cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Use of Refractive Optics for High-Fidelity Image Transfer in Spatially Resolved Spectroscopic Measurements

Measurements of emission intensities from spatially inhomogeneous sources often require faithful image reproduction at the entrance slit of a monochromator or spectrograph, or at some intermediate aperture. In fundamental studies, the spatial variations in intensity contain information about the basic nature of the source. For analytical measurements, the spatial resolution is required for the selection of a region in the source which exhibits the optimum analytical characteristics. Refractive optics can be used for this type of image transfer, but only if proper attention is given to the minimization or elimination of lens aberrations. We have developed a simple lens system that allows for the elimination of chromatic aberration and the control of spherical aberration. Two plano-convex fused-silica lenses with nominal focal lengths of 300 mm are mounted on translation stages that are driven in opposite directions by a right-hand/left-hand leadscrew. The performance of this system will be discussed and compared with that predicted by ray-tracing calculations. The magnitudes of various lens aberrations will be compared, and their effect on spatially resolved measurements of emission from an inductively coupled plasma will be examined.
Measuring and managing quality of surgery. Statistical vs incidental approaches.

• New rules for quality assurance provoked a comparison of effects of two approaches used concurrently for 14 years. In an incidental approach, a multidisciplinary conference reviewed all postoperative complications as they occurred and attributed each to one of six causes. Remedies were instituted and data were filed. In a statistical approach, death and complication rates were computed annually and compared with previous years' rates and with rates reported to Congress as national norms. Statistics suggested acceptable quality in each specialty but calculations were tedious and differences achieved significance too rarely or too slowly to identify problems, protect patients, and improve care. The incidental approach was popular and produced immediate improvements in patient care. Conferees attributed one half of complications to errors. Frequent acknowledgment of susceptibility to error may contribute to the safety and quality shown by our statistics. ( Arch Surg . 1992;127:733-738)
Cyclosporin A acute encephalopathy and seizure syndrome in childhood: clinical features and risk of seizure recurrence

Cyclosporin A is associated with an acute encephalopathy including seizures and alterations in mental status, herein referred to as cyclosporin A acute encephalopathy and seizure syndrome. The clinical history, electroencephalogram (EEG), and neuroimaging findings in 19 children with cyclosporin A acute encephalopathy and seizure syndrome over a 10-year period were reviewed in order to delineate clinical characteristics, imaging features, and to determine the risk of seizure recurrence in this population. All 19 had motor seizures associated with other features of cortical and subcortical dysfunction. The acute mean cyclosporin A level was 342 microg/L, but was within the "therapeutic" range in five cases. Brain imaging by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the acute or subacute phase revealed lesions characteristic of cyclosporin A toxicity in 14 cases. Acute EEG abnormalities were present in all and included epileptiform discharges or focal slowing. Patients were followed for a median of 49 months (1-9 years). Follow-up imaging (n = 10) showed lesion resolution or improvement in the majority while EEG (n = 10) had normalized in only three. Seizures recurred in six patients and only in those with persistent EEG or imaging abnormalities. No patient had a second episode of cyclosporin A associated neurotoxicity or seizure. It appears that a significant risk of seizure recurrence exists following cyclosporin A acute encephalopathy and seizure syndrome and primarily in those children with persistent EEG or imaging abnormalities.
Indicator Generalized Parameterization for Interpolation Point Selection in Groundwater Inverse Modeling

This study developed an indicator generalized parameterization (IGP) method to cope with the problem of selecting interpolation points in estimating hydraulic conductivity fields. The IGP method introduced data indicators and d-neighborhoods to describe the actual contribution of sample data to unsampled locations. Moreover, the IGP method was applied to nonkriging basis functions to characterize spatially correlated hydraulic conductivity. This study used probabilistic data indicators to take into consideration the randomness and heterogeneity of hydraulic conductivity. The groundwater inverse method, along with an adjoint state method, was adopted to estimate the indicator probabilities. Then a cutoff was applied to determine the values of the data indicators for the IGP to estimate hydraulic conductivity. The numerical example validated the IGP and illustrated the significance of selecting interpolation points for hydraulic conductivity distributions. Further, the study demonstrated the IGP applicability to estimating hydraulic conductivity in the Alamitos Gap area, Calif. It was concluded that increasing the amount of data selected for interpolation results in smaller conditional variances, but causes the ensuing distribution to be smoother. However, smooth distributions of hydraulic conductivity may not be preferred. Proper selection of interpolation points can result in better hydraulic conductivity distributions for groundwater modeling purposes.
Reversed alamethicin conductance in lipid bilayers

