cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geographical Distribution of Zellerielles

REPORTING the occurrence of zellerielles in frogs at Capetown, Sandon1 reviewed literature on the distribution of the genus geographically and by host families. He contends that the presence of Cape zellerielles is most easily explained on the basis of former land connexions with the other southern continents. Sandon noted that the American and Australian species are confined for the most part to the toothed bufonids and, following Metcalf2, discounted the Asiatic record of Zelleriella macronucleata (Bezzenberger) 1904 from Bufo melanostictus. Nie's3 finding of a zellerielle in Microhyla ornata at Nanking, however, establishes it as an Asiatic genus as well. While Wenrich4 has shown that host specificity of the Opalinidae is much less rigid than Metcalf supposed, the fact that in Asia (Microhylidae) and in South Africa (Ranidae) the host families are not toothed bufonids may be significant. Further, daCunha and Penido5 have found a Zelleriella in a catfish in the Paraguay River, while Carini6 and Wenrich report others from snakes.
Issues regarding the high rate afterglow and direct plasma etching of silicon

Chemical etch rates of silicon have been determined in a flowing afterglow of reactant and in a direct plasma etching system. Direct plasma treatment was carried out in a parallel-plate etch system with 13.56-MHz excitation and substrate temperature in the range of 23 degrees C to 350 degrees C. Afterglow processing was performed using species generated in a microwave-excited plasma tube. These species were allowed to react with the silicon in a remote thermal process zone at temperatures similar to those used in the parallel-plate system. Silicon etch rates as high as 47 mu m/min have been achieved with selectivity to SiO/sub 2/ of 25, using NF/sub 3/ as the fluorine precursor. The implications of the results with regard to the precursors and the ambient conditions are discussed for each case. In addition, the use of masking materials such as photoresist, SiO/sub 2/, and aluminium is considered. This high-rate etching of silicon provides a productive fabrication option in cases where device structures require large amounts of silicon to be removed. >
31P NMR studies of enzyme-bound substrate complexes of yeast 3-phosphoglycerate kinase: III. Two ADP binding sites and their Mg(II) affinity; effects of vanadate and arsenate on enzymic complexes with ADP and 3-P-glycerate.

31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements (at 121.5 MHz and 5°C) were made on complexes of 3-phosphoglycerate kinase with ADP and 3-P-glycerate. Addition of Mg(II) to E-ADP shifts the α-Psignal downfield by 3.8 ppm such that the α-P signal superimposes that for β-P(E·MgADP). Such a shift is atypical among the Mg(II)-nucleotide complexes with other ATP-utilizing enzymes. This shift allowed the determination that enzyme bound ADP is saturated with Mg(II) for [Mg(II)]/[ADP] = 3.0-similar to that reported for ATP complexes with this enzyme (B. D. Ray and B. D. Nageswara Rao, Biochemistry 27, 5574 (1988)). This parallel behavior suggests that ADP binds at two sites on the enzyme as does ATP with disparate Mg(II) affinities. 31P relaxation times in E·MnADP·vanadate-3-P-glycerate and E·CoADP·vanadate·3-P-glycerate complexes indicate that these are long-lived, tightly bound complexes. 31P chemical shift measurements on diamagnetic complexes (with Mg(II)) revealed three signals in the 2–5 ppm region (attributable to 3-P-glycerate) only upon addition of all the components necessary to form the E·MgADP·vanadate·3-P-glycerate complex. Subsequent sequestration of Mg(II) from the complex with excess EDTA reversed the Mg(II) induced effects on the ADP signals but did not cause coalescence of the three signals seen in the 2–5 ppm region. Addition of excess sulfate to dissociate these complexes from the enzyme resulted in a single resonance of 3-P-glycerate. The use of arsenate in place of vanadate yielded very similar results. These results suggest that, in the presence of MgADP, vanadate or arsenate, and 3-P-glycerate, the enzyme catalyzed the formation of multiple structurally distinguishable complexes that are stable on the enzyme and labile off the enzyme.
Prevention of burnout: New perspectives

Abstract Job burnout has long been recognized as a problem that leaves once-enthusiastic professionals feeling drained, cynical, and ineffective. This article proposes two new approaches to the prevention of burnout that focus on the interaction between personal and situational factors. The first approach, based on the Maslach multidimensional model, focuses on the exact opposite of burnout: increasing engagement with work by creating a better “fit” between the individual and the job. The second approach draws from the decision-making literature and reframes burnout in terms of how perceptions of the risk of burnout may lead to suboptimal choices that actually increase the likelihood of burning out. These new approaches provide a more direct strategy for preventing burnout than typical unidimensional “stress” models because these new approaches (1) specify criteria for evaluating outcomes and (2) focus attention on the relationship between the person and the situation rather than one or the other in isolation.
The geometrical significance of certain Higgs potentials: An approach to grand unification

