cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flicker sensitivity and fundus appearance in pre-exudative age-related maculopathy.

Purpose. To evaluate whether foveal flicker sensitivity and fundus appearance are good predictors of exudative age-related maculopathy (ARM) when the effects of aging, retinal illuminance, and criterion differences are controlled. Methods. Fellow eyes of monocular exudative ARM patients were tested at baseline. Seven of these eyes have now developed exudative ARM. Therefore, at baseline they were in pre-exudative stages of ARM. The foveal flicker sensitivity and fundus appearance of the pre-exudative and nonconverted eyes were compared with healthy, age-matched eyes. The flicker stimulus was a uniform, 2.8 deg circular field at 660 nm, modulated sinusoidally at frequencies from 2.5 to 50 Hz. Fundus photographs were evaluated using the Wisconsin ARM grading system. Results. Flicker modulation sensitivity at two frequencies discriminated pre-exudative from healthy older eyes with 100% accuracy. Using the same criterion, pre-exudative eyes also were discriminated from nonconverted eyes with 100% accuracy. Whereas an overall fundus ARM risk score discriminated pre-exudative from healthy older eyes with 100% accuracy, it did not discriminate pre-exudative from nonconverted eyes at better than chance levels. Conclusions. There were functional changes in the retina preceding development of exudative ARM. Foveal flicker sensitivity at low- to mid-temporal frequencies seemed highly sensitive to these pre-exudative changes in this relatively small group of subjects. The authors hypothesize that foveal flicker sensitivity is a good predictor of exudative ARM and a sensitive monitor of retinal function in pre-exudative ARM. These predictions are being tested on a larger, independent sample. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1994; 35:1138-1149.
The structure of a barium niobium silicon oxide with the probable composition

Abstract Reaction of BaO, Nb2O5, and Nb in mole ratios of 2.4:1.6:1 in an evacuated silica capsule at 1250°C produces a mixture of at least two products, one of which has the probable composition Ba 6+x Nb 14 Si 4 O 47 (x ⋍ 0.23) . This compound has an hexagonal unit cell of dimensions a = 9,034 ± 0.004 A, c = 27.81 ± 0.02 A, probable space group P6 3 mcm , Z = 2 . Its structure has been determined from 942 independent reflections collected by a counter technique and refined by least squares methods to a conventional R value of 0.062. The basic structure consists of strings of four NbO6 octahedra sharing opposite corners, each string joined to the next by edge sharing of the end octahedra, so that the c axis corresponds to the length of a strand of seven corner-linked octahedra. Chains of three such strands are formed by corner sharing between the strands. The chains in turn are joined by NbO6 octahedra and Si2O7 groups in which the SiOSi linkage is linear. Barium atoms are in sites between the chains coordinated by 13 oxygen atoms. A second site, 15 coordinated, probably has a small amount of barium as well; the fractional occupancy for barium in this site is 0.076.
Amygdala: Contributions to Fear

The amygdala is a temporal lobe structure in the brain that is critical for aversive emotions, particularly fear. Studies of rats, mice, rabbits, non-human primates and humans indicate that nuclei within the amygdala are involved in the genesis of both innate and learned fears. Understanding the role of the amygdala in fear has led to progress in the development of treatments for disorders of fear and anxiety in humans.
Is Measuring Interracial Contact Enough? Racial Concentration, Racial Balance, and Perceptions of Prejudice among Black Americans†

Objectives Contact theory posits that interracial contact can reduce racial prejudice and perceptions of prejudice. This relationship typically has been looked at from the perspective of whites’ views regarding race and racial relations, but few studies have examined the implications of interracial contact for blacks’ perceptions regarding the extent of prejudice and discrimination. Methods With data from the National Survey of Black Workers, I examine whether opportunities for contact in settings with varying racial concentrations in youth and adulthood are associated with blacks’ perceptions of prejudice. I use racial concentration—measured here as mostly black settings, half-black (racially balanced) settings, and mostly white settings (compared to all-black settings)—as an indicator of opportunities for interracial contact. Results Multivariate analyses offer some evidence of the benefits of opportunities for contact in mixed-race and mostly white settings for blacks’ perceptions of prejudice. Conclusion Although having opportunities for contact can be beneficial, this evidence is limited to noncompetitive childhood environments, namely residential neighborhoods. Findings highlight the important of accounting for the racial balance of settings where interracial contact takes place.
Process modeling and advanced control methods for Exposure Controlled Projection Lithography