Alamethicin at a concentration of 2 micrograms/ml on one side of a lipid bilayer, formed at the tip of a patch clamp pipette from diphytanoyl phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol (2:1 mol ratio) in aqueous 0.5 M KCl, 5 mM Hepes, pH 7.0, exhibits an asymmetric current-voltage curve, only yielding alamethicin currents when the side to which the peptide has been added is made positive. Below room temperature, however, single alamethicin channels created in such membranes sometimes survive a sudden reversal of the polarity. These "reversed" channels are distinct from transiently observed states displayed as the channel closes after a polarity reversal. Such "reversed" channels can be monitored for periods up to several minutes, during which time we have observed them to fluctuate through more than 20 discrete conductance states. They are convenient for the study of isolated ion-conducting alamethicin aggregates because, after voltage reversal, no subsequent incorporation of additional ion-conducting aggregates takes place.
Immune complex glomerulonephritis

Various clinical syndromes and histologic lesions are the result of immune complex glomerular diseases. Studies of animal models have shown that immune deposits are generally formed in situ as a result of nephritogenic antibodies that bind to resident or planted glomerular antigens. The site of the immune deposits that result from this reaction depends on the location of the target antigens on glomerular cell membranes or extracellular matrix. The deposited antibodies may cause direct injury to critical components of the glomerulus, or they may cooperate with various inflammatory mediators to bring about glomerular damage. The nature of the injury depends on the location of the immune reaction, the properties of the nephritogenic antibodies, mediators, and inflammatory cells recruited by them, and the response of the injured tissues. Analyzing each of these processes in model systems that resemble the corresponding human glomerular diseases should identify potential opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
Does discontinuation of desflurane at the time of neostigmine administration speed recovery from cisatracurium block compared to that with a propofol-based technique?

Background Volatile anaesthetics are known to influence the effect of neostigmine as an antagonist of neuromuscular block. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether discontinuation of desflurane at the time of neostigmine administration shortens reversal time from cisatracurium block, compared to that with a propofol-based anaesthesia. Methods Ten volunteers were studied twice. For one study, anaesthesia was induced with alfentanil and propofol and maintained with nitrous oxide 70% and propofol 150 microg. kg-1. min-1. For the other study, experimental conditions were replicated except that desflurane 6% was administered and the dose of propofol was only 50 microg. kg-1. min-1. The evoked mechanical response of the adductor pollicis to train-of-four (TOF) stimulation was recorded. Neuromuscular block was induced with cisatracurium 0.2 mg. kg-1. When the magnitude of the first TOF response (T1) had recovered to 10%, the block was antagonized with neostigmine 70 microg. kg-1. At this time, propofol was decreased to 50 microg. kg-1. min-1, or the desflurane was discontinued. Results There were no significant differences between the two techniques of anaesthesia in the rate of neostigmine-induced recovery of the TOF ratio. The times (mean+/-SD) to achieve TOF ratios of 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9 were (propofol first, desflurane second) 6.1+/-2.2 and 6.5+/-1.6 min; 10.4+/-4.2 and 9.6+/-2.7 min; 17.1+/-6.9 and 21.0+/-13.0 min, respectively. Conclusion Discontinuing desflurane does not speed neostigmine-induced recovery from cisatracurium neuromuscular block, when compared to that during propofol-based anaesthesia.
Cocaine-induced activation of striatal neurons during focused stereotypy in rats

As psychomotor stimulants, both amphetamine and cocaine elicit episodes of repetitive motor activation (focused stereotypy) known to involve the mesostriatal dopamine system. During amphetamine-induced focused stereotypy, motor-related neurons in the striatum respond with either an excitation or inhibition, depending on dose and behavioral pattern, whereas nonmotor-related units are inhibited. To assess striatal activity during the focused stereotypy induced by cocaine, both types of striatal units were recorded in ambulant rats. Either 20 or 40 mg/kg cocaine caused highly focused sniffing and head bobbing, which occurred in conjunction with activation of both motor- and nonmotor-related neurons. The activation of motor-related units was evident even when firing rate was compared during periods of matched pre- and post-drug behavior, arguing against movement as the sole basis for the drug-induced neuronal excitation. Subsequent administration of haloperidol (1.0 mg/kg) reversed but did not completely block the neuronal activation, while the behavioral response shifted away from focused stereotypy toward an increase in ambulation. Thus, the level of activation of both motor- and nonmotor-related striatal neurons may play a critical role in the behavioral response pattern induced by cocaine.
Taxonomic status of the subspecies of the tessellated darter, Etheostoma olmstedi storer, in southeastern Virginia

The two subspecies considered in this study, E. o. olmstedi and E. o. atromaculatum, have been separated previously by characters of squamation and lateral-line scale counts. Extensive collecting and an examination of museum collections pointed out difficulties in assigning subspecific names to some populations of E. olmstedi in southeastern Virginia. This study is intended to indicate some of the practical and theoretical taxonomic problems encountered.
Influence of d Orbital Occupation on the Binding of Metal Ions to Adenine

