cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ExPRESS Shunt Surgery: Preferred Glaucoma Surgery in Residency Training?

It is important to equip future ophthalmic surgeons with appropriate surgical skills without compromising patient care. The ExPRESS implant surgery is very similar to trabeculectomy surgery in both efficacy and technique, but is less traumatic and may be prone to less postoperative hypotony and require less postoperative hypotensive medications. although affording a way to teach a novice surgeon the steps and technique of trabeculectomy and minimizing patient risk, ExPRESS implantation is a more expensive surgery that involves placing a foreign body in the eye. Further, needling an ExPRESS is a more technically challenging procedure than needling a trabeculectomy and more limited in its scope.
Effecis of Electron Irradiation on Operational Amplifiers

Second generation operational amplifiers, which are widely used in space applications, show considerable sensitivity to electron irradiation at fluences corresponding to unshielded long term operation in the earth synchronous orbit. Surface and bulk radiation effects are described for different device types. It is shown that the surface effects are very process dependent. Guidelines are given for the selection of reasonably radiation resistant components.
The Problem of Noncounterfactual Conditionals

I defend a formulation of the Ramsey Test with a condition for accepting negations of conditionals. It is implicit in the assumptions of the triviality theorems of Gardenfors, Harper, and Lewis; and it allows for a unified proof of those theorems, from weaker assumptions about belief revision. This leads to a proof of McGee’s thesis that iterated conditionals do not obey modus ponens.
Content-Based Classification of CAD Models with Supervised Learning

This paper describes how to apply machine learning to adjust shape matching techniques to suit different classification of CAD models. Existing research based on either group technology or fixed mo...
A hydrodynamic approach to cosmology - Texture-seeded cold dark matter and hot dark matter cosmogonies

Hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation in a texture-seeded cosmology are presented, with attention given to Omega = 1 galaxies dominated by both hot dark matter (HDM) and cold dark matter (CDM). The simulations include both gravitational and hydrodynamical physics with a detailed treatment of collisional and radiative thermal processes, and use a cooling criterion to estimate galaxy formation. Background radiation fields and Zel'dovich-Sunyaev fluctuations are explicitly computed. The derived galaxy mass function is well fitted by the observed Schechter luminosity function for a baryonic M/L of 3 and total M/L of 60 in galaxies. In both HDM and CDM texture scenarios, the 'galaxies' and 'clusters' are significantly more strongly correlated than the dark matter due to physical bias processes. The slope of the correlation function in both cases is consistent with observations. In contrast to Gaussian models, peaks in the dark matter density distributrion are less correlated than average.
Employee Health Insurance Decisions In a Flexible Benefits Environment

This study investigates the factors which influence employees' choices among different health insurance options under a flexible benefits plan. Employee-specific selection and demographic data provided by the former National Cash Register (NCR), were used to analyze the effects of employee and plan characteristics on choice of health care plan. Results suggest that employees' health plan choices are influenced by premium, deductible, and coinsurance amounts, and by employees' age, gender, salary, and marital status. The results are considered within an expected utility maximization model. Implications for the design of flex plans as well as future research and theory are discussed. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
In situ measurements of lubricant temperature and pressure at a sliding contact

The in situ temperature and pressure of silicone (polydimethylsiloxane) grease at a ball-on-flat sliding contact was successfully measured by UV Raman spectroscopy. The ratio of Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman peaks from the 490 cm-1 Si−O−Si bending mode were used to calculate the grease temperature at 10 and 20 cm/s sliding speeds. The peak shifts detected during sliding were used to calculate the lubricant pressure. The results show that the silicone temperature at the contact area increased with the sliding speed. Under a stationary contact, the silicone temperature was measured to be 22 °C. At 10 and 20 cm/s sliding speeds, the silicone temperatures were measured to be 45 and 62 °C, respectively. The pressure, on the other hand, did not depend on the sliding speed and remained at 0.6 GPa. These results were found to be consistent with calculations based on Hertzian contact theory.
Design and synthesis of terpene based englerin A mimics using chromium oxide mediated remote CH2 oxidation

Abstract Terpene based mimics of the anti-cancer agent (−)-englerin A have been designed and produced from (+)- and (−)-bornyl acetate and (+)-fenchol. A key remote CH 2 oxidation reaction was developed using chromium(VI) oxide in acetic acid (115 °C) added in two portions to access keto-acetate intermediates in good yields (40–70%). Other known C–H activation conditions for this methylene oxidation were ineffective. Standard acylation steps installed the glycolate and cinnamate esters leading to the desired mimics. Preliminary cell testing with renal cancer cells show less potent activity compared to englerin A.
A practical and tested infrastructure design for large business warehouse systems

Large enterprises depend more and more on huge business information systems to determine trends in their markets and their business that will allow them to respond quickly and effectively. These systems have moved from being reference systems to becoming strategic tools for executive planning. This shift in focus as well as the increasing size of these systems has a significant impact on the practical management of these systems. The new role demands increased availability, as well as quick integration of new data, and fast response times. How does an IT organization manage a multi-terabyte (TB) database, with extreme availability requirements, and a fixed window of tolerance for failure recovery regardless of database size? This article describes a proof of concept done for such an enterprise to test the feasibility of a 60TB database using a system design based on conventional tools available today. The goal of this article is to present a practical approach to such a challenge.
Longitudinal MRI evaluations of human global cortical thickness over minutes to weeks

