cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early decomposition chemistry of NTO, (3-Nitro-1,2,4-Triazol-5-One)

Abstract The early reaction chemistry of NTO, (3-Nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one) induced by, drop weight impact, shock, heat and radiation has been investigated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy XPS and chemical ionization mass spectrometry CIMS were employed to observe and identify the partial decomposition products in the damaged samples. Several reaction intermediates have been identified, the focus of the reaction being the single nitro group present on this molecule. XPS spectra indicated in all cases the loss of NO2 concentration in response to damage. Additional chemical states were suggested in the XPS N(ls) spectrum by the appearance of a new peak at a binding energy below that of the triazol ring nitrogens. Mass spectrometry provided the molecularly specific information needed to identify molecular species resulting from the decomposition reactions. Relative to the parent NTO molecule, mass peaks were observed that corresponded to the loss of one O atom, an NO fragment, and a HONO.
View of the empty states of the Si(100)-(2×1) surface via scanning tunneling microscopy imaging at very low biases

It is shown that the use of very-low-bias voltages in scanning tunneling microscopy of the Si(100)-2{times}1 surface achieves significantly greater sensitivity to the electronic states of the top atomic layer than does the use of typical larger bias voltages. Measurements with the increased sensitivity demonstrate that the conventional interpretation of empty-state images of Si(100) is inadequate. New spectroscopic assignments for observed features are proposed. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
Development of the Client Resistance Scale

This study examines (a) the psychometric properties of the Client Resistance Scale (CRS) and (b) how client resistance manifests as a function of client, therapist, and therapist response mode. The CRS is composed of 5 subscales that are based on R. R. Greenson's (1967) formulation of client resistance (i.e., Opposing Expression of Painful Affect, Opposing Recollection of Material, Opposing Therapist, Opposing Change, and Opposing Insight). Master's-level judges rated client speaking turns for 6 sessions with 6 expert therapists (i.e., Beck, Ellis, Meichenbaum, Perls, Rogers, and Strupp). Results indicated that (a) the CRS subscales were reliable with 3 and 4 judges, (b) the 5 subscales were significantly positively correlated with each other, and (c) client resistance differed as a function of client, therapist, and therapist response mode. Client resistance is a central concept in analytic psychotherapy (Greenson, 1967), and it is important in other psychotherapy models such as cognitive-behavioral (Goldfried, 1982; Meichenbaum & Gilmore, 1982), gestalt (Breshgold, 1989), and rational-emotive therapy (Ellis, 1985). Arguably, the most lucid and thorough discussion of client resistance has been presented by Greenson. Greenson detailed the purposes of resistance, described its manifestation in therapeutic work, and discussed several strategies for working with client resistance. Specifically, Greenson (1967) observed that "resistance opposes the analytic procedure, the analyst, and the patient's reasonable ego. Resistance defends the neurosis, the old, the familiar, and the infantile from exposure and change" (p. 77). In this article, Greenson's (1967) language is recast to be inclusive of nonanalytic approaches and to incorporate the motivation for resistance (i.e., the avoidance of painful affect; Freud, 1901/1960; Greenson, 1967). As such, the following formulation of resistance is presented: With its motivation being the avoidance of painful affect, resistance opposes the client's recollection of therapeutic material, as well as the therapist's efforts, change, and insight. A survey of the literature on client resistance supports the five dimensions identified in this formulation.
A spectrophotometric assay for iodide oxidation by thyroid peroxidase.

Abstract A rapid, sensitive spectrophotometric assay for iodide oxidation by thyroid peroxidase is described. The method depends upon the measurement of periodide at either of its absorption peaks, 353 mμ or 287.5 mμ, and is adequately suited for enzyme purification studies.
Urinary cytology and bladder cancer. The cellular features of transitional cell neoplasms

Urinary cytology is increasingly accepted as a diagnostic tool in the detection and follow-up of patients with bladder cancer. Its potential value has been reduced, however, by the relative inexperience of most pathologists in the examination of urinary specimens, and by the lack of cellular criteria specifically reflecting the morphology of low-grade papillary and flat lesions of bladder epithelium. The cytologic features of urothelial lesions, including papillary transitional cell carcinomas and flat urothelial dysplasias have been studied in both experimental systems and clinical situations and their application to a selected patient population is presented. Overall, the cytohistologic correlation for patients with bladder cancer was 92%. Positive cells reflecting the morphology of the tumor occurred in 62% of patients with grade I transitional cell carcinomas, and cells suspicious for malignancy were identified in an additional 14% of these individuals. Using the criteria presented, a positive cytology can correlate with a papillary grade I bladder tumor, and should not necessarily indicate the presence of another neoplasm. Dysplastic cells in cytologic specimens are often identified in patients having urothelial dysplasia as the most serious bladder lesion, but the cytologic diagnosis of dysplasia may represent an under-interpretation of a low-grade papillary bladder tumor. The cells of urothelial neoplasms, including low-grade transitional cell carcinomas and dysplasias, differ morphologically both from normal and reactive/reparative elements, and can be detected in cytologic samples. The changes are often subtle and require experience and a cautious approach for accurate interpretation.
Barkhausen noise in relaxor ferroelectrics

