cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Evaluation of a Peptide Targeted Small Molecular Gd-DOTA Monoamide Conjugate for MR Molecular Imaging of Prostate Cancer

Tumor extracellular matrix has an abundance of cancer related proteins that can be used as biomarkers for cancer molecular imaging. Innovative design and development of safe and effective targeted contrast agents to these biomarkers would allow effective MR cancer molecular imaging with high spatial resolution. In this study, we synthesized a low molecular weight CLT1 peptide targeted Gd(III) chelate CLT1-dL-(Gd-DOTA)(4) specific to clotted plasma proteins in tumor stroma for cancer MR molecular imaging. CLT1-dL-(Gd-DOTA)(4) was synthesized by conjugating four Gd-DOTA monoamide chelates to a CLT1 peptide via generation 1 lysine dendrimer. The T(1) relaxivity of CLT1-dL-(Gd-DOTA)(4) was 40.4 mM(-1) s(-1) per molecule (10.1 mM(-1) s(-1) per Gd) at 37 °C and 1.5 T. Fluorescence imaging showed high binding specificity of CLT1 to orthotopic PC3 prostate tumor in mice. The contrast agent resulted in improved tumor contrast enhancement in male athymic nude mice bearing orthotopic PC3 prostate tumor xenograft at a dose of 0.03 mmol Gd/kg. The peptide targeted MRI contrast agent is promising for high-resolution MR molecular imaging of prostate tumor.
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-induced acute changes in dopamine transporter function

Abstract The acute effects of the amphetamine designer drug, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or `ecstasy'), on dopamine transporter function in rat striatum were investigated and compared to other psychostimulants known to influence monoaminergic systems. A single MDMA injection (10–20 mg/kg; s.c.) caused a dose-related decrease in [ 3 H ]dopamine uptake into striatal synaptosomes prepared 1 h after MDMA administration. This rapid effect on [ 3 H ]dopamine uptake returned to control levels 24 h after treatment. A single administration of other amphetamine analogs, such as methamphetamine (15 mg/kg; s.c.), p-chloroamphetamine (10 mg/kg; i.p.) or methcathinone (30 mg/kg; s.c.), also rapidly decreased striatal [ 3 H ]dopamine uptake. In contrast, a single or multiple administrations of cocaine (30 mg/kg; i.p.) had no effect on [ 3 H ]dopamine transport into striatal synaptosomes. These changes in dopamine transporter activity by the amphetamine analogs may occur via reactive oxygen species-mediated mechanisms.
Behavioral desensitization to nicotine is enhanced differentially by ethanol in long-sleep and short-sleep mice

In order to assess the anticonvulsant potency of ethanol, male and female long-sleep (LS) and short-sleep (SS) mice were pretreated with ethanol 7.5 min prior to challenge with an ED80 dose of nicotine (LS: 4.25 mg/kg; SS: 6.25 mg/kg). LS mice were more sensitive to the anticonvulsant effects of ethanol than were SS mice. In order to assess the effect of ethanol on the nicotine-induced behavioral desensitization to nicotine observed previously in these mice, animals were pretreated with saline, nonanticonvulsant doses of ethanol (0.25 g/kg, 0.75 g/kg or 1.5 g/kg), a subseizure-producing dose of nicotine (2.0 mg/kg) or a combination of these two drugs 15 or 30 min prior to nicotine challenge. Ethanol enhanced the nicotine-induced behavioral desensitization in both mouse lines; however, this effect was seen at lower ethanol doses and was more pronounced in LS mice. Ethanol pretreatment did not affect brain nicotine concentrations; therefore, the ethanol effect probably involves changes in brain sensitivity to nicotine.
Light adaptation and excitation: lateral spread of signals within the frog retina.

Abstract The spatial spread of rapid light adaptation was quantitatively studied in the frog retina by simultaneously recording the impulse discharge of a single on-off neuron along with a local graded potential, The Proximal Negative Response (PNR). The neuron's adaptive field profile (AFP) was mapped with small spots of variable position and found to be much narrower than the neuron's excitatory receptive field and nearly identical to the AFP of the PNR. The adapting and excitatory effects of concentric spots of variable radius yielded similar radiussensitivity curves for PNR and neuron. Implications of these and other findings for lateral mechanisms of adaptation, amacrine-ganglion cell coupling and movement detection are discussed.
Worming their way into shape: toroidal formations in micellar solutions.

