cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of crystallinity and drug release stability of directly compressed theophylline hydrophilic matrix tablets stored under varied moisture conditions

Abstract The effects of relative humidity (RH) and compression pressure on drug/excipient crystal changes or drug release of theophylline tablets were studied using X-ray diffractometry (X-RD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dissolution analysis. A tablet formulation, containing hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and anhydrous magnesium stearate was compressed at pressures such as 194.8 and 274.4 MPa, and stored at 23°C for 3 months under different RH values, ranging from 31 to 100%. Moisture sorption isotherms of all the tablets studied indicated sorption of large amounts of moisture at RH > 52%. Powder X-RD patterns of tablets stored at RH 52%, theophylline monohydrate peaks were observed within 1 month and characteristic anhydrous theophylline peaks decreased. Peaks corresponding to pseudopolymorphs of magnesium stearate were also observed. DSC analysis of tablets stored at ≤ 52% revealed only the endothermic peak of theophylline at 277°C, while in tablets stored at > 52% RH, the endothermic peak of theophylline, and that of magnesium stearate pseudopolymorphs at 72°C were observed. Moisture sorption or crystal form was not affected by compression pressure. Drug release decreased as the compression pressure increased, and/or becomes inconsistent as a result of the formation of the less soluble theophylline monohydrate, partial hydration of the MCC and gelation of the HPMC. The drug dissolution data at the onset did not fit the Higuchi square-root model, but rather revealed a biphasic release pattern, indicative of faster, initial surface erosion followed by a slower diffusion-based mechanism from the gelled matrix. Higher RH resulted in a tendency towards a diffusion-only mechanism.
A β‐subunit mutation in the acetylcholine receptor channel gate causes severe slow‐channel syndrome

Point mutations in the genes encoding the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) subunits have been recognized in some patients with slow-channel congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS). Clinical, electrophysiological, and pathological differences between these patients may be due to the distinct effects of individual mutations. We report that a spontaneous mutation of the β subunit that interrupts the leucine ring of the AChR channel gate causes an eightfold increase in channel open time and a severe CMS characterized by severe endplate myopathy and extensive remodeling of the postsynaptic membrane. The pronounced abnormalities in neuromuscular synaptic architecture and function, muscle fiber damage and weakness, resulting from a single point mutation are a dramatic example of a mutation having a dominant gain of function and of hereditary excitotoxicity.
Creole and dialect continua

Although there is a substantial amount of linguistic research on standard language acquisition, little attention has been given to the mechanisms underlying second dialect acquisition. Using a combination of function-based grammar and sociolinguistic methodology to analyze topic marking strategies, the unguided acquisition of a standard by speakers of nonstandard varieties is examined in two distinct linguistic and geographical situations: in a Caribbean creole situation (Belize), with special attention to the acquisition of acrolects by native speakers of basilects, and in a noncreole situation (PRC), documenting the acquisition of standard Chinese (Putonghua) by speakers of nonstandard varieties represented in Cultural Revolution literature, Wuhan Chinese, and Suzhou Wu story-telling style. In both cases psychosocial factors, linguistic bias toward nonnative renderings of the standard varieties, the social status of their speakers, and related political and educational consequences play an important role in the development of second dialects. The broad-ranging analysis of a single feature of oral discourse leads to the formulation of cross-linguistic generalizations in acquisition studies and results in an evaluation of the putative uniqueness of creole languages. Related issues addressed include the effect of linguistic bias on the development and use of language varieties by marginalized groups; the interaction of three major language components — semantics, syntax, and pragmatics — in spontaneous communication; and the development of methods to identify discourse units. The ultimate goal underlying the comparison of specific discourse variables in Belizean and Chinese standard acquisition is to evaluate the relative merits of substratal, superstratal, and universal explanations in language development.
A feminist perspective on technology and the future

Synopsis Women have been left out of the mainstream of recorded technological development. Technology, increasingly so in industrialized societies, is male. This means that technology is supported by values of conquest and domination of nature, and pursuit of ‘objectivity’ and ‘rational efficiency’ to the point of irrationality. Integrated with prevailing structures of power, technology grows destructive of human beings and the earth. A feminist perspective can help us move from a hard technology society to a soft technology future in which values such as harmony with nature, subjectivity, co-operation, and non-exploitation become integral to technological development. Three avenues can be explored for ideas and models that can implement a feminist perspective for choices and issues facing our technological future. First, we need to look to the past, and to present pre-industrial cultures, to uncover women's role in technological development. Second, we must look at both the theory and experience of the current feminist movement. And third, we must look to feminist future visions that project alternative technologies and alternative modes of social and econo-political organization. The future technology we seek should be based on a dialectical vision of a creative, dynamic, humanistic technology.
Explicit B-spline regularization in diffeomorphic image registration.

