structure of the Nambu-Goldstone boson when the long-distance symmetry-breaking scales are depleted controllably. We achieve this by studying the valence parton distribution function (PDF) of pion in $2+1$ dimensional two-color QCD, with the number $N$ of massless quarks as the tunable parameter that slides the theory from being strongly broken for $N=0$ to the conformal window for $Ng4$, where the theory is gapped by the fixed finite volume. We perform our study nonperturbatively using lattice simulations with $N=0$, 2, 4, 8 flavors of nearly massless two-component Wilson-Dirac sea quarks and employ the leading-twist formalism (LaMET/SDF) to compute the PDF of pion at a fixed valence mass. We find that the relative variations in the first few PDF moments are only mild compared to the changes in decay constant, but the shape of the reconstructed $x$-dependent PDF itself dramatically changes from being broad in the scale-broken sector to being sharply peaked in the near-conformal region, best reflected in PDF shape observables such as the cumulants.
Timing of procedural interventions in childhood renovascular hypertension

Renovascular hypertension (RVHTN) is a rare, often complex condition due to multiple etiologies including congenital stenoses, vasculitides, and fibromuscular dysplasia. Among children with RVHTN who require multiple and escalating medications to control blood pressure, the optimal timing of a procedural intervention involves a balance of numerous factors. In this presentation of a 1-month-old girl with RVHTN, the treating medical team had to consider multiple factors in the initial management and timing of interventions to treat her underlying cause of RVHTN, including concerns for kidney health, degree of hypertension, age and size of the patient, and potential methods of procedural intervention. Initially, she was treated conservatively until concern for poor renal growth arose and a durable surgical intervention was thought feasible and safe. The evidence regarding the timing of non-medical interventions in pediatric RVHTN is limited. Considerations should include patient age, size, disease severity, comorbid conditions, and degree of medical management required to maintain safe blood pressures that allow for growth and reverse cardiac damage. The optimal interventions have not been evaluated by controlled trials and should be decided on a case-by-case basis with consideration of center expertise and family preferences.
Velocity of the Human Stadium or "Mexican" La Ola Wave: systematic variations due to type and direction

INTRODUCTION: The Human Stadium Wave or Mexican La Ola Wave is a common phenomenon at sporting events in which adjacently seated fans successively stand up and sit down to create a ripple which circles around the stadium, typically about half a dozen times. The velocity of the wave can serve as a metric for natural perception-action timing constraints that guide joint group behavior. The velocity is notable because it appears to be quite reliable without any instructions or aid directing it, and because it may systematically vary based on wave type and direction. METHODS: The velocity of the wave was measured at several live professional sporting-event stadiums, from multiple internet recordings of college and professional sporting events (both baseball and football games), and in a large Introductory Psychology class inside a 470-seat auditorium. Waves timed included both lateral and vertical directions, and both stand-and-sit and hands-up-only types. Distances were determined using stadium blue prints and seating depth counts. RESULTS: The findings revealed a reliable velocity of the lateral stand-and-sit wave averaging approximately 25 mph (about 40 feet or close to 20 people per second, standard deviation of 2 people per second). The hands-up-only wave was timed to be very close to twice as fast, at 50 mph (about 80 feet or 40 people per second), while the vertical direction was close to half as fast as the lateral direction. CONCLUSIONS: The general reliability of the velocity of the wave supports that it likely represents a universal or natural regularity of human perception-action timing and group behavior. The range of speeds for stand-and-sit waves and hands-up-only waves of 20 and 40 people per second support general biomechanical motoric speed, reaction, and coordination limitations near the same 20-40 Hz rates where both auditory and visual repetitions also become difficult to discern. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015. Language: en
Effect of Sorption on Biodegradation of Soil Pollutants