The Exposure Controlled Projection Lithography (ECPL) is a photopolymerization-based additive manufacturing process, which cures a 3D part by projecting patterned UV light from beneath a stationary and transparent resin chamber. Its application in microfabrication is limited by the current open-loop process control method. The overall research goal is to develop some closed-loop control system for the black / grey box ECPL process. In this paper, we presented two process modeling and control systems for ECPL - a lumped parameters model with an Kalman filter equipped Evolutionary Cycle to Cycle (EC2C) control scheme, and a novel backstepping dynamics model with Adaptive Neural Network Backstepping (ANNB) control method. EC2C and ANNB methods adopt different process models, control approaches and algorithms, and can be applied under different development stages and application scenarios of the ECPL process. Preliminary study concluded that the EC2C and ANNB control methods are capable of tracking the process dynamics, thus are promising to be able to improve the ECPL process precision and robustness.
Complex Deformation of Integrable Hamiltonians over Generalized Jacobi Varieties

A class of algebraic and nonalgebraic completely integrable Hamiltonian systems defined on the symplectic manifolds is constructed. In particular, the meromorphic systems over the generalized Jacobians of the Riemann surfaces are considered in both scalar and matrix cases. Non-canonical action-angle variables are used to linearize the corresponding Hamiltonian flows and to establish the commutativity of the obtained finite (or infinite) collections of the integrable Hamiltonian systems.
VLSI technology: outlook for the year 2000 and its impact on systems

Summary form only given. Understanding of physics, process technology and process equipment limitations indicates that fundamental limitations will not be reached by the year 2000. As a result transistor density per chip will reach 50-100 million, with clock frequencies up to 250 MHz. This assumes that the dominant VLSI technology crossing the year 2000 will be silicon-based and there will be a continued trend of effective problem-solving in the areas of photolithography, dry etching and metal interconnection techniques. The increased functional density and performance trends will allow systems integration and performance at unprecedented levels. While the technology projections are clear the systems impact is clouded and provides significant opportunities in hardware and software performance, integration and human interface breakthroughs. The physics and technology limits are assessed and density and performance trends based on manufacturing technology advances are outlined. It is shown that the main impact on systems will be in the areas of integration, performance, parallel processing and human interface. High-performance microprocessors in the year 2000 will include several general-purpose CPUs, vector and graphics unit, supporting cache memory and on-chip testing capability. >
Some sensory neurons express neuropeptide Y receptors: potential paracrine inhibition of primary afferent nociceptors following peripheral nerve injury

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) has been suggested to exert antinociceptive actions by inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters from trigeminal and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons, but the site of direct NPY action in vivo and the NPY receptor subtype mediating these effects are unknown. 125I-peptide YY (PYY) was used to localize and characterize NPY receptor binding sites in trigeminal ganglia, DRG, and spinal cord of the rat, rabbit, and monkey. In the rat, rabbit, and monkey, 5–20% of trigeminal ganglia and DRG neurons express NPY binding sites. Unilateral cuff-induced neuropathy or transection of the rat sciatic nerve did not significantly alter the density or number of DRG neurons expressing NPY receptors. A unimodal size distribution for L4 and L5 DRG neurons expressing NPY binding sites in the rat was determined, with a mean cross-sectional area of 947 microns 2. In the spinal cord the highest concentration of NPY receptors is found in laminae I, II, V, X, and Onuf9s nucleus. Pharmacological experiments using selective Y1 and Y2 receptor antagonists suggest that Y2 is the prominent NPY receptor subtype expressed in trigeminal ganglia neurons, DRG neurons, and spinal cord. Previous studies have demonstrated that a population of large-diameter, presumably myelinated primary afferents express NPY after peripheral nerve injury. NPY released from these injured large- diameter DRG neurons may act in a paracrine fashion to block the transmission of nociceptive information from the small- and medium- diameter DRG neurons that constitutively express NPY receptors. NPY receptors are therefore uniquely positioned to inhibit primary afferent nociceptors directly, especially after peripheral nerve injury.
Integrated rock classification in carbonate formations based on elastic and petrophysical properties estimated from conventional well logs

A reliable rock classification in a carbonate reservoir should take into account petrophysical, compositional, and elastic properties of the formation. However, depth-by-depth assessment of these properties is challenging because of the complex pore geometries and significant heterogeneity caused by diagenesis. Common rock-classification methods in carbonate formations do not incorporate the impact of both depositional and diagenetic modifications on rock properties. Furthermore, elastic properties, which control fracture propagation and the conductivity of fracture under closure stress, commonly are not accounted for in conventional rock-classification techniques. We apply an integrated rock-classification technique, based on both depositional and diagenetic effects that can ultimately enhance (1) assessment of petrophysical properties, (2) selection of candidates for fracture treatment, and (3) production in carbonate reservoirs. We apply the conductive and the elastic self-consistent approximation theories to estimate depth-by-depth volumetric concentration of interparticle (e.g., interconnected pore space) and intraparticle (e.g., vugs) pores, as well as elastic bulk and shear moduli, in the formation. This process takes into account the impact of shape and volumetric concentrations of rock components on electrical conductivity and elastic properties. We document a successful application of the introduced technique in two wells in the upper Leonardian carbonate interval of Veterans field in west Texas. The identified rock types were verified using thin-section images and core samples. We estimate elastic moduli as well as interparticle porosity with average relative errors of approximately 8% and 10% compared to the core measurements, respectively. Furthermore, the well-log-based estimates of permeability and water saturation are improved by approximately 50% and 20%, respectively, after considering rock classification. Finally, we explain that the fracture propagation failure in the second well (i.e., well B) could be the result of relatively lower Young’s modulus in the rock class corresponding to fracture locations.
Aerobic and resistance exercise sequence affects excess postexercise oxygen consumption.

Excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) may describe the impact of previous exercise on energy metabolism. Ten males completed Resistance Only, Run Only, Resistance-Run, and Run-Resistance experimental conditions. Resistance exercise consisted of 7 lifts. Running consisted of 25 minutes of treadmill exercise.V O2 was determined during treadmill exercise and after each exercise treatment. Our findings indicated that treadmill exerciseV O2 was significantly higher for Resistance-Run compared with Run-Resistance and Resistance Only at all time intervals. At 10 minutes postexercise, Vy O2 was greater for Resistance Only and Run-Resistance than for Resistance- Run. At 20 and 30 minutes,V O2 following Resistance Only was significantly greater than following Run Only. In conclusion, EPOC is greatest following Run-Resistance; however, treadmill exercise is more physiologically difficult following resistance exercise. Furthermore, the sequence of resistance and treadmill exercise influences EPOC, primarily because of the effects of resistance exercise rather than the exercise combination. We recommend performing aerobic exercise before resistance exercise when combining them into 1 exercise session.
3-D direction finding using a single antenna

A compact antenna planar antenna which presents an unique polarization at a specific direction in its far-field region is designed. Measuring the polarization of the radiated field of this antenna, the relative orientation of the receiver can be determined. The antenna structure is composed of a horizontal dipole, vertical dipole, and two circular loops connecting the adjacent arms of the dipole elements. The arc length and geometry of the loops are designed to generate circular polarization at the antenna's boresight. Using a single feed point, it is shown that the antenna is cable of producing all polarizations in different directions with almost isotropic radiation pattern. To show the validity of the design an antenna structure over a ground was fabricated and measured at 2.58 GHz. The measured radiation pattern and polarization compares very well with the simulation results.
Evaluation of Case Reports of Aplastic Anemia Among Patients Treated with Felbamate

Summary: Purpose: Felbamate (FBM) is a new antiepileptic drug (AED) that is often effective in seizure disorders refractory to other treatments; its use has been greatly restricted after cases of aplastic anemia were reported. To elucidate the putative association between FBM and aplastic anemia, we made a detailed evaluation of the first 31 reports. Methods: Hematologic review according to the criteria of the International Agranulocytosis and Aplastic Anemia Study (IAAAS) confirmed 23 cases (74%) as aplastic anemia; FBM was judged to be the only plausible cause for three; confounding (mostly by other drugs) was considered possible, but FBM remained the most likely cause for 11; and there was at least one other plausible cause for 9. Results: Using a denominator from sales data of 110,000 persons exposed and a numerator of the cases for which FBM was considered the only plausible cause, we established a lower limit of incidence of 27 cases of aplastic anemia per million users as compared with the general population rate of 2.0 per million per year. With all confirmed cases used as the numerator, the upper limit of incidence was 209 per million. The “most probable” incidence was estimated to be 127 per million. Conclusions: Intensive, systematic investigation can maximize the utility of case reports for assessing risks of newly released drugs. The present evaluation confirmed an association between FBM and aplastic anemia; however, confounding was significant for most cases and there was a tenfold range in the “best case” and “worst case” incidence estimates among users.
Mechanisms of the anorexia of aging in the Brown Norway rat

Aging is associated with a loss of the ability to maintain homeostasis in response to physiologic and environmental disturbances. Age-related dysregulation of food intake and energy balance appears to be the result of impaired responsiveness of hypothalamic integrative circuitry to metabolic cues, which can lead to lack of appropriate food intake (the anorexia of aging) and thus to inappropriate weight loss in response to acute or chronic illness or other stressors. Using the Brown Norway (BN) male rat model, we have shown that old animals fail to appropriately increase food intake after the metabolic challenge of a 72 h fast, resulting in the failure to re-gain lost body weight upon refeeding. Leptin levels increase with adiposity and age, and remain elevated above levels of young animals even after a 72 h fast, suggesting that hyperleptinemia may be influencing the energy balance dysregulation. It is unclear whether this age-related response is due to a failure of the network of hypothalamic neurons to appropriately integrate hormonal and neural inputs, or due to a failure of the neurons to produce the appropriate neuropeptides. We hypothesize that sequential, age-related alterations in the expression patterns of neuropeptides that maintain melanocortinergic tone, and in the hormone mediators that inform the system of the state of energy balance, result in a diminished ability to maintain energy homeostasis with increasing age. We have undertaken a number of interventional approaches to test this hypothesis, including manipulations of the hormones ghrelin, insulin and testosterone, and direct application of neuropeptides to the central nervous system in these animals.
From lumped to distributed via semi-distributed: Calibration strategies for semi-distributed hydrologic models