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to evaluate within-subject variability in global mean cortical thickness over test-retest intervals of minutes-weeks in five healthy adults. Within-subject measures of global mean thickness were consistent over these intervals. Test-retest assessments of absolute thickness differences and percent thickness differences indicated variations of, respectively, < or =0.05-0.06 mm and < or =+/-1.9-2.3%. There have been few evaluations of normal within-subject variations in cortical thickness. The present results suggest that within-subject variability in global mean cortical thickness can be low over test-retest intervals of minutes-weeks, and that longitudinal scans can establish useful baseline estimates of variability from which to assess changes due to injury, disease, or other experiences.
Recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome

Persistent or recurrent symptoms following carpal tunnel release surgery are an infrequent but challenging clinical problem. A thorough evaluation of these patients is mandatory and must confirm the accuracy of the original diagnosis and rule out the presence of concurrent conditions or disorders that may cause persistent symptoms that mimic carpal tunnel syndrome. If an alternative explanation of the patients' symptoms cannot be identified, and if conservative care is ineffective, then surgical treatment should be considered. Adequate exposure of the median nerve and carpal tunnel are mandatory. The general approach should include gentle mobilization of the nerve from adherent scar tissue and interposition of a biologic barrier between the nerve and surrounding tissues. No published data conclusively demonstrate that internal neurolysis provides superior results. Postoperative care should include early mobilization to encourage tendon and nerve gliding.
Technical note: unilateral posterior resection of cervical disc and spondylostenosis with contralateral fusion for instability.

BACKGROUND Posterior cervical unilateral diskectomy and decompression for stenosis with instability may be successfully stabilized with contralateral diskectomy and fusion. METHODS A 49-year-old male with a left-sided C8 radiculopathy had dynamic X-ray, MR, and CT studies that documented an old anterior diskectomy and fusion at the C5-C6 level, and a new left-sided foraminal disc herniation at the C7-T1 level with instability, accompanied by C6-T1 spondylostenosis. Following left-sided C6-T1 laminectomies with excision of C7-T1 disc, a contralateral right-sided C5-T2 fusion was performed with fibula strut allograft wired to the spinous processes using titanium cable and iliac crest autograft. RESULTS X-ray and 2D CT studies performed 3 and 6 months postoperatively confirmed adequate unilateral decompression of stenosis with disc removal and contralateral fusion. Within three weeks of surgery, the patient had no residual neurological deficit. Three years later, he remained intact, and X-ray studies continued to demonstrate spinal stability. CONCLUSIONS A unilateral C7-T1 disc herniation with instability accompanied by C6-T1 spondylostenosis were successfully managed with unilateral decompression and disc excision followed by contralateral fusion.
Properties of the Galactose Binding Protein of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli

The galactose binding protein implicated in transport and in chemotaxis has been purified to homogeneity from the shock fluids of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli. Both proteins are monomers of molecular weight 33 000 and exhibit cross-reactivity with antibody. The Salmonella galactose receptor showed binding of 1 mol of [14C]galactose or 1 mol of [14C]glucose at saturation. The dissociation constants were 0.38 and 0.17 muM, respectively. In light of the previously published report that the E. coli protein contains two binding sites with two different affinities, the binding characteristics of this protein were reexamined. Using highly purified radiolabeled substrate and homogeneous protein, a single binding site and single binding affinity were seen galactose (KD = 0.48 muM) or for glucose (KD = 0.21 muM). The competition between glucose and galactose for the same site is intriguing in view of the competition between ribose and galactose at the receptor level.
Direct gauging of the Poincaré group. IV. Curvature, holonomy, spin, and gravity

The minimal replacement operator of direct Poincare gauge theory converts Minkowski space-time to a new spaceU 4 with curvature and torsion. Explicit representations of the connection and curvature forms ofU 4 are obtained. This enable us to prove that the Ricci lemma is always satisfied (U 4 is a Riemann-Cartan space) and that the holonomy group ofU 4 is the component of the Lorentz group that is continuously connected to the identity. A specific form of the “free field” Lagrangian for local action of the Poincare group is studied. Although the Lagrangian is independent of torsion, spin currents are supported by a system of algebraic relations between spin current and torsion. The field equations for the translation part of theP 10 gauge fields are shown to be relations between the Ricci curvature and the total momentum-energy tensors, although these equations have nontrivial skew-symmetric parts whenever torsion is present. If the spin currents vanish and the total momentum-energy tensor is symmetric, Einstein's equations of general relativity with cosmological constant obtain as exact rather than approximate results. This leads to explicit evaluations of all coupling constants for theP 10 sector, and to the fact that any solution of Einstein's field equations has the proper orthochronous Lorentz group as holonomy group. Direct gauge theory for the Poincare group thus provides a simple and explicit method of introducing gravitational effects whenever an adequate description of matter and internal gauge structures is known on Minkowski space. An alternative system of field variables is shown to lead to a decomposition of the gravitational equations that is analogous to the decomposition of the Klein-Gordon equation via Dirac spinors.
The Internet electorate

