cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Management of psychiatric symptoms in anti-NMDAR encephalitis: a case series, literature review and future directions

Anti-NMDA receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis, formally recognized in 2007, has been increasingly identified as a significant cause of autoimmune and paraneoplastic encephalitis. Approximately 80% of the patients are females. The characteristic syndrome evolves in several stages, with approximately 70% of the patients presenting with a prodromal phase of fever, malaise, headache, upper respiratory tract symptoms, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Next, typically within two weeks, patients develop psychiatric symptoms including insomnia, delusions, hyperreligiosity, paranoia, hallucinations, apathy and depression. Catatonic symptoms, seizures, abnormal movements, autonomic instability, memory deficits may also develop during the course of the disease. Presence of antibodies against the GluN1 subunit of the NMDAR in the CSF and serum confirm the diagnosis of NMDAR encephalitis, which also should prompt a thorough search for an underlying tumor. Age, gender, and ethnicity may all play a role, as black females older than 18 years of age have an increased likelihood of an underlying tumor. Treatment is focused on tumor resection and first-line immunotherapy [corticosteroids, plasma exchange, and intravenous immunoglobulin]. In non-responders, second- line immunotherapy [rituximab or cyclophosphamide or combined] is required. More than 75% of the patients recover completely or have mild sequelae, while the remaining patients end up demonstrating persistent severe disability or death. There is a paucity of literature on the management of psychiatric symptoms in this population. Given the neuropsychiatric symptoms in the relatively early phase of the illness, approximately 77 % of the patients are first evaluated by a psychiatrist. Earlier recognition of this illness is of paramount importance as prompt diagnosis and treatment can potentially improve prognosis. We describe two patients diagnosed with NMDAR encephalitis presenting with two different psychiatric manifestations. The first patient presented with psychotic mania and catatonic symptoms, while the second suffered from depression with psychotic and catatonic features refractory to psychotropic medications. We review of the use of psychotropic medications and ECT to address insomnia, agitation, psychosis, mood dysregulation and catatonia in NMDAR encephalitis.
A Low Energy Current Accumulator for High-Energy Proton Rings

Building current in high-energy p-p colliding beam machines is most appropriately done in a low-energy (small circumference) current accumulator. Three significant factors favor such a procedure: First, large rings tend to be susceptible to unstable longitudinal density oscillations. These can be avoided by pumping up the beam in the accumulator. When the current stack is injected into the storage ring, potentially harmful instability is essentially neutralized. Second, high-field magnets characteristic of future high energy proton rings are designed with superconducting coils within the iron magnetic shield. This means coil construction and placement errors propagate rapidly within the beam aperture. An intermediate "stacking ring" allows the minimum use of the superconducting ring aperture. Finally, the coils are vulnerable to radiation heating and possible magnet quenching. By minimizing beam manipulation in the superconducting environment and using only the central portion of the beam aperture, coil vulnerability can be put at a minimum.
The case for partial indexes

Current data managers support secondary and/or primary indexes on columns of relations. In this paper we suggest the advantages that result from indexes which contain only some of the possible values in a column of a relation.
Crosslinking and blue-fluorescence of photo-oxidized calf-lens α-crystallin

Abstract In the u.v. (300 nm)-induced photo-oxidation of calf-lens α-crystallin, the polypeptides are crosslinked and blue fluorescent products are formed. The formation of 440 460 nm blue-fluorescent species and the crosslinking of polypeptides are both inhibited by the presence of glutathione. When u.v. (300 nm)-irradiated α-crystallin is further irradiated with u.v. (365 nm) light, both the 440 460 nm fluorescent products and the crosslinking are increased. [The primary photoproduct N-formylkynurenine, which is produced by the first u.v. (300 nm) irradiation, can absorb u.v. (365 nm) light and is converted to its secondary photoproduct.] Thus the secondary photoproduct of N-formylkynurenine could be involved in both the 440 460 nm fluorescent chromophores and the crosslinking. Thermal stability studies suggest that these two 440 460 nm fluorescent chromophores may be different forms of the same secondary photoproduct.
Quasineutrality and parallel force balance in kinetic magnetohydrodynamics

Kinetic magnetohydrodynamics refers usually to the hybrid fluid and kinetic description of a zero-Larmor-radius collisionless plasma, originally formulated in the classic papers of Kruskal and Oberman (1958) (Kruskal, M. D. and Oberman, C. R. 1958 Phys. Fluids 1, 275), Rosenbluth and Rostoker (1959) (Rosenbluth, M. N. and Rostoker, N. 1959 Phys. Fluids 2, 23), and Kulsrud (1962) (Kulsrud, R. 1962 Phys. Fluids 5, 192). Such a theory is revisited here, as a special limit of the more general description put forward in Ramos (2010, 2011) (Ramos, J. J. 2010 Phys. Plasmas, 17, 082502; Ramos, J. J. 2011 Phys. Plasmas, 18, 102506). The present approach has the advantage of fulfilling the quasineutrality condition and avoiding the redundancy between the fluid and kinetic parallel force balance conditions with a built-in, rigorous account of the parallel electric field, thus affording a clear-cut handling of these issues. At zero-frequency marginal stability, the Rosenbluth–Rostoker fluid closures for the parallel and perpendicular pressures are obtained, in a solution with vanishing parallel electric field and non-zero parallel fluid displacement that satisfies exactly the desired quasineutrality and parallel force balance.
Sturm comparison and separation theorems for linear, second order, self-adjoint, ordinary, differential equations and for first order systems