Abstract It is pointed out that the Higgs potentials in certain Yang-Mills-Higgs theories are natural, in the sense that they can be derived by dimensionally reducing pure Yang-Mills theories defined in more than four space-time dimensions. In particular, when the symmetry group of the space of extra dimensions is a subgroup of the initial gauge group, then the Higgs potential can be given a purely group-theoretic interpretation. An interesting class of grand-unified-like models with Higgs potentials of this type can be derived using the exceptional group E8 as initial gauge group. One property of these models is that they are characterized by very few arbitrary parameters; nevertheless, a hierarchy of gauge symmetry breaking is still possible.
Sonnensondenprojekt HELIOS: Zum vorgesehenen Start um die Jahreswende 1974/75

Um die Jahreswende 1974/75 startet die Sonnensonde HELIOS, der erste kunstliche Flugkorper, welcher der unmittelbaren Erforschung der Sonne dient. In diesem Beitrag werden einige technische Einzelheiten sowie die vorgesehenen Experimente beschrieben.
Strontium isotopic composition of basaltic lavas from the snake river plain, Southern Idaho

Abstract The isotopic composition of strontium has been measured in 54 basalts and associated igneous rocks from the snake River Plain, southern Idaho. Thirty Pliocene-Holocene olivine tholeiites have87Sr/86Sr ratios ranging from 0.7060 to 0.7080 and averaging 0.7070 ± 0.0003 (2σ); 17 basalts and associated latites from Craters of the Moon, King Hill, and the Blackfoot River Canyon have ratios ranging from 0.7080 to 0.7180. The87Sr/86Sr ratios in the tholeiites are similar to these in other continental tholeiites, but are greater than those in oceanic basalts and in alkali-olivine basalts from the Basin-Range province. The constancy in isotopic composition suggests that the high ratios are characteristic of the parent magma(s) and are not due to crustal contamination. Major and trace element data suggest that the Craters of the Moon lavas are differentiates of the olivine tholeiites. The high87Sr/86Sr ratios of these lavas may be explained by crustal contamination of small volumes of tholeiitic magma which differentiated at shallow depth in a Precambrian metamorphic terrain near the margins of the Snake River Plain. Pliocene silicic volcanic rocks which may underlie the Snake River basalts are not a likely source of contamination, because five such rocks have present-day87Sr/86Sr ratios ranging from 0.7110 to 0.7134.
Instructional design and student learning

Over the past twenty‐five years, large institutions have developed highly structured “canned” library use instruction programs that effectively reach large numbers of students with relatively few librarians. The author suggests we now add a human element to our instruction by including opportunities for face‐to‐face interaction with subject specialist librarians on student topics. The marriage of the structured and the personal interaction not only allows librarians to teach what students should do but adds a more significant level of learning involving how and why, and provides meaning and understanding in the instructional process.
Reproduction of F1 Hybrid Sunfishes in Small Ponds

Abstract Reproduction of F1 hybrids of female green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) x male bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and female green sunfish x male redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) was determined in experimental ponds and compared with reproduction of bluegills stocked at similar rates in the same ponds used in a previous study. The percentages of females among the stocked F1 hybrids were: green sunfish x bluegill, 13%; green sunfish x redear sunfish, 28%. The green sunfish x bluegill cross produced 105 F2's and the green sunfish x redear sunfish cross produced 1003. Reproduction of bluegills was 279 times greater than that from either hybrid cross.
Joyce, Husserl, Derrida: Calculating the literary infinite / Joyce, Husserl, Derrida: Calculando o infinito literário

Nesse artigo, tento mostrar que os estranhos calculos matematicos de Joyce em ‘Itaca’, episodio de Ulys-ses, apesar dos muitos erros, propoem algo equivalente a infinitude textual. Esse conceito de infinito e uma “cor-respondencia homerica” do arco e fle-cha com que Ulysses poe fim aos pre-tendentes na Odisseia. Para imple-menta-lo, Joyce teve de ler atentamente o que Bertrand Russell escreveu sobre matematica. Uma incursao pela leitura atenta de Husserl feita por Derrida a respeito da origem da geometria revela que a invencao do infinito nao se limi-tou a aritmetica mas tambem incluiu a geometria. Destarte, o gnomon que a-bre “Dublinenses” nos remete a Eucli-des, e, por conseguinte, a uma nova “barreira de infinitude” – um termo empregado por Hermann Broch em sua ficcao e em seus comentarios sobre Joyce. A maioria dos escritores moder-nistas nao somente postulam (conscien-temente ou inconscientemente) um cer-to conceito de infinito, mas tambem permitem aos leitores transcende-lo ao proporcionar uma nocao do que signi-fica calcular o infinito literario. - ABSTRACT In this article, I try to show that Joyce's weird mathematical calcula-tions in the Ithaca episode of Ulysses present, despite many errors, an equivalent of textual infinity. This concept of the infinite is a ‘Homeric correspondence’ with the bow and ar-rows with which Ulysses kills the suit-ors in the Odyssey. To achieve this, Joyce had to read Bertrand Russell on mathematics carefully. A detour through Derrida's close reading of Husserl on the origin of geometry shows that the invention of infinity was not limited to arithmetic but also included geometry. The gnomon with which Dubliners opens thus sends us back to Euclid, and hence to a new 'barrier of infinity' – a term deployed by Hermann Broch in his fiction and in his commentaries on Joyce. Not only do most modernist writers posit (con-sciously or unconsciously) a certain concept of the infinite, they also allow readers to transcend it by providing a sense of what it means to calculate the literary infinite. Keywords: Literature; Mathematics; Joyce; Husserl; Derrida; Infinity.
Optimal Beampattern Synthesis of a Polarized Array