The 2008 U.S. presidential election demonstrated the Internet is a major source of political information and expression.
A sufficient cause based approach to the assessment of mediation

The minimal sufficient cause (MSC) model, also known as the sufficient component cause model, has been used to facilitate understanding of several key concepts in epidemiology. To improve the understanding of mediation, we introduce a causal model for mediation that is grounded in the MSC approach. First, we describe an unbiased model for mediation, to clarify the causal meaning of previously described indirect effects. Through the use of potential outcomes and response types, we express each indirect (and direct) effect in terms of component causes within the MSC model. Second, we use an MSC-based model to illustrate a common cause of the mediator and outcome, i.e. a confounder of the mediator-outcome relationship. By describing this potential source of bias within the MSC-based model, important complexities are noted that impact the magnitude of plausible confounding. In conclusion, an MSC-based approach leads to several important insights concerning the interpretation of indirect and direct effects, as well as the potential sources of bias in mediation analysis.
Identifying Hydrated Salts Using Simultaneous Thermogravimetric Analysis and Differential Scanning Calorimetry

An experiment for analytical chemistry is presented that utilizes simultaneous thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to characterize colorless, hydrated salts with anhydrous melting points less than 1100 °C. The experiment could be used to supplement the lecture discussing gravimetric techniques. It is a straightforward experiment to introduce the instrumentation and analysis software to students, and it reinforces stoichiometric calculations. The students identify an unknown salt by determining the salt’s water content using mass loss data from the TGA and by measuring the anhydrous salt’s melting point using DSC data.
Light Harvesting and Energy Transfer in Laser-Dye-Labeled Poly(aryl ether) Dendrimers

The photophysical properties of a series of laser−dye-labeled poly(aryl ether) dendrimers, generations 1−4, have been determined. The dendrimers act as extremely efficient light-harvesting antennae capable of transferring light energy through space from their periphery to their core. The light-harvesting ability of these molecules increases with generation due to an increase in the number of peripheral chromophores. The energy-transfer efficiency was found to be quantitative for generations 1−3, with only a slight decrease observed for the fourth generation (∼93%). Due to the high extinction coefficients and fluorescence quantum yields of the chromophores and the efficient intramolecular energy transfer of the dendritic assemblies, these macromolecules have the potential to become integral components of molecular photonic devices.
Bacterial flora of comedones.

SUMMARY Open comedones from thirty-eight patients with acne vulgaris on the face or back were compared for microbial flora. A total of eighty-three comedones from the face and sixty-three from the upper back were individually processed for quantitative bacterial analysis. The greatest difference between the flora of comedones at these two sites was that 44.6% of comedones from the back (compared to 9.6% from the face) harboured no aerobic cocci. The decreased prevalence of staphylococci in the lesions from the back reflects the relative absence of these organisms in isolated follicles from normal uninvolved skin of the back. The geometric mean count of anaerobes in comedones from the back was in the same range as the count found in isolated follicles in normal uninvolved skin in a previous study. This work supports the concept that the bacterial flora of comedones is an extension of the follicular flora and may be unrelated to the event of comedogenesis.
Treatment of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis with recombinant human tumor necrosis factor receptor Fc protein

Lymphotoxin-α (TNF-β) and TNF receptor p55 gene knockout mice are resistant to the development of antibody and complement mediated experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG), suggesting a possible role of TNF in mediating EAMG. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that blocking the functional interaction of TNF with their receptors by soluble recombinant human TNFR:Fc would suppress the ongoing clinical EAMG. Recombinant human TNFR:Fc administered daily for 2 weeks to C57BL6 mice with ongoing clinical EAMG significantly improved clinical EAMG when compared with placebo-treated mice. A clinical trial of selected myasthenia gravis patients with recombinant human TNFR:Fc could be attempted.
Effect of Insect Density and Host Plant Quality on Wing-Form in Megamelus scutellaris (Hemiptera: Delphacidae)

ABSTRACT Megamelus scutellaris Berg (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) is a South American species that feeds on waterhyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes Mart. (Solms). This species exhibits significant wing dimorphism whereby fully winged adults (macropters) are capable of flight while those with reduced wings (brachtypters) are not. The wing form is determined by a developmental switch triggered by environmental factors including crowding, host plant quality, temperature, and photoperiod. This study examined the influences of insect density and host plant quality on M. scutellaris wing dimorphism, development, and biomass as well as their effects on E. crassipes. Two experiments exposed a single generation of M. scutellaris to lower and higher densities of conspecifics on low and high quality plants. The first experiment involved transferring second instars to test plants at loads of 50, 5, or 1 g of fresh weight plant biomass per nymph, which resulted in mean densities of 2, 15, and 69 nymphs, respectively, on both l...
EXPRESSION OF NEUROTROPHIN TRK AND P75 RECEPTORS IN QUAIL EMBRYOS UNDERGOING GASTRULATION AND NEURULATION

