cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Optical Properties of Chiral Polydiacetylenes

Chiral diacetylenes featuring ester and urethane groups are readily prepared from amino acids and diynediols. The ability of the butadiyne moiety to undergo topotactic polymerization is dependent on both the length of the chain to the urethane group and the size of the amino acid. In some cases, the polymerization proceeds as well as the well-studied achiral parent compound, 4BCMU. The polymers form yellow solutions in good solvents where the chains adopt a random-coil configuration. Addition of a nonsolvent changes the solution color to red as the chains adopt a helical conformation.
Optimization and performance of high resolution thermometers in low earth orbit

Abstract We describe the development of paramagnetic salt thermometers, using a SQUID magnetometer readout, which achieve resolutions approaching 10 -11 K/√Hz and drift on the order of 10 -14 K/sec. Optimization of the pickup coil and improved thermal contact to the salt material improve the performance markedly over previous designs. The current design was successfully flown in low earth orbit. The effects of primary cosmic rays degraded the effective noise performance by a factor of 2 to 4. We discuss ways to mitigate the effects of the cosmic rays.
The role of experience in spatial test performance: A meta-analysis

The hypothesis that spatial ability is, in part, experientially determined, and that sex differences in spatial ability can be explained by sex differences in spatial experience, can be studied in a correlational manner by examining the relationship between spatial activity participation and spatial ability test performance for males and females. Alternatively, an experimental training situation, comparing male and female susceptibility to training, has been proposed to test the hypothesis that environment has an impact on spatial skills and sex differences in ability. Both lines of research are reviewed here, through the use of meta-analytic techniques. The first meta-analysis reveals a weak but reliable relationship between spatial activity participation and spatial ability. This relationship appears similar for males and females. The second meta-analysis reveals that spatial ability test performance can be improved by training for both sexes. This improvement does not appear different for males and females, however, contrary to a predominant hypothesis in the literature. Training to asymptote may be a better test of the relevance of differential experience to sex differences. Content and duration of training are also discussed as important factors in the effectiveness of training.
Heterodimerization of μ- and δ-opioid receptors occurs at the cell surface only and requires receptor-G protein interactions

Homo- and heterodimerization of the opioid receptors with functional consequences were reported previously. However, the exact nature of these putative dimers has not been identified. In current studies, the nature of the heterodimers was investigated by producing the phenotypes of the 1:1 heterodimers formed between the constitutively expressed mu-opioid receptor (MOR) and the ponasterone A-induced expression of delta-opioid receptor (DOR) in EcR293 cells. By examining the trafficking of the cell surface-located MOR and DOR, we determined that these two receptors endocytosed independently. Using cell surface expression-deficient mutants of MOR and DOR, we observed that the corresponding wild types of these receptors could not rescue the cell surface expression of the mutants, whereas the antagonist naloxone could. Furthermore, studies with constitutive or agonist-induced receptor internalization also indicated that MOR and DOR endocytosed independently and could not "drag in" the corresponding wild types or endocytosis-deficient mutants. Additionally, the heterodimer phenotypes could be eliminated by the pretreatment of the EcR293 cells with pertussis toxin and could be modulated by the deletion of the RRITR sequence in the third intracellular loop that is involved in the receptor-G protein interaction and activation. These data suggest that MOR and DOR heterodimerize only at the cell surface and that the oligomers of opioid receptors and heterotrimeric G protein are the bases for the observed MOR-DOR heterodimer phenotypes.
The efficacy and safety of aprotinin use in cardiac surgery

Abstract Background . The serine protease inhibitor aprotinin has received much attention in cardiac surgical practice as a pharmacologic intervention to improve the hemostatic derangement associated with cardiopulmonary bypass. This review highlights the major studies undertaken to investigate the efficacy and safety of aprotinin use in both primary and repeat coronary artery bypass graft surgical procedures. Methods . There have been at least 45 controlled studies in more than 7,000 patients in a variety of patient populations. These have ranged from primary coronary artery bypass graft and valve operations to complex reoperation procedures, including aortic arch reconstructions and thoracic organ transplantation. The recently completed International Multicenter Graft Patency Experience trial, the largest study to date, involved 870 patients at 13 international sites. The study examined the effects of aprotinin on graft patency, incidence of myocardial infarction, and blood loss in patients undergoing primary coronary artery bypass graft operations with cardiopulmonary bypass. Results . Twenty-one studies in approximately 5,000 patients undergoing primary coronary artery bypass graft or valve operations reported 33% to 66% reduction in blood loss with full-dose aprotinin therapy; 15 of the same studies reported significant reductions in transfusion requirements, ranging from 31% to 85%. The recently completed International Multicenter Graft Patency Experience study observed a significant reduction in thoracic-drainage volume of 43% ( p p Conclusions . Given the risks and costs associated with excessive bleeding and transfusions and the limited supply of banked blood, aprotinin represents an important and safe approach to blood conservation.
Diagnostic Change and Personality Stability Following Functional Restoration Treatment in Chronic Low Back Pain Patients

This study examined personality pathology in a group of patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) using both diagnostic interviews and dimensional self-report instruments. A group of CLBP patients (N = 125) was assessed before functional restoration treatment and compared with a matched normal comparison group (N = 75). The CLBP group evidenced broad personality pathology in all assessment modes pretreatment relative to the normal comparison sample. In addition, two subsamples of CLBP patients (n = 49 and n = 56) were assessed after treatment. Reductions in personality pathology between pre- and posttreatment assessments were more pronounced for diagnostic interview than dimensional self-report assessments. These results are discussed in the context of personality assessment and CLBP.
Increased density of hippocampal kainate receptors but normal density of NMDA and AMPA receptors in a rat model of prenatal protein malnutrition.

