cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of repetitive electric cardiac stimulation in dogs with normal hearts, complete heart block and experimental cardiac arrest.

Direct cardiac stimulation was conducted in the open chest. In normal animals, auricular stimulation at frequencies faster than the spontaneous rate caused little change in vascular pressures or cardiac output. Comparable ventricular stimulation in the same animals caused falls in cardiac output and blood pressure, with elevations in venous pressure. In contrast, ventricular stimulation in animals with complete heart block caused elevations in cardiac output and blood pressure, and declines in venous pressure. A study was also made of repetitive stimulation in experimental cardiac arrest. Occasionally pacemaking was of value in the resuscitation, but in most cases effective contractions could not be induced with stimulation.
Immediate and Longitudinal Effects of Incorporating Health Literacy and Cultural Competency into a Yearlong Pharmacy Curriculum

Abstract Objective To determine the immediate and longitudinal effects of incorporating health literacy and cultural competency (HL-CC) concepts into one semester of pharmacy school. Methods HL-CC concepts were incorporated into three fall semester courses for first-year professional pharmacy students. Students completed a 23-item Likert-type health literacy instrument (perceptions, understanding, and application) and the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence among Healthcare Professionals—Student Version (IAPCC-SV © , Campinha-Bacote, 2007) pre–post fall semester ( n = 53, 100% response rate) and post-spring semester (no concept incorporation, n = 52, 98% response rate). Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank tests to examine the differences between pre- and post-semesters for the health literacy assessments and the IAPCC-SV © assessments. Results Students' perceptions, understanding, and application of health literacy principles had significant improvements in the fall semester, but some attrition was seen after the spring semester. Students' cultural competency levels increased during the fall, and their overall IAPCC-SV © scores did not significantly change during the spring. Conclusions Integrating HL-CC concepts throughout one semester can be useful for improving pharmacy students' knowledge and skills in these areas. Concepts should be reinforced throughout the curricula to maintain their knowledge and skills.
Some properties of variously activated microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase, inorganic pyrophosphatase and inorganic pyrophosphate-glucose phosphotransferase. Shift in pH optimum

Abstract 1. 1. The activity of microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.9) and the related enzymatic functions, acid inorganic pyrophosphatase and inorganic pyrophosphate- glucose phosphotransferas is greatly increased by pretreatment of ‘microsomes’ with hydroxyl ion at pH 9.5–9.8. The thermal stability of the preparations so activated is in marked contrast to the great instability observed when a corresponding activation is accomplished with deoxycholate or Triton X-100. 2. 2. It is suggested that comparative levels of these enzyme activities be determined on NH4OH-treated homogenates or particulate fractions rather than on untreated or detergent-activated preparations. 3. 3. After activation with NH4OH, deoxycholic acid, or Triton X-100 the optimum pH of all three activities is slufted in the alkaline direction. 4. 4. A similar activation and pH optimum shift is observed with liver mirosomes from fed, fasted and diabetic rats, in which the absolute level of activity varies many-fold. 5. 5. Erroneous results are obtained if activities of untreated microsomes are compared with activated ones at the same pH. This is particularly true for the transferase activity in which the quantitative effect of the pH optimum shift is much greater than for the hydrolase activities. 6. 6. A difference between glucose-6-phosphatase and the related PPi-utilizing enzymatic activites has been noted and studied. Glucose 6-phosphatase hydrolysis by liver microsomes is inhibited by lower concentrations of deoxycholate or Triton X-100 than are required to cause activation. PPi hydrolysis and glucose 6-phosphatase synthesis from PPi, on the other hand, are only activated by these low concentrations of detergents. 7. 7. The results lead to the suggestion that some of the active sites, particularly those for glucose, are on the inner surfaces of the endoplasmic reticulum or are impeded by the spatial conformation of the membrane or by the attachment of ribosomes on the outer surfaces.
Mothers' communicative acts: changes during infancy

This research documents changes in the ways mothers communicate with their Infants during the last year of infancy. Mothers were observed playing with their infants using a two-cohort longitudinal design. Recorded were how often mothers performed communicative acts and whether these acts marked objects or the mothers themselves in a literal or conventionalized manner. Our results suggest that these infants' first experiences with object-oriented communication occurred in a dynamic, responsive environment, one that reflected their development towards more object-oriented, conventionalized communication.
A comparison between criterion functions for linear classifiers, with an application to neural nets

The error rates of linear classifiers that utilize various criterion functions are investigated for the case of two normal distributions with different variances and a priori probabilities. It is found that the classifier based on the least mean squares (LMS) criterion often performs considerably worse than the Bayes rate. The perceptron criterion (with suitable safety margin) and the linearized sigmoid generally lead to lower error rates than the LMS criterion, with the sigmoid usually the better of the two. Also investigated are the exceptions to the general trends: only if one class is known to have much larger a priori probability or variance than the other should one expect the LMS or perceptron criteria to be slightly preferable as far as error rate is concerned. The analysis is related to the performance of the back-propagation (BP) classifier, giving some understanding of the success of BP. A neural-net classifier, the adaptive-clustering classifier, suggested by this analysis is compared with BP (modified by using a conjugate-gradient optimization technique) for two problems. It is found that BP usually takes significantly longer to train than the adaptive-clustering technique. >
The Michigan benchmark: towards XML query performance diagnostics