Diffeomorphic mappings are central to image registration due largely to their topological properties and success in providing biologically plausible solutions to deformation and morphological estimation problems. Popular diffeomorphic image registration algorithms include those characterized by time-varying and constant velocity fields, and symmetrical considerations. Prior information in the form of regularization is used to enforce transform plausibility taking the form of physics-based constraints or through some approximation thereof, e.g. Gaussian smoothing of the vector fields (a la Thirion's Demons \citep{thirion1998}). In the context of the original Demons' framework, the so-called {\it directly manipulated free-form deformation} \citep{tustison2009} can be viewed as a smoothing alternative in which explicit regularization is achieved through fast B-spline approximation. This characterization can be used to provide B-spline ``flavored'' diffeomorphic image registration solutions with several advantages. Implementation is open source and available through the Insight Toolkit and our Advanced Normalization Tools (ANTs) repository. A thorough comparative evaluation with the well-known SyN algorithm \citep{avants2008}, implemented within the same framework, and its B-spline analog is performed using open labeled brain data and open source evaluation tools.
Glycolysis inhibitors among compounds containing aldehydes, ketones, and organic acids

Abstract Nearly 800 compounds have been studied for ability to inhibit glycolysis of salivary sediment. These compounds possessed aldehyde, ketone and/or carboxyl groups as a part of the organic structure. The compounds were tested mainly at 1% concentration or half-saturation, in water or in 10% propylene glycol. The most active aldehydes were formaldehyde, succinaldehyde, pyruvic aldehyde, mucochloric acid, 5-nitrosalicylaldehyde and m -hydroxybenzaldehyde. Inhibition can be attributed to the aldehyde group of the first three compounds. Nearly all active aldehydes possessed a high degree of specificity. Among ketones there were nine organic structures which were capable of producing inhibition amounting to 50 per cent or more, but only for one substance, dioleyl ketone, could inhibition be attributed definitely to the keto group. Among others, such as pyruvic aldehyde, 2,3-butanedione-2-methoxime, Rose Bengal, 2-(dibutylamino)-ethylphenylketone and 2,4′-dihydroxybenzophenone, the inhibitory action was attributable to some group other than ketone. The three remaining inhibitory chemicals, verbenone, benzoquinone and 2,5-dimethyl para quinone possessed ketone as the sole functional group. Among the eight organic acids showing inhibitory activity, there was a high degree of specificity. One group, bromacetate, mucochlorate and alphabromopropionate, was related to iodoacetate, but all were less inhibitory. Sodium N-lauroylsarcosinate was inhibitory, but few similar structures were available for comparison. The 3,5-di-iodosalicylic acid probably owes its activity to the presence of the two halogens since loss of one of these produces an inactive structure, but 2-butyl-x-chlorophenoxyacetic has activity which is not possessed by closely related compounds. The two substances, 2- cyclo pentene-1-valeric acid and cyclo hexanebutyric acid are the only structures whose activity could apparently be attributed to the carboxyl group.
Proximity to seacoast: G. W. Field and the marine laboratory at Point Judith Pond, Rhode Island, 1896-1900

By the time George Wilton Field concluded his work at the marine laboratory his initial scientific concerns had forced him directly into local politics. He pleaded with little success with the community of South Kingstown, and with no success with the town of Narragansett, to create and maintain a permanent breach:
Optimizing interpretation of in situ effects of riverine pollutants: Impact of upwelling and downwelling

In situ toxicity and bioaccumulation tests with Ceriodaphnia dubia (48 h), Chironomus tentans (96 h), Hyalella azteca (96 h), and Lumbriculus variegatus (96 h) were conducted at three stations on a river that was contaminated primarily with chlorobenzenes (CBs), and results were compared to a nearby reference site. Exposures were characterized by using minipiezometers for contaminant profiling and determination of hydraulic heads and vertical flow direction within the sediments and measuring contaminants in sediment, surface water, and exposure chamber water samples. Localized zones of upwelling and downwelling existed in the exposure areas at contaminated sites 5 and 18, while site 23 was downwelling at all measurement positions. Porewater samples from minipiezometers contained CBs at the three contaminated sites that were highest at site 23. However, sediment and water samples from exposure chambers at site 23 contained the lowest levels of CBs among the contaminated sites. The CBs were not detected at the reference site, but other organic contaminants and metals were detected at all sites, with the highest concentrations occurring at sites 5 and 18. In water column exposures, no significant (p > 0.05) differences were observed in species survival between the contaminated sites and the reference. Mean percentage survival of H. azteca, C. dubia, and C. tentans exposed to surficial sediments (SS) at sites 5 and 18 was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced compared to the reference, whereas only C. tentans survival was significantly reduced at site 23. Body residues of total CB congeners in L. variegatus exposed to SS were highest at site 18 (618 μmol/kg lipid) and lowest at site 23 (21 μmol/kg lipid). The data suggest that downwelling reduced the bioavailability of CBs in surficial sediments, most likely by mobilizing the freely dissolved and colloid-bound fractions to deeper sediments. Overall, downwelling conditions reduced the in situ exposure of organisms in surficial sediments and hence the toxicity and bioaccumulation of CBs. Hydrologic and chemistry data from nested minipiezometers improved the interpretation of exposure-effects relationships.
Calibration of dynamic analysis methods from field test data

