cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spherical-code key-distribution protocols for qubits

Recently spherical codes were introduced as potentially more capable ensembles for quantum key distribution. Here we develop specific key-creation protocols for the two qubit-based spherical codes, the trine and tetrahedron, and analyze them in the context of a suitably tailored intercept/resend attack, both in standard form, and in a 'gentler' version whose back action on the quantum state is weaker. When compared to the standard unbiased basis protocols, Bennett-Brassard 1984 (BB84) and six-state, two distinct advantages are found. First, they offer improved tolerance of eavesdropping, the trine besting its counterpart BB84 and the tetrahedron the six-state protocol. Second, the key error rate may be computed from the sift rate of the protocol itself, removing the need to sacrifice key bits for this purpose. This simplifies the protocol and improves the overall key rate.0.
Comparisons of creatinine and cystatin C for detection of kidney disease and prediction of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected women.

BACKGROUND Cystatin C could improve chronic kidney disease (CKD) classification in HIV-infected women relative to serum creatinine. DESIGN Retrospective cohort analysis. METHODS Cystatin C and creatinine were measured from specimens taken and stored during the 1999-2000 examination among 908 HIV-infected participants in the Women's Interagency HIV study (WIHS). Mean follow-up was 10.2 years. Predictors of differential glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimates were evaluated with multivariable linear regression. The associations of baseline categories ( 90 ml/min per 1.73 m) of creatinine estimated GFR (eGFRcr), cystatin C eGFR (eGFRcys), and combined creatinine-cystatin C eGFR (eGFRcr-cys) with all-cause mortality were evaluated using multivariable Cox regression. The net reclassification index (NRI) was calculated to evaluate the effect of cystatin C on reclassification of CKD staging. RESULTS CKD risk factors were associated with lower eGFRcys and eGFRcr-cys values compared with eGFRcr. Relative to eGFR more than 90, the eGFR less than 60 category by eGFRcys (Adjusted hazard ratio: 2.56; 95% confidence interval: 1.63-4.02), eGFRcr-cys (3.11; 1.94-5.00), and eGFRcr (2.34; 1.44-3.79) was associated with increased mortality risk. However, the eGFR 60-90 category was associated with increased mortality risk for eGFRcys (1.80; 1.28-2.53) and eGFRcr-cys (1.91; 1.38-2.66) but not eGFRcr (1.20; 0.85-1.67). The overall NRI for mortality was 26% when reclassifying from eGFRcr to eGFRcys (P < 0.001) and was 20% when reclassifying from eGFRcr to eGFRcr-cys (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION The addition of cystatin C may improve mortality risk prediction by stages of kidney function relative to creatinine. CKD risk factors are associated with an overestimate of GFR by serum creatinine relative to cystatin C.
Multilayer-Induced Reaction of Cyclobutane on Ir(111): Identification of Reaction Products and Quantification of Reaction Kinetics†

We have studied the low temperature adsorption of cyclobutane on the hexagonally close-packed (hcp) Ir(111) surface using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and high-resolution electron energy...
Federal Housing Policy and HUD: Past Problems and Future Prospects of a Beleaguered Bureaucracy

The authors first review the origins and birth of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Second, they analyze four recurrent types of problems: (1) lack of consistent president...
Sentry: A novel hardware implementation of classic operating system mechanisms

A hardware protection mechanism called the Sentry is introduced which requires minimal overhead to be invoked and no overhead when providing protection. It is fail-safe, fault tolerant, and can be added to most existing architectures. It provides a convenient low level service suitable as the underlying primitive around which more sophisticated mechanisms can be established.
What do sequential behavioral patterns suggest about the medical decision-making process? : Modeling home case management of acute illnesses in a rural Cameroonian village

Abstract It is well recognized that much of the world's medical care is in the hands of laypeople. In pluralistic medical settings, laypeople choose what to do first, second, third, and fourth from a variety of treatment options. In retrospect, laypeople's choices can be represented as an ordered series of health-related behaviors. A systematic analysis of such sequential data provides insights into caregivers' patterns of resort and suggests a tentative theory for how laypeople make medical choices. This study examines sequences of health-related behaviors from a small, Kom-speaking village in Cameroon. Local residents consider seven health actions, including: delaying initial treatment, using various home remedies or pharmaceuticals, going to a government clinic or a Catholic hospital, and consulting a private nurse or a traditional healer. Researchers visited 88 randomly selected compounds on a weekly basis over a 5-month period. Data were collected on the treatments associated with 429 nonchronic episodes. Analysis of the treatment sequences suggests that residents customarily use delay of treatments as a tactic in the decision-making process. Caregivers were more likely to use home-based treatments and to use them earlier in the treatment sequences than they were to seek treatment from outside the compound. When seeking assistance, caregivers often used traditional healers as a conduit to other outside options. Laypeople used a limited number of unique treatment sequences and avoided the repetition of treatment modalities. Caregivers act as if they were following three basic tenets. They minimize uncertainty by identifying illness types that require particular health actions and by delaying action. they minimize the cost of care by first resorting to treatments that are less expensive and easier to administer or by reducing the number of treatments tried. And laypeople maximize treatment variety in the hopes of finding at least one treatment that helps stop the illness.
Inhibition of psychrotrophic bacterial growth in refrigerated milk by addition of carbon dioxide.