Threshold collision-induced dissociation of M(+)(adenine) with xenon is studied using guided ion beam mass spectrometry. M(+) includes all 10 first-row transition metal ions: Sc(+), Ti(+), V(+), Cr(+), Mn(+), Fe(+), Co(+), Ni(+), Cu(+), and Zn(+). For the systems involving the late metal ions, Cr(+) through Cu(+), the primary product corresponds to endothermic loss of the intact adenine molecule, whereas for Zn(+), this process occurs but to form Zn + adenine(+). For the complexes to the early metal ions, Sc(+), Ti(+), and V(+), intact ligand loss competes with endothermic elimination of purine and of HCN to form MNH(+) and M(+)(C(4)H(4)N(4)), respectively, as the primary ionic products. For Sc(+), loss of ammonia is also a prominent process at low energies. Several minor channels corresponding to formation of M(+)(C(x)H(x)N(x)), x = 1-3, are also observed for these three systems at elevated energies. The energy-dependent collision-induced dissociation cross sections for M(+)(adenine), where M(+) = V(+) through Zn(+), are modeled to yield thresholds that are directly related to 0 and 298 K bond dissociation energies for M(+)-adenine after accounting for the effects of multiple ion-molecule collisions, kinetic and internal energy distributions of the reactants, and dissociation lifetimes. The measured bond energies are compared to those previously studied for simple nitrogen donor ligands, NH(3) and pyrimidine, and to results for alkali metal cations bound to adenine. Trends in these results and theoretical calculations on Cu(+)(adenine) suggest distinct differences in the binding site propensities of adenine to the alkali vs transition metal ions, a consequence of s-dsigma hybridization on the latter.
Accurate spline solutions of the radial Dirac equation

The spline-Galerkin method has been applied to the solution of the Dirac equation for the bound states of hydrogenlike systems. A universal grid based on the transformation ϱ=r14 of the independent variable is shown to be preferable to the more commonly adopted transformation ϱ=logr. With this universal grid, accuracies of 10–14 digits can readily be achieved for Z<100 with splines of order eight. A similar grid, modified inside the nuclear volume and in the vicinity of the nuclear “skin”, has been used succesfully in conjunction with a Fermi distribution of charge.
Clinical Review: Kinase Inhibitors: Adverse Effects Related to the Endocrine System

Context: The use of kinase inhibitors (KIs) in the treatment of cancer has become increasingly common, and practitioners must be familiar with endocrine-related side effects associated with these agents. This review provides an update to the clinician regarding the management of potential endocrinological effects of KIs. Evidence Acquisition: PubMed was employed to identify relevant manuscripts. A review of the literature was conducted, and data were summarized and incorporated. Evidence Synthesis: KIs, including small molecule KIs and monoclonal antibodies directed against kinases, have emerged over the past decade as an important class of anticancer agents. KIs specifically interfere with signaling pathways that are dysregulated in certain types of cancers and also target common mechanisms of growth, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Currently, at least 20 KIs are approved as cancer therapeutics. However, KIs may affect a broad spectrum of targets and may have additional, unidentified mechanisms o...
Power in Voxel-based Lesion-Symptom Mapping

Lesion analysis in brain-injured populations complements what can be learned from functional neuroimaging. Voxel-based approaches to mapping lesion-behavior correlations in brain-injured populations are increasingly popular, and have the potential to leverage image analysis methods drawn from functional magnetic resonance imaging. However, power is a major concern for these studies, and is likely to vary regionally due to the distribution of lesion locations. Here, we outline general considerations for voxel-based methods, characterize the use of a nonparametric permutation test adapted from functional neuroimaging, and present methods for regional power analysis in lesion studies.
Low incidence of invasive cervical cancer among HIV-infected US women in a prevention program.

Objective: To measure the incidence of invasive cervical cancer (ICC) in US women infected with HIV. Design: Multicenter prospective cohort study, conducted between October 1994, and September 2001. Setting: HIV research centers operating as six urban consortia in the Women's Interagency HIV Study. Subjects: A total of 2131 women (462 HIV seronegative, 1661 HIV seropositive, and eight seroconverters). Women with a history of hysterectomy or of cervical cancer at baseline evaluation were excluded. Intervention: Cervical cytology obtained at 6-month intervals, with a colposcopy referral threshold of atypia, followed by individualized treatment. Main outcome measure: ICC diagnoses obtained from study databases and regional cancer registries and confirmed by a gynecologic pathologist. Results: No incident ICC were observed in HIV seronegative women during 2375 woman-years of observation. During 8260 woman-years of observation, eight putative incident cases of cervical cancer were identified in HIV seropositive women, but only one was confirmed, yielding an incidence rate of 1.2/10 000 woman-years (95% confidence interval, 0.3-6.7/10 000 woman-years). The difference in incidence between HIV seropositive and seronegative women was not significant (P= 1.0). Conclusion: ICC is uncommon in HIV-infected US women participating in a regular prevention program.
Flow properties of PLZTN aqueous suspensions for tape casting