Utilizing the polarization information in waveforms about targets enables improving the performance of radar systems. We consider the optimal synthesis of the polarized beampattern of an array of antennas, each having two orthogonal electricdipole elements. We control the amplitudes and phases of the electric fields emitted from these dipole antennas to synthesize the electromagnetic beam with desired power and polarization patterns. The problem is formulated in a convex form which is thus efficiently solvable. We compare the performance of two synthesizing methods: (i) separate design of the two co-aligned dipole antenna sub-arrays; and (ii) joint design of the cross-dipole antenna array. Our results indicate that these two separate designs have the equivalent capability of suppressing the sidelobe power density, whereas the joint design has the additional advantage of controlling the beam polarizations. The results are also demonstrated by numerical examples.
Co-Treatment with Panitumumab and Trastuzumab Augments Response to the MEK Inhibitor Trametinib in a Patient-Derived Xenograft Model of Pancreatic Cancer

Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) mutations and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family signaling are drivers of tumorigenesis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Previous studies have demonstrated that combinatorial treatment of PDAC xenografts with the mitogen-activated protein kinase–extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase1/2 (MEK1/2) inhibitor trametinib and the dual EGFR/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) inhibitor lapatinib provided more effective inhibition than either treatment alone. In this study, we have used the therapeutic antibodies, panitumumab (specific for EGFR) and trastuzumab (specific for HER2), to probe the role of EGFR and HER2 signaling in the proliferation of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors. We show that dual anti-EGFR and anti-HER2 therapy significantly augmented the growth inhibitory effects of the MEK1/2 inhibitor trametinib in three different PDX tumors. While significant growth inhibition was observed in both KRAS mutant xenograft groups receiving trametinib and dual antibody therapy (tumors 366 and 608), tumor regression was observed in the KRAS wild-type xenografts (tumor 738) treated in the same manner. Dual antibody therapy in conjunction with trametinib was equally or more effective at inhibiting tumor growth and with lower apparent toxicity than trametinib plus lapatinib. Together, these studies provide further support for a role for EGFR and HER2 in pancreatic cancer proliferation and underscore the importance of therapeutic intervention in both the KRAS–rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma kinase (RAF)–MEK–ERK and EGFR-HER2 pathways to achieve maximal therapeutic efficacy in patients.
Mid-infrared THz beam sensors: exploration and application for phonon spectroscopy

We present an investigation of coherent mid-infrared pulse measurement system using free-space electro-optic sampling technique. A series of nonlinear materials are investigated for the nonresonant optical rectification and electro-optic sampling for the generation and detection, respectively. A sampling bandwidth up to 40 THz is achieved. For spectroscopic application we present THz field radiation by optically excited coherent phonons in the mid-infrared frequency range. We compare the THz radiation under extremely different excitation conditions. The comparison shows the THz radiation property of the resonantly driven phonons in the surface field layer. Furthermore we investigate the coherent reststrahl band reflectivity in the time domain. Unexpectedly strong oscillations are observed near the longitudinal-optical phonon frequency. This THz waveform is discussed with the reststrahl band dispersion of the reflectivity.
Papillary fibroelastoma: increasing recognition of a surgical disease

Papillary fibroelastomas are uncommon benign tumors usually involving the heart valves, which historically have been diagnosed at autopsy. With the advent of echocardiography, however, the number of patients diagnosed in life has increased. Papillary fibroelastomas represent a surgically treatable cause of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular ischemia and infarction making their identification clinically important. We report three unusual cases of papillary fibroelastoma; two patients presenting with symptoms of cerebrovascular ischemia and one presenting with myocardial infarction. We also present a comprehensive review of the literature and provide a compilation of all case reports to date.
Acute airway compromise after brief exposure to a Dieffenbachia plant

Dieffenbachia is a common domestic plant. Oral contact with the plant usually is associated with minimal consequences. However, chewing on the stem or the leaf of the Dieffenbachia can result in painful oropharyngeal edema and the inability to speak or handle secretions. Airway compromise has been reported only in a pediatric ingestion. We report a case of an adult who bit into the stem of the plant thinking it was sugar cane. He instantly spit out the remaining stem and despite this brief exposure, oropharyngeal edema developed refractory to medicinal therapy, requiring surgical airway management. The exact mechanism of edema is not known; therefore, methods of treatment are variable. We recommend caution when presented with a patient exposed to Dieffenbachia. Even the patient who initially seems stable may have an airway that will quickly deteriorate.
Gallium Uptake in Heterotransplanted Human Choriocarcinoma and Ovarian Carcinoma in Nude Mice

