cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geometric Effects in an Elastic Tensegrity Structure

Tensegrity structures are under-constrained, 3-dimensional, self-stressing structural systems. They demonstrate an infinitesimal flex and when loaded they display a nonlinear geometric stiffening. In earlier work many examples of the resulting force-displacement relationship have been demonstrated numerically, and some aspects of the force-displacement relationship have been derived analytically. In this article an energy formulation is presented for the case of a simple but representative tensegrity structure, yielding an exact solution for the force-displacement relationship. The solution makes understandable the different appearance of the force-displacement relationship when comparing a system at zero prestress to one at high prestress, or when comparing a system with almost-inextensible members to one with highly extensible members. The exact solution also is offered as a benchmark against which numerical solutions should be tested. Furthermore, the formulation and the solution reveal conditions of asymmetry of response that have not been noted previously.
Numerical convective schemes based on accurate computation of space derivatives

Abstract A numerical procedure is developed for the solution of partial differential equations for the convection of scalar variables. An important feature of this approach is that the space derivatives are computed with very high accuracy by means of Fourier transform methods. By this method a forward marching problem involves discrete time steps but space derivatives are accurate within the limit to which a distribution can be defined on a finite set of meshpoints. Expressions are derived for the amplitude error and phase error, which are verified by computer experiments for the two-dimensional case. This numerical method is applied to the solution of Burgers' equation. The accuracy of the numerical solutions indicates that the method is well suited for the solution of nonlinear partial differential equations with other than periodic boundary conditions.
Modelling aeroelastic phenomena: Analytical modeling of helicopter static and dynamic induced velocity in grasp

This paper describes the methodology used by the General Rotorcraft Aeromechanical Stability Program (GRASP) to model the characteristics of the flow through a helicopter rotor in hovering or axial flight. Since the induced flow plays a significant role in determining the aeroelastic properties of rotorcraft, the computation of the induced flow is an important aspect of the program. Because of the combined finite-element/multibody methodology used as the basis for GRASP, the implementation of induced velocity calculations presented an unusual challenge to the developers. To preserve the modeling flexibility and generality of the code, it was necessary to depart from the traditional methods of computing the induced velocity. This is accomplished by calculating the actuator disc contributions to the rotor loads in a separate element called the air mass element, and then performing the calculations of the aerodynamic forces on individual blade elements within the aeroelastic beam element.
Nike’s Communication with Black Audiences: A Sociological Analysis of Advertising Effectiveness via Symbolic Interactionism

An increase in the size and resources of the Black consumer market has prompted many organizations to increase their understanding of the challenges of devising marketing communications to appeal to Black consumers. The influence of culture on communication strategies aimed at ethnic groups has long been realized by marketers and advertising professionals. However, what remains a challenge is the means of adapting an effective (yet nonoffensive) culturally-based approach of marketing communication. Given the salience of sport to Blacks, this is a challenge that sport organizations should also address as they devise ways of advertising and communicating sport products and services to Black consumers. This article will employ the tenets of symbolic interactionism, to analyze Nike’s advertisements as vehicles to communicate with Black audiences.
Inhibition of IGF-1R Signaling Enhances the Head and Neck Tumor Radioresponse but Fails to Further Improve Tumor Response to Cetuximab and Radiation Therapy In Vivo

Purpose/Objective(s): Interaction between the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) has been well established inmany cancer types. Ligands of these receptors are capable of activating both pathways. We investigated the effects of cetuximab (EGFR antibody) and IMC-A12 (IGF-1R antibody) on the response of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) to radiation therapy (IR). Materials/Methods: SixHNSCCmodels expressing different levels of EGFR and IGF-1R were studied. The effects of cetuximab and IMC-A12 on cell viability (MTS assay) and radiosensitivity (clonogenic survival assay) were determined. Formation of nuclear g-H2AX and 53BP1 foci was monitored by immunofluorescence to assess the IR-induced DNA damage and repair kinetics. Alterations in target signaling were analyzed by Western blots. In vivo tumor growth delay assay was performed to determine the efficacy of IMCA12 in enhancing tumor response to cetuximab and radiation using two HNSCC tumor xenograft models generated in mice. Results: In vitro studies in six HNSCC lines showed that exposure to cetuximab resulted in increased cell radiosensitivity in two cell lines. EGFR inhibition suppressed DNA repair that was evident by the prolonged presence of nuclear g-H2AX and 53BP1 foci. Western blot analyses showed that EGFR inhibition increased IGF-1R expression levels and also the association between EGFR and IGF-1R. When IMC-A12 was added concurrently to the treatment regimen along with cetuximab, a further increase in radiosensitivity was observed in one of the three cell lines tested. In vivo tumor growth delay data in two of the HNSCC tumor models showed that tumor xenografts exhibited enhanced tumor response to RT in the presence of either cetuximab or IMC-A12 depending on the tumor type. Addition of IMC-A12 to cetuximab and IR treatment regimen failed to further enhance the tumor response to cetuximab as well as to IR. Conclusions: Taken together our data suggest that concomitant inhibition of both EGFR and IGF-1R pathways using their respective antibodies did not yield additional therapeutic benefit in overcoming resistance to RT. Author Disclosure: U. Raju: None. D.P. Molkentine: None. D.R. Valdecanas: None. A.A. Deorukhkar: None. K.A. Mason: None. T.A. Buchholz: None. R.E. Meyn: None. K.K. Ang: None. H. Skinner: None.
PYRAMIDAL STAFF TRAINING IN THE EXTENSION OF TREATMENT FOR SEVERE BEHAVIOR DISORDERS