Abstract Treatment of refrigerated milk with 20 to 30m M CO 2 was evaluated as a method for extending storage-life by inhibiting growth of psychrotrophic bacteria. Generation times for each of five psychrotrophic pseudomonads were significantly longer when grown at 7°C in sterile milk treated with CO 2 than when the same bacteria were grown in ungassed sterile milk. When raw milks were stored at 7°C and treated with CO 2 , the time required for aerobic plate counts to increase 10-fold was at least 24h longer than in the same milks left untreated. Numbers of coliforms, psychrotrophs, and anaerobes (facultative and obligate) were significantly lower in raw milks treated with CO 2 than in untreated milks incubated at 7°C for 6 d.
On the Central Limit Theorem for an ergodic Markov chain

Abstract A simple sufficient condition for the Central Limit Theorem for functionals of Harris ergodic Markov chains is derived. The result is illustrated with an example taken from non-linear time series analysis.
Measuring the Quality of Children's Postoperative Pain Management: Initial Validation of the Child/Parent Total Quality Pain Management (TQPM™) Instruments

Quality improvement measurement instruments for pediatric postoperative pain management are virtually nonexistent. Without standardized instruments to measure pediatric pain management outcomes, practitioners are hampered in their efforts to improve the quality of pain management for children. In this study, instruments for children (8--12 years) and parents were developed and tested to measure the quality of children's postoperative pain management. The child (Child TQPM) and parent (Parent TQPM) Total Quality Pain Management instruments were tested with 50 parent/child dyads across two large treatment centers. The pain rating scale modified for these instruments demonstrated good criterion validity with the well established Varni/Thompson Pediatric Pain Questionnaire Visual Analogue Scale. Parent--child agreement was described for responses across instruments. Construct validity was examined through selected inter-item relationships. Psychometric analyses support the initial measurement properties of the pediatric TQPM instruments.
Coping with a Severe Sustained Drought on the Colorado Rwer: Introduction and Overview

: In arid regions of rapid economic and population growth, adverse effects of droughts are likely to be increasingly serious. This article presents an introduction and overview of the papers collected in this special issue of the Water Resources Bulletin. The papers report on the second phase of a study of the impacts of and responses to a potential severe sustained drought in the Colorado River Basin in the southwestern U.S. The analyses were performed by a consortium of researchers from universities and the private sector located throughout the Basin. Tree ring studies suggest that droughts of duration and magnitude much more serious than any found in the modern records probably occurred in the Basin during earlier centuries. Taking the present-day configuration of the storage and diversion structures and the economic conditions in the Basin as the base-point, the general objectives of the study are three: first, to define a representative Severe Sustained Drought (SSD) and assess its hydrologic impacts; second, to forecast the economic, social and environmental impacts on the southwestern U.S.; and finally, to assess alternative institutional arrangements for coping with an SSD. The evaluation of impacts and policies was conducted with two distinct modeling approaches. One involved hydrologic-economic optimization modeling where water allocation institutions are decision variables. The second was a simulation-gaming approach which allowed “players” representing each basin state to interact in a real-time decision making mode in response to the unfolding drought.
DNA SYNTHESIS AND MITOSIS IN ERYTHROPOIETIC CELLS

Studies of newt (Triturus or Diemictylus viridescens) erythropoietic cells showed that DNA synthesis and mitosis normally occur throughout most of the developmental process. Mitotic divisions were found in all immature precursor stages from the proerythroblast to the highly hemoglobinized reticulocyte. Mitoses were absent in mature erythrocytes. Radioautographic examination of thymidine-3H incorporation into DNA revealed that all erythroid cells except the mature erythrocyte were labeled. Microphotometric measurements of Feulgen-stained smears showed that all immature stages were undergoing DNA synthesis whereas the mature erythrocyte was inactive. The results obtained from three independent methods clearly demonstrate that (a) no loss of DNA or of chromosomes occurs during erythrocytic development and (b) highly hemoglobinized and, therefore, well-differentiated cells normally do undergo DNA synthesis and mitosis.
A note on signal enhancement for dual magnetometer systems

Demonstration of the value of cross-correlation signal enhancement achieved by means of a dual magnetometer system. A unique feature of a dual magnetometer system is, as pointed out by Ness et al. (1971), the opportunity it allows for signal enhancement by using cross-correlation techniques developed in statistical communication theory. Their use is shown to make it possible to overcome the limitations that the intrinsic sensor ambient noise and the measurement-contaminating spacecraft field fluctuations impose upon the signal detection performance of a single magnetometer.
Elevation‐dependent surface elevation gain in a tidal freshwater marsh and implications for marsh persistence