Summary Modeling the effect of spatial variability of precipitation and basin characteristics on streamflow requires the use of distributed or semi-distributed hydrologic models. This paper addresses a DMIP 2 study that focuses on the advantages of using a semi-distributed modeling structure. We first present a revised semi-distributed structure of the NWS SACramento Soil Moisture Accounting (SAC-SMA) model that separates the routing of fast and slow response runoff components, and thus explicitly accounts for the differences between the two components. We then test four different calibration strategies that take advantage of the strengths of existing optimization algorithms (SCE-UA) and schemes (MACS). These strategies include: (1) lumped parameters and basin averaged precipitation, (2) semi-lumped parameters and distributed precipitation forcing, (3) semi-distributed parameters and distributed precipitation forcing and (4) lumped parameters and basin averaged precipitation, modified using a priori parameters of the SAC-SMA model. Finally, we explore the value of using discharge observations at interior points in model calibration by assessing gains/losses in hydrograph simulations at the basin outlet. Our investigation focuses on two key DMIP 2 science questions. Specifically, we investigate (a) the ability of the semi-distributed model structure to improve stream flow simulations at the basin outlet and (b) to provide reasonably good simulations at interior points. The semi-distributed model is calibrated for the Illinois River Basin at Siloam Springs, Arkansas using streamflow observations at the basin outlet only. The results indicate that lumped to distributed calibration strategies (1 and 4) both improve simulation at the outlet and provide meaningful streamflow predictions at interior points. In addition, the results of the complementary study, which uses interior points during the model calibration, suggest that model performance at the outlet can be further improved by using a semi-distributed structure calibrated at both interior points and the outlet, even when only a few years of historical record are available.
Effects of the El Chichon volcanic cloud in the stratosphere on the intensity of light from the sky.

This is the second of two papers dealing with the effects of volcanic debris from the eruption of El Chichon on light from the sunlit sky. The polarization of skylight was considered in the first of the two, whereas this one is devoted to skylight intensity. It is shown here that the magnitude of the skylight intensity is modified very significantly from its clear sky value by the volcanic cloud, as is its change with solar depression angle during twilight and its distribution over the sky during the day. Emphasis is on measurements at a wavelength of 0.07 μm. Generally the volcanic cloud produces a diminution of zenith intensity during twilight with a considerable enhancement of intensity over the sky throughout the main part of the day. The solar aureole is not as sharp as it is in normally clear conditions, but the volcanic cloud causes a very diffuse type of aureole which covers a large portion of the sky. The preferential scattering of the longer wavelengths of sunlight, which is made evident by brilliant red and yellow colors in the sunrise period, causes a pronounced change of longwave/shortwave color ratios during twilight from their values in clear atmospheric conditions. The combination of intensity data shown here with polarization data in the previous paper should give a relatively complete picture of the effects of volcanic debris on solar radiation in the atmosphere and be useful in the verification of radiative transfer models of atmospheric turbidity.
Using Teleconnections to Predict Wildfires in Mississippi

Abstract Previous wildfire research in the United States has been focused primarily on the western states. Much of this research has discovered relationships between wildfire variability and atmospheric teleconnections. Thus far, few published projects have addressed the effects of various teleconnections on wildfire in the southeastern United States. Index values for the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), and Pacific–North American (PNA) pattern are all tested for relationships with fire variables in the state of Mississippi. Each of the indices displays significant correlations with wildfire occurrence and/or size in Mississippi. The findings of this research suggest that it might be feasible to create predictive fire-risk models for the southeastern United States based on the combination of these teleconnection indices.
1368 POSTNATAL MOBILIZATION OF THE NEONATAL TISSUE WATER RESERVOIR: CONTRASTS BETWEEN RABBITS AND RATS

We measured total body H2O content (ml/gm fat free dry weight) in neonatal rats from birth to 72 hours of age and compared these data with our earlier measurements in rabbits. At birth, H2O (in rats) was inversely correlated with birth weight (BW) (r=-0.408, p=.007) and it fell significantly between birth and 24 h (p<10−11) and 24-48 h (p<10−6) but remained constant thereafter. H2O content at 24 and 48 hours was inversely related to weight gain. The relationship between BW and H2O is similar in both species. The inverse relationship between H2O and weight gain at 24 and 48 h in rats is similar to that in rabbits at 72 h. However, reservoir water loss is essentially complete by 48 h in rats, while it continues until at least 72 h in rabbits. This difference probably reflects different feeding patterns. Newborn rabbits feed once daily and their intakes vary substantially. In contrast rats feed almost continuously and their intakes are less variable. These data suggest that the factors which establish the tissue H2O reservoir are similar in these two species and that regulation of reservoir loss is also similar. The differences in rate of reservoir loss probably reflect different availability of milk. (Spon. by G. Chan)
Scottish Prisons Under the General Board of Directors, 1840–1861 *

