cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neuronal interaural level difference response shifts are level-dependent in the rat auditory cortex

How does the brain accomplish sound localization with invariance to total sound level? Sensitivity to interaural level differences (ILDs) is first computed at the lateral superior olive (LSO) and is observed at multiple levels of the auditory pathway, including the central nucleus of inferior colliculus (ICC) and auditory cortex. In LSO, this ILD sensitivity is level-dependent, such that ILD response functions shift toward the ipsilateral (excitatory) ear with increasing sound level. Thus early in the processing pathway changes in firing rate could indicate changes in sound location, sound level, or both. In ICC, while ILD responses can shift toward either ear in individual neurons, there is no net ILD response shift at the population level. In behavioral studies of human sound localization acuity, ILD sensitivity is invariant to increasing sound levels. Level-invariant sound localization would suggest transformation in level sensitivity between LSO and perception of sound sources. Whether this transformation is completed at the level of the ICC or continued at higher levels remains unclear. It also remains unknown whether perceptual sound localization is level-invariant in rats, as it is in humans. We asked whether ILD sensitivity is level-invariant in rat auditory cortex. We performed single-unit and whole cell recordings in rat auditory cortex under ketamine anesthesia and measured responses to white noise bursts presented through sealed earphones at a range of ILDs. Surprisingly, we found that with increasing sound levels ILD responses shifted toward the ipsilateral ear (which is typically inhibitory), regardless of whether cells preferred ipsilateral, contralateral, or binaural stimuli. Voltage-clamp recordings suggest that synaptic inhibition does not contribute substantially to this transformation in level sensitivity. We conclude that the level invariance of ILD sensitivity seen in behavioral studies is not present in rat auditory cortex.
Analysis of multiple outcome variables measured longitudinally

Abstract We present methods for the analysis of multiple outcome variables collected longitudinally. We provide a multivariate version of the two stage random effects model described by Harville (J. Amer. Statist. Assoc. 72, 1977) and Laird and Ware (Biometrics 38, 1982) as well as the computational details for maximum likelihood estimation of model parameters using the EM algorithm. Further summarization of the outcome variables in terms of their linear combination is investigated. Two general criteria are considered for determining the coefficients: maximization of the variance of the linear combination and maximization of the fit of the model. Principal components analysis is used to identify combinations with maximum variance while other eigensystem procedures are used to find combinations with maximum fit. These two selection criteria may be used in various ways to determine the coefficients. We illustrate the application of the model and alternative ways of determining the linear combination of three lung function measures obtained repeatedly from sarcoidosis patients.
Implicit grading of multiple path delay faults

The problem of fault grading for multiple path delay faults is introduced and a method of obtain exact coverage is presented. The faults are represented and manipulated as combinational sets using zero-suppressed binary decision diagrams. The presented methodology for fault grading uses only a polynomial number of zero-suppressed binary decision diagram operations. The efficiency of the proposed method is demonstrated by the experimental results on the ISCAS'85 and ISCAS'89 benchmarks.
Centrally placed external catheters and subcutaneous ports

Centrally placed external catheters and subcutaneous ports are the original devices designed for long-term central venous access. Their insertion requires three basic procedural steps: (1) access to a vein and catheterization to the right heart, (2) formation of a subcutaneous tunnel (for external catheters) or a subcutaneous pocket (for ports), and (3) catheter insertion. Catheterization from a venous entry site to the right atrium (RA) is generally straightforward but occasionally requires the use of a variety of catheters and guidewires. These techniques are well-known to interventionalists. Tunnel and pocket formation requires basic surgical skills which are readily acquired by the interventional radiologist. Unsuccessful placement of a central device in the operating room is generally not due to an inability to create the tunnel or pocket, but rather an inability to either initially catheterize the RA or to place the final catheter into its desired location. These are the particular areas in which catheter/guidewire manipulative skills pertain and in which interventional radiologists are well-versed. Successful catheterization and final placement of a functional central catheter reaches 100% when performed in an interventional suite.
Effects of voluntary wheel running on goserelin acetate-induced bone degeneration

Abstract A common treatment option for many breast and prostate cancer patients is the use of a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist such as goserelin acetate (GA) which reduces sex hormone levels. This treatment, however, is associated with bone degeneration, and exercise has been suggested as a means of preventing this side effect. Little is known about the effects of low intensity, low volume exercise on GA-induced bone loss. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to investigate the effects of voluntary wheel running on bone architecture in growing male (M) and female (F) rats receiving GA treatment. Rats received an 8-week GA treatment or placebo (CON) and were either housed in cages equipped with voluntary running wheels (WR) or remained sedentary (SED) in standard cages throughout the experimental period. Following treatments, tibiae were excised and analyzed for cortical bone (cross-sectional volume, cortical volume, marrow volume, cortical thickness) and cancellous bone (bone volume/total volume, trabecular number, trabecular thickness, trabecular spacing) using micro-computed tomography. Treatment with GA resulted in a significant reduction in running wheel distances in both sexes throughout the study period ( P P >0.05). Cancellous bone degeneration, however, was observed in M and F SED+GA ( P P >0.05). In F WR+GA, trabecular thickness did not differ from that of F SED+CON ( P >0.05), and trabecular spacing was found to be significantly lower than F SED+GA ( P
Mechanism of early ischemic contractile failure : inexcitability, metabolite accumulation, or vascular collapse ?