Abstract Several aqueous suspensions of lead zirconate titanate powder doped with lanthanum and niobium (PLZTN) were prepared, tape cast and characterized by rheological measurements in steady shear flow. Experimental data were fitted by some viscous models available on literature and the model parameters compared in order to obtain information about the effects of the composition on suspension viscosity. Such approach represents a necessary step in the desirable optimization of tape casting process, which includes also the analysis by flow simulations. Five viscous models have been considered: from the classic plastic models of Bingham and Herschel–Bulkley, to the modified plastic model of Papanastasiou, up to the pseudoplastic models of Cross and Roberts–Barnes–Carew. The parameter-based comparison was carried on with the latter, resulting, with its eight parameters, the best-fit model, while for flow simulation purposes the ones with few parameters, as the Cross and Herschel–Bulkley models, resulted the more appropriate from some simple considerations.
Units of Analysis and the Individual Differences Fallacy in Environmental Assessment

The "Ecological Fallacy" is the error of interpreting results based on ecological entities, such as environmental settings, as though the results apply to individuals. This article argues that it is equally erroneous to interpret results based on individuals as though the results apply to settings, and suggests this error be labelled the "Individual Differences Fallacy." Hypothetical data were used to illustrate two conditions for an instrument intended to assess the characteristics of classroom environments. In the first condition, the instrument actually measured differences among individuals; in the second condition, it achieved its goal of measuring differences among settings. When individuals were the units of analysis, results either were inconclusive or incorrectly suggested that the measure of individual differences was superior. Correct and interpretable results were obtained only when environmental settings were the units of analysis. Therefore, future research on environmental assessment should...
Courtship in the Zig-Zag Salamander (Plethodon dorsalis): Insights into a Transition in Pheromone-Delivery Behavior

Courtship in plethodontid salamanders includes the delivery of male courtship pheromones by two distinct modes. Within the eastern Plethodon clade of the tribe Plethodontini, members of the Plethodon cinereus species group use an ancestral ‘vaccination’ mode of delivery, while members of the P. glutinosus group use an olfactory delivery mode. In order to shed light on this transition in delivery mode, I observed courtship behavior in P. dorsalis, a species that is phylogenetically intermediate to the P. cinereus and P. glutinosus groups. My observations indicate that P. dorsalis also is intermediate to the P. cinereus and P. glutinosus species groups in terms of courtship behavior. The context of delivery of male courtship pheromones in P. dorsalis is similar to that of the P. cinereus species group; however, the mode of pheromone delivery in P. dorsalis is olfactory. Thus, a transition in the context of pheromone delivery underlies the more obvious change in pheromone delivery mode. I discuss these findings in terms of the evolution of courtship pheromone delivery across the eastern Plethodon clade. I also report the first observations of ‘premature’ spermatophore deposition by male plethodontids.
The utility of routine pouchogram before ileostomy reversal in children and adolescents following ileal pouch anal anastomosis.

Abstract Introduction Pouchograms are used to assess the integrity of the ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) in patients who have undergone restorative proctocolectomy. Its benefits have been questioned, and there are no data to support the routine use in children. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 26 patients who had an IPAA and pouchogram at our institution between 2001 and 2009. Each patient also underwent an examination under anesthesia to assess the integrity of the IPAA on the day of the ileostomy closure. Results The mean age of the patients was 13.8 (±0.7) years. The pouchogram was performed at a median of 6 weeks after the IPAA (range, 4-20 weeks). The findings were normal in 26 (89.7%) and demonstrated stricture in 2 (6.9%) and leak in 1 (3.4%). History was suggestive and physical examination was confirmatory in these 3 problematic cases. Conclusions A contrast enema is not routinely required to evaluate the integrity of the IPAA before ileostomy reversal in pediatric patients. Complications can be detected by history and rectal examination before ileostomy closure. We recommend the use of contrast enema only in symptomatic patients where a leak is suspected, thereby limiting radiation exposure and inconvenience.
Interferon-induced guanylate binding protein-1 (GBP-1) mediates an antiviral effect against vesicular stomatitis virus and encephalomyocarditis virus.

A cDNA encoding the human guanylate binding protein-1 (hGBP-1) was expressed in HeLa cells using a constitutive expression vector. Stably transfected clones expressing hGBP-1 exhibited resistance to the cytopathic effect mediated by both vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) and produced less viral progeny than control cells following infection with these viruses. To study the role hGBP-1 plays in the IFN-mediated antiviral effect, cells were stably transfected with a construct expressing antisense RNA for hGBP-1. VSV infection of IFN-alpha-treated antisense RNA-expressing cells produced an amount of virus comparable to that produced in the parental cell line, while EMCV infection of the IFN-alpha-treated transfected cells and VSV and EMCV infection of the IFN-gamma-treated transfected cells produced far more virus than was produced in the parental cell line. These results demonstrate that GBP-1 mediates an antiviral effect against VSV and EMCV and plays a role in the IFN-mediated antiviral response against these viruses.
Teaching in urban schools: mentoring pre‐service teachers to apply advocacy strategies