Abstract We implemented a pyramidal training procedure for staff working with individuals who exhibited self-injurious behavior (SIB), aggression, and disruption. Two adults with developmental disabilities and their direct-care staff and supervisors participated. Following successful treatment by the experimenters, two types of baselines were conducted with the clients and their direct-care staff. During an initial baseline, the staff implemented preexisting procedures. Staff members then received instruction on the new treatment procedures using training methods common throughout the institution, and data were collected during this "post-in-service" baseline. Experimenters then taught unit supervisors to implement treatment, collect and interpret data, and provide similar instructions and feedback to the staff members. The supervisor training was implemented in a multiple baseline design across subjects (clients and direct-care staff). Results showed little change following in-service training but noticeable improvements in direct-care staff behaviors and corresponding decreases in the clients' inappropriate behavior following the pyramidal training intervention with supervisors. Six additional clients (along with their direct-care staff and supervisors) participated in pre- and posttreatment replication designs, and their results provided additional support for the efficacy of the supervisor training procedures.
Rapid evaluation of sorghum for aluminum tolerance

Two screening methods tested in this study were based on the observation that roots of freshly germinated seeds exhibit their relative tolerance to Al during the first 48 hours of growth. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) varieties were evaluated using toxic/nontoxic soil pairs in petri dishes and toxic/nontoxic solution pairs in a flowing aqueous system. The soils had 0, 61, and 72% Al saturation and the solutions had 0, 1.85 and 3.70 μM l−1 Al from AlCl3 and 0.25 mM l−1 Ca from Ca(NO3)2. Relative root lengths in both systems correctly differentiated 13 genotypes of known Al tolerance into tolerant and intolerant groups. Twenty six other sorghums genotypes were also screened using genotypes of known Al reactions as checks. The soil with 72% Al saturation and the 1.85 μM l−1 Al solution gave the highest correlation between the two systems and both effectively arrayed sorghums of known and unknown tolerance. For routine screening the authors prefer the soil system for its simplicity, efficiency, and use of a natural growth medium.
The mechanism of insulin action on islet amyloid polypeptide fiber formation.

The pathology of type II diabetes includes the presence of cytotoxic amyloid deposits in the islets of Langerhans. The main component of these deposits, islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), is a hormone involved in glucose metabolism and is normally co-secreted with insulin by the β-cells of the pancreas. Here, we perform in vitro IAPP fibrillogenesis experiments in the presence and in the absence of insulin to elucidate the mechanism by which insulin acts on fiber formation. We find that insulin is an exceptionally potent inhibitor. In contrast to the vast excess of insulin over IAPP in vivo, substoichiometric amounts of insulin inhibit seeded and unseeded reactions by more than tenfold in vitro. Unusually, the magnitude of the inhibitory effect is dependent on the concentration of insulin, yet independent of the concentration of IAPP. In addition, insulin appears to bind non-specifically to fiber surfaces, giving rise to altered morphology. IAPP fiber formation in vitro requires a minimum of three steps: fiber-independent nucleation, elongation, and fiber-dependent nucleation. Furthermore, these steps are attenuated by the presence of a dispersed-phase transition. We interpret these data in the context of the phase-mediated fibrillogenesis model (PMF) and conclude through experiment and kinetic simulation that the dominant effect of insulin is to act on the elongation portion of the reaction. These results suggest that amyloid formation in type II diabetes involves either an additional agent that acts as an accelerant, or a step that segregates IAPP from insulin.
Electron spectroscopy and temperature programmed desorption of potassium on Ag(111)

The adsorption of K on Ag(111) has been studied with ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), low resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (ELS), work function measurements (φ and Δφ), temperature programmed desorption (TPD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger spectroscopy (AES). The Δφ is characterized as a function of coverage and correlated with TPD and ELS. ELS shows a signal which is derived from the K(4s) electron density and has a coverage dependent loss energy at submonolayer coverages. Plasmons appear in ELS, UPS and XPS at coverages corresponding to the transformation of the K overlayer from ionic to metallic. The K(3p) UPS intensity grows, and its peak position shifts to higher binding energies (BE), with increasing coverage. Ag(111) is typical of transition metals in general; as the potassium coverage increases, the value of φ drops sharply from the clean substrate value (4.68 eV) to a local minimum (1.26 eV) and then rises to the bulk K value (2.04 eV), and the TPD spectra broaden systematically from high temperatures down to ~ 325 K. Desorption temperatures observed at low coverages are lower than on most transition metals. The work function versus coverage curve is characterized by an initial dipole of μ = 7.94 D and a polarizability of α = 37.1 A3.
High-dose cyclophosphamide treatment for refractory severe aplastic anemia in children