Relaxor ferroelectrics form a diverse class of materials which typically show cooperative freezing into a nonergodic glassy state without long-range ferroelectric order. We discuss Barkhausen noise techniques in the non-ferroelectric regimes of the relaxors as a probe of the types of glassy order present. Preliminary data on PMN/PT (10% and 32%) show dipole moment step sizes which shrink abruptly upon cooling into the relaxor regime. This is similar to previous results on PMN, but with interesting differences possibly due to the larger ferroelectric correlations in PMN/PT: namely, a history dependence of the noise and a smaller dynamic step size despite larger static ferroelectric correlations. In light of these noise results and aging behavior in PMN/PT and SBN:La, we discuss a tentative new picture we recently proposed of freezing in PMN and related relaxors (analogous to that in reentrant spin glasses) as well as constraints on theoretical models for the relaxors.
Functional Analytic Multisensory Environmental Therapy for People with Dementia

This paper introduces Functional Analytic Multisensory Environmental Therapy (FAMSET) for use with elders with dementia while using a multisensory environment/snoezelen room. The model introduces behavioral theory and practice to the multisensory environment treatment, addressing assessment, and, within session techniques, integrating behavioral interventions with emotion-oriented care. A modular approach is emphasized to delineate different treatment phases for multisensory environment therapy. The aim of the treatment is to provide a safe and effective framework for reducing the behavioral disturbance of the disease process, increasing elder well-being, and to promote transfer of positive effects to other environments outside of the multisensory treatment room.
Fibre-matrix bond strength studies of glass, ceramic, and metal matrix composites

An indentation test technique for compressively loading the ends of individual fibers to produce debonding has been applied to metal, glass, and glass-ceramic matrix composites; bond strength values at debond initiation are calculated using a finite-element model. Results are correlated with composite longitudinal and interlaminar shear behavior for carbon and Nicalon fiber-reinforced glasses and glass-ceramics including the effects of matrix modifications, processing conditions, and high-temperature oxidation embrittlement. The data indicate that significant bonding to improve off-axis and shear properties can be tolerated before the longitudinal behavior becomes brittle. Residual stress and other mechanical bonding effects are important, but improved analyses and multiaxial interfacial failure criteria are needed to adequately interpret bond strength data in terms of composite performance.
The drag reduction of dilute polymer solutions as a function of solvent power, viscosity, and temperature

Abstract : The frictional drag reduction of high-molecular-weight polyethylene oxide and polystyrene solutions under turbulent flow conditions was studied as a function of temperature, solvent power, and solvent viscosity. A rotating disk apparatus was used to make the drag reduction measurements. For aqueous polyethylene oxide solutions, at concentrations well above that needed to produce maximum drag reduction, all drag reduction data reduced to a common curve when percent drag reduction was plotted against the Reynolds number for the flow. However, for polyethylene oxide solutions below this optimum concentration the drag reduction-versus-Reynolds number curves showed decreasing drag reduction with increasing temperature. The data are explained primarily in terms of the inverse temperature solubility characteristics of polyethylene oxide in water. The percent drag reduction of polystyrene in nonaqueous liquids was found to be greater in good solvents than in poor ones. It was also found that increases in solvent viscosity and decreases in temperature increased the percent drag reduction. The results are discussed in relation to the current drag reduction theories and are shown to be in opposition to Virk's theory. It is concluded from the data that drag reduction is very likely a function of a relaxation time phenomenon involving the polymer molecules and the flow system. The results also emphasize the importance of considering solvent power, viscosity, and temperature in the design of an efficient drag reduction system. (Author)
Electromagnetic fields influence NGF activity and levels following sciatic nerve transection.

Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) have been shown to increase the rate of nerve regeneration. Transient post-transection loss of target-derived nerve growth factor (NGF) is one mechanism proposed to signal induction of early nerve regenerative events. We tested the hypothesis that PEMF alter levels of NGF activity and protein in injured nerve and/or dorsal root ganglia (DRG) during the first stages of regeneration (6–72 hr). Rats with a transection injury to the midthigh portion of the sciatic nerve on one side were exposed to PEMF or sham control PEMF for 4 hr/day for different time periods. NGF-like activity was determined in DRG, in 5-mm nerve segments proximal and distal to the transection site and in a corresponding 5-mm segment of the contralateral nonoperated nerve. NGF-like activity of coded tissue samples was measured in a blinded fashion using the chick DRG sensory neuron bioassay. Overall, PEMF caused a significant decrease in NGF-like activity in nerve tissue (P < 0.02, repeated measures analysis of variance, ANOVA) with decreases evident in proximal, distal, and contralateral nonoperated nerve. Unexpectedly, transection was also found to cause a significant (P = 0.001) 2-fold increase in DRG NGF-like activity between 6 and 24 hr postinjury in contralateral but not ipsilateral DRG. PEMF also reduced NGF-like activity in DRG, although this decrease did not reach statistical significance. Assessment of the same nerve and DRG samples using ELISA and NGF-specific antibodies confirmed an overall significant (P < 0.001) decrease in NGF levels in PEMF-treated nerve tissue, while no decrease was detected in DRG or in nerve samples harvested from PEMF-treated uninjured rats. These findings demonstrate that PEMF can affect growth factor activity and levels, and raise the possibility that PEMF might promote nerve regeneration by amplifying the early postinjury decline in NGF activity. J. Neurosci. Res. 55:230–237, 1999. Published 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Resistance measurements and vortex fluctuations in two-dimensional superconducting films