In this discussion of one university’s teacher education program, steps taken to mentor pre‐service teachers learning to support families and children in urban settings are aligned with advocacy strategies. Using a service‐learning model, teachers explore issues of social justice by completing a full year of field experiences in an urban classroom. Advocacy strategies of recognizing issues that impact families and children, taking the perspective of those who are impacted, and looking for solutions within the context of the classroom, help pre‐service teachers see themselves as possible agents of systemic change as they become classroom teachers. Reflection on the blending of the strategies of service‐learning, mentoring, advocacy development and teacher education leads to the development of an integrated model of teacher education.
The hunt for Precambrian fossils: An abbreviated genealogy of the science

Abstract In 1859, in his great work On the Origin of Species, Darwin repeatedly raised what he regarded to be the most serious problem facing his theory of evolution – the lack of fossils predating the rise of shelly invertebrates that marks the beginning of the Cambrian Period of geological time (∼550 Ma), an “inexplicable” absence that could be “truly urged as a valid argument” against his all-embracing synthesis. This missing early fossil record posed a major dilemma, for Darwin's theory demanded firm linkage from the less advanced to the more evolved, from primitive microbes to protozoans to the rich faunas of the basal Phanerozoic for which no fossil evidence was known. For more than 100 years, the history of Precambrian life stood out as one of the greatest unsolved problems in natural science. In recent decades, however, understanding of life's early evolution has changed markedly as the documented fossil record has been extended seven-fold to some 3500 Ma, an age more than three-quarters that of the planet. This long-sought solution to Darwin's dilemma was set in motion by a small vanguard of workers who blazed the trail in the 1950s and 1960s, just as their course was charted by a few prescient pioneers of the previous century. All workers today, including the 28 participants in the recently held World Summit on Ancient Microscopic Fossils, have roots that can be traced to the pathfinders of a half-century ago.
Failure-time prediction

Abstract This paper considers methods for predicting the number of future failures of items of any kind manufactured on consecutive days, when the survival times of failed items are given. Of particular interest is the case where failures do not occur uniformly, but tend to cluster in certain stretches of adjacent days. This feature of the data suggests that in order to get a good model the failure data ought to be pooled over segments of adjacent days. An algorithm based on dynamic programming has been developed which finds the optimal number of segments as well as the segments themselves. Failure time for each segment is modeled either by an exponential or a Weibull distribution, which ever is better as judged by the minimum description length (MDL) principle to minimize the stochastic complexity of all the observed failure times. The same criterion is used to define the optimality of a collection of segments. The technique can be extended to include other usual model classes. Predictions of the number of failures in any future time interval can be made using the optimal segments and their models.
Optimal product strategies in the presence of network externalities

Abstract A network externality exists when a user’s benefit from a product increases with the number of other users in the same network. We examine the possibility that a software firm may exploit network externalities by introducing a limited feature version of its commercially available software into the market. The two versions need not be perfectly compatible and network externalities are allowed to decline as the difference between the versions increases. We obtain conditions under which introducing a limited feature version is optimal.
Cheaters sometimes prosper: distortion of mendelian segregation by meiotic drive

Abstract Two of Mendel's three laws were quickly discarded as information on the organization and transmission of genes accumulated at the beginning of this century, but his law of segregation has shown remarkable staying power. In fact, within most of population genetic theory for sexual diploids is buried the tacit assumption that heterozygous alleles are represented in gametes in a 1:1 ratio. Nevertheless, there is a small, but important, group of genetic systems that subvert the law of segregation, and show ‘meiotic drive'.
Contemporary software development environments

There are a wide variety of software development tools and methods currently available or which could be built using current research and technology. These tools and methods can be organized into four software development environments, ranging in complexity from a simple environment containing few automated tools or expensive methods to a complete one including many automated tools and built around a software engineering database. The environments were designed by considering the life-cycle products generated during two classes of software development projects. Relative cost figures for the environments are offered and related issues, such as standardization, effectiveness, and impact, then addressed.
Deposition of oxide coatings on fiber cloths by electrostatic attraction

Electrostatic attraction has been used to deposit alumina and mullite coatings onto woven cloths of Nicalon fiber. This approach produced uniformly coated cloths while minimizing the dependence on the wetting relationship between the fiber and the coating precursor. The use of low sol concentrations (<1 g/L) facilitated the removal of excess sol from the cloth. Water was used to further displace excess aqueous sol from the cloth to give minimal fiber-fiber bridging while maintaining uniform fiber coatings. The use of a polyelectrolyte enabled multiple deposition of coatings onto the fibers in the cloth. Multiple coating steps resulted in completely coated fiber surfaces; coverage was limited to <50% with only a single coating step. Vacuum infiltration was necessary to remove entrapped air from the cloths during coating. A discussion of wetting and infiltration of fiber cloths has been presented, which highlights issues that are critical for obtaining uniformly coated fibers and minimal fiber bridging in a woven-fiber cloth or preform.
Comparative biochemical and cytochemical studies on superoxide and peroxide in mouse macrophages.

