cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Total Hip Arthroplasty in Adolescents With Severe Hip Arthropathy and Dysplasia Associated With Camptodactyly-Arthropathy-Coxa Vara-Pericarditis Syndrome

Camptodactyly-arthropathy-coxa vara-pericarditis (CACP) syndrome is a rare disorder. Patients with this syndrome experience early symptomatic arthropathy of the hips. We report a case of adolescent siblings with bilateral arthropathy associated with CACP syndrome in which total hip arthroplasty was performed as treatment of severe associated disability. Postoperative Harris Hip Scores for patient 1 were 86 for the right at 18 months and 96 for the left at 12 months. Postoperative Harris Hip Score at 6 months for patient 2 was 53; however, he had good range of motion and lacked deformity. Based on our limited experience and the limited available clinical data, we feel that total hip arthroplasty is a reasonable treatment option for adolescents with debilitating hip arthropathy associated with CACP syndrome.
Decadal variability of Russian winter snow accumulation and its associations with Atlantic sea surface temperature anomalies

Russian winter snow depth data over a 48-year period (1936–1983) are analysed to reveal variation characteristics and associations to Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies using methods of rotated principal component analysis (RPCA), singular spectrum analysis (SSA), and singular value decomposition (SVD) analysis. The study demonstrates that four time scales (4 years interannual, 11.8 years quasidecadal, 20 years bi-decadal and trend) characterize Russian winter snow depth variations. The decadal and longer time scale variations are found to be significantly associated with Atlantic SST anomalies. The trend, which occurred over much of the study region, is associated with SST trends over the northern north and tropical south Atlantic. Bi-decadal snow depth variation over central Siberia is associated with western tropical north Atlantic SSTs. A quasi-decadal variation over western European Russia is connected to a major Atlantic SST variation pattern of opposite signs over alternative latitudinal belts. This study suggests that the connections between the Atlantic Ocean and regional climate may be better reflected at decadal time scales than interannual and seasonal ones, as the dominant variability over the ocean is at slow modes. Copyright © 2000 Royal Meteorological Society
Short-term adaptation and incremental responses of single auditory-nerve fibers

In response to tone bursts of constant sound intensity, mammalian auditory-nerve fibers produce a maximum firing rate at onset, followed by an adaptation to a quasi-steady firing rate within about 150 msec. On the basis of two fundamental findings, it appears that the adaptation is additive, or linear, in nature and does not result from a multiplicative gain change. Basically, a given increment in stimulus intensity produces the same change in firing rate before and after the adaptation. In addition, the relative amount of adaptation, i.e. the ratio of driven onset firing rate to driven steady-state firing rate, is independent of tone intensity. Nonlinear effects that appear in the experimental results may be accounted for by two static nonlinearities, one preceding and one following the linear adaptation stage.
Exercise in the treatment of NIDDM. Applications for GDM

Physical training is associated with lower plasma insulin concentrations and increased sensitivity to insulin in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue of individuals with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The benefits of exercise to individuals with NIDDM in terms of increased insulin sensitivity could be applied to reversing the insulin resistance associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Exercise may also benefit women with GDM by acting as an adjunct to diet in preventing excessive weight gain and preventing or decreasing the severity of hypertension and/or hyperlipidemia during pregnancy. Regular physical exercise should be considered as a potential approach to the prevention and treatment of GDM.
Frequency of isolation and the pathogenicity of Fusarium species associated with roots of healthy cotton seedlings

Healthy-looking roots (symptomless) of cotton seedlings grown in soil collected from a cotton field were extensively colonized by Fusarium species. The species recovered included F. oxysporum, F. solani, F. equiseti, F. nygamai, F. pallidoroseum and F. moniliforme. F. oxysporum and F. solani were the dominant species. F. nygamai, which was frequently found, proved to be a new species record for the United States. Pathogenicity tests of 97 isolates of Fusarium showed that eleven isolates of F. solani and three of F. oxysporum were pathogenic to cotton and that isolates of F. equiseti, F. nygamai and F. semitectum were not pathogenic. Pathogenic isolates reduced seedling growth and caused necrotic lesions on taproots and secondary roots. Pathogenic isolates of F. solani were more virulent on cotton seedlings than those of F. oxysporum. It seems that pathogenic Fusarium isolates are present on apparently healthy seedling roots, but do not incite disease when environmental conditions are not conducive to disease. F. nygamai produced phytotoxins in culture media and symptoms produced by these phytotoxins could be mistaken for pathogenesis. Therefore, care must be taken in preparing inoculum and in drawing conclusions about the pathogenicity of Fusarium species on cotton plants.
Survival outcomes in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer who were treated with chemoresistance assay-guided chemotherapy.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the outcome of patients with recurrent ovarian carcinoma after extreme drug resistance assay-directed therapy. Study design Fifty women who were treated with chemotherapy based on extreme drug resistance assay guidance were compared with 50 well-balanced control subjects who were treated empirically. Results In the platinum-sensitive group, patients with extreme drug resistance–directed therapy had an overall response rate of 65% compared with 35% in the patients who were treated empirically ( P =.02). The overall and progression-free median survival were 38 and 15 months in the extreme drug resistance assay group compared with 21 and 7 months in the control group, respectively ( P =.005, overall; P =.0002, progression free). In the platinum-resistant group, there was no improved outcome in the patients who underwent assay-guided therapy. In multivariate analysis, platinum-sensitive disease, extreme drug resistance–guided therapy and early stage of disease were independent predictors for improved survival. Conclusion In this retrospective analysis, our results indicate an improved outcome in patients with recurrent ovarian carcinoma who have platinum sensitive disease and who underwent extreme drug resistance–directed chemotherapy. Randomized, prospective, controlled trials are needed.
SIGACCESS member profile: Julio Abascal