The basis of early ischemic contractile failure was investigated in perfused ferret hearts at 27 degrees C. Isovolumic left ventricular developed pressure fell by more than 50% within 30 seconds of the onset of total global ischemia and reached zero by 5 minutes. Monophasic action potential recordings revealed no decrease in excitability during this period. Phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance spectra obtained at 30-second resolution showed no significant changes in inorganic phosphate or phosphocreatine during the first 30 seconds of ischemia. Intracellular pH (pHi) and ATP changed even more slowly; therefore, none of these metabolites could account for the rapid fall in force. To gauge the contribution of intravascular pressure, we compared ordinary aortic flow occlusion with tissue-level ischemia induced by massive coronary microembolization at the level of the precapillary arterioles. Functional depression developed significantly more slowly in the microembolized hearts, despite accumulation of inorganic phosphate and protons comparable with that in ordinary ischemia. After microembolization, the time course of functional depression reflected much more closely the concomitant inorganic phosphate and pHi changes. Thus, our results provide novel evidence supporting the importance of vascular collapse in the mechanism of early ischemic contractile failure.
Toward the Development of “CO2-philic” Hydrocarbons. 1. Use of Side-Chain Functionalization to Lower the Miscibility Pressure of Polydimethylsiloxanes in CO2

Previous fundamental work on the solvent properties of carbon dioxide by the research groups of McHugh, DeSimone, Johnston, and Eckert has been used as a road map for the design of materials that will be miscible with CO2 at relatively moderate pressures. In this initial work, judicious side chain functionalization of an oligomeric silicone has been shown to produce a material whose phase behavior in CO2 resembles that of a fluorinated polyether. The phase behavior results are quite dramatic in that addition of only five ester-functional side chains to the silicone polymer lowers the cloud point curve at 22 °C by 2500 psi. It was also observed that addition of simple alkyl side chains raises the cloud point pressures of the silicone in CO2. This latter observation is consistent with results on the phase behavior of poly(n-alkyl acrylates) in CO2 that showed that increasing alkyl content (i.e., increasing alkyl chain length) also raises cloud point pressures.
Isolation and characterization of murine Ia antigens

The isolation and characterization of Ia antigens from both lymphoid and nonlymphoid cells was attempted by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of radiolabeled, NP-40 solubilized, and anti-Ia precipitated lysates. The profiles obtained indicate that membrane proteins with a molecular weight of approximately 30,000 can be isolated from peripheral B but not from peripheral T cells. Ia antigens cannot be immunoprecipitated from cortisone-resistant thymocytes, total thymocytes, allogeneically activated T cells, Con A stimulated T cells, and anti-Ig immunoadsorbent purified T cells. Ia antigens seem to comprise only 1%–2% of labeled splenic intracellular and membrane-associated proteins. They differ from H-2 antigens and immunoglobulin H and L chains with respect to size and serological reactivity. Ia antigens cannot be found to be secreted from lymph node cells or splenocytes into the extracellular incubation media. Tissue distribution studies indicate that Ia antigens are present on macrophages, fetal liver cells, epidermal cells, and bone marrow cells. They have not been found on such tumor cells as myelomas, teratomas, and lymphocytic leukemias.
“A tremendous awakening”: Margaret H. Sanger's speech at Fabian Hall

This essay examines a speech delivered by birth control activist Margaret Sanger to the Fabian Society in London, England, in 1915. The speech merits special attention both because its manuscript is the oldest surviving example of Sanger's oratory and because it was the last set of public remarks delivered by Sanger from the stance of a radical socialist. Sanger delivered the speech at a time when she was relatively inexperienced at oratory and when her public image was evolving toward one that would allow her work to move forward more effectively. The speech offers a priceless glimpse, into Sanger's early development as a public speaker and social movement leader.
The Initiation of an Endogenous Rhythm Affecting Flower Bud Formation in Pharbitis nil

When seedlings of Pharbitis nil are presented with an inductive dark period at varying times, they show a circadian fluctuation in the number of flower buds initiated. This study determines if this fluctuation is due to the plant's perception, at the time of the inductive dark period, of either a rhythmic, external, environmental stimulus or of an endogenous rhythm. Using experimental designs in which the time of planting, the time of seedling emergence from the soil, and the time at which the presentation of an inductive dark period are varied, this fluctuation in flower bud formation is shown to be due to an endogenous rhythm initiated or synchronized by some event associated with the emergence of the seedlings from the soil. The results are inconsistent with the hypothesis that the plants are responding to rhythmic external stimuli.
A process for obtaining patient clinical information in the ambulatory setting