Publisher Summary Sorption, insolubility, and related processes are largely responsible for controlling the bioavailability of many pollutants to microorganisms in soils and sediments. The turnover rates of forms of a chemical that are not bioavailable are usually slower than those for the same chemical form in solution. In addition, for many chemicals with limited bioavailabilities, the rate-limiting step in their biodegradation is mass transfer from an unavailable to available form. Consequently, because multiple processes are involved, prediction of these chemicals' biodegradation rates is far more complex than is the case for readily available chemicals. The practical issues associated with the reduced bioavailability of pollutants are many. How strongly a pollutant is sorbed, as indicated by its sorption partition coefficient, and how rapidly it biodegrades are criteria used for screening its potential to leach to groundwater. Some researchers challenge whether a strongly sorbed pollutant poses a significant environmental problem if the pollutant is not available for uptake by sensitive populations, even if its limited bioavailability also means it cannot be taken up by microorganisms that can potentially degrade it. Much of the debate over this issue is fueled by uncertainty in our understanding of coupled sorption/desorption and biodegradation processes and of their impact on bioavailability. The objectives of this chapter are to demonstrate the importance of physical mass transfer processes—including non-equilibrium sorption, diffusion and other pollutant–soil interactions—in governing rates of biodegradation of organic pollutants in soil.
Explaining the Crisis of Iceland

This article focuses on critical realist analysis of concrete processes of structure formation and realization of structural propensity. It aims to explain the reasons for the rise and fall of the neoliberal regime in Iceland that led to the extreme expansion of the Icelandic financial system and its crisis. The article argues that the neoliberal regime was actively constructed by economic and political actors within the framework of the particular structural characteristics of Iceland. It claims that rigid structural conditions due to the very small size of the economy and severe problem of oligopoly undermined the neoliberal utopia of perfect market competition. In order to develop this argument, the paper observes how power elites actively affect public opinion and establish their hegemonic position in the political system.
Safety, Economics of

The economics of safety examines workplace injuries. In neoclassical theory, employers pay a risk premium for hazardous work and invest in safety to reduce the premium. ‘Modified neoclassical theory’ argues that limited types of government regulation improve the operation of the labor market. The ‘old institutional economists’ emphasize the unequal bargaining power of individual workers. One strain of ‘new institutional economics’ asserts that, when transaction costs are significant, changing the legal rules about liability can affect the allocation of resources. The government mandate theory argues that government standards improve safety. Evidence supporting the various theories is evaluated.
The Regulation of Gluconeogenesis in Mammalian Liver THE ROLE OF MITOCHONDRIAL PHOSPHOENOLPYRUVATE CARBOXYKINASE

Abstract The significance of mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate formation for gluconeogenesis was evaluated in isolated, perfused livers from rats, guinea pigs, and rabbits. In guinea pig liver, 0.2 mm octanoate decreased by 40 and 30% the rate of gluconeogenesis from lactate and alanine, respectively, but not from pyruvate. In rat liver, gluconeogenesis from all three substrates was increased. The inhibition of gluconeogenesis in guinea pig liver was associated with an increased level of reducing equivalents in the mitochondria as indicated by the NAD+:NADH ratios in freeze-clamped livers before and during infusion of octanoate. Infusion of β-hydroxybutyrate also increased gluconeogenesis from pyruvate and lactate in rat liver but inhibited glucose formation from lactate in guinea pig liver. Low concentrations of the artificial electron acceptor, phenazine methosulfate, reversed the inhibitory effects of excess mitochondrial reducing equivalents. Aminooxyacetate, which inhibits aminotransferases, totally abolished glucose formation from lactate (but not from pyruvate) in perfused rat liver but reduced gluconeogenesis by only 50 to 60% in guinea pig liver. This inhibition was further increased by β-hydroxybutyrate infusion. In livers from fed rabbits, aminooxyacetate had no effect, but in livers from fasted rabbits in which the activity of cytosolic P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase is induced, the inhibition by aminooxyacetate was quantitatively similar to that in the guinea pig liver. The data show that in the guinea pig and rabbit liver both the cytosolic and mitochondrial forms of P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase actively function during gluconeogenesis from lactate and alanine. The gluconeogenic flux via the mitochondrial enzyme accounts for at least one-half of the over-all rate of glucose formation from lactate. It is concluded that the regulation of gluconeogenesis in species containing a mitochondrial activity of P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase is significantly different from that operating in rat liver and reflect to a large extent the compartmentation of P-enol-pyruvate carboxykinase.
Cultural Change and Explicit Anti-fat Attitudes in a Developing Nation: A Case Study in Rural Dominica