Sturm comparison and separation theorems, for first order linear combinations of solutions of linear, second order, self-adjoint, ordinary, differential equations, are obtained as consequences of Sturm comparison and separation theorems for linear combinations of components of solutions of linear, first order systems of ordinary, differential equations.
Quabain: Temporal relationship between the inotropic effect and the in vitro binding to, and dissociation from, (Na++K+)-activated ATPase

The time course of the inotropic response to ouabain in Langendorff preparations was compared with that of the in vitro ATP-dependent (3H)-ouabain binding to cardiac (Na++K+)-activated ATPase preparations, and subsequent dissociation, to determine the temporal relationship between the inotropic response and (Na++K+)-activated ATPase inhibition. Species differences were minimal either in the onset of inotropic response or the (3H)-ouabain binding. The rates of both loss of the inotropic response to ouabain during washout and the dissociation of the ouabain-enzyme complex, however, were rapid in guinea pig and rabbit (relatively ouabain-insensitive species) and slow in cat and dog (ouabain-sensitive species). The half-time of the loss of the inotropic response was similar to the half-time of the dissociation of the ouabain-enzyme complex in each species. Since ATP-dependent binding of cardiac glycosides has been related to enzyme inhibition, it was concluded that the time course of the inotropic response to ouabain parallels the time course of (Na++K+)-activated ATPase inhibition, and that the dissociation of ouabain from the enzyme may terminate the inotropic response.
Soft Impact Damage Prognosis of F-16 Canopy Using Progressive Failure Dynamic Analysis

This work presents a numerical approach for predicting large deflections and damage evolution in aerospace structures subject to soft impact. The explicit finite-element code LS-DYNA is coupled with the micromechanics damage-analysis code GENOA, which is capable of predicting failure progression in a range of isotropic and orthotropic materials. The impact event studied was a bird strike on an F-16 canopy concept. Bird models were developed using three distinct finite-element modeling approaches: 1) Lagrangian, 2) arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian, and 3) smoothed particle hydrodynamics. Each model was studied by simulating impact at a speed that induced a large-deflection, elastic response in the canopy. Deflections at the impact location were compared against experimental data; from these results, the Lagrangian bird model was chosen for incorporation into a bird-impact progressive failure dynamic analysis methodology. Impact at velocities below and above that which induced failure were simulated and compar...
MORE INTELLIGENCE IN THE NEWBORN ICU: A COMPUTER ASSISTED MONITORING SYSTEM

Despite the age of computer technology, most of the data from continuous physiologic measurements in intensive care nurseries is still entered intermittently by hand into the charts. We have developed a computer-assisted bedside monitoring system which provides continuous recording, storage, and data analysis. Heart rate, respiratory rate, mean airway pressure, inspired oxygen, systemic arterial and venous pressure, skin surface PO2 (PsO2), PCO2, and intracranial pressure are sampled every second. The computer hardware allows continuous data from 4 infants for 80 hours on each disk. In addition, the range of acceptable values for each variable can be defined and the computer analyzes all events outside of these ranges, A and B in Fig. Analysis includes frequency, duration, severity (area under curve) of each event. Pattern recognition of artifacts has allowed their elimination from analysis. We have studied 37 patients for a total of 147 days. Applications include on-line analysis of the effectivenesss of interventions. "Re-run" data has provided a review of the courses preceding cardiorespiratory arrest, intraventricular hemorrhage and pneumothorax. We conclude that this system allows previously impossible continuous on-line recording, storage, and analysis of multiple physiologic variables.
Carotenoid pigments of the holothurian Psolus fabrichii düben and koren (the scarlet psolus)

Abstract 1. 1. Carotenoid content of the body-wall of the sub-arctic holothurian Psolus fabrichii Duben and Koren has been investigated. 2. 2. Eighty per cent of the total carotenoids are highly oxidized, the main components being astaxanthin and its esters, and canthaxanthin. 3. 3. The gut contents indicate that the carotenoids in the diet of the organism are mainly carotenes and the simpler xanthophylls. 4. 4. The organism apparently has the ability either to concentrate minute amounts of oxygenated carotenoids from the diet or, more likely, to metabolize carotenes or xanthophylls to astaxanthin. 5. 5. The results are compared with findings for other classes of echinoderms, particularly from the point of view of a possible relationship between the dietary and stored carotenoids.
Understanding Blackholes in large-scale Cognitive Radio Networks under generic failures