We propose a micro-benchmark for XML data management to aid engineers in designing improved XML processing engines. This benchmark is inherently different from application-level benchmarks, which are designed to help users choose between alternative products. We primarily attempt to capture the rich variety of data structures and distributions possible in XML, and to isolate their effects, without imitating any particular application. The benchmark specifies a single data set against which carefully specified queries can be used to evaluate system performance for XML data with various characteristics.We have used the benchmark to analyze the performance of three database systems: two native XML DBMSs, and a commercial ORDBMS. The benchmark reveals key strengths and weaknesses of these systems. We find that commercial relational techniques are effective for XML query processing in many cases, but are sensitive to query rewriting, and require better support for efficiently determining indirect structural containment. In addition, the benchmark also played an important role in helping the development team of Timber (our native XML DBMS) devise a more effective access method, and fine tune the implementation of the structural join algorithms.
Conjugates of biogenic amines in ventriculocisternal perfusates of conscious African green monkeys.

Abstract To determine the importance of conjugation relative to alternate metabolic pathways for the inactivation of catecholamines and serotonin, free and conjugated norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin, together with the acid metabolites homovanillic acid and 5-hyxdroxyindoleacetic acid, were measured in ventriculocisternal perfusions in awake African green monkeys. Measurements were made of endogenous transmitters and their metabolites using high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Efflux of amines and metabolites was measured both under conditions of spontaneous overflow and during release evoked by 40 mM K+ or by 5 × 10−5 M ampthetamine. Conjugated amines were importance under basal conditions than during evoked release. Although more conjugated amines were produced in African green monkey than has been previously detected in other species, conjugation was still minor relative to O-methylation and oxidative deamination. When nomifensine (5 × 10−5 M), a blocker of neuronal uptake of dopamine, was added to perfusion fluids, the efflux of free dopamine was increased. Efflux conjugated dopamine was not decreased in the presence of nomifensine, suggesting that conjugation did not occur subsequent to reuptake of transmitter into dopaminergic neurons. Evidence is also presented that different enzymes are responsible for the conjugation of catecholamines and serotonin.
Detection of buried mines from array inductive measurements

The problem of mine detection and localization from array- based electromagnetic induction data is addressed. An efficient forward scattering model based on the Born approximation is employed. Using insight obtained from this model, a clutter model in the form of a state space system is developed which describes the correlation of the noise both across the sensing array and from one position of the array to the next as the measurement device proceeds down track. A multiple-model detection scheme based on the whitening properties of the Kalman filter is employed to perform the actual mine detection. This approach allows for the detection and localization of buried objects well before the array physically moves over mines. Examples are provided for mines buried directly in front and off to one side of the array.
Control of the freshwater fouling bivalve Corbicula fluminea by halogenation

Mortality levels for adult and juvenile Asiatic clam,Corbicula fluminea, were determined after exposure to halogens (chlorine, bromine) in 28 to 32-day laboratory and field (industrial water supply) tests. Low levels of mortality ( 53%) when test specimens were exposed to comparable TRC levels (0.2 to 1.0 mg/L) at temperatures in excess of 18‡C. Mortalities generated among adults by an initial 14-day low dose (0.25 mg/L TRC) followed by an 18-day high dose (0.50 to 1.00 mg/L TRC; >80% mortality) were comparable to those from a constant high dose (0.50 to 1.00 mg/L; 60 to 95% mortality). Adults and juveniles were comparably sensitive to halogen concentrations adequate for control. There is no substantial difference in the effectiveness of either chlorine or bromine in controlling adult and juvenile stages ofC. fluminea. Field studies conducted in the spring and fall produced markedly dissimilar results. Mortality levels during the spring field study exceeded 90% after 28 days of exposure to 0.25 mg/L TRC, while ambient temperatures rose from 20 to 25‡C. Mortality levels not exceeding 23% were observed among test organisms after 28 days of exposure to elevated TRC levels (<0.50 mg/L), while ambient temperatures were declining from 20 to 12‡C during October and November 1985.
Seeding nature, ceding culture: Redefining the boundaries of the marine commons through spatial management and GIS

Abstract The oceans are not only being transformed through privatization as management moves towards market mechanisms, the oceans are also being “zoned”, with zoning increasingly proposed as the ideal conduit for weighting different uses of the ocean. This is concomitant with a move towards ecosystem-based management that also partakes in a policy environment imbued with the commodification of nature, in which environmental services are ranked and valued according to neoliberal percepts. Crucial to these projects are the utilization of GIS technologies. This paper considers these zones of preservation and sites of conflict through an ethnographic case study of the scallop fisheries of New England, examining conflicts between harvesters, different projects to map the fishery, and ongoing efforts to reseed scallop beds. The paper explores how participants themselves articulate the changing practices of fishing and farming, redefining boundaries of nature and culture. While reseeding projects, for example, arguably participate in the market logic of neoliberalism, at the same time they may resist and redefine the terms, as communities see themselves sowing the seeds of their own sustainability and changing the terms of what counts, literally, as nature.
Sinulodurins A and B, antiproliferative and anti-invasive diterpenes from the soft coral Sinularia dura.