AbstractGallium-67 citrate uptake in heterotransplanted human choriocarcinoma and ovarian tumor in nude mice was studied. Higher uptake was found in the choriocarcinoma than the ovarian tumor in terms of their percentage of uptake per dose per gram of tumor. A sixfold difference was noted in two different types of tumors transplanted to the same animal. A potential usefulness of this model is discussed.
Rapid, Nondestructive Evaluation of Macroscopic Defects in Crystalline Materials: The Laue Topography of (Hg,Cd)Te

Several (Hg, Cd) Te semiconductor alloys have properties which make them useful as solid state detectors. However, homogeneous alloy single crystal preparation requires unusual treatment. A two-step process is necessary because of the liquidus-solidus composition disparity at the melting point. Laue topography was found to be an efficient tool for optimizing parameters in an initial quench (to preserve homogeneity) and a subsequent solid state recrystallization (to promote large grain growth). Crystal perfection analysis using polychromatic X-ray diffraction is not an entirely new concept, but our initial interest led to a simplified Laue topography technique which is useful for rapid characterization of various macroscopic crystal defects. The utility of this method is demonstrated by a study of defects in bulk (Hg, Cd)Te crystals.
Complex stimulus properties of LSD: a drug discrimination study with α2-adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists

The influence of several α2-adrenergic agents on the discriminative stimulus (DS) properties of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) was studied in rats trained to discriminate 0.08 mg/kg (186 nmol/kg) of LSD from saline in a two-lever operant paradigm. Only yohimbine fully mimicked LSD with an ED50 of 2.05 mg/kg (5.24 µmol/kg). Yohimbine's 5-HT1A agonist properties may be responsible for this substitution. Other α2-adrenoceptor antagonists, idazoxan with an agonist/antagonist profile at 5-HT1A receptors and RS 26026-197, a highly selective α2-adrenoceptor antagonist, failed to produce substitution. Clonidine, an α2-adrenoceptor agonist, did not substitute for LSD but the response rate was dose-dependently reduced. None of the α2-adrenergic agents used for pretreatment before LSD inhibited the response to the LSD training dose. Coadministration of clonidine with LSD produced a leftward shift of the dose-response relationship of LSD without a significant change in the slope of the dose-response line. Simultaneous administration of α2-adrenergic agents with LSD shifted the dose-response curve to the left only when the adrenergic agent also possessed at least moderate affinity for the 5-HT1A receptor. In addition, radioligand competition experiments were performed that showed LSD to have relatively high affinity (Ki=37 nM) for [3H]clonidine-labeled sites in rat cortex with lower affinity for [3H]yohimbine labeled sites. While previous studies have suggested that the nature of the LSD cue may be essentially expressed by 5-HT2 receptor activation, the present data show that this cue can be modulated by effects of LSD at 5-HT1A and at other monoamine neurotransmitter receptors.
Preparation of long-chain fatty acid chlorides

A rapid method has been found for preparing the long-chain fatty acid chlorides, which eliminates purification by distillation. It gave a quantitative yield of product containing less than 1.5% free acid. The method involves treating the free acid with phosphorus pentachloride or trichloride in an inert organic solvent and removing the excess chlorinating agent by washing the solvent phase with water. Phosphorus pentachloride and Skellysolve “F” were preferred for laboratory preparations. For commercial purposes however either chlorinating agent could be used in a variety of inert organic solvents. Infrared analysis was found to give a rapid measure of the free acid content of the prepared acid chlorides.
The influence of moderate and chronic exercise training on the pharmacokinetics of procainamide and N-acetylprocainamide.

The effect of moderate and prolonged exercise on the disposition and metabolism of drugs has not been extensively examined. The present study examined the effect of exercise training on the pharmacokinetics of procainamide and its active metabolite, N-acetylprocainamide. Male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to three testing groups: (1) sedentary, (2) 4 weeks of exercise training and (3) 8 weeks of exercise training. Treadmill speed and exercise duration were gradually increased, reaching a final rate of 24 m min−1 for an hour by the end of the 4-week or 8-week period. Sedentary and exercise trained rats received a single i.p. dose of procainamide (100 mg kg−1). Serial blood samples were collected over a 10 h period and plasma samples were analysed by an UV-HPLC method. Noncompartmental analysis was performed to estimate the pharmacokinetic parameters. The t1/2 of procainamide was significantly (p <0.05) higher in the 8 week exercise group (331 min) as compared to the sedentary group (77 min). In addition, there was a significant reduction in the amount of N-acetylprocainamide formed after 8 weeks of exercise (AUCNAPA=739 ng mL−1 min−1). Results of this study suggest that prolonged exercise (8 weeks of training) alters the pharmacokinetics of procainamide by modifying the amount of active metabolite formed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Catalyst wetting efficiency in trickle-bed reactors at high pressure

Abstract Trickle-bed reactors are widely used in industrial high pressure operations (up to 30 MPa). The knowledge of catalyst wetting efficiency as a function of operating conditions is needed for relating laboratory and pilot scale reactor data to large scale reactor operation. The available predictions of the wetting efficiency rest on data collected at atmospheric pressure. In this study a phenomenological analysis has been developed to relate the wetting efficiency with operating conditions such as reactor pressure, gas and liquid flow rate. Experimental data for the wetting efficiency at high pressure have been obtained via a tracer technique. The data support the developed model which can be expressed by the following correlation: ƞ CE = 1.104 RE L 1/3 1 + [( ΔP Z )/p L g] Ga L 1/9 This correlation is also in good agreement with the data correlated previously at atmospheric pressure and provides the means for assessing liquid-catalyst contacting at all operating pressures.
AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF WOLFFIAN LENS REGENERATION IN THE ADULT NEWT.