Member of SIGACCESS since: The beginningMember of ACM since: (Almost the beginning) 1960Also member of: None
Conformation, in solution, of -4--butyl-1-phenyl--1-(N-piperidyl)cyclohexane hydrochloride. The conformational energy of -butyl

Although the hydrochloride of c-4-t-butyl-1-phenyl-c-1-(N-piperidyl)cyclohexane crystallizes in the conformation with axial t-butyl, it exists as an almost equimolar mixture of the two chair conformers in CD2 Cl2 solution. The position of equilibrium allows one to calculate ΔG°t-Bu as −4.9 kcal/mol.
World wide web stroke resources: a guide for health care professionals.

This article provides an overview of available stroke information on the World Wide Web for health care professionals and consumers. An increasing amount of high quality medical information is available online, primarily via the World Wide Web. Recommendations in regard to type of Internet access and software are provided to assist the new and intermediate users. Electronic mail proprietary online services, and Internet applications are briefly reviewed. The World Wide Web sites catalogued in this article have been linked to a single site, allowing ready access to these sites while reviewing the article; Internet address: http://griffin.vcu.edu/html/pmr/other/stroke.html. The intended audience of the article is health care professionals, including those with limited experience with computers and the Internet.
Gas-Phase Catalysis by Micelle Derived Au Nanoparticles on Oxide Supports

The reactivity of gold clusters (8–22 nm diameter) supported on different metal oxides (titanium dioxide (TiO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), zirconium oxide (ZrO2), and silicon dioxide (SiO2)) was investigated in a continuous flow reactor. Clusters were encapsulated within polymer in toluene solution, impregnated onto the bulk supports, and reduced by calcination at 300 °C. Support dependent sintering (TiO2>ZrO2>ZnO) was observed following heating in air at 300 °C. For both CO oxidation and propylene hydrogenation, Au nanoclusters on TiO2 exhibit the highest activity compared to other supports.
An exploratory empirical inquiry into the impact of federal budget deficits on the ex post real interest rate yield on ten year Treasury notes over the last half century

Using over a half century of data, this exploratory empirical study adopts a simple loanable funds to investigate the impact of the federal budget deficits on the ex post real interest rate yield on 10 year Treasury notes. For the period 1960–2012, an autoregressive 2SLS estimate finds that the ex post real interest rate yield on 10 year U.S. Treasury notes is an increasing function of the ex post real interest rate yield on Moody’s Baa-rated corporate bonds, the ex post real interest rate yield on 3 year Treasury notes, and the ex post real interest rate yield on high grade municipal bonds. This exploratory analysis also finds that federal budget deficit (relative to the GDP level) exercised a positive and statistically significant impact on the ex post real interest rate yield on 10 year Treasury notes, a finding consistent with a number of earlier studies of shorter time periods
SPECTACLES OF SEXUALITY: Televisionary Activism in Nicaragua

This article develops the concept of “televisionary” activism—a mediated form of social justice messaging that attempts to transform culture. Focusing on a locally produced and very popular television show in Nicaragua, I consider how social justice knowledge is produced through television characters' scripting and performance. The ideological underpinnings aspire to a dialogic engagement with the audience, as producers aim to both generate public discourse and benefit from audiences' suggestions and active engagement. Several levels of media advocacy interventions are considered including the production, scripting, and translation of transnational material into local registers. Televisionary activism offers challenges to several conservative social values in Nicaragua by placing topics such as abortion, domestic violence, sexual abuse, homosexuality, and lesbianism very explicitly into the public sphere. At the same time, sexual subjects on the small screen must be framed in particular ways, as, for instance, with the homosexual subjects who are carefully coiffed in normalized human dramas. Finally, many of these televisionary tactics draw from and engage with transnational tropes of identity politics, and “gay” and “lesbian” subjectivity in particular, confounding the relationship between real and idealized sexual subjects in Nicaragua. That is, these televisionary tactics “market” transnational identity politics but derive legitimacy through their very “localness.”
Management of Pleural Effusion, Empyema, and Lung Abscess