We report the formation of nanostructured toroidal micellar bundles (nTMB) from a semidilute wormlike micellar solution, evidenced by both cryogenic-electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images. Our strategy for creating nTMB involves a two-step protocol consisting of a simple prestraining process followed by flow through a microfluidic device containing an array of microposts, producing strain rates in the wormlike micelles on the order of 105 s–1. In combination with microfluidic confinement, these unusually large strain rates allow for the formation of stable nTMB. Electron microscopy images reveal a variety of nTMB morphologies and provide the size distribution of the nTMB. Small-angle neutron scattering indicates the underlying microstructural transition from wormlike micelles to nTMB. We also show that other flow-induced approaches such as sonication can induce and control the emergence of onion-like and nTMB structures, which may provide a useful tool for nanotemplating.
Some properties of mutant strains of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides which do not form bacteriochlorophyll

Mutant strains of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides which are unable to synthesize bacteriochlorophyll can be divided into three groups, based on the types of pigment formed under semi-aerobic conditions. Group 1 forms chlorophyll derivatives including magnesium protoporphyrin when incubated with glycine and succinate or with δ-aminolevulinate. Those of groups 2 and 3 do not form such compounds and may lack the magnesium branch of the biosynthetic pathway. Unlike groups 1 and 2, the third group does not form carotenoids and this may signify the loss of the entire photosynthetic apparatus. All the mutants could form hemes. Mutants of group 3 differed from the others in that they did not accumulate coproporphyrin, or other intermediates common to the iron and magnesium branches, when incubated with ethionine. Coproporphyrin accumulation may represent the uncontrolled activity of a form of δ-aminolevulinate synthase (and possibly other early enzymes) specifically associated with the photosynthetic apparatus. Free phytol was not dectected in the lipids of mutants of groups 1 and 2. Their carotenoid content was similar to that of the wild type under the same conditions of incubation.
Preferential regeneration of spinal axons through the scar in hemisected lamprey spinal cord.

Axons of lamprey spinal cord can regenerate across a complete spinal transection. Thus, unlike the scar of injured mammalian spinal cords, the scar in the lamprey is not an absolute impediment to regeneration. However, it is still not known whether the scar is a relative impediment or whether it provides a favorable environment for regeneration compared to the spinal cord parenchyma. In order to answer this question, the cords of 12 large larval sea lampreys (4-5 years old) were hemisected at the level of the third gill and the animals allowed to recover for 10 weeks. The large reticulospinal neurons (Muller and Mauthner cells) or their giant axons were injected intracellularly with HRP and their regenerating neurites visualized in central nervous system (CNS) wholemounts. Forty-five of seventy-one regenerating neurites (64%) grew beyond the level of the hemisection. Of these, 36 (82%) regenerated through the scar and remained on the same side of the cord as their parent axons, while only 8 (18%) crossed the midline and grew around the scar. Thus, regenerating neurites of giant reticulospinal axons tended to grow through the hemisection scar rather than around it. Once they passed the level of injury, they continued to elongate in their appropriate paths. It is possible that this tendency for axons to regenerate through the scar reflects the greater amount of empty spaces on the hemisected side. In order to rule this out, 13 animals received contralateral simultaneous hemisections at the level of the 3rd and 7th gills. This procedure created large numbers of degenerating axons and potential empty spaces both rostral and caudal to the scars within both hemicords; 92 of 158 neurites (58%) regenerated beyond the level of their respective hemisections. All of these grew through the scar and none crossed to the contralateral side. Distal to either hemisection, neurites remained on their correct side regardless of whether the contralateral cord contained normal CNS parenchyma or axonal debris and empty spaces produced by Wallerian degeneration. Moreover, in hemisected and double hemisected animals, as well as in completely transected control animals, neurites regenerating in their correct direction grew further than those that were misrouted. Because lamprey spinal axons grow preferentially through a scar rather than around it, the scar may play a positive role in supporting axonal regeneration.
Planning a career path from engineering to management

Abstract In order to become successful managers, engineers must learn new skills, acquire new values and re-orient their thinking. The transition from engineering to management requires time for the individual to mature, a progression of on-the-job experiences, and careful career planning. Career planning is best viewed as part of a total human resource management system of goal-setting, performance appraisals, training, and continuous career counseling. Career planning becomes most effective where a variety of jobs and pathways are provided by the organization, when the performance requirements for these jobs are made explicit, when the criteria for promotions are spelled out, and where the salary brackets are consistent with this information. Useful career planning can be carried out without this system approach, as the case study herein demonstrates. But the systems approach makes career planning much more effective, and generally assists the engineer in making a better transition to management.
A Study of Personality Assets in a Rural Community

Using epidemiological techniques, a group of psychiatrically disturbed individuals and a group of healthy, well-adjusted people were identified in a rural community. These 123 people were studied intensively for five years. Methods included psychiatric interviewing, collecting community informat and medical data, and psychological testing. A list of personality attributes which seem to equip people to deal with this particular environment was evolved.
Role of outer ring carboxylates of the rat skeletal muscle sodium channel pore in proton block