Changes in the morphology of cells during the regenerative tissue transformation of the pigmented epithelium of the iris into lens in the adult newt Triturus viridescens were studied in ultrathin sections using the electron microscope. In addition, quantitative analyses with electron micrographs were performed. The cells of the normal iris are characterized by an abundance of melanin granules, an extensive smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum, and irregular indentations of the nuclear membrane. After lens removal, the first visible changes are detected in nuclei of the mediodorsal iris cells and involve an increase in the number of primary nucleoli. Later, the nuclei enlarge and become spherical, and prominent nucleoli appear. These nucleoli can be distinguished from the normal nucleoli by the presence of the granular cortex surrounding the fibrous core. The pigment granules seem to be completely extruded into the intercellular spaces and subsequently taken up by leucocytes. The endoplasmic reticulum disintegrates gradually and finally almost disappears. There is a significant increase of ribosomes in the cytoplasm. Later, the cytoplasmic matrix also acquires fibrous elements (about 50 A wide) of low density, probably corresponding in nature to the main components of a normal lens cell. These and other changes in the transforming cells are discussed.
Gender differences in the behavioral manifestations of Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between gender and specific types of behavior problems that occur in patients with Alzheimer's disease. DESIGN: This was an observational study using the Dementia Behavior Disturbance Scale to quantify and define behavioral problems encountered by caregivers. Multiple regressions were used to control for the possible influence of dementia severity as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination and the duration of dementia. SETTING: Patients were sampled from the outpatient dementia clinics of Roger Williams Hospital and Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 125 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease, defined by NINCDS-ADRDA diagnostic criteria, were included in the study. There were 75 women and 50 men. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Caregivers rated the presence and frequency of 28 different behavior problems from the Dementia Behavior Disturbance Scale. Domains of behavior disturbance were then defined by a factor analysis of the data. RESULTS: Male and female groups were comparable for the demographic variables of age, education, and duration of dementia, as well as severity of depression, degree of cognitive impairment and overall severity of behavior disturbance. Among the six behavior factors that were defined, two were significantly related to gender. One factor, which included apathy and vegetative signs, was related to male gender; a second factor, which included reclusiveness and emotional lability, was related to female gender. CONCLUSIONS: Although overall severity of behavior disturbance in Alzheimer's disease may be related primarily to severity of dementia, significant differences in the types of behaviors manifested exist between males and females with the disease.
Sleep quality, stress, depressive symptoms, and body-mass index as predictors of elevated blood pressures in college students

as well as at the end of the study. After three months of therapy, men with grade 2 obesity have reduced their SBP significantly less (mean decrease from baseline 1⁄4 20.91 11.63 mmHg) than did men with normal weight (mean decrease from baseline 1⁄4 30.19 12.08 mmHg) and men with grade 1 obesity (mean decrease from baseline 1⁄4 29.91 12.99 mmHg). Women with grade 2 obesity have reduced their SBP significantly less (mean decrease from baseline1⁄4 21.77 16.05 mmHg) than did women with normal weight (mean decrease from baseline 1⁄4 29.82 12.14 mmHg) and compared to overweight women (mean decrease from baseline 1⁄4 28.42 11.88 mmHg). The highest reduction in DBP after three months was reported among women with grade 1 obesity (mean decrease from baseline 1⁄4 17.76 8.73 mmHg), followed by overweight women (mean decrease from baseline 1⁄4 15.40 8.29 mmHg), and in women with normal weight (mean decrease from baseline 1⁄4 14.85 9.81 mmHg); the lowest decrease of DBP was recorded among women with grade 2 obesity (mean decrease from baseline 1⁄4 9.26 6.60 mmHg). The differences between the groups were statistically significant. In men, DBP changed to similar extent in relation to body weight categories. Conclusion: Overweight and obesity may influence the rate of decrease of systolic and diastolic blood pressure during a three-month antihypertensive therapy with lisinopril and hydrochlorthiazide.
An in situ study of the martensitic transformation in shape memory alloys using photoemission electron microscopy

Thermally-induced martensitic phase transformations in polycrystalline CuZnAl and thin-film NiTiCu shape memory alloys were probed using photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM). Ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy shows a reversible change in the apparent work function during transformation, presumably due to the contrasting surface electronic structures of the martensite and austenite phases. In situ PEEM images provide information on the spatial distribution of these phases and the evolution of the surface microstructure during transformation. PEEM offers considerable potential for improving our understanding of martensitic transformations in shape memory alloys in real time.
Integrated meso-microscale traffic simulation of hierarchical AHS control architectures