Research has demonstrated the negative effects of social stigma on overweight and obese individuals. Beyond a burgeoning obesity epidemic, there appears to be a globalization of negative attitudes towards obesity. This study examined anti-fat attitudes among women from the Common wealth of Dominica using a standardized psychometric scale - the Attitudes Towards Obese Persons Scale (ATOP). We examined the impact of education level, body mass index, measures of development, and media usage on perceptions of obesity. Results demonstrated that rural Dominican women have high levels of anti-fat attitudes that are trending with developing and industrialized nations. The presence of a Facebook account was significantly associated with ATOP scores. There were significant interaction effects among Facebook account and age, as well as Facebook account and garden work. These findings suggest that online social networking increases anti-fat attitudes among women who are young and non-traditional.
Evidence on Possible Mycoplasma Etiology of Aster Yellows Disease II. Suppression of Aster Yellows in Insect Vectors.

Chlortetracycline or chloramphenicol (but not kanamycin, penicillin, or erythromycin), when administered in hydroponic solution to diseased aster, reduced the availability of the aster yellows (AY) agent to nymphs of Macrosteles fascifrons (Stal). Insects exposed to healthy plants whose roots were immersed in chlortetracycline were able to acquire AY agent from diseased plants the day after removal from the antibiotic-treated plants, but the latent period of the ensuing disease in the insects was prolonged. Chlortetracycline or tylosin tartrate blocked AY infection in nymphs injected with a mixture of antibiotic and the AY agent, but polymyxin, neomycin, vancomycin, penicillin, carbomycin, or chloramphenicol did not. All tetracyclines tested, methacycline, oxytetracycline, and chlortetracycline, produced a dramatic reduction in the ability of infected vectors to transmit AY agent. Tylosin tartrate also reduced transmission when injected into AY-transmitting vectors, but carbomycin, spectinomycin, cycloserine, penicillin, erythromycin, or kanamycin had no such effect. During the first 10 days after injection of tylosin tartrate or oxytetracycline into transmitting vectors, ability of the insects to transmit AY decayed rapidly. Transmission by insects injected with buffer alone, after decreasing the first day after injection, gradually returned to its normal level in less than 1 week. By 2 to 3 weeks after injection with tylosin or oxytetracycline, ability to transmit AY was regained by vectors. The results suggest that tetracycline antibiotics and tylosin tartrate inhibit multiplication of AY agent in the insect. The spectrum of antibiotic activity in the insect is consistent with the hypothesis that AY and other plant yellows diseases are caused by mycoplasma-like organisms.
A Model For The High Frequency Response Of Reservoir Rocks And Its Implications On Dielectric Log Interpretation

The electric response of wet reservoir rocks is primarily due to the motion of ions within the pore structure. Electric fields pin some ions at matrix-fluid interfaces, and they contribute to the bulk dielectric properties of the rock. The geometry of the pore structure influences these properties and information concerning it, as well as the water content of the rock, can be inferred from multiple frequency dielectric measurements. Taken together, this information may allow a prediction of the flow properties of the rock. 12 references.
Fitting Multimodal Lognormal Size Distributions to Cascade Impactor Data

A procedure is described for fitting multimodal lognormal size distributions to cascade impactor data. The method was applied to published cascade impactor measurements for ammonium and nitrate that were previously analyzed by procedures that do not assume a functional form for the size distribution. An evaluation of the lognormal fitting procedure by Monte Carlo simulations demonstrated that unbiased parameters and reliable estimates of their uncertainties require correct specifications of measurement precision and impactor characteristics.
Optimal cytoplasmic transport in viral infections.

For many viruses, the ability to infect eukaryotic cells depends on their transport through the cytoplasm and across the nuclear membrane of the host cell. During this journey, viral contents are biochemically processed into complexes capable of both nuclear penetration and genomic integration. We develop a stochastic model of viral entry that incorporates all relevant aspects of transport, including convection along microtubules, biochemical conversion, degradation, and nuclear entry. Analysis of the nuclear infection probabilities in terms of the transport velocity, degradation, and biochemical conversion rates shows how certain values of key parameters can maximize the nuclear entry probability of the viral material. The existence of such “optimal” infection scenarios depends on the details of the biochemical conversion process and implies potentially counterintuitive effects in viral infection, suggesting new avenues for antiviral treatment. Such optimal parameter values provide a plausible transport-based explanation of the action of restriction factors and of experimentally observed optimal capsid stability. Finally, we propose a new interpretation of how genetic mutations unrelated to the mechanism of drug action may nonetheless confer novel types of overall drug resistance.
Retrograde and transganglionic degeneration of sensory neurons after a peripheral nerve lesion at birth.