Voltage-gated Na+ current is reduced by acid solution. Protons reduce peak Na+ conductance by lowering single channel conductance and shift the voltage range of gating by neutralizing surface charges. Structure-function studies identify six carboxyls and a lysine in the channel's outer vestibule. We examined the roles of the superficial ring of carboxyls in acid block of Nav1.4 (the rat skeletal muscle Na+ channel isoform) by measuring the effects of their neutralization or their substitution by lysine on sensitivity to acid solutions, using the two-micropipette voltage clamp in Xenopus oocytes. Alteration of the outer ring of carboxylates had little effect on the voltage for half-activation of Na+ current, as if they are distant from the channels' voltage sensors. The mutations did not abolish proton block; rather, they all shifted the pKa (-log of the dissociation constant) in the acid direction. Effects of neutralization on pKa were not identical for different mutations, with E758Q > D1241A > D1532N > E403Q. E758K showed double the effect of E758Q, and the other lysine mutations all produced larger effects than the neutralizing mutations. Calculation of the electrostatic potential produced by these carboxylates using a pore model showed that the pKa values of carboxylates of Glu-403, Glu-758, and Asp-1532 are shifted to values similar to the experimentally measured pKa. Calculations also predict the experimentally observed changes in pKa that result from mutational neutralization or introduction of a positive charge. We propose that proton block results from partial protonation of these outer ring carboxylates and that all of the carboxylates contribute to a composite Na+ site.
Feedback interference and dissociations of classification: evidence against the multiple-learning-systems hypothesis.

Researchers have argued that different categorization problems are learned by separate and distinct cognitive systems. They propose that an explicit system is responsible for learning rule-based categories and that a separate implicit system learns information-integration categories. One source of supporting evidence involves experiments in which observers perform a concurrent memory-scanning task that interferes with the processing of feedback. Researchers have reported a dissociation in which this manipulation impairs learning of a rule-based category but not an information-integration category. In the present research, we test the hypothesis that the dissociation was the result of lowered perceptual discriminability in the rule-based structure in comparison with the information-integration one. We demonstrate an example of an alternate rule-based category with easy-todiscriminate stimuli in which performance is unaffected by the interfering memory-scanning task. Furthermore, we demonstrate that learning of an information-integration category with low perceptual discriminability is impaired by the memory-scanning task. These demonstrations of the reverse dissociation challenge the interpretation that rule-based and information-integration category structures are learned by separate cognitive systems.
A SCR Model Calibration Approach with Spatially Resolved Measurements and NH3 Storage Distributions

The selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is a technology used for reducing NO x emissions in the heavy-duty diesel (HDD) engine exhaust. In this study, the spatially resolved capillary inlet infrared spectroscopy (Spaci-IR) technique was used to study the gas concentration and NH3 storage distributions in a SCR catalyst, and to provide data for developing a SCR model to analyze the axial gaseous concentration and axial distributions of NH3 storage. A two-site SCR model is described for simulating the reaction mechanisms. The model equations and a calculation method was developed using the Spaci-IR measurements to determine the NH3 storage capacity and the relationships between certain kinetic parameters of the model. A calibration approach was then applied for tuning the kinetic parameters using the spatial gaseous measurements and calculated NH3 storage as a function of axial position instead of inlet and outlet gaseous concentrations of NO, NO2, and NH3. The equations and the approach for determining the NH3 storage capacity of the catalyst and a method of dividing the NH3 storage capacity between the two storage sites are presented. It was determined that the kinetic parameters of the adsorption and desorption reactions have to follow certain relationships for the model to simulate the experimental data. The modeling results served as a basis for developing full model calibrations to SCR lab reactor and engine data and state estimator development as described in the references (Song et al. 2013a, b; Surenahalli et al. 2013).
Flow mechanism of two-phase annular flow

A mechanism which accounts for the formation and maintenance of two-phase annular flow in horizontal pipes is proposed and tested experimentally. Time-average circumferential and axial components of the film velocity were measured. Dispersion of liquid in the circumferential and axial directions and the interchange of droplets between the liquid film and gas core was studied. A pseudo steady state model was derived to describe the dispersion processes. This model was used to predict the distribution of salt downstream from a point source of salt solution located in the annular film. Experimental measurements of salt conntration using an electrical conductivity probe were in cord with values predicted by the model. On propose un mecanisme, verifie experimentalement, qui tient compte de la formation et du maintien de l'ecoulement biphase annulaire dans un tuyau horizontal. Les composantes circonferentielles et axiales de la vitesse moyenne du film sont mesurees. On a etudie la dispersion du liquide dans les directions axiales et circonferentielles ainsi qui l'echange des goutte-lettes entre le film liquide et le noyau de gaz. Un modele est derive pour decrire le procede de dispersion. Ce modele a ete utilise pour predire la distribution du sel en aval d'une source ponctuelle de sel en solution sise dans le film annulaire et les resultats experimentaux obtenus a l'aide d'une sonde de conductibilite electrique sont en accord.
Particle-in-cell simulations of electron transport from plasma turbulence: recent progress in gyrokinetic particle simulations of turbulent plasmas

Recent progress in gyrokinetic particle-in-cell simulations of turbulent plasmas using the gyrokinetic toroidal code (GTC) is surveyed. In particular, recent results for electron temperature gradient (ETG) modes and their resulting transport are presented. Also, turbulence spreading, and the effects of the parallel nonlinearity, are described. The GTC code has also been generalized for non-circular plasma cross-section, and initial results are presented. In addition, two distinct methods of generalizing the GTC code to be electromagnetic are described, along with preliminary results. Finally, a related code, GTC-Neo, for calculating neoclassical fluxes, electric fields, and velocities, are described.
Large-Scale Multidisciplinary Optimization of a Small Satellite’s Design and Operation