Maximal rates of superoxide (O-2) release, and the cytochemical locales of peroxide staining in resident, elicited, and activated macrophages have been determined. Macrophages elicited into the peritoneum with either casein (1.2% w/v) or proteose-peptone (10.0% w/v) release about twice as much O-2 as macrophages activated by infection of the animals with either Listeria monocytogenes, or Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) followed by immune boosting with Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) (i.e., about 35 vs. 14-18 nmol O-2/min/10(7) cells). Macrophages elicited with thioglycollate (3.0% w/v) and resident macrophages produce negligible amounts of O-2 upon stimulation with PMA. These data are compared with those reported by other investigators who used different procedures. A cytochemical procedure for localizing peroxide has been modified for use with murine macrophages. No production of H2O2 by macrophages is detected cytochemically in the absence of stimulation. Upon exposure to PMA, resident macrophages are still largely unresponsive. Approximately 20% of the casein elicited macrophages and BCG-PPD activated macrophages exhibit H2O2 staining, which is largely restricted to the cytoplasmic vesicles and channels induced by PMA in these cells. The only exception to this staining pattern is a small population (about 2%) of activated macrophages which exhibits H2O2 staining in the cytoplasmic vesicles and channels and on the plasmalemma as well.
A merit function approach to the subgradient method with averaging

We consider a version of the subgradient method for convex nonsmooth optimization involving subgradient averaging. Using a merit function approach in the space of decisions and subgradient estimates, we prove convergence of the primal variables to an optimal solution and of the dual variables to an optimal subgradient. Application to dual convex optimization problems is discussed.
Mechanical and electrical properties of highly oriented polyacetylene films

Abstract An improved technique was developed for tensile drawing of polyacetylene films prepared by the non-solvent polymerization method of Akagi et al.; draw ratios as high as 15 were obtained. Tensile drawing and the associated orientation resulted in major improvement of both mechanical properties and the electrical conductivity (after doping). Maximum values for the modulus and tensile strength were 50 GPa and 0.9 GPa, respectively. The electrical conductivities of highly drawn thin films, doped with Iodine, along the orientation direction reached values at room temperature of up to 3×10 4 S/cm, with an anisotropy, σ ∥ / σ ⊥ > 250. The results demonstrate that the electrical conductvity increases linearly with the modulus and tensile strength, with polymer chain orientation as the implicit variable.
Guardians at the Gate: The Backgrounds, Career Paths, and Professional Development of Private US Immigration Lawyers

This article presents findings from a qualitative study of seventy-one New York immigration lawyers who are engaged in private practice. It focuses on the lawyers' backgrounds, career paths, and early professional training and describes, inter alia, the unusual diversity of this bar, the lawyers' reasons for practicing immigration law, the ways in which they learn to practice law, and the strong sense of community within the private immigration bar. It uses the idea of communities of practice to help understand how lawyers learn from their colleagues and are influenced by them. The article identifies several factors that may contribute to the supportiveness of the bar and the strong sense of community within that practice specialty, notwithstanding its great diversity. It concludes by making some preliminary comparisons between immigration lawyers and lawyers in other practice specialties and by identifying some questions for future study.
Ethanol‐induced hypothermia and ethanol consumption in the rat are affected by low‐level microwave irradiation

Microwave irradiation of rats by circularly polarized, 2,450-MHz, pulsed waves (2-microseconds pulses; 500 pps) was performed in waveguides to determine effects on ethanol-induced hypothermia and on ethanol consumption. Rats injected intraperitoneally with ethanol (3 g/kg in a 25% v/v water solution) immediately after 45 min of microwave irradiation exhibited attenuation of the initial rate of fall in body temperature, which was elicited by the ethanol, but exhibited no significant difference in maximal hypothermia as compared with that of sham-irradiated rats. Microwave irradiation did not affect the consumption of a 10% sucrose (w/v) solution by water-deprived rats. However, it enhanced the consumption of a solution of 10% sucrose (w/v) + 15% ethanol (v/v) by water-deprived animals. These results were obtained at a specific absorption rate (SAR) of 0.6 W/kg, which rate of energy dosing would require a power density of 3-6 mW/cm2 if exposure of the animals had occurred to a 12-cm plane wave. Language: en
The Effect of Propofol on the Canine Sphincter of Oddi

To assess the effect of propofol on the canine sphincter of Oddi (SO), sphincter of Oddi manometry (SOM) was performed in fasting dogs which had undergone cholecystectomy and placement of modified Thomas duodenal cannulae. Using two water-perfused, single-lumen manometric catheters, SO and duodenal pressures were measured simultaneously. Baseline SO activity was recorded for at least one complete interdigestive cycle followed by bolus injections of propofol (Diprivan ®) (N = 31) from 0.1 to 4.0 mg/kg during Phase I of the Migrating Motor Complex (MMC). When propofol was administered in bolus doses ≤ 0.5 mg/kg, no change in SO or duodenal motor function was seen. In doses ≥ 0.5 mg/kg, SO basal pressure, amplitude, and frequency of contractions increased significantly. Increases in duodenal activity paralleled SO activity. Our results suggest that propofol in low doses may be useful for sedation during Sphincter of Oddi manometry in humans. Further studies of the effects of propofol on the human sphincter of Oddi are warranted.
Field Evaluation of Construction Alternatives for Roadways over Soft Subgrade