Abstract In view of the heterogeneity of natural soil deposits and approximations made in analysis methods, in situ methods of determining soil parameters are highly desirable. The problem of interest here is the nonlinear dynamic behavior of pile foundations. It is shown in this paper that soil parameters needed for simplified dynamic analysis of a single pile may be back-calculated from the dynamic response of the pile measured in the field. A pile was excited by applying a large horizontal dynamic force at the pile-head level, and the response measured. In this paper, two different (simplified) methods of modeling the dynamic response of the pile are considered. One of the methods is based on the Winkler foundation approach, with the spring constant characterized by the so-called nonlinear p–y springs. The second method is based on the equivalent-linear finite element approach, with the nonlinearity of shear modulus and damping accounted for by employing the so-called degradation relationships. In the latter, the effect of interface nonlinearity is also considered. Starting with best estimates of soil parameters, the experimental data on the response of pile is used to fine-tune the values of the parameters, and thereby, to estimate parameters that are representative of in situ soil conditions.
Biochemical characterization of bovine alpha-fetoprotein and comparison with human alpha-fetoprotein

This study compares the molecular, charge and lectin microheterogeneity of bovine alpha-fetoprotein (bAFP) with human (h) AFP. Molecular weights of bAFP (81 kDa) and hAFP (69 kDa) were detected by Western immunoblotting. Marked crossreactivity was found between bAFP and hAFP by Western immunoblotting but no crossreactivity was noticed by radioimmunoassays. At least seven charge isoforms of bAFP and three isoforms of hAFP were consistently detected by chromatofocusing in a mixture of fetal bovine serum (FBS) and human cord blood (hCB), while only three isoforms of bAFP and hAFP were detected in a mixture of bovine (bAF) and human amniotic fluid (hAF). Using concanavalin A (Con A) chromatography, 50% of bAFP was Con A reactive and 50% non-reactive, while more than 98% of hAFP was Con A reactive in a mixture of FBS and hCB. However, in AFs, 72% of bAFP was Con A reactive, while 89% of hAFP was Con A reactive. These data indicate that marked differences exist in both the charge and lectin microheterogeneity of bovine and human AFP.
Estimating graduate admission standards in psychology

Because publicized minimum criteria for graduate school admission are rarely sufficient to gain entrance to the school of one's choice, a study was undertaken to estimate the actual or “effective” admission standards to graduate school. Booklets composed of 27 hypothetical graduate school applicants conforming to a 3 (GPA) × 3 (GRE) × 3 (trait adjectives) factorial design were evaluated by graduate program chairpersons from the marginal, low, middle, and high categories of the Roose and Andersen (1970), Cox and Catt (1977), and Endler et al. (1978) ranking systems of schools in psychology. Results showed that a linear model of judgment would account for the ratings of potential for success in graduate school and the decision to accept or reject the hypothetical applicants. GRE scores accounted for about twice as much variance (30%) as GPA (16%), which accounted for about twice as much variance (7%) as trait adjectives. The Roose and Andersen listing was shown to be the most acceptable ranking system when estimating “effective” graduate admission standards.
Fate of amended urea in turfgrass biosystems

Abstract The fate of nitrogen (N) has been studied under several agronomic crops and agricultural profiles, but relatively little information has been collected from areas managed as turfgrass. The turfgrass industry has become the focus of environmental concerns in recent years and is often identified as a source of ground water contaminate. The objectives of this study were to: i) investigate the hydrology of 20‐cm diameter by 50‐cm deep undisturbed soil columns covered with a Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) turf under a heavy (one 2.54‐cm application) and a light (four 0.64‐cm applications) irrigation regime, and to ii) quantify the fate of 15N‐labeled urea when it is applied to an undisturbed soil columns having intact macropores. Clipping, verdure, and thatch/mat samples were taken from each column, and the soil was excavated in 10‐cm layers at the end of the 7‐day test period. A glass collection chamber was used to collect volatilized N and a plastic bag for leachate collection. All samples we...
On-Line Signature Verification Using Symbolic Aggregate Approximation (SAX) and Sequential Mining Optimization (SMO)