The design of satellites and their operation is a complex task that involves a large number of variables and multiple engineering disciplines. Thus, it could benefit from the application of multidisciplinary design optimization, but previous efforts have been hindered by the complexity of the modeling and implementation, discontinuities in the design space, and the wide range of time scales. We address these issues by applying a new mathematical framework for gradient-based multidisciplinary optimization that automatically computes the coupled derivatives of the multidisciplinary system via a generalized form of the adjoint method. The modeled disciplines are orbit dynamics, attitude dynamics, cell illumination, temperature, solar power, energy storage, and communication. Many of these disciplines include functions with discontinuities and nonsmooth regions that are addressed to enable a numerically exact computation of the derivatives for all of the modeled variables. The wide-ranging time scales in the ...
An ab initio study of the possible isomers and conformations of N-(trifluoromethyl)fluoro methanimine, CF3NCHF

Abstract The relative energies of the four possible isomers and conformations of N -(trifluoromethyl)fluoromethanimine, CF 3 NCHF, have been studied by ab initio calculations at the STO-3G, 3-21G, 4-31G and 4-31G* levels. While the STO-3G level fails to reproduce the experimentally determined order of conformational stability, the split-valence basis sets correctly predict the E -eclipsed conformation to be the most stable. Transition state energies have also been calculated, and the barriers to isomerization are in agreement with experimental data.
Integrated-cavity surface-emitting lasers

A novel integrated cavity surface emitting laser (ICSEL) is proposed in this paper. An ICSEL integrates two different laser structures. One is an in-plane laser with a short lasing wavelength, and the other is a vertical cavity laser structure with a long lasing wavelength. The in-plane laser is used as the light source for optical pumping the VCSEL. By monolithic integration of both the laser structures, some problems related to electrically pumped VCSELs, especially long wavelength VCSELs, and externally optically pumped VCSELs can be solved.
Characterization of Acetylated Waxy Maize Starches Prepared under Catalysis by Different Alkali and Alkaline-Earth Hydroxides

The effects of the catalyst used in acetylation, including sodium hydroxide (NaOH), potassium hydroxide (KOH), and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) 2 ), on the chemical and physicochemical properties of acetylated waxy maize starch were investigated. The Ca(OH) 2 -catalyzed acetylated starch exhibited a slightly higher pasting temperature and a lower β-amylolysis limit compared with acetylated starch prepared under NaOH or KOH catalysis, but no difference was observed for their thermal properties. The carbohydrate profiles of isoamylase-debranched acetylated starches and their p-limit dextrins were characterized by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography. The Ca(OH) 2 -catalyzed acetylated starch showed a elution profile that was different from those of the other two acetylated starches with a greater proportion of saccharides eluted at a longer retention time. However, the differences in pasting temperature, β-amylolysis limit, and carbohydrate profile among the acetylated starches diminished when ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was added. The results suggest that calcium might induce intermolecular crosslinking through chelation with oxygen of the anhydroglucose units and this type of crosslinking was promoted in acetylation catalyzed by Ca(OH) 2 .
The Dissertation: What Sort of Animal Is It and How Might It Be Better Trained?

Dissertations and extended essays have become an increasingly significant feature of Higher Education, even at first degree level. Yet they are not always fully understood as a form of assessment and, perhaps, even more so as a form of learning. This article seeks to explore the nature and purpose of the dissertation and, from this, to understand better the process of its supervision and how this process can be more effective and fruitful.
Rethinking exercise testing in children: a challenge.

The widely held but largely intuitive notion that vigorous physi­ cal activity occurs more frequently in children and adolescents than in adults is increasingly supported by scientific investiga­ tion (1, 2). Moreover, there are intriguing data suggesting that physical activity of childhood and adolescence influences the very process of growth and development by modulating anabolic agents at the cellular level (3). Despite the unique and important role of exercise in the lives of children, evaluation of physiologic responses to exercisein children has been almost exclusively based on protocols developed for adults, a population in whom exer­ cise is far less spontaneous and usuaIIy less vigorous. A major premise of this commentary is that most current protocols are inadequate for children and limit the valuable clinical and de­ velopmental information that can be gained from in-laboratory exercise testing. A strategy is presented that utilizes modern tech­ nologies and protocols based on developmental and behavioral factors and patterns of exercise actuaIIy encountered in the real
Sleep-Wake Disorders in the Elderly: A Polysomnographic Analysis

The experience with 83 patients aged 60 or older from the Stanford Sleep-Wake Disorders Clinic is compared with that in 423 younger clinic patients seen during the same two-year period. Each patient received a medical, psychologic and polysomnographic evaluation. The final diagnoses were recorded according to the Diagnostic Classification System of the Association of Sleep Disorders Centers. The most common major diagnoses in the elderly group were sleep apnea syndrome (39 percent) and periodic movements-restless legs syndrome (18 percent). These syndromes showed a significantly greater prevalence in the older than in the younger patients (p less than .001), and were found in 68 percent of the elderly group. The elderly manifested more objective signs of sleep disturbance, including more wake time after sleep onset, and more frequent and longer awakenings; moreover, fewer of them experienced stage-4 sleep. The diagnostic findings seemed to indicate that complaints about sleep-wake functioning in many elderly patients may be a result of specific pathologic sleep disturbances.
Cost-utility analysis of the National truth campaign to prevent youth smoking.

