cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nitroxyl triggers Ca2+ release from skeletal and cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum by oxidizing ryanodine receptors

The biological activity of nitric oxide (NO) and NO-donors has been extensively investigated yet few studies have examined those of nitroxyl (HNO) species even though both exist in chemical equilibrium but oxidize thiols by different reaction mechanisms: S-nitrosation versus disulfide bond formation. Here, sodium trioxodinitrate (Na2N2O3; Angeli's salt; ANGS) was used as an HNO donor to investigate its effects on skeletal (RyR1) and cardiac (RyR2) ryanodine receptors. At steady-state concentrations of nanomoles/L, HNO induced a rapid Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles then the reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT) reversed the oxidation by HNO resulting in Ca2+ re-uptake by SR vesicles. With RyR1 channel proteins reconstituted in planar bilayers, HNO added to the cis-side increased the open probability (Po) from 0.056+/-0.026 to 0.270+/-0.102 (P<0.005, n=4) then DTT (3 mM) reduced Po to 0.096+/-0.040 (P<0.01, n=4). In parallel experiments, the time course of HNO production from ANGS was monitored by EPR and UV spectroscopy and compared with the rate of SR Ca2+ release indicating that picomolar concentrations of HNO triggered SR Ca2+ release. Controls showed that the hydroxyl radical scavenger, phenol did not alter ANGS-induced SR Ca2+ release, indicating that hydroxyl radical production from ANGS did not account for Ca2+ release from the SR. The findings indicate that HNO is a more potent activator of RyR1 than NO and that HNO activation of RyRs may contribute to NO's activation of RyRs and to the therapeutic effects of HNO-releasing prodrugs in heart failure.
A note on the determinants of substance abuse spending

Although many studies have addressed policies directed towards the use of licit drugs, namely, alcohol and tobacco, less attention has been paid on policies affecting the use of illicit drugs. Accordingly, similar to studies of tobacco control spending, this article addresses the determinants of US state-level spending on substance abuse. Substance abuse spending is found to be higher in states with higher illicit drug use, as well as more rural states with higher per capita income, whose legislatures are controlled by Democrats.
Reclaiming a Lost Leader: Mary Perkins Ryan, Visionary in Modern Catholic Education

Abstract Mary Perkins Ryan remains one of the least recognized of the twentieth-century figures in the modern renewal of Catholic education in the United States. The reasons are many but none satisfactory. Ryan was an intellectual without a scholarly credential. She was an educator without an affiliation to an academic institution. She was a leading voice for professional standards in church religious education without ever serving in either a parish or diocesan role. Ryan worked alongside the giants of twentieth-century Catholic educational history—Gerard Sloyan, Johannes Hofinger, Gabriel Moran, Berard Marthaler, Maria Harris, Gloria Durka, and Thomas Groome. Their shadow cast long and may be the reason why despite her leadership in the American liturgical movement and her visionary stance on adult religious education, Ryan still remains on the margins of Catholic educational history. The purpose of this article is to illustrate how Ryan's intellectual corpus, which includes twenty-four authored works a...
An electronic health records study of long-term weight gain following antidepressant use

Importance Short-term studies suggest antidepressants are associated with modest weight gain but little is known about longer-term effects and differences between individual medications in general clinical populations. Objective To estimate weight gain associated with specific antidepressants over the 12 months following initial prescription in a large and diverse clinical population. Design, Setting, and Participants We identified 22 610 adult patients who began receiving a medication of interest with available weight data in a large New England health care system, including 2 academic medical centers and affiliated outpatient primary and specialty care clinics. We used electronic health records to extract prescribing data and recorded weights for any patient with an index antidepressant prescription including amitriptyline hydrochloride, bupropion hydrochloride, citalopram hydrobromide, duloxetine hydrochloride, escitalopram oxalate, fluoxetine hydrochloride, mirtazapine, nortriptyline hydrochloride, paroxetine hydrochloride, venlafaxine hydrochloride, and sertraline hydrochloride. As measures of assay sensitivity, additional index prescriptions examined included the antiasthma medication albuterol sulfate and the antiobesity medications orlistat, phentermine hydrochloride, and sibutramine hydrochloride. Mixed-effects models were used to estimate rate of weight change over 12 months in comparison with the reference antidepressant, citalopram. Main Outcome and Measure Clinician-recorded weight at 3-month intervals up to 12 months. Results Compared with citalopram, in models adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical features, significantly decreased rate of weight gain was observed among individuals treated with bupropion (β [SE]: −0.063 [0.027]; P = .02), amitriptyline (β [SE]: −0.081 [0.025]; P = .001), and nortriptyline (β [SE]: −0.147 [0.034]; P Conclusions and Relevance Antidepressants differ modestly in their propensity to contribute to weight gain. Short-term investigations may be insufficient to characterize and differentiate this risk.
Development of a Novel Micro-Manipulation Device and Its Simulation Using COMSOL