It has been demonstrated that in wireless networks, Blackholes, which are typically generated by isolated node failures, and augmented by failure correlations, can easily result in devastating impact on network performance. Therefore, many solutions, such as routing protocols and restoration algorithms, are proposed to deal with Blackholes by identifying alternative paths to bypass these holes such that the effect of Blackholes can be mitigated. These advancements are based on an underlying premise that there exists at least one alternative path in the network. However, such a hypothesis remains an open question. In other words, we do not know whether the network is resilient to Blackholes or whether an alternative path exists. The answer to this question can complement our understanding of designing routing protocols, as well as topology evolution in the presence of random failures. In order to address this issue, we focus on the topology of Cognitive Radio Networks (CRNs) because of their phenomenal benefits in improving spectrum efficiency through opportunistic communications. Particularly, we first define two metrics, namely the failure occurrence probability p and failure connection function g(·), to characterize node failures and their spreading properties, respectively. Then we prove that each Blackhole is exponentially bounded based on percolation theory. By mapping failure spreading using a branching process, we further derive an upper bound on the expected size of Blackholes. With the observations from our analysis, we are able to find a sufficient condition for a resilient CRN in the presence of Blackholes through analysis and simulations.
Mechanisms for RNA Capture by ssDNA Viruses: Grand Theft RNA

Viruses contain three common types of packaged genomes; double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), RNA (mostly single and occasionally double stranded) and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). There are relatively straightforward explanations for the prevalence of viruses with dsDNA and RNA genomes, but the evolutionary basis for the apparent success of ssDNA viruses is less clear. The recent discovery of four ssDNA virus genomes that appear to have been formed by recombination between co-infecting RNA and ssDNA viruses, together with the high mutation rate of ssDNA viruses provide possible explanations. RNA–DNA recombination allows ssDNA viruses to access much broader sequence space than through nucleotide substitution and DNA–DNA recombination alone. Multiple non-exclusive mechanisms, all due to the unique replication of ssDNA viruses, are proposed for this unusual RNA capture. RNA capture provides an explanation for the evolutionary success of the ssDNA viruses and may help elucidate the mystery of integrated RNA viruses in viral and cellular DNA genomes.
Investigating teachers’ professional learning in an advanced Master’s degree programme

This study examined how multiple measures can be used to study experienced teachers’ learning. The study was conducted in an advanced Master’s degree programme, aligned with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in the United States. The programmatic features and key learning experiences found in the programme are described and connected to the multiple measures used to investigate teachers’ professional learning. Results of the study indicated that multiple measures can be used to examine a programme’s effects on teacher learning; prompted reflections can provide evidence of a programme’s influence on teacher thinking; and programme structure and content are important elements to consider when designing and assessing programmes for experienced teachers. This study also addresses how building a programme around measurable outcomes and then examining the results through multiple measures is an important link in understanding teacher learning.
Resting myoplasmic free calcium in frog skeletal muscle fibers estimated with fluo-3

Fluo-3 is an unusual tetracarboxylate Ca2+ indicator. For recent lots supplied by Molecular Probes Inc. (Eugene, OR), FMAX, the fluorescence intensity of the indicator in its Ca(2+)-bound form, is approximately 200 times that of FMIN, the fluorescence intensity of the indicator in its Ca(2+)-free form. (For earlier lots, impurities may account for the smaller reported values of FMAX/FMIN, 36–40). We have injected fluo-3 from a high-purity lot into intact single fibers from frog muscle and measured the indicator's absorbance and fluorescence signals at rest (A and F, respectively) and changes in absorbance and fluorescence following action potential stimulation (delta A and delta F signals substantially lagged behind that of the myoplasmic free Ca2+ transient. Our analysis of fluo-3's signals from myoplasm therefore focused on information about the level of resting myoplasmic free [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]r). From A, delta A, and in vitro estimates of fluo-3's molar extinction coefficients, the change in the fraction of fluo-3 in the Ca(2+)-bound form during activity (delta f) was estimated. From delta f, delta F, and F, the fraction of the indicator in the Ca(2+)-bound form in the resting fiber (fr) was estimated by fr = (delta f x F/delta F) + (1-FMAX/FMIN)-1. Since FMAX/FMIN is large, the contribution of the second term to the estimate of fr is small. At 16 degrees C, the mean value (mean +/- S.E.) of fr was 0.086 +/- 0.004 (N = 15). From two estimates of the apparent dissociation constant of fluo-3 for Ca2+ in the myoplasm, 1.09 and 2.57 microM, the average value of [Ca2+]r is calculated to be 0.10 and 0.24 microM, respectively. The smaller of these estimates lies near the upper end of the range of values for [Ca2+]r in frog fibers (0.02–0.12 microM) estimated by others with aequorin and Ca(2+)-selective electrodes. The larger of the estimates lies within the range of values (0.2–0.3 microM) previously estimated in this laboratory with fura red. We conclude that [Ca2+]r in frog fibers is at least 0.1 microM and possibly as large as 0.3 microM.
Inhibition of the MAPK and PI3K pathways enhances UDCA-induced apoptosis in primary rodent hepatocytes