Two new diterpenes, sinulodurin A (1) and sinulodurin B (2), along with two known sterols, 24S-methyl cholesterol and 24-methylene cholesterol, were isolated from the Palau soft coral Sinularia dur...
Inverse determination of kinetic rate constants for transesterification of vegetable oils

We present an inverse procedure for determining the rate constants for the kinetic equations that describe the transesterification reaction used to produce biodiesel from vegetable oils. In this approach, we require a mathematical model and its corresponding computer implementation, an experimental setup for taking experiment data and a numerical optimization procedure are used to determine the rate constants. A continuous laminar flow microreactor concept is considered due the simplicity of the design, the precise controllability of the flow conditions and the accuracy of the corresponding numerical model.
Filtering edges for gray-scale displays

While simple line-drawing techniques produce “jagged” lines on raster images, more complex anti-aliasing, or filtering, techniques use gray-scale to give the appearance of smooth lines and edges. Unfortunately, these techniques are not frequently used because filtering is thought to require considerable computation. This paper presents a simple algorithm that can be used to draw filtered lines; the inner loop is a variant of the Bresenham point-plotting algorithm. The algorithm uses table lookup to reduce the computation required for filtering. Simple variations of the algorithm can be used to draw lines with different thicknesses and to smooth edges of polygons.
MRI interactions with medical implants

Interactions of medical implants with the static, pulsed gradient, and radio frequency (RF) magnetic fields in MRI are described. Force and torque are exerted on the implant by the static field, which has a representative intensity of 1.5 T. The pulsed gradient fields are of audio frequency and induce currents in the patient. The intensity of the gradient currents may be close to the nerve stimulation threshold. A metallic implant will cause concentration of these currents, possibly resulting in nerve stimulation. The RF field has a frequency of 64 MHz for a 1.5 T static field. The principal RF bioeffect is tissue heating and an elongated implant will concentrate the induced RF currents. Temperature rises in excess of 10/spl deg/C in the tissue near the tip of a lead wire may occur. The amount of RF-induced temperature rise depends on the implant geometry, its location in the body, and the type of MRI pulse sequence used. Functionality of medical implants may be affected by the MRI magnetic fields.
Review of optimization techniques for Renewable Energy Resources

This paper presents a review of optimization techniques for Renewable Energy Resources (RERs) optimization framework. Review of probabilistic power flow, voltage/VAR control, modeling of voltage VAR problem has been presented. Various objective functions and formulations for Voltage/VAR problem has been presented in this paper. Summary of different OPF methods and their formulations for voltage / VAR problem has been presented. Various examples of stochastic programming using Recourse model, Simple Average Approximations, Chance Constrained Programming and chance constraint are presented in this paper.
An algorithm for the simulation of continuous growth of dendritic silicon crystal ribbon and its finite element implementation

Abstract A displacement-based algorithm for the simulation of continuous growth of dendritic silicon crystal ribbon is described. The discretization in the time domain has been directly linked to the finite element mesh. At every time step, a predetermined number of elements have been grown at the interface and moved in to the finite element mesh while an equal number of elements are moved out of the mesh at the other end. This growth algorithm can be used for studying viscous and elasto-plastic behaviors of the material. The flowcharts for a finite element implementation of this algorithm are also presented.
Adaptation priorities on Russia's Kola Peninsula: climate change vs. post-Soviet transition

Two decades after the end of the Soviet Union, the municipalities on the Kola Peninsula are still adapting to the effects of shifting to a market economy and to the end of the Cold War and the diminished emphasis on defense installations on the edge of the Arctic. The corresponding issues of climate change and the measurable effects of warming temperatures in the Arctic seem to take second place in the plans of cities in Russia's high north, compared to the challenges of population decline, shrinking labor needs, and aging infrastructure. Municipalities in the Murmansk Oblast are compared on dimensions of demographic trends, development goals and strategies, and climate change experience and adaptive planning. Findings reveal a continued decline in population from net outmigration and low or negative natural increase and the development issues related to market economy forces and monoindustrial cities outweigh climate change as current issues of importance in these municipalities.
The use of NanoTrap particles as a sample enrichment method to enhance the detection of Rift Valley Fever Virus.