Alternative methods for providing a stable platform over soft subgrades were evaluated using a 1.4-km section along a Wisconsin State highway that incorporated 12 test sections to evaluate 9 different stabilization alternatives. A variety of industrial by-products and geosynthetics were evaluated for stabilization. The industrial by-products included foundry slag, foundry sand, bottom ash, and fly ash as subbase layer materials. The geosynthetics included geocells, a nonwoven geotextile, a woven geotextile, a drainage geocomposite, and a geogrid. The same pavement structure was used for all test sections except for the subbase layer, which varied depending on the properties of the alternative material being used. All test sections were designed to have approximately the same structural number as the conventional pavement structure used for the highway, which included a subbase of granular excavated rock. Observations made during and after construction indicated that all sections provided adequate support for the construction equipment and no distress was evident in any part of the highway. Each of the alternative stabilization methods, except a subbase prepared with foundry sand, appear to provide equivalent or greater stiffness than that provided by control sections constructed with excavated rock. However, the foundry sand subbase is providing adequate support. Analysis of leachate collected from the base of the test sections shows that the by-products discharge contaminants of concern at very low concentrations.
Practice recommendations for the use of L-Carnitine in dialysis-related carnitine disorder National Kidney Foundation Carnitine Consensus Conference

References are not cited within this report. However, they are included in the supplement to this issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, which contains reports regarding each topic that was considered by the panel. These recommendations are not intended to be guidelines or standards of care. Instead, they have been developed to provide the best available information and expert opinion in decision-making for the clinician. The recommendations should not be considered as prescribing an exclusive course of management.
Exercise-induced oxidative stress

The role of exercise in free radical processes is not clear; however, recent evidence suggests that elevated oxygen consumption may increase free radical activity. Direct measurement of free radical signals can be made by electron spin resonance and indirect measures include mitochondrial membrane damage, conjugated dienes, hydroperoxides, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, short chain hydrocarbons, and oxidized nucleosides. Although exact levels are not known, the type, duration, and intensity of exercise affect biomarkers of free radical activity, as does one's training status. Oxidative stress associated with exercise-induced free radical activity seems to be better tolerated by trained subjects exercising at moderate intensity.
Systolic blood pressure levels among adults with hypertension and incident cardiovascular events: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study

Importance Studies document a progressive increase in heart disease risk as systolic blood pressure (SBP) rises above 115 mm Hg, but it is unknown whether an SBP lower than 120 mm Hg among adults with hypertension (HTN) lowers heart failure, stroke, and myocardial infarction risk. Objective To examine the risk of incident cardiovascular (CV) events among adults with HTN according to 3 SBP levels: 140 mm Hg or higher; 120 to 139 mm Hg; and a reference level of lower than 120 mm Hg. Design, Setting, and Participants A total of 4480 participants with HTN but without prevalent CV disease at baseline (years 1987-1989) from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study were included. Measurements of SBP were taken at baseline and at 3 triennial visits; SBP was treated as a time-dependent variable and categorized as elevated (≥140 mm Hg), standard (120-139 mm Hg), and low ( Main Outcomes and Measures Incident composite CV events (heart failure, ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, or death related to coronary heart disease). Results After a median follow-up of 21.8 years, a total of 1622 incident CV events had occurred. Participants with elevated SBP developed incident CV events at a significantly higher rate than those in the low BP group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.46; 95% CI, 1.26-1.69). However, there was no difference in incident CV event-free survival among those in the standard vs low SBP group (adjusted HR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.85-1.17). Further adjustment for BP medication use or diastolic BP did not significantly affect the results. Conclusions and Relevance Among patients with HTN, having an elevated SBP carries the highest risk for cardiovascular events, but in this categorical analysis, once SBP was below 140 mm Hg, an SBP lower than 120 mm Hg did not appear to lessen the risk of incident CV events.
Monte Carlo simulation of continuous-space crystal growth.

We describe a method, based on Monte Carlo techniques, of simulating the atomic growth of crystals without the discrete lattice space assumed by conventional Monte Carlo growth simulations. Since no lattice space is assumed, problems involving epitaxial growth, heteroepitaxy, phonon-driven mechanisms, surface reconstruction, and many other phenomena incompatible with the lattice-space approximation can be studied. Also, use of the Monte Carlo method circumvents to some extent the extreme limitations on simulated timescale inherent in crystal-growth techniques which might be proposed using molecular dynamics. The implementation of the new method is illustrated by studying the growth of strained-layer superlattice (SLS) interfaces in two-dimensional Lennard-Jones atomic systems. Despite the extreme simplicity of such systems, the qualitative features of SLS growth seen here are similar to those observed experimentally in real semiconductor systems.
A new genus of Ptilodactylidae (Coleoptera: Byrrhoidea) in mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar (Burma)