Tidal marshes in equilibrium with rising sea level accrete material and gain elevation at a rate similar to sea level rise (SLR). Increased inundation, erosion, and marsh area loss occur where alterations to ecogeomorphic processes and feedbacks cause surface elevation gain to be less than SLR. Relationships between marsh platform elevation and surface elevation change have been observed in tidal salt marshes. In this study we expand this concept to tidal freshwater marshes by monitoring elevation change using surface elevation tables (SETs) and repeated surface elevation surveys. A novel method of survey differencing revealed elevation-dependent rates of elevation change in our study site. Greater elevations were generally associated with decreased elevation gains. This relationship, however, was not monotonic but included a reversal to increasing gains from ∼ 0.2 m to 0.3 m elevation, leading to a local maximum elevation gain rate at ∼ 0.3 m elevation, about 0.3 half tide units above mean tide level. This localized accretion maximum could be caused by the elevation-controlled distribution of marsh plant species, among other possibilities. Model projections of modern elevation change rates into the future suggested that high- and low-marsh platforms would be maintained and even expanded for SLR rates between 2 and 4 mm yr−1. In our projections, rates of SLR 6 mm yr−1 led to conversion of marsh to open water. On average, surface elevations appear to be increasing at a rate similar to recent local SLR, although elevation change at some specific locations and within some elevation ranges may be less than SLR.
Injection mold flashing of liquid crystalline polymers

Thermotropic polyesters, such as Vectra (Hoechst Celanese), have excellent moldability for intricate parts that require high precision of form, such as electronic connectors. Two apparently contradictory aspects of molding behavior contribute to the moldability. On the one hand, the low viscosity of the liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) at high shear rates favors ease of filling molds that contain long, thin paths. On the other, parts molded from LCP have little or no flash to interfere with the functioning of the parts. There has apparently been little work on the rheological aspects of flash formation. An approximate analysis is made by considering that the flash is the result of melt being extruded from the mold cavity into a slit at the mold parting line. The driving force for the extrusion is the injection pressure. The flow is assumed to be isothermal until solidification occurs, at a time that depends on the thickness of the slit, on the thermal diffusivity of the melt, the melt and mold temperatures, and on the solidification temperature of the material. The viscosity is assumed to have power-law dependence on shear rate. It is found that when the aspect ratio (length to thickness) of the flash is small, its length is strongly dependent on the magnitude of the pressure drop at the contraction from the cavity to the slit. At the minimum pressure required to fill a mold, the flash length is predicted to be independent of the rheological and thermal properties of the melt, except for the power-law exponent. Differences in end correction can, however, account for different tendencies to flash at equal moldability. Comparison of the model with Richardson's analysis of freezing in a cavity suggests a correlation of the thermal properties of the melt with his parameter c, which is related to mold filling ability. Tests of the model and possible refinements are suggested.
The effect of fluoride in phosphoric acid on enamel fluoride uptake and the tensile bond strength of an orthodontic bonding resin.

Abstract Decalcification that occurs adjacent to bonded orthodontic brackets is of great concern to orthodontists. Among the many procedures suggested to overcome this problem is the addition of fluoride to the phosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 ,) etching solution. The purposes of this study were to determine the loss of fluoride from the acidic etching solutions, to evaluate the effect of various fluoride concentrations in H 3 PO 4 , on the tensile bond strength of an orthodontic bonding resin, to determine the amount of total and bound fluoride acquired by etched enamel, and to evaluate the effect of these etching solutions on enamel by scanning electron microscopy. Solutions of 50 m/m% H 3 PO 4 containing 0 and approximately 0.01, 0.04, 0.08, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.9% fluoride were prepared. The fluoride concentrations in the etching solutions remained stable up to 3 months after preparation. The tensile bond strengths of the bonding resin to the etched enamel surfaces were not significantly different. Enamel acquired the greatest amount of total fluoride from H 3 PO 4 solutions containing 0.215% fluoride while the bound fluoride acquired by enamel from the fluoride-containing etching solutions was not significantly different. The addition of fluoride to H 3 PO 4 did not impede the etching effect on enamel.
Plasma and mucosal HIV viral loads are associated with genital tract inflammation in HIV-infected women

Background Systemic and mucosal inflammation may play a role in HIV control. A cross-sectional comparison was conducted among women in the Women's Interagency HIV Study to explore the hypothesis that compared with HIV-uninfected participants, women with HIV, and, in particular, those with high plasma viral load (PVL) have increased levels of mucosal and systemic inflammatory mediators and impaired mucosal endogenous antimicrobial activity. Methods Nineteen HIV-uninfected, 40 HIV-infected on antiretroviral therapy (ART) with PVL ≤ 2600 copies/mL (low viral load) (HIV-LVL), and 19 HIV-infected on or off ART with PVL >10,000 (high viral load) (HIV-HVL) were evaluated. Immune mediators and viral RNA were quantified in plasma and cervicovaginal lavage (CVL). The CVL antimicrobial activity was also determined. Results Compared to HIV-uninfected participants, HIV-HVL women had higher levels of mucosal but not systemic proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, higher Nugent scores, and lower Escherichia coli bactericidal activity. In contrast, there were no significant differences between HIV-LVL and HIV-uninfected controls. After adjusting for PVL, HIV genital tract shedding was significantly associated with higher CVL concentrations of IL-6, IL-1β, MIP-1α, and CCL5 (RANTES) and higher plasma concentrations of MIP-1α. High PVL was associated with higher CVL levels of IL-1β and RANTES, as well as with higher Nugent scores, lower E. coli bactericidal activity, smoking, and lower CD4 counts; smoking and CD4 count retained statistical significance in a multivariate model. Conclusions Further study is needed to determine if the relationship between mucosal inflammation and PVL is causal and to determine if reducing mucosal inflammation is beneficial.
Catalytic direct asymmetric Michael reactions: taming naked aldehyde donors.