Pleural effusion is an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space that is classified as transudate or exudate according to its composition and underlying pathophysiology. Empyema is defined by purulent fluid collection in the pleural space, which is most commonly caused by pneumonia. A lung abscess, on the other hand, is a parenchymal necrosis with confined cavitation that results from a pulmonary infection. Pleural effusion, empyema, and lung abscess are commonly encountered clinical problems that increase mortality. These conditions have traditionally been managed by antibiotics or surgical placement of a large drainage tube. However, as the efficacy of minimally invasive interventional procedures has been well established, image-guided small percutaneous drainage tubes have been considered as the mainstay of treatment for patients with pleural fluid collections or a lung abscess. In this article, the technical aspects of image-guided interventions, indications, expected benefits, and complications are discussed and the published literature is reviewed.
Synovial chondromatosis of the temporomandibular joint presenting as a parotid mass: Possibility of confusion with benign mixed tumor

Synovial chondromatosis is a rare metaplastic disorder of synovium in which cartilaginous nodules are produced within joint spaces. An unusual case involving the temporomandibular joint, with extension of the lesion beyond the joint capsule into the parotid gland, is described. The patient had a history of previous superficial parotidectomy for a "benign mixed tumor." Review of the histologic features revealed both lesions to be identical. The reason for confusion between the two diagnoses is discussed.
Cell-mediated immunity in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis: cross reactivity between myelin basic protein and mycobacteria antigens.

SummaryGuinea pigs injected with Freund's incomplete adjuvant emulsified with guinea pig spinal cord, purified guinea pig myelin basic protein, or human myelin basic protein showed dermal reactivity to both of the basic proteins as well as to myco-bacteria antigens. Animals receiving only mycobacteria antigens expressed dermal reactivity to the sensitizing antigen in addition to basic protein. This cross reactivity may help explain the role of mycobacteria in inducing and protecting against EAE, and may have important implications concerning human demyelinating diseases.We are grateful for the assistance of Hatsumi Park and Patricia Finke.
Intraperitoneal preloads of water, but not isotonic saline, suppress schedule-induced polydipsia in rats

In Experiment 1, 10 ml intraperitoneal preloads of water completely suppressed the acquisition of schedule-induced polydipsia in four of six rats. Preloads of 10 ml of isotonic saline retarded the acquisition of polydipsia slightly, but there were no significant differences in asymptotic levels of water intake between Saline Preload and Sham Preload groups. Experiments 2 and 3 demonstrated that established polydipsia was suppressed by about 10 ml when 10 ml water preloads were given; whereas, 10 ml saline preloads had no significant effect on established polydipsia. These results demonstrate that schedule-induced polydipsia is sensitive to internal states of water balance.
Diversity and phylogenetic analyses of bacteria from a shallow-water hydrothermal vent in Milos island (Greece)

Studies of shallow-water hydrothermal vents have been lagging behind their deep-sea counterparts. Hence, the importance of these systems and their contribution to the local and regional diversity and biogeochemistry is unclear. This study analyzes the bacterial community along a transect at the shallow-water hydrothermal vent system of Milos island, Greece. The abundance and biomass of the prokaryotic community is comparable to areas not affected by hydrothermal activity and was, on average, 1.34×108 cells g-1. The abundance, biomass and diversity of the prokaryotic community increased with the distance from the center of the vent and appeared to be controlled by the temperature gradient rather than the trophic conditions. The retrieved 16S rRNA gene fragments matched sequences from a variety of geothermal environments, although the average similarity was low (94 %), revealing previously undiscovered taxa. Epsilonproteobacteria constituted the majority of the population along the transect, with an average contribution to the total diversity of 60%. The larger cluster of 16S rRNA gene sequences was related to chemolithoautotrophic Sulfurovum spp., an Epsilonproteobacterium so far detected only at deep-sea hydrothermal vents. The presence of previously unknown lineages of Epsilonproteobacteria could be related to the abundance of organic matter in these systems, which may support alternative metabolic strategies to chemolithoautotrophy. The relative contribution of Gammaproteobacteria to the Milos microbial community increased along the transect as the distance from the center of the vent increased. Further attempts to isolate key species from these ecosystems will be critical to shed light on their evolution and ecology.
Linear autonomous neutral differential equations in a Banach space