Background In 2005, the American Journal of Public Health published an article that indicated that 22% of the overall decline in youth smoking that occurred between 1999 and 2002 was directly attributable to the truth ® social marketing campaign launched in 2000. A remaining key question about the truth campaign is whether the economic investment in the program can be justified by the public health outcomes; that question is examined here. Methods Standard methods of cost and cost–utility analysis were employed in accordance with the U.S. Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine; a societal perspective was employed. Results During 2000–2002, expenditures totaled just over $324 million to develop, deliver, evaluate, and litigate the truth campaign. The base-case cost–utility analysis result indicates that the campaign was cost saving; it is estimated that the campaign recouped its costs and that just under $1.9 billion in medical costs was averted for society. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the basic determination of cost effectiveness for this campaign is robust to substantial variation in input parameters. Conclusions This study suggests that the truth campaign not only markedly improved the public's health but did so in an economically efficient manner.
Crisis communications: Ethnic differentials in interpreting and acting on disaster warnings

This report examines the problem of communicating emergency information to communities which are multi-ethnic. A probability sample of flood evacuation warning recipients ( n = 200) was taken from a small Western United States town with a large segment of Mexican-American citizens. Analyses of these data revealed three primary differentials by ethnicity: (1) Mexican-Americans were more skeptical than whites about believing warning messages, no matter how specific the message; (2) Mexican-Americans interpreted the same warning messages as indicating lower levels of personal danger; and (3) Mexican-Americans were less likely to undertake a protective action (that is, evacuate) than whites. These findings suggest that there is a need for studies which explore the warning response decision-making process used by minorities, examine the criteria on which minorities interpret warning message content, and review the ways in which minorities evaluate the validity and accuracy of any given message.
Comparison of artificial neural networks with other statistical approaches: results from medical data sets.

BACKGROUND. In recent years, considerable attention has been given to the development of sophisticated techniques for exploring data sets. One such class of techniques is artificial neural networks (ANNs). Artificial neural networks have many attractive theoretic properties, specifically, the ability to detect non predefined relations such as nonlinear effects andlor interactions. These theoretic advantages come at the cost of reduced interpretability of the model output. Many authors have analyzed the same data set, based on these factors, with both standard statistical methods (such as logistic or Cox regression) and ANN. METHODS. The goal of this work is to review the literature comparing the performance of ANN with standard statistical techniques when applied to medium to large data sets (sample size > 200 patients). A thorough literature search was performed, with specific criteria for a published comparison to be included in this review. RESULTS. In the 28 studies included in this review, ANN outperformed regression in 10 cases (36%), was outperformed by regression in 4 cases (14%), and the 2 methods had similar performance in the remaining 14 cases (50%). However, in the 8 largest studies (sample size > 5000), regression and ANN tied in 7 cases, with regression winning in the remaining case. In addition, there is some suggestion of publication bias. CONCLUSIONS. Neither method achieves the desired performance. Both methods should continue to be used and explored in a complementary manner. However, based on the available data, ANN should not replace standard statistical approaches as the method of choice for the classification of medical data.
Block decompositions and block modal controls of multivariable control systems

This paper concerns the properties and applications of two basic block canonical forms; the block companion form and the block diagonal form. A new scheme for determining the solvents of a @l-matrix and the block poles of rational @l-matrix from a class of state equations is presented. Also, a method for performing the block partial-fraction expansion of a matrix-fraction description from the block diagonalized state equations is derived. Furthermore, a new block modal controller via a cascade block companion form and block-poles assignment concept is developed for state-feedback controls of MIMO systems.
Seizures in neurofibromatosis 1

Neurofibromatosis 1 is a common, genetically transmitted neurodevelopmental disorder with a high potential to cause subcortical focal brain lesions. Although seizures occasionally complicate neurofibromatosis 1, they have not been characterized adequately in the disease. Other phacomatoses with attendant subcortical focal brain lesions have been associated with an evolution from generalized to focal-onset epilepsy. This evolution may be related to the cortical dysplasias that also appear in such disorders. Cortical dysplasias, although occasionally found in neurofibromatosis 1 epileptic patients, are not as frequent as in other phacomatoses. The authors retrospectively screened 499 neurofibromatosis 1 patients for the prevalence and etiology of seizures, their response to therapy, and the evolution of seizure type over time. The prevalence of epileptic seizures (4.2%) was about twice the prevalence in the general population. There were no significant cortical dysplasias identified radiographically nor was there a relationship among the presence of subcortical focal brain lesions and seizure type, response to treatment, or evolution of epilepsy in the neurofibromatosis 1 population. The authors' data do not suggest an ontogeny of epilepsy in neurofibromatosis 1 that is different from the general epileptic population.
Adolescents, the Internet, and health: issues of access and content