Direct catalytic enantio- and diastereoselective Michael addition reactions of unmodified aldehydes to nitro olefins using (S)-2-(morpholinomethyl)pyrrolidine as a catalyst are described. The reactions proceed in good yield (up to 96%) in a highly syn-selective manner (up to 98:2) with enantioselectivities approaching 80%. The resulting γ-formyl nitro compounds are readily converted to chiral, nonracemic 3,4-disubstituted pyrrolidines.
A Positive Pressure Universal Gripper Based on the Jamming of Granular Material

We describe a simple passive universal gripper, consisting of a mass of granular material encased in an elastic membrane. Using a combination of positive and negative pressure, the gripper can rapidly grip and release a wide range of objects that are typically challenging for universal grippers, such as flat objects, soft objects, or objects with complex geometries. The gripper passively conforms to the shape of a target object, then vacuum-hardens to grip it rigidly, later utilizing positive pressure to reverse this transition-releasing the object and returning to a deformable state. We describe the mechanical design and implementation of this gripper and quantify its performance in real-world testing situations. By using both positive and negative pressure, we demonstrate performance increases of up to 85% in reliability, 25% in error tolerance, and the added capability to shoot objects by fast ejection. In addition, multiple objects are gripped and placed at once while maintaining their relative distance and orientation. We conclude by comparing the performance of the proposed gripper with others in the field.
Microsyopsinae and Hyopsodontidae in the Sespe Upper Eocene, California

Occurring in association with the recently described tarsiid,(1) Dyseolemur pacificus, in the Eocene deposits, north of the Simi Valley, California, is a new genus of the subfamily Microsyopsine and a new species of the genus Hyopsodus. Aside from the interest inherent in the new types, the presence of these forms gives added reason for regarding the faunal assemblages now being uncovered at locality 180 and stratigraphically related localities in the Sespe as definitely older than that known from locality 150. Moreover, these types suggest again a post-Bridger and an upper Eocene age for this stage in the succession of faunal horizons of the Sespe.
Partially wetted catalyst performance in the consecutive-parallel network

In this study the impact of the transport processes and the degree of wetting on the overall selectivity of a single catalytic pellet is examined for the commercially important consecutive-parallel network A(g) + vBB(l) → vR1R(l), A(g) + vR2R(l) → P(l). The one-dimensional formulation applies to catalysts in which the active component is concentrated in a thin porous surface shell coating an impermeable support. Model modifications provide an approximate description of uniformly active catalysts. The kinetics are assumed to be first and zero order with respect to the volatile (A) and nonvolatile (B, R) components, respectively, as encountered in many olefin hydrogenations. The common literature assumption of volatile reactant limiting reactions is relaxed by accounting for nonvolatile reactant depletion. The depletion can significantly reduce the desired product (R) selectivity below its intrinsic value attained under fully wetted, no-depletion conditions. A model employing the single limiting reactant assumption cannot predict such selectivity variations. The selectivity is shown to be a complex function of the wetting efficiency, the stoichiometry, and the interacting reactions and mass transport processes. In many cases the intrinsic selectivity is attained for wetting efficiencies exceeding a critical value. Increases in the wetting above this value can reduce significantly the production rate of R because of resistance to A supply through the liquid film. Thus, an optimal range of wetting efficiencies exists for which the selectivity is equal to its intrinsic value and overall rates are high. The significance of the main findings with regard to trickle-bed reactor performance are discussed.
Nonfatal burns of children in awell-defined urban population

A study was made of 508 burns of 481 children treated by physicians of the PermanenteMedical Group at the Kaiser Foundation health facilities in Oakland, California. They represented almost the entire known number of burns of 11,473 urban children under the age of 15 who received medical treatment. Twenty-four per cent of the injuries were from scalds and 19 per cent were from floor heaters. However, those caused by the floor heaters comprised 28 per cent of the injuries to children under 5 years of age. Few injuries from open flame were noted, which reflects the fact that the population was urban; such injuries are more often reported in studies limited to children who are seen in emergency rooms or who are hospitalized.
Identification of in vitro upregulated genes in a modified live vaccine strain of Edwardsiella ictaluri compared to a virulent parent strain