The mechanisms by which bile acids induce apoptosis in hepatocytes and the signaling pathways involved in the control of cell death are not understood fully. Here, we examined the impact of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling on the survival of primary hepatocytes exposed to bile acids. Treatment of hepatocytes with deoxycholic acid (DCA), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) or ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) caused sustained MAPK activation that was dependent on activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Activation of MAPK was partially blocked by inhibitors of PI3K. Inhibition of DCA-, CDCA-, and UDCA-stimulated MAPK activation resulted in approximately 20%, approximately 35%, and approximately 55% apoptosis, respectively. The potentiation of DCA- and CDCA-induced apoptosis by MEK1/2 inhibitors correlated with cleavage of procaspase 3, which was blocked by inhibitors of caspase 8 (ile-Glu-Thr-Asp-p-nitroanilide [IETD]) and caspase 3 (DEVD). In contrast, the potentiation of UDCA-induced apoptosis weakly correlated with procaspase 3 cleavage, yet this effect was also blocked by IETD and DEVD. Incubation of hepatocytes with the serine protease inhibitor AEBSF reduced the death response of cells treated with UDCA and MEK1/2 inhibitor to that observed for DCA and MEK1/2 inhibitor. The apoptotic response was FAS receptor- and neutral sphingomyelinase-dependent and independent of FAS ligand expression, and neither chelation of intracellular and extracellular Ca(2+) nor down-regulation of PKC expression altered the apoptotic effects of bile acids. In conclusion, bile acid apoptosis is dependent on the production of ceramide and is counteracted by activation of the MAPK and PI3K pathways.
Reviewing Representation: The Subject-object in Pre-Hispanic and Colonial Inka Visual Culture

This essay explores the ontological perspective embedded in current scholarship, particularly the ways it interprets and categorizes unfamiliar things of indigenous American origin. I review the notion of representation, a term ubiquitous in art historical writing (and in other disciplines as well) and one that is generally considered descriptive rather than evaluative, but which tacitly converts indigenous things into not just art, but more fundamentally into signifiers. Because this conversion alters the very things it is deployed to understand and explain, insisting on a substitutive relationship between materials and ideas, rather than recognizing a necessary indivisibility, it actually participates in an on-going conquest—a conquest of perception.
Degraded document image enhancement

Poor quality documents are obtained in various situations such as historical document collections, legal archives, security investigations, and documents found in clandestine locations. Such documents are often scanned for automated analysis, further processing, and archiving. Due to the nature of such documents, degraded document images are often hard to read, have low contrast, and are corrupted by various artifacts. We describe a novel approach for the enhancement of such documents based on probabilistic models which increases the contrast, and thus, readability of such documents under various degradations. The enhancement produced by the proposed approach can be viewed under different viewing conditions if desired. The proposed approach was evaluated qualitatively and compared to standard enhancement techniques on a subset of historical documents obtained from the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum. In addition, quantitative performance was evaluated based on synthetically generated data corrupted under various degradation models. Preliminary results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Heterotopic gastric mucosa (inlet patch) in a patient with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and laryngeal carcinoma: a case report and review of literature

The inlet patch is an area of heterotopic gastric mucosa most commonly located in the postcricoid portion of the esophagus at, or just below, the level of the upper esophageal sphincter. Esophageal and supraesophageal symptoms are commonly associated with inlet patch, while esophageal adenocarcinoma rarely complicates it. Laryngeal adenocarcinoma associated with inlet patch is not described in the literature. Herein, we present the first reported case of inlet patch associated with laryngeal carcinoma. A 33-year-old female with long-standing asthma and presumed gastroesophageal reflux developed laryngeal cancer at age 22 years that was treated with concomitant radiation and induction chemotherapy. Subsequently, she had refractory heartburn, dysphagia, and cough. These symptoms continued despite two Nissen fundoplications, glottic web division, and optimal medical management. Upper endoscopy at our institution revealed an upper esophageal stricture and a 1 cm inlet patch. Biopsies showed columnar mucosa (predominantly gastric cardiac/fundic type) consistent with inlet patch, with focal intestinal metaplasia. Subsequent endoscopic mucosal resection of the inlet patch resulted in an amelioration of throat and chest pain, cough, and hoarseness. Dysphagia and regurgitation were improved by serial dilatations of the upper esophageal stricture. This case reveals a number of clinical findings associated with inlet patch--chest pain, dysphagia, cough, and hoarseness--as well as a clinical finding that has not been previously associated with inlet patch: laryngeal cancer. Symptoms refractory to optimal medical management and/or surgical intervention should make the clinician and endoscopist more cognizant of the inlet patch.
An Overview of Research on the Beneficial Effects of Vegetation in Contaminated Soil

Vegetation can enhance in situ bioremediation processes in many applications. Microbial transformations occur in soil and water external to plant roots. Organic contaminants also enter vegetation and are transformed within plants. Research progress is reviewed with emphasis on recent experimental results and mathematical models of contaminant fate in systems where vegetation is present. Plant evapotranspiration provides a solar driven pump-and-treat system which moves contaminants to the rhizosphere and helps to contain them on site. Significant savings have been reported at several field sites where vegetation has been utilized.
THz emission from a-plane InGaN

Terahertz emission from high stacking fault density a-plane InGaN utilizing in-plane drift fields is shown to produce considerable improvement over c-plane InGaN under identical excitation conditions.
Nutritional evaluation of experimental weaning foods prepared from green leaves, peanut oil, and legume flour