We have previously demonstrated the presence of mRNA for the full-length neurotrophin receptors trkA, trkB and trkC in quail embryos from stages 1 through 6 using reverse transcription followed by the polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR; Yao et al. [1994] Dev. Biol. 165: 727–730). Furthermore, we showed that mRNA for the neurotrophins brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin-3 was present from stage 1 onward, while nerve growth factor mRNA began to be expressed at stage 5. In the present study, wholemount in situ hybridization was used to localize full-length trk mRNA in embryos from stages 3 through 10. Structures expressing trkC mRNA included the primitive streak and Hensen's node, the neural plate or notochord, somites and the rostral neural tube. trkA and trkB mRNA were expressed at much lower levels than trkC mRNA; however, staining was detected on the primitive streak and Hensen's node. In addition to trk mRNA, we have also demonstrated the presence of full-length Trk protein in embryos from stages 3 through 11, suggesting that the trk mRNA detected at these early stages is translated into functional cell surface receptors. To support this hypothesis, we have shown that neurotrophins can induce phosphorylation of Trk on tyrosine residues, at least at stage 11. We also detected mRNA and protein for the nontyrosine kinase neurotrophin receptor, p75, at similar stages. The presence of neurotrophin receptors, as well as neurotrophin mRNA, in embryos undergoing gastrulation and neurulation leads to speculation that neurotrophins may be playing a role in these processes. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Regularized semigroups of bounded semivariation

We use regularized semigroups to consider local linear and semilinear inhomogeneous abstract Cauchy problems on a Banach space in a unified way. We show that the inhomogeneous abstract Cauchy problem {fx43-1} has a unique classical solution, for allf eC([0,T], [Im(C)]),x inC(D(A)), if and only ifA generates aC-regularized semigroup of bounded semivariation, and has a strong solution for allf eL1 ([0,T], [Im(C)]),x eC(D(A)) if and only if theC-regularized semigroup is what we call of bounded super semivariation. This includes locally Lipschitz continuousC-regularized semigroups. We give similar simple sufficient conditions for the semilinear abstract Cauchy problem {fx43-2} to have a unique solution.
Cannabinoids inhibit sodium-dependent, high-affinity excitatory amino acid transport in cultured rat cortical astrocytes.

Abstract Cannabinoids have been shown to increase the extracellular levels of glutamate in vivo and in vitro, but no studies have evaluated the possible involvement of glial glutamate reuptake system. The present study investigates whether cannabinoids and endocannabinoid, anandamide have an effect on astroglial excitatory amino acid (EAA) transport. The kinetics of glutamate transport was studied in rat cortical astrocytes, using the radiolabeled, non-metabolized amino acid, d -[ 3 H] aspartate in the absence or presence of cannabinoid receptor agonists. The results show that in vehicle controls the uptake of d -aspartate was rapid, sodium-dependent and saturated within the first 5 min, resulting in a K m 7.365 ± 1.16 μmol/L ( n = 5) and the maximum velocity ( V max ) 1207 ± 51 nmol/mg protein/min. Addition of the synthetic cannabinoid analog R (+)-[2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-[(morpholinyl)methyl]pyrrolol][1,2,3de]-1,4-benzoxazinyl]-(1-naphthalenyl)methanone (WIN 55,212-2; 3 μmol/L) increased the K m (26.25 ± 4.84 μmol/L) without affecting the V max (1122 ± 77 nmol/mg protein/min), suggesting the inhibition was competitive and reversible. Various other cannabinoid agonists also inhibited d -aspartate uptake in a dose-dependent and stereospecific manner. The cannabinoid inhibition of EAA transport was partially blocked by the cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptor antagonist N -(piperidin-1-yl-5(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl- 1H -pyrazole-3-carboxamidehydrochloride (SR141716A; 100 nmol/L). The inhibitory effects of WIN 55,212-2, or its endogenous counterpart anandamide were reversed by 98,059, an inhibitor of mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK) kinase (MEK). These results suggest that cannabinoids and endocannabinoids may constitute a novel class of inhibitors of astroglial glutamate transport system.
Hopping conduction in disordered carbon nanotubes

Abstract We report electrical transport measurements on individual disordered multiwalled carbon nanotubes, grown catalytically in a nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide template. In both as-grown and annealed types of nanotubes, the low-field conductance shows an exp [ − ( T 0 / T ) 1 / 2 ] dependence on temperature T , suggesting that hopping conduction is the dominant transport mechanism, albeit with different disorder-related coefficients T 0 . The electric field dependence of low-temperature conductance behaves as exp [ − ( ξ 0 / ξ ) 1 / 2 ] at high electric field ξ at sufficiently low T . Finally, both annealed and unannealed nanotubes exhibit weak positive magnetoresistance at T = 1.7 K . Comparison with theory indicates that our data are best explained by Coulomb-gap variable-range hopping conduction and permits the extraction of disorder-dependent localization length and dielectric constant.
Electron transfer pathways and protein response to charge separation in photosynthetic reaction centers: time-resolved high-field ENDOR of the spin-correlated radical pair P865(+)QA(-).