Using PCR-select subtractive cDNA hybridization technique, 41 in vitro expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were isolated from a modified live vaccine strain (AQUAVAC-ESC, formerly RE-33) vs a virulent parent strain (EILO) of Edwardsiella ictaluri. Transcriptional levels of the 41 in vitro ESTs in the vaccine strain and the virulent strain were then evaluated by quantitative PCR (qPCR). The qPCR results revealed that 33 ESTs were consistently upregulated at least 3-fold in the modified live vaccine strain compared to the virulent parent strain. Of the 33 upregulated ESTs, 11 were upregulated greater than 5-fold. The 41 ESTs were found to be homologues of genes involved in protective immunity (22%), adhesion (7%), cell growth and survival (20%), signaling (7%), metabolism (5%), and transcriptional regulation (5%). However, putative functions of 20% of the genes identified are currently unknown. Putative roles of some of the in vitro upregulated genes in protective immunity induced by the vaccine strain are discussed.
Underestimation of HSV-2 seroprevalence in a high-risk population by microneutralization assay.

BACKGROUND Complement independent neutralizing antibody assays (CINA) have been used in seroepidemiologic studies and in diagnostic laboratories to distinguish between antibodies to herpes simplex virus types 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2). The accuracy of CINA has not been rigorously tested against protein-specific typing assays, such as Western blot. GOAL OF THIS STUDY To determine the ability of CINA to identify HSV-2 antibodies alone or in the presence of HSV-1 antibodies. STUDY DESIGN Sera from randomly selected women at the Seattle King County Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic were tested by CINA and Western blot. RESULTS Of 521 women tested, 81% had HSV antibodies by Western blot and 76% had neutralizing antibodies. Of 220 sera with HSV-2 antibodies by Western blot, 106 (48%) were serotyped correctly by CINA. Of the women studied, 140 (27%) had type-indeterminate neutralizing antibodies; 55 of these sera (39%) had antibody only to HSV-1 by Western blot. CONCLUSION The seroprevalence of HSV-2 in an STD clinic population was seriously underestimated by CINA.
Estimating irrigation water use and withdrawal of ground water on the High Plains, U.S.A.

Abstract In four decades following the Dust Bowl days of the 1930's, extensive areas of dry farming and rangeland on the semi-arid U.S. High Plains were transformed into a vast region of irrigated oases, producing meat and grain for much of the world. The agricultural economy has experienced such rapid growth in part because of the availability of ground water and because of development of new irrigation technology to use that water for agriculture. However, more water is being used than is being replaced. To estimate both the volume of water withdrawn and the regional scope of the problem a technique has been developed that combines multispectral data from Earth-orbiting satellite with known pumpage data for the same growing season. The location and extent of irrigated cropland—some with different crops watered at different times—is inventoried using computer-assisted analysis of the data from Landsat. The amount of water used is estimated by multiplying and summing surface area of irrigated agriculture and the average measured pumpage from sampled sites. Published findings to date are cited in the Selected References. All suggest transferability of a promising technology to the study of land transformation processes elsewhere.
Perceptions of Inner City Substance Abusers About Their Families

This study involved 12 in-depth interviews of inner city rehabilitating substance abusers. An exploration of their perception about their families of origin and their families of today was the purpose of this study. The topic outline, coding system, and qualitative analysis was guided by concepts of the framework of systemic organization. Common family characteristics were lack of togetherness, nonexistent or peripheral role of fathers, and underused or overused controlling power with victimization of the weakest. Regenerative strengths were seen in some families. Family integration of addicts seemed more difficult than anticipated by the subjects and demanded major changes in family processes.
Development, validation and dissemination of instructional materials: an analysis.

Summary This paper describes the activities of SIMO (Self-Instructional Materials in Ophthalmology), a 2-year project to develop four slide/tape units and one videocassette in basic ophthalmology for medical students,† The background of the project, some observations regarding pitfalls in the developmental process, data on product evaluation, and factors in effective dissemination are presented. Instructional effectiveness was documented using measures of knowledge, skill in recognizing abnormalities, and performance of diagnostic and management techniques.
Generalization of the Matsumoto-Tonomura approximation for the phase shift within an open aperture.

Abstract As shown by Matsumoto and Tonomura, the phase shift imposed on an electron beam by an electrostatic phase plate is constant for all (straight) electron trajectories passing through a circular aperture, provided that (1) the electric field goes to zero at distances far above and below the aperture and (2) the value of the phase shift at the boundary (i.e. perimeter of the aperture) is constant [5] . We now point out that the result can be valid for any shape of the hole in the aperture, and, furthermore, it requires only that the electric field is equal and opposite at large distances above and below the aperture, respectively. We also point out that the conditions of validity of the Matsumoto–Tonomura approximation constrain the phase shift across the open aperture to a quadratic algebraic form when the phase shift is not constant around the perimeter. Finally, it follows that the projection approximation for calculating the phase shift must fail for strong phase shifts of higher than quadratic form. These extensions of the original result of Matsumoto and Tonomura give further insight to the analysis of charging phenomena observed with apertures that are designed to produce contrast in in-focus images of weak phase objects.
Differential innervation of direct- and indirect-pathway striatal projection neurons