Abstract As the Internet grows in popularity and importance, many have raised concerns over access and content, especially with regard to young people and health information. This paper begins with a brief discussion on Internet access issues. It follows with a section addressing Internet health content and provides a critique of three examples of current Internet health Web sites. Data are then presented from a preliminary survey on the Internet use of two distinct samples of New York City adolescents (N=319). It was found that adolescents of dissimilar socioeconomic and ethnic groups access and use the Internet, with a large percentage seeking health information. The paper concludes with recommendations for future health Web sites targeting adolescents.
Meso-scale transfer of sand during and after storms: implications for prediction of shoreline movement

Abstract Monitoring beach volume changes of the Texas Coast following a major hurricane reveals the impact of storms on sand dispersal and shoreline movement at spatial and temporal scales encompassing tens of kilometers and decades. Beach volume histories at profile sites show the interdependence of sand exchange among adjacent sites and the spatial autocorrelation of sand movement. Beach volume histories also indicate periods when either longshore or cross-shore transport predominate and illustrate the long-term effects of coastal structures on beach mobility. This study confirms that net losses of sand from updrift barriers may not be directly linked with net gains of sand on adjacent downdrift barriers. Instead, sand dispersal within a coastal compartment may depend partly on the dynamics of shoals and temporary sand storage at the intervening tidal inlet. In our study, sand eroded from the updrift barrier (Galveston Island) is deposited in a terminal sand flat of the barrier, whereas sand accreted to the downdrift barrier (Follets Island) is derived from the intermediate ebb-tidal delta (San Luis Pass). Unlike continuous sand bypassing on some microtidal, wave-dominated coasts, sand bypassing at San Luis Pass is episodic, event driven, and inefficient, and sand is not transferred directly from one barrier to the next. p ]Because storms rapidly redistribute beach sediment, they can be the most important factor controlling short-term (
Intraoperative microvascular Doppler in intracranial aneurysm surgery

Objective: The usefulness of intraoperative microvascular Doppler (IMD) in preventing an incorrect placement of the clip during intracranial aneurysm surgery is described. Such incorrect placement of the clip may cause new bleeding or ischemic accident as a consequence of incomplete exclusion of the aneurysm or stenosis/occlusion of the parent and/or adjacent arteries. Methods: One hundred thirty patients, harboring 136 aneurysms, were operated on using IMD. IMD study was performed on the aneurysm and adjacent arterial vessels before and after the clip placement. Mechanical arterial spasm was treated by topical sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and its efficacy verified by IMD. Results: In 55 aneurysms (42.3%), IMD was helpful in understanding the microvascular anatomy before clip placement. Complete exclusion resulted in 129 aneurysms (94.9%). In 5 cases (3.7%) in which IMD revealed a persistent blood flow in the aneurysm, the clip was repositioned. In 2 cases (1.4%), we obtained false-negative results. In 25 cases (18.3%) in which IMD data documented a severe flow reduction in the vessel harboring the aneurysm or in the vessel originating very close to the aneurysm neck, the clip was repositioned. There were no complications due to the use of IMD. In 20 patients (15%) in which IMD revealed arterial spasm by surgical manipulation, topical SNP was followed by resolution of the spasm. Conclusion: IMD is a feasible, safe, and very reliable technique in aneurysm surgery. Compared to other procedures such as intraoperative angiography, the cost efficiency of IMD is favorable.
Effect of external forcing on droplet dispersion in a developing shear layer

The dynamics and dispersion of nonevaporating droplets in a forced transitional shear layer are studied. The shear layer is formed by two coflowing parallel streams downstream of a splitter plate. The effects of periodic forcing on the dynamics of large-scale vortical structures and on the dispersion characteristics of droplets in a spatially and temporally developing shear layer are investigated. Results indicate that by forcing the shear layer at the first subharmonic of the fundamental mode, the droplet dispersion can be enhanced significantly. The forcing at the fundamental mode increases droplet dispersion in the initial part, but then decreases dispersion farther downstream. These results are consistent with the previously published experimental and numerical results on the effect of forcing on the shear layer growth. It is also observed that the forcing causes a relatively larger gain in dispersion for intermediate size particles compared to that for gas particles, implying that the centrifugal mechanism may be strengthened by forcing. The dispersion enhancement is more pronounced in the initial part of the shear layer, which is perhaps the more important region for improved droplet dispersion and mixing in spray applications.
Effects of antifreeze glycoproteins on linear crystallization velocities of ice

Abstract Comparisons have been made of the crystal growths of water and solutions of antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGP). Using linear growth in plastic tubes, both the linear crystallization velocities (LCV) and ice crystal growth patterns were observed as a function of temperature and concentration of AFGP. Upon lowering the temperature below the freezing temperature, there was an abrupt increase in LCV of the AFGP solution above that encountered in the pure water-ice system. This enhanced LCV plateaued over a wide range of supercooling, eventually changing to LCV less than that of the pure water-ice system. The growth patterns of ice in the AFGP solutions were very different (more needle-like) from that in water.
Some considerations concerning the status of phenomenology.