The Wisconsin Ambulatory Review Project is the most extensive study to date with the goal of describing in detail the nature of care in the ambulatory setting. To assist in the description, a detailed, electronic clinical data base was created from a random sample of nonstandard, often hand-written, ambulatory patient medical records. This paper describes the set of processes that enabled significant clinical data to be collected, organized, and made available to researchers, including the collection of a representative sample of patient medical records, the creation of a detailed clinical vocabulary, the implementation of the vocabulary as a data abstraction tool, the collection and aggregation of distributed electronic data files, and the assessment of the efficiency of the abstraction process. The integration of all of these processes has produced a working system that has successfully been deployed as a pilot study across a seven-state area.
Exercise-Induced Signals for Vascular Endothelial Adaptations: Implications for Cardiovascular Disease

This article reviews recent advances in our understanding of hemodynamic signals, external/compressive forces, and circulating factors that mediate exercise training-induced vascular adaptations, with particular attention to the roles of these signals in prevention and treatment of endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular diseases.
A large-scale study of the upper arm basilic transposition for hemodialysis.

Background The incidence of stage 5 chronic kidney disease requiring immediate hemodialysis treatment continues to rise with an increasing number of patients with an unsuitable cephalic vein or failed radio- and brachiocephalic fistulae. In these patients the basilic vein is our next autologous choice. We have previously investigated our preliminary experience and identified common failure modes, and this report describes longer-term outcomes and what we feel are results after the learning curve has been surmounted. Methods All patients who underwent basilic vein transposition from April 2001 to June 2008 at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. Data collected included demographics, anesthesia type, volume flow at creation, maturation rate, patency rates, post-operative complications, secondary interventions (endovascular and open surgical revision), and overall mortality. Results Two hundred seventeen upper arm basilic vein transposition fistulae were created in 215 patients (53% male). Prior to basilic transposition, patients had a mean of 2.9 previous surgical access attempts. Only 14% of patients had a basilic vein transposition as their initial fistula. Mean flow at time of fistula creation was 347 (range 10–880) mL/minute, with a maturation rate of 87%. The procedural mortality rate was 0.5%. Primary and primary assisted patency rates at 6, 12, and 24 months were 63%, 40%, and 26% and 74%, 56%, and 38%, respectively, while secondary patency rates at 6, 12, and 24 months were 85%, 72%, and 65%, respectively. Fistula thrombosis was the most common complication prior to maturation (16%). Central vein stenosis (22%) was the most frequent cause of fistula failure. Conclusion Basilic vein transposition fistulae have excellent initial maturation rates (87%) with reasonably good functional (secondary) patency rates (72% at 1 year). Central venous stenosis is a major postmaturation limiting factor in long-term durability, and revisions are frequent. The optimal order of access in patients without usable cephalic veins remains a difficult challenge, but basilic vein transposition seems to stack up well versus prosthetic grafts in this situation.
767-1 Determinants of Defibrillation Energy Requirements in Heart Failure

A recent study using a monophasic, epicardial defibrillation system in a canine model has raised concern that congestive heart failure may dramatically increase the energy requirements of defibrillation. In order to test the effect of heart failure on the defibrillation efficacy of a transvenous biphasic defibrillation system, 16 dogs were studied; 11 dogs were ventricular paced at 225 ppm for two weeks to induce heart failure, and 5 control dogs remained unpaced. All dogs were tested using an endocardial right ventricular defibrillation lead and a cutaneous patch. Shocks were biphasic with equal leading edge voltages and fixed 65% tilt for each phase. Dose-response defibrillation probability curves were generated for each animal at baseline, after two weeks (at which time pacing was discontinued in the paced group), and then one week later. The ED 20 , ED 50 , and ED 80 (the 20%, 50%, and 80% effective defibrillation energies, respectively) were determined for each dog at each study. In the paced dogs, the ejection fraction (EF) fell from 55% to 25% after pacing (p l 0.0001), and rose to 46% one week after its discontinuation (p = 0.0002). The effective refractory period (ERP) prolonged from 152 to 170 msec (p l 0.005), then shortened to 164 (p = NS). There was no significant change in EF or ERP in the control dogs between the three studies. The ED 20 , ED 50 , and ED 80 remained unchanged in both the control and paced groups for all three studies, even with adjustment for dog weight or echocardiographic left ventricular mass. In a multiple regression model, EF did not significantly predict the ED 50 . However, the ED 50 increased with increasing left ventricular (LV) size and decreased with LV wall thinning. Rapid pacing led to LV cavity dilatation and wall thinning; these two morphologic changes had opposing effects on defibrillation energy, so that there was no net change in the ED50 in heart failure. Conclusion The defibrillation efficacy of a biphasic waveform in a transvenous lead system is not changed by the development of heart failure in the rapid paced canine model. The energy required for defibrillation was predicted by the ventricular size and wall thickness but not EF.
Shaping membrane architecture: agrins in and out of the synapse.