Abstract The existence of solutions for a class of linear functional differential equations defined on a general Banach space is established; the solutions are shown to generate a semigroup of class C0; a representation of the solutions in terms of a particular family of linear transformations is developed.
Extensive exchange of rat liver microsomal phospholipids

Abstract Liver microsomal fractions were prepared from rats injected with a single dose of choline [14C] methylchloride or with single or multiple doses of 32Pi. Exchangeability of microsomal phospholipids was determined by incubation with an excess of mitochondria and phospholipid exchange proteins derived from beef heart, beef liver or rat liver. Labeled phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol were found to act as a single pool and were 85–95% exchangeable in 1–2 h. High latencies of mannose-6-phosphate phosphohydrolase activities and impermeability of microsomes to EDTA proved that phospholipid exchange proteins did not have access to the intracisternal space. If microsomal membranes are largely composed of phospholipid bilayers, the experiments suggest that one or more of the phospholipid classes in microsomal membranes undergo rapid translocation between the inner and outer portions of the bilayer.
Modeling energy dissipation and hydraulic jump regime responses to channel nonuniformity at river steps

[1] The river step is an important driver for geomorphic evolution in bedrock rivers, but the effect that variations in channel geometry upstream and downstream of a river step have on hydraulic jump regime and energy dissipation has not previously been investigated. The associated hydraulic jump is inherent to a river step and its regime is a primary control on step morphodynamics. In turn, the hydraulic jump regime is controlled by several variables as detailed in a new conceptual framework herein. Also in this study, a parsimonious semianalytical numerical model of step hydraulics is developed to quantify energy dissipation and delineate hydraulic jump regimes, accounting for discharge, jump submergence, and nonuniform channel geometry through a step. Despite remaining limitations in step theory, the model simulates how natural steps respond to a wide range of conditions. The model shows that hydraulic jump regime and energy dissipation exhibit greater sensitivity to channel nonuniformity as discharge increases and/or step height decreases. Also, channel conditions that create greater jump submergence lead to decreased energy dissipation, regardless of the discharge regime. The model also reinforces the common observation about gully erosion that downstream channel widening enhances upstream knickpoint migration. The new algorithm may be used to aid river engineering involving steps and could be useful for landscape evolution modeling.
The routine use of laparoscopic ultrasound decreases bile duct injury: a multicenter study

Objective Laparoscopic ultrasound (LUS) has been used for over 15 years to screen the bile duct (BD) for stones and to delineate anatomy during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). LUS as a modality to prevent BD injury has not been investigated in a large series. This study evaluated the routine use of LUS to determine its effect on preventing BD injury.
Soil flushing of residual transmission fluid: Application of Colloidal Gas Aphron suspensions and conventional surfactant solutions

Abstract An innovative technology using Colloidal Gas Aphrons (CGAs) is applied in this study to flush residual levels of a light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) such as automatic transmission fluid (ATF) from a Superfund site soil. Performance of CGA suspensions is compared with that of conventional aqueous anionic surfactant solutions under both gravity stable (downflow) and gravity unstable (upflow) conditions. CGA suspensions were found to be more effective in washing ATF under both downflow and upflow modes. The displacement of ATF from the soil pores seems to be the mechanism of removal in the case of water floods. Increasing the surfactant concentration did not increase the removal rate correspondingly. The pressure required to pump the CGA suspension was much lower than that required for conventional surfactant solutions or water flood. Results show enough promise that more research should be directed at this potential technology for in situ remediation of contaminated aquifers.
Microburst avoidance crew procedures for forward-look sensor equipped aircraft

Microburst, airplane, and sensor characteristics relevant to the development of crew procedures are summarized. A set of system requirements and performance standards which are consistent with microburst and airplane performance characteristics have been developed. It is suggested that an evasive turn to avoid a microburst is not required for airplane survival, if the microburst detected in time to effectively perform the turn. The use of straight-ahead recovery procedures will reduce the impact of windshear equipment on the ATC system and prevent secondary hazards.
A method for numerical quadrature over an infinite interval using systematically increasing mesh size

A quadrature formula for an infinite interval in one dimension is developed for a mesh with a fixed ratio between the lengths of successive mesh intervals. Passage to a finer mesh of this type retains points of the coarser mesh. An iterative algorithm is based on the subdivision of gross intervals by this means. For a power function integrand, the relative error per mesh interval is constant, which is in marked contrast with the case of a uniform mesh. Numerical comparisons of results have been made with those from an iterative Gauss-Laguerre algorithm for integrals with widely differing convergence properties. In the cases examined, the expanding mesh algorithm achieves greater accuracy with fewer mesh points, with the difference especially marked in the case of slowly convergent integrals.
Thermal response of superparamagnetic particles suspended in liquid and solid media