(1963). Some Considerations Concerning the Status of Phenomenology. The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 68, No. 1, pp. 127-140.
Sec12 binds to Sec16 at transitional ER sites.

COPII vesicles bud from an ER domain known as the transitional ER (tER). Assembly of the COPII coat is initiated by the transmembrane guanine nucleotide exchange factor Sec12. In the budding yeast Pichia pastoris, Sec12 is concentrated at tER sites. Previously, we found that the tER localization of P. pastoris Sec12 requires a saturable binding partner. We now show that this binding partner is Sec16, a peripheral membrane protein that functions in ER export and tER organization. One line of evidence is that overexpression of Sec12 delocalizes Sec12 to the general ER, but simultaneous overexpression of Sec16 retains overexpressed Sec12 at tER sites. Additionally, when P. pastoris Sec12 is expressed in S. cerevisiae, the exogenous Sec12 localizes to the general ER, but when P. pastoris Sec16 is expressed in the same cells, the exogenous Sec12 is recruited to tER sites. In both of these experimental systems, the ability of Sec16 to recruit Sec12 to tER sites is abolished by deleting a C-terminal fragment of Sec16. Biochemical experiments confirm that this C-terminal fragment of Sec16 binds to the cytosolic domain of Sec12. Similarly, we demonstrate that human Sec12 is concentrated at tER sites, likely due to association with a C-terminal fragment of Sec16A. These results suggest that a Sec12–Sec16 interaction has a conserved role in ER export.
Spontaneous aggregation as a mechanism for human monocyte purification

A previously unreported property of human mononuclear phagocytes is the ability of these cells to spontaneously aggregate. Fresh mononuclear cells obtained after plateletpheresis were noted to spontaneously form large cellular aggregates. Dual parameter immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that the aggregating cells were positive for the monocyte marker CD11 (complement receptor, type 3) but were negative for the lymphocyte marker CD3 (T3 antigen). In addition, less than 5% of the nonaggregating cells were CD11+, suggesting that almost all CD11+ cells aggregated. Cellular aggregates were independent of cell concentration and formed more efficiently at 4 degrees C than at either 22 or 37 degrees C. Based on these observations, a purification procedure utilizing Ficoll-Hypaque separation, spontaneous aggregation at 4 degrees C, and transient plastic adherence resulted in a sevenfold enrichment of the CD11+ peripheral blood monocytes. Purified monocytes were contaminated with less than 2% CD3 cells. The size, growth, and adherence characteristics as well as cytologic stains indicated that the monocytes were not significantly altered by the purification procedure. Thus, spontaneous aggregation is an efficient and convenient method for the isolation of large numbers of purified monocytes.
Initial contracting issues in small group facilitation

It is quite common today for teams to use facilitators to expedite group process and help the teams reach desired goals. As the use of facilitators becomes widespread, however, people called in as facilitators may find themselves also being expected to serve as leaders, mediators, and/or instructors' to name only a few of the combined roles that exist. Some of this confusion over the duties of the facilitator arises because people use the term “facilitate” rather loosely to cover a variety of activities. In this paper the authors discusses the definition of facilitation, the differing goals of basic and developmental facilitation, interventions techniques and tools that might be used, facilitator skills needed, and desired outcomes. I also raise questions related to each of these areas that might improve the chances of having a desirable outcome for all involved in the facilitation.
Pilot Study Method for Compliance with JCAHO “Reporting of Nosocomial Deaths”

Abstract ISSUE: Two million patients acquire infections in hospitals annually, and 90,000 die as a result. Despite this, only 10 infection-related reports have been reviewed through the Sentinel Event Database since its implementation in 1996. In response, in January 2003, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) promulgated a hospital requirement to report the number of patient deaths due to healthcare-associated infection. The directive called for the review of infection-related deaths according to specific criteria and performance of root-cause analysis to identify risk-reduction strategies. Institutions were also asked to consider reporting to JCAHO's Sentinel Event Database to expand knowledge about the scope and characteristics of serious nosocomial infections. PROJECT: To develop a workable method, Infection Control management met with clinical and administrative management from Quality Assessment (QA) to develop a pilot program for chart review. We conducted medical record reviews of 10% of patient deaths that occurred during 2003. The following exclusion criteria were used: 1) death within 72 hours of admission, 2) admissions with fever and chemotherapy-related neutropenia, 3) stage IV incurable metastatic cancer, 4) positive microbiology culture obtained within 72 hours of admission. RESULTS: 1) The median and mean time between death and electronic sign out of the discharge summary was 21 days. 2) Five deaths did not meet exclusion criteria and were referred for formal review by an infectious disease physician. 3) Based on this review, no deaths meeting sentinel event criteria were identified. LESSONS LEARNED: Determining nosocomial infection–related death is a complex endeavor particularly in a tertiary-care cancer center. Our approach may not be useful at community hospitals. Based on the results of this pilot, we have implemented this approach. QA now reviews all in-hospital deaths to identify patients whose deaths may have been due to hospital-acquired infection. Each identified chart is then reviewed by an infection control practitioner and, if indicated, an infectious disease physician. Any death occurring due to nosocomial infection will be treated as a sentinel event and subjected to multidisciplinary review and root-cause analysis.
Cytochrome c Structure and Redox Function in Mixed Solvents Are Determined by the Dielectric Constant