Signatures are the single most widely used method of identifying an individual but they carry with them an alarmingly significant number of vulnerabilities, implying the need for an effective and robust method of precisely identifying an individual's signature. The signature of an individual is visually acquired by using a pen-based tracking system [1], [2]. This paper considers the possibility of discretizing visually acquired signatures to represent them as an unordered collection of words and then use Sequential Mining Optimization (SMO) for training Support Vector Machines (SVM) to classify the signature as either legitimate or forged. Signature discretization is done using Symbolic Aggregate Approximation (SAX) [4]. SAX reduces the dimensions of the signature and produces a list of SAX words that are then represented as a bag-of-patterns model for classification purposes [6]. The approach was tested on a dataset of 3960 signatures of 106 subjects distributed across two sets. The results show good classification accuracy bolstering the real time application of the methodology.
Substrate-induced conformational changes and half-the-sites reactivity in the Escherichia coli CoA transferase

Abstract The acetyl-CoA:acetoacetate CoA-transferase of Escherichia coli undergoes two detectable conformational changes during catalysis of CoA transfer. The first change occurs upon binding of at least the CoA moiety of an acyl-CoA substrate and was detected by fluorescence enhancement of enzyme-bound 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate and microcomplement fixation upon formation of a noncovalent enzyme · CoA complex. CoA is a competitive inhibitor with respect to acyl-CoA substrate ( K i = 0.29 m M). A second, more extensive conformational change occurs upon formation of the covalent enzyme-CoA intermediate and was detected by fluorescence enhancement of enzymebound 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate, sedimentation of the intermediate in sucrose density gradients, and microcomplement fixation. The data clearly differentiated between the three distinct forms of the enzyme, i.e., free enzyme, noncovalent enzyme·CoA complex, and covalent enzyme-CoA intermediate. The data are consistent with a model in which the enzyme opens upon formation of the enzyme-CoA intermediate. Either the limited conformational change or the extensive conformational change generates subunit interactions which result in half-the-sites reactivity in the enzyme. Only one of the two potential active sites was charged with etheno-CoA when the enzyme was reacted with etheno-acetyl-CoA. Glycerol abolished the extreme negative cooperativity and both active sites were charged with etheno-CoA in the presence of 10% glycerol. Our data suggest that glycerol abolished subunit interactions in either the enzyme-CoA complex or the covalent intermediate and not in the free enzyme.
Latent heat characteristics of fatty acid derivatives pursuant phase change material applications

Abstract In their natural form, fats and vegetable oils melt at temperatures useful for thermal energy storage. Incremental improvement of their heat release characteristics could pave the way for commercial applications as phase change materials (PCM). These chemicals could provide a biomaterial alternative to a technology dominated by paraffin and salt products. Mixture heats of fusion and melting points were evaluated for single acid derivatives of stearic, palmitic, and oleic acids to develop a fundamental understanding of the solid–liquid transition and to better understand how to convert natural compositions to useful PCM products. Many mixtures of monoacid derivatives of a single fatty acid formed single sharp solid–liquid phase transitions useful for PCM applications. These mixtures also qualitatively exhibited freezing point depression therein allowing the mixture composition to be used as a means to control the temperature of the phase transition. In mixtures of monoacid derivatives from different fatty acids, melting occurred over wider temperature ranges with eventual separation of the solid–liquid transition to at least two different events. This work demonstrates that it is possible to fully convert natural fatty acid mixtures into high performance phase change materials.
The effects of thermal distortions on the diameter and cylindricity of dry drilled holes

A model is developed to predict the effects of thermal distortion of the drill and workpiece on the diameter and cylindricity of dry drilled holes. Experiments using embedded thermocouples verify that the model predicts the flow of heat into the workpiece and into the drill reasonably well. The model predicts that thermal expansion of the drill is the dominant effect and leads to oversized holes with diameters that increase with depth.
High-Resolution 1H NMR Spectroscopy Following Experimental Brain Trauma

ABSTRACT We investigated acute metabolic changes following parasagittal fluid-percussion brain injury in the rat, using high-resolution 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Sixty minutes following brain injury or sham (surgery, no injury) treatment, brains were rapidly removed and the injured and control cortices were isolated (n = 5/group). Isolates of brain cortices were then placed in buffer and studied in a 400-MHz spectrometer with measurements taken every 15 min over a 145-min period. At the initial NMR evaluation (immediately following dissection), we observed significantly lower levels of N-acetyl aspartic acid (NAA) in the injured group compared to the sham group. Surprisingly, a reciprocal increase in the concentration of acetate, a major metabolic product of NAA, was not observed at this timepoint. At subsequent timepoints, a progressive loss of NAA was observed in both injured and sham cortices, presumably due to ischemic conditions of the ex vivo samples. However, this progressiv...
Feasibility study on phased array of interdigital mesoscale transducers for health monitoring of smart structures

