cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Argon-40/Argon-39 Age Spectra of Apollo 17 Highlands Breccia Samples by Laser Step Heating and the Age of the Serenitatis Basin

We have obtained high-resolution (21-63 steps) Ar-40/Ar-39 age spectra using a continuous laser system on 19 submilligram samples of melt rocks and clasts from Apollo 17 samples collected from the pre-Imbrian highlands in the easternmost part of the Serenitatis basin. The samples include poikilitic melt rocks inferred to have been formed in the Serenitatis basin-forming impact, aphanitic melt rock whose compositions vary and whose provenance is uncertain, and granulite, gabbro, and melt clasts. Three of the poikilitic melts have similar age spectrum plateau ages (72395,96, 3893 +/- 16 Ma (2sigma); 72535,7, 3887 +/- 16 Ma; 76315,150, 3900 +/- 16 Ma) with a weighted mean age of 3893 +/- 9 Ma, which we interpret as the best age for the Serenitatis basin- forming impact. Published Ar-40/Ar-39 age spectrum ages of Apollo 17 poikilitic melts are consistent with our new age but are much less precise. Two poikilitic melts did not give plateaus and the maxima in their age spectra indicate ages of greater than or equal to 3869 Ma (72558,7) and greater than or equal to 3743 Ma (77135,178). Plateau ages of two poikilitic melts and two gabbro clasts from 73155 range from 3854 +/- 16 Ma to 3937 +/- 16 Ma and have probably been affected by the ubiquitous (older?) clasts and by post- formation heating (impact) events. Plateau ages from two of the aphanitic melt 'blobs' and two granulites in sample 72255 fall in the narrow range of 3850 q 16 Ma to 3869 q 16 Ma with a weighted mean of 3862 +/- 8 Ma. Two of the aphanitic melt blobs from 72255 have ages of 3883 +/- 16 Ma and greater than or equal to 3894 Ma, whereas a poikilitic melt clast (of different composition from the 'Serenitatis' melts) has an age of 3835 +/- 16 Ma, which is the upper limit for the accretion of 72255. These data suggest that either the aphanitic melts vary in age, as is also suggested by their varying chemical compositions, or they formed in the 72255 accretionary event about 3.84-3.85 Ga and older relict material is responsible for the dispersion of ages. In any case the aphanitic melts do not appear to be Serenitatis products. Our age for the Serenitatis impact shows, on the basis of the isotopic age evidence alone, that Serenitatis is greater than 20-25 Ma and probably greatr than 55-60 Ma older than Imbrium (less than or equal to 3870 Ma and probably less than or equal to 3836 Ma (Dalrymple and Ryder, 19931). Noritic granulite sample 78527 has a plateau age of 4146 +/- 17 Ma, representing a minimum age for cooling of this sample in the early lunar crust. So far there is no convincing evidence in the lunar melt rock record for basin-forming impacts significantly older than 3.9 Ga.
Optimization of multiwire coil ends having 45 degree bends

Multiwire is the name of a proprietary process for affixing small-diameter wires to a flat substrate using digitally controlled machinery. It is currently being used to wind trim coils for the SSC (Superconducting Super Collider) dipoles on a flexible substrate which is wrapped around the beam tube. The current multiwire process does not permit a change in direction of the wire other than 45 degrees . The author investigates the location of 45 degrees bends in the flattened coil along straight lines in such a way as to eliminate or reduce higher harmonics in the ends. >
Microbial learning lessons: SFB educate the immune system.

Segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) contribute to immune-system maturation. In this issue of Immunity, Goto et al. (2014) and Lecuyer et al. (2014) provide evidence for how SFB induce antigen-specific T helper 17 cells and promote development of adaptive immunity at discrete mucosal sites.
Extrusion and melt spinning characteristics of thermally degraded polypropylene

A basic study of the influence of thermal degradation of polypropylene on its extrudate swell and melt spinning characteristics is reported. The degradation reduces swell, changes the shape of the spinline diameter/velocity profile (i.e., the spinline apparent elongational viscosity function), and stabilizes the melt spinning process. The importance of molecular weight distribution narrowing during the degradation process is noted in these studies.
Patient selection for primary laryngotracheal separation as treatment of chronic aspiration in the impaired child

Abstract Chronic aspiration in the neurologically impaired child is associated with significant medical and social complications. Traditional surgical management has often relied on tracheotomy. This may well fail to control aspiration. The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine which neurologically impaired children would benefit from a laryngotracheal separation (LTS), as opposed to tracheotomy, as the primary surgical procedure to control chronic salivary aspiration. Patient selection was based on neurologic status, verbal communication ability, likelihood of neurologic recovery, and failure of previous treatments to control aspiration. Nineteen neurologically impaired children aged 8–172 months with chronic salivary aspiration underwent LTS. A total of 73.6% of these patients had prior tracheotomies, yet they continued to aspirate. Two early and three late complications were noted. No instances of fistula formation were noted. There were no deaths related to complications of the surgery or persistent aspiration. Follow-up 1–62 months after surgery demonstrated that complete control of the aspiration was achieved in all of these children. Two of the children who had achieved verbal communication prior to the procedure lost this ability. Improved general health and ability to resume oral intake was noted in all patients. This, combined with a decrease in the need of frequent suctioning, was felt by the families of these children to be a major improvement in the quality of life. Laryngotracheal separation appears to be a simple and effective means of controlling chronic aspiration. It should be considered as a primary treatment of aspiration in the properly selected child with neurologic disease.
Single tile-fiber unit of SDC calorimeter