Effective interactions between cells and their environment often rely on the creation, maintenance, and regulation of specialized membrane domains. Such domains are typically comprised of selected cytoskeletal, signaling, and adhesion molecules. The task confronting the cell is to deploy these
The transient behavior of certain multiserver queues, with simulation applications

Although the transient behavior of a queueing system is often of interest, available analytical results are often quite restricted or are very complicated. We consider a queueing model with Poisson arrivals, FIFO queueing discipline, s(s ≥ i) parallel servers with independent and identically distributed exponential service times, and an arbitrary number of customers present at time zero. Probabilities in a relatively simple closed form are obtained which allow the exact evaluation of several measures of system performance, among them the expected delay in queue of each arriving customer. A numerical examination is carried out to see how the choice of initial condition affects the nature of convergence of the expected delays to their steady-state values. These results have implications for the initialization of steady-state simulations. Extensions to other queueing models (single server, Poisson input, Erlang service, arbitrary initialization) are also discussed.
Ethics at the end of life in transplant recipients.

The field of transplantation is intended to try to save or improve people's lives. In some situations though, the length of a person's life is not as vital as the quality of that life. As a member of a transplant team, one must recognize the differences between quality and quantity and apply the ethical principles of autonomy, justice, nonmaleficence, and beneficence. When a lung transplant recipient became ill with posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease 10 months after her surgery, these ethical principles came to the foreground. This dynamic, vibrant woman, recently engaged, faced her own mortality with grace. There is a time for everything. When death is a long time coming, many people are referred to hospice care and the death is viewed as a blessing. This situation rarely occurs in the transplant field. Many people, whether professionals or laypersons, have a difficult time letting go. Our team and this very special woman all knew when it was time. Creating a warm and open environment in the inte...
Survival Time Comparison Between Hawley and Clear Overlay Retainers may not Influence Retainer Choice

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Survival time comparison between Hawley and clear overlay retainers: a randomized trial. Sun J, Yu YC, Lui MY, Chen L, Li HW, Zhang L, et al. J Dent Res 2011;9(10):1197-201. Reviewer Raquel T. Capote, DMD, MSD Purpose/Question To compare the survival times between Hawley and clear overlay retainers worn by patients over a 12-month period, and to analyze risk factors contributing to retainer failure Source of Funding Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province (No. 2008SG0018), China Type of Study/Design Randomized controlled study Level of Evidence Level 2: Limited-quality, patient-oriented evidence Strength of Recommendation Grade Not applicable
A complete species-level molecular phylogeny for the ''Eurasian" starlings (Sturnidae:Sturnus,Acridotheres, and allies): Recent diversification in a highly social and dispersive avian group

Abstract We generated the first complete phylogeny of extant taxa in a well-defined clade of 26 starling species that is collectively distributed across Eurasia, and which has one species endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. Two species in this group—the European starling Sturnus vulgaris and the common Myna Acridotheres tristis—now occur on continents and islands around the world following human-mediated introductions, and the entire clade is generally notable for being highly social and dispersive, as most of its species breed colonially or move in large flocks as they track ephemeral insect or plant resources, and for associating with humans in urban or agricultural landscapes. Our reconstructions were based on substantial mtDNA (4 kb) and nuclear intron (4 loci, 3 kb total) sequences from 16 species, augmented by mtDNA NDII gene sequences (1 kb) for the remaining 10 taxa for which DNAs were available only from museum skin samples. The resulting mitochondrial gene tree embedded within a multilocus framework shows that the well-studied taxa S. vulgaris/unicolor are the sister lineage to the remaining members of the radiation, from which other relatively early lineages gave rise to forms that are now nomadic or locally migrant in Africa (Creatophora) and western Asia (Pastor). The remaining taxa form a clade with a complicated biogeographic history primarily in central and eastern Asia; this group contains a range of sedentary to highly migratory taxa, as well as widely distributed species and single-island endemics such as the highly endangered Bali myna (Leucopsar). Several groups of species in the genus Acridotheres have low magnitudes of within-group divergence and likely diversified via their respective colonization of islands. The taxonomy of this entire group has remained highly volatile over the past century; we propose dividing these 26 species among 11 reciprocally monophyletic genera (Acridotheres, Poliopsar, Temenuchus, Sturnornis, Leucopsar, Gracupica, Agropsar, Pastor, Creatophora, and Sturnus).
Behavioral Characteristics and Instructional Patterns of Selected Music Teachers