Objective To determine if high-dose cyclophosphamide is an effective therapy for children with refractory severe aplastic anemia (SAA). Background SAA is an illness characterized by the depletion of hematopoietic precursors associated with life-threatening complications. Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is the treatment of choice if a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-related donor is available. Immunosuppression with anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) and cyclosporine A (CSA) is an option for patients who are not HSCT candidates. Unrelated donor HSCT has been used with limited success. High-dose cyclophosphamide has been used successfully in the treatment of adults with SAA, but experience in children is limited. Procedure Five pediatric patients who had failed previous immunosuppressive therapy for SAA were treated with high-dose cyclophosphamide (45 mg/kg/day × 4 days). Results After 12 months of treatment, two of five patients experienced a complete response with high-dose cyclophosphamide therapy. The two complete responders achieved red cell recovery with a hematocrit of >36% at days 212 and 112 and platelet recovery with a platelet count of >100 × 109/L at days 126 and 324. Of the remaining patients, one patient failed to respond, and two patients expired from infectious complications. Conclusions High-dose cyclophosphamide can lead to complete responses in children with SAA who have failed to respond to traditional immunosuppressive therapy. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2010;54:269–272. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Deficiency of propionyl-CoA carboxylase and methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase in a patient with methylcrotonylglycinuria

Abstract The enzymes 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase and propionyl-CoA carboxylase were studied in fribroblasts derived from a patient with 3-methyl-crotonylglycinuria and from control individuals. There was a parallel defect in the activities of both enzymes in extracts of the cells of the patient. Supplementation with biotin of the medium in which the cells were grown restored the activity of both carboxylases to the normal range. Kinetic analysis of the activities of the carboxylases obtained from cells grown in biotin revealed KM values for each enzyme that approximated normal. These data indicate that the primary defect in this patient is in the enzyme holocarboxylase synthetase which is responsible for activating biotin and transferring it to the apocarboxylase proteins.
Integrated electronics&#8212;A perspective

Integrated electronics promises to increase both the rate of change within the electronics industry and the pervasiveness of electronics as a whole, making it possible to remove very fundamental and interrelated limitations to applying the knowledge and tools of electronics, the most harassing of which have been reliability, cost, complexity, and that imposed by the specialized character of and relative sophistication of the science, engineering, and art of electronics. Evaluating the history, current status and the likely future of integrated electronics, it seems now highly probable that this new technology may introduce a terminal phase in which electronics will pervade all segments of our society to which it has pertinence. Basic requirements to ensure this appear to be 1) A relatively concentrated, highly-automated industrial complex to supply integrated circuitry and closely related compatible discrete componentry and 2) Establishment by this integrated-circuits industry of a common language for the input and output parameters which specifies its products, ultimately making it possible for members of other disciplines and professions to utilize, without themselves being electronics specialists, the knowledge, tools, and skills of electronics for the benefit of all of society.
Lactate Dehydrogenase A Subunit Messenger RNA Stability is Synergistically Regulated via the Protein Kinase A and C Signal Transduction Pathways

We have identified and studied a posttranscriptional mechanism of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDH) subunit gene expression at the level of mRNA stability. Using the well differentiated rat C6 glioma cell line as a model system, the effects of activators of the protein kinase A and C pathways on the half-life of LDH A mRNA were measured by two independent methods: 1) by the RNA synthesis inhibitor-chase method using actinomycin D, and 2) by analysis of decay of LDH A [3H]mRNA in [3H]uridine-labeled cells. By each method, the half-life of relatively short-lived LDH A mRNA was increased 5- to 7-fold in 8- (4-chloro-phenylthio) cAMP or forskolin-treated and about 3-fold in 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13- acetate (TPA) or dioctanoylglycerol-treated cells. Forskolin acted synergistically with TPA to prolong LDH A mRNA half-life from 55 min to more than 20 h. The relatively rapid basal decay rate of LDH A mRNA was also considerably slowed in the presence of the protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid, suggesting a functional role for protein phosphorylation in the stabilization process. In glioma cells stably transformed with a protein kinase A catalytic subunit expression vector, overexpression of the catalytic subunit stabilized LDH mRNA to the degree seen in forskolin-treated cells. In cells transfected with a protein kinase A inhibitor-expression vector, cAMP-mediated stabilization of LDH A mRNA half-life was prevented. Furthermore, both staurosporin and 3- [1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-indol-3-yl]-3-(indol- 3-yl)- maleimide, inhibitors of protein kinase C, prevented the TPA-induced stabilization of LDH A mRNA. We conclude from the experimental data that the protein kinase A and C signal pathways play an active functional role in regulating LDH A mRNA stability and act cooperatively to achieve LDH A mRNA stability regulation.
Cardiac MR detects impaired myocardial perfusion reserve and left-ventricular hypertrophy in C57Bl/6 mice fed a high-fat diet