Abstract The SDC collaboration for one of the SSC experiments has decided to use the tile-fiber system as the active medium of the calorimeter. Using commercially available scintillating plates and wave shifting fibers, the light output and radiation damage have been measured. The uniformity is within 5%, except near the edges for tiles of sizes 10 cm × 10 cm and 25 cm × 25 cm. The tested tile-fiber systems with radiation damage of up to 10 megarads retain their uniformity. The loss of light is about 15% for one megarad. Most scintillators and fibers are similar to each other, with variation in radiation damage of 10% to 20%. Light output increases approximately linearly with the diameter of the fiber. Radiation damage is less for tiles with multiple fibers.
Oxidation of sulfur dioxide in a trickle-bed reactor

Abstract Interaction of mass transport and reaction processes in three-phase reactors can cause unusual behavior. In trickle-bed reactors, gas—liquid and liquid—particle mass transfer, and partial wetting of the catalyst outer surface, as well as intraparticle diffusion and reaction, can affect the global reaction rate. For example, the reaction rate has a minimum value at an intermediate liquid flow rate. Trickle-bed data for the reaction between oxygen, sulfur dioxide, and liquid water in a bed of activated carbon particles are shown to exhibit this behavior. Also, a method is presented for analyzing experimental, integral reactor data to determine rate parameters, including the wetting fraction in trickle beds.
Relating reflection boundaries in x-ray fiber diffraction patterns to specimen morphology and their use for intensity measurement

Abstract A description of reflection boundaries in x-ray diffraction patterns from oriented and polycrystalline polymer specimens is developed. The description is based on mosaic parameters that characterize the disorientation and crystallite size in the specimen and is independent of the exact reflection shapes. This description is part of a previously described method for measuring integrated intensities from such diffraction patterns. The reliability of the method is assessed using both numerical simulations and measurements from an x-ray fiber diffraction pattern. A method for estimating the mosaic parameters from a diffraction pattern is also described. The relevance to diffraction patterns from non-crystalline oriented polymers is also discussed.
Construction of an advanced taxane synthesis intermediate with an oxygenated B-ring and a non-aromatic C-ring through intramolecular pinacol coupling at C-1C-2

Abstract Advanced taxane synthesis intermediate 4 is available through a thirteen-step sequence wherein the key step is a stereoselective intramolecular pinacol coupling that joins C-1C-2 within the eight-membered B-ring.
The effect of welfare guarantees on children's educational attainment

Abstract This paper addresses the question of whether higher welfare benefit levels help or hurt poor children in the long run. The effect of the AFDC guarantee on the number of years of schooling children completed by 1985 is examined with longitudinal survey data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. The findings indicate that higher AFDC guarantees available to children following the separation of their parents are associated with higher educational attainment. The findings suggest that, rather than creating a negative environment for children, welfare is used by the family in positive ways as are other resources available to the family, such as the family's own income and help from friends and relatives. The overall effect of the welfare guarantee is due mainly to the impact of the guarantee on increasing the likelihood that children complete 1 to 4 years of postsecondary school.
Children's Attribution of Negative Traits to Authority Figures as a Function of Family Size and Sex

S~mmary.-Attitudes toward authority were measured in 196 first through fourth grade students with a semi-projective test. It was found that boys (N = 105) had more negative attitudes coward authority than girls (N = 91). Boys from large families had more negative attitudes than males from small families. No relationship between attitudes toward authority and family size was found for girls. The findings suggest that the social learning experiences accompanying large family life produce more negative perceptions of authority. Many variables influence a child's early learning experiences. One of the more important of these is family size. There is considerable empirical evidence demonstrating that differences in family size are associated with many childhood and adult personality characteristics. Although one might speculate that increases in family size should be associated with greater socialization and higher frequencies of desirable personality characcerisrics, the bulk of the empirical evidence indicates that increases in family size are associated with increases in personal and social maladjustment. Nye (1952) and Hawkes, Burchinal, and Gardner (1958) found that children from large families have less favorable relationships with their parents and peers than do children from small families. Bonney (1944) reported that children from large families were less popular with their peers and enjoyed fewer social successes. Lessing and Oberlander (1967) and Sewell and Haller (1956) found that increases in family size were associated with increases in personality maladjustment. The poorer personal and social adjustment of children from large families may be related to the disciplinary techniques and general child-rearing practices characteristic of the large family. Elder and Bowerman (1963) found that parents of large families were more likely to rely on physical punishment as a discipline technique and were less likely to use verbal rewards and praise. They also reported that the father was more likely to be the chief disciplinarian in large families. Elder (1962) observed that parents of large families were more likely to use authoritarian or autocratic techniques in child rearing. He also found that children reared in autocratic homes tend to feel unwanted and are unaffectionate toward their parents. The authoritarian or autccratic child-rearing techniques that characterize the large family, the greater role of the facher in discipline, the greater reliance on physical punishments, and the poorer social and personal adjustment of the child in a large family suggest that such a child will hold more negative attitudes toward authority than will a child from a small family. The present study tested
Scaleable catalytic asymmetric Strecker syntheses of unnatural α-amino acids