The purpose of this study was to explore the properties of coated superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPNs) specifically for their use in thermal-responsive drug delivery systems. Coated, magnetite SPNs were prepared and dispersed in cyclohexane or cetyl alcohol, a solid lipid at the physiological temperatures of 37 °C. The induced temperature change as a function of SPN concentration and external magnetic field and frequency was consistent with theoretical predictions. SPNs dispersed in a solid lipid matrix underwent heating and the associated melting occurred at a temperature suitable for a thermal-responsive drug delivery system.
Biased covering arrays for progressive ranking and composition of Web Services

Service-oriented computing is a new software development paradigm that allows application builders to choose from many available services. The challenges are to efficiently determine which services are the most appropriate to combine into an application based on concerns such as functionalities, licensing costs, and known reliability. Group testing has addressed some issues on how to select a small subset of candidate services. We expand upon the group testing methodology with a greedy algorithm that generates biased covering arrays for interactive testing of the services selected by group testing.
Analgesic effects on intrathecally-administered 3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one in a rat mechanical visceral pain model

Abstract Recent studies in animals have demonstrated that the steroid, 3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one (3A5P), is a potent analgesic when given intracerebroventricularly. Several studies in humans report that spinal steroids are effective in the treatment of chronic low-back pain when given in combination with morphine. The spinal antinociceptive effect of steroids, in particular a progesterone metabolite has not been studied in a visceral pain model. The experiments in the following study were designed to test, first, if the intrathecally-administered (i.t.) steroid, 3A5P, has analgesic properties in a mechanical visceral nociceptive assay, and second, if the intrathecal coadministration of this steroid and morphine is more effective than either therapy alone. Our mechanical visceral pain model (VPM) consists of a chronic indwelling duodenal balloon catheter implanted in the rat. The balloon is inflated to elicit a writhing response. Protection values are defined as the percentage of rats in each group which did not writhe. In this model, 3A5P was found to provide a dose-independent, though significant (p
Simulating societal systems

Modeling of societal systems and the advantages and limitations of doing so are examined. The simulation of demographic-economic systems is considered. The application of societal simulation methods to determining whether education can decrease the risk of AIDS is discussed. >
The influence of oligomycin on the actions of epinephrine and theophylline upon the perfused rat heart

Abstract Rat hearts were perfused with media containing pyruvate and iodoacetate with and without oligomycin. In the absence of oligomycin, both heart rate and force of contraction were well maintained. When oligomycin was included in the perfusion medium, there was a negative inotropic effect, a marked atrioventricular (A-V) block and a slowly developing contracture. In the oligomycin-treated heart, epinephrine or theophylline increased pacemaker activity, reduced the extent of A-V blockade and greatly accelerated the development of contracture. Rapid occurrence of contracture also followed electrical stimulation. Epinephrine was capable of exerting a positive inotropic effect in electrically driven hearts perfused with iodoacetate, pyruvate and oligomycin. Measurements of adenine nucleotides and creatine-phosphate showed that at the time when heart rate was markedly depressed by oligomycin ATP concentrations were not greatly reduced, although creatine-phosphate levels had decreased by 40 per cent. Administration of epinephrine or theophylline to these hearts greatly diminished the levels of high-energy phosphate. It was concluded that formation of new ATP from glycolysis or the respiratory chain is not required for the initial inotropic action of epinephrine or theophylline. The data allow one to speculate that the primary effects of these compounds or of 3′,5′ cyclic AMP may be concerned with calcium movements in the myocardial cell.
Neurobiology of gambling behaviors

For many, gambling is a recreational activity that is performed periodically without ill effects, but for some, gambling may interfere with life functioning. A diagnostic entity, pathological gambling (PG), is currently used to define a condition marked by excessive and problematic gambling. In this review, the current status of understanding of the neurobiologies of gambling and PG is described. Multiple neurotransmitter systems (norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, opioid and glutamate) and brain regions (ventral striatum, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, insula, among others) have been implicated in gambling and PG. Considerations for future directions in gambling research, with a view towards translating neurobiological advances into more effective prevention and treatment strategies, are discussed.
The impact of pricing policy on sales variability in a supermarket retail context

Abstract The bullwhip effect is recognized to be a significant cost driver in supply chains. One of the measures proposed frequently to counter bullwhip effect is price stability, through everyday low pricing (EDLP). However, this study suggests that with an auto-regressive (AR1) demand process, the use of constant, instead of dynamic pricing may result in lower profitability and higher-demand volatility. An optimal price and stocking level policy is developed with normally distributed demand in this study and the model is tested using parameters from a supermarket scanner data set to determine the impact of two pricing policies. The hypothesis that low prior-period demand leads to discounted pricing is also tested and partially supported.
Effect of wafer orientation on the particle deposition in subatmospheric pressures