Background Ischemic heart disease is a major cause of mortality in the western world. Reduced myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) is an independent predictor of cardiac mortality in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). An emerging concept is that impaired MPR can occur in the absence of obstructive CAD, especially in patient populations of women, diabetics and patients with the metabolic syndrome, where it is also predictive of adverse events. Mouse models can elucidate molecular mechanisms that underlie cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) recapitulate the clinical scenario of impaired MPR without obstructive CAD in diabetic patients.
Partial muscle harvest: our first 100 cases attempting to preserve form and function at the donor site.

The authors report their first 100 partial muscle flaps as a strategy to preserve form and function of the donor site in muscle transplantation. Between 2003 and 2007, 62 partial superior latissimus (PSL) flaps and 38 partial medial rectus (PMR) flaps were transplanted for head and neck, upper and lower extremity, and chest wall reconstruction. All flaps survived. There were hematomas at the donor sites in two PMR cases. Form and function were preserved at the donor site in all cases. The PSL provided comparable muscle volume and pedicle length to the entire rectus abdominis muscle. An additional benefit was its use as a functional muscle. The PMR flap provided comparable muscle volume to the gracilis muscle. An additional benefit was a much longer vascular pedicle. Small to moderate sized flaps can be harvested from the fabric of the latissimus dorsi and rectus abdomenis muscles and be reliably transplanted. When positioned at the superior edge of the latissimus or medial edge of the rectus muscle, adequate blood flow and innervation to the residual muscle result in preservation of form and function at the donor site. The benefits of muscle transplantation can be realized without the associated morbidity of muscle harvest. V C 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Microsurgery 28:606–611, 2008. There are several options available to the reconstructive microsurgeon for autogenous tissue transplantation. Selection of the best option requires striking a balance between the potential benefit for the recipient site and risk to the donor site. The obvious goal is to maximize the reconstructive result while minimizing morbidity at the donor site with a plan that the surgeon can reliably execute and the patient both understands and accepts. There has been a recent trend toward transplantation of perforator and away from muscle flaps given the attendant loss of function and possibly form with muscle harvest. Although we acknowledge the attributes of the perforator flap, everyone is not a candidate, and we continue to recognize significant advantages of muscle transplantation in selected patients. In our practice, muscle transplantation has involved harvest followed by aggressive debulking, creating a flap that fits the recipient site defect (see Fig. 1). These results in immediate restoration of contour at the recipient site but loss of function and often form at the donor site. Our technique has evolved to partial muscle harvest. The exact volume needed for reconstruction is designed over an area of muscle and harvested preserving both the majority and function of the donor muscle. We previously reported the design and transplantation of the partial superior latissimus dorsi 1 (PSL) and partial medial rectus abdominis 2 (PMR) muscles. The initial reports were limited including six PMR flaps and 13 PSL flaps. We have expanded our experience and now report on our first 100 partial muscle flaps as a strategy to minimize morbidity of muscle flap harvest. METHODS
Further Results on the Problem of Finding Minimal Length Programs for Decision Tables

In this paper it is shown that whatever the length function employed, the problem of finding the shortest program for a decision table with two (or more) entries is not recursively solvable (whereas for decision tables with a single entry the problem is solvable for some length functions and unsolvable for others). Moreover, it is shown that there is a pair of finite sets of programs and a single entry E such that the shortest program for the decision table formed by adding a single additional entry to E is in all cases in one of the two sets, but it is undecidable in which. Some consequences of these results are then presented, such as showing that for a wide range of restrictions the results remain true, even when the repertoire of possible programs for a decision table is narrowed by only considering programs which meet certain restrictions.
Multiple Transcription Start Sites in the Rat Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Gene Give Rise to IGF-I mRNAs that Encode Different IGF-I Precursors and are Processed Differently In Vitvo

AbstractTwo distinct class 1 and class 2 rat liver IGF-I mRNAs contain different 5' leader exons, 1 and 2. RNase protection, primer extension, RACE PCR and ribonuclease H mapping established the complete structure of the 5' end of class 1 and class 2 IGF-I mRNAs. Two major transcription start sites in exon 1 yield class 1 IGF-I mRNAs, including 345 or 245 bases of exon 1. Multiple, clustered transcription start sites in exon 2 yield class 2 IGF-I mRNAs with 84–50 bases of exon 2. Cell-free translation of in vitro transcribed IGF-I mRNAs suggests that class 1 and class 2 mRNAs preferentially initiate translation at distinct AUG codons to result in IGF-I precursors with either 48 residue class 1 pre-peptides or 32 residue class 2 pre-peptides. Some translation initiation also occurs at a downstream AUG common to class 1 and 2 mRNAs to yield IGF-I precursors with a 22 residue pre-peptide. Inclusion of microsomal membranes in translations suggests that the three different pre-peptides each function as co-tran...
Functional anatomy of language and music perception: temporal and structural factors investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging

Language and music exhibit similar acoustic and structural properties, and both appear to be uniquely human. Several recent studies suggest that speech and music perception recruit shared computational systems, and a common substrate in Broca's area for hierarchical processing has recently been proposed. However, this claim has not been tested by directly comparing the spatial distribution of activations to speech and music processing within subjects. In the present study, participants listened to sentences, scrambled sentences, and novel melodies. As expected, large swaths of activation for both sentences and melodies were found bilaterally in the superior temporal lobe, overlapping in portions of auditory cortex. However, substantial nonoverlap was also found: sentences elicited more ventrolateral activation, whereas the melodies elicited a more dorsomedial pattern, extending into the parietal lobe. Multivariate pattern classification analyses indicate that even within the regions of blood oxygenation level-dependent response overlap, speech and music elicit distinguishable patterns of activation. Regions involved in processing hierarchical aspects of sentence perception were identified by contrasting sentences with scrambled sentences, revealing a bilateral temporal lobe network. Music perception showed no overlap whatsoever with this network. Broca's area was not robustly activated by any stimulus type. Overall, these findings suggest that basic hierarchical processing for music and speech recruits distinct cortical networks, neither of which involves Broca's area. We suggest that previous claims are based on data from tasks that tap higher-order cognitive processes, such as working memory and/or cognitive control, which can operate in both speech and music domains.
Outcomes Research in Orthopaedics: Health-Related Quality of Life and the SF-36

Abstract There is no abstract available for this article. Arthroscopy 1998 Mar;14( 2):127-9
EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT INTENSITIES OF CLIPPING ON SHORT GRASSES IN WEST-CENTRAL KANSAS

Since appearance of the buffalo (Bison bison bison (L) ), vegetation of the Great Plains has been subjected to various degrees of utilization. It is probably safe to assume that at least moderate use was common, and that grazing was most intense during dry cycles or when population of the buffalo was greatest. As the pioneer white man occupied the plains region, the number of livestock gradually increased. Also, during this period vast amounts of prairie sod were plowed up for growing wheat and other crops, thereby reducing the area left in native vegetation. Little attention was given to intensity of grazing until the great drought of the 1930's when production of native vegetation suffered an alarming reduction. During this disastrous period, the most mesophytic plants survived only in favored locations, and even the most xerophytic species were greatly reduced in both abundance and frequency under heavy use by livestock. Also, the yield of native vegetation which at one time probably averaged from 2,000 to 3,000 pounds per acre, was suddenly reduced to little more than 100 pounds (Weaver and Albertson 1944). This tragic experience caused federal and state agencies, as well as individuals, to give serious thought to the ecology and economics of overuse on grasslands. The college pasture, an area of 830 acres of mixed prairie (Albertson 1937), was selected for study to determine effects of various intensities of clipping upon the most important grasses. The investigation was conducted on a portion of the pasture dominated by short grasses since this is the most common type of prairie vegetation of the Great Plains.
Effect of sublingually administered nitroglycerin on regional myocardial blood flow in patients with coronary artery disease

The effect of sublingually administered nitroglycerin on regional myocardial specific blood flow (in ml/min per 100 g tissue) was evaluated with a xenon-133 washout technique in 31 patients in a resting nonstressed state. Eight patients had normal coronary arteriograms (Group 1), 12 had coronary artery disease without collateral vessels (Group 2) and 11 had coronary artery disease with collateral vessels (Group 3). Although nitroglycerin caused a similar decrease in mean arterial blood pressure and blood pressure-heart rate product in all three groups, the decrease in regional myocardial blood flow was significantly less in Group 3 (−8 ± 6 percent [mean ± standard error of the mean]) than in Group 1 (−31 ± 5 percent, P P
Maternal Underestimation of Child's Sexual Experience: Suggested Implications for HPV Vaccine Uptake at Recommended Ages

Abstract Purpose Despite official recommendation for routine HPV vaccination of boys and girls at age 11–12 years, parents and providers are more likely to vaccinate their children/patients at older ages. Preferences for vaccinating older adolescents may be related to beliefs about an adolescent's sexual experience or perceived parental resistance to vaccinating children who are assumed to be sexually inexperienced. Methods Using data from the 1995 wave of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (ADD Health), a subset of a nationally representative sample of adolescents in grades 7 through 12 and their parents (n = 13,461), we investigated maternal underestimation of adolescent sexual experience. Results About one third (34.8%) of adolescents reported being sexually experienced and of these, 46.8% of their mothers inaccurately reported that their child was not sexually experienced. Underestimation varied by adolescent age with 78.1% of mothers of sexually active 11–13-year-olds reporting their child was not sexually active, compared with 56.4% of mothers of sexually active 14–16-year-olds and only 34.4% of mothers of 17–18-year-olds. Conclusions Although most adolescents are not sexually active at age 11 or 12 years, waiting until a parent thinks a child is sexually active could result in missed opportunities for prevention.
The in vitro quality of red blood cells frozen with 40 percent (wt/vol) glycerol at -80 degrees C for 14 years, deglycerolized with the Haemonetics ACP 215, and stored at 4 degrees C in additive solution-1 or additive solution-3 for up to 3 weeks.