Alpha-amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and are widely used as components of medicinally active molecules and chiral catalysts. Efficient chemo-enzymatic methods for the synthesis of enantioenriched alpha-amino acids have been developed, but it is still a challenge to obtain non-natural amino acids. Alkene hydrogenation is broadly useful for the enantioselective catalytic synthesis of many classes of amino acids, but it is not possible to obtain alpha-amino acids bearing aryl or quaternary alkyl alpha-substituents using this method. The Strecker synthesis-the reaction of an imine or imine equivalent with hydrogen cyanide, followed by nitrile hydrolysis-is an especially versatile chemical method for the synthesis of racemic alpha-amino acids. Asymmetric Strecker syntheses using stoichiometric amounts of a chiral reagent have been applied successfully on gram-to-kilogram scales, yielding enantiomerically enriched alpha-amino acids. In principle, Strecker syntheses employing sub-stoichiometric quantities of a chiral reagent could provide a practical alternative to these approaches, but the reported catalytic asymmetric methods have seen limited use on preparative scales (more than a gram). The limited utility of existing catalytic methods may be due to several important factors, including the relatively complex and precious nature of the catalysts and the requisite use of hazardous cyanide sources. Here we report a new catalytic asymmetric method for the syntheses of highly enantiomerically enriched non-natural amino acids using a simple chiral amido-thiourea catalyst to control the key hydrocyanation step. This catalyst is robust, without sensitive functional groups, so it is compatible with aqueous cyanide salts, which are safer and easier to handle than other cyanide sources; this makes the method adaptable to large-scale synthesis. We have used this new method to obtain enantiopure amino acids that are not readily prepared by enzymatic methods or by chemical hydrogenation.
Tunable wavelength interrogated sensor platform (TWIST) for point-of-care diagnostics of infectious diseases

The TWIST platform is an optical evanescent wave sensor which enables a label-free immunoassay-based portable instrument. The approach is based on input grating coupler sensors serving as functionalized sensing devices. Binding of the target analyte to the receptor-coated grating is detected by wavelength interrogation in the telecom spectral range. We have demonstrated that high performance volumetric sensing can be achieved using a compact, low-cost telecom laser as light source. The system footprint including light source, detectors and digitizers is compact. The platform is amenable to multiplexed operation. We demonstrated a two-output system which enables detection of an analyte with an on-chip reference signal.
Hyperthermia classic commentary: 'Arrhenius relationships from the molecule and cell to the clinic' by William Dewey, Int. J. Hyperthermia, 10:457-483, 1994

To the editorThe motivation for writing the above referenced article [1] resulted from the need to establish a thermal dose concept that could be used for quantifying hyperthermic effects reported ...
Interactions between cellular proteins and morphologically different nanoscale aggregates of small molecules

Depending on the methods of preparation, amphiphilic small molecules aggregate to form nanostructures with different morphologies that interact with cytosol proteins in a drastically different manner, thus illustrating the first example of morphologically dependent protein binding of nanoscale molecular aggregates.
Contextual Priming and Applicability: Implications for Ad Attitude and Brand Evaluations

Prior research has found that advertising contextual information can affect how consumers evaluate the target ad as well as the brand. This study extends the existing research by investigating how the immediate and longterm effects of contextual priming on ad attitudes and brand evaluations may differ due to the low or high applicability of the contexts to the advertised brand. Results in the first experiment revealed significant interactions between context and applicability, while results from the second experiment indicated that, after a delay, context had significant main effects on ad attitude and brand evaluations regardless of the applicability levels. These findings have both theoretical and managerial implications.
Human Development as Transcendence of the Animal Body and the Child-Animal Association in Psychological Thought

This paper explores the association of children and animals as an element in Western culture's symbolic universe. Three historical discourses found in the West associate animality with immaturity and growing up with the transcendence of this condition. The discourses differ in how they describe and evaluate the original animal-like condition of the child versus the socialized end product. All, however, tend to distinguish sharply between the human and the nonhuman. This paper explores expressions of this tendency in developmental theories that set as the criterion of maturity the actualization of some capacity that is believed to set humans apart from animals. Seeing relationships with animals as marginally important in human development and life is a consequence of these assumptions. Simultaneously, these assumptions also marginalize the body. This constitutes a dual renunciation of body and animal, criticized for its effects both on inquiry and on our realization of the roles and values of nonhuman animals in development. Such research can help reveal the self-organizing nature of the human animal body.
ABNORMAL MEMBRANE DEPOLARIZATION IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF THE CHEMOTACTIC DEFECT IN NEONATAL PMNS