Recently we reported the first observation of time-resolved (TR) high-frequency (HF) electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) of the transient charge separated state P 865 + Q - A in purple photosynthetic bacterial reaction centers (RC) (Poluektov, O. G., et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 1644-1645). The high resolution and orientational selectivity of HF ENDOR allows us to directly probe protein environments by spectrally selecting specific nuclei in isotopically labeled samples. A new phenomenon associated with the spin correlated radical pair (SCRP) nature of P 865 + Q - A was observed. The TR-HF ENDOR spectra of protein nuclei (protons) surrounding deuterated Q A - exhibit a derivative-like, complicated line shape, which differs considerably from the HF ENDOR spectrum of the protein nuclei surrounding thermally equilibrated O A - . Here, a theoretical analysis of these observations is presented that shows that the positions and amplitudes of ENDOR lines contain information on hyperfine interactions (HFI) of a particular nucleus (a proton of the protein) with both correlated electron spins. Thus, spin density delocalization in the protein environment between the SCRP donor and acceptor molecules can be revealed via HF ENDOR. Novel approaches for acquiring and analyzing SCRP ENDOR that simplify interpretation of the spectra are discussed. Furthermore, we report here that the positions of the ENDOR lines of the SCRP shift with an increase in the time after laser flash, which initiates electron transfer. These shifts provide direct spectroscopic evidence of reorganization of the protein environment to accommodate the donor-acceptor charge-separated state P 865 + Q A - .
A novel approach to system-level fault tolerance in hypercube multiprocessors

This paper addresses the issue of fault tolerance in hypercube architectures. Most of the recently proposed schemes of fault tolerance in parallel architectures address mainly the issue of reconfiguration of a parallel architecture once a faulty processor is identified. The schemes assume the existence of an off-line diagnosis strategy which locates the faulty processor. We propose the detection and location of faulty processors concurrently with the actual execution of parallel applications on the hypercube using a novel scheme of algorithm-based fault detection. The basic idea used is to propose low cost fault detection and location schemes using high-level encodings on the data that are tailored to the algorithms being executed on the parallel machine. We have implemented system-level fault detection mechanisms for various parallel applications on a 16-processor Intel iPSC hypercube multiprocessor. In this paper we discuss the results of one such application, namely, Gaussian Elimination which is an extremely useful algorithm for solving a set of linear equations. We have performed extensive studies of fault coverage of our system level fault detection schemes in the presence of finite precision arithmetic which affects our system level encodings.
Retinoic Acid Receptors β and γ Do Not Repress, But Instead Activate Target Gene Transcription in Both the Absence and Presence of Hormone Ligand

Retinoic acid receptors (RARs) are important mediators of retinoid signaling in morphogenesis, development, and cell differentiation. Three major isotypes of RARs, denoted α, β, and γ, have been identified, each encoded by a distinct genetic locus. Although RARα, RARβ, and RARγ share many structural and functional features, these three isotypes are known to play unique, as well as overlapping, roles in physiology and development. We report here that the three RAR isotypes display different transcriptional properties in the absence of hormone ligand; under these conditions, RARα is a strong repressor of target gene expression, whereas both RARβ and RARγ fail to repress and instead are able to mediate substantial levels of hormone-independent transcriptional activation. These differing transcriptional properties appear to reflect the differing abilities of the three RAR isotypes to interact with the SMRT (silencing mediator of retinoic acid and thyroid hormone receptor) corepressor protein: RARα binds to SM...
Primary and secondary route selection in backbone communication networks

Abstract This paper addresses the problem of selecting primary and secondary routes for every pair of communicating nodes in a backbone communication network. A primary route and a secondary route constitute a route pair. A route pair is selected from among all possible route pairs in the network. The secondary route is link-disjoint from the primary route. A nonlinear integer mathematical programming model to minimize the mean delay faced by messages is developed. The model captures situations where a single link failure would divert traffic to the appropriate secondary routes. A solution procedure based on a relaxation of the problem is presented. Computational results indicate that the procedure is very effective.
Organic Matter Sources in the Water Column and Sediments of the Hudson River Estuary: the Use of Plant Pigments as Tracers