Despite recent interest in both the administration and conditions of prisons in England during the Victorian Period historians have neglected the study of Scottish prisons. It is the intention of this article to redress this omission by assessing the administration of the Scottish penal system between 1840 and 1861 as it developed under the supervision of the General Board of Directors. This Board was equipped with considerable powers over local prisons by the Prisons Act of 1839, and by the time it was replaced by the Managers of Scottish prisons in 1861, it had overseen the completion of an extensive building program to implement the separate system. Working in conjunction with county prison Boards, which had raised the necessary assessments, the Board of Directors attempted to impose uniformity and efficiency in local jails while separately maintaining sole responsibility for the management of the general prison at Perth. This form of administrative structure was unique, and differed from England where local prisons were not brought under close central supervision before 1865. South of the border the Home Office possessed no authority to enforce sanctions, but through the efforts of the prison inspectors appointed in 1835, it persuaded a number of local authorities in England to remodel or rebuild their prisons in conformity to the separate system. Some magistrates resisted the official adoption of designs and rules which often involved large expenditures they were unwilling to impose on the rate payers. Consequently, throughout the period 1835 to 1865, in contrast to the situation in Scotland, local prisons in England were marked by a lack of uniformity in construction, diet, and discipline as standards were often dictated by the views of each prison governor appointed by the magistrates. This “quest” for uniformity continued in 1865 when a Prisons Act required local jails to provide separate cells commensurate with the highest number of prisoners held there, to follow a uniform code of rules, and to enforce hard and unproductive labor. Many magistrates were still able to avoid these regulations and the victory of uniformity came only in 1877 when legislation centralized all prisons in the country and placed them firmly under the control of the Home Office. Scottish prisons had, however, since 1839 experienced some degree of centralized control that had attempted to bring uniform standards to all the jails in the country.
The use of precision castings in the three-dimensional photoelastic analysis of threaded tubular connections

A new, room-temperature formulated, epoxy-resin system with superior stress-freezing photoelastic properties is presented. The ease of producing relatively large, high-quality, precision castings is discussed. Stress-optical, rheological, and mechanical properties are given. Cylindrical tubes joined by integrally cast Stub Acme and American Standard rolled thread profiles with typical geometric parameters are loaded in tension and analyzed using the stressfreezing method. Results are presented for surface axial stress distributions for the wall surfaces opposite the threaded profiles. Additionally, the fillet stress distribution for the first engaged thread as a function of the distance along the thread helix from the location of initial contact is presented. Comparison with a finite-element analysis is given.
Synthesis of nanophase WC powder by a displacement reaction process

Abstract Nanophase WC powder has been synthesized by a novel displacement reaction process, which combines reduction and carburization of ammonium tungstate or tungsten oxide in a single operation. A critical step in the process is the heating rate, which should be slow enough to ensure a balance between reduction and carburization kinetics. The resulting WC powder has an ultrafine grain size (
Parallels in Sources of Trauma, Pain, Distress, and Suffering in Humans and Nonhuman Animals

It is widely accepted that animals often experience pain and distress as a result of their use in scientific experimentation. However, unlike human suffering, the wide range of acute, recurrent, and chronic stressors and trauma on animals is rarely evaluated. In order to better understand the cumulative effects of captivity and laboratory research conditions on animals, we explore parallels between human experiences of pain and psychological distress and those of animals based on shared brain structures and physiological mechanisms. We review anatomical, physiological, and behavioral similarities between humans and other animals regarding the potential for suffering. In addition, we examine associations between research conditions and indicators of pain and distress. We include 4 case studies of common animal research protocols in order to illustrate incidental and experimental factors that can lead to animal suffering. Finally, we identify parallels between established traumatic conditions for humans and existing laboratory conditions for animals.
Fat content, fatty acid composition and estimates of energy metabolism of adèlie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) during the early breeding season fast.