Although a number of investigators have reported that neonatal PMNs have a profound defect in chemotaxis, almost nothing is known about the pathogenesis of this disorder. In the present study we have examined membrane depolarization and calcium requirements for chemotaxis in neonatal and adult PMNs. Suspension of adult PMNs in calcium deprived media resulted in a decreased chemotactic response to FMLP (19% inhibition; p<0.05). Incubation of adult PMNs with the calcium channel blocking agent verapamil also significantly impaired chemotaxis (32% inhibition p<0.001). In marked contrast, the neonatal PMN demonstrated an enhanced chemotactic response when suspended in calcium deprived media (26% increase; p<0.05) and after incubation with verapamil (57% increase; p<0.001), suggesting that inhibitory levels of intracellular calcium might already exist. Adult and cord blood PMN membrane potential changes in response to FMLP were also studied using the membrane potential-sensitive dye, 3-3' dipenty-loxacarbocyanine and a spectrofluorescence assay. Adult PMNs showed a marked increase in fluorescence emission in response to FMLP (32% increase; p<0.001) indicating significant depolarization of the cell membrane. In contrast, FMLP stimulation of neonatal PMNS failed to evoke any significant change in fluorescence and, thus, membrane potential changes. These data suggest that altered intracellular calcium metabolism may exist in the neonatal PMN, preventing normal membrane depolarization from occurring.
The risk of ischemic stroke in major rheumatic disorders

Rheumatic disorders (RD) are a range of conditions associated with inflammation of joints and connective tissue. They can manifest beyond the musculoskeletal system. Recent focus has been placed on the association of ischemic stroke with these conditions. Traditional vascular risk factors seem to be more prevalent in patients with certain types of RD than in the general population, but these factors do not fully explain the enhanced vascular risk in this population. Four major RD will be discussed in terms of their relationship with ischemic stroke: rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis.
The San Ysidro massacre: A community response to tragedy

On the afternoon of July 18, 1984, James Oliver Huberty, a forty-one year old unemployed welder, walked into a McDonald's fast food restaurant in San Ysidro, California. He was armed with a twelve gauge shotgun, a semi-automatic pistol, a nine millimeter Uzi semi-automatic rifle and a load of ammunition. Soon after entering the restaurant he pulled out the shotgun and killed one of the employees. Then he shouted "Everybody down!" and began spraying bullets throughout the store. After more than forty minutes of terror a police sharp shooter killed Huberty. Twenty-one people lay dead, fifteen were injured. Most of the victims were Mexican-American residents of the border town of San Ysidro or Mexicans from nearby Tijuana, Mexico. This tragic event was the largest mass murder in American history. This is a survey of the social and political impact of the San Ysidro massacre on the local Mexican and Mexican-American communities. The psychological and public health dimensions of this event have been part of a larger study being concluded by a research team headed by Professors Ramon Valle, Bill Vega, and Richard Hough. Here I want to focus mainly on the public community responses to the tragedy from the point of view of social history. San Ysidro's community response to the tragedy reflected the particular dynamics of its status as a marginal ethnic enclave within the City of San Diego. For many years one of the main themes in the history of this U.S. border town had been its neglect by the city administration. Until July 1984, San Ysidro was a forgotten village. In one day the massacre brought unprecedented public attention to San Ysidro and politicized large segments of the local population. The tragedy insured that San Diego would not soon forget its ethnic border town.
Precommitting to Serve the Underserved

In many countries worldwide, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, a shortage of physicians limits the provision of lifesaving interventions. One existing strategy to increase the number of physicians in areas of critical shortage is conditioning medical school scholarships on a precommitment to work in medically underserved areas later. Current practice is usually to demand only one year of service for each year of funded studies. We show the effectiveness of scholarships conditional on such precommitment for increasing physician supplies in underserved areas. Then we defend these scholarships against ethical worries that they constitute slavery contracts; rely on involuntary, biased, or unauthorized early consent by a young signatory; put excessive strains on signed commitments; give rise to domination; and raise suspicion of slavery contracts. Importantly, we find that scholarships involving far longer commitment than current practice allows would also withstand these worries. Policymakers should consider introducing conditional scholarships, including long-term versions, as a means to increasing the supply of physicians to medically underserved areas.
Extraction of transceiver die pin capacitance using S-parameter de-embedding technique with distributed circuit modeling

This paper discusses the characterization of bare die transceivers capacitance using return loss measurement from Vector Network Analyzer. The die transceivers capacitance is extracted from the return loss measurement using de-embedding techniques [1] with distributed circuit modeling. An equivalent distributed circuit of the transceiver was modeled and the simulation results of the model were compared with the extracted measurement results. The die pin capacitance was then extracted based on measurements and simulated results.
Problems in validating allegations of sexual abuse. Part 1: Factors affecting perception and recall of events.