BACKGROUND Red blood cells (RBCs) frozen with 40 percent (wt/vol) glycerol, stored at -80 degrees C (mean temperature; range, -65 to -90 degrees C) for 14 years, deglycerolized in the Haemonetics automated cell processor (ACP) 215 with the 325-mL disposable bowl, and stored at 4 degrees C in additive solution (AS)-1 or AS-3 for 21 days were evaluated. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 106 units of citrate phosphate dextrose adenine-1 RBCs were frozen with 40 percent (wt/vol) glycerol in the original 800-mL polyvinylchloride plastic bag and stored in corrugated cardboard boxes at -80 degrees C for 14 years. The thawed units were deglycerolized with the ACP 215 with a 325-mL disposable bowl and stored in AS-1 or AS-3 at 4 degrees C for 21 days. RESULTS The freeze-thaw recovery value was 94 +/- 4 percent (mean +/- SD), the freeze-thaw-wash recovery value was 80 +/- 7 percent, and there was no breakage. Thirty-eight units were processed as 19 pairs. Two units of ABO-matched units were thawed, pooled, divided equally into two units, and deglycerolized. One unit was stored in AS-1 and the other in AS-3 at 4 degrees C for 21 days. Units stored in AS-1 exhibited significantly greater hemolysis than those stored in AS-3. CONCLUSIONS Acceptable results were achieved when RBCs frozen at -80 degrees C for 14 years were deglycerolized in the ACP 215. Deglycerolized RBCs in AS-1 exhibited significantly higher hemolysis than those in AS-3 after storage at 4 degrees C for 7 to 21 days.
Development of agoraphobia after surviving cancer

We present a case conference on a 32-year-old accountant who developed embryonal carcinoma of the testis, two months after the birth of a son with a missing leg. His cancer was successfully treated with surgery and chemotherapy. After 5 years, when he was told that he need not be closely followed by his physicians anymore because he had been cured of cancer, he developed agoraphobia with panic attacks. This interfered with his occupational and social adjustment. His phobia was treated successfully with pharmacotherapy, behavior therapy, and psychotherapy. We explore the psychologic impact of cancer, the activation of separation anxiety and aggressive impulses after its successful treatment, the crippling nature of his agoraphobia, and the ingredients of his successful response to treatment.
Dilution in small Hopfield neural networks: computer models

ABSTRACT The capacity of the Hopfield Content-Addressable neural network subject to arandom dilution is investigated by numerical simulations. The sum-of-outer product learning rule is used to generate the synaptic weightmatrix for the storage of M random, binary patterns. Randomly selected synaptic connection are thensevered while the memory is probed to determineif the original patterns are still fixed. Other dilution methods are investigatedsuch as one that leaves a Hamiltonian cycle, and one that does not allow isolation of nodes. In general, the critical dilution as a function of the loading ratio, cxMfN, takes a sigmoid shape. The critical dilution is also a function of the network size and the sum of the effective Hammingdistances between all of the fixed patterns. 1. INTRODUCTION Artificial neural networks are systems of hardware and software that incorporate someof the same architecture and dynamics as do biological neural networks. The study of these systems, however, gives us more than just a better understanding of
Dramatic electrical conductivity improvement of carbon nanotube networks by simultaneous de-bundling and hole-doping with chlorosulfonic acid

An extremely high electrical conductivity, ∼1.7 × 106 S m−1, was obtained from the films that are made of de-bundled double-wall carbon nanotubes with chlorosulfonic acid (CSA). The influence of de-bundling four different carbon nanotubes with three different surfactants (CSA, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate) on electrical conductivity and thermopower was compared and analyzed with electron micrographs and Raman spectra.
Calculation of local optical properties in highly scattering media using a-priori structural information for application to simultaneous NIR-MR breast examination

A single photon counting NIR imager designed to work simultaneously with an MRI scanner for concurrent NIR-MR mammography has recently been developed. The combination of imaging modalities aims in effectively investigating the competence of optical imaging as a stand along modality and as an MRI add-on in order to increase the sensitivity and specificity of the mammoraphic examination. In this work we focus on the second aim. We present the methodology developed to employ the MR anatomical information in order to simplify the forward problem and accurately calculate local tissue optical properties, by fitting the NIR data to this model. Derivation of local optical properties due to intrinsic or extrinsic may identify the existence of malignant and benign breast tissue NIR signatures. We have evaluated the performance of the solver with experimental measurements, also presented here, from models with known absorption perturbations. The average quantification error of absolute absorption of local lesions has been found to be less than 10% in simple models and algorithm convergence is always ensured.
Metabolic engineering: Enzyme control on a chip