The purpose of this study was to (a) identify factors that contribute to effective music teaching; (b) examine the relationship of teacher-defined traits, which emerge qualitatively, to operationally defined characteristics of effective instruction resulting from quantitative research; and (c) explore the complementary nature of qualitative and quantitative methods. Nine experienced, elementary specialists from three regions of the country were observed, taped, and interviewed; student interviews and instructional documents supplemented the data. Qualitative evaluation and quantitative measures were used for analysis. Although operational definitions were modified for elementary teachers, results revealed instructional patterns that supported previous research in teacher magnitude and sequential patterns of instruction. Analysis of sequential patterns resulted in categorical expansion of complete/incomplete patterns. Qualitative evaluation revealed personal values relative to teaching. Combined analyses d...
Voting and Nonvoting in China: Voting Behavior in Plebiscitary and Limited-Choice Elections

Students of political participation have engaged in intensive study of voting behavior in democratic societies and of nonvoting in communist societies during their totalitarian stage. However, little effort has been made to study voting behavior in communist societies at the authoritarian stage. Using data gathered from China, this paper explores voting behavior during this critical stage of political development. The analyses show that voting behavior in noncompetitive plebiscitary elections is fundamentally different from voting behavior in semicompetitive elections. When provided with limited choice on election day, persons with greater political resources no longer abstain from voting as a form of protest. Survey data show that they vote in such elections to pursue their political interests. The desire to punish corrupt officials and to facilitate democratic transformation plays a crucial role in motivating traditionally politically active people to vote in limited-choice elections.
Radiation losses of tapered dielectric waveguides: a finite difference analysis with ridge waveguide applications

The finite-difference third-order simplified wave equation method is used to study the radiation losses of optical waveguides with step (abrupt) and parabolic tapers, including the radiation losses of the tapered ridge waveguides used as electro-optic phase modulators for tuning the frequencies of infrared lasers. The radiation losses of the parabolic taper given by Burns et al. is found to be under 5%. The results of a step taper are compared with Marcuse's; and found to be in good agreement. The numerical results are also compared with those from the coupled wave equations used by Sporloder and Unger. >
What Counts as a Theme in Art Museum Education

Thematic education programs are increasingly common in art museums across the world, especially when it comes to programs for schools. Currently, however, there is no consensus as to what constitutes a valid theme. This article makes explicit four different conceptions of the term “theme” that underlie current art museum education programming. These include: (1) Themes in a literary sense, (2) Themes in the musical sense, (3) Themes in the Modernist sense, and (4) Creative process as theme. Following an explanation of each category, the author reflects on the affordances and limits of each kind of theme for both interpretation and museum-school connections.
Structural Basis for HIV-1 Neutralization by 2F5-like Antibodies m66 and m66.6

Antibodies m66.6 and 2F5 are the only effective human HIV-1-neutralizing antibodies reported thus far to recognize the N-terminal region of the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of the gp41 subunit of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein. Although 2F5 has been extensively characterized, much less is known about antibody m66.6 or antibody m66, a closely related light-chain variant. Here, we report the crystal structure of m66 in complex with its gp41 epitope, along with unbound structures of m66 and m66.6. We used mutational and binding analyses to decipher antibody elements critical for their recognition of gp41 and determined the molecular basis that underlies their neutralization of HIV-1. When bound by m66, the N-terminal region of the gp41 MPER adopts a conformation comprising a helix, followed by an extended loop. Comparison of gp41-bound m66 to unbound m66.6 identified three light-chain residues of m66.6 that were confirmed through mutagenesis to underlie the greater breadth of m66.6-mediated virus neutralization. Recognition of gp41 by m66 also revealed similarities to antibody 2F5 both in the conformation of crucial epitope residues as well as in the angle of antibody approach. Aromatic residues at the tip of the m66.6 heavy-chain third complementarity-determining region, as in the case of 2F5, were determined to be critical for virus neutralization in a manner that correlated with antibody recognition of the MPER in a lipid context. Antibodies m66, m66.6, and 2F5 thus utilize similar mechanistic elements to recognize a common gp41-MPER epitope and to neutralize HIV-1.
The integration of an educational program into a treatment facility.