Background Rift Valley Fever Virus (RVFV) is a zoonotic virus that is not only an emerging pathogen but is also considered a biodefense pathogen due to the threat it may cause to public health and national security. The current state of diagnosis has led to misdiagnosis early on in infection. Here we describe the use of a novel sample preparation technology, NanoTrap particles, to enhance the detection of RVFV. Previous studies demonstrated that NanoTrap particles lead to both 100 percent capture of protein analytes as well as an improvement of more than 100-fold in sensitivity compared to existing methods. Here we extend these findings by demonstrating the capture and enrichment of viruses. Results Screening of NanoTrap particles indicated that one particle, NT53, was the most efficient at RVFV capture as demonstrated by both qRT-PCR and plaque assays. Importantly, NT53 capture of RVFV resulted in greater than 100-fold enrichment from low viral titers when other diagnostics assays may produce false negatives. NT53 was also capable of capturing and enhancing RVFV detection from serum samples. RVFV that was inactivated through either detergent or heat treatment was still found bound to NT53, indicating the ability to use NanoTrap particles for viral capture prior to transport to a BSL-2 environment. Furthermore, both NP-40-lysed virus and purified RVFV RNA were bound by NT53. Importantly, NT53 protected viral RNA from RNase A degradation, which was not observed with other commercially available beads. Incubation of RVFV samples with NT53 also resulted in increased viral stability as demonstrated through preservation of infectivity at elevated temperatures. Finally, NanoTrap particles were capable of capturing VEEV and HIV, demonstrating the broad applicability of NanoTrap particles for viral diagnostics. Conclusion This study demonstrates NanoTrap particles are capable of capturing, enriching, and protecting RVFV virions. Furthermore, the use of NanoTrap particles can be extended to a variety of viruses, including VEEV and HIV.
Air Traffic Controllers' Performance in Advance Air Traffic Management System: Part I--Performance Results

The current air traffic management (ATM) system will soon reach its capacity limits, so new concepts for the future are being developed. Many proposed schemes include shifting the task of maintaining safe distances between aircraft to ground-based automation and assigning air traffic controllers a supervisory role. This research investigated air traffic controller performance using advanced ATM concepts for the task of conflict resolution. Performance using a medium fidelity air traffic control simulator was investigated across 2 proportions of free-flying traffic and 3 types of decision support. Conflict resolution performance was significantly degraded when free-flying aircraft failed to negotiate a conflict and controllers had to intervene. Conflict resolution performance varied across the aiding condition and was superior when negotiation information was provided. However we did not find any differences in performance across proportions of free-flying traffic. Implications of this research are in furt...
Anomalous elastic behavior in Cu2O under pressure

The elastic constants Cij of single-crystal Cu2O measured to 3 kbar show linear variation with pressure. The best-fit values of the Cij and dCij/dP are: C11 = 1228.8, C44 = 121.0, C′ = (C11–C12)/2 = 81.9 kbar, dC11/dP = 3.62, dC44/dP = −0.69, and dC′/dP = −0.63, respectively. The elastic behavior of Cu2O is found to be anomalous in that dC44/dP and dC′/dP are both negative, and dμ/dP, where μ is the isotropic shear modulus, is significantly negative (−0.67). This anomalous behavior suggests an instability of crystal structure. The high- and low-temperature limiting values of Gruneisen γ, γH and γL, computed from the dCij/dP are −1.98 and −3.59, respectively. The value of γH is in fairly good agreement with the reported Gruneisen γ value based on the nuclear quadrupole relaxation data. The negative Gruneisen γ values are consistent with the observed negative thermal expansion. The implication of γL being appreciable more negative than γH is that the coefficient of thermal expansion of Cu2O should become more negative at low temperatures. Die elastischen Konstanten Cij von Cu2O-Einkristallen zeigen bis 3 kbar eine lineare Abhangigkeit vom Druck. Die die beste Anpassung ergebenden Werte fur Cij und dCij/dP sind: C11 = 1228,8; C44 = 121,0; C′ = (C11–C12)/2 = 81,9 kbar; dC11/dP = 3,62; dC44/dP = = −0,69 und dC′/dP = −0,63. Es wird gefunden, das das elastische Verhalten von Cu2O anomal ist, indem dC44/dP und dC′/dP negativ sind, und dμ/dP, wobei μ der isotrope Schubmodul ist, betrachtlich negativ (−0,67) ist. Diese Anomalie weist auf eine Instabilitat der Kristallstruktur hin. Die aus dCij/dP berechneten Hoch- und Tieftemperaturgrenzwerte γH und γL des Gruneisenparameters γ betragen −1,98 bzw. −3,59. Der Wert von γH ist in recht guter Ubereinstimmung mit anderen Gruneisen γ-Werten, die auf Kernquadrupol-Relaxationsdaten basieren. Die negativen γ-Werte sind konsistent mit der beobachteten negativen thermischen Ausdehnung. Aus der Tatsache, das γL betrachtlich starker negativ ist als γH kann geschlossen werden, das der Koeffizient der thermischen Ausdehnung von Cu2O bei tiefen Temperaturen starker negativ wird.
Corticotropin-releasing hormone enhances the superoxide anion production of rabbit peritoneal macrophages stimulated with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine.