The postnatal development of excitatory amino acid receptor types including kainate, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), and -amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) was assessed in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and adjacent neocortex in normal and prenatally protein malnourished rats ages 15, 30, 90, and 220 postnatal days by quantitative autoradiography. Tritiated ligands used to measure binding site density were 3 [H]kainate, 3 [H]MK-801, and 3 [H]AMPA, respectively. Kainate receptors showed statistically significant increases in binding density in stratum lucidum of CA3 (hippocampal mossy fiber zone) in 90and 220-day-old malnourished rats compared with age- and sex-matched controls but not in 15or 30-day-old malnourished rats. Compared with previous anatomic studies, these results are mostly in agreement with a significantly decreased hippocampal mossy fiber plexus in 15-, 90-, and 220-day-old rats but not in 30-day-old rats. These results suggested that the increased density of postsynaptic kainate receptors located mainly on proximal apical dendrites of CA3 pyramidal cells may be compensatory to decreased glutamate release due to the reduction in mossy fiber plexus. In contrast, the density of putative NMDA and AMPA receptors quantified in prenatally malnourished rats was comparable to the density quantified in age- and sex-matched control rats, as were all three receptor types in entorhinal cortex and adjacent neocortex. Thus, the selectivity of the compensation of 3 [H]kainate-labeled mossy fiber plexus in adult but not in early postnatal developing malnourished rats may help ensure continued breeding and survival of the species under otherwise adverse environmental conditions. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:350‐360, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Indexing terms: ligand binding; autoradiography; glutamatergic; undernutrition; mossy fibers (stratum lucidum of CA3)
Effects of coaching on teacher use of sociocultural instructional practices

Abstract This study evaluates a performance-based instructional coaching model intended to improve teacher pedagogy and classroom organization for educating diverse student populations. Elementary teachers ( N = 21) participated in a 30-h workshop and seven individual coaching sessions across an academic year. The coaching model promoted use of the Standards for Effective Pedagogy, five research-based practices known to increase student achievement. Findings demonstrate performance-based instructional coaching led to statistically significant (a) improvements in teacher pedagogy, (b) patterns of teacher growth, and (c) changes in classroom organization. Implications for improving teachers’ ultimate achievement, the coaching protocol, and research are addressed.
Self-reported discrimination, diabetes distress, and continuous blood glucose in women with type 2 diabetes.

We investigated whether self-reported racial discrimination was associated with continuous glucose levels and variability in individuals with diabetes, and whether diabetes distress mediated these associations. Seventy-four Black and White women with type 2 diabetes completed the Experience of Discrimination scale, a measure of lifetime racial discrimination, and the Problem Areas in Diabetes, a measure of diabetes distress. Participants wore a continuous glucose monitor for 24 h after 8 h of fasting, a standard meal, and a 4-h run in period. Higher discrimination predicted higher continuous mean glucose and higher standard deviation of glucose. For both mean and standard deviation of glucose, a race × discrimination interaction indicated a stronger relationship between discrimination and glucose for Whites than for Blacks. Diabetes distress mediated the discrimination–mean glucose relationship. Whites who report discrimination may be uniquely sensitive to distress. These preliminary findings suggest that racial discrimination adversely affects glucose control in women with diabetes, and does so indirectly through diabetes distress. Diabetes distress may be an important therapeutic target to reduce the ill effects of racial discrimination in persons with diabetes.
Methods of Theological Reflection in the Summer Service Learning Program: Integrating Spirituality and Civic Engagement

The integration of spirituality and civic engagement is at the heart of the Summer Service Learning Program. This paper will explore how methods of theological reflection facilitate the integration of the two vital components of the theme of this conference.
Search for exotic baryons at HERMES

An experimental search for the Θ(1540)- and Λ(1520)-resonance was performed in quasi-real photoproduction on deuterium at the HERMES experiment. While evidence for Θ(1540) was found in the decay channel pK S 0 → pπ + π −, no evidence for the corresponding anti-particle was found. In some models it is expected that the Θ(1540) and the Λ(1520) have similar production mechanisms. The photoproduction cross-sections for the Λ(1520) in the decay channel Λ(1520) → pK − and the corresponding anti-particle are determined. The partial photoproduction cross-sections for Λ(1520) and \( \bar \Lambda \)(1520) are obtained as σ Λ(1520) = 65.3±8.8(stat)±6.9(syst) nb and \( \sigma _{\bar \Lambda (1520)} \) = 9.8±2.6(stat)±0.9(syst) nb, corresponding to a ratio R Λ(1520) = \( \sigma _{\bar \Lambda (1520)} \)/σ Λ(1520) = 0.15 ± 0.05(stat) ± 0.02(syst).
The singlet-triplet absorption spectra of electron-donor-acceptor complex crystals: naphthalene-tetrachlorophthalic anhydride and naphthalene-tetrabromophthalic anhydride