Summary This paper reviews the integration of an active teaching program into a busy treatment facility. All first and second year medical students at the University of California, San Diego take part in a series of didactic lectures and small group discussions, while third and fourth year students have the opportunity of joining a treatment team for 4 to 6 weeks. All psychiatric residents spend a minimum of 8 weeks working on the unit, and one fourth year resident is chosen to work with the staff for a year. The interactions between treatment teams and students in various stages of development help maximize enthusiasm and the commitment to the best patient care possible.
Chitin derivatives. II. Time–temperature–transformation cure diagrams of the chitosan amidization process

The transformation of the salts of chitosan with acetic and propionic acid, chitosonium acetate and chitosonium propionate, into chitin or the respective homolog of amidized chitosan has been described on the basis of time–temperature–transformation (TTT) cure diagrams. The time to vitrification at various isothermal cure temperatures (Tc) was determined using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The time to full cure was derived using a Tg–Tc cure time relationship according to the method of Peng and Gillham, as well as by an extrapolation procedure. Consequently, TTT cure diagrams describing the temperature-driven regeneration process include full cure and vitrification curves. As in thermosets, this transformation displays an S-shaped vitrification curve, and the time to full cure increases with decreasing cure temperature. The time to full cure is very remote from the time to vitrification, and this is attributed to the tendency of vitrification to prevent full cure from being attained. The activation energies for vitrification of chitosonium acetate and chitosonium propionate derived from an Arrhenius equation are similar. This suggests that the same mechanism governs glass formation in the N-acetyl and N-propionyl-glucosamine derivatives. Additionally, the morphology of amidized chitosan and native chitin was examined using X-ray diffraction and FTIR analysis. X-ray diffraction results indicate that amidized chitosan is an amorphous material, whereas native chitin is crystalline. FTIR suggests the existence of hydrogen-bonded amide groups in native chitin but not in amidized chitosan. This difference in morphology between amidized chitosan and native chitin is accounted for in terms of the influence of glass formation in the former. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 1879–1889, 1999
Philosophical Orientations on The School Curriculum: A Research Report:

The implementation of professional knowledge in the school setting is a process that entails deep and sub stantive philosophical considerations. At some level of school leadership, philosophical leanings play a central role in shaping a school's mission and overall program direction. The study reported here explores the philosophi cal leanings of secondary school prin cipals in areas of curriculum concern.
Identifying and facilitating social interaction with a wearable wireless sensor network

We have designed a highly versatile badge system to facilitate a variety of interaction at large professional or social events and serve as a platform for conducting research into human dynamics. The badges are equipped with a large LED display, wireless infrared and radio frequency networking, and a host of sensors to collect data that we have used to develop features and algorithms aimed at classifying and predicting individual and group behavior. This paper overviews our badge system, describes the interactions and capabilities that it enabled for the wearers, and presents data collected over several large deployments. This data is analyzed to track and socially classify the attendees, predict their interest in other people and demonstration installations, profile the restlessness of a crowd in an auditorium, and otherwise track the evolution and dynamics of the events at which the badges were run.
The correlated molecular electrostatic potential and electric field of 2 (1H)-pyrimidone and 2-hydroxypyrimidine

Abstract The molecular electrostatic potential and molecular electric field have been estimated by means of the expectation values of the respective one-electron operators. We used the molecular density matrix that includes the electron correlation effects up to the second-order of the many body perturbation theory. The results show that around the 2(1H)-pyrimidone molecule one may distinguish the electrophilic and nucleophilic regions, the latter characterized by two potential minima of −2.9 V. In the tautomeric form, 2-hydroxypyrimidine, a third potential minimum of −2.1 V appears close to the N1 nitrogen atom. For both molecules strong orientational forces acting on polar solvents are predicted in the vicinity of oxygen (O7) and nitrogen (N3) atoms. The electron correlation effects do not significantly alter the SCF values of the electrostatic potential and electric field at the distances within the van der Waals envelope of the pyrimidine bases. At larger distances, however, the correlation correction is significant, particularly in the direction facing the proton transfer path.
Predictability of littoral-zone fish communities through ontogeny in Lake Texoma, Oklahoma-Texas, USA

We sampled larval, juvenile and adult fishes from littoral-zone areas of a large reservoir (Lake Texoma, Oklahoma-Texas) (1) to characterize environmental factors that influenced fish community structure, (2) to examine how consistent fish–environment relationships were through ontogeny (i.e., larval vs. juvenile and adult), and (3) to measure the concordance of larval communities sampled during spring to juvenile and adult communities sampled at the same sites later in the year. Larval, juvenile and adult fish communities were dominated by Atherinidae (mainly inland silverside, Menidia beryllina) and Moronidae (mainly juvenile striped bass, Morone saxatilis) and were consistently structured along a gradient of site exposure to prevailing winds and waves. Larval, juvenile and adult communities along this gradient varied from atherinids and moronids at highly exposed sites to mostly centrarchids (primarily Lepomis and Micropterus spp.) at protected sites. Secondarily, zooplankton densities, water clarity, and land-use characteristics were related to fish community structure. Rank correlation analyses and Mantel tests indicated that the spatial consistency and predictability of fish communities was high as larval fishes sampled during spring were concordant with juvenile and adult fishes sampled at the same sites during summer and fall in terms of abundance, richness, and community structure. We propose that the high predictability and spatial consistency of littoral-zone fishes in Lake Texoma was a function of relatively simple communities (dominated by 1–2 species) that were structured by factors, such as site exposure to winds and waves, that varied little through time.
Circuit description of unipolar DC-to-DC converters for APS storage ring quadrupoles and sextupoles