Abstract The significance of gravity, electrostatic force, and turbulence on particle deposition on wafers in subatmospheric pressure chambers was investigated by conducting experiments with wafers placed in various orientations in an e-beam evaporator chamber used in the fab line at the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina (MCNC). These experiments carried out with naturally occurring particles generated by the operation of the equipment indicated that gravity usually dominanted deposition. However, particle contamination on wafers in the vertical and upside down orientations suggested that electrostatic forces and turbulence within the chamber during venting and pumpdown also contributed to wafer contamination. In order to study particle deposition characteristics with known particles at subatmospheric pressures, a new particle generating method using a modified vibrating orifice aerosol generator (VOAG) was developed for the production of monodisperse particles at low pressures with controllable charge and concentration.
Mechanochemical process in cotton cellulose fiber

Mechanical processing of cotton cellulose by means of a fiber cutter resulted in the disaggregation and defiberation of fiber bundles, shortening of fiber length, and loss of degree of polymerization. It is evident that the mechanical energy supplied by shear forces is sufficient to cause homolytic scission of cellulose main chains. Mechanoradicals formed in the interim were verified by ESR studies. The crystallinity of cellulose was not influenced by mechanical treatments, but accessibility of the polymer was substantially increased due to the creation of new surfaces. The mechanically treated fiber inclined to proceeded oxidative chain reaction during aging. Regardless of their treatment conditions, cellulose fiber reached its limiting lower molecular weight after 100 days of aging.
A comparison of the distribution of neurotransmitters in brain regions of the rat and guinea-pig using a chemiluminescent method and HPLC with electrochemical detection

Six brain areas of rats and guinea-pigs, killed by microwave irradiation, were used for the concomitant measurement of the levels and regional distribution of cholinergic, biogenic amine, and amino acid neurotransmitters and metabolites. Acetylcholine (ACh) and choline (Ch) were quantified by chemiluminescence; noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and their metabolites by HPLC with electrochemical detection (HPLC-EC); and six putative amino acid neurotransmitters by HPLC-EC following derivatisation. The levels and regional distribution of these transmitters and their metabolites in the rat were similar to those reported in previous studies, except that biogenic amine transmitter levels were higher and metabolite concentrations were lower. The guinea-pig showed a similar regional distribution, but the absolute levels of ACh were lower in striatum and higher in hippocampus, midbrain-hypothalamus, and medulla-pons. In all areas, the levels of Ch were higher and those of NA, 5-HT, and taurine were lower than in the rat. The most marked differences between the rat and guinea-pig were in the relative proportion of DA metabolites and 5-HT turnover, as estimated by metabolite/transmitter ratios. This study can be used as a basis for a comprehensive understanding of the central effects of drugs on the major neurotransmitter systems.
Right Auricular and Ventricular Pressure Patterns in Constrictive Pericarditis

The characteristic intracardiac pressure patterns of four patients with constrictive pericarditis are described. The significance of a high ratio between right ventricular end-diastolic and systolic pressure is demonstrated. Postoperative changes are described in one patient and the mechanism of the production of the pressure patterns is discussed.
An approach to design totally self-checking checker for the 1-out-of-3 code at transistor level

The authors propose a TSC (totally self-checking) checker in MOS technology for 1/3 code based on a set of physical defects. Although it is not possible to design such a checker at the gate level, both analysis and computer simulation show that the proposed checker is a TSC checker for 1/3 code with respect to the given set of faults at the transistor level. Such a checker can be easily incorporated in self-checking design of VLSI chips. >
A Distributed Approach for Optimizing Cascaded Classifier Topologies in Real-Time Stream Mining Systems

In this paper, we discuss distributed optimization techniques for configuring classifiers in a real-time, informationally-distributed stream mining system. Due to the large volume of streaming data, stream mining systems must often cope with overload, which can lead to poor performance and intolerable processing delay for real-time applications. Furthermore, optimizing over an entire system of classifiers is a difficult task since changing the filtering process at one classifier can impact both the feature values of data arriving at classifiers further downstream and, thus, the classification performance achieved by an ensemble of classifiers, as well as the end-to-end processing delay. To address this problem, this paper makes three main contributions. 1) Based upon classification and queuing theoretic models, we propose a utility metric that captures both the performance and the delay of a binary filtering classifier system. 2) We introduce a low-complexity framework for estimating the system utility by observing, estimating, and/or exchanging parameters between the interrelated classifiers deployed across the system. 3) We provide distributed algorithms to reconfigure the system, and analyze the algorithms based upon their convergence properties, optimality, information exchange overhead, and rate of adaptation to nonstationary data sources. We provide results using different video classifier systems.
Using Early Standardized Language Measures to Predict Later Language and Early Reading Outcomes in Children at High Risk for Language-Learning Impairments