The manipulation of particles in fluids using microfluidic devices is a fundamental task in Lab-on-a-Chip applications. Grooved structures have been widely studied in particle handling and fluid mixing in microfluidic channel systems. In this study, we report use of patterning flows produced by a series of grooved surfaces with different geometrical setups integrated into a microfluidic device, to continuously manipulate the flowing particles, ranging from 6 to 20 μm in diameters, of comparable sizes to the depth of the channel. COMSOL, a multiphysics modeling software that can help predict engineering trends, is used to systematically quantify the following parameters: 1) channel depth, 2) groove width, 3) groove depth, 4) groove angle, and 5) flow speed, which may affect the performance of separation for flowing particles inside the channel. The device is fabricated using softlithographic techniques and is composed of inlets, microfluidic channels, and outlets for loading, manipulating and retrieving cell suspensions, respectively. Experimental results indicated that the particles were evenly distributed in the entrance of the microchannel and illustrate patterns of enriching, focusing, or size-selective profiles after passing through the grooved area. The preliminary simulation results also demonstrated that particles tend to bias towards the sidewall after flowing through the grooves.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Real-time anti-node visualization of vibrating distributed systems in noisy environments using defocused laser speckle contrast analysis

Abstract A simple optical technique is described that allows for the direct whole-field visualization of anti-nodal patterns in noisy environments. The technique involves the combination of defocused laser speckle imaging with the laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA) algorithm to relate local contrast reduction of a laser speckle pattern to the magnitude of the gradient vectors that arise due to the tilt deflection of a vibrating surface. The method requires no reference beam and is tolerant of environmental noise. The sensitivity of the technique is a direct function of the degree of defocus of the speckle pattern and thus can be readily adjusted. By ratioing the instantaneous contrast to the reference image contrast, a simple method for thresholding the noise floor (noise at reference state) is attained, thus increasing the method's tolerance to ambient disturbances. Results from forced vibration via acoustic excitation of a square and rectangular membrane—with and without simultaneous white noise excitation—are shown. Results are compared to theoretical predictions for an ideal membrane, with good agreement.
Mortality risk associated with bundle branch blocks and related repolarization abnormalities (from the Women's Health Initiative [WHI]).

Electrocardiographic bundle branch block (BBB) has higher cardiac and all-cause death. However, reports on the association between BBBs and mortality in the general populations are conflicting. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) and all-cause death associated with left BBB (LBBB) and right BBB (RBBB) during 14 years of follow-up in 66,450 participants from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study. Cox proportional-hazards regression was performed for mortality risk in Women with LBBB (n = 714) and those with RBBB (n = 832). In risk models adjusted for demographic and clinical risk factors in women with cardiovascular disease (CVD), hazard ratios for CHD death were 2.92 (95% confidence interval 2.08 to 4.08, p
Freezing tolerance in the intertidal red algae Chondrus crispus and Mastocarpus stellatus : Relative importance of acclimation and adaptation

The effect of repeated daily freezing on photosynthesis, growth and phenotypic acclimation to freezing was studied in the red algaeChondrus crispus Stackhouse andMastocarpus stellatus (Stackhouse in With.) Guiry. Algae used for experiments were collected from Chamberlain, Maine, between March and August 1987, and field observations and experiments were carried out at Chamberlain and Kresge Point, Maine between March 1987 and March 1989. After ca 30 d of daily freezing for 3 h at −5°C photosynthesis ofC. crispus was reduced to 55% of control values. Growth rates ofC. crispus were also reduced in fronds frozen daily compared to unfrozen controls, and eventually fronds became bleached and fragmented resulting in biomass losses. Fronds ofC. crispus, frozen daily, had higher photosynthetic rates following freezing events than unfrozen controls indicating that this species can acclimate to freezing conditions. Acclimation to freezing involves the light-harvesting reactions of photosynthesis. In contrast, photosynthesis and growth inM. stellatus were unaffected by repeated daily freezing for 3 h at −5°C for 36 d. No differences in photosynthesis following freezing were observed between frozen and control fronds suggesting thatM. stellatus does not phenotypically acclimate to freezing. The greater freezing tolerance ofM. stellatus relative toC. crispus results, in part, from genetic adaptations associated with plasma membranes and the light-harvesting reactions of photosynthesis.
Composition of fluid inclusions in Permian salt beds, Palo Duro Basin, Texas, U.S.A.