Abstract The purpose of this study was to document inputs of organic matter into the Hudson River Estuary using plant pigments as tracers. Plant pigments (carotenoids and chloropigments) were determined using high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Water column and sediment samples were collected in 1988 and 1989, from stations along a 165 km transect in the Hudson River Estuary. In the water column, high concentrations of lutein were found at stations adjacent to wetland areas indicating inputs of vascular plant detritus, particularly during late fall. Chlorophyll b/lutein ratios at these stations were 2-4 which are similar to that found in fresh vascular plant material collected from the Hudson. Low chlorophyll b/lutein ratios at Haverstraw Bay, a shallow and turbid area of the estuary, indicate high levels of sediment resuspension. Cyanophyte blooms, as indicated by high concentrations of myxoxanthophyll, reach their peak in late summer at the Hudson and Kingston stations. The chlorophyll a from these algae may comprise as much as 78% of the total chlorophyll a pool during these periods. Concentrations of total phaeophorbide, an indicator of grazing activity, were not correlated with chlorophyll a but were correlated with fucoxanthin and/or fucoxanthinol. This correlation suggests that much of the zooplankton grazing activity is associated with high quality food resources such as diatoms and not with cyanophytes. Surface sediments from a coarse-grained sandy habitat had significantly lower amounts of total organic matter than muddy habitats. However, the sandy sediment had higher grazing activity per gram organic matter, as indicated by total phaeophorbides. Higher concentrations of chlorophyll a and fucoxanthin at the sandy habitat indicate the presence of benthic diatoms which are high quality (low C/N ratio) living resources in contrast to the detrital sources (high C/N, mostly vascular plant) at the muddy stations. High concentrations of chlorophyllide a at some muddy stations, near macrophyte beds, suggest inputs of epiphytic diatom detritus. Overall, sediment pigments of the Hudson estuary are derived from vascular plant material that does not reflect the pigment signature of the water column.
Framing Inflation and Investment: The New York Times and the Cultural Context of a Local Housing Market

Examining the work of local media can be a valuable starting point for exploring the institutionally shaped cultural contexts within which local housing markets are embedded and for shedding light on market phenomena like local housing bubbles. This paper draws on a qualitative analysis of articles published in the Real Estate section of the New York Times to explore some of the meanings about homeownership, home-buying, and market behavior that were institutionally reinforced in New York City during a period of growing unease about the direction of the local market. Through the use of framing analysis, I conclude that the New York Times symbolically reinforced the contradictory role that real estate, “the secondary circuit of capital” plays in the economy.
The Role of Domain Expenence in Software Design

A designer's expertise rests on the knowledge and skills which develop with experience in a domain. As a result, when a designer is designing an object in an unfamiliar domain he will not have the same knowledge and skills available to him as when he is designing an object in a familiar domain. In this paper we look at the software designer's underlying constellation of knowledge and skills, and at the way in which this constellation is dependent upon experience in a domain. What skills drop out, what skills, or interactions of skills come forward as experience with the domain changes? To answer the above question, we studied expert designers in experimentally created design contexts with which they were differentially familiar. In this paper we describe the knowledge and skills we found were central to each of the above contexts and discuss the functional utility of each. In addition to discussing the knowledge and skills we observed in expert designers, we will also compare novice and expert behavior.
INTENSITY DISCRIMINATION IN THE HUMAN EYE : I. THE RELATION OFDeltaI/ITO INTENSITY.

New measurements of the brightness difference sensibility of the eye corroborate the data of previous workers which show that DeltaI/I decreases as I increases. Contrary to previous report, DeltaI/I does not normally increase again at high intensities, but instead decreases steadily, approaching a finite limiting value, which depends on the area of the test-field and on the brightness of the surrounding field. On a logarithmic plot, the data of DeltaI/I against I for test-fields below 2 degrees are continuous, whereas those for test-fields above 2 degrees show a sharp discontinuity in the region of intensity in which DeltaI/I decreases rapidly. This discontinuity is shown to divide the data into predominantly rod function at low intensities, and predominantly cone function at high intensities. Fields below 2 degrees give higher values of DeltaI/I at all intensities, when compared with larger fields. Fields greater than one or two degrees differ from one another principally on the low intensity side of the break. Changes in area above this limit are therefore mainly effective by changing the number of rods concerned. This is confirmed by experiments controlling the relative numbers of rods and cones with lights of different wavelength and with different retinal locations. At high intensities DeltaI/I is extremely sensitive to changes in brightness of surrounding visual fields, except for large test-fields which effectually furnish their own surrounds. This sensitivity is especially marked for fields of less than half a degree in diameter. Although the effect is most conspicuous for high intensities, the surround brightness seems to affect the relation between variables as a whole, except in very small fields where absence of a surround of adequate brightness results in the distortion of the theoretical relation otherwise found. The theoretical relationship for intensity discrimination derived by Hecht is shown to fit practically all of the data. Changes in experimental variables such as retinal image area, wavelength, fixation, and criterion may be described as affecting the numerical quantities of this relationship.
Diode‐Pumped Q‐switched 355‐nm Lasers – High‐precision tools for micromachining

Advances in multi-watt, diodepumped Q-switched 355-nm lasers make them reliable tools that enable several micromachining applications in the microelectronics industry. The following article discusses key applications and the attributes demanded from the laser.
In vitro and in vivo degradation of porous poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) foams.