Abstract The sciatic nerve of newborn rats (≤16 h old) was crushed with a watchmaker forceps. During the first 4 weeks after the injury, examination of ipsilateral L4 through L6 dorsal root ganglia, their dorsal nerve roots, and the dorsal funiculus revealed the presence of degenerating myelin and axons. Chromatolysis was not observed. In the spinal cord, the degenerating argyrophilia was restricted to the medial part of the dorsal funiculus (fasciculus gracilis). This is interpreted as transganglionic degeneration of the central processes of the pseudounipolar cells. Twelve weeks after nerve crush, there was a noticeable reduction in the size of the leg, foot, and muscles innervated by the sciatic nerve as well as a substantial loss ( P 40 μm) and the larger myelinated axons. A total loss of about 60% of sensory neurons was found in the L4 through L6 spinal ganglia. About 58 and 64% of the myelinated axons were lost in L4 and L5 dorsal roots, respectively. The remaining perikarya and dorsal root axons were hypoplastic.
Single nucleon removal in relativistic nuclear collisions.

We implement a simple approach to the inclusive cross section for single nucleon removal by relativistic nucleons and nuclei. We first develop the projectile and target dependence of the mean number, {ital N}({ital b}), of nucleon-nucleon collisions as a function of impact parameter in the peripheral region. Using the Glauber approximation, we obtain a simple parametrization for a critical impact parameter {ital b}{sub {ital c}} such that the reaction cross sections for both {ital N}-{ital B} and {ital A}-{ital B} collisions are well represented by {pi}{ital b}{sub {ital c}}{sup 2}. Further study of the {ital b} dependence of {ital N}({ital b}) around {ital b}={ital b}{sub {ital c}} allows us to develop a parametrization of single nucleon abrasion cross sections. Next, we employ the Weizsacker-Williams approximation with {ital b}{sub {ital c}} as the cutoff impact parameter to calculate the Coulomb contribution to the single nucleon removal process. The results are compared with recent data which suggest that the Weizsacker-Williams approximation is inadequate for heavy projectiles. Using our estimates for the nuclear contribution, we find that the data yields good agreement with the Weizsacker-Williams results for virtually all projectile-target combinations. We therefore conclude that the measured deviations from the Weizsacker-Williams results domore » not represent new physics, but rather reflect uncertainties in the estimation of the nuclear contribution to the single nucleon removal process. As an elementary example of the possible new physics that may be observed in this process, we calculate the contributions from a coherent nuclear process and the possible interference effects. For heavy projectiles, we find that the interference effects are comparable to the present experimental uncertainties.« less
Making History in Banda: Anthropological Visions of Africa's Past

Ann B. Stahl. Making History in Banda: Anthropological Visions of Africa's Past. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. xix + 268 pp. Photographs. Drawings. Maps. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Price not reported. Cloth. Ann B. Stahl has provided an important and long-awaited contribution to the growing list of monograph-length archaeological studies of later African history. An examination of this period is crucial to developing an increasingly nuanced picture of the social, economic, and cultural dynamics of West Africa, and the ways in which interactions with European traders were negotiated in the complex political and economic relations that trade engendered. Stahl's research differs from most of the other long-term historical archaeological projects in West Africa by focusing on the Banda chieftaincy region in central western Ghana, an area lying in the hinterland of coastal interaction that was not associated with the major inland polities well known through historical records. This research helps to bring balance to the study of the wider region. Stahl frames her work as an "interrogation of silences" (xvii) that are legacies of the past, whether constructed from historical, anthropological, and archaeological perspectives, or through the production and use of local histories. She sets the stage by introducing a chieftaincy dispute she witnessed in Banda as an example of the way legitimacy is produced or undermined by contested histories. She then discusses the ways silences produced by differing epistemological frameworks (anthropological, historical, and archaeological) leave "interdisciplinary spaces" that can be productively engaged not by viewing their disjunctions as obstacles, but rather by viewing them supplementally as spaces that provide insights into the tensions that caused these silences. The second chapter critically explores the nature of the sources available for this study, including traditional histories, document-based histories, and archaeological data. The third and fourth chapters move from general theoretical issues of history to a focus on the Banda region by discussing the meanings of history (both local and official) in Banda itself and the ways it has been influenced by the changing geographies of the region as local autonomy diminished and centralized authority (first colonial and then Ghanaian state-based) became inscribed on the landscape. The fourth chapter elaborates the context of Banda history by describing the larger events (regional African trade networks, the trans-Atlantic trade, the rise of the Asante confederacy, the consolidation of British colonial rule and local administration) and how these developments affected the region. …
5(4H)-Oxazolinones as acyl donors in papain-catalyzed peptide fragment condensations