Abstract Several methods have been developed and used to extract and chemically analyze the two major types of fluid inclusions in bedded salt from the Palo Duro Basin, Texas. Data on the ratio K: Ca: Mg were obtained on a few of the clouds of tiny inclusions in “chevron” salt, representing the brines from which the salt originally crystallized. Much more complete quantitative data (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Sr, Cl, SO 4 and Br) were obtained on ∼ 120 individual “large” (mostly ⩾500 μ m on an edge, i.e., ⩾ ∼ 1.6 · 10 −4 g) inclusions in recrystallized salt. These latter fluids have a wide range of compositions, even in a given piece of core, indicating that fluids of grossly different composition were present in these salt beds during the several (?) stages of recrystallization. The analytical results indicating very large inter-and intra-sample chemical variation verify the conclusion reached earlier, from petrography and microthermometry, that the inclusion fluids in salt and their solutes are generally polygenetic. The diversity in composition stems from the combination of a variety of sources for the fluids (Permian sea, meteoric, and groundwater, as well as later migrating ground-, formation, or meteoric waters of unknown age), and a variety of subsequent geochemical processes of dissolution, precipitation and rock-water interaction. The compositional data are frequently ambiguous but do provide constraints and may eventually yield a coherent history of the events that produced these beds. Such an understanding of the past history of the evaporite sequence of the Palo Duro Basin should help in predicting the future role of the fluids in the salt if a nuclear waste repository is sited there.
Pinacol rearrangement of quinoline analogs of benzopinacol and evidence for rearrangement under the conditions of electron impact

The pinacols, 1,2-di(2-quinolyl)-1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diol and 1,2-di(8-quinolyl)-1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diol, were prepared and rearranged. The mass spectrum of the phenyl-2-quinolylpinacolone showed fragment peaks corresponding to the pinacolone resulting from 2-quinolyl migration. The mass spectrum of the phenyl-8-quinolylpinacolone showed fragment peaks corresponding to the pinacolone resulting from phenyl migration. Evidence for the rearrangement by electron impact was observed in the mass spectrum of each pinacol.
Integrating Separation and Conversion—Conversion of Biorefinery Process Streams to Biobased Chemicals and Fuels

The concept of the integrated biorefinery is critical to developing a robust biorefining industry in the USA. Within this model, the biorefinery will produce fuel as a high-volume output addressing domestic energy needs and biobased chemical products (high-value organics) as an output providing necessary economic support for fuel production. This paper will overview recent developments within two aspects of the integrated biorefinery—the fractionation of biomass into individual process streams and the subsequent conversion of lignin into chemical products. Solvent-based separation of switchgrass, poplar, and mixed feedstocks is being developed as a biorefinery “front end” and will be described as a function of fractionation conditions. Control over the properties and structure of the individual biomass components (carbohydrates and lignin) can be observed by adjusting the fractionation process. Subsequent conversion of the lignin isolated from this fractionation leads to low molecular weight aromatics from selective chemical oxidation. Together, processes such as these provide examples of foundational technology that will contribute to a robust domestic biorefining industry.
Is atlantoaxial instability the cause of Chiari malformation? Outcome analysis of 65 patients treated by atlantoaxial fixation.

OBJECT Understanding that atlantoaxial instability is the cause of Chiari malformation (CM), the author treated 65 patients using atlantoaxial stabilization. The results are analyzed. METHODS Cases of CM treated using atlantoaxial fixation during the period from January 2010 to November 2013 were reviewed and analyzed. Surgery was aimed at segmental arthrodesis. RESULTS The author treated 65 patients with CM in the defined study period. Fifty-five patients had associated syringomyelia. Forty-six patients had associated basilar invagination. Thirty-seven patients had both basilar invagination and syringomyelia. Three patients had been treated earlier using foramen magnum decompression and duraplasty. According to the extent of their functional capabilities, patients were divided into 5 clinical grades. On the basis of the type of facetal alignment and atlantoaxial instability, the patients were divided into 3 groups. Type I dislocation (17 patients) was anterior atlantoaxial instability wherein the facet o...
Long John Software and the Digital Jolly Roger

In unleashing our treasure ships of software bits and bytes upon the world, we have also opened it up to a new generation of pirates.
Effects of growth temperature on epitaxial thin films of vanadium dioxide grown by pulsed laser deposition

Stoichiometric vanadium dioxide in all of its bulk, thin film and nanostructured forms exhibits an insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) accompanied by structural change, induced by various physical and chemical stimuli such as temperature, ultrashort light pulses, electric field, doping or strain. In these applications, the optical qualities of the films are of paramount importance, but are often highly variable depending on fabrication procedure. We have grown epitaxial films of vanadium dioxide on c-plane (0001) of sapphire using two different procedures involving room temperature growth followed by annealing and direct high temperature growth. Strain at the interface of the substrate and the film due to growth at different temperatures leads to significantg differences in morphologies and phase transition characteristics. We present a comparative study of the morphologies and switching characteristics of the two films and conclude that contrary to conventional wisdom, the room-temperature grown films have smoother, more continuous morphologies and better switching performance. Our observation is supported by theoretical and experimental studies of epitaxial growth of semiconductors.
Re-establishing the Rent Gap: An Alternative View of Capitalised Land Rent:

Summary. The debate between the proponents of the rent gap hypothesis and Steven Bourassa concerning its internal consistency centres on the role of land use in capitalised land rent. Bourassa argues that capitalised land rent is nonsensical because it is determined in part by land
Facilities and techniques for x-ray diagnostic calibration in the 100-eV to 100-keV energy range

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has been a pioneer in the field of x-ray diagnostic calibration for more than 20 years. We have built steady state x-ray sources capable of supplying fluorescent lines of high spectral purity in the 100-eV to 100-keV energy range, and these sources have been used in the calibration of x-ray detectors, mirrors, crystals, filters, and film. This paper discusses our calibration philosophy and techniques, and describes some of our x-ray sources. Examples of actual calibration data are presented as well.
Unsteady stokes flow near an oscillating, heated contact line

A contact line on a heated oscillating plate is investigated. The interface is a non-deformable plane and the contact angle is π/2. The amplitude of the oscillation and the temperature deviation of the plate from the ambient temperature of the fluid are assumed to be much smaller than the viscous velocity scale. This flow is then governed by the unsteady Stokes equations coupled to the heat equation in a frame of reference moving with the contact line. Evaporation is assumed to be neglible, but the effects of heat transfer across the interface and unsteadiness are assumed to be significant. For a stationary heated plate, there are two distinct regions of flow that is induced by Marangoni stresses. An outer stagnation-point-type flow is seen, which separates from the plate for non-zero Biot numbers. For an oscillatory, isothermal plate, vortices are generated at the plate during plate reversal and are propagated along the interface. Dissipation of these vortices occurs on the Stokes layer scale. The order-Peclet-number correction in the thermal field is also found, and the presence of the flow field leads to a heated region in the steady case along the separating streamline. For the unsteady case, a localized cooled region propagates into the bulk with a trajectory determined by the relative scale of the thermal diffusive scale and the rate of heat transfer across the interface.
Endogenous Change and the Economic Theory of Regulation

This paper extends the economic theory of regulation to include endogenous regulatory change. It outlines conditions under which endogenously rising deadweight costs of regulation can alter the policy equilibrium, even if those rising costs are fully anticipated. Within this framework, alternative wealth redistribution mechanisms can alter the equilibrium path if they bias interest groups' organization costs asymmetrically. The history of natural gas regulation is broadly consistent with this theory.
Optimal control computational techniques for a class of nonlinear distributed parameter systems

This paper discusses the mathematical description of propogation and growth of wave-type phenomena which may occur in many physical systems, such as, magnetohydrodynamic system, fluid flow system, electromagnetic field system. This work also discusses the statement of a maximum principle for this wave generating system. One dimensional version of this system with a quadratic cost function has been taken, and the method of gradients and quasilinearization techniques have been applied to derive the optimal control function.
The thermal conductance of winter and summer pelage of Lepus californicus

Abstract 1. 1.The thermal conductance of the winter and summer pelage of L. californicus at negligible wind speed was 1.966 and 2.929 W/m 2 .°C, respectively. 2. 2.The rate of increase in thermal conductance at wind velocities in excess of 2.8 m/s was greater for the summer ( b = 0.4087) than winter pelage ( b = 0.1195).
Neither Welcomed, Nor Refused: Race and Restaurants in Postwar New York City

This article illuminates what it was like for African Americans dining at majority-white restaurants in New York City before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Primary sources include: records of the Committee on Civil Rights in East Manhattan (the CCREM, an organization that investigated New York restaurant and housing sector discrimination in the 1950s), the personal papers of the CCREM’s secretary, contemporaneous newspaper accounts of restaurant discrimination, and 1950s travel guides for African Americans. This article argues that unlike southern cities, where Jim Crow laws clearly demarcated color lines in public accommodations, color lines in New York City restaurants were more ambiguous. Although African Americans were frequently discriminated against in New York restaurants, they were seldom refused service outright. Rather, the discrimination they experienced was more oblique—though no less benign—than in the South.
Pharmacokinetics of high-dose simvastatin in refractory and relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients.

To evaluate the pharmacokinetics of simvastatin at the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of 7.5 mg/kg, twice daily, in the context of a pilot trial enrolling patients with recurrent and refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Patients received simvastatin orally at MTD for 7 days during a 21-day cycle for 6 cycles. Blood samples were collected during cycle 1. Simvastatin lactone and carboxylate concentrations were measured in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using a validated HPLC–MS/MS assay. Patients accrued to this study showed high variability in their exposure to simvastatin. Exposure was dose proportional (AUC and C max) as compared to those receiving standard hyperlipidemia therapy. Peak plasma concentrations ranged from 0.08 to 2.2 and from 0.03 to 0.6 μM for simvastatin lactone and carboxylate, respectively. Our study shows that when simvastatin is administered at its MTD, only low micro-molar concentrations are achieved in plasma and PBMCs, which is consistent with the results observed in previous studies with lovastatin, but far lower than the concentrations required for anticancer effects in vitro. However, whether simvastatin at its MTD can confer therapeutic benefits to patients still remains to be determined.
On the Analytical Superiority of 1D NMR for Fingerprinting the Higher Order Structure of Protein Therapeutics Compared to Multidimensional NMR Methods