This paper describes the control, interlock, and power circuits for 680 unipolar switch mode DC-to DC converters used to regulate the Advanced Photon Source's (APS's) storage ring quadrupole and sextupole magnet currents. Quadrupole current stability is /spl plusmn/6/spl times/10/sup -5/ and the sextupole current stability is /spl plusmn/3/spl times/10/sup -4/. The stability is obtained with pulse width modulation, operating at a switching frequency of 20 kHz with full current switching. The converters are housed in 200 cabinets located on top of the storage ring tunnel. Raw DC power is distributed from 80 AC-to-DC power supplies, four at each of 20 locations around the storage ring. Voltages, currents, and temperatures are computer monitored and logged for the converters and magnets. All converters and magnets are water cooled with the flow and pressure monitored at the inlet and outlet of groups. Water is interlocked with the raw power supplies and not the individual converters. >
Phenotypic control of gap junctional communication by cultured alveolar epithelial cells

We examined phenotype-specific changes in gap junction protein [connexin (Cx)] expression and function by cultured rat alveolar type II cells. Type II cells cultured on extracellular matrix in medi...
Bidirectional regulation of uncoupling protein-3 and GLUT-4 mRNA in skeletal muscle by cold

To elucidate the possible role of the mitochondrial uncoupling protein (UCP)-3 in skeletal muscle as a regulator of adaptive thermogenesis and energy balance, we examined the modulation by cold exp...
Effects of microtubules and microfilaments on [Ca2+]i and contractility in a reconstituted fibroblast fiber

We used a reconstituted fiber formed when 3T3 fibroblasts are grown in collagen to characterize nonmuscle contractility and Ca2+ signaling. Calf serum (CS) and thrombin elicited reversible contract...
Quality Management Using Data Analytics: An Application to Pharmaceutical Regulation

The U.S. government regulates consumer products through its various federal agencies. One such agency is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that governs the approval and safe public use of pharmaceutical products. If a drug is found unsafe, the FDA can issue a recall or a black box warning (BBW). This regulatory decision directly affects an operational decision: providers' production technology, affecting their treatment choices. Existing methods for monitoring drug safety are geared towards identifying unknown adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and suffer from several shortcomings such as reliance on limited data. There is a lack of data-driven approaches to evaluate a drug's association with a specific ADR. We propose a data-driven approach that fills this gap. We demonstrate the workings of our approach using a controversial BBW on a diabetes drug that warned prescribers of an increased risk of heart attack and cardiovascular mortality with the drug. Our findings, based on a large and comprehensive dataset, suggest that the drug was not harmful. On the contrary, we find that individuals who used the drug were less likely to die from cardiovascular complications or experience a heart attack. Our approach is robust to multiple specifications, avoids selection bias, and is complementary to existing drug surveillance systems. Further, our approach offers policymakers a decision support system to carefully assess drug safety in a real-world setting. Our approach can be extended to other consumer products that are subject to recalls and/or warnings such as toys, food, and automobiles.
Effects of clonidine on short-term memory: A double-blind study

Acutely intoxicated chronic alcoholics were studied in a double-blind experiment to assess the influence of clonidine on short-term memory. The study suggests clonidine may delay recovery of short-term memory function. Since clonidine is widely used in the treatment of acute alcohol withdrawal, clinicians should be aware of this potential side effect.
Genre, Gender, Genitor: The Form of Creation and the Politics of the Recipe

Something about the form of the recipe appeals to a wide range of projects in the contemporary self-help culture, projects that would seem to be entirely dissociated from cooking. Concepts such as how to raise a child ("3 cups of love") or how to succeed as a student ("2 tablespoons of creativity") use the recipe format to encourage particular values in proper proportion. In 20th century American cookbooks, for example, a common recipe entitled "How to Cook a Husband" gives a long list of instructions, such as "Do not try him with something sharp to see if he is becoming tender," that purport to lead to a happy marriage. Why, one might ask, does the simple genre of the recipe have such impact and staying power? This paper contends that what each of these utilizations of the recipe format has in common is the presumption of creation. The idea that one person can create the good life by following a formula manages to be both fatuous and appealing, especially as the components parts of each recipe can never be fully determined. But the idea that one can create something fully one's own by following someone else's instructions shows how advice, particularity, and self-creation emerge hand-in-hand in the twentieth century. The genre of cooking by recipe, in other words, escapes the kitchen and becomes a model for a model of liberal individualism, one highly seasoned with a modern sense of gender propriety and technologies and aesthetics of female selfhood.
Catalytic Deoxygenation of Octanoic Acid over Supported Palladium: Effects of Particle Size and Alloying with Gold