Abstract The direct observations of the singlet-triplet absorption spectra of naphthalene-tetrachlorophthalic anhydride and naphthalene-tetrabromophthalic anhydride complex crystals are presented. Polarization and preliminary Zeeman studies show that the observed spectra are attributed to the T 1 ←S o transition of perturbed naphthalene, but its oscillator strength is enhanced by one to two orders of magnitude in the complex crystal.
A STRUCTURAL STUDY OF RAT LIVER RIBOSOMES

Polyribosomes, ribosomes, and ribosomal subunits were prepared from rat liver using sodium deoxycholate and a variety of ionic media. They were examined in the electron microscope, mainly as negatively or positively stained preparations, and in the analytical ultracentrifuge. The polyribosomes consist of up to twelve or more ribosomes linked by a fine strand, 10 to 15 A in diameter, probably of RNA. The ribosomes are approximately spherical with diameters of 250 to 300 A, and are estimated to be about 50 per cent porous. Possibly because of their high protein content, whole ribosomes show no cleavage furrows. Ribosomes were dissociated in phosphate buffer and the subunits separated on sucrose density gradients containing 10 per cent formalin. Three classes of subunit were obtained with sedimentation coefficients of 71S, 50S, and 31S respectively. The smallest, 31S subunit is about 250 A long by 100 A wide. The largest subunits appear to be clusters of smaller particles. It is estimated from their linear dimensions in electron micrographs that the whole 83S ribosome could contain up to six 31S subunits, or their equivalent.
Zero modes of the generalized fermion-vortex system in a magnetic field

We show that Dirac fermions moving in two spatial dimensions with a generalized dispersion $E\ensuremath{\sim}{p}^{N}$, subject to an external magnetic field and coupled to a complex scalar field carrying a vortex defect with winding number $Q$ acquire $N|Q|$ zero modes. This is the same as in the absence of the magnetic field. Our proof is based on selection rules in the Landau level basis that dictate the existence and the number of the zero modes. We show that the result is insensitive to the choice of geometry and is naturally extended to general field profiles, where we also derive a generalization of the Aharonov-Casher theorem. Experimental consequences of our results are briefly discussed.
Beta-zone parapapillary atrophy and multifocal visual evoked potentials in eyes with glaucomatous optic neuropathy

We investigated changes in multifocal visual evoked potential (mfVEP) responses due to beta-zone parapapillary atrophy (sPPA). Patients with glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) with or without standard achromatic perimetry (SAP) abnormalities were referred for mfVEP testing during a 2-year period. Eyes with good quality optic disc stereophotographs and reliable SAP results were included. The mfVEP monocular mean latency delays (ms) and amplitudes (SNR) were analyzed. Age, SAP mean deviation (MD), pattern standard deviation (PSD), and spherical equivalent (SE) were analyzed in the multivariate model. Generalized estimated equations were used for comparisons between groups after adjusting for inter-eye associations. Of 394 eyes of 200 patients, 223 (57%) had sPPA. The sPPA eyes were older (59.6 ± 13.7 vs. 56.5 ± 13.7 year, P = 0.02), more myopic (−4.0 ± 3.5 vs. −1.3 ± 3.5 D, P < 0.01), and had poorer SAP scores (MD: −4.9 ± 5.2 vs. −2.6 ± 5.2 dB, P < 0.01; PSD: 4.3 ± 2.9 vs. 2.5 ± 3.0 dB, P < 0.01). By univariate analysis, mean latencies were longer in sPPA eyes (6.1 ± 5.3 vs. 4.0 ± 5.5 ms, P < 0.01). After adjusting for differences in SE, age, and SAP MD, there was no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.09). sPPA eyes had lower amplitude log SNR (0.49 ± 0.16 vs. 0.56 ± 0.15, P < 0.01), which lost significance (P = 0.51) after adjusting for MD and PSD. Although eyes with sPPA had significantly lower amplitudes and prolonged latencies than eyes without sPPA, these differences were attributable to differences in SAP severity, age, and refractive error. Thus, sPPA does not appear to be an independent factor affecting mfVEP responses in eyes with GON.
Cyclical Fluctuations in Foundry Activity