The aim of the study was to examine the profiles of children with a family history (FH+) of language-learning impairments (LLI) and a control group of children with no reported family history of LLI (FH—) and identify which language constructs (receptive or expressive) and which ages (2 or 3 years) are related to expressive and receptive language abilities, phonological awareness, and reading abilities at ages 5 and 7 years. Participants included 99 children (40 FH+ and 59 FH—) who received a standardized neuropsychological battery at 2, 3, 5, and 7 years of age. As a group, the FH+ children had significantly lower scores on all language measures at 2 and 3 years, on selected language and phonological awareness measures at 5 years, and on phonological awareness and nonword reading at 7 years. Language comprehension at 3 years was the best predictor of later language and early reading for both groups. These results support past work suggesting that children with a positive family history of LLI are at grea...
Paradox, Performance, and the Architecture of Decision-Making in Animals'

SYNPOSIS. The analysis of risk-sensitive foraging is beginning to explore the psychological and cognitive mechanisms involved in decision-making under uncertainty as well as the more traditional functional analysis. Over the past 40 years cognitive psychologists exploring human decision-making have made great use of apparent "paradoxes" in rational choice behavior in elucidating aspects of information-processing. In this paper I review several of these paradoxes as they might relate to animal decisionmaking and the interpretation of cognitive architecture. The St. Petersburg Paradox can be related directly to the original analysis of risk-sensitive foraging by focusing on the non-linear translation of resources into currencies of evolutionary value, e.g., rate of energy gain. The Allais Paradox focuses on the need to evaluate the organism's perception of probabilities and possible non-linearities in the assignment of likelihood. Various context-effects illustrate the potential difficulties associated with decisionmaking over options with multiple attributes. Where possible I illustrate the biological evaluation of the paradoxes discussed.
Ending the Korean War: The Role of Domestic Coalition Shifts in Overcoming Obstacles to Peace

Bargaining models of war suggest that war ends after two sides develop an overlapping bargaining space. Domestic mechanisms—domestic governing coalitions, a state's elite foreign policy decisionmaking group, and their role in ending interstate war—are critical in explaining how, when, and why that bargaining space develops. Through preference, information, and entrapment obstacles, wars can become “stuck” and require a change in expectations to produce a war-terminating bargaining space. A major source of such change is a shift in belligerents' governing coalitions. Events in the United States, China, and the Soviet Union during the Korean War illustrate the dynamics of these obstacles and the need for domestic coalition shifts in overcoming them before the conflict could be brought to an end.
THE EFFECT OF PREPUBERAL AND POSTPUBERAL GONADECTOMY ON RADIAL PHYSEAL CLOSURE IN MALE AND FEMALE DOMESTIC CATS

Male (n = 6/group) and female (n = 6/group) kittens were gonadectomized at 7 weeks (prepuberally) or 7 months of age (postpuberally), or left intact. Lateral radiographic projections of the right forelimb were made from 4 months of age until the distal radial physis was closed, or 24 months of age. In males, distal radial physeal closure was delayed in both groups of gonadectomized animals, compared to intact males (p < 0.01). In females, proximal radial physeal closure was significantly delayed in prepuberally gonadectomized animals (p = 0.02), and distal radial physeal closure was significantly delayed in both groups of gonadectomized animals, compared to intact animals (p < 0.01). Final radial length (females p < 0.01, males p = 0.01), and age and radial length at time of the growth plateau (p < 0.01) were significantly increased in all gonadectomized animals. Age at gonadectomy had no effect on age and radial length at time of the growth plateau. No puberal growth spurt was observed in any of the cats.
Peptide inhibitor of cytokinesis during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis

Cytokinesis in bacteria is mediated by the tubulin-like protein FtsZ, which forms a Z-ring at the division site. Using FtsZ as bait in a two-hybrid screen, we discovered a 40-amino-acid peptide, termed MciZ, from Bacillus subtilis that appeared to interact with FtsZ. Cells engineered to produce MciZ during growth formed aseptate filaments that lacked Z-rings. A mutant resistant to the toxic effects of MciZ during growth harboured an amino acid substitution near the GTP binding pocket of FtsZ. Synthetic MciZ inhibited the GTPase activity of FtsZ and its ability to polymerize. MciZ was produced during sporulation under the control of the transcription factor sigma(E). In the absence of MciZ, the mother-cell compartment of the sporangium aberrantly formed a Z-ring at a time in development when cytokinetic events normally have ceased. We conclude that MciZ is a previously unrecognized inhibitor of FtsZ that prevents inappropriate Z-ring formation during sporulation. MciZ showed little sequence similarity to other peptides in the databases, except the mouse antimicrobial peptide CRAMP, which we speculate works in part by inhibiting cytokinesis.
Role Transitions in Small Groups