The striatum integrates information from multiple brain regions to shape motor learning. The two major projection cell types in striatum target different downstream basal ganglia targets and have opposing effects on motivated behavior, yet differential innervation of these neuronal subtypes is not well understood. To examine whether input specificity provides a substrate for information segregation in these circuits, we used a monosynaptic rabies virus system to generate brain-wide maps of neurons that form synapses with direct- or indirect-pathway striatal projection neurons. We discovered that sensory cortical and limbic structures preferentially innervated the direct pathway, whereas motor cortex preferentially targeted the indirect pathway. Thalamostriatal input, dopaminergic input, as well as input from specific cortical layers, was similar onto both pathways. We also confirm synaptic innervation of striatal projection neurons by the raphe and pedunculopontine nuclei. Together, these findings provide a framework for guiding future studies of basal ganglia circuit function.
Inhaled nitric oxide improves gas exchange and lowers pulmonary vascular resistance in severe experimental hyaline membrane disease.

ABSTRACT: To determine the effects of inhaled nitric oxide (NO) on pulmonary hemodynamics and gas exchange in experimental hyaline membrane disease (HMD), we studied 16 premature lambs (0.78 term) in two separate protocols. All animals were treated with exogenous surfactant before mechanical ventilation. In protocol 1, we measured the acute response to brief treatment with inhaled NO (20 ppm, 20 min) after 2 h of mechanical ventilation with fraction of inspired oxygen of 1.00 (n = 5). After 2 h, brief NO treatment lowered pulmonary vascular resistance from 0.26 ±0.05 to 0.16 ±0.03 mm Hg- (mL/min)−1 (p < 0.01) and improved gas exchange (arterial Po2, 44 ± 9 mm Hg baseline to 168 ± 45 mm Hg NO, p < 0.01; arterial Pco2 45 ± 5 mm Hg baseline to 35 ± 4 mm Hg NO, p < 0.05). In protocol 2, to determine whether early and continuous treatment with inhaled NO could sustain improvement in gas exchange and pulmonary hemodynamics in severe HMD, we compared the physiologic effects of ventilation with high inspired oxygen concentrations for 3 h with NO (20 ppm, n = 6) and without NO (controls, n = 5). After 3 h, the NO treatment group had sustained reduction in pulmonary vascular resistance (0.10 ± 0.01 mm Hg (mL/ min)−1 NO versus 0.25 ± 0.04 mm Hg (mL/min)−1 control, p < 0.05), increased left pulmonary artery blood flow (204 ± 24 mL/min NO versus 109 ± 15 mL/min control, p < 0.05), and increased arterial Po2 (114 ± 27 mm Hg NO versus 36 ± 11 mm Hg control, p < 0.05). We conclude that inhaled NO causes marked and sustained improvement in pulmonary hemodynamics and gas exchange in severe experimental HMD. We speculate that pulmonary vasoconstriction and ventilation/perfusion abnormalities contribute to the pathophysiology of severe respiratory failure in preterm newborns, and early treatment with inhaled NO may be effective in clinical management of selected premature patients with HMD.
Diurnal fluctuations and developmental changes in ocular dimensions and optical aberrations in young chicks.

Purpose To investigate further the emmetropization process in young chicks by studying the diurnal fluctuations and developmental changes in the ocular dimensions and optical aberrations, including refractive errors, of normal eyes and eyes that had the ciliary nerve sectioned (CNX). Methods The ocular dimensions and aberrations in both eyes of eight CNX (surgery on right eyes only) and eight normal chicks were measured with high-frequency A-scan ultrasonography and aberrometry, respectively, four times a day on five different days from posthatching day 13 to 35. A fixed pupil size of 2 mm was used to analyze aberration data. Repeated-measures ANOVA was applied to examine the effects of age, time of day, and surgery. Results Refractive errors and most higher-order aberrations decreased with development in both normal and CNX eyes. However, although normal eyes showed a positive shift in spherical aberration with age, changing from negative spherical aberration initially, CNX eyes consistently exhibited positive spherical aberration. Anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, vitreous chamber depth, and thus optical axial length all increased with development. Many of these ocular parameters also underwent diurnal changes, and mostly these dynamic characteristics showed no age dependency and no effect of CNX. Anterior chamber depth, vitreous chamber depth, and optical axial length were all greater in the evening than in the morning, whereas the choroids were thinner in the evening. Paradoxically, eyes were more hyperopic in the evening, when they were longest. Although CNX eyes, having enlarged pupils, were exposed to larger higher-order aberrations, their growth pattern was similar to that of normal eyes. Conclusions Young chicks that are still emmetropizing, show significant diurnal fluctuations in ocular dimensions and some optical aberrations, superimposed on overall increases in the former and developmental decreases in the latter, even when accommodation is prevented. The possibility that these diurnal fluctuations are used to decode the eye's refractive error status for emmetropization warrants investigation. That eyes undergoing ciliary nerve section have more higher-order aberrations but do not become myopic implies a threshold for retinal image degradation below which the emmetropization process is not affected.
Temporoparietal Electrophysiological Differences Characterize Patients with Alzheimer's Disease: A Split-Half Replication Study