A novel method of monitoring damage in structures is presented. The concept utilizes an electronically steered acoustic beam produced by an array of interdigital transducers placed in the structure. The acoustic beam is scattered by the damage, and therefore the scattered signal received by the array contains detailed information about the damage. A brief discussion of resolution and accuracy of the damage detection by acoustic waves is presented followed by the basic aspects of beam formation, array aperture and electronic beam steering. The description of cross-field interdigital piezoelectric transducers to produce bulk waves of sufficient strength is also included. The aspects that make the proposed concept different and desirable with respect to the prevalent nondestructive testing by external ultrasonic transducer are presented as the concluding remarks.
Estrogen receptor immunoreactivity in prepubertal and adult male Syrian hamsters

Estrogen and estrogen receptors (ER) are involved in the expression of steroid-dependent male sexual behavior and negative feedback regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. The purpose of the present experiment was to determine whether there are pubertal changes in ER expression in brain that are correlated with pubertal changes in responsiveness to steroid negative feedback and behavioral activation. We found equivalent numbers of ER-immunoreactive (ER-ir) cells in castrated prepubertal and adult male hamsters in nuclei that comprise the neural circuit that mediate male sexual behavior. Therefore, increases in the number of cells in these nuclei that express ER are not correlated with the increased behavioral responsiveness to steroid hormone shown by hamsters after puberty. The number of ER-ir cells in the ventral medial hypothalamus was less in adults compared with juveniles. This pubertal decrease in ER expression is correlated with the decreased responsiveness to steroid negative feedback in the adult.
Corticotropin-releasing hormone deficiency reveals major fetal but not adult glucocorticoid need

The body responds to stress by activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and release of glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoid production in the adult regulates carbohydrate and amino-acid metabolism, maintains blood pressure, and restrains the inflammatory response. In the fetus, exogenous glucocorticoids accelerate maturation of lung and gastrointestinal enzyme systems and promote hepatic glycogen deposition. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), a 41-amino-acid neuropeptide produced in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and many regions of the cerebral cortex, has been implicated in both the HPA axis and behavioural responses to stress. To define the importance of CRH in the response of the HPA axis to stress and fetal development, we have constructed a mammalian model of CRH deficiency by targeted mutation in embryonic stem (ES) cells. We report here that corticotropin-releasing hormone-deficient mice reveal a fetal glucocorticoid requirement for lung maturation. Postnatally, despite marked glucocorticoid deficiency, these mice exhibit normal growth, fertility and longevity, suggesting that the major role of glucocorticoid is during fetal rather than postnatal life.
Serving Older Native Americans: Challenges Facing Gerontological Social Work in Indian Country

Recognizing that Native American elders are a growing segment of the minority aged in the United States, this paper highlights the relevant social service issues of Native American elderly and focuses on building social work knowledge of these topics on a national and state level. The authors offer three practice strategies for a sound social work response in serving older Native Americans: (1) inclusion and collaboration with tribal nations, (2) outreach to households and local communities, and (3) capacity building, These strategies are framed against the realities of Native American elders residing in Oklahoma, a state with one of the highest American Indian populations in the United States and 39 sovereign tribal governments.
Influence of pesticides and neuroactive amines on cAMP levels of two-spotted spider mite (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Abstract The interaction of several formamidine pesticides, chlordimeform (CDM), N -demethylchlordimeform (DCDM) and amitraz with octopamine receptor(s) and the resulting enhancement of cyclic-AMP (cAMP) production in vitro were investigated in the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch. DCDM and amitraz clearly stimulated the production of cAMP when added to a homogenate of the spider mite. Among various biogenic amines tested, octopamine and synephrine were most active but dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytroptamine showed only marginal potency to elevate cAMP production. An additivity study was devised to find whether these formamidines interact with the same target site as octopamine. The results indicate that all these chemicals act on the same receptor which functions to transduce the signal of certain biogenic amines to elevate the intracellular cAMP level. Phentolamine (PH) and propranolol (PR) showed an antagonistic effect against the portion of cAMP production which was elevated by DCDM. Among pesticides tested, deltamethrin, fenvalerate, DDT and benzenehexachloride showed no such effect, whereas dicofol, chlorobenzilate, parathion and aldicarb showed slight stimulatory effects on cAMP production. Both DCDM and octopamine cause an increase in the phosphorylation of proteins that are also phosphorylated by exogenous cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The results of pharmacological characterization studies confirmed the overall theory that the agonistic effects of formamidines are expressed primarily through the octopamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase.
The effect of co-ordination on the reactivity of aromatic ligands—IX: Some reactions of the optically active arsenic (V)-catechol complexes

Abstract A study had been made of the bromination and diazocoupling of optically active forms of the complexes of arsenic acid with catechol and 3-methylcatechol. The use of optically active forms provides a test of the lability of the complex under the conditions of the reactions. The retention of optical activity in the products of these reactions indicates that the reactions involve the complex itself, and not some ligand species which is momentarily dissociated.
Reaction Time as a Measure of Span of Attention

(1948). Reaction Time as a Measure of Span of Attention. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 227-241.
Ductopapillary apocrine carcinoma of the eyelid metastatic to the parotid gland: report of a case diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration biopsy.