Electrical signals can be used to assemble and tune enzymes, resulting in controlled levels of optically, electrochemically and biologically active products.
Induction of an oligodendroglial enzyme in C-6 glioma cells maintained at high density or in serum-free medium

The relationship between cell density and the activity of 2′:3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphohydrolase (CNP), an enzyme believed to be specific to oligodendroglial cells and myelin in the brain, has been studied in cultured C-6 glioma cells. Over a 12-day period, the specific activity of CNP underwent a 4-fold increase in conjunction with an increase in the cell density (total protein/flask) and a decline in the growth rate of the cultures. In contrast, the specific activity of Na+, K+-ATPase was not influenced by cell density. Experiments with cultures seeded at different initial densities indicated that the increase in CNP activity coincided with the attainment of a specific cell density rather than with the length of time that the cells were maintained in culture. Arrest of cell proliferation in non-confluent C-6 cells by means of thymidine blockade was not sufficient to cause an increase in the activity of CNP; however, removal of serum from the culture medium resulted in a 3-fold induction of the enzyme in the absence of a high degree of cell contact. The induction of CNP in cells maintained in serum-free medium paralleled the development of a series of distinct morphological changes reminiscent of glial differentiation, which occurred within 48 hours after removal of the serum. Inhibition of protein synthesis by cycloheximide prevented the induction of CNP in serum-free cultures. The demonstration that an enhancement of an oligodendroglial characteristic in C-6 glioma cells can be obtained by growing the cells to high density or by removing serum from the medium, provides further support for the suggestion that these cells may be analogous to the glial stem cells present in the developing brain.
Electrodiagnostic testing in lumbosacral plexopathies

Patients presumed to have lower limb symptoms localizing to the lumbar or lumbosacral plexus require rigorous electrophysiological evaluation. Entities that cause lumbosacral plexopathies may be patchy, asymmetrical and more diffuse than initially suspected. As a result, bilateral nerve conduction studies and needle examination outside those routinely tested and clinically affected may be needed to document the extent of involvement including needle examination of the thoracic paraspinals and consideration of upper limb studies. This article outlines the lumbar and lumbosacral plexus anatomy, and discusses a differential diagnosis and electrophysiological approach in assessing patients with presumed lumbosacral plexopathies.
Smooth plurisubharmonic functions without subextension

It is evident, in particular, that ~ cannot be extended to be psh in any larger domain, and thus we recover the known fact that f2 is a domain of existence for psh functions (see [1, 2]). However, since psh functions arise in complex analysis through their use in inequalities, the problem of subextension seems more appropriate than the problem of extension. Fornaess and Sibony [-3] showed that there is a psh function on the ring domain {z~l12": 1 < [z I <R} which cannot be subextended to the ball {Iz]<R}. The function given in the Theorem improves this example by showing the function can be taken to be smooth and by showing that the failure of subextension is actually a local phenomenon. The construction in the Theorem is based on Lemma 1 which shows that Lelong number can be both created and "propagated" by certain kinds of decrease. For example, if ~ (z, w) is psh in a ball containing (0, 0) and if
A Method of Evaluating Fishing Quality

Abstract The quality of recreational fishing is influenced by the species, size, and number of fish an angler catches, companions, environmental variables, and personal values. Several indices of general application are developed that enable a quantitative assessment of fish and fishing. Companionship and environmental values are not incorporated into the indices because they are not easily changed by management. The index, Fish Quality, is a function of individual weights and lengths as a percentage of the world-record for the species. The indices, Catch Quality and Harvest Quality, incorporate the importance to the angler of species, size, and whether a fish is kept or released. Trip Quality is the summation of Catch Quality points for a particular day of fishing, and it includes the importance of number and diversity of fish caught. The weighting for species, size, number, and diversity as variables is based on evaluations of individual anglers. The quality indices are applied to the Big Piney River fi...
Fluorescent Nano-Optodes for Glucose Detection

We have designed fluorescent nanosensors based on ion-selective optodes capable of detecting small molecules. By localizing the sensor components in a hydrophobic core, these nanosensors are able to monitor dynamic changes in concentration of the model analyte, glucose. The nanosensors demonstrated this response in vitro and also when injected subcutaneously into mice. The response of the nanosensors tracked changes in blood glucose levels in vivo that were comparable to measurements taken using a glucometer. The development of these nanosensors offers an alternative, minimally invasive tool for monitoring glucose levels in such fields as diabetes research. Furthermore, the extension of the ion-selective optode sensor platform to small molecule detection will allow for enhanced monitoring of physiological processes.
Comparative chemistry of amorphous and apatitic calcium phosphate preparations.