Catalytic deoxygenation of octanoic acid (OA) to n-heptane was investigated over silica-supported Pd and PdAu catalysts at 260 °C and 1 atm in a fixed-bed microreactor. Pd/SiO2 catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness (IW) and ion exchange (IE). Bimetallic catalysts were prepared using an IE procedure that is known to produce supported PdAu nanoparticles. The Pd nanoparticles (7.5 nm average size) in the Pd/SiO2 (IW) catalyst exhibit well-defined (100) and (111) facets, as evidenced by high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) of adsorbed CO. As expected, the smaller nanoparticles (1.5 nm average size) in the Pd/SiO2 (IE) catalyst display strong linear and bridging CO DRIFTS bands. The PdAu/SiO2 (1/1 atomic ratio) catalyst contains 5 nm alloy nanoparticles with Pd-rich surfaces, as evidenced by HREM with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and in situ EXAFS spectroscopy. DRIFTS thermal desorption experiments demonstrated that...
Outcomes of partial nephrectomy for clinical T1b and T2 renal tumors.

Purpose of reviewTo review current status of partial nephrectomy for treatment of T1b and T2 renal mass, focusing oncological and renal functional outcomes reported in the last 18 months, and to understand the emerging role of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques in nephron-sparing management
Thiol–Ene Click Chemistry: Computational and Kinetic Analysis of the Influence of Alkene Functionality

The influence of alkene functionality on the energetics and kinetics of radical initiated thiol–ene click chemistry has been studied computationally at the CBS-QB3 level. Relative energetics (ΔH°, ΔH⧧, ΔG°, ΔG⧧) have been determined for all stationary points along the step-growth mechanism of thiol–ene reactions between methyl mercaptan and a series of 12 alkenes: propene, methyl vinyl ether, methyl allyl ether, norbornene, acrylonitrile, methyl acrylate, butadiene, methyl(vinyl)silanediamine, methyl crotonate, dimethyl fumarate, styrene, and maleimide. Electronic structure calculations reveal the underlying factors that control activation barriers for propagation and chain-transfer processes of the step-growth mechanism. Results are further extended to predict rate constants for forward and reverse propagation and chain-transfer steps (kP, k–P, kCT, k–CT) and used to model overall reaction kinetics. A relationship between alkene structure and reactivity in thiol–ene reactions is derived from the results ...
Large Scale Similar Song Retrieval using Beat-aligned Chroma Patch Codebook with Location Verification

With the popularity of song search applications on Internet and mobile phone, large scale similar song search has been attracting more and more attention in recent years. Similar songs are created by altering the volume levels, timing, amplification, or layering other songs on top of an original song. Given the large scale of songs uploaded on the Internet, it is demanding but challenging to identify these similar songs in a timely manner. Recently, some state-of-the-art large scale music retrieval approaches represent songs with a bag of audio words by quantizing local features, such as beat-chroma patches, solely in the feature space. However, feature quantization reduces the discriminative power of local features, which causes many false audio words matches. In addition, the location clues among audio words in a song is usually ignored or exploited for full location verification, which is computationally expensive. In this paper, we focus on similar song retrieval, and propose to utilize beat-aligned chroma patches for large scale similar song retrieval and apply location coding scheme to encode the location relationships among beat-aligned chroma patches in a song. Our approach is both efficient and effective to discover true matches of beat chroma patches between songs with low computational cost. Experiments in similar songs search on a large song database reveal the promising results of our approach.
Kalman-Type Filters Approach for Some Nonparametric Estimation Problems

Some results on Kalman-type filters for nonparametric estimation problems are presented. On-line recursive filters are proposed for an estimation of a signal and it’s derivatives observed in Gaussian white noise and for a regression estimation with equidistant observation design.
Optimization of Caged Electrophiles for Improved Monitoring of Cysteine Reactivity in Living Cells

Cysteine residues play critical roles in protein function and are susceptible to numerous post-translational modifications (PTMs) that serve to modulate the activity and localization of diverse proteins. Many of these PTMs are highly transient and labile, thus necessitating methods to study these modifications directly within the context of living cells. We previously reported a caged electrophilic probe, CBK1, that can be activated by UV for temporally controlled covalent modification of cysteine residues in living cells. To improve upon the number of cysteine residues identified in cellular cysteine-profiling studies, the reactivity and uncaging efficiency of a panel of caged electrophiles were explored. We identified an optimized caged electrophilic probe, CIK4, that affords significantly improved coverage of cellular cysteine residues. The broader proteome coverage afforded by CIK4 renders it a useful tool for the biological investigation of cysteine-reactivity changes and PTMs directly within living cells and highlights design elements that are critical to optimizing photoactivatable chemical probes for cellular labeling.