An important aspect in the analytical characterization of protein therapeutics is the comprehensive characterization of higher order structure (HOS). Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is arguably the most sensitive method for fingerprinting HOS of a protein in solution. Traditionally, 1H–15N or 1H–13C correlation spectra are used as a “structural fingerprint” of HOS. Here, we demonstrate that protein fingerprint by line shape enhancement (PROFILE), a 1D 1H NMR spectroscopy fingerprinting approach, is superior to traditional two-dimensional methods using monoclonal antibody samples and a heavily glycosylated protein therapeutic (Epoetin Alfa). PROFILE generates a high resolution structural fingerprint of a therapeutic protein in a fraction of the time required for a 2D NMR experiment. The cross-correlation analysis of PROFILE spectra allows one to distinguish contributions from HOS vs protein heterogeneity, which is difficult to accomplish by 2D NMR. We demonstrate that the major analytical limitation of tw...
Social Responsibility as a Function of Repression-Sensitization and Social Exchange

(1968). Social Responsibility as a Function of Repression-Sensitization and Social Exchange. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 75, No. 1, pp. 135-146.
Line emission from charge transfer with atomic hydrogen at thermal energies

A list is assembled of the emission lines produced by the charge transfer of doubly and trebly charged ions of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and neon in collision at low energies with atomic hydrogen. Rate coefficients of 2.0\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}9}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$${\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for the process ${\mathrm{O}}^{3+}$+H\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\mathrm{O}}^{2+}$ ($2p3p$, $^{1}P$) +${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$ and of 2.1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}9}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$${\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for the process ${\mathrm{O}}^{3+}$+H\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\mathrm{O}}^{2+}$ ($2p3p$, $^{3}D_{1}$) at 1 eV are obtained by comparing observations of planetary nebulae with detailed models.
A note on workload-dependent due date assignment rules

Abstract For many production systems, delivery performance relative to promised job due dates is a critical evaluation criterion. Delivery performance is affected by the way in which work is dispatched on the shop floor, and also by the way the job due dates are assigned to begin with. This pape shows how information regarding congestion levels on the shop floor can be used to assign due dates to arriving jobs in such a way that the mean tardiness of jobs is decreased without increasing the average length of the promised delivery lead times. Baker and Bertrand suggested a modification of the Total Work (TWK) rule for assigning job due dates which adjusts the job flow allowance according to the level of congestion in the shop. Their method gives longer flow allowances to jobs which arrive when the system is congested. Although their modified TWK rule results in lower mean tardiness in many settings, it also generally results in a higher proportion of jobs tardy. This paper presents an alternative modification of the TWK rule which, in most cases, provides mean tardiness as low as or lower than Baker and Bertrand's rule and also results in a lower proportion of jobs tardy. The alternative rule suggested here still results in higher proportion of tardy jobs than the non-workload adjusted rule in most settings, but suggestions are made for how this problem might be addressed.
The temporal structure of reinforcement: an analysis of brain-stimulated reward.

Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with electrodes aimed at the medial forebrain bundle. The electrodes were connected to brushings which permitted chronic electrical self-stimulation. Over time, the rats developed episodic response patterns (response bursts). Bursting for self-stimulation was demonstrated mathematically, and analyzed to establish contributions of drivelike and incentive-like processes to burst parameters. An incentive-priming model appeared to operate under steady state conditions but a drive-like process was detected when the steady state was perturbed. Thus, self-stimulation is not uniquely determined in accord with either a drive or an incentive model of motivation, but the precise contributions of each may be empirically tested and dissociated.
Synthesis and antituberculosis activity of novel mefloquine-isoxazole carboxylic esters as prodrugs

5-(2,8-Bis(trifluoromethyl)quinolin-4-yloxymethyl)isoxazole-3-carboxylic acid ethyl ester (compound 3) was reported to have excellent antituberculosis activity against both replicating and non-replicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.9 microM and 12.2 microM, respectively. In this study, the antituberculosis activity of compound 3 was further investigated. Its activity appeared to be very specific for organisms of the M. tuberculosis complex and it effected significant reductions of bacterial numbers in infected macrophages with an EC(90) of 4.1 microM. More importantly, the increased in vitro antituberculosis activity of the corresponding acid (compound 4) at pH 6.0 suggested that it may be active in vivo in an acidic environment produced as a consequence of inflammation in the lungs of TB patients. The fact that various ester bioisosteres of compound 3 lost anti-TB activity further suggested that the ester compound 3 may function as a prodrug. The detailed structure-activity relationships (SARs) from this study should facilitate our ultimate goal of improving the anti-TB potency of this isoxazole ester series.
Reformulation of generalized separable pseudopotentials.