Abstract Effects of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) on the superoxide anion (O2−) production in macrophages (Mos) were investigated. CRH by itself failed to induce the (O2−) production of rabbit peritoneal Mos elicited with thioglycollate medium. However, Mos preincubated with CRH showed significant enhancement of (O2−) production following stimulation with a chemotactic peptide, N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP), at CRH concentrations from 10−10 to 10−7 M. Maximal enhancement of (O2−) production was obtained with 10 min preincubation with CRH for FMLP stimulation. CRH had no effect on (O2−) production when stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. Neither corticotropin nor β-endorphin augmented the (O2−) production induced with FMLP. These results indicate that CRH has priming effects on FMLP-induced (O2−) production of rabbit peritoneal Mos, although the underlying mechanism remains to be clarified.
Solar Mesosphere Explorer measurements of polar mesospheric clouds (noctilucent clouds)

Abstract The Ultraviolet Spectrometer experiment on board the Solar Mesosphere Explorer satellite has measured scattering of sunlight from the polar mesospheric cloud layer in the 0.2–0.3 μm spectral range. The layer is manifested in the limb-scanning measurements as large increases in radiance at heights near 80 km, at latitudes 60–90°N and 60–90°S and during the summer season. They are similar to noctilucent clouds with respect to their height, geometrical thickness (less than 3.5 km) and morphology. However, as shown by Donahue et al. (1972), they are much brighter and occupy the entire polar ‘cap’ area, a region largely inaccesible to ground-based observation. The measurements have revealed a forward-scattering asymmetry, which increases with layer brightness. This behaviour shows that the brighter clouds are composed of particles with radii according to Mie theory up to 0.07 μm, at least for the limited set of data studied so far. The variation of layer brightness with asymmetry factor is consistent with the layer being limited by the available water content of the atmosphere. The calculated water content of the particles, assuming them to consist of pure water ice, is about 100 μg m −2 , provided the particle distribution is monodisperse. This corresponds to the total amount of atmospheric water vapor residing in a vertical column above 80 km for a water vapor mixing ratio of 1.2 ppmv. This is consistent with the amount of water vapor believed to exist at mesopause heights (a few ppmv). The large amounts of ice reported by Donahue et al . (1972) are too large by a factor ten. Their corrected values are consistent with the present analysis. A brief description is given concerning additional research topics which are being pursued using the extensive SME data base, which now consists of five complete summer seasons from 1981 to the present.
Soliton fiber ring laser

A fiber ring laser that can produce nearly transform-limited soliton pulses is simulated. This laser has an erbium-doped optical-fiber amplifier and allows wavelength tuning through the interplay of fiber chromatic dispersion and the round-trip delay time of the laser. We show that a saturable absorber and a frequency limiter are required for the ring laser to self-start, i.e., to mode lock from initial noise and to operate stably. We also show that nonlinear polarization rotation with polarization selectivity inside the ring can act as a saturable absorber.
Heterogeneous multi-robot routing

We consider the problem of routing multiple robots to service spatially distributed requests at specified time instants, where each robot, as well as each request, is associated with one or more skills. A request can be serviced by a robot as long as the robot has at least one skill in common with the skill set of that request. We characterize the feasibility aspects of such a heterogeneous routing problem, and provide algorithms for finding the minimum number of robots required to service the requests, and for constructing the corresponding paths of the robots.
Rotational Spectroscopy and Ring-Puckering Conformation of 3-Hydroxytetrahydrofuran.

Abstract The microwave spectrum of 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran was recorded using a Fourier transform microwave spectrometer; the rotational constants (MHz) are: A = 5581.8230(7), B = 3638.8316(7), and C = 2924.7410(7). Microwave spectra for four 13 C isotopic species were recorded in natural abundance. Stark effect measurements were used to determine the projections of the dipole moment on the principal inertial axes: μ a = 0.956(1) D, μ b = 0.875(2) D, μ c = 1.050(2) D, and μ tot = 1.667(2) D. The internal coordinates of the carbon and oxygen atoms were least-squares fit to the 15 moments of inertia, and the best-fit structure is a C 4′ -endo envelope ring conformation, in good agreement with ab initio calculations (MP2/6-31G††).
Tazarotene 0.1% gel for refractory mycosis fungoides lesions: an open-label pilot study

Abstract Background Topical skin-directed therapies are used to induce remissions in early-stage mycosis fungoides (MF). They are rarely curative, and responding patients are subject to frequent relapses, emphasizing the need for alternative therapies. Objective We sought to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of topical tazarotene 0.1% gel as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of refractory MF lesions. Methods A total of 20 adult patients with early patch or plaque MF limited to less than 20% body surface area (BSA) involvement whose lesions were either stable or refractory to therapy for at least 8 weeks enrolled in an open-label pilot study. Tazarotene 0.1% gel was applied to MF lesions once daily for 24 weeks. Continued concomitant use of other medications such as low- to mid-potency topical corticosteroids was permitted for the alleviation of skin irritation. Global improvement, overall disease severity, percent BSA involvement, and pruritus were evaluated every 4 weeks. Up to 6 index lesions were followed up for area, plaque elevation, scaling, and erythema scores. Skin biopsy specimens were to be taken at baseline, week 8, and week 24. Evaluable specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, CD8 antibody, and CD45RO antibody. Results In all, 20 patients enrolled, 19 received treatment, and 16 completed at least 4 weeks of topical treatment. By intent-to-treat analysis, 11 of 19 patients (58%) achieved at least a moderate (>50%) global improvement in BSA, and 35% of 99 index lesions cleared completely. Significant reductions (mean differences) were also found in the median lesional area score (−37, P = .0013), mean plaque elevation score (−.67, P = .016), mean scaling (−0.70, P = .033), and mean erythema score (−1.03, P = .002). Analysis of overall disease also disclosed statistical differences in percent of change for BSA involvement of 22% ( P = .013) and of mean overall disease severity score of 34% ( P = .011). Of 19 patients, 16 (84%) experienced mild or moderate local skin irritation manifested by peeling, erythema, burning, and tenderness that was managed successfully with topical steroids or reducing the frequency of treatment. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry results showed reductions in lymphocytic infiltrates and percentage of CD45RO + lymphocytes, and increases in the percentage of CD8 + lymphocytes during the course of therapy. Conclusion In this small pilot study, tazarotene 0.1% gel was a well-tolerated and effective adjuvant topical for the treatment of refractory MF lesions by clinical and histologic assessments.
Multiplanar reconstruction as an aid in CT diagnosis