One hundred and eighty nine subjects were examined by quantified EEG (qEEG) during the resting awake state. Sixty subjects had probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) and were mild to moderately impaired. There were 129 healthy controls. Differences between patients and controls by topographic mapping demonstrated a pattern of group difference maximal posteriorly, primarily in posterior temporal and/or parietal regions. Frontal regions were much less frequently involved. Long-latency evoked potential derived difference showed similar spatial patterns of difference. By EEG spectral analysis, theta was increased and beta decreased for the AD patients. In addition, the qEEG measures were significantly correlated with neuropsychological test scores related to abilities that are impaired in the early stages of disease, such as delayed recall and verbal fluency. To assess replicability the population was split in half. Regions of interest derived from the first half provided numerical measures for discriminant function analysis. A discriminant function, derived from the first half, correctly identified 86% of all second-half subjects (91% controls, 77% AD).
Characteristics of asthma care provided by hospitals in a large metropolitan area : Results from the Chicago Asthma Surveillance Initiative

Introduction Little is known of the approaches of United States hospitals to themanagement of persons with asthma. The purpose of this study is tocharacterize the extent to which hospitals within a large communityhave implemented various types of asthma-specific health-care deliveryprocesses. Methods A cross-sectional, self-administered survey was mailed to a “key informant” in asthmacare at each of the hospitals in the Chicago area. The surveyinstrument covered the following content areas: asthma-relatedinpatient services, asthma-related outpatient services, selectedasthma-related quality improvement activities, and asthma-relatedcommunity outreach. The survey was administered between August 1996 and January 1997. Results Data were collected fromrespondents at 59 of the 89 eligible hospitals, yielding a responserate of 66.3%. Of the responding hospitals, 42.4% indicated they hadclinical practice guidelines for inpatient asthma management, and37.3% reported using critical pathways. Four selected aspects ofbedside care were also explored. All of the responding hospitalsreported routine provision of nebulization therapy at the bedside, andnearly all routinely obtained peak flow measurements (96.6%). In thearea of patient instruction, 93.2% provided bedside evaluation ofproper inhaler technique, and 86.4% routinely provided instruction onthe use of peak flowmeters. Only 54.0% of the hospitals reportedroutinely administering some type of asthma education program prior todischarge. The hospitals with clinical practice guidelines in placewere also more likely to have critical pathways (p Conclusion The results of this surveysuggest that among Chicago-area hospitals appropriate bedside care forpersons with asthma is provided, but there are large variations inother types of asthma services and programs. The hospitals that haveadopted asthma clinical practice guidelines are more likely to haveother asthma-specific quality improvement activities than hospitalswithout guidelines. This relationship between use of guidelines andquality of services needs further exploration, as it may prove to be animportant marker for hospitals with staff that are interested inimproving asthma care.
Response of yeast pyruvate carboxylase to the adenylate energy charge and other regulatory parameters.

Abstract The maximal velocity of the reaction catalyzed by partially purified pyruvate carboxylase (pyruvate + HCO 3 − + ATP → oxaloacetate + ADP + P i , EC 6.4.1.1) from baker's yeast increases with an increase in the adenylate energy charge. This response is modulated by the addition of CoASAc, aspartate, or malate. Variation in energy charge does not change the apparent affinity of the enzyme for either pyruvate or HCO 3 − , but effects on the maximal velocity may participate in regulating the rate of carboxylation of pyruvate.
Light-Triggered Eradication of Acinetobacter baumannii by Means of NO Delivery from a Porous Material with an Entrapped Metal Nitrosyl

A photoactive manganese nitrosyl, namely [Mn(PaPy(3))(NO)](ClO(4)) ({Mn-NO}), has been loaded into the columnar pores of an MCM-41 host. Strong interaction between the polar nitrosyl and the -OH groups on the host wall leads to excellent entrapment of the NO donor within the porous host. With the aluminosilicate-based host (Al-MCM-41), the loading is further enhanced due to electrostatic interaction of the cationic species with the aluminum sites. The extent of loading has been determined via analytical techniques including N(2) adsorption/desorption isometry. Powder X-ray diffraction studies on the loaded materials afford patterns typical of an ordered mesoporous silicate consisting of a hexagonal array of unidimensional channels (with slight loss of crystallinity). Elemental mapping of the loaded particles confirms the incorporation of {Mn-NO} into the porous MCM-41 structure and attests to the homogeneity of the guest molecule distribution throughout individual particles. When suspensions of the loaded materials in saline solution are exposed to low-power (10-100 mW) visible light, rapid release of NO is observed. With continuous exposure, a steady release of 50-80 μM of NO is attained with 5 mg of material/mL buffer within 5 min, and the NO flux is maintained for a period of ~60 min. Rapid bursts of 5-10 μM NO are noted with short light pulses. Loss of either the nitrosyl or its photoproduct(s) from these materials in biological media is minimal over long periods of time. The NO release profiles suggest potential use of these powdery biocompatible materials as NO donors where the delivery of NO (a strong antibiotic) could be controlled via the exposure of light. Such prediction has been confirmed with the successful eradication of both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in a soft-tissue infection model through light-triggered NO delivery.
Cholangioma in a Goat