The possibility of constructing transferable and separable pseudopotentials for use in conventional electronic-structure calculations is examined and a scheme to derive fully separable (nonlocal) pseudopotentials from isolated atoms is described. The transferability of these potentials can be improved systematically by increasing the number of reference energies in the construction, as proposed previously by Bloechl (Phys. Rev. B 41, 5414 (1990)). However, in the current scheme, the logarithmic derivatives of the pseudo-wave-functions at these reference energies are matched directly to the {ital all}{minus}{ital electron} results as closely as possible, while keeping the nonlocal operator Hermitian. An example is shown for the sodium atom.
Clinical Implications and Pathogenesis of Esophageal Remodeling in Eosinophilic Esophagitis

In eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), remodeling changes are manifest histologically in the epithelium and subepithelium where lamina propria fibrosis, expansion of the muscularis propria, and increased vascularity occur. The clinical symptoms and complications of EoE are largely consequences of esophageal remodeling. Available therapies have demonstrated variable ability to reverse existing remodeling changes of the esophagus. Systemic therapies have the potential of addressing subepithelial remodeling. Esophageal dilation remains a useful, adjunctive therapeutic maneuver in symptomatic adults with esophageal stricture. As novel treatments emerge, it is essential that therapeutic end points account for the fundamental contributions of esophageal remodeling to overall disease activity.
Genetic structure among closely spaced leks in a peripheral population of lesser prairie-chickens

We evaluated the genetic structure of birds from four closely spaced leks in a peripheral population of lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus). Analyses of molecular variance revealed significant genetic structuring among birds from different leks for six microsatellite loci (FST = 0.036; P = 0.002), but we found no genetic differentiation at the mtDNA control region. Significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg revealed an excess of homozygote genotypes within each of the leks studied (FIS = 0.190–0.307), indicative of increased inbreeding. Estimates of relatedness using microsatellite data suggest that the genetic structuring among lesser prairie-chicken leks occurs in part because of a lek mating system in which males at some leks are related. Structuring may also be caused by stochastic effects associated with a historical decline in population size leading to small, semi-isolated leks and high site fidelity by reproductive males. Results from this study suggest that microspatial genetic structuring may occur in lek-mating bird species with low levels of dispersal.
Molar mass distributions and viscosity behavior of perfluorinated sulfonic acid polyelectrolyte aqueous dispersions

Perfluorinated sulfonic acid polyelectrolyte aqueous dispersions originating from similar polymer feed stocks and having similar compositions can have order-of-magnitude viscosity differences that are dependent on the manufacturing process. To better understand this phenomenon at the molecular level, a size exclusion chromatography method incorporating static light scattering detection was developed. The initial apparent mass distributions were broad and bimodal for all dispersions. A high-molar-mass shoulder was consistent with a previously postulated aggregate structure, and the evidence suggested that molecular aggregation accounted for viscosity variability. The apparent weight-average molar masses ranged from 1.3 × 106 to 3.9 × 106 g mol−1. Upon the heating of the dispersions at or above 230 °C, the aggregate structure was broken down, and this resulted in similar low-viscosity dispersions that had monomodal mass distributions. The weight-average molar masses were reduced to approximately 2.5 × 105 g mol−1, and the polydispersities were approximately 1.7–1.8. Shear thinning with higher viscosities and apparent molar masses was rationalized with intrinsic viscosity and other measurements, which supported an anisotropic aggregate structure, with particles that could be significantly overlapped at nominal 11% concentrations. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 421–428, 2005
Robotic Discovery of the Auditory Scene

In this work, we describe an autonomous mobile robotic system for finding and investigating ambient noise sources in the environment. Motivated by the large negative effect of ambient noise sources on robot audition, the long-term goal is to provide awareness of the auditory scene to a robot, so that it may more effectively act to filter out the interference or re-position itself to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. Here, we concentrate on the discovery of new sources of sound through the use of mobility and directed investigation. This is performed in a two-step process. In the first step, a mobile robot first explores the surrounding acoustical environment, creating evidence grid representations to localize the most influential sound sources in the auditory scene. Then in the second step, the robot investigates each potential sound source location in the environment so as to improve the localization result, and identify volume and directionality characteristics of the sound source. Once every source has been investigated, a noise map of the entire auditory scene is created for use by the robot in avoiding areas of loud ambient noise when performing an auditory task.
Three-dimensional vortex breakdown in swirling jets and wakes: direct numerical simulation