This study investigated the in vitro degradation of porous poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) foams during a 20-week period in pH 7.4 phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at 37 degrees C and their in vivo degradation following implantation in rat mesentery for up to 8 weeks. Three types of PLGA 85 : 15 and three types of 50 : 50 foams were fabricated using a solvent-casting, particulate-leaching technique. The two types had initial salt weight fraction of 80 and 90%, and a salt particle size of 106-150 microm, while the third type had 90% initial weight fraction of salt in the size range 0-53 microm. The porosities of the resulting foams were 0.82, 0.89, and 0.85 for PLGA 85 : 15, and 0.73, 0.87, and 0.84 for PLGA 50 : 50 foams, respectively. The corresponding median pore diameters were 30, 50, and 17 microm for PLGA 85: 15, and 19, 17, and 17 microm for PLGA 50 : 50. The in vitro and in vivo degradation kinetics of PLGA 85: 15 foams were independent of pore morphology with insignificant variation in foam weight, thickness, pore distribution, compressive creep behavior, and morphology during degradation. The in vitro foam half-lives based on the weight average molecular weight were 11.1 +/- 1.8 (80%, 106-150 microm), 12.0 +/- 2.0 (90%, 106-150 microm), and 11.6 +/- 1.3 (90%, 0-53 microm) weeks, similar to the corresponding values of 9.4 +/- 2.2, 14.3 +/- 1.5, and 13.7 +/- 3.3 weeks for in vivo degradation. In contrast, all PLGA 50 : 50 foams exhibited significant change in foam weight, water absorption, and pore distribution after 6-8 weeks of incubation with PBS. The in vitro foam half-lives were 3.3 +/- 0.3 (80%, 106-150 microm), 3.0 +/- 0.3 (90%, 106-150 microm), and 3.2 +/- 0.1 (90%, 0-53 microm) weeks, and the corresponding in vivo half-lives were 1.9 micro 0.1, 2.2 +/- 0.2, and 2.4 +/- 0.2 weeks. The significantly shorter half-lives of PLGA 50: 50 compared to 85: 15 foams indicated their faster degradation both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, PLGA 50: 50 foams exhibited significantly faster degradation in vivo as compared to in vitro conditions due to an autocatalytic effect of the accumulated acidic degradation products in the medium surrounding the implants. These results suggest that the polymer composition and environmental conditions have significant effects on the degradation rate of porous PLGA foams.
Oxygen storage in automobile exhaust catalyst

Abstract The charge transfer reactions between a Pt catalyst and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) support have been studied electrochemically during CO oxidation over a range of gas phase compositions and temperatures typical of automotive exhaust. From a combination of electrochemical and reaction-rate measurements, a model for the participation of the support in the oxidation reactions is derived. It is estimated from the model that the contribution of the charge transfer reactions occurring at the three-phase interface between Pt, YSZ and the gas phase, to the total rate of CO oxidation is negligible under steady operating conditions (gas phase composition and temperature). However, under cyclic conditions typical of those encountered in automotive exhaust, these charge transfer reactions can lead to an enhancement (≈ 10% at 828 K) in the rate of CO oxidation.
Poly(1-octene) synthesis using high performance supported titanium catalysts

Poly(1-octene) was synthesized by polymerization of 1-octene using high performance MgCl2-supported TiCl4 in combination with triethyl aluminum (TEAl) as cocatalyst in n-hexane for 2 h. Two catalysts, C1 (diester catalyst) having di-isobutyl phthalate as internal donor and C2 (monoester catalyst) having ethyl benzoate as internal donor were utilized for the atmospheric polymerizations to evaluate the influence of structurally different internal donors on the productivity, rate of polymerization and molecular weight profiles. The kinetic profile assessed in terms of variation of reaction parameters like temperature, cocatalyst to catalyst molar ratio and monomer concentration was found to be dependent on them. From these kinetic analyses, optimize conditions for polymerizations of 1-octene using diester as well as monoester catalyst were elucidated. The difference in the performance of diester and monoester catalyst system can be explained in terms of stability of active titanium species and chain transfer process. NMR spectroscopy of synthesized poly(1-octene) indicate predominantly isotactic nature. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Preparation and characterization of [3H]ethyltubulin

Abstract Pure [ 3 H]ethyltubulin dimer, containing 1.07 mol of [ 3 H]ethyl groups/110.000 g protein was prepared by reaction of tubulin with acetaldehyde and [ 3 H]sodium borohydride. The derivatized tubulin dimer was shown to be native by the following criteria: (1) the stoichiometry for [ 3 H]GDP binding was similar to that for native tubulin: (2) it repeatedly copolymerized and codepolymerized with native tubulin with constant specific activity. The potential utility for [ 3 H]ethyltubulin in quantitating tubulin in biological samples by isotope dilution, and in studying the relationships between microtubules, rings, and dimers is discussed.
Predictors of Satisfaction with Counseling: Racial and Ethnic Minority Clients' Attitudes toward Counseling and Ratings of Their Counselors' General and Multicultural Counseling Competence.