Recently theories of vortex fluctuations in two-dimensional superconducting films have been compared to the experimentally determined power law dependence of voltage on current and to the temperature-dependent resistance in small applied fields. Here an alternative interpretation of the power law and a practical difficulty of flux pinning for measurements in small fields are pointed out. To illustrate these points, experimental examples are presented for very homogeneous granular aluminum films.
Expression of serotonin transporter mRNA in human brainstem raphe nuclei

The distribution of the messenger RNA (mRNA) encoding the serotonin transporter was investigated in the entire extent of the ascending raphe systems of the human brainstem, using a sensitive cRNA probe. This mRNA is abundant in the neurons of the raphe nuclei, especially in the dorsal and median raphe. The subregional distribution of this mRNA closely corresponds to that described for tryptophan hydroxylase in immunocytochemical studies. It is expressed at the highest levels in ventral and ventrolateral subregions of the dorsal raphe, with lower levels of expression in the median raphe, oral pontine reticular nuclei, and the supralemniscal cell groups. These results provide a description of the distribution of this mRNA in normal subjects and will serve as the basis for future studies of the subregional distribution of this mRNA in the brains of depressed patients and those who have committed suicide.
Religion and governmentality: Understanding governance in urban Brazil

Abstract In this paper I argue that geographies of religion are fundamental to understanding governance and social order in contemporary urban space. More specifically, I show how Foucault’s notion of governmentality characterizes regimes of power beyond the state apparatus, positing that religion and churches also produce and maintain the knowledges, truths, and social order associated with governmentality and self-regulated governance. By considering the geography of religion literature within the context of Foucualt’s work, I illustrate the importance of religious and spiritual practices to contemporary urban space, and the roles they play in producing and maintaining governance and socio-political order. My purpose is not to suggest that governmentality has been misapplied as a theoretical tool for understanding the state and political power, but to show how the term actually describes power more generally, including spiritual moments in addition to political ones. Drawing from my case study in Fortaleza, Brazil, I substantiate my theoretical argument using empirical examples, showing how governmentality is produced through religion and churches and the relationship between spiritual practices and governance in everyday space.
Increased binding of liposomes to cells by electric treatment

The influence of electric field treatments on the interaction of large unilamellar vesicles (liposomes) with animal cells was monitored by the fluorescence assay based on the use of the liposomes loaded by a dye 1-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid (HPTS). It was shown that application of a short electric pulse (100 microseconds of 3-4 kV/cm) to the suspension of cells in presence of vesicles resulted in significant (more than 2 times) increase of the fluorescence associated with cells. The pH-sensitivity of the excitation spectrum of the dye and its interaction with the quencher were used to determine the nature of the phenomenon as the increase of the liposome binding onto the cell surface but not the consequence of a promotion of liposome uptake into the cells by endocytosis. The higher affinity for the liposome caused by the electric field has a lifetime of several minutes. The possible relation of the effect described to the electroporation of cell membranes and to macroscopic changes in membrane structure is discussed.
Determination of molecular orientations in Langmuir-Blodgett films by polarized Fourier transform IR attenuated total reflection and transmission spectroscopy

Abstract New methods for evaluating the molecular orientations using polarized Fourier transform IR spectroscopy are presented. When used together, the attenuated total reflection and the transmission modes can provide detailed orientation information of simple and complex Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) systems. The methods were applied to IR dichroic ratio data of cadmium stearate, atactic poly(methyl methacrylate) and isotactic (PMMA), and rigid-rod oligoimide LB multilayer films. The chain axes of the cadmium stearate films were uniaxially oriented at 37° on average. Orientations of PMMA LB films depended on the tacticity. Whereas uniaxial orientation was found for the methylene and the carbonyl stretching transition moments in the atactic PMMA films, biaxial orientation was indicated in the isotactic PMMA films. A least-squares analysis of the rigid-rod oligoimide data suggests that biaxial orientation is more probable than the single-crystal-type orientation. Orientation polydispersity, as characterized by a gaussian standard deviation, affects the dichroic ratio significantly, and hence affects the average orientation angle deduced from the data. The average orientation angles estimated with the conventional assumption of a single tilt angle for a uniaxial system are valid when the standard deviation is less than 0.2 rad (11.5°).
How effective are public policy decissions?…The need for a general evaluation model

The successful inplementation of public policy decisions depends heavily upon knowing what information is required by the consumers and knowing the situational factors that determine whether or not the consumer will use the information. Implementation will only succeed if there is an attempt made to educate the consumer through methods other than “full disclosure.” The successful education of the consumer will only succeed if the policy decision makers are able to determine what the consumers need to know and how best to communicate this to them. The purpose of this paper is to present a general methodology for gathering information about groups of consumers or industries that will be affected by the policy decision. One of the major thrusts of the model is the emphasis placed on acquiring the information before the policy decision is made. The second major thrust is the proposal to “test market” policy decisions before they are actually made.
Comment on "Observation of superluminal behaviors in wave propagation".