Abstract Child psychiatrists, pediatricians, and child mental health professionals are concerned by a deluge of referrals requesting evaluation of young children in regard to allegations of sexual abuse. Accurately evaluating an allegation of sexual abuse in a young child is always very difficult and time consuming. This paper explores some of the developmental and emotional factors that influence a child's perception of events. The authors discuss some factors that may lead to a false memory or report of such events. They believe it essential that persons doing these evaluations possess the requisite skills and experience.
Further results on asset pricing with incomplete information

Abstract This paper extends the analysis of asset pricing when information is incomplete by relaxing some of the restrictive assumptions of the Gaussian model studied earlier in the literature. For the information structure considered, the posterior beliefs of the investor (the conditional distribution of the current state given the past observations) are characterized by two sets of sufficient statistics implementable in the form of a filter, (i) the vector of conditional means and (ii) a set of sufficient statistics for the conditional variance-covariance matrix. A separation theorem is demonstrated and used to produce a closed-form solution for the interest rate process when the investor's utility function is logarithmic. In this context we examine the informational efficiency properties of the interest rate and analyze the stochastic shifts in the volatility of the interest rate process.
JUDGMENT POLICIES USED IN ASSESSING ENTERPRISE‐ZONE ECONOMIC SUCCESS CRITERIA*

This paper reports on a study of the issue relationships and priorities used by public officials in making local economic-development policy decisions. Economic success criteria for evaluating distressed areas were compared and were found to vary in importance among officials. Policy bases of expert judges were determined. Their differences, as well as the implications of including this type of knowledge in the decision-making process, are discussed. Recommendations for a more detailed understanding of the public-policy decision process in economic development, through the use of a policy-capture approach, are made.
AIR QUALITY CONTROL MODEL COMBINING DATA ON MORBIDITY AND POLLUTION ABATEMENT

A pollution damage function is developed, using data from a study on the sensitivity of morbidity to ambient air concentrations of individual pollutants. This function is used in a model which incorporates the costs and technology for pollution abatement in the St. Louis Airshed. A set of air quality standards is determined which minimizes morbidity subject to a given control budget constraint. The results indicate that there should be a greater reduction of the pollutants associated with stationary sources than of those characteristic of the automobile.
Cardiac effects of insulin, glucose, and potassium.

Glucose-insulin-potassium (G.I.P.) infusions have been recommended as a useful adjunct to the management of severe congestive heart failure. Ten patients with cardiac disease underwent a diagnostic cardiac catheterization. Pressures and cardiac output were obtained prior to and immediately after the 10 minute infusion of a mixture containing 50 grams of glucose, 10 mEq of potassium and 20 units of insulin. (Table: see text). G.I.P. infusions can increase the cardiac index. This is due to a combined effect of volume expansion and catecholamine stimulation.
Effect of Basal Conditions on the Magnitude and Dynamics of the Blood Oxygenation Level-Dependent fMRI Response:

The effect of the basal cerebral blood flow (CBF) on both the magnitude and dynamics of the functional hemodynamic response in humans has not been fully investigated. Thus, the hemodynamic response to visual stimulation was measured using blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in human subjects in a 7-T magnetic field under different basal conditions: hypocapnia, normocapnia, and hypercapnia. Hypercapnia was induced by inhalation of a 5% carbon dioxide gas mixture and hypocapnia was produced by hyperventilation. As the fMRI baseline signal increased linearly with expired CO2 from hypocapnic to hypercapnic levels, the magnitude of the BOLD response to visual stimulation decreased linearly. Measures of the dynamics of the visually evoked BOLD response (onset time, full-width-at-half-maximum, and time-to-peak) increased linearly with the basal fMRI signal and the end-tidal CO2 level. The basal CBF level, modulated by the arterial partial pressure of CO2, signifi...
Treatment of Unsuspected Meningococcal Disease |[bull]| 390

Background: Children with meningococcal disease may present with fever alone, without clinical toxicity or specific signs, and may inadvertently be treated as outpatients because meningococcal disease is unsuspected. It is unknown whether outpatient antibiotic therapy prevents sequelae of unsuspected meningococcal disease (UMD).
Lack of Sulfur Amino Acid Sparing Effect with Ammonium Sulfate and Sodium Sulfate in Laying Hen Diets

Abstract An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of ammonium sulfate and sodium sulfate additions to low-methionine diets for laying hens. In the first series, a 14% protein diet was fed at 0.45, 0.50, 0.55 and 0.60% total dietary sulfur amino acid levels. There were no significant differences in egg production rates, egg weight or feed conversions which could be attributed to the sulfate supplements. Regression analyses of methionine plus cystine intakes vs. egg yields produced highly significant correlation coefficients. Slope-ratio analyses of the two series indicated that the effect of methionine supplementation on egg yield was reduced by 12% in the presence of dietary ammonium sulfate. Similar analyses of plasma levels of sulfur amino acids suggest that the methionine supplements were 11% less effective for this criterion in the presence of dietary ammonium sulfate. The feeding of sodium sulfate did not reduce the dietary levels of sulfur amino acids required for optimum performance.
Mechanisms of Dyspnea