A recently developed meso-microscale traffic simulator allows a stationary region of micro-simulation to be defined within a larger, meso-simulated automated highway system (AHS). This simulator permits analysis of traffic behavior in situations where both microscopic (vehicle-level) and mesoscopic (aggregate flow) effects are important, while avoiding the prohibitive computational cost of microsimulating a large-scale AHS. This paper describes the software structure of the meso-micro simulator, which implements the PATH AHS control architecture. Simulation results indicate that the meso-micro simulator generates consistent traffic flows across both meso and micro-simulated regions.
Site occupancies in ternary C15 ordered Laves phases

Site occupancies in three C15-structured AB{sub 2}(X) Laves phases have been determined by Atom Location by CHanneling Enhanced MIcroanalysis (ALCHEMI). In NbCr{sub 2}(V), the results were consistent with exclusive site occupancies of Nb for the A sublattice and Cr and V for the B sublattice. The B-site occupancy of V is not expected from atom size effects alone. In NbCr{sub 2}(Ti), the results were consistent with Ti partitioning mostly to the A sites with some anti-site defects likely. In HfV{sub 2}(Nb), the results were consistent with Nb partitioning between the A and B sites. The results of the ALCHEMI analyses of these ternary C15 Laves phase materials will be discussed with respect to previously determined phase diagrams and first-principles total energy and electronic structure calculations.
How Earnings Management Affects Investment Decisions through its Differential Effects on a Firm’s Cash Flows and Shareholders’ Trust in the Firm’s Managers

Using an experiment we examine the effects of suspicions of the method of earnings management and its underlying motive on investors’ willingness to invest in the firm. We focus on the role of investors’ trust in managers, while controlling for investors’ assessments of the effects of earnings management on the firm’s future cash flows. Consistent with our trust-based hypotheses, we find that the method of earnings management only affects investors’ willingness to invest in the firm when the motive underlying the earnings management does not breach investors’ trust in managers. In this situation we find that investors view accruals-based earnings management more negatively than real earnings management. We also show that trust fully mediates the effect of the interaction of the method of earnings management and its underlying motive on investors’ willingness to invest in the firm.
Managing a major curriculum reform effort in a large research university

This paper describes a substantive undergraduate curriculum reform effort being undertaken over a five year period at the University of Texas at Austin, with special consideration to the management issues that are being addressed. The initiative, called Project PROCEED (for Project-Centered Education), grew out of a desire to strengthen our student’s understanding of fundamental engineering theory by continuously tying it to tangible objects and systems, to strengthen our Department’s connections with its industrial stakeholders by actively involving them in the development and delivery of curriculum content, and to provide our students with a broad range of team-based experiences which will better prepare them for growth and leadership in the corporate and professional world. The rationale for PROCEED and key program elements are described. Management issues, such as logistics, promoting faculty and student buy-in, financing, industrial interaction, and program evaluation are discussed.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Estimation of Profit Functions When Profit Is Not Maximum

This paper deals with derivation and implications of profit functions when profit is not maximum due to the presence of either technical inefficiency or allocative inefficiency, or both. We show that input demand and output supply, elasticities, and returns to scale are, in general, affected by these inefficiencies. We also show that the overall profit efficiency is not necessarily the product of technical and allocative efficiencies, meaning that technical and allocative inefficiencies are not necessarily independent. Estimation techniques are developed for both cross-sectional and panel data models. Working of the model is illustrated using a panel of 60 salmon farms. Copyright 2001, Oxford University Press.
Evaluating the Validity of Probing Attachment Loss as a Surrogate for Tooth Mortality in a Clinical Trial on the Elderly

Most periodontal trials are based on the assumption that the superior treatment, as judged by short-term intangible changes in probing attachment levels (the surrogate), is also the treatment most likely to affect tooth mortality. This assumption is valid if: (1) the surrogate is informative about tooth mortality, and (2) the surrogate captures a substantial proportion of the treatment effect on tooth mortality (e.g., > 50% or 75%). The goal of this study was to evaluate whether both conditions were satisfied in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of elders at high risk for dental diseases. The results suggested that the first condition for a valid surrogate was satisfied: Both one- and two-year changes in probing attachment level were informative about tooth mortality risk. A 1-mm loss measured over a one-year period was associated with a 56% increased tooth mortality risk (relative risk = 1.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.08 to 2.26; p = 0.017); a 1-mm loss measured over a two-year period was associated with a 102% increased risk for tooth mortality (relative risk = 2.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.26 to 3.25; p = 0.004). The second condition necessary for a valid surrogate could not be confirmed in the present trial. With 95% confidence, it was concluded that one-year changes in probing attachment level measurements did not capture a significant proportion of the treatment effect (point estimate, 6%; 95% confidence interval;-38% to 53%). No useful statements could be made regarding the proportion of treatment effect captured by two-year changes, due to the width of the confidence interval (point estimate, 18%; 95% confidence interval;-151% to 140%). It is concluded that (1) the evidence surrounding the one-year change in probing attachment level indicates that it can be ruled out as being anything more than a weak surrogate marker for tooth mortality, and (2) further research is required to study the validity of two-year change in probing attachment level as a surrogate marker. Due to characteristics of the population and the treatments investigated, the generalizability of these findings to other RCTs is questionable.
Coastal flooding in the Northeastern United States due to climate change