Very little attention has been given to role transitions in small groups. Many important role transitions are related to “group socialization” or the affective, cognitive, and behavioral alterations that groups and individuals produce in one another from the beginning to the end of their relationship. Recently, we have developed a model of group socialization that seeks to describe and explain the passage of individuals through groups. Our model is meant to apply primarily (but not exclusively) to small, autonomous, voluntary groups whose members interact on a regular basis, have affective ties with one another, share a common frame of reference, and are behaviorally interdependent. A detailed description of the model and some of its implications for social influence can be found elsewhere (Levine & Moreland, in press; Moreland & Levine, 1982).
Immunosuppressant FK506 promotes neurite outgrowth in cultures of PC12 cells and sensory ganglia.

Abstract The immunosuppressant drug FK506 acts by binding to receptor proteins, FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs), which in turn can bind to and regulate a Ca(2+)-dependent phosphatase, calcineurin, and a Ca2+ release channel, the ryanodine receptor. Based on our findings in regeneration models that levels of FKBPs during neural regeneration parallel those of growth-associated protein GAP43, a calcineurin substrate that regulates neurite extension, we examined effects of FK506 in PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells and in rat sensory ganglia. FK506 enhances neurite outgrowth in both systems by increasing sensitivity to nerve growth factor. Blockade of FK506 actions in sensory ganglia by rapamycin, an FK506 antagonist, establishes that these effects involve FKBPs. Rapamycin itself stimulates neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells. These drug effects are detected at subnanomolar concentrations, suggesting therapeutic application in diseases involving neural degeneration.
Role of membrane proteins in permeability barrier function: uroplakin ablation elevates urothelial permeability

Although water, small nonelectrolytes, and gases are freely permeable through most biological membranes, apical membranes of certain barrier epithelia exhibit extremely low permeabilities to these ...
Metabolic tissue characterization in the failing heart by positron emission tomography

Congestive heart failure represents an important clinical issue which can benefit from newer imaging approaches. Use of radiolabelled pharmaceuticals allow for functional tissue characterization in patients with impaired left ventricular function. Assessment of regional myocardial perfusion and metabolism with either SPECT or PET methods provide accurate detection of tissue viability. Several studies have indicated the utility of these imaging approaches for improved selection of patients for revascularization. The combination of functional measurements with echocardiography and metabolic tissue characterization with PET allows for the non-invasive measurement of cardiac efficiency. The effect of various therapeutic interventions can be objectively assessed by a work-metabolic index. Finally, autonomic innervation of the heart plays an important role in the modulation of the haemodynamic performance of the failing heart. New imaging approaches using radiolabelled catecholamine analogues or receptor antagonists have been used to identify the integrity of myocardic pre- and post-synaptic sympathetic innervation. Imaging results in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy not only demonstrated a down-regulation of preceptor density but also an abnormal pre-synaptic neuronal function, which may result into impaired regulation of extraneuronal catecholamine concentration. Thus, advanced scintigraphic imaging approaches may improve our diagnostic and prognostic workup in patients with congestive heart failure and may provide objective endpoints for the assessment of therapy
Specificity in Computational Protein Design

A long-standing goal of computational protein design is to create proteins similar to those found in Nature. One motivation is to harness the exquisite functional capabilities of proteins for our own purposes. The extent of similarity between designed and natural proteins also reports on how faithfully our models represent the selective pressures that determine protein sequences. As the field of protein design shifts emphasis from reproducing native-like protein structure to function, it has become important that these models treat the notion of specificity in molecular interactions. Although specificity may, in some cases, be achieved by optimization of a desired protein in isolation, methods have been developed to address directly the desire for proteins that exhibit specific functions and interactions.
Analytic modeling of AC response to FET-level elements for CLY optimization

Minimizing circuit AC delay variations while maintaining power/performance is key for achieving high yielding products. The present work discusses an analytic model based approach for aligning the fundamental-FET electrical control and circuit-speed variability applied towards product screening. Such a model is proven to be effective in a manufacturing environment for predicting delay variation, and identifying the limiting process issues that drive our capability to achieve success in maximizing yield. The ability to understand circuit delay as it relates back to basic device measurements provides an ability to improve standard work in semiconductor manufacturing and realize continuous productivity enhancement.