THE extreme sensitivity of foundry operations to business change has been apparent for many years [7]. Only recently, however, has sufficient information been available to permit an analysis of the cyclical movements of foundry output as a whole. An adequate accumulation of data in a number of the Facts for Industry Series of the Bureau of the Census, some of it collected for the first time during World War II, now makes possible the construction of a seasonally adjusted index of foundry activity covering a period of business fluctuations. In general, foundries produce metal parts or castings to the custom specification of local firms in durable goods industries; consequently foundry activity is influenced by cyclical fluctuations in a wide range of geographic and industrial areas. Five general characteristics of the industry affect its sensitiveness to change: (1) The production of foundries is dominated by changes in the demand for a variety of products commonly classified as durable consumers' goods, investment goods, and war materials: castings are employed as bases for pumps, lathes, and presses; as frames for pianos, lawnmowers, and locomotives; as wheels for railroad cars, airplanes, and machines; and as component parts for lamps, engines, and motors. (2) Castings are made by several thousand establishments operating in many geographically separated markets; under these atomistic conditions, foundry production describes the activities of a wide range of firms and tends to minimize the influence of one or a few firms on production totals. (3) The production of castings made from different metals is dominated by various technical requirements: use of aluminum castings is regulated by the level of output of such objects as airplanes and portable tools, where lightness of weight is a major consideration; the quantity of castings made from brass and bronze, malleable iron, steel, and gray iron reflects, respectively, the rate of manufacture of corrosion-resistant fittings needed on ships and in chemical plants, shock-withstanding parts for railroads, armor plates for tanks, and general components for producers' and consumers' goods. (4) Since inventories of rough castings tend to be small, the production of castings is closely related to current demand. Foundrymen usually make parts to the specification of the individual consumer and so find it difficult to accumulate castings
Quality of life in older women with early-stage breast cancer in the first year of survivorship.

Purpose/objectives To describe quality-of-life (QOL) changes in older women with early-stage breast cancer in the first year of survivorship and report on the effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention on survivors' QOL. Design Secondary analysis, descriptive, repeated measure. Setting An academic setting in the southeastern United States. Sample 50 early-stage breast cancer survivors, aged 65 years and older. Methods Data were drawn from the Breast Cancer Education Intervention (BCEI) research study. Data for a six-month time period within the survivors' first year were available for an experimental group participating in a psychoeducational intervention and a control group. Main research variables Overall QOL and physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being subscales. Findings Older women reported positive overall QOL within the first year of survivorship, but overall QOL declined slightly over time. Physical and psychological well-being declined over time. Social well-being initially improved over time, but then declined. Spiritual well-being initially declined over time, then improved. Survivors had a downward trend in overall QOL during the study time period; however, experimental group participants had a smaller decline in QOL compared to control group participants. Conclusions QOL in older breast cancer survivors within the first year is positive. However, overall QOL declines over time. The BCEI attenuated decline of QOL in the experimental group compared to the control group. Implications for nursing Few studies focus on older breast cancer survivors. This descriptive study is one of the first to describe changes in QOL and report the effect of interventions for older breast cancer survivors. Oncology nurses are in a position to recognize QOL issues and help older women maintain QOL in the first year of survivorship after treatment.
Double precision geometry: a general technique for calculating line and segment intersections using rounded arithmetic

For the first time it is shown how to reduce the cost of performing specific geometric constructions by using rounded arithmetic instead of exact arithmetic. By exploiting a property of floating-point arithmetic called monotonicity, a technique called double-precision geometry can replace exact arithmetic with rounded arithmetic in any efficient algorithm for computing the set of intersections of a set of lines or line segments. The technique reduces the complexity of any such line or segment arrangement algorithm by a constant factor. In addition, double-precision geometry reduces by a factor of N the complexity of rendering segment arrangements on a 2/sup N/*2/sup N/ integer grid such that output segments have grid points as endpoints. >
Use of a mathematical model to estimate stress and strain during elevated pressure induced lamina cribrosa deformation

Background. High intraocular pressure (IOP), which is generally associated with glaucoma, causes lamina cribrosa retrodisplacement and deformation. Shear stress and strain resulting from lamina cribrosa deformation have been implicated in tissue remodeling, changes in retinal astrocyte function and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death observed in vivo during glaucoma. Methods. A mathematical model was developed to describe the lamina cribrosa exposed to elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). The model is based on the bending theory of plates, incorporates anatomical properties of the lamina cribrosa, and provides estimates of its biomechanical properties. The model relates IOP, the parameter normally correlated with glaucoma, and lamina cribrosa retrodisplacement to stress and strain experienced by cells, parameters that may be more closely associated with cell injury. Results. We estimate that shear strains of 0.05 occur at the edge of a 200 µm thick lamina cribrosa at an IOP of 25 mm Hg. We estimate greater ...
Optimized Nonlinear Discriminant Analysis (ONDA) for Supervised Pixel Classification

Filter bank-based methods for pixel classification are attractive due to the potential of fast implementation with convolution operations. The design of optimal filter sets, however, is a challenging task given the nonlinear aspects of the problem. This letter extends the well known linear discriminant analysis method into a novel framework for local texture feature discrimination tasks. It proposes a mixture of linear models as a nonlinear classifier, where a number of filters are optimized locally by minimizing the prediction error. Through these filters, the `best separable' features are selected. Experiments performed on two standard texture databases show that our method produces results which are comparable to state-of-the-art techniques while at the same time maintaining low computational complexity.
Alterations in Neurotensin‐ and Bombesin‐like Immunoreactivity in MPTP‐Treated Mice