With dense population and development along its coastline, the northeastern United States is, at present, highly vulnerable to coastal flooding. At five sea level stations in the United States, from Massachusetts to New Jersey, sea level rise (SLR) trends and tidal effects were removed from the hourly sea level time series and then frequency analysis was performed on the positive remaining anomalies that represent storm surge heights. Then using eustatic SLR estimates for lower and higher greenhouse gas emissions scenarios and assumed trends in local sea level rise, new recurrence intervals were determined for future storm surges. Under the higher emissions scenario, by 2050, the elevation of the 2005 100-year event may be equaled or exceeded at least every 30 years at all sites. In more exposed US cities such as Boston, Massachusetts and Atlantic City, New Jersey, this could occur at the considerably higher frequency of every 8 years or less. Under the lower emissions scenario, by 2050, the elevation of the 2005 100-year event may be equaled or exceeded at least every 70 years at all sites. In Boston and Atlantic City, this could occur every 30 years or less.
Familial cutaneous leiomyomatosis

A 24-year-old Caucasian man was evaluated because of a history of multiple firm, reddish, papulonodular skin lesions occurring over the buttocks, thighs, and lower portions of his back and legs since the age of 17 years. Most lesions had developed within 1 year of onset and had become very painful. The family history revealed that the patient's mother and maternal aunts had similar skin lesions. The mode of inheritance is that of autosomal dominant pattern. The mother and three maternal aunts all had had hysterectomies. Biopsy specimens of skin lesions with hematoxylin-eosin and Masson-trichrome stains showed typical leiomyoma. Bodian's staining method revealed an increased amount of nerve fibers interlacing within muscle fibers and in the surrounding tissue. This finding may explain the painful nature of the cutaneous leiomyomas. Treatments consist of analgesics for control of pain and selective excision of larger painful leiomyomas.
Design approaches with a lenslet array and a single, high-numerical-aperture annular-field objective lens for optical data storage systems that incorporate large numbers of parallel read–write–erase channels

To achieve very high data rates (>109 bits/s) in optical data storage systems it is necessary to employ a large number of laser beams for parallel read–write–erase operations. Bringing all these beams to diffraction-limited focus with a high-numerical-aperture objective lens (while maintaining focus and tracking) requires techniques that are fundamentally different from those that are currently practiced in the field of optical data storage. We present two possible solutions to the problem of designing an objective lens for such systems, one involving an array of high-quality lenslets and the other based on a single, high-numerical-aperture annular-field-of-view conventional lens. Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages, on which we elaborate in the course of our discussions.
Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(Glycerol Sebacate) for Human Mesenchymal Response Studies

Cell fate modification is a critical step in preparing cells and tissues for implantation therapeutics. Novel materials possessing physical, mechanical, and chemical properties similar to those found in vivo provide a potential platform in building artificial microenvironments for therapeutic applications and well-defined biointerfaces for examining differentiation potential in stem cell biology. Poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS), a novel biocompatible and biodegradable elastomer is one such material. With tunable mechanical properties in the range of common soft tissue, the material provides an invaluable alternative platform for use in cell-to-substrate interaction studies. This paper describes the tunability of PGS mechanical properties based on variations in curing temperatures (130, 140, and 165 °C). We characterized the material by examining properties that include equilibrium Young’s modulus (E), glass transition temperature (Tg), loss factor (tan δ), degree of crosslinking, cure kinetics, protein conformational changes, and molecular bonding compositions. Variations in PGS curing temperature provide differences in physical cues presented to the hMSCs, and work is underway to examine the cellular responses of these hMSCs to microstructured PGS. Ultimately, micro- and nanostructured PGS may be useful tools in the maintenance, differentiation, and control of signaling pathways in hMSCs.
Contamination of fish in streams of the Mid-Atlantic Region: an approach to regional indicator selection and wildlife assessment.

The extent of contamination of fish in the Mid-Atlantic Region was evaluated as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Monitoring and Assessment Program's regional assessment in 1993 through 1994. Fish assemblages from wadeable streams were dominated by small, short-lived fishes (e.g., minnows, darters, and sculpins) that were more widely distributed and abundant than large fishes typically chosen for tissue contaminant studies (e.g., trout, black bass, sunfish, common carp). Chemical concentrations in whole-fish homogenates exceeded detection limits for mercury, DDT, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in 75 to 100% of the stream length assessed using small fishes and 84 to 100% of the stream length assessed using large fishes. Wildlife values (WVs) representing a threshold for toxic effect were developed to allow examination of the spatial extent of potential risk to piscivorous wildlife. For mercury, DDT, dieldrin, and chlordane, estimates of the regional extent of streams where fish contaminant concentrations exceeded the WVs were greater when based on small fishes than on large fishes. However, within the distribution of stream lengths assessed using small and large fishes, the percentage of stream kilometers exceeding the WVs were quite similar. Our data demonstrate that the greater abundance and distribution of small, short-lived fishes provide greater estimates of regional extent of contamination for first- through third-order streams and can be used for regional assessments of potential exposure and effects in wildlife.
Interhelical hydrogen bonds and spatial motifs in membrane proteins: Polar clamps and serine zippers