Experimental weaning foods were prepared from alfalfa leaves, peanut oil, and mung bean, chickpea or soy flour. The weaning foods were analyzed to determine their yield, proximate composition and amino acid content. Yields from starting materials ranged from 29 to 99%. Highest yields were obtained when 20% legume or oilseed flour was incorporated into leaf protein-peanut oil gels. The moisture content of the weaning foods ranged from 42 to 65%, protein from 3.4 to 6.5%, fat from 23 to 48%, and carbohydrate from 3 to 13%. Proteins in the experimental weaning foods were found to be deficient in the sulfur amino acids. Amino acid scores for weaning foods containing 20% legume or oilseed flour ranged from 50 for mung bean to 62 for soy. It was estimated that a four-ounce daily serving of one of the soy weaning foods would supply 40% of the energy and 35% of the protein needs of a one-year-old infant.
Improving safety through applied behavior analysis

This study reports an attempt to improve safety in an industrial plant through the use of applied behavior analysis. The behavioral safety performance of all employees of the plant was observed and recorded with a behavior observation instrument consisting of 35 specifically identified key behaviors. The applied behavior analysis package consisted of training, goal setting, and feedback, used with a withdrawal design. The results confirm the applicability of a behavioral approach to safety. Implications for measurement and evaluation of safety are also discussed.
End-Use Quality of Hard Red and Hard White Spring Wheat Contaminated with Grain of Contrasting Classes

ABSTRACT Short growing seasons and lack of water limit the number of crops that can be productively grown in the Northern Great Plains, but wheat is uniquely adapted to the region. Growers interested in diversification of their operations are growing more than one class of wheat to target different markets. This has led to the challenge of maintaining class purity, in that contamination with alternate classes results in lower prices to the farmer. The primary rationale is that mixtures may have poor end-use quality. In these experiments, we tested hard red spring wheat and hard white spring wheat contaminated with different levels of soft white spring wheat, durum wheat, hull-less barley, and the hard wheat of the alternate kernel color for milling and baking quality. Our results showed that contamination of hard red and hard white spring wheat with soft white wheat and hull-less barley often influenced end-use quality in that flour yield was negatively affected at relatively low levels. Loaf volume was n...
Speech intelligibility and childhood verbal apraxia in children with Down syndrome

Many children with Down syndrome have difficulty with speech intelligibility. The present study used a parent survey to learn more about a specific factor that affects speech intelligibility, i.e. childhood verbal apraxia. One of the factors that affects speech intelligibility for children with Down syndrome is difficulty with voluntarily programming, combining, organising, and sequencing the movements necessary for speech. Historically, this difficulty, childhood verbal apraxia, has not been identified or treated in children with Down syndrome but recent research has documented that symptoms of childhood verbal apraxia can be found in children with Down syndrome. The survey examined whether and to what extent childhood verbal apraxia is currently being identified and treated in children with Down syndrome. The survey then asked parents to identify certain speech characteristics that occur always, frequently, sometimes or never in their child's everyday speech. There were 1620 surveys received. Survey results indicated that approximately 15% of the parents responding to the survey had been told that their child has childhood verbal apraxia. Examination of the everyday speech characteristics identified by the parents indicated that many more children are showing clinical symptoms of childhood verbal apraxia although they have not been given that diagnosis. The most common characteristics displayed by the subjects included decreased intelligibility with increased length of utterance, inconsistency of speech errors, difficulty sequencing oral movements and sounds, and a pattern of receptive language superior to expressive language. The survey also examined the impact of childhood verbal apraxia on speech intelligibility. Results indicated that children with Down syndrome who have clinical symptoms of childhood verbal apraxia have more difficulty with speech intelligibility, i.e. there was a significant correlation between childhood verbal apraxia and parental intelligibility ratings. Children with apraxia often do not begin to speak until after age 5. There was a significant correlation between speech intelligibility and age at which the child began to speak, i.e. children who began to speak after age 5 had lower parental intelligibility ratings. A diagnosis of difficulty with oral motor skills is more frequently given than a diagnosis of apraxia; 60.2% of parents had been given this diagnosis. According to survey results, it is rare (2%) for a diagnosis of childhood verbal apraxia to be made without a diagnosis of difficulty with oral motor skills.
A novel antenna for mobile radio relay operation in the UHF range

A novel type antenna configuration called the "Double-Rhombic" has been designed and constructed for use with mobile radio relay systems operating in the frequency range from 400 to 600 mc. This configuration is formed by combining two rhombs whose planes form an angle with each other and which have a common diagonal. The input and output terminals of both rhombs are connected in parallel with each other. A 60 degree angle between planes was found to be optimum on the basis of full scale radiation pattern measurements. By proper choice of diameter and taper of the antenna conductors the input and terminating impedances were finally adjusted to a nominal 300 ohms. A 50 to 300 ohm compensated bifilar coil balun transformer was designed to transform from a 50 ohm coaxial input to the balanced antenna input. At the terminating end a similar balun was utilized in reverse to match to a 50 ohm, 5 watt coaxial termination. The antenna is capable of handling approximately 100 watts of power. Its gain compared to the standard Radio Relay Set AN/TRC-24 Band "D" dipole array varies from -2.0 to +2.5 db over the frequency band. The SWR was found to be less than 1.4 to 1. The antenna is so mechanically designed that it is relatively light, in view of its fairly large dimensions, being in the order of 25 lbs. It is constructed of thin-walled aluminum tubing and employs "girder-type" support in its fabrication. It has a very low wind drag when compared to other antennas utilized in the same range. The antenna is also capable of being assembled and disassembled in a very short time and therefore is very attractive for use in military applications for mobile radio relay operation in the UHF frequency range.
Inhibition of HER-2(neu/ErbB2) restores normal function and structure to polycystic kidney disease (PKD) epithelia