Abstract 1. 1. Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) breeding at Cape Crozier, Antarctica, arrive in the colony from the sea in October at the beginning of the austral summer. Both sexes fast while on the breeding colony for 3–6 weeks before returning to the sea to feed. 2. 2. Six individuals collected during the first fast period showed decreased blubber thickness and a linearly corresponding decrease in ether extractable fat with time after arrival in the breeding area. Birds contained about 45 per cent of dry weight as fat upon arrival, and in a typical incubation, males decreased to about 20 per cent after day 27. 3. 3. The decrease in fat represents approximately 56 g of fat used per day by fasting male Adelies for the 27-day period. On the basis of this value, it has been estimated that 490 kcal/bird per day approximates energy demands for these fasting birds during the early part of the breeding season. 4. 4. Fatty acid compositions of total ether extractable lipids, subcutaneous fat and abdominal depot fat did not differ significantly except in a few of the long-chain acids. Depot fat fatty acids of normal breeding birds did not change significantly from arrival on the colony to day 27. 5. 5. Proportions of fatty acids in Adelie penguin depot fat correspond with the proportions of fatty acids in their normal diet of krill (Euphausia superba).
Screening methods for impurities in multi-sourced fluoxetine hydrochloride drug substances and formulations

Gradient high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography were applied as screening methods for determination of impurities in fluoxetine hydrochloride drug substances and formulated products from multiple sources. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was also used for identification of excipients and some residual solvents. Thirty potential impurities and excipients were investigated. Several impurities were observed in generic products using gradient HPLC that were not detected with isocratic pharmacopeial methods for fluoxetine hydrochloride. Analysis of drug substance samples and capsule formulations from many different suppliers showed a wide variation in quality which, in many cases, would go undetected using isocratic methods. The quality of the innovator's product and some generic samples was high, but many generic samples contained high levels of impurities. A new impurity, N-benzyl fluoxetine, was observed in some generic samples at levels as high as 0.9%. The gradient HPLC method was also used for stability studies and established that generic capsules formulated with lactose were less stable under accelerated conditions than those formulated without lactose.
Varieties for cohomology with twisted coefficients

Let G be a finite group and k a field of characteristic p > 0. In this paper we consider the support variety for the cohomology module Ext kG * (M, N) where M and N are kG-modules. It is the subvariety of the maximal ideal spectrum of H*(G, k) of the annihilator of the cohomology module. For modules in the principal block we show that that the variety is contained in the intersections of the varieties of M and N and the difference between the that intersection and the support variety of the cohomology module is contained in the group theoretic nucleus. For other blocks a new nucleus is defined and a similar theorem is proven. However in the case of modules in a nonprincipal block several new difficulties are highlighted by some examples.
Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Assembly as a Function of pH and Ionic Strength Using the Polysaccharides Chitosan and Heparin

The goal of this work is to explore the effects of solution ionic strength and pH on polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) assembly, using biologically derived polysaccharides as the polyelectrolytes. We used the layer-by-layer (LBL) technique to assemble PEM of the polysaccharides heparin (a strong polyanion) and chitosan (a weak polycation) and characterized the sensitivity of the PEM composition and layer thickness to changes in processing parameters. Fourier-transform surface plasmon resonance (FT-SPR) and spectroscopic ellipsometry provided in situ and ex situ measurements of the PEM thickness, respectively. Vibrational spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) provided details of the chemistry (i.e., composition, electrostatic interactions) of the PEM. We found that when PEM were assembled from 0.2 M buffer, the PEM thickness could be increased from less than 2 nm per bilayer to greater than 4 nm per bilayer by changing the solution pH; higher and lower ionic strength buffer solutions resulted in narrower ranges of accessible thickness. Molar composition of the PEM was not very sensitive to solution pH or ionic strength, but pH did affect the interactions between the sulfonates in heparin and amines in chitosan when PEM were assembled from 0.2 M buffer. Changes in the PEM thickness with pH and ionic strength can be interpreted through descriptions of the charge density and conformation of the polyelectrolyte chains in solution.
Abstract 2822: Characterization of the effects of PLX4720 in the immunocompetent BRAF/PTEN mouse melanoma model

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Vemurafenib is a BRAF inhibitor approved by the FDA for the treatment of BRAF V600E-positive metastatic melanoma after a phase III clinical trial demonstrated improved survival in patients taking vemurafenib compared to dacarbazine. As the first personalized treatment for metastatic melanoma to show a survival benefit, vemurafenib is a major breakthrough in the field. Although tumors in patients frequently shrink significantly within weeks of initiation of treatment, resistance eventually develops in many patients, with a median progression free survival of approximately 7 months. Evaluation of the biomarker and phenotypic correlates of response are difficult to determine as paired pre-treatment and on-treatment biopsies generally only represent one on-treatment time point when available. A better in vivo understanding of the effects of BRAF inhibitor-treatment of relevant mouse models may yield insights into the nature of the clinical response and subsequent relapse. The conditional BRAF/PTEN mouse model of melanoma that we co-developed is ideal to study this process. In this non-xenograft model, expression of BRAF V600E and loss of PTEN is under control of the Cre-Lox recombination system. Expression of the Cre recombinase is under control of the tyrosinase promoter, ensuring that recombination is limited to melanocytes. The Cre recombinase is fused to an estrogen receptor that inhibits the activity of the recombinase. Activation of the Cre recombinase requires topical application of 4-hydroxytamoxifen, allowing for induction of recombination at specific time points in the life span of the mouse. The use of this mouse model allows for more thorough evaluation of the time course and phenotype of BRAF-inhibitor response in melanoma in an immunocompetent host. Specific studies include evaluation of the effect of PLX4720 on the expression, localization, and activation of proteins involved with growth arrest, apoptosis, and glucose uptake. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2822. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2822
Flecainide for supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias in children and young adults.