One hundred twelve college students of color who sought and terminated mental health treatment at their campus counseling center were asked to indicate their (a) attitudes toward counseling, (b) ratings of their counselors' general counseling competence, (c) ratings of their counselors' multicultural competence, and (d) satisfaction with counseling. Results revealed that these students' counseling attitudes and perceptions of their counselors' general and multicultural competence each accounted for significant variance in their satisfaction with counseling. Of particular note was the finding that racial and ethnic minority clients' ratings of their counselors' multicultural counseling competence explained significant variance in satisfaction ratings beyond the variance previously accounted for by their general counseling competence ratings. Moreover, results revealed that clients' ratings of their counselors' multicultural counseling competence partially mediated the relationship between general counseling competence ratings and satisfaction with counseling.
Integrating mitigation and adaptation as responses to climate change: a synthesis

Integrating mitigation and adaptation (M&A) is a practical reality for climate change response policy, despite a range of conceptual and methodological challenges. Based on the papers in this special issue, some preliminary findings about appropriate integrated portfolios are offered, along with several implications for climate policy.
Organo-f-element thermochemistry. Actinide-Group 14 element and actinide-transition-element bond disruption enthalpies and stoichiometric/catalytic chemical implications thereof in heterobimetallic tris(cyclopentadienyl)uranium(IV) compounds

Uranium-metal bond disruption enthalpies have been determined in the series of complexes Cp3U-MPh3, where Cp = eta-5-C5H5, Ph = C6H5, and M = Si, Ge, Sn, and in Cp3U-M'(CO)2Cp, where M' = Fe, Ru. Thermochemical data were obtained by anaerobic batch-titration solution calorimetry in toluene from enthalpies of solution and iodinolysis of the aforementioned compounds. Derived U-M/U-M' bond disruption enthalpies in toluene solution are as follows (M/M' moiety, kcal/mol): SiPh3, 37.3 (4.2); GePh3, 38.9 (4.5); SnPh3, 37.2 (4.0); Fe(CO)2Cp, 30.9 (3.0); Ru(CO)2Cp, 40.4 (4.0). These data fall in a relatively narrow range and indicate comparatively weak heterobimetallic bonding. Chemical implications of the present thermochemical results include the general favorability and marked M/M' sensitivity of alkane, hydrogen, and amine elimination synthetic routes to these compounds, the existence of favorable pathways for hydrocarbon and olefin activation, and the observation that no steps in plausible f-element-catalyzed dehydrogenative silane polymerization and olefin hydrosilylation cycles are predicted to have major thermodynamic impediments.
Public attitudes and perception of bio- and biomedical engineering

Bioengineering professionals practice in a wide variety of subspecialties. Their practices vary from cellular engineering to rehabilitation engineering, and from biomaterial/biomechanics engineering to biomedical education. A major part of the bloengineering field is the one represented by the biomedical engineering professionals of which about 10% practice in the clinical engineering subspecialty focusing on issues involving utilization of technology in the delivery of health care services. Common to these subspecialties, being part of the bioengineering field, is the application of the concepts and methods of the physical and engineering sciences to enhance the development and deployment of safe and effective medical instrumentation. Like all of the other subspecialties clinical engineering, the applied field of biomedical engineering, faces poor public knowledge and lack of recognition for the contributions their professionals have made thus marking a path to improve the quality of our life. Engineering academia is not faring much better than the lay public in their lack of developing and offering of academic programs that will provide the training and skills needed to prepare these professionals for the challenges and responsibilities they will be facing when practicing in the clinical environment. At the root of this problem are the perception and attitude issues. To better understand these attitude and behavior issues we reviewed literature and conducted opinion surveys. In recent years, bioengineers, biomedical, and clinical engineering fields have sought an identity to define their profession. Like many other young professions, bio/biomedical engineering has encountered a professional identity crisis that presents more questions than answers. One issue in defining a profession is the presentation of some clearly illustrated assets and abilities supported by a formal education or accreditation requirements to a targeted customer. In other words, biomedical engineers must define who they are, what they profess to know, and what function they serve to many customers of which the important one is the general public.
Regeneration of peppermint and orange mint from leaf disks

Leaf disks from peppermint, spearmint, orange mint, lavender mint and Scotch spearmint were cultured on various Murashige-Skoog-based media in order to regenerate shoots. A significantly larger average number of orange mint leaf disks regenerated shoots on basal medium containing 44.4 μM benzyladenine (BA) and 250 ml l-1 coconut water (CW). Shoots regenerated from peppermint leaf disks cultured on basal medium containing 44.4 μM BA and 250 ml or 450 ml l-1 CW. The most shoots regenerated from orange mint leaf disks cultured on medium containing 10 g l-1 washed Difco Bacto-agar. Disks excised from the bases of the first expanding pair of orange mint leaves cultured under dark conditions regenerated a significantly larger average number of shoots. Histological studies suggested that shoots regenerated from the palisade parenchyma cells associated with vascular tissue.
Gold nanorod crystal growth: From seed-mediated synthesis to nanoscale sculpting ☆

Abstract Gold nanorods have received tremendous attention in recent years due to their exciting potential applications in chemical sensing, biological imaging, drug delivery and phototherapeutics. A seed-mediated growth procedure in aqueous solution has been developed to produce these colloidal materials in reasonable quantities, with tunable shape. Details of the reaction chemistry, role of impurity ions, and their influence on the final product shape are still under debate. Subsequent chemistry on preformed nanorods can yield a variety of new shapes and functionalities for numerous applications.