Multiplanar reconstructions of the orbit, brain, and spine were performed on 60 patients with a variety of disorders. They were thought to provide significant useful information in 22 cases, some useful information in 26 cases, and no useful information in 12 cases. It is suggested that on-line reconstruction is a useful adjunct to neurologic CT.
Fluorogenic sialic acid glycosides for quantification of sialidase activity upon unnatural substrates

Herein we report the synthesis of N-acetyl neuraminic acid derivatives as 4-methylumbelliferyl glycosides and their use in fluorometrically quantifying human and bacterial sialidase activity and substrate specificities. We found that sialidases in the human promyelocytic leukemic cell line HL60 were able to cleave sialic acid substrates with fluorinated C-5 modifications, in some cases to a greater degree than the natural N-acetyl functionality. Human sialidases isoforms were also able to cleave unnatural substrates with bulky and hydrophobic C-5 modifications. In contrast, we found that a bacterial sialidase isolated from Clostridium perfringens to be less tolerant of sialic acid derivatization at this position, with virtually no cleavage of these glycosides observed. From our results, we conclude that human sialidase activity is a significant factor in sialic acid metabolic glycoengineering efforts utilizing unnatural sialic acid derivatives. Our fluorogenic probes have enabled further understanding of the activities and substrate specificities of human sialidases in a cellular context.
Intermolecular force and energy operators. III

Semirelativistic force and energy operators for the interaction of molecules (with moving nuclei) are derived for intermediate range separations. These operators are accurate through all of the (α4mc2 or 1/c2) fine‐structural terms (but not the Lamb shift). The molecules interact by means of the internal electromagnetic fields which result from their charges, multipoles, and motions. Thus, the force on molecule a due to b is the generalized Lorentz force: QaE(i)(ra;b)+ (1/c)Ia×B(i)(ra;b), where Qa and Ia are the effective charge and current on a, while E(1)(ra;b) and B(i) (ra;b) are the internal fields of b at ra. It is shown that the interaction Hamiltonian Hab is minus the Lagrangian of the cross internal fields of a and b and can be expressed as Hab = QaQb[1/rab]− [1/c2]{Ia ⋅ Ib[1/rab]+ IaIb:[rabrab/rab3]}, where rab = ra−rb is the distance between the centers‐of‐mass. Both Qa and Ia are expressed in terms of the electric and magnetic multipole moments. To obtain full semirelavistic precision, the elec...
Having a Say: Agency and End-of-Life Decision-making in The Chaneysville Incident

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11606-010-1499-2 Discussion Questions: • What role might historical narratives (i.e. the legacy of slavery) play in shaping socio-cultural perspectives of death and dying among individuals? How might it provide insight into underutilization patterns of hospice, advance directives, and other end-of-life tools and practices among some populations? • What experiences could lead to the perception of discrimination among vulnerable patients facing the end of life? How might those perceptions impact their decision-making processes? • What modifiable structural conditions in health delivery systems or practices (or lack of such systems and resources) constrain an individual’s agency and capacity to “have a say” in not only how to live, but also to die as he or she would like?
GHF-1/Pit-1 Functions as a Cell-specific Integrator of Ras Signaling by Targeting the Ras Pathway to a Composite Ets-1/GHF-1 Response Element