Abstract Papain, a thiol protease was shown to utilize 5(4H)-oxazolinones of peptides as acyl donors in peptide segment condensations. The effectiveness of this methodology is illustrated by the successful coupling of oxidized insulin B chain (30 residues) to angiotensin III (7 residues) in 59% yield.
Dorsoventral pattern formation in Drosophila: signal transduction and nuclear targeting

The maternal determinants of dorsoventral polarity of the Drosophila embryo are derived from somatic and germ-line components of the egg chamber. During oogenesis, asymmetry seems to be established by a signal transduction process. This process is thought to provide the developing embryo with a ventral signal responsible for determining the embryonic axis. Through a set of interactions that may involve signal transduction and proteolytic cascade events, positional information is generated in the form of a graded distribution of dorsal protein in blastoderm nuclei. Different levels of dorsal protein result in asymmetric expression of zygotic genes that ultimately specify cell fate.
Anaphylactoid reaction to chymopapain.

Summary Chymopapain is a proteolytic enzyme used in the chemonucleolysis of the herniated nucleus pulposus of lumbar intervertebral discs. It causes rapid hydrolysis of the noncollagenous polypeptides that maintain the tertiary structure of the chondromucoprotein of the nucleus pulposus. We report here an anaphylactoid reaction after the intervertebral injection of chymopapain.
Paleoecology of Pelmatozoan Attachment Structures from a Hardground Surface in the Middle Silurian Massie Formation, Southeastern Indiana

Abstract The contact between the basal limestone and overlying mudstone interval of the Massie Formation (Silurian: Wenlock, Sheinwoodian) represents a major flooding surface that is well exposed at the New Point Stone quarry at Napoleon, southeastern Indiana. At this locality, this surface is a locally microbiohermal hardground encrusted by numerous attachment structures of both crinoids and blastozoan echinoderms. The distribution of attachment structure morphologies is nonrandom with respect to variations in substrate properties and microtopographic relief. Discoidal structures and thecal attachments, predominantly representing diploporites, are concentrated on fine-grained, winnowed crests of the undulatory surface, reflecting the stability of this substratum. Complex root-like and runner-type structures, attributable to long-stemmed crinoids and rhombiferans, dominate the coarser, muddier, poorly sorted hardground troughs, reflecting the need for greater surface area in more unstable, rubbly areas. Microbioherms are densely encrusted by thickened radix systems belonging to long-stemmed pelmatozoans. The cause of thickening is unclear but may represent a pathologic response to some biotic interaction or investment by encrusting taxa in crustose holdfasts in order to prevent dislodgement. This study supports previous interpretations of pelmatozoan attachment paleoecology wherein solid, permanent discoids preferentially encrusted stable, homogenous substrata, whereas more complex structures were needed to occupy more heterogeneous and presumably less stable substrata. Thus, the hardground studied here highlights the strong influence of substrate variations in influencing paleoecological dynamics in topographically complex carbonate settings, possibly leading to locally increased alpha diversity and development of biofacies not typically encountered in certain normal marine environments.
Compact finger imager

We present the design of a compact, low-cost finger imager, to be used for enrolling and recognizing individuals based upon their finger ridge patterns. The optical system employs viewing beyond the critical angle and darkfield illumination for maximum image contrast. The optical system is afocal and telecentric, achieving corrected distortion with oblique viewing.
Separation of intermediates of the citric acid cycle and related compounds by thin-layer chromatography.