There is a need for more effective, less toxic, more easily administered antiarrhythmic drugs for children. A drug that has a broad spectrum of action against many mechanisms of arrhythmias, a low incidence of side effects and can be administered no more than twice a day would be of great value. Reports on the use of flecainide in adults suggest that it may meet many of these criteria. It has been successfully used in patients with supraventricular and ventricular tachycardias, including both reentrant and automatic mechanism types.1–7 There have been few reports on the use of flecainide in children.8,9 We prospectively evaluated the effects of flecainide in 29 children and young adults with supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias refractory to other drugs.
The association of worker productivity and mental health: a review of the literature

Purpose – Depression and other mental health disorders have a large impact on the quality of life and productivity of millions of individuals worldwide. For employers, mental health disorders are associated with increased health care costs as well as productivity losses in the form of absenteeism, short‐term disability absences and reduced on‐the‐job productivity‐known as presenteeism. The purpose of this paper is to review the association of worker productivity and mental health.Design/methodology/approach – This review summarizes the literature on the prevalence of mental health conditions among working adults, and the association between these disorders and productivity. Finally, the impact of interventions or workplace policies on the productivity of those suffering with mental health conditions is covered and recommendations for employers are suggested.Findings – Depressive disorders are relatively common in most workforces compared to other mental health conditions. The majority of studies on mental...
Quantifying protein-protein interactions in high throughput using protein domain microarrays.

Protein microarrays provide an efficient way to identify and quantify protein–protein interactions in high throughput. One drawback of this technique is that proteins show a broad range of physicochemical properties and are often difficult to produce recombinantly. To circumvent these problems, we have focused on families of protein interaction domains. Here we provide protocols for constructing microarrays of protein interaction domains in individual wells of 96-well microtiter plates, and for quantifying domain–peptide interactions in high throughput using fluorescently labeled synthetic peptides. As specific examples, we will describe the construction of microarrays of virtually every human Src homology 2 (SH2) and phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domain, as well as microarrays of mouse PDZ domains, all produced recombinantly in Escherichia coli. For domains that mediate high-affinity interactions, such as SH2 and PTB domains, equilibrium dissociation constants (KDs) for their peptide ligands can be measured directly on arrays by obtaining saturation binding curves. For weaker binding domains, such as PDZ domains, arrays are best used to identify candidate interactions, which are then retested and quantified by fluorescence polarization. Overall, protein domain microarrays provide the ability to rapidly identify and quantify protein–ligand interactions with minimal sample consumption. Because entire domain families can be interrogated simultaneously, they provide a powerful way to assess binding selectivity on a proteome-wide scale and provide an unbiased perspective on the connectivity of protein–protein interaction networks.
Earthquake nucleation on (aging) rate and state faults

We obtain quasi-static, two-dimensional solutions for earthquake nucleation on faults obeying Dieterich's “aging” version of the rate and state friction equations. Two distinct nucleation regimes are found, separated by roughly a/b ∼ 0.5, where a and b are the constitutive parameters relating changes in slip rate V and state θ to frictional strength. When fault healing is unimportant (Vθ/D_c ≫ 1, where D_c is the characteristic slip distance for the evolution of θ), the nucleation zone spontaneously evolves toward a state of accelerating slip on a patch of fixed half length L_ν ≈ 1.3774(μ′D_c /bσ), where μ′ is the intrinsic stiffness of the medium and σ is the normal stress. This is the fixed length solution for which the stress intensity factor K = 0. Although this solution does not depend upon a/b explicitly, only for a/b < 0.3781 does healing remain unimportant as instability is approached. For a/b ≳ 0.5 and a wide range of slow loading conditions, Vθ/D_c ultimately approaches a quasi-constant value near 1, and the nucleation zone takes on the appearance of an expanding slip-weakening crack. A fracture energy balance indicates that in this regime the nucleation length asymptotically approaches π−1[b/(b − a)]2(μ′D_c /bσ), a result that is consistent with the numerical simulations despite considerable complexity asa approaches b. This suggests that nucleation lengths can sometimes be much larger than those found by Dieterich (e.g., by a factor of 100 for a/b = 0.95). For surfaces this close to velocity neutral, nucleation might produce signals detectable by surface seismometers for values of D_c at the upper end of the lab range (100 μm). However, the attributes of the aging law that give rise to such large nucleation lengths may be nonphysical; additional laboratory experiments are needed to address this issue.
Bending-torsion vibration model with two-end energy dissipation