Two Comments on the Letter by D. Mugnai, A. Ranfagni, and R. Ruggeri, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 4830 (2000).Points similar to those made in the following two Comments were made in papers by S. Glasgow and J. Peatross, by M. Peshkin, by L. C. Cune and M. Apostol, by W. Luis Moch\'an and V. L. Brudny, and by C. Altucci, C. de Lisio, B. Preziosi, and S. Solimeno.
Four-Coordinate Molybdenum Chalcogenide Complexes Relevant to Nitrous Oxide N−N Bond Cleavage by Three-Coordinate Molybdenum(III): Synthesis, Characterization, Reactivity, and Thermochemistry

The terminal chalcogenide complexes Mo(E)(N[R]Ar)3 (R = C(CD3)2CH3, Ar = 3,5-C6H3Me2), where E = O, S, Se, and Te, were prepared by reaction of the three-coordinate complex Mo(N[R]Ar)3 with ONC5H5, S8 or SC2H4, Se, and Te/PEt3 in respective yields of 72, 63, 80, and 73%. The Mo(E)(N[R]Ar)3 complexes were studied by EPR, SQUID, cyclic voltammetry, 2H NMR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Thermolysis of each Mo(E)(N[R]Ar)3 complex resulted in (formal) tert-butyl radical elimination giving molybdenum(VI) chalcogenide complexes Mo(E)(NAr)(N[R]Ar)2 in yields of 85 (E = O), 84 (E = S), 64 (E = Se) and 40% (E = Te). tert-Butyl elimination kinetics were monitored (2H NMR) over a 62−104 °C temperature range for Mo(O)(N[R]Ar)3, and from 66 to 93 °C for Mo(S)(N[R]Ar)3; in both cases, a first-order decay was observed. Treatment of Mo(O)(N[R]Ar)3 with iodine (0.5 equiv) provided [Mo(O)(N[R]Ar)3][I] in 88% yield. The triflate salt [Mo(O)(N[R]Ar)3][O3SCF3] was prepared similarly (71% yield) upon treatm...
X-ray diffraction and structural study of the phase behavior of (Et 2 Me 2 N) 2 CuBr 4

Abstract The synthesis and characterization of a new member of the β-K2SO4 family, (Me2Et2N)2CuBr4, are reported. DSC studies indicate the presence of a phase transition at Tc=29°C with ΔS/R=13.7 J/mol. The room temperature structure is monoclinic, space group, P1121/n with a=9.657(4)A, b=15.954(6)A, c=13.950(6)A, γ=92.94(2)° and V=2146.3(15)A3, with Z=4. Structural analysis gave R=0.060 and ωR=0.084 for 2098 reflections with |F|≥3σ(F). The high temperature phase is orthorhombic, space group Pmcn, with a=9.628(2), b=16.713(3), c=13.787(3)A and V=2218.5(9)A3 with Z=4. The structural analysis gave R=0.206 and ωR=0.227 with substantial disorder present. The room temperature structure corresponds to a B3g distortion of the parent psuedo-hexagonal Pmcn structure. The strains associated with the phase transition are particularly large. The primary structural features associated with the phase transition include rotation and disorder of the cations, displacements of the Cu and N atoms off of the mirror planar of the Pmcn phase, and rotation of the CuBr42− anions. The temperature dependencies of the lattice constants have been determined in the range 20–40°C and are indicative second order phase transition, with the phase transition occurring at Tc=33(1)°C. Both the a and c lattice constants shrink between room temperature and Tc, with c decreasing by about 1.5%. A net increase is observed in the volume by about 2%. The shrinkage in a and c is consistent with the observed reorientation of the cation described above. Considerable broadening of the diffraction peaks was observed in the temperature regime from 28–33°C, which indicates the transition is probably not a simple second order transition.
Polychromatic sampling for high-speed real-time processing

Recent advances in polychromatic sampling are reviewed in context of the multicast parametric synchronous sampling architecture of waveforms and real-time processing of high bitrate signals. Operation principle and latest results of polychromatic sampling are presented.
INFLATION, PRODUCTIVITY, AND MONETARY POLICY: ARE THEY RELATED?