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is a very common lethal monogenetic disease with significant morbidities and a high likelihood of progression to renal failure for which there is no proven disease-specific therapy currently available for clinical use. Human ADPKD cystic epithelia have proliferative abnormalities mediated by EGFR over-expression and mispolarization leading autocrine response to EGF family ligands. We now show that apical localization of EGFR complexes in normal fetal and ADPKD epithelia is associated with heterodimerization of EGFR(HER-1) with HER-2(neu/ErbB2), while basal membrane localization in normal adult renal epithelia is associated with EGFR(HER-1) homodimers. Since ADPKD epithelial cells have reduced migratory function, this was used as a bioassay to evaluate the ability of compounds to rescue the aberrant human ADPKD phenotype. General tyrosine kinase inhibition by herbimycin and specific inhibition of HER-2(neu/ErbB2) by AG825 or pretreatment with ErbB2 siRNA reversed the migration defect of ADPKD epithelia. Selective inhibition of EGFR(HER-1) showed partial rescue. Increased ADPKD cell migration after inhibition of p38MAP kinase but not of PI3-kinase implicated p38MAPK downstream of HER-2(neu/ErbB2) stimulation. Daily administration of AG825 to PKD1 null heterozygous mice significantly inhibited the development of renal cysts. These studies implicate HER2(neu/ErbB2) as an effector of apical EGFR complex mispolarization and that its inhibition should be considered a candidate for clinical therapy of ADPKD.
Counting single molecules in sub-nanolitre droplets

We demonstrate single biomolecule detection and quantification within sub-nanolitre droplets through application of Cylindrical Illumination Confocal Spectroscopy (CICS) and droplet confinement within a retractable microfluidic constriction.
DIATOM STRATIGRAPHY OF THE LATE PLEISTOCENE (BRUNHES) SUBARCTIC PACIFIC

Sancetta, C. and Silvestri, S.M., 1984. Diatom stratigraphy of the late Pleistocene (Brunhes) subarctic Pacific. Mar. Micropaleontol., 9: 263--274. Three piston cores in the subarctic region of the North Pacific show consistent changes in relative abundance of diatom species throughout the Brunhes magnetic epoch. These events can be used both as stratigraphic markers to subdivide the interval and as indicators of oceanographic conditions. The stratigraphic record shows an acme for A. ochotensis from about 625--350 Kyr (Isotope Stages 15--10); a marked increase in amplitude of abundance fluctuations for R. hebetata 300--0 Kyr (Stages 8--1), the extinction of R. curvirostris at 276 Kyr (Stage 8), and abundance fluctuations of D. seminae roughly in phase with the global oxygen isotope record from 450--0 Kyr (Stages 12--1). In the subarctic Pacific, an abrupt change in species abundance is not a reliable indicator of hiatus occurrence. Although details are not clear, there appears to have been a fundamental change of the subarctic gyre during the middle Brunhes (Stages 10--8 time), with more intense glacial intervals and stronger glacial--interglacial contrast occurring after that time. Coarse clastic detritus is not restricted to glacial intervals, suggesting that ice-rafting has occurred throughout the Brunhes interval; peak levels of ice-rafting may occur during ice-growth and decay, as well as during short intervals within a stage.
Reduced Stem Cell Factor Links Smooth Myopathy and Loss of Interstitial Cells of Cajal in Murine Diabetic Gastroparesis

Background & Aims: Diabetic gastroparesis involves neuropathy, myopathy, and depletion of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), which may cause dysrhythmias and impaired neural control. Most murine gastric ICC depend on stem cell factor (SCF) signaling but can also be maintained with insulin or insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). We investigated whether SCF could mediate the actions of insulin and IGF-I. Methods: Expression of insulin receptor, IGF-I receptor, and SCF was studied in gastric muscles and purified ICC by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The effects of insulin/IGF-I deficiency on SCF, ICC, smooth muscle, and neurons were investigated in nonobese diabetic mice and organotypic cultures by immunohistochemistry, microarrays, and/or quantitative RT-PCR. ICC in organotypic cultures were also studied after immunoneutralization of endogenous SCF. Results: Insulin and IGF-I receptors were detected in smooth-muscle cells and myenteric neurons but not in ICC. Cell-surface expression of SCF was only found in smooth-muscle cells. ICC depletion in diabetes was accompanied by smooth-muscle atrophy and reduced SCF, whereas neuron-specific gene expression remained unchanged. In organotypic cultures, prevention of ICC loss by insulin or IGF-I was paralleled by rescue of smooth-muscle cells and SCF expression but not of myenteric neurons. Immunoneutralization of endogenous SCF caused ICC depletion closely resembling that elicited by insulin/IGF-I deficiency. Conclusions: Reduced insulin/IGF-I signaling in diabetes may lead to ICC depletion and its consequences by causing smooth-muscle atrophy and reduced SCF production. Thus, myopathy may play a more central role in diabetic gastroenteropathies than previously recognized.
Correlates of Chilean Adolescents’ Negative Attitudes Toward Cigarettes: The Role of Gender, Peer, Parental, and Environmental Factors