l-methyl-4-phenyl-l,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) is a neurotoxin that causes destruction of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons and subsequent symptoms resembling Parkinson's disease (PD) in humans and subhuman primates. The MPTP-treated mouse has recently been proposed as an animal model of PD.' In a previous study, we demonstrated decreases in the regional brain concentrations of the neuromodulatory peptides neurotensin (NT) and bombesin (BOM) in human patients with idiopathic PD.' One goal of these studies was to determine whether this murine model is an appropriate model of PD with respect to neuropeptide alterations. Adult, male, Swiss-Webster mice were injected daily with MPTP (30 mg/kg, ip) for 5 consecutive days. The mice were killed on day 10, the brains rapidly removed, dissected into 12 regions, and frozen. Brain regions were extracted and assayed for NT and BOM by sensitive and specific radioimmunoassays previously described in detail.'.' When compared to controls, the concentration of NT was decreased in the frontal cortex (p < 0.01), caudate (p < Om), and preoptic area (p < 0.02) of the MPTP-treated animals. An increase in BOM concentration was found in the amygdala (P < 0.04), whereas a decrease in the concentration of this peptide was observed in the preoptic area (P < 0.05) of the MPTP-treated animals (TABLE 1). Specificity of the DA neuronal degeneration was verified by reversal-phase HPLC assay5 of caudate samples for DA, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), 5hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) (FIG. 1). Caudate DA, DOPAC, and HVA concentrations were decreased to 12% (p 4 0.01), 28% (p 4 0.01), and 42% (p < 0.01) of control, respectively. A decrease in 5-HT concentration to 69% of control (p < 0.02) was found, while 5-HIAA exhibited a nonsignificant increase to 118% of control, indicating a slight increase in 5-HT turnover. Although substantial depletion of striatal DA was observed in the MPTP-treated mice, the brain, regions exhibiting changes in NT and BOM concentration differed substantially from those demonstrated in human idiopathic PD (IPD), where a decrease in NT was observed in the hippocampus and decreases in BOM concentration were found in the caudate and globus pallidus. The young mature MPTP-treated mouse would therefore appear not to be a satisfactory model of human PD with respect to neuropeptide
The role of calmodulin in cell transformation.

Abstract Two cell lines transformed with temperature sensitive retroviruses were examined for: their ability to grow in low Ca 2+ medium, their calmodulin levels and changes in calmodulin acceptor proteins. Both cell lines grow in low Ca 2+ medium at the permissive temperature 34°C while both lines did not replicate at the non-permissive temperature 39°C. The NRKLA23 cells have nearly twice as much calmodulin at the permissive temperature than they do at the non-permissive temperature while the 6M2 cells have an equal amount of calmodulin at both temperatures. Both cell lines exhibit changes in the calmodulin acceptor proteins going from the permissive to the non-permissive temperature. We suspect that the changes in the calmodulin acceptor proteins may be involved in the altered Ca 2+ -sensitivity of growth in the cells going from the permissive to non-permissive temperature.
Reducing Cycle Time and Errors in the Design and Layout of MEMS

A design methodology is presented which decreases cycle time and opportunities for error through automated execution of a consistent design procedure. The Product Design Generator (PDG) methodology is useful for existing devices with a well-established design process. Two such examples are given, the Thermomechanical In-plane Microactuator (TIM) and the micro force gauge. In both PDGs, the designer inputs a finite set of requirements which automatically updates parametric design models. The necessary analyses are then executed, and product artifacts such as a CAD file, technical document, and test procedures are generated. The application of this method reduces the opportunities for error by ten times for the TIM PDG and five times for the micro force gauge PDG. The design cycle time is reduced from hours to minutes for both devices.© 2003 ASME
A practical joint network-channel coding scheme for reliable communication in wireless networks

In this paper, we propose a practical scheme, called Non-Binary Joint Network-Channel Decoding (NB-JNCD) for reliable communication in wireless networks. It seamlessly couples channel coding and network coding, and can effectively combat the detrimental effect of fading of wireless channels, especially in large networks. On a high order Galois field, NB-JNCD combines non-binary LDPC channel coding and random linear network coding through iterative joint decoding, which helps fully exploit the spatial diversity and redundancy residing in both codes. Furthermore, the scheme can unify non-binary source coding and high order modulation without the need of any bit-to-symbol conversion and its inverse. Through analysis and simulation, we demonstrate the significant performance improvement of NB-JNCD against other schemes.
Stability Analysis of Stochastic Large-Scale Systems

Sufficient conditions for the Lyapunov stability, with probability one, of several classes of (a) continuous-parameter stochastic composite systems, and, (b) discrete-parameter stochastic composite systems are established. In all cases the objective is the same: to analyze the stability of large-scale composite systems in terms of their lower order subsystems and in terms of their interconnecting structure. In order to demonstrate the usefulness of the present approach, several specific examples are considered. Fur mehrere Klassen zusammengesetzter slochastischer Systeme a) mit stetigen, b) mit diskreten Parametern werden hinreichende Bedingungen fur die Ljapunow-Stabilitat aufgestellt. In alien Fallen ist das Ziel dasselbe: Die Stabilitat umfangreicher zusammengesetzter Systeme in Ausdrucken, die sich aus ihren Teilsystemen niedrigerer Ordnung ergeben, und in solchen, die ihre Zusammenhangstruktur widerspiegeln, zu erfassen. Um die Nutzlichkeit der Vorgehensweise zu demonstrieren, werden mehrere spezielle Beispiele betrachtet.
A self-reference sensing technique for ultra-sensitive chemical and biological detection using whispering gallery microresonators