This paper investigates the short‐run and the long‐run relationship among productivity growth, inflation and monetary policy in the U.S. economy. Under the trivariate ECM analysis, the test results indicate that it is monetary policy which plays the predominant role in the relationship under investigation.
50-Year Appraisal of Gastrinoma: Recommendations for Staging and Treatment

Background Gastrinoma is a rare neuroendocrine tumor associated with ulcerogenic syndrome. The purpose of this study was to provide information on current controversies related to treatment, including staging, patient selection, and outcomes for surgical resection. Study design A retrospective review of 106 patients with gastrinoma. Patients were classified as sporadic gastrinoma (SG) or MEN. End points of analysis included disease-free and disease-specific survival. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed and significance (p Results Gastrinoma can be staged by TNM criteria into four groups (stage 0, I, II, and III), which had notably different survival curves, dependent on tumor size and distant metastases (p Conclusions Staging provides a reliable method for the clinician to select patients for operation and to provide a prognosis, and should permit better comparisons of treatment between institutions. In the management of gastrinoma, it is recommended that SG and MEN patients with clinical stage I and II disease have surgical exploration, patients with stage III disease not have mandatory surgical treatment, and some stage 0 patients might not need routine surgical exploration.
Incentive Based Data Sharing in Delay Tolerant Mobile Networks

Mobile wireless devices play important roles in our daily life, e.g., users often use such devices to take pictures and share with friends via opportunistic peer-to-peer links, which however are intermittent in nature, and hence require the store-and-forward feature proposed in Delay Tolerant Networks to provide useful data sharing opportunities. Moreover, mobile devices may not be willing to forward data items to other devices due to the limited resources. Hence, effective data dissemination schemes need to be designed to encourage nodes to collaboratively share data. We propose a Multi-Receiver Incentive-Based Dissemination (MuRIS) scheme that allows nodes to cooperatively deliver information of interest to one another via chosen paths utilizing few transmissions. Our scheme exploits local historical paths and users' interests information maintained by each node. In addition, the charge and rewarding functions incorporated within our scheme stimulate cooperation among nodes such that the nodes have no incentive to launch edge insertion attacks. Furthermore, our charge and rewarding functions are designed such that the chosen delivery paths mimic efficient multicast tree that results in fewer delivery hops. Extensive simulation studies using real human contact-based mobility traces show that our scheme outperforms existing methods in terms of delivery ratio and transmission efficiency.
The pathophysiology of jet lag

Jet Lag Disorder (JLD) is a recognized circadian rhythm sleep disorder characterized by insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness (and sometimes general malaise and somatic symptoms) associated with transmeridian jet travel. It is a consequence of circadian misalignment that occurs after crossing time zones too rapidly for the circadian system to keep pace. The thesis of this review is that a rational treatment approach for jet lag can be grounded in an understanding of the biology of the human circadian timekeeping system. An overview of circadian rhythm physiology is presented with special emphasis on the role of light exposure and melatonin secretion in the regulation of circadian timing. Both timed light exposure (or avoidance) and exogenous melatonin administration have been recruited as treatment modalities to accelerate circadian realignment, based on an understanding of their role in circadian physiology. In addition to circadian misalignment, other contributing causes to jet lag are considered including travel-related sleep deprivation and fatigue. Clinical field trials that have tested the application of circadian rhythm based interventions are then reviewed.
Exclusion of time in the theorem of Bell

The celebrated inequalities of Bell are based on the assumption that local hidden parameters exist. When combined with conflicting experimental results these inequalities appear to prove that local hidden parameters cannot exist. This suggests to many that only instantaneous action at a distance can explain Einstein, Podolsky, Rosen (EPR) type of experiments. We show that Bell-type theories and proofs leading to the well-known inequalities completely exclude a large class of time dependencies in their considerations. Owing to the fact that the electrodynamics of moving bodies cannot be described by time-independent theories or models, we conclude that the Bell theorem cannot describe the physics of EPR experiments. We also show how hidden parameter theories that include time can obtain the quantum result.
An ocean model’s response to scatterometer winds

Abstract Two simulations of the North Atlantic have been run using the POP ocean model for approximately two and one half years each. One simulation used the 1.25° wind product from ECMWF and the other used the JPL Quikscat 0.25° gridded product. The resulting sea level anomaly fields from the simulations are quantified by using tide gauge and altimetric sea level anomaly data. In addition, upper ocean quantities were compared, such as the mix layer depths, to understand the difference in the ocean's response when using the different wind products. The analysis found that significant improvements were made in the representation at the surface, and in particular areas where comparison data exists such as the Labrador Sea. There was also improvement in the scatterometer forced run with more realistic depths of the mixed layer.
Magnetic inhomogeneity in ultrathin Co films studied by spin-wave Brillouin scattering