The mechanisms and pathways of the sensation of dyspnea are incompletely understood, but recent studies have provided some clarification. Studies of patients with cord transection or polio, induced spinal anesthesia, or induced respiratory muscle paralysis indicate that activation of the respiratory muscles is not essential for the perception of dyspnea. Similarly, reflex chemostimulation by CO2 causes dyspnea, even in the presence of respiratory muscle paralysis or cord transection, indicating that reflex chemoreceptor stimulation per se is dyspnogenic. Sensory afferents in the vagus nerves have been considered to be closely associated with dyspnea, but the data were conflicting. However, recent studies have provided evidence of pulmonary vagal C-fiber involvement in the genesis of dyspnea, and recent animal data provide a basis to reconcile differences in responses to various C-fiber stimuli, based on the ganglionic origin of the C fibers. Brain imaging studies have provided information on central pathways subserving dyspnea: Dyspnea is associated with activation of the limbic system, especially the insular area. These findings permit a clearer understanding of the mechanisms of dyspnea: Afferent information from reflex stimulation of the peripheral sensors (chemoreceptors and/or vagal C fibers) is processed centrally in the limbic system and sensorimotor cortex and results in increased neural output to the respiratory muscles. A perturbation in the ventilatory response due to weakness, paralysis, or increased mechanical load generates afferent information from vagal receptors in the lungs (and possibly mechanoreceptors in the respiratory muscles) to the sensorimotor cortex and results in the sensation of dyspnea.
A Bayesian approach to microwave precipitation profile retrieval

A multichannel passive microwave precipitation retrieval algorithm is developed. Bayes theorem is used to combine statistical information from numerical cloud models with forward radiative transfer modeling. A multivariate lognormal prior probability distribution contains the covariance information about hydrometeor distribution that resolves the nonuniqueness inherent in the inversion process. Hydrometeor profiles are retrieved by maximizing the posterior probability density for each vector of observations. The hydrometeor profile retrieval method is tested with data from the Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (10, 19, 37, and 85 GHz) of convection over ocean and land in Florida. The CP-2 multiparameter radar data are used to verify the retrieved profiles. The results show that the method can retrieve approximate hydrometeor profiles, with larger errors over land than water. There is considerably greater accuracy in the retrieval of integrated hydrometeor contents than of profiles. Many of the retrieval errors are traced to problems with the cloud model microphysical information, and future improvements to the algorithm are suggested.
Incidence of advanced adenomas at surveillance colonoscopy in patients with a personal history of colon adenomas: a meta-analysis and systematic review.

Background Current guidelines stratify patients with a personal history of adenomas as low risk (ie, 1-2 small [ Objective Our purpose was to perform a meta-analysis about the incidence of advanced adenomas at 3-year surveillance colonoscopy among high- and low-risk patients. Methods Computer searches of MEDLINE, PREMEDLINE, and EMBASE were performed to identify appropriate studies. Study selection criteria were (1) study design—prospective or registry-based study, (2) study population—patients with a personal history of adenomas, and (3) intervention—completion of surveillance colonoscopy at an interval of ≥2 years. Data were extracted on (1) incidence of advanced adenomas at surveillance colonoscopy, (2) interval between colonoscopies, and (3) risk factors associated with recurrent adenomas. After the validity of study design was assessed and independent, duplicate data extraction was performed from selected trials, summary relative risks (RR) for the incidence of advanced adenomas at 3-year colonoscopy were calculated. Results Fifteen studies met study selection criteria, but only 5 studies stratified surveillance colonoscopy results according to findings at the index colonoscopy. Patients with ≥3 adenomas at index colonoscopy were more likely to have recurrent advanced adenomas than were patients with 1 to 2 adenomas: RR 2.52, 95% CI 1.07-5.97. Patients with adenomas with high-grade dysplasia at index colonoscopy were also at increased risk for recurrent advanced adenomas: RR 1.84, 95% CI 1.06-3.19. In the individual studies, increasing size of adenomas and increasing number of adenomas at index colonoscopy were the most commonly reported risk factors associated with recurrent advanced adenomas. No studies stratified surveillance colonoscopy results according to the definitions of low risk and high risk used in current guidelines. Conclusion Few published studies stratify the incidence of advanced adenomas at surveillance colonoscopy according to index colonoscopy findings. In the future, large prospective studies or studies using pooled data from existing ramdomized controlled trial databases or polyp registries should be used to better define which patients are at low risk for advanced adenoma recurrence.
Tactile recognition in infantile nephropathy cystinosis

Previous studies have demonstrated that individuals with cystinosis, an inherited metabolic disorder, have difficulty processing visual information, and may be selectively impaired in the ability to mentally rotate figures, despite having normal IQs and normal primary sensory function. In our novel task - the ‘Black Box’ - subjects identified objects solely by feeling the contours. Twenty-three subjects with cystinosis, aged 4 to 34 years, were individually matched with controls on age, sex, handedness, and test form. Subjects with cystinosis performed significantly worse in identifying objects than did controls. In addition, when only subjects over 7 years of age were included, those with cystinosis took significantly longer to correctly identify objects than did controls. Our findings suggest that individuals with cystinosis have difficulty with tactile recognition of common objects. These results support the hypothesis that a genetic disorder may have specific behavioral correlates.
Intraluminal release of serotonin during the interdigestive migrating complex in the canine small intestine.