Ductopapillary apocrine carcinoma (DPAC) of the eyelid is a rare malignant neoplasm in the periocular region. The relative rarity of this tumor is a diagnostic challenge to the cytopathologist, especially when present as a metastatic lesion to an intraparotid lymph node, where the differential diagnosis includes primary parotid neoplasms, as well as various other metastatic malignancies. There are only a few reported cases of recurrent and metastatic DPAC of the eyelid, and to our knowledge, metastatic DPAC diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) has not been described. We report a case of a 65-year-old African-American male with a history of ductopapillary apocrine adenocarcinoma of the eyelid, diagnosed 6 weeks ago now presenting with a recurrence in the same area. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head and neck revealed an intraparotid mass also. FNAB of the parotid mass showed a well-differentiated papillary adenocarcinoma with a cystic component, similar to a previously excised ductopapillary apocrine adenocarcinoma of the eyelid. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Program Director's Guide to the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (Former Dean's Letter) With a Database

Purpose The value of the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) for a program director is in the information it contains comparing how a student performed in medical school relative to his or her classmates. The Association of American Medical Colleges has recommended that a student's class ranking be included in the summary paragraph of the MSPE and that this information be repeated in a supplementary appendix. Methods The authors reviewed the MSPEs from 1,479 applications for residency training positions. The aim was to determine to what extent and in what manner individual schools reveal how their students perform relative to their peers. The authors then set out to create a database containing this information. Results Working from a list of 141 US members of the Association of American Medical Colleges, complete information for 107 schools (76%) and partial information for the remaining 34 schools (24%) was gathered. Only 12 schools (9%) included complete comparative information in the summary section in accordance with the guidelines of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Other schools were in partial compliance or did not comply at all. The database the authors constructed will inform users if comparative information is available, guide users to its location in the MSPE, and explain the meaning of the language different schools use to rank or classify their students. Conclusions The authors recognize that this database is incomplete and that the individual institutions will alter their ranking system from time to time. But this database is offered in an open format so that it can be continuously updated by users.
Multi-period production control in a centralized fully flexible manufacturing system

Abstract We study multi-period production control in a centralized fully flexible manufacturing system where parts are dynamically dispatched from a central control station to n local work stations, each with random processing rate. After being processed at local stations, parts must return to the central station where a variable portion of the returning parts are either discarded as scrap or routed back to the system for rework. A dynamic optimal dispatching (DOD) model is employed to determine the short-term production control policy which minimizes total expected operational costs over a finite horizon. For a non-feedback case, we show that the dynamic recursive functions are separable across the stations. Thereby, a decentralized optimal control scheme can be established. For a feedback case, the station separability does not necessarily hold. A solution procedure for the feedback case is developed based on convex analysis.
Assessing forest vegetation and fire simulation model performance after the Cold Springs wildfire, Washington USA

Given that resource managers rely on computer simulation models when it is difficult or expensive to obtain vital information directly, it is important to evaluate how well a particular model satisfies applications for which it is designed. The Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) is used widely for forest management in the US, and its scope and complexity continue to increase. This paper focuses on the accuracy of estimates made by the Fire and Fuels Extension (FFE-FVS) predictions through comparisons between model outputs and measured post-fire conditions for the Cold Springs wildfire and on the sensitivity of model outputs to weather, disease, and fuel inputs. For each set of projected, pre-fire stand conditions, a fire was simulated that approximated the actual conditions of the Cold Springs wildfire as recorded by local portable weather stations. We also simulated a fire using model default values. From the simulated post-fire conditions, values of tree mortality and fuel loads were obtained for comparison to post-fire, observed values. We designed eight scenarios to evaluate how model output changed with varying input values for three parameter sets of interest: fire weather, disease, and fuels. All of the tested model outputs displayed some sensitivity to alternative model inputs. Our results indicate that tree mortality and fuels were most sensitive to whether actual or default weather was used and least sensitive to whether or not disease data were included as model inputs. The performance of FFE-FVS for estimating total surface fuels was better for the scenarios using actual weather data than for the scenarios using default weather data. It was rare that the model could predict fine fuels or litter. Our results suggest that using site-specific information over model default values could significantly improve the accuracy of simulated values.
Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Kir3.1 in Spinal Cord Is Induced by Acute Inflammation, Chronic Neuropathic Pain, and Behavioral Stress