Introduction: We examined the association of peer, parental, and environmental factors with negative attitudes toward cigarettes among youth from Santiago, Chile.
An agent-based model for secondary use of radio spectrum

Transaction costs are a critical factor to the success of secondary spectrum markets. This paper proposes a novel approach to study the effects of transaction costs on secondary use of radio spectrum. We develop an agent-based spectrum access model to examine the pre-conditions as to when and why the secondary use would emerge and in what form. The agent-based model allows us to study both economic and technical aspects of the spectrum sharing
Relationship of Impaired Insulin Secretion during Surgical Stress to Anesthesia andCatecholamine Release

Impaired insulin secretion has been observed during surgical stress in man. To determine the relationship between insulin secretion during anesthesia and surgical stress and plasma levels of norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (Epi), studies were performed in 16 patients before and during elective minor surgical procedures. In 8 patients studied during halothane inhalation anesthesia before operation, the acute insulin response (AIR) to glucose (5 g, IV) fell to 51 +/- 3% of the preanesthesia AIR (mean +/- SEM; P < 0.001). This inhibition of AIR appeared unrelated to increased adrenergic activity, since during anesthesia alone, plasma NE did not change significantly and plasma Epi fell from 94 +/- 11 to 34 +/- 10 pg/ml (P < 0.01). During the postoperative recovery period in these patients, after discontinuation of the anesthesia, the AIR to glucose was 50 +/- 5% of the preanesthesia baseline response (P < 0.001). At this time, both plasma NE and Epi were increased compared to preanesthesia levels [NE: 240 +/- 40 (preanesthesia) vs. 340 +/- 43 (postoperative); Epi: 219 +/- 43 (preanesthesia) vs. 94 +/- 11 (postoperative); both P < 0.05]. In eight patients undergoing similar operations during low spinal anesthesia, no inhibition of the AIR to glucose occurred, and plasma NE and Epi did not increase significantly during or after the operation. During the recovery period, there was a relationship between plasma Epi and the degree of inhibition of the AIR to glucose (r = 0.70; n = 11; P < 0.05). Thus, inhibition of insulin secretion during surgical stress may be mediated both by direct effect of the anesthesia used and by activation of the sympathetic nervous system.
Schema and Tuple Trees: An Intuitive Structure for Representing Relational Data

Qddb is a very popular database suite designed for applications in which the data is logically a set of records, each of which refers to an entire structured entity. Each record represents values from relational tables that are joined when data are entered. This paper presents schema and tuple trees, the underlying structure of a Qddb database. Instead of a set of full relational rows representing the join of several tables, the tuple tree represents the tables in a compressed form. Related data are stored and displayed together, which allows the application designer to build an application in a relatively small amount of time. The presentation of data in Qddb is unusual but intuitive; the user usually views a subset of a full relational row at any given time. This presentation is largely the cause of Qddb''s popularity.
A reservation protocol for broadcast WDM networks and stability analysis

We consider the problem of coordinating access to the various channels of a single-hop wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) network. We present a high performance reservation (HiPeR-‘) protocol specifically designed to overcome the potential ineAciencies of operating in environments with non-negligible processing, tuning, and propagation delays. HiPeR-‘ diAers from previous reservation protocols in that each control packet makes reservations for all data packets waiting in a node’s queues, thus significantly reducing control overhead. Packets are scheduled for transmission using algorithms that can eAectively mask the tuning times. HiPeR-‘ also uses pipelining to mask processing times and propagation delays; parameter ‘ of the protocol is used to control the degree of pipelining. We use Markov chain theory to obtain a suAcient condition for the stability of the protocol. The stability condition provides insight into the factors aAecting the operation of the protocol, such as the degree of load balancing across the various channels, and the quality of the scheduling algorithms. The analysis is fairly general, as it holds for MMBP-like arrival processes with any number of states, and for non-uniform destinations. ” 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
On Secrecy Rate Analysis of MIMO Wiretap Channels Driven by Finite-Alphabet Input

This work investigates the effect of finite-alphabet input constraint on the secrecy rate of a multi-antenna wiretap channel. Most existing works have characterized maximum achievable secrecy rate or secrecy capacity for single and multiple antenna systems based on Gaussian source signals and secrecy code. For practical considerations, we study the effect of finite discrete-constellation on the achievable secrecy rate of multiple-antenna wire-tap channels. Our proposed precoding scheme converts the underlying multi-antenna system into a bank of parallel channels. Based on this precoding strategy, we develop a decentralized power allocation algorithm based on dual decomposition to maximize the achievable secrecy rate. In addition, we analyze the achievable secrecy rate for finite-alphabet inputs in low and high SNR regions. Our results demonstrate substantial difference in secrecy rate between systems given finite-alphabet inputs and systems with Gaussian inputs.
The Beloved Myth: Protestantism and the Rise of Industrial Capitalism in Nineteenth-Century Europe