We have studied magnetic inhomogeneity by means of spin-wave Brillouin scattering in ultrathin Co films. The distribution of perpendicular anisotropy causes a field-dependent broadening of the spin-wave spectrum. The anisotropy distribution shows a minimum for 1 monolayer (ML) of Au-interlayer at Co/Cu(1 1 1). The Co-thickness dependence of the spectrum width shows a significant increase in the magnetic inhomogeneity below 2.5 ML of Co.
CT and 99mTc-WBC vs colonoscopy in the evaluation of inflammation and complications of inflammatory bowel diseases.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of computerized tomography (CT) and 99mTc-white blood cell (WBC) scintigraphy versus colonoscopy in assessing inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in a large population of children. Methods. In a patient population of 313 consecutive children who had a 99mTc-WBC scan, 106 colonoscopies were done within a median time interval of 8 days of the 99mTc-WBC scan. One hundred and three CT scans were performed on 84 patients. Results. Of the 42 CT scans obtained within a short time interval after the 99mTc-WBC scan, 21 (50%) were normal. In the 21 children with a positive 99mTc-WBC scan, 62% (13/21) of the CT scans underestimated the bowel wall inflammation in at least one segment. In the children with a negative 99mTc-WBC study, there were 17 negative CT examinations and 4 examinations showing an abnormal terminal ileum. When CT was compared with colonoscopy in assessing inflammation, there were five true-negative CT, two true-positive CT, no false-positive, and seven false-negative CT examinations. When 99mTc-WBC scintigraphy was compared with colonoscopy in assessing inflammation, there were seven true-positive, two false-negative, five true-negative, and no false-positive 99mTc-WBC studies. The 99mTc-WBC scan was positive in five patients with a false-negative CT examination. Of the total 103 CT scans obtained, 53 (51%) were normal. Four abscesses (3.8%) were demonstrated by CT. Conclusions. 99mTc-WBC scintigraphy is more sensitive than CT for detecting inflammation of the bowel wall. The incidence of complications from IBD in this retrospective study was much lower than had been previously reported.
Fear, food and sexual ornamentation: plasticity of colour development in Trinidadian guppies

The evolution of male ornamentation often reflects compromises between sexual and natural selection, but it may also be influenced by phenotypic plasticity. We investigated the developmental plasticity of male colour ornamentation in Trinidadian guppies in response to two environmental variables that covary in nature: predation risk and food availability. We found that exposure to chemical predator cues delayed the development of pigment-based colour elements, which are conspicuous to visual-oriented predators. Predator cues also reduced the size of colour elements at the time of maturity and caused adult males to be less colourful. To the best of our knowledge, these findings provide the first example of a plastic reduction in the development of a sexually selected male ornament in response to predator cues. The influence of predator cues on ornamentation probably affects individual fitness by reducing conspicuousness to predators, but could reduce attractiveness to females. Reduced food availability during development caused males to delay the development of colour elements and mature later, probably reflecting a physiological constraint, but their coloration at maturity and later in adulthood was largely unaffected, suggesting that variation in food quantity without variation in quality does not contribute to condition dependence of the trait.
On scalable encryption for mobile consumer multimedia applications

Advances in wireless communication and mobile computing and networking are providing us with growing business opportunities and demands for multimedia services. Consumer networks, increasingly used for multimedia information and commercial content delivery, are destined to be heterogeneous. Meanwhile, for many multimedia services, security is an important component to restrict unauthorized content access and distribution. This suggests the need for new cryptography system implementations that can operate at different data rates, i.e., be scaled to various multimedia content, different network topology, changing bandwidth, and diverse device capabilities. Encryption is used to ensure confidentiality of messages in communication. Conventional encryption schemes do not offer suitable scalability for this new set of applications. In this paper, we describe scalable encryption, discuss the applications for consumer multimedia access, present scalable encryption schemes that support various kinds of scalability, and present a scalable content access scheme using an algebraic based differentiable-decryption key public key crypto algorithm.
Parkinson disease psychosis: Update

Psychotic symptoms are common in drug treated patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Visual hallucinations occur in about 30% and delusions, typically paranoid in nature, occur in about 5%. These problems, particularly the delusions, cause great distress for patient and caregivers, and are among the most important precipitants for nursing home placement. Psychotic symptoms carry a poor prognosis. They often herald dementia, and are associated with increased mortality. These symptoms often abate with medication reductions, but this may not be tolerated due to worsened motor function. Only clozapine has level A evidence to support its use in PD patients with psychosis (PDP), whether demented or not. While quetiapine has been recommended by the American Academy of Neurology for "consideration," double blind placebo controlled trials have demonstrated safety but not efficacy. Other antipsychotic drugs have been reported to worsen motor function and data on the effectiveness of cholinesterase inhibitors is limited. PDP remains a serious problem with limited treatment options.
Role of the Ca(2+)-sensing receptor in divalent mineral ion homeostasis.