Abstract Intraluminal release of serotonin (5-HT) was evaluated in relation to the interdigestive migrating complex (IMC) in the canine small intestine. Thiry-Vella loops (TVL) were constructed in the proximal jejunum of eight dogs. After recovery, the loops were continuously perfused with normal saline at 37°C and changes in intraluminal pressure recorded. For each 10-min period, a motility index (MI) was calculated using computer-assisted planimetry and expressed in mm 2 /10 min. Serotonin contents in the effluent perfusates were measured by radioimmunoassay. A characteristic phasic motor activity was recognized in the TVL with periods of rest or minimal activity (MI = 406 ± 45 mm 2 /10 min, Phase I) alternating with periods of vigorous activity (MI = 2082 ± 134 mm 2 /10 min, Phases II and III). Serotonin was constantly found in the effluent perfusates in relatively high concentration, but 5-HT levels did not vary significantly with intestinal activity; levels averaged 120 ± 19 ng/ml during Phase I and 110 ± 13 ng/ml during phases II and III. We conclude that intraluminal 5-HT plays no major role in the physiologic local regulation of the canine IMC in the small intestine.
Dry Season Habitat Use by Lizards in a Tropical Deciduous Forest of Western Mexico

Tropical deciduous or dry forests are characterized by strong seasonality in precipitation, typically having a prolonged dry season lasting at least four months (Bullock, 1986; Murphy and Lugo, 1986). As the dry season progresses, the forest canopy changes from a relatively homogeneous dense cover of the wet season to a more variable and open canopy (Lott et al., 1987; Bullock and Solis-Magallanes, 1990). As deciduous trees lose their leaves, more sunlight penetrates the canopy and creates a variety of forest gaps and thermal microenvironments on or near the ground. In contrast, forest habitat near seasonally dry watercourses (arroyos), remains green throughout the dry season, providing shaded habitats with dense canopy cover (Lott et al., 1987; Bullock and Solis-Magallanes, 1990). The dry season in a tropical deciduous forest represents a challenging time of year for most ground dwelling vertebrates. Water and energy resources are at the yearly low (Janzen and Schoener, 1968; Lister and Garcia, 1992), and thermal options may also be reduced, especially in the more shaded habitats of arroyos. Many vertebrates show reduced activity or seasonal changes in habitat use during the dry season (Beck and Lowe, 1991; Ceballos, 1995). Other species may move away from upland habitats and into arroyos or watercourses, which are used as dry season refuges (Ceballos, 1990). Those that remain active tend to be juveniles or adults of smaller species (Fleming and Hooker, 1975; Lister and Garcia, 1992; Casas-Andreu and Gurrola-Hidalgo, 1993; Fitzgerald et al., 1999). We know little about how dry forest lizards respond to seasonal changes in habitat structure or of the patterns of activity exhibited by lizards that remain active during the dry season. Our study examines how lizard habitat use and activity (i.e., species found to be active, timing, and amount of activity) are influenced by the variability in forest structure during the dry season in a tropical deciduous forest in southwest Mexico. We address the following questions: (1) During the dry season, does lizard activity differ between arroyo and upland habitats? (2) Is lizard activity related to forest canopy cover during the dry season?
A Recombination Hot Spot in HIV-1 Contains Guanosine Runs That Can Form a G-quartet Structure and Promote Strand Transfer in Vitro

The co-packaged RNA genomes of human immunodeficiency virus-1 recombine at a high rate. Recombination can mix mutations to generate viruses that escape immune response. A cell-culture-based system was designed previously to map recombination events in a 459-bp region spanning the primer binding site through a portion of the gag protein coding region. Strikingly, a strong preferential site for recombination in vivo was identified within a 112-nucleotide-long region near the beginning of gag. Strand transfer assays in vitro revealed that three pause bands in the gag hot spot each corresponded to a run of guanosine (G) residues. Pausing of reverse transcriptase is known to promote recombination by strand transfer both in vivo and in vitro. To assess the significance of the G runs, we altered them by base substitutions. Disruption of the G runs eliminated both the associated pausing and strand transfer. Some G-rich sequences can develop G-quartet structures, which were first proposed to form in telomeric DNA. G-quartet structure formation is highly dependent on the presence of specific cations. Incubation in cations discouraging G-quartets altered gel mobility of the gag template consistent with breakdown of G-quartet structure. The same cations faded G-run pauses but did not affect pauses caused by hairpins, indicating that quartet structure causes pausing. Moreover, gel analysis with cations favoring G-quartet structure indicated no structure in mutated templates. Overall, results point to reverse transcriptase pausing at G runs that can form quartets as a unique feature of the gag recombination hot spot.
Unbalanced Highway Contract Tendering