Activation of the rat prolactin (rPRL) promoter by Ras is a prototypical example of tissue-specific transcriptional regulation in a highly differentiated cell type. Using a series of site-specific mutations and deletions of the proximal rPRL promoter we have mapped the major Ras/Raf response element (RRE) to a composite Ets-1/GHF-1 binding site located between positions -217 and -190. Mutation of either the Ets-1 or GHF-1 binding sites inhibits Ras and Raf activation of the rPRL promoter, and insertion of this RRE into the rat growth hormone promoter confers Ras responsiveness. We show that Ets-1 is expressed in GH4 cells and, consistent with their functional synergistic interaction, both Ets-1 and GHF-1 are able to bind specifically to this bipartite RRE. We confirm that Ets-1 or a related Ets factor is the nuclear target of the Ras pathway leading to activation of the rPRL promoter and demonstrate that Elk-1 and Net do not mediate the Ras response. Thus, the pituitary-specific POU homeodomain transcription factor, GHF-1, serves as a cell-specific signal integrator by functionally interacting with an Ets-1-like factor, at uniquely juxtaposed binding sites, thereby targeting an otherwise ubiquitous Ras signaling pathway to a select subset of cell-specific GHF-1-dependent genes.
Editorial: Special issue on real-time wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks represent a new generation of distributed embedded systems with a broad range of real-time applications. Examples include medical care, emergency response, wild fire monitoring, and border surveillance. Such systems must achieve real-time performance under severe resource constraints and environmental dynamics. Real-time wireless sensor networks challenge many classical approaches to real-time computing. The special issue consists of three high-quality research papers selected from twenty three submissions. Their research contributions address a diverse set of new real-time issues in wireless sensor networks spanning hardware platforms, network protocols, and real-time scheduling. Mangharam, Rowe, and Rajkumar present FireFly, an integrated hardware and software platform for real-time streaming over wireless sensor networks. FireFly employs a cross-layer architecture comprised of hardware-support for global time synchronization, a collision-free TDMA link layer, and transmission scheduling algorithms tailored for real-time streaming. The effectiveness of FireFly was demonstrated in a 42-node network that achieved sub-20 μs synchronization accuracy for people-tracking and voice communication in a coal mine. Moser, Brunelli, Thiele, and Benini investigate real-time processor scheduling for wireless sensor networks. Many real-time wireless sensor networks must achieve real-time performance over extremely long lifetimes. While energy harvesting has shown promise as an enabling technology for long-running wireless sensor networks,
Development of secondary pine forests after pine wilt disease in western Japan

The development of secondary Pinus densiflora (Japanese red pine) forests after pine wilt disease was studied through phytosociological analysis, estimation of forest struc- ture before disease and size-structure, tree ring and stem analyses. Following the end of the disease, the growth of previously suppressed small oak trees was accelerated. This is quite different from the development of forests following fire, which starts with the establishment of pine seedlings. Pine wilt disease shifted the dominance of secondary forests from Pinus densiflora to Quercus serrata oak forest. In pine forests, disturbance by fire is important for forest maintenance. In contrast, disturbance by pine wilt disease leads to an accelera- tion of succession from pine forest to oak forest.
Suggestions For Successfully Establishing A University Selling Center

The authors describe the multiple benefits a university selling center offers to students, faculty members, administrators, and the general business community. The seven essential steps in first establishing a university selling center are addressed: find a champion, obtain the support of administration, find a white knight, establish a board of advisors, develop a mission, develop a facilities and technology plan, and develop the sales curriculum. In discussing these steps, the authors present both their experiences and discuss the literature in these areas. The authors also discuss what one should do after the selling center is established and future needs that a selling center might address.
Paleozoic Facies from the Miogeosynclinal to the Eugeosynclinal Belt in Thrust Slices, Central Nevada

The Toquima Range, in the center of Nevada, has a remarkable set of thrust sheets of Paleozoic rocks that are displaced by Tertiary high-angle faults; these are mapped and described. Stratigraphically, the sequences in the successive slices when reconstructed show that the lower Ordovician rocks graded progressively from carbonate rocks on the east to argillites with volcanic interbeds on the west; clean quartzites in the latter must have originated to the east and been carried along the depositional trough. Upper Ordovician and Silurian rocks show an island belt of little or no subsidence between a carbonate trough on the east that subsided a mile or so, and an argillite- and chert-bearing belt on the west. The Ordovician stratigraphy is notable in having a fine section of early medial Ordovician fossiliferous carbonate rocks, the type section of the “Whiterock stage,” and representative graptolite zone successions in more westerly slices. Silurian has graptolite-bearing shales in several sequences, some carbonate rocks in the easterly ones. The Devonian limestones are notable in having brachiopods such as Septatrypa, Dubaria, and “Vagrania,” distinctive of Gedinnian in central Europe, previously unrecognized in North America; in the section of greatest span of disconformity, Devonian rocks lie on low Ordovician rocks. The western belts show angular unconformity of Carboniferous sediments on lower Paleozoic rocks; as Carboniferous rocks are cut by thrusts, at least two times of orogeny are indicated. The area is not suited to determination of the time of emplacement of the allochthon, lower Paleozoic argillite-chert-volcanic rocks, on parautochthonous and autoch-thonous sequences, but the more westerly thrusts are younger than those separating the more easterly slices. The thrust faults require crustal shortening of scores of miles although not necessarily in the basement; the implications of crustal gliding are considered.
Electromagnetically Induced Transparency in an Integrated Rubidium Vapor Cell

Electromagnetically induced transparency in rubidium atoms on a waveguide-based silicon chip is demonstrated. A transparency of 12% is achieved with a coupling laser power of 133µW. Further improvements by modified waveguide design are discussed.
Role of Lumican in the Corneal Epithelium during Wound Healing