Ultra-sensitive and label-free chemical and biological sensing devices are of great importance to biomedical research, clinical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and homeland security applications. Optical sensors based on ultra-highquality Whispering-Gallery-Mode (WGM) micro-resonators, in which light-matter interactions are significantly enhanced, have shown great promise in achieving compact sensors with high sensitivity and reliability. However, traditional sensing mechanisms based on monitoring the frequency shift of a single resonance faces challenges since the resonant frequency is sensitive not only to the sensing targets but also to many types of disturbances in the environment, such as temperature variation and mechanical instability of the system. The analysis of the signals is also affected by the positions of sensing targets on the resonator. Thus, it is difficult to distinguish signals coming from different sources, which introduces 'false positive' detection. We report a novel self-reference sensing mechanism based on mode splitting, a phenomenon in which a high-quality optical mode in a WGM resonator splits into two modes due to intra-cavity Rayleigh scattering. In particular, we demonstrated that the two split modes that can be induced by a single nanoparticle reside in the same resonator and serve as a reference to each other. As a result, a self-reference sensing scheme is formed. This allows us to develop a position-independent sensing scheme to accurately estimate the sizes of nanoparticles. So far we have achieved position-independent detecting and sizing of single nanoparticles down to 20 nm in radius with a single-shot measurement using an on-chip high-quality WGM microtoroid resonator.
Understanding the learning tactics of college students and their relationship to leadership

Purpose – This research aims to extend the generalizability of previous studies, using managerial samples, by investigating the tactics college students employ to learn and how this relates to their own behavior as leaders.Design/methodology/approach – College students were surveyed regarding their typical tactics for learning, using Dalton's Learning Tactics Inventory, along with the extent to which they engaged in various leadership practices, using Kouzes and Posner's Student Leadership Practices Inventory.Findings – Students who are more actively engaged in any of the various learning tactics (feelings, thinking, accessing others, and action), or all of them (versatility), subsequently report greater engagement across the range of leadership practices as well as transformational leadership.Research limitations/implications – The sample is drawn from college students, on a single campus, from a single discipline and in their first year of study and, while successfully holding these variables constant, ...
Effects of stimulus familiarity upon judged visual duration

Five experiments investigated the influence of the differences in stimulus familiarity among a dot-matrix letter, word, and nonword upon the relative judged duration of 30-msec flashes. Figure-ground contrast was manipulated by varying the number of dots comprising each display letter. With 30-msec presentations, judgments ranked subjective durations of the displays nonword > word > letter. Differences in judged duration among stimulus forms were greater when both forward and backward masking reduced recognition probability to chance level than when no mask was employed, and discriminations among masked presentations were easier for subjects. Figure-ground contrast influenced apparent duration judgments only as increases in figure-ground contrast contributed to clarity of familiarity differences among displays. The data were interpreted to indicate that differences in stimulus familiarity operate as early in visual processing as do differences in figure-ground contrast, with greater familiarity facilitating an automatic contact between a stimulus and its memory representation and therein reducing experienced duration.
Ultraviolet surface plasmon-mediated low temperature hydrazine decomposition

Conventional methods require elevated temperatures in order to dissociate high-energy nitrogen bonds in precursor molecules such as ammonia or hydrazine used for nitride film growth. We report enhanced photodissociation of surface-absorbed hydrazine (N2H4) molecules at low temperature by using ultraviolet surface plasmons to concentrate the exciting radiation. Plasmonic nanostructured aluminum substrates were designed to provide resonant near field concentration at λ = 248 nm (5 eV), corresponding to the maximum optical cross section for hydrogen abstraction from N2H4. We employed nanoimprint lithography to fabricate 1 mm × 1 mm arrays of the resonant plasmonic structures, and ultraviolet reflectance spectroscopy confirmed resonant extinction at 248 nm. Hydrazine was cryogenically adsorbed to the plasmonic substrate in a low-pressure ambient, and 5 eV surface plasmons were resonantly excited using a pulsed KrF laser. Mass spectrometry was used to characterize the photodissociation products and indicated a...
Estradiol inhibition of luteinizing hormone-stimulated progesterone synthesis in isolated bovine luteal cells.