Cholangiomas (bile duct adenomas) are seen mainly in old dogs and cats. They have also been reported in swine, rats, birds 2,7 and mice. Reports of adenomas of the gall bladder are rare, occurring mainly in cattle. There are individual reports of cholangiomas in a reindeer and a green iguana, as well as several reports in white perch. To our knowledge, this tumor has not been described in the goat. The purpose of this report is to present the gross and histopathologic findings on a cholangioma found in a goat during slaughter inspection. The liver was submitted to the pathology section of the
Electron-spin-resonance line-shape studies of the AsO44- center in RbH2AsO4 and RbD2AsO4.

A quantitative study of the electron-spin-resonance (ESR) line shapes of the ${\mathrm{AsO}}_{4}^{4\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ center in ${\mathrm{RbH}}_{2}$${\mathrm{AsO}}_{4}$ and ${\mathrm{RbD}}_{2}$${\mathrm{AsO}}_{4}$ is presented. Analysis of the spectra at various temperatures, using a theoretical model and electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) obtained superhyperfine (shf) couplings, shows the existence of a single correlation time with which the rubidium and hydrogen shf interactions are modulated. Further analysis of the ENDOR- and ESR-deduced shf couplings is shown to disallow any large-amplitude relative motions between the heavy atoms and the ${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$${\mathrm{AsO}}_{4}$ units. It is suggested that fluctuations in the nonsymmetric distribution of the electron density are responsible for the observed ESR features in potassium dihydrogen phosphate-type systems.
Couples, Sexual Intimacy, and Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, disabling, neurological disease that usually strikes in the third and fourth decades of life. These years correspond to stages in individual and family life cycles when adults develop and maintain sexually intimate relationships. Thus the intrusion of MS into the life of a committed couple can have implications for sexual functioning, intimacy, and the continuation of their marital relationship. This article provides an overview of the diverse changes that multiple sclerosis can engender, particularly in sexual, cognitive, and affective functioning. It highlights two case studies of couples in whom the female partners have MS, and describes the clinical interventions and outcomes for each. Also, divorce and extramarital relationships among couples living with MS are discussed.
Multimedia for mobile environment: image enhanced navigation

As mobile systems (such as laptops and mobile telephones) continue growing, navigation assistance and location-based services are becoming increasingly important. Existing technology allow mobile users to access Internet services (e.g. email and web surfing), simple multimedia services (e.g. music and video clips), and make telephone calls. However, the potential of advanced multimedia services has not been fully developed, especially multimedia for navigation or location based services. At Purdue University, we are developing an image database, known as LAID, in which every image is annotated with its location, compass heading, acquisition time, and weather conditions. LAID can be used to study several types of navigation problems: A mobile user can take an image and transmit the image to the LAID sever. The server compares the image with the images stored in the database to determine where the user is located. We refer to this as the "forward" navigation problem. The second type of problem is to provide a "virtual tour on demand". A user inputs a starting and an ending addresses and LAID retrieves the images along a route that connects the two addresses. This is a generalization of route planning. Our database currently contains over 20000 images and covers approximately 25% of the city of West Lafayette, Indiana.
Use of Crack Branching Data for Measuring Near-Surface Residual Stresses in Tempered Glass

An analytical procedure based on fracture mechanics is used to obtain the amount of residual stress in glass from measurements on the fracture surface. The technique utilizes the measurement of microcrack branching distances, known as the mirror — mist boundary, which occur at a critical crack branching stress intensity (Km) value. This procedurre shows that σArm1/2YF(θ) =σRr1/2m+Ψ0, where σA is the applied stress, rm is the microcrack branching radius, σR is the residual stress, YF (θ) is the crack-border correction factor, and Ψ0 is a material constant based on Km. Thus, the equation is that of a straight line with the slope equal to the magnitude of the residual stress. Data for tempered glass from the literature are used to demonstrate the applicability of the technique.
Hiding functions and computational security of image watermarking systems

We introduce a complexity-theoretic model for studying computational security of binary image watermarking systems. Our model restricts algorithms used by the sender and the attacker to the class /spl Hscr/ of hiding functions. These are efficiently computable functions that preserve visual fidelity of the input image. Security of watermarking systems is to be established with complexity results about hiding functions. We also survey current theories of vision and propose an automata-theoretic model for visual fidelity called c-similarity. Finally we propose a candidate for /spl Hscr/ based on c-similarity and show that it is robust and contains infinitely many functions computable in polynomial time.