Abstract A method was developed for the separation of the eight intermediates of the citric acid cycle and of glutamine, glutamate, alanine, and aspartate. The method involved plates coated with thin layers of cellulose and the following solvents: solvent 1 —ether, formic acid, water (7:2:1); solvent 2 —phenol, water, formic acid (75:25:1). The method is simple and reproducible.
A new 111in-bleomycin complex for tumor imaging: Preparation, stability, and distribution in glioma-bearing mice

A new 111In-bleomycin complex (111In-BLMC) is here reported. Its radiochemical purity was 99% by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) (Rf 0.65) and in 5% agarose gel electrophoresis in 0.02 M NaHCO3 it migrated toward the anode. Autoradiographs of TLC and gel electrophoresis plates showed no change on storage for 3 weeks. Urine and plasma from untreated or glioma-bearing mice after injection of 111In-BLMC were analyzed by TLC and gel electrophoresis. Results indicated stability in vivo, nonbinding to transferrin, affinity to viable tumor, and excretion faster than 111In-BLM-B2, 111In-BLM, or 57Co-BLM. Tissue distributions 24 hr after injection of radiopharmaceutical showed activity ratios of tumor to blood, muscle, and brain of 13.1, 12.4, and 81.6, respectively, which were significantly higher than those for previously prepared 111In-BLM-B2 or 111In-BLM (except for brain, 0.05 less than P less than 0.1). The new 111In-BLM complex may be useful in clinical imaging and for combining radionuclide radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
The Chebyshev norm as a deterministic alternative for problems with uncertainties

Abstract The problem of determining, for a dynamic system, the absolute optimum response characteristics when portions of the system are not fully prescribed, and the best and worst possible performance when the excitation is uncertain is formulated as a mathematical programming problem with equality and inequality constraints. The objective is to extremize the maximum time value of a response, i.e. a Chebyshev norm is employed. A linear example problem and its solution are presented to illustrate the formulation.
Hippocampal gene expression profiles in passive avoidance conditioning.

Many experiments in the past have demonstrated the requirement of de novo gene expression during the long-term retention of learning and memory. Although previous studies implicated individual genes or genetic pathways in learning and memory, the collective behaviours of the genes is mostly unknown. We have used genome-scale screening by microarray analysis to examine the hippocampal expression of more than 1200 genes relevant to neurobiology during instrumental conditioning. Training rats on a step-through passive avoidance task led to unique patterns of gene expression when compared to naive animals or those exposed to the conditioned or the unconditioned stimulus alone. The newly identified genes afford a quantitative view of the changes which accompany conditioning at the genomic level and enable deeper insights into the molecular basis underlying learning and memory.
Psychoactivity of normacromerine in animals

Abstract Normacromerine (NMC), a dimethoxylated phenethylamine obtained from the Dona Ana cactus, was compared with mescaline (MES), psilocin (PSI), amphetamine (AMP), and pentobarbital (PEN) in several tests designed to detect psychoactive properties. Only the highest dose of NMC impaired the conditioned avoidance response, while MES, PSI, and AMP enhanced the response. NMC, AMP, PSI, and MES all produced increases in locomotor activity. NMC produced activity patterns (measured as pauses between active periods) similar to patterns resulting from treatment with MES or PSI. NMC appears to be psychoactive and correlates more closely with MES and PSI than with the other two drugs on the basis of the tests performed in this study.
MEASURING THE SIZE OF VENTRICULAR SEPTAL DEFECT IN HEARTS WITH DOUBLE INLET LEFT VENTRICLE AND TRICUSPID ATRESIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR NONINVASIVE ASSESSMENT OF SUBAORTIC STENOSIS. 223

MEASURING THE SIZE OF VENTRICULAR SEPTAL DEFECT IN HEARTS WITH DOUBLE INLET LEFT VENTRICLE AND TRICUSPID ATRESIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR NONINVASIVE ASSESSMENT OF SUBAORTIC STENOSIS. 223