The effects of several steroid hormones on progesterone synthesis and cAMP accumulation in isolated bovine corpora luteal cells were investigated in an attempt to determine if any of the steroids would affect the basal level of these processes or their response to gohadotropin. Isolated bovine corpora luteal cells responded to LH with a significant (P < 0.05) increase in progesterone synthesis and cAMP accumulation when incubated at 37 C for up to 1 h. Exogenous cAMP and analogs of cAMP also significantly stimulated steroidogenesis in these incubated cells. Stimulation of progesterone synthesis by 1 μg/ml LH was significantly suppressed (P < 0.05) in the presence of 5–10 μg/ml estradiol. This inhibition appeared to be largely specific for 17β-estradiol, in that other steroids such as estrone, estriol, 17α-estradiol, cortisol, and dihydrotestosterone were not inhibitory. Testosterone was found to be inhibitory, but it is uncertain if this effect was due to the androgen itself or to its conversion to estrad...
The Christ and the beasts panel on the Ruthwell Cross

Although the Ruthwell Cross has universally been regarded as one of the most outstanding achievements of early Northumbrian civilization, the meaning of its iconographic programme remains the subject of considerable debate. Central to most interpretations is the largest panel on the Cross, one depicting Christ and the beasts (see pl. I a ). The correct identification of this scene has long been regarded as crucial for achieving an understanding of the iconographic programme as a whole. While this scene must be accepted as the key to the programme, no entirely satisfactory explanation of its meaning has hitherto been offered. This study will draw attention to textual and visual evidence which provides a new basis for understanding this panel and its relationship to the remaining scenes.
Identification of alpha-cardiac myosin heavy chain mRNA and protein in extraocular muscle of the adult rabbit

Extraocular muscles contain both fast-twitch and multiply-innervated, tonic-contracting fibres. In rat, these fibres collectively express numerous myosin heavy chain isoforms including fast-type embryonic and neonatal, adult slow twitch type I and fast twitch type II, and a fast isoform unique to extraocular muscle. Immunocytochemical and Western blotting results are presented which suggest that, in rabbit, an additional species, the α-cardiac myosin heavy chain, is present. The immunoreactive species is found in all rabbit extraocular muscles and in the rotatory extraocular muscles is expressed in almost all fibres which do not contain a fast myosin heavy chain. Positive identification of this isoform as the α-cardiac myosin heavy chain was obtained by sequencing a cloned PCR product derived from extraocular muscle mRNA unique to the 3′-end of rabbit α-cardiac myosin heavy chain mRNA. This is the first unequivocal demonstration of α-cardiac myosin heavy chain expression in extraocular muscle.
The Directional Dependence of Water Penetration into Langmuir-Blodgett Multilayers.

The relationship between the mass uptake and the swelling of arachidic acid Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films exposed to water vapor was investigated. Combining sorption data from the quartz crystal microbalance with swelling data from the surface forces apparatus (SFA), it was found that films exposed to water vapor (≈75% RH) absorb 0.22 moles water/mole LB film with an associated swelling of 0.2 A/film layer. This degree of film swelling is less than that predicted if the water taken up exhibits the molar volume of bulk liquid water. The configuration of the films in the SFA, where they are trapped between impermeable surfaces, makes possible the measurement of the lateral diffusion coefficient of water in these layered materials. This was found to be 1.5 × 10−10 cm2/s, which is at least 100 times faster than diffusion normal to the layers as measured with the microbalance.
Induction and inhibition of hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes by rifampin.

Abstract The effects of the antibiotic rifampin on microsomal drug metabolizing enzymes were investigated. On acute administration, rifampin (100 mg/kg i.p.) doubled hexobarbital sleeping time and zoxazolamine paralysis time in mice. The in vitro metabolism of zoxazolamine (0.25 mM) and 17β-estradiol (10 μM) were inhibited 50% by rifampin in concentrations of 0.4 and 0.3 mM, respectively. The inhibition of ethylmorphine N-demethylase was competitive with an apparent Ki, of 52 μM. Repeated administration of rifampin to mice (50 mg/kg i.p. daily for 6 days) increased liver weight by 20%a cytochrome P-450 (50%), NADPH cytochrome c reductase (43%,). ethylmorphine N-demethylase (85%), zoxazolamine hydroxylase (77%), benzpyrene hydroxylase (174%). and 17β-estradiol metabolism (89%). Microsomal protein (mg/g). aniline hydroxylase and p-nitrophenol glucuronyl transferase activities were unaffected. Rat microsomal drug metabolizing enzyme activity was also inhibited after acute administration of rifampin as exemplified by an increase in hexobarbital sleeping time of 44% and a competitive inhibition of ethylmorphine N-demethylase by rifampin. The Ki, (33 μM) was close to that obtained with the mouse enzyme. The similarity in the in vivo and in vitro inhibition suggests that rifampin binds to microsomes in a similar manner in both species. Chronic administration of rifampin to rats (50 mg/kg i.p.) twice daily for six days did not lead to induction, indicating a species difference with respect to rifampin's inducing ability. Rifampin did not modify microsomal induction in rats by phenobarbital when both drugs were administered concomitantly. The mechanism responsible for the species difference and the clinical relevance of these results are discussed.
Enhancing Long-term Weight Loss Maintenance: 2 Year Results from the Keep It Off Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective The Keep It Off trial evaluated the efficacy of a phone-based weight loss maintenance intervention among adults who had recently lost weight in Minnesota (2007–2010).
Planning, Representation, and the Production of Space In Lexington, Kentucky

Much of planning theory has incorporated the communicative practice critique to deconstruct both plans and planning. These critiques have given planning theorists and practicing planners a useful way to think about how plans through their very structure, language, and techniques-may empower certain participants and disempower others. To date, however, the deconstruction of plans as texts still remains to be extended to a critical deconstruction of plans as spatial texts. Because planning embodies representations about the spatial-material world, its language is also spatial, and this spatial language may benefit from the lens of a deconstructive spatial critique. This paper begins by laying out a rationale for such a critique. I then show how an explicitly spatial deconstruction might proceed, and finally, I turn this examination to one particular plan for a neighborhood in the city of Lexington, Kentucky.
Management of dyslipidemia.