Unwashed samples of amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) contain an irreplaceable labile fraction, rich in acid phosphate and low in Ca/P ratio, which is irreversibly lost during the washing process. Native ACP precipitated in the pH range 6.6–10.6 varied in Ca/P molar ratio from 1.18 to 1.50 and in HPO 4 2− /total P from 33.0% to 10.1%. At pH 7.40, native ACP had a Ca/P molar ratio of 1.36±0.02 and contained 22.8 (±2.2)% HPO 4 2− . Unwashed precipitate data could not be attributed to either trapped supernatant Ca2+ and HPO 4 2− or extraneous Na+, Cl−, and CO 3 2− . The amorphous calcium phosphates are recognized as a class of salts having variable chemical but identical glass-like, physicochemical properties. Non-crystalline CaHPO4·xH2O may also be an ACP, especially during early formative stages. At physiological pH, ACP transforms to small platy crystals containing large amounts of readily-replaceable acid phosphate. Washing this surface layer produced chemical alterations in the resultant crystals; unwashed crystals had poorly-crystalline apatitic diffraction patterns but exhibited poorly-resolved infrared spectra intermediate between apatite and octacalcium phosphate. Structural explanations for all these phenomena are discussed, and revised bone and cartilage amorphous/crystalline mineral compositions have been re-calculated.
Activation of striatal tyrosine hydroxylase by in vivo electrical stimulation: comparison with cyclic AMP-mediated activation.

These studies were carried out to characterize the activation of rat striatal tyroxine hydroxylase produced by depolarization of the medial forebrain bundle and to evaluate the possible role of cyclic AMP as a mediator of this activation. The enzymatic properties of tyrosine hydroxylase following in vivo depolarization were compared to those produced by treatment of striatal synaptosomes with dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP). Similar effects were observed with regard to enzyme distribution, altered sensitivity to dopamine-induced inhibition, and activity as a function of tyrosine concentration. However, differences between the two treatments were also apparent. First, treatment with dbcAMP shifted the pH optimum from 6.2 to 7.0. In contrast, electrical stimulation decreased the rate of decline in activity as the pH was increased above the optimum, but did not shift the pH optimum. Second, plots of tyrosine hydroxylase activity versus cofactor concentration revealed two enzyme forms for both control and electrically stimulated preparations. However, dbcAMP treatment converted the enzyme to a single high affinity form. These results can be explained by one of the following: (1) cyclic AMP is the sole mediator of enzyme activation, but does not produce a maximally activated enzyme following in vivo depolarization (2) cyclic AMP is only one of several mediators involved or (3) cyclic AMP is not involved in depolarization-induced activation, with activation occurring via the mediation of other intracellular messengers, such as calcium.
Simulated reaction dynamics of F atoms on partially fluorinated Si(100) surfaces

Abstract We have investigated the influence of translational excitation on the reactivity of atomic fluorine with the Si(100) surface via molecular dynamics simulations using a first-principles-derived interaction potential. Surface reactivity is contrasted for both clean and partially fluorinated surfaces with the results of previous simulations of F 2 molecules impinging on Si(100) surfaces, indicating many similarities between the dynamics of F atoms and F 2 molecules. Mechanisms for the reaction are proposed based on reactivity trends and scattered product energy and angular distributions, including evidence for the existence of a precursor-mediated adsorption pathway for low incident energy F atoms on partially fluorinated surfaces.
Negotiation for transportation tasks with stochastic payoffs

Abstract In this paper, we describe a bargain model to distribute tasks with stochastic payoff among transportation companies. The tasks are generated from a procurement problem where a set of products needs to be selected for transportation from a set of prospective suppliers to a set of prospective manufacturers. The bargain process based on this model uses a time varying payoff distribution. We explain the design of the payoff model, and describe the simulation study used to determine the design criteria of the payoff model to generate a desirable task distribution.
Auditory evoked potential correlates of speech sound discrimination

An electrophysiological correlate of the discrimination of stop consonants drawn from within and across phonetic categories was investigated by an auditory evoked response (AER) technique. Ss were presented a string of stimuli from the phonetic category [ba] (the standard stimulus) and were asked to detect the occurrence of a stimulus from the same phonetic category (within-category shift), or the occurrence of a stimulus from a different phonetic category [pa] (across-category shift). Both the across- and within-category shift stimuli differed equally from the standard stimulus in the time of onset of the first formant and in the amount of aspiration in the second and third formants. The NIP2 response of the AER was larger to the across-category shift than to the within-category shift. The within-category shift did not differ from a no-shift control. These findings suggest (1) that the AER can reflect the relative discriminability of stop consonants drawn from the same or different phonetic categories in a manner similar to other behavioral measures; (2) that the detailed acoustic representation of stop consonants is transformed into a categorized phonetic representation within 200 msec after stimulus onset.