Tyrosine phosphorylation is an important means of regulating ion channel function. Our previous gene expression studies using the Xenopus laevis oocyte system suggested that tyrosine phosphorylation of G-protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium channels (Kir3 or GIRK) suppressed basal channel conductance and accelerated channel deactivation. To assess whether similar mechanisms regulate Kir3 function in mammalian cells, we developed and characterized a phosphoselective antibody recognizing Kir3.1 phosphorylated at tyrosine 12 in the N-terminal domain and then probed for evidence of Kir3.1 phosphorylation in cultured mammalian cells and spinal cord. The antibody was found to discriminate between the phospho-Tyr12 of Kir3.1 and the native state in transfected cell lines and in primary cultures of mouse atria. Following either mouse hindpaw formalin injection or sciatic nerve ligation, pY12-Kir3.1 immunoreactivity was enhanced unilaterally in the superficial layers of the spinal cord dorsal horn, regions previously described as expressing Kir3.1 channels. Mice lacking K 3.1 following targeted gene disruption did not show specific pY12-Kir3.1 immunoreactivity after sciatic nerve ligation. Further, mice exposed to repeatedly forced swim stress showed bilateral enhancement in pY12-Kir3.1 in the dorsal horn. This study provides evidence that Kir3 tyrosine phosphorylation occurred during acute and chronic inflammatory pain and under behavioral stress. The reduction in Kir3 channel activity is predicted to enhance neuronal excitability under physiologically relevant conditions and may mediate a component of the adaptive physiological response.
SWATT: softWare-based attestation for embedded devices

We expect a future where we are surrounded by embedded devices, ranging from Java-enabled cell phones to sensor networks and smart appliances. An adversary can compromise our privacy and safety by maliciously modifying the memory contents of these embedded devices. In this paper, we propose a softWare-based attestation technique (SWATT) to verify the memory contents of embedded devices and establish the absence of malicious changes to the memory contents. SWATT does not need physical access to the device's memory, yet provides memory content attestation similar to TCG or NGSCB without requiring secure hardware. SWATT can detect any change in memory contents with high probability, thus detecting viruses, unexpected configuration settings, and Trojan Horses. To circumvent SWATT, we expect that an attacker needs to change the hardware to hide memory content changes. We present an implementation of SWATT in off-the-shelf sensor network devices, which enables us to verify the contents of the program memory even while the sensor node is running.
The Effect of Surface Contamination on Adhesive Forces as Measured by Contact Mechanics

The contact adhesive forces between two surfaces, one being a soft hemisphere and the other being a hard plate, can readily be determined by applying an external compressive load to mate the two surfaces and subsequently applying a tensile load to peel the surfaces apart. The contact region is assumed the superposition of elastic Hertzian pressure and of the attractive surface forces that act only over the contact area. What are the effects of the degree of surface contamination on adhesive forces? Clean aluminum surfaces were coated with hexadecane as a controlled contaminant. The force required to pull an elastomeric hemisphere from a surface was determined by contact mechanics, via the JKR model, using a model siloxane network for the elastomeric contact sphere. Due to the dispersive nature of the elastomer surface, larger forces were required to pull the sphere from a contaminated surface than a clean aluminum oxide surface.
Study on Linearity of Impulse Voltage Divider

The uncertainty contribution related to linearity shall be considered in the calculation of measurement uncertainty when using the impulse voltage measuring system. Under the condition that the national standard is not yet established at present, the paper proposed an experimental method to measure the linearity of 600kV damped capacitive impulse divider (HCR600). The paper used low voltage resistance divider R200S to measure the linearity of generator, and obtained the linearity curve. With the increase of charging voltage, the linearity of divider can be obtained by measuring the charging voltage of impulse voltage generator precisely and its ratio of indicating value of the sample divider HCR600 after corrected. The result shows that the linearity of HCR600 decreases from +0.4% to-0.8%; the maximum difference between positive polarity and negative polarity is 0.14% and the linearity of negative polarity is superior to that of positive polarity. Besides, the paper used a 500kV resistance divider (SMR 7.7/ref500) calibrated by PTB to compare with HCR600, and obtained the linearity curve. By comparison, two curves show a good agreement, the maximum difference between them is 0.15% at the same voltage. The result shows that the method proposed in the paper can be used to measure the linearity of divider accurately. It also can be used as experimental verification in the process of the national standard establishing and to calibrate the ultrahigh voltage impulse voltage measuring equipments when equipments satisfy some requirements.
SPSSI and Peace-Building: A Participant's Perspective