ABSTRACT The first Mesozoic fossil of the beetle family Ptilodactylidae Laporte, 1836 (Byrrhoidea) is formally described and figured from a male preserved in latest Albian amber from Myanmar. Aphebodactyla rhetine n. gen., n. sp., is distinguished from its modern relatives and is only the second fossil species yet formally described in the family. The fossil intermingles putatively derived features of various ptilodactylid subfamilies, suggesting that the current circumscription of these lineages is in dire need of revision.
A time-stepping scheme involving constant coefficient matrices for phase-field simulations of two-phase incompressible flows with large density ratios

We present an efficient time-stepping scheme for simulations of the coupled Navier-Stokes Cahn-Hilliard equations for the phase field approach. The scheme has several attractive characteristics: (i) it is suitable for large density ratios, and numerical experiments with density ratios up to 1000 have been presented; (ii) it involves only constant (time-independent) coefficient matrices for all flow variables, which can be pre-computed during pre-processing, so it effectively overcomes the performance bottleneck induced by variable coefficient matrices associated with the variable density and variable viscosity; (iii) it completely de-couples the computations of the velocity, pressure, and the phase field function. Strategy for spectral-element type spatial discretizations to overcome the difficulty associated with the large spatial order of the Cahn-Hilliard equation is also discussed. Ample numerical simulations demonstrate that the current algorithm, together with the Navier-Stokes Cahn-Hilliard phase field approach, is an efficient and effective method for studying two-phase flows involving large density ratios, moving contact lines, and interfacial topology changes.
Selective recognition of pyrimidine motif triplexes by a protein encoded by the bacterial transposon Tn7.

The bacterial transposon Tn7 is distinguished among mobile genetic elements by its targeting abilities. Recently, we reported that Tn7 is able to selectively insert adjacent to triple-helical DNA. The binding of TnsC, a Tn7-encoded protein, to the triplex DNA target leads to the specific transposition of Tn7 adjacent to both inter- and intramolecular pyrimidine motif triplexes. Here, we further probe how Tn7 targets triplex DNA. We report that TnsC discriminates between different types of triplexes, showing binding preference for pyrimidine but not for purine motif intermolecular triplex DNA. The binding preferences of TnsC and the Tn7 insertion profiles were obtained using psoralenated, triplex- forming oligonucleotides annealed to plasmid DNAs. Although the presence of psoralen is not required for targeting nor is it alone able to attract TnsC, we show that the location of psoralen within the pyrimidine motif triplex does alter the position of Tn7 insertion relative to the triplex. Comparison between the triplex-targeting pathway and the highly site-specific targeting pathway mediated by the binding of the Tn7-encoded protein, TnsD, to the unique site attTn7, suggests that similar structural features within each target DNA are recognized by TnsC, leading to site-specific transposition. This work demonstrates that a prokaryotic protein involved in the targeting and regulation of Tn7 translocation, TnsC, can selectively recognize pyrimidine motif triplexes.
DELINQUENT FATHERS AND PHILOLOGY LUN YU 13.18 AND RELATED TEXTS

Investigating textual parallels between pre-Qin writings such as Han Feizi and Lushi chunqiu and Confucius's statement in Lun yu 13.18 that “a father covers up for his son and a son for his father,” this article argues that the Lun yu passage is most likely derived from the version in Lushi chunqiu or a closely related version. This has several consequences for scholarly interpretations of the Lun yu. It serves as a reminder that the Lun yu is a heterogeneous collection of textual units drawn from sometimes unexpected sources. It also demonstrates that the Lun yu should be read not in isolation but against the widest possible background of pre-Qin and Han parallels.In the final part, the article reviews some of the comparisons between Confucius in Lun yu 13.18 and Socrates in Plato's “Euthyphro,” cautioning against over-interpretations of the extremely terse statement attributed to Confucius. A more fruitful way of reading Lun yu 13.18, it is argued, would be to historicize the passage by contextualizing it within the social and legal history of the late Warring States and Han periods.
INTELLECTUAL HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY

Donald R. Kelley, The Descent of Ideas: The History of Intellectual History (Aldershot, England/Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2002)Mark Bevir, The Logic of the History of Ideas (Cambridge, England/New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999)
A structural model for the HIV-1 Rev-RRE complex deduced from altered-specificity rev variants isolated by a rapid genetic strategy.

Abstract A broadly applicable genetic strategy was developed for investigating RNA–protein interactions and applied to the HIV-1 Rev protein. By rapidly screening thousands of Rev–RNA interactions in Escherichia coli, we isolated Rev suppressor mutations that alleviated the deleterious effect of mutations in RRE stem–loop IIB, the high affinity RNA-binding site for Rev. All of these suppressor mutations map to a single arginine-deficient face of a Rev α-helix, and some alter the binding specificity of the protein, providing genetic evidence for direct contacts between specific Rev amino acids and RNA nucleotides in the RNA complex of Rev. The spatial constraints suggested by these data have enabled us to model the structure of this complex.