This research is devoted to the asymptotic and spectral analysis of a coupled Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam model. The model is governed by a system of two coupled differential equations and a two parameter family of boundary conditions modelling the action of self-straining actuators. The aforementioned equations of motion together with a four-parameter family of boundary conditions form a coupled linear hyperbolic system, which is equivalent to a single operator evolution equation in the energy space. That equation defines a semigroup of bounded operators. The dynamics generator of the semigroup is our main object of interest. For each set of the boundary parameters, the dynamics generator has a compact inverse. If all boundary parameters are not purely imaginary numbers, then the dynamics generator is a non-self-adjoint operator in the energy space. We calculate the spectral asymptotics of the dynamics generator. We find that the spectrum lies in a strip parallel to the horizontal axis, and is asymptotically close to the horizontal axis--thus the system is stable, but is not uniformly stable. We have also found that the set of the eigenfunctions of the dynamics generator forms an unconditional basis (the Riesz basis) in the state space of the system. The Riesz basis property allows us to solve explicitly boundary and/or distributed controllability problems via the spectral decomposition method.
“Ain’t I a Woman?”: Towards an Intersectional Approach to Person Perception and Group-based Harms

Our research examines whether intersecting racial and gender identities affect person perception. Predominantly White undergraduates (292) from a large northeastern U.S. university categorized and rated pictures (Study 1) and videos (Study 2) of Black and White men and women. We supported three hypotheses: 1) intersectionality affects person perception processes, leading to gender categorization errors for Black women; 2) “Blackness” and “maleness” are highly associated for Black male and female targets; and, 3) women are perceived as unattractive proportionally to their perceived masculinity, leading Black women to be rated as less attractive than other women. We suggest that intersectional approaches are required in order to fully understand person perception. Further, the Black/male association may lead to unique harms for Black women.
MINDO/2 calculations on the reaction of methyl radicals with ethylene and butadiene

Semiempirical calculations using the MINDO/2 procedure have been carried out on the potential surface for the reaction of a methyl radical with ethylene and trans-butadiene. The transition state is predicted to be reactant-like in character and no evidence of resonance stabilization of the activated complex is found for butadiene. It is conjectured that the experimentally observed lowering of the activation energy for butadiene relative to ethylene may be attributed to differential correlation effects.
Extended tasks elicit complex eye movement patterns

Visual perception is an inherently complex task, yet the bulk of studies in the past were undertaken with subjects performing relatively simple tasks under reduced laboratory conditions. In the research reported here, we examined subjects' oculomotor performance as they performed two complex, extended tasks. In the first task, subjects built a model rocket from a kit. In the second task, a wearable eyetracker was used to monitor subjects as they walked to a restroom, washed their hands, and returned to the starting point. For the purposes of analysis, both tasks can be broken down into smaller sub-tasks that are performed in sequence. Differences in eye movement patterns and high-level strategies were observed in the model building and hand-washing tasks. Fixation durations recorded in the model building tasks were significantly shorter than those reported in simpler tasks. Performance in the hand-washing task revealed look-ahead eye movements made to objects well in advance of a subject's interaction with the object. Often occurring in the middle of another task, they provide overlapping temporal information about the environment, providing a mechanism to produce our conscious visual experience.
Practical Algorithm For Computing The 2-D Arithmetic Fourier Transform

Recently, Tufts and Sadasiv [10] exposed a method for computing the coefficients of a Fourier series of a periodic function using the Mobius inversion of series. They called this method of analysis the Arithmetic Fourier Transform(AFT). The advantage of the AFT over the FN 1' is that this method of Fourier analysis needs only addition operations except for multiplications by scale factors at one stage of the computation. The disadvantage of the AFT as they expressed it originally is that it could be used effectively only to compute finite Fourier coefficients of a real even function. To remedy this the AFT developed in [10] is extended in [11] to compute the Fourier coefficients of both the even and odd components of a periodic function. In this paper, the improved AFT [11] is extended to a two-dimensional(2-D) Arithmetic Fourier Transform for calculating the Fourier Transform of two-dimensional discrete signals. This new algorithm is based on both the number-theoretic method of Mobius inversion of double series and the complex conjugate property of Fourier coefficients. The advantage of this algorithm over the conventional 2-D FFT is that the corner-turning problem needed in a conventional 2-D Discrete Fourier Transform(DFT) can be avoided. Therefore, this new 2-D algorithm is readily suitable for VLSI implementation as a parallel architecture. Comparing the operations of 2-D AFT of a MxM 2-D data array with the conventional 2-D FFT, the number of multiplications is significantly reduced from (2log2M)M2 to (9/4)M2. Hence, this new algorithm is faster than the FFT algorithm. Finally, two simulation results of this new 2-D AFT algorithm for 2-D artificial and real images are given in this paper.