The divalent mineral cations Ca2+ and Mg2+ play many and diverse roles both in the function of cells and in extracellular processes. The metabolism of these cations is a complex process involving the coordinated function of several organ systems and endocrine glands. A recently cloned G-protein-coupled receptor responds to extracellular calcium concentration (Ca2+0-sensing receptor, CaSR) and mediates several of the known effects of Ca2+0 on parathyroid and renal function. The CaSR, which is also expressed in a number of other tissues including thyroidal C-cells, brain and gastrointestinal tract, may function as a Ca2+0 sensor in these tissues as well. Thus, Ca2+0 is a first messenger (or hormone) which, via CaSR-mediated activation of second messenger systems (e.g. phospholipases C and A2, cyclic AMP) leads to altered function of these cells. Several mutations in the human CaSR gene have been identified and shown to cause three inherited diseases of calcium homeostasis, clearly implicating the CaSR as an important component of the homeostatic mechanism for divalent mineral ions. Ca2+ and Mg2+ losses from the body are regulated by altering the urinary excretion of these divalent cations. The localization of the CaSR transcripts and protein in the kidney not only provides a basis for a direct Ca2+0 (or Mg2+0)-mediated regulation of Ca2+ (and Mg2+) excretion but also suggests a functional link between divalent mineral and water metabolism. In the kidney, the thick ascending limb of Henle (TAL) plays crucial roles in regulating both divalent mineral reabsorption and urine concentration. Recent studies have suggested models whereby extracellular Ca2+, via the CaSR expressed in the TAL as well as in the collecting duct system, modulates both Ca2+ 0 and Mg2+ 0 as well as water reabsorbtion. When taken together, these studies suggest that the CaSR not only provides the primary mechanism for Ca2+ 0-mediated regulation of parathyroid hormone secretion from parathyroid glands but also for direct modulation of renal divalent mineral excretion and urinary concentrating ability. These latter functions may furnish a mechanism for integrating and balancing water and divalent cation losses that minimizes the risk of urinary tract stone formation. This mechanism can explain hypercalcemia-mediated polyuria (diabetes insipidus).
The Political Economy of Dynamic Elections: A Survey and Some New Results

We survey and synthesize the political economy literature on dynamic elections in the two traditional settings, spatial preferences and rent-seeking, under perfect and imperfect monitoring of politicians’ actions. We define the notion of stationary electoral equilibrium, which encompasses previous approaches to equilibrium in dynamic elections since the pioneering work of Barro (1973), Ferejohn (1986), and Banks and Sundaram (1998). We show that repeated elections mitigate the commitment problems of both politicians and voters, so that a responsive democracy result holds in a variety of circumstances; thus, elections can serve as mechanisms of accountability that successfully align the incentives of politicians with those of voters. In the presence of term limits, however, the possibilities for responsivenessare limited. We also touch on related applied work, and we point to areas for fruitful future research, including the connection between dynamic models of politics and dynamic models of the economy.
Patterns and Trends in Irrigation Efficiency

: Irrigated agriculture is one of the most important water-use sectors in terms of total water diversion and consumptive use. For at least the last 25 years, improving irrigation efficiency has been a widely advocated and accepted goal. This paper uses a sample of 16 Bureau of Reclamation irrigation projects to examine the pattern of average irrigation efficiency and change in efficiency over time. In general, the highest average efficiencies are found in the arid Southwest while the lowest are found in the semi-arid to sub-humid Great Plains region. Over the 22-year period of analysis, there has been no observable trend toward improvement in efficiency at any of the projects.
Potential Vorticity as Meridional Coordinate

Abstract The dynamical equations of atmospheric flow are written using potential vorticity as the meridional coordinate and potential temperature as the vertical coordinate. Within this system, the atmosphere is divided into undulating tubes bounded by isentropic and constant potential vorticity surfaces, and, under adiabatic and frictionless conditions, the air moves through the tubes without penetrating through the walls.
Medium access control for underwater acoustic sensor networks with MIMO links

The requirements of multimedia underwater monitoring applications with heterogeneous traffic demands in terms of bandwidth and end-to-end reliability are considered in this article. To address these requirements, a new medium access control protocol named UMIMO-MAC is proposed. UMIMO-MAC is designed to i) adaptively leverage the tradeoff between multiplexing and diversity gain according to channel conditions and application requirements, ii) select suitable transmit power to reduce energy consumption, and iii) efficiently exploit the UW channel, minimizing the impact of the long propagation delay on the channel utilization efficiency.To achieve the objectives above, UMIMO-MAC is based on a two-way handshake protocol. Multiple access by simultaneous and co-located transmissions is achieved by using different pseudo orthogonal spreading codes. Extensive simulation results show that UMIMO-MAC increases network throughput, decreases channel access delay, and decrease energy consumption compared with existing Aloha-like MAC protocols for UW-ASNs.
Fitness as a function of β-galactosidase activity in Escherichia coli

Chemostat cultures in which the limiting nutrient was lactose have been used to study the relative growth rate of Escherichia coli in relation to the enzyme activity of β-galactosidase. A novel genetic procedure was employed in order to obtain amino acid substitutions within the lacZ-encoded β-galactosidase that result in differences in enzyme activity too small to be detected by ordinary mutant screens. The cryptic substitutions were obtained as spontaneous revertants of nonsense mutations within the lacZ gene, and the enzymes differing from wild type were identified by means of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis or thermal denaturation studies. The relation between enzyme activity and growth rate of these and other mutants supports a model of intermediary metabolism in which the flux of substrate through a metabolic pathway is represented by a concave function of the activity of any enzyme in the pathway. The consequence is that small differences in enzyme activity from wild type result in even smaller changes in fitness.
Improved accuracy and precision of thermodilution cardiac output measurement using a dual thermistor catheter system