Polar and ionizable amino acid residues are frequently found in the transmembrane (TM) regions of membrane proteins. In this study, we show that they help to form extensive hydrogen bond connections between TM helices. We find that almost all TM helices have interhelical hydrogen bonding. In addition, we find that a pair of contacting TM helices is packed tighter when there are interhelical hydrogen bonds between them. We further describe several spatial motifs in the TM regions, including "Polar Clamp" and "Serine Zipper," where conserved Ser residues coincide with tightly packed locations in the TM region. With the examples of halorhodopsin, calcium-transporting ATPase, and bovine cytochrome c oxidase, we discuss the roles of hydrogen bonds in stabilizing helical bundles in polytopic membrane proteins and in protein functions.
Myopathy Five New Things

Published with permission from Bjorn Oskarsson, MD This brief review touches on 5 relatively new things that ought to be useful for neurologists in general practices. The chosen topics include common conditions, techniques that are rapidly growing in utilization, and new developments that mandate new paradigms of treatment. Furthermore, all topics have had important developments in the last 5 years. The first section discusses the very common myalgias, myopathies, and rare rhabdomyolysis occurring with statin use. Next, the recently established necrotizing myopathy associated with statins is described. The third topic is muscle imaging with MRI and ultrasound, which are techniques used in conjunction with neuromuscular examination, EMG, and muscle biopsies, all of which remain the mainstay of diagnostic studies for muscle disease. The fourth topic reviewed is the myositis-specific autoantibodies and their relationship to the inflammatory myopathies. Finally, enzyme replacement therapy for Pompe disease is reviewed. This is the first limb-girdle syndrome for which we have a specific treatment and this has increased the importance of firmly establishing the underlying diagnosis in patients with these phenotypes. Before proceeding, it should be acknowledged that the review will not cover other interesting developments in the field of muscle diseases, particularly the muscular dystrophies and mitochondrial muscle diseases, where huge steps in our understanding of these conditions have been made. Also, while the term myositis is often used interchangeably with myopathy in both clinical practice and in the literature, in this review the term myositis will be used exclusively for the inflammatory myopathies. It is important to be aware that the term often is used to refer to all myopathies, inflammatory or not, and that it can not be taken to imply an inflammatory etiology. Statin drugs are being used more and more frequently, with up to 29.7 million people using them in …
Colony Breeding System Influences Cuticular Bacterial Load of Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) Workers

The goal of this study was to test whether the breeding system and/or the degree of inbreeding of field colonies of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) influences bacterial load on the cuticle of foraging workers. We enumerated bacterial load on the cuticle of groups of workers foraging in 20 inground monitoring stations surrounding the French Market in New Orleans, LA, and identified bacteria species using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We used microsatellite genotyping to assign the 20 worker groups to seven simple family colonies (headed by a single pair of reproductives) and four extended family colonies (headed by multiple inbreeding reproductives) with a wide range of degrees of inbreeding. Workers from extended family colonies had a higher bacterial load than those from simple family colonies; however, bacterial load was not significantly correlated to the degree of inbreeding, possibly because of confounding factors in colony life history, such as age and/or size of colonies. Colonies with high bacterial load did not have a higher proportion of entomopathogens, and thus, bacterial load is not necessarily an indicator for disease risk. The majority of bacteria cultured from the cuticle of termites were soil bacteria with no known pathology against termites.
Preferential attention to animals and people is independent of the amygdala

The amygdala is thought to play a critical role in detecting salient stimuli. Several studies have taken ecological approaches to investigating such saliency, and argue for domain-specific effects for processing certain natural stimulus categories, in particular faces and animals. Linking this to the amygdala, neurons in the human amygdala have been found to respond strongly to faces and also to animals. However, the amygdalas necessary role for such category-specific effects at the behavioral level remains untested. Here we tested four rare patients with bilateral amygdala lesions on an established change-detection protocol. Consistent with prior published studies, healthy controls showed reliably faster and more accurate detection of people and animals, as compared with artifacts and plants. So did all four amygdala patients: there were no differences in phenomenal change blindness, in behavioral reaction time to detect changes or in eye-tracking measures. The findings provide decisive evidence against a critical partici- pation of the amygdala in rapid initial processing of attention to animate stimuli, suggesting that the necessary neural substrates for this phenomenon arise either in other subcortical structures (such as the pulvinar) or within the cortex itself.
Pre-Bötzinger Neurons With Preinspiratory Discharges “In Vivo” Express NK1 Receptors in the Rat

Substance P stimulates respiration, in part by a direct action on the pre-Botzinger complex (preBotC). This region of the medulla oblongata contains neurons that are strongly immunoreactive for the...