This paper deals with a central and recurrent concern of managers responsible for highway tendering: formulating unit bids for Unit Price Proposals. Unit Price Proposals are prepared by the client and indicate contract items and (estimated) quantities deemed necessary to accomplish the proposal objective. The bidder is required to indicate unit prices or bids. These unit bids are multiplied by the indicated quantities and summed to arrive at the bid total. Virtually every tender (bid) is unbalanced in order to improve cash flow. Often the unbalancing is neither competent nor conscious. A linear programming model was devised to determine unit bids that maximize the present worth of future profit. The model characterizes the managerial environment with uncommon competence. Examples illustrate features of implementation. The model is especially useful for large and complicated contracts of long duration. These linear models have the remarkable feature that, for given project information, no other means of unbalancing will yield a greater present worth.
Neutron interferometer systems - types and features

Various forms of neutron interferometers have been developed and studied and a brief review of these will be presented. These systems differ in their spatial coherence distribution and although a geometrical ray optics treatment is generally successful in accounting for observations, this is not always the case and here a more sophisticated Huvgen's wave propagation treatment is called for. This is illustrated in some recent experimentation with slits limiting the flow of neutron radiation through the sytem.
Canine distemper virus (CDV) infection of ferrets as a model for testing Morbillivirus vaccine strategies: NYVAC- and ALVAC-based CDV recombinants protect against symptomatic infection

Canine distemper virus (CDV) infection of ferrets causes an acute systemic disease involving multiple organ systems, including the respiratory tract, lymphoid system, and central nervous system (CNS). We have tested candidate CDV vaccines incorporating the fusion (F) and hemagglutinin (HA) proteins in the highly attenuated NYVAC strain of vaccinia virus and in the ALVAC strain of canarypox virus, which does not productively replicate in mammalian hosts. Juvenile ferrets were vaccinated twice with these constructs, or with an attenuated live-virus vaccine, while controls received saline or the NYVAC and ALVAC vectors expressing rabies virus glycoprotein. Control animals did not develop neutralizing antibody and succumbed to distemper after developing fever, weight loss, leukocytopenia, decreased activity, conjunctivitis, an erythematous rash typical of distemper, CNS signs, and viremia in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (as measured by reverse transcription-PCR). All three CDV vaccines elicited neutralizing titers of at least 1:96. All vaccinated ferrets survived, and none developed viremia. Both recombinant vaccines also protected against the development of symptomatic distemper. However, ferrets receiving the live-virus vaccine lost weight, became lymphocytopenic, and developed the erythematous rash typical of CDV. These data show that ferrets are an excellent model for evaluating the ability of CDV vaccines to protect against symptomatic infection. Because the pathogenesis and clinical course of CDV infection of ferrets is quite similar to that of other Morbillivirus infections, including measles, this model will be useful in testing new candidate Morbillivirus vaccines.
Using digital images to reconstruct three-dimensional biological forms: a new tool for morphological studies

We examined two image-based methods, photogrammetry and stereo vision, used for reconstructing the threedimensional form of biological organisms under field conditions. We also developed and tested a third ‘hybrid’ method, which combines the other two techniques. We tested these three methodologies using two different cameras to obtain digital images of museum and field sampled specimens of giant tortoises. Both the precision and repeatability of the methods were assessed statistically on the same specimens by comparing geodesic and Euclidean measurements made on the digital models with linear measurements obtained with caliper and flexible tape. We found no substantial difference between the three methods in measuring the Euclidean distance between landmarks, but spatially denser models (stereo vision and ‘hybrid’) were more accurate for geodesic distances. The use of different digital cameras did not influence the results. Image-based methods require only inexpensive instruments and appropriate software, and allow reconstruction of the three-dimensional forms (including their curved surfaces) of organisms sampled in the field. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 95, 425–436.
Moxonidine, a Mixed a2-Adrenergic and Imidazoline Receptor Agonist, Identifies a Novel Adrenergic Target for Spinal Analgesia

Moxonidine is a mixed alpha(2)-adrenergic and imidazoline receptor agonist with an improved side effect profile compared to clonidine. Intrathecal (i.t.) moxonidine has been found to possess analgesic activity that, in contrast to the majority of alpha(2)-adrenoceptor (alpha(2)AR) agonists, does not require activation of the alpha(2A)AR subtype, which mediates many of the side effects associated with alpha(2)AR use. In addition, moxonidine (i.t.) interacts in a synergistic manner with opioid agonists and this synergy is retained in neuropathic pain states. Moxonidine may therefore be clinically useful in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain, either alone or as a coadjuvant with opioids.