We investigate the thesis widely credited to Max Weber that Protestantism contributed to the rise of industrial capitalism by estimating the associations between the percentage of Protestants and the development of industrial capitalism in European countries in the mid- to late nineteenth century. Development is measured using five sets of variables, including measures of wealth and savings, the founding date of the principal stock exchange, extension of the railroads network, distribution of the male labor force in agriculture and in industry, and infant mortality. On the basis of this evidence, there is little empirical support for what we call the "Common Interpretation" of Weber's The Protestant Ethic, namely the idea that the strength of Protestantism in a country was associated with the early development of industrial capitalism. The origin of the Common Interpretation and its popular success are probably derived largely from selected anecdotal evidence fortified, through retrospective imputation, by the perceived well-being of contemporary Protestant countries.
Selective Peptide Chain Extension at the N‐terminus of Aspartic and Glutamic Acids Utilizing 1‐(N‐protected‐α‐aminoacyl)benzotriazoles

Aspartic and glutamic acids were selectively extended at each of the alternative C-terminals under mild conditions to afford diverse natural and unnatural N-protected dipeptides and tripeptides in yields of 73–96%. The reactions between N-protected (α-aminoacyl)benzotriazoles and free amino acids or dipeptides proceeded with complete retention of chirality as supported by parallel experiments involving d-Ala, l-Ala, and dl-Ala in the preparation of dipeptides and tripeptides, monitored by NMR and HPLC analyses.
American Indian English

American Indian English. William L. Leap. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1993. 312 pp.
Value of the Losses in the Delivery Process

Electricity is a necessity for modern society. Similar to other commodities, electricity is generated and delivered to consumers through a transmission network. In the delivery process, it obeys Kirchhoff’s laws and undergoes losses. To determine a fair pricing in a deregulated electricity market, an exact analysis of loss is required. Several methodologies have been proposed to evaluate the nodal value of the system loss. However, losses over individual lines have different values. Consequently, the effect of losses on price is difficult to evaluate. In this study, analysts present a new methodology for allocating losses at each bus. Real power flow is decomposed into preserved power flow and lost flow, which are established by applying Kirchhoff’s law to each bus. With this procedure, it is possible to attribute how much power injection is used for preserved flow and loss and, consequently, to evaluate the component of losses in prices.
Application of Invasive Weed Optimization in designing aperiodic antenna arrays using dipole models

A fast and accurate method based on infinitesimal dipole modeling (IDM) approach for designing aperiodic antenna arrays is presented. Invasive Weed Optimization (IWO) algorithm is employed to find both the infinitesimal dipole models and the aperiodic array. Simulation results show the efficiency of the presented method.
Effect of irradiation and of various reagents on viscosity of nucleoprotein solutions.

Summary1. Cysteine, glutathione, cyanide, and thiocyanate greatly increase the viscosity of alkaline solutions of nucleoprotein (thymus chromosomes), while urea, uracil, thiourea, thiouracil, cystine, and BAL do not do so. Ascorbic acid increases the viscosity only after prolonged incubation. Hydrogen peroxide is without effect on the viscosity. 2. If cysteine is added to the alkaline nucleoprotein solution before X-radiation, the expected reduction in viscosity is largely prevented. If the cysteine is added after X-radiation, it is much less effective in this respect. 3. The suggestion is made that these phenomena may be relevant to the question of the mechanism of cysteine and some other agents in increasing resistance of organisms to X-ray lethality.
Retrovirus-Associated Heparan Sulfate Mediates Immobilization and Gene Transfer on Recombinant Fibronectin

Recombinant retroviruses have been shown to bind to fibronectin (FN) and increase the efficiency of gene transfer to a variety of cell types. Despite recent work to optimize gene transfer on recombinant FN, the mechanism of retrovirus binding to FN and the interactions of target cells with the bound virus remain elusive. We investigated the roles of virus surface glycoprotein (gp70), cell-conditioned medium, and proteoglycans in mediating retrovirus binding to FN. We also examined the role of Polybrene (PB) in these interactions. We found that gp70 is not involved in retrovirus binding to FN. Immobilization of the virus, however, does not overcome its receptor requirement, and gp70 is still needed for successful gene transfer. Our results clearly show that retrovirus binds FN through virus-associated heparan sulfate (HS) and that binding is necessary for transduction without PB. Two distinct modes of gene transfer occur depending on PB: (i) in the presence of PB, retrovirus interacts directly with the target cells; and (ii) in the absence of PB, retrovirus binds to FN and target cells interact with the immobilized virus. PB may promote the former mode by interacting with the virus HS and reducing the negative charge of the viral particles. Interestingly, the latter mode is more efficient, leading to significantly enhanced gene transfer. A better understanding of these interactions may provide insight into virus-cell interactions and lead to a more rational design of transduction protocols.