Vortex breakdown of nominally axisymmetric, swirling incompressible flows with jet- and wake-like axial velocity distributions issuing into a semi-infinite domain is studied by means of direct numerical simulations. By selecting a two-parametric velocity profile for which the steady axisymmetric breakdown is well-studied (Grabowski & Berger 1976), issues are addressed regarding the role of three-dimensionality and unsteadiness with respect to the existence, mode selection, and internal structure of vortex breakdown, in terms of the two governing parameters and the Reynolds number. Low Reynolds numbers are found to yield flow fields lacking breakdown bubbles or helical breakdown modes even for high swirl. In contrast, highly swirling flows at large Reynolds numbers exhibit bubble, helical or double-helical breakdown modes, where the axisymmetric mode is promoted by a jet-like axial velocity profile, while a wake-like profile renders the flow helically unstable and ultimately yields non-axisymmetric breakdown modes. It is shown that a transition from super- to subcritical flow, as defined by Benjamin (1962), accurately predicts the parameter combination yielding breakdown, if applied locally to flows with supercritical inflow profiles. Thus the basic form of breakdown is axisymmetric, and a transition to helical breakdown modes is shown to be caused by a sufficiently large pocket of absolute instability in the wake of the bubble, giving rise to a self-excited global mode. Two distinct eigenfunctions corresponding to azimuthal wavenumbers have been found to yield a helical or double-helical breakdown mode, respectively. Here the minus sign represents the fact that the winding sense of the spiral is opposite to that of the flow.
Consistent Clustering of Radar Reflectivities Using Strong Point Analysis: A Prelude to Storm Tracking

An image segmentation algorithm using an alternating erosion/dilation technique called strong point analysis (SPA) is introduced for general-purpose feature detection. The ability to associate and group pixels with the salient features of an image allows computers to consider images not as an array of values but as a collection of objects. This enables other algorithms to perform advanced tasks, such as tracking an object in a time series of images. The qualitative needs for proper tracking of storm cells in radar images are discussed. To test SPA for those qualities, radar reflectivity images from three S-band weather radars were used. The algorithm is demonstrated to identify features fairly consistently over a time series of images, as well as exhibiting well-behaved changes to its output with respect to changes to the algorithm's input parameters.
Predation on exposed and leaf-rolling artificial caterpillars in tropical forests of Papua New Guinea

Although predation is generally seen as one of the key factors determining the abundance and composition of insect herbivore communities in tropical rain forests, quantitative estimates of predation pressure in rain-forest habitats remain rare. We compared incidence of attacks of different natural enemies on semi-concealed and exposed caterpillars (Lepidoptera) in lowland and montane tropical rain forests, using plasticine models of caterpillars. We recorded attacks on caterpillars in four habitats: primary forest, secondary forest and forest fragment in lowlands (200 m asl), and montane primary forest (1700 m asl). We used 300 exposed and 300 semi-concealed caterpillars daily, and conducted the experiment for 6 d in every habitat. Daily incidence of attacks was higher on exposed caterpillars (4.95%) than on semi-concealed (leaf-rolling) caterpillars (2.99%). Attack pressure of natural enemies differed also among habitats. In the lowlands, continuous primary and secondary forests had similar daily incidence of attacks (2.39% and 2.36%) which was however lower than that found in a primary forest fragment (4.62%). This difference was caused by higher incidence of attacks by birds, ants and wasps in the forest fragment. The most important predators were birds in montane rain forests (61.9% of identified attacks), but insect predators, mostly ants, in the lowlands (58.3% of identified attacks). These results suggest that rapid decrease in the abundance of ants with altitude may be compensated by increased importance of birds as predators in montane forests. Further, it suggests that small rain-forest fragments may suffer from disproportionately high pressure from natural enemies, with potentially serious consequences for survival of their herbivorous communities.
Myoclonus and tremor response to thalamic deep brain stimulation parameters in a patient with inherited myoclonus–dystonia syndrome

Abstract We present a 74-year-old woman with inherited myoclonus–dystonia, with predominant myoclonus and a novel mutation in the ɛ-sarcoglycan gene. The patient reports a life-long history of rapid, jerking movements, most severe in the upper extremities as well as a postural and action tremor. Bilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus was performed, and the patient demonstrated moderate clinical improvement in myoclonus. We studied the effects on myoclonus and tremor of varying DBS frequency and amplitude. The frequency tuning curve for myoclonus was similar to that of tremor, suggesting similar mechanisms by which DBS alleviates both disorders.
A comparison of Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) populations in two temperate zone urban habitats

Urban ecosystems represent unique habitats that might be more or less suitable than natural systems for many species. The Mediterranean Gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus is a synanthropic species that has successfully colonized many urban and suburban areas outside its natural range. In the United States, H. turcicus has been found predominantly in southern states on exterior surfaces of buildings. We compared population density, demographics, and extent of dispersal of populations of H. turcicus at two anthropogenic sites in a temperate region of the United States. The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) had higher building density and greater cover by anthropogenic surfaces and the Oklahoma City Zoo (ZOO) had lower building density and greater cover by vegetation. Mark and recapture sampling was conducted at UCO from 2006 to 2007 and during 2008 at ZOO. The sizes of the populations at the two sites were estimated using the Schnabel method and population densities were calculated using those estimates. Age class of captured animals, sex of adults, and gravid status of adult females were determined at both sites. We assumed that greater exterior wall surface area of individual buildings at UCO and greater land cover by anthropogenic surfaces might 1) reduce population density and 2) facilitate dispersal there relative to the ZOO. Population sizes and density in animals per ha of land and building cover and demographics were similar at the two sites. Population density per ha of building exterior wall area was higher at ZOO than at UCO. The higher density of animals on buildings, lower proportion of subadults in the population and lower maximum dispersal distance at ZOO suggest that successful diffusion dispersal might be limited at that site relative to UCO.
Who Is Willing to Foster Children With Disabilities