Lumican regulates collagenous matrix assembly as a keratan sulfate proteoglycan in the cornea and is also present in the connective tissues of other organs and embryonic corneal stroma as a glycoprotein. In normal unwounded cornea, lumican is expressed by stromal keratocytes. Our data show that injured mouse corneal epithelium ectopically and transiently expresses lumican during the early phase of wound healing, suggesting a potential lumican functionality unrelated to regulation of collagen fibrillogenesis,e.g. modulation of epithelial cell adhesion or migration. An anti-lumican antibody was found to retard corneal epithelial wound healing in cultured mouse eyes. Healing of a corneal epithelial injury in Lum −/− mice was significantly delayed compared with Lum +/− mice. These observations indicate that lumican expressed in injured epithelium may modulate cell behavior such as adhesion or migration, thus contributing to corneal epithelial wound healing.
Enabling autonomous underwater vehicles to reason hypothetically

In this paper, we report on work that applies a form of artificial intelligence (AI) to autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) operations. Called “language-centered intelligence” (LCI), this form of AI uses hypothetical reasoning to build contingency plans that enable AUVs to proactively anticipate changes in mission circumstance. After describing the control architecture we have used to embed LCI in our fleet of AUVs, we present an application of LCI to the problem of vehicle loss. The specific solution to this problem operates at two levels. It is assumed that a standard replacement approach will be used to direct vehicle replacement in normal circumstances, while a higher-level, so-called “imagination” replacement approach that uses LCI will direct replacement in more extraordinary circumstances. First, though, what differentiates normal from extraordinary circumstances must be identified. Preliminary results from an experiment designed to distinguish normal from extraordinary replacement circumstances are presented.
Comparison of a Mindful Eating Intervention to a Diabetes Self-Management Intervention Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Mindful eating may be an effective intervention for increasing awareness of hunger and satiety cues, improving eating regulation and dietary patterns, reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, and promoting weight loss. Diabetes self-management education (DSME), which addresses knowledge, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations for improving food choices, also may be an effective intervention for diabetes self-care. Yet few studies have compared the impact of mindful eating to a DSME-based treatment approach on patient outcomes. Adults 35 to 65 years old with type 2 diabetes for ≥1 year not requiring insulin therapy were recruited from the community and randomly assigned to treatment group. The impact of a group-based 3-month mindful eating intervention (MB-EAT-D; n = 27) to a group-based 3-month DSME "Smart Choices" (SC) intervention (n = 25) postintervention and at 3-month follow-up was evaluated. Repeated-measures ANOVA with contrast analysis compared change in outcomes across time. There was no significant difference between groups in weight change. Significant improvement in depressive symptoms, outcome expectations, nutrition and eating-related self-efficacy, and cognitive control and disinhibition of control regarding eating behaviors occurred for both groups (all p < .0125) at 3-month follow-up. The SC group had greater increase in nutrition knowledge and self-efficacy than the MB-EAT-D group (all p < .05) at 3-month follow-up. MB-EAT-D had significant increase in mindfulness, whereas the SC group had significant increase in fruit and vegetable consumption at study end (all p < .0125). Both SC and MB-EAT-D were effective treatments for diabetes self-management. The availability of mindful eating and DSME-based approaches offers patients greater choices in meeting their self-care needs.
Strain‐induced crystallization, Part III: Theory

A nucleation theory for strain-induced crystallization is formulated to explain and to predict the effects of molecular strain on crystallization kinetics and crystallite size. Unlike any current theories that have based their formulations on some assumed extended-chain line nuclei or folded-chain crystals, the present theory avoids all assumptions concerning the crystal morphology. It is based on experimental findings which indicate limited crystal growth in the strain direction, following a reciprocal dependence of crystal thickness on supercooling ΔT. (ΔT = T, − T, where the equilibrium melting temperature, T, is a variable dependent on degree of molecular strain prior to strain-induced crystallization.) It is predicted that the logarithm of the nucleation rate, No, is dependent on (T)2/T(ΔT) or T/T(ΔT), and that the critical nucleus thickness l*o is shown to be proportional to T/ΔT. In addition, expressions are also presented, including examples, to show the dependence of No, l*o and Tom on degree of molecular strain, ϵ, or melt entropy reduction, Δs′. Our analysis predicts that, on comparing a polyethylene crystallized in the presence of strain to one crystallized in the absence of strain at 130°C, an increase in “coil” dimension of less than about 50 percent can bring about a 104 fold increase in heterogeneous nucleation rate, a 30–40 percent reduction in critical nucleus thickness and a 10°C increase in equilibrium melting temperature. These results will be discussed and compared with available experimental evidence.
Acetate transiently inhibits myocardial contraction by increasing mitochondrial calcium uptake.

Background There is a close relationship between cardiovascular disease and cardiac energy metabolism, and we have previously demonstrated that palmitate inhibits myocyte contraction by increasing Kv channel activity and decreasing the action potential duration. Glucose and long chain fatty acids are the major fuel sources supporting cardiac function; however, cardiac myocytes can utilize a variety of substrates for energy generation, and previous studies demonstrate the acetate is rapidly taken up and oxidized by the heart. In this study, we tested the effects of acetate on contractile function of isolated mouse ventricular myocytes.