A culture of peace promotes caring relations among individuals and groups based on full realization of their positive interdependence with each other and their environment—it entails social justice, norms of equity and multicultural sensitivity and social relations conducive to nonviolence, sustainable development, and human well-being. This is a history of Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)'s efforts to build such a culture in the United States, especially within and through organized psychology. The perspective taken is primarily my own as a member of SPSSI Council, an SPSSI Representative to the American Psychological Association (APA)'s Council of Representatives, SPSSI's first historian and first Public Policy Fellow at the APA, liaison between Division 9 and Division 48 of the APA, and SPSSI's Representative to the Southern California Regional Council of Organizations. I argue for the importance of applying public interest science to issues of cultural, structural, and direct violence.
Cigarette smoking as a dieting strategy in a university population

The present study sought to determine the prevalence of smoking as a dieting strategy in a university population. There were 1076 people (458 males, 618 females) asked (1) the types of strategies they used to curb hunger (including smoking) and (2) whether they either began smoking or were currently smoking as a weight loss/maintenance strategy. Results indicated that 32.5% of all smokers (n = 209; 39% of females, 25% of males) reported using smoking as a weight loss strategy. A small percentage of smokers (10% of males, 5% of females) reported beginning to smoke for weight control. Overweight females were much more likely, however, to report that they started smoking for dieting reasons. Females were much more likely to report weight gain as a relapse variable than males. It is concluded that weight gain following smoking cessation, particularly among females, may be a significant relapse variable as well as a significant barrier to smoking cessation.
Gaze-Triggered Orienting as a Tool of the Belongingness Self-Regulation System

Social-psychological theories of belongingness self-regulation suggest that when one's need for interpersonal relationships is not being met, one begins to monitor the social environment more closely. Presumably, this serves to increase awareness of the likelihood of social acceptance versus rejection and to inform later social decision-making processes. The current investigation tested whether low belongingness increases a particular form of social monitoring that has recently been documented in the cognitive literature: gaze-triggered orienting. Low belongingness was operationalized either in terms of low trait self-esteem (Studies 1a and 1b) or in terms of the priming of rejection-related thoughts (Study 2). Across the studies, the normal tendency to orient attention in accordance with another individual's eye gaze was augmented under conditions of low belongingness. However, belongingness had no influence on a nonsocial form of orienting. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for th...
Verification of desynchronized circuits

Desynchronization is a method used to synthesize circuits with a high degree of asynchronicity from synchronous parents. It is well known that asynchronous circuits are hard to design and verify. We propose a refinement-based formal method to check that desynchronized pipelines correctly implement their high-level non-pipelined specifications. The method is based on an algorithm to construct functions that relate desynchronized states with specification states. The method is used successfully to check partial safety of a desynchronized implementation of the DLX architecture.
Sprumont's characterization of the uniform rule when all single-peaked preferences are admissible

Sprumont (1991) has established that the only allocation rule for the division problem that is strategy-proof, efficient, and anonymous is the uniform rule when the domain is the set of all possible profiles of continuous single-peaked preferences. Sprumont's characterization of the uniform rule is shown to hold on any larger domain of single-peaked preferences.
A case study in porting a production scientific supercomputing application to a reconfigurable computer

This case study presents the results of porting a production scientific code, called NAMD, to the SRC-6 high-performance reconfigurable computing platform based on Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology. NAMD is a molecular dynamics code designed to run on large supercomputing systems and used extensively by the computational biophysics community. NAMD?s computational kernel is highly optimized to run on conventional von Neumann processors; this presents numerous challenges to its reimplementation on FPGA architecture. This paper presents an overview of the SRC-6 architecture and the NAMD application and then discusses the challenges, solutions, and results of the porting effort. The rationale in choosing the development path taken and the general framework for porting an existing scientific code, such as NAMD, to the SRC-6 platform are presented and discussed in detail. The results and methods presented in this paper are applicable to the large class of problems in scientific computing.
A Postscript on Thinking about Dialogue

This article offers an interpretation of different notions of dialogue as are evident in a broad literature in the social sciences and the humanities. It sets the previous articles within this broad context while suggesting ways in which the nature, aim and methods of evaluation, as well as the roles and obligations of the evaluator, are connected to these different understandings of dialogue.
How would compliance with dietary recommendations affect revenues for agricultural producers

Abstract Nutritionists and other health experts have recommended a range of dietary plans, and these often differ significantly. Although the USDA food guides have been the most visible in the United States, other dietary plans now are achieving greater public recognition. Our analysis extracts the nutrient recommendations for seven dietary plans and models the recommendations as shifts in demand for the nutrients. Demand shifts for nutrients are combined with nutrient composition shares to simulate the revenue implications in selected agricultural markets. Based on current consumption patterns in the United States, we find that compliance with Harvard’s Healthy Eating Pyramid would generate the greatest revenue gains for specialty crop producers in California.