Children with disabilities represent a significant and increasing proportion of children in foster care. In a national sample of 304 foster mothers we identified two groups of mothers, one willing to foster children with any type of disability except HIV/AIDS (51%) (Unconditional mothers), and a second group who were more selective (49%) (Selective mothers). Unconditional mothers fostered longer, fostered more children, and had more foster children in their homes.
Energetics in the brownmillerite-perovskite pseudobinary Ca2Fe2O5-CaTiO3

The energetics of intermediate phases in the Ca2Fe2O5-CaTiO3 pseudobinary system was determined by high temperature solution calorimetry. The results suggest that both the intermediate compounds Ca3Fe2TiO8 and Ca4Fe2Ti2O11 are entropically stabilized because their enthalpies of formation are positive with respect to a mixture of Ca2Fe2O5 and CaTiO3. At high temperatures, the configurational entropy of the random distribution of Fe and Ti ions on the octahedral sites appears sufficient to stabilize the intermediate phases. The enthalpies of formation from the oxides at 1073 K of Ca2Fe2O5, Ca3Fe2TiO8, and Ca4Fe2Ti2O11 are −45.0 ± 3.8, −123.7 ± 8.0, and −192.7 ± 11.2 kJ/mol, respectively. Their enthalpies of formation from the elements at 298 K are −2139.8 ± 4.4, −3798.4 ± 8.6, and −5447.3 ± 12.2 kJ/mol, respectively.
‘Lifting the Veil’: The Challenges Posed by 2 Corinthians 3

Second Corinthians 3 is a challenging text for Jewish-Christian relations. On the one hand, Paul sets forth there materials cherished by Christians, such as a beautiful description of the effect of the outpouring of God’s Spirit. On the other hand, he offers several derogatory remarks about the Mosaic covenant and his Jewish contemporaries who did not accept the gospel. This article argues that 2 Corinthians 3 is largely the product of Paul’s defensiveness. While it sets forth his positive teachings, the article also flags problematic materials. It concludes with remarks about how to appropriate this text today.
Crystal-amorphous and crystal-crystal phase transformations via virtual melting.

A new mechanism of crystal (c)–amorphous (a) and c-c phase transformations (PTs) and internal stress relaxation via virtual melting (VM) induced by internal stresses was justified thermodynamically and kinetically. VM removes interface friction, reduces kinetic barrier, increases atomic mobility, and can reduce thermodynamic melting temperature. We combine VM and nonequilibrium PT diagrams to develop new scenarios of c-a and c-c PTs. Results are applied for a new interpretation of c-c and c-a PT mechanisms in ice Ih and are also applicable for other materials.
Bahrain World Trade Center (BWTC): the first large‐scale integration of wind turbines in a building

This paper describes the design evolution of the large-scale wind turbines proposed for the Bahrain Trade Center. It will describe the details of the wind turbines and their control, showing how several innovative ideas have come together and have been technically validated to produce the design for this unique building. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Test pattern generation using Boolean satisfiability

The author describes the Boolean satisfiability method for generating test patterns for single stuck-at faults in combinational circuits. This new method generates test patterns in two steps: first, it constructs a formula expressing the Boolean difference between the unfaulted and faulted circuits, and second, it applies a Boolean satisfiability algorithm to the resulting formula. This approach differs from previous methods now in use, which search the circuit structure directly instead of constructing a formula from it. The new method is general and effective. It allows for the addition of heuristics used by structural search methods, and it has produced excellent results on popular test pattern generation benchmarks. >
Perception of serial order in infants.

Serial order is fundamental to perception, cognition and behavioral action. Three experiments investigated infants’ perception, learning and discrimination of serial order. Four- and 8-month-old infants were habituated to three sequentially moving objects making visible and audible impacts and then were tested on separate test trials for their ability to detect auditory, visual or auditory-visual changes in their ordering. The 4-month-old infants did not respond to any order changes and instead appeared to attend to the ‘local’ audio-visual synchrony part of the event. When this local part of the event was blocked from view, the 4-month-olds did perceive the serial order feature of the event but only when it was specified multimodally. In contrast, the 8month-old infants perceived all three kinds of order changes regardless of whether the synchrony part of the event was visible or not. The findings show that perception of spatiotemporal serial order emerges early in infancy and that its perception is initially facilitated by multimodal specification.