The 2 principal approaches to management of dyslipidemias are lifestyle intervention and lipid-modifying drug therapy. Recent revisions to the American Heart Association's dietary guidelines for reducing cardiovascular disease emphasize an overall healthy eating pattern and maintenance of appropriate body weight, together with achieving a desirable blood pressure and a desirable lipoprotein profile. New National Cholesterol Education Program treatment guidelines include a scoring system for calculating coronary heart disease (CHD) risk that is adapted from the Framingham Heart Study, as well as a category of CHD risk equivalents (e.g., diabetes) that will encourage more aggressive therapeutic intervention for individuals at high short-term risk for CHD, even in the absence of clinically evident coronary disease. Classes of lipid-modifying drugs include bile acid sequestrants (resins), fibrates, and statins, with each class exerting different effects on the lipid profile. Nicotinic acid (niacin) is also an approved lipid-modifying agent. The armamentarium for treating lipid disorders and atherosclerosis now includes statins that can decrease low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels by up to 55%, as well as a resin with improved tolerability. In patients with high levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, together with low concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, combination therapy may be effective. Moreover, researchers are currently investigating the development of drugs directed at molecular targets, including cholesterol esterification and accumulation in macrophage foam cells (e.g., inhibiting acyl-coenzyme A : cholesterol acyltransferase), degradation of atherosclerotic plaque (e.g., decreasing the expression of matrix metalloproteinases), and reverse cholesterol transport (e.g., stimulating ATP-binding cassette transporter A1).
Isolated-patch recording from liposomes containing functionally reconstituted chloride channels from Torpedo electroplax.

Abstract Small unilamellar vesicles formed from purified phospholids by detergent/dialysis methods may be enlarged to 30-microns diameter by freezing and thawing. Very-high-resistance seals were formed by applying a glass micropipette to the surface of these large liposomes, and single bilayer "patches" of membrane were isolated from the liposome surface while remaining sealed to the micropipette. The exogenous channel-forming peptides gramicidin and alamethicin induced characteristic single-channel fluctuation behavior in these excised patches held under voltage-clamp conditions. Large liposomes were formed from the small unilamellar vesicles made from cholate extracts of Torpedo electroplax plasma membrane vesicles. Isolated patches formed from these reconstituted membranes displayed current fluctuations due to single voltage-gated Cl- channels from non-innervated-face membranes; the properties of these Cl- channels are identical to those observed in planar bilayer membranes after direct insertion from native membranes. This liposome-patch method combines the advantages of membrane protein incorporation into liposomes with high-resolution electrical recording methods and may provide a generally applicable approach to the study of integral membrane channel proteins after solubilization and reconstitution.
DBA/2Ibg mice are incapable of cholinergically-based learning in the morris water task

In comparison to C57BL/6Ibg mice, DBA/2Ibg mice are slow to find a submerged platform in the Morris water task. Spatial learning in this task is known to be severely disrupted by treatments that reduce muscarinic cholinergic function. DBA mice were chronically treated with diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) in order to decrease muscarinic binding in the brain. Despite significant losses of binding sites in cortex, midbrain, hindbrain, hippocampus, and striatum, the mice failed to show an effect of DFP treatment on latency to reach the platform. Saline-treated DBA mice showed only marginal preference for searching the appropriate region of the pool during a probe trial in which the platform was absent from the pool. The pattern of search behavior was not altered by DFP treatment. These data are in strong contrast to data obtained previously with C57BL/6Ibg mice, which show accurate search behavior that is completely disrupted by DFP treatment. DBA mice thus appear incapable of true, cholinergically-mediated spatial learning. It is hypothesized that these mice lack normal function of the septo-hippocampal system.
Solution structure and functional analysis of the influenza B proton channel

Influenza B virus contains an integral membrane protein, BM2, that oligomerizes in the viral membrane to form a pH-activated proton channel. Here we report the solution structures of both the membrane-embedded channel domain and the cytoplasmic domain of BM2. The channel domain assumes a left-handed coiled-coil tetramer formation with a helical packing angle of -37 degrees to form a polar pore in the membrane for conducting ions. Mutagenesis and proton flux experiments identified residues involved in proton relay and suggest a mechanism of proton conductance. The cytoplasmic domain of BM2 also forms a coiled-coil tetramer. It has a bipolar charge distribution, in which a negatively charged region interacts specifically with the M1 matrix protein that is involved in packaging the genome in the virion. This interaction suggests BM2 also recruits matrix proteins to the cell surface during virus budding, making BM2 an unusual membrane protein with the dual roles of conducting ions and recruiting proteins to the membrane.