Abstract OBJECTIVES To assess whether thermodilution cardiac output determination based on measurement of injectate temperature in vivo leads to more accurate and precise estimates and to study the influence of chilled injectate on test performance. BACKGROUND Cardiac output measurement via right heart catheterization is used extensively for hemodynamic evaluation in a variety of diagnostic, perioperative and critical care settings. Maximizing accuracy is essential for optimal patient care. METHODS This prospective study of 960 thermodilution cardiac output measurements was conducted using conventional and dual thermistor techniques. Specialized dual thermistor right heart catheters were constructed using a second thermistor positioned to measure injectate temperature in vivo just prior to entry into the right atrium. To eliminate interinjection variability, a custom set-up was developed that permitted output measurement using both techniques simultaneously. Both ambient temperature injections and cooled injections were investigated. RESULTS The dual thermistor technique demonstrated significantly less measurement variability than the conventional technique for both ambient temperature (precision = 0.41 vs. 0.55 L/min, p CONCLUSIONS This new dual thermistor approach results in a significant improvement in both precision and accuracy of thermodilution cardiac output measurement.
Providing elegant peripheral awareness

In a one-day workshop, we strive to build community in this emerging research area, specifically targeting interfaces that are designed to provide awareness in a peripheral and elegant manner. We focus on improving consensus of basic and fundamental issues and developing a structural framework--critical parameters, design themes, and evaluation procedures--for research on these types of user interfaces.
The Human Papillomavirus Type 8 E6 Protein Interferes with NOTCH Activation during Keratinocyte Differentiation

Cutaneous β-human papillomavirus (β-HPV) E6 proteins inhibit NOTCH signaling by associating with the transcriptional coactivator MAML1. NOTCH has tumor suppressor activities in epithelial cells and is activated during keratinocyte differentiation. Here we report that HPV type 8 (HPV8) E6 subverts NOTCH activation during keratinocyte differentiation by inhibiting RBPJ/MAML1 transcriptional activator complexes at NOTCH target DNA. NOTCH inhibition impairs epithelial differentiation and may thus contribute to β-HPV replication and viral oncogenesis.
Chromosome Breaks and Genomic Instability

Tumorigenesis is known to result from multiple genetic changes. Although endogenous and environmental insults can damage DNA, cellular mechanisms exist to repair various forms of damage or to kill those cells irreparably damaged. Hence, the accumulation of numerous genetic changes that would lead to cancer in normal cells is extremely rare. Nevertheless, disruption of a DNA repair pathway has the potential to expedite tumorigenesis by resulting in a cell that is hypermutable. Multiple pathways exist to repair the various forms of DNA damage that can cause mutagenesis. Recent studies have demonstrated a key role for homologous recombination in DNA repair, in particular in the repair chromosomal double-strand breaks. This review summarizes those studies and discusses how disruption of homologous recombination pathways can create genetic instability.
In vivo nanoneurotoxicity screening using oxidative stress and neuroinflammation paradigms.

Abstract Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are promising neuroimaging agents and molecular cargo across neurovascular barriers. Development of intrinsically safe IONP chemistries requires a robust in vivo nanoneurotoxicity screening model. Herein, we engineered four IONPs of different surface and core chemistries: DMSA-Fe 2 O 3 , DMSA-Fe 3 O 4 , PEG-Fe 3 O 4 and PEG-Au-Fe 3 O 4 . Capitalizing on the ability of the peripheral nervous system to recruit potent immune cells from circulation, we characterized a spatiotemporally controlled platform for the study of in vivo nanobiointerfaces with hematogenous immune cells, neuroglial and neurovascular units after intraneural IONP delivery into rat sciatic nerve. SQUID magnetometry and histological iron stain were used for IONP tracking. Among the IONPs, DMSA-Fe 2 O 3 NPs were potent pro-apoptotic agents in nerve, with differential ability to regulate oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptotic signaling in neuroglia, macrophages, lymphocytes and endothelial cells. This platform aims to facilitate the development of predictive paradigms of nanoneurotoxicity based on mechanistic investigation of relevant in vivo bio-nanointerfaces. From the Clinical Editor This team of investigators report the development of a platform that enables screening of iron oxide nanoparticles from the standpoint of their potential neurotoxicity, utilizing rat sciatic nerves. Such screening tools are clearly needed with the potential advent of iron oxide nanoparticle-based diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
A Lumped Energy Model for Crack Growth in Shape-Memory Materials

We construct an energy-based model to study crack growth behavior in a shape-memory alloy that undergoes a stress-induced austenite to martensite transformation. The total energy, which is the sum of the elastic energy of the specimen and loading device, the surface energy of the crack, and the energy associated with transforming austenite to martensite, depends on the applied extension, the crack length, and the martensite volume fraction. The crack length and martensite volume fraction are coupled through a transformation criteria at the crack tip. By tracking the progression of equilibrium cracks as extension increases, we show that the transformation leads to a regime of stable crack growth followed by unstable growth. These results are in agreement with experiments on both single crystal and polycrystal shape-memory alloys.