Cyclic voltammetry (CV), UV−visible (UV−vis), circular dichroism (CD), and resonance Raman (λex = 406.7, 413.1 nm) spectroscopy have been used to probe the structure and redox function of horse cytochrome c (cyt c) in aqueous mixtures of three water-miscible organic solvents, specifically, acetonitrile (ACN), dimethylformamide (DMF), and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) containing 100−60% water. As the concentration of the organic solvent is increased, significant changes are observed in the spectroscopy of ferricytochrome c (ferricyt c) with the greatest structural changes observed for ferricyt c in mixed solvent media with the lowest dielectric constant (30% ACN in this work). In the UV−visible spectrum, the Soret band blue shifts (1 nm) and the intensity of the 695 nm band decreases. UV CD (185−240 nm) suggest that changes in the protein secondary structure on going from aqueous to nonaqueous media are relatively small and that the protein structure remains largely intact in nonaqueous media. In the visible C...
ON THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF LOGICAL CLAUSES INFERRED FROM EXAMPLES

Given two sets of positive and negative examples, the inductive inference problem is to infer a small set of logical clauses which appropriately classify the examples. A graph theoretic approach is used to establish a lower limit on the minimum number of required clauses. Furthermore, the findings of this paper reveal methods for partitioning the original data and thus solving efficiently large scale problems.
Support for the Lunar Cataclysm Hypothesis from Lunar Meteorite Impact Melt Ages

Lunar meteorites represent a more random sampling of lunar material than the Apollo or Luna collections and, as such, lunar meteorite impact melt ages are the most important data in nearly 30 years with which to reexamine the lunar cataclysm hypothesis. Within the lunar meteorite breccias MAC 88105, QUE 93069, DaG 262, and DaG 400, seven to nine different impact events are represented with 40Ar-39Ar ages between 2.76 and 3.92 billion years ago (Ga). The lack of impact melt older than 3.92 Ga supports the concept of a short, intense period of bombardment in the Earth-moon system at approximately 3.9 Ga. This was an anomalous spike of impact activity on the otherwise declining impact- frequency curve.
Relations of Parenting to Adolescent Externalizing and Internalizing Distress Moderated by Perception of Neighborhood Danger

Parental monitoring and warmth have traditionally been studied in the context of White, middle-class families. This article explores optimal levels of these parenting behaviors in preventing adolescent psychopathology in impoverished, urban high-crime areas while accounting for child perceptions of neighborhood danger. In this study, data were collected longitudinally at 2 time points 1 year apart from a sample of 254 African American young adolescents (T1: M age = 12.6 years, 41% male) and their parents. Parental monitoring and warmth, child perception of neighborhood danger, and child internalizing and externalizing behaviors were measured using questionnaires. Child internalizing behaviors were also measured using a time sampling technique capturing in vivo accounts of daily distress. Findings indicated associations between parental monitoring and children's externalizing behaviors along with linear and quadratic associations between parental monitoring and internalizing behaviors. Monitoring and warmt...
Translational energy spectra and differential cross sections for low-energy Ar5+-Ar and Ne5+-Ne collisions

Abstract Translational energy spectra and differential cross sections for state-selective single-electron capture processes in low-energy Ar 5+ -Ar and Ne 5+ -Ne collisions have been measured at laboratory impact energies between 125 and 500 eV and scattering angles between 0° and 5°. Translational energy spectra indicate that the dominant reaction channels are due to capture into excited states of the projectile products and show an impact parameter dependence. The measured differential cross sections show that the projectile products are distributed near a scattering angle θ c corresponding to capture at an impact parameter equal to the crossing radius.
Making Images/Making Bodies: Visibilizing and Disciplining through Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI):

This article analyzes how the medical gaze made possible by MRI operates in radiological laboratories. It argues that although computer-assisted medical imaging technologies such as MRI shift radiological analysis to the realm of cyborg visuality, radiological analysis continues to depend on visualization produced by other technologies and diagnostic inputs. In the radiological laboratory, MRI is used to produce diverse sets of images of the internal parts of the body to zero in and visually extract the pathology (or prove its nonexistence). Visual extraction of pathology becomes possible, however, because of the visual training of the radiologists in understanding and interpreting anatomic details of the whole body. These two levels of viewing constitute the bifocal vision of the radiologists. To make these levels of viewing work complementarily, the body, as it is presented in the body atlases, is made notational (i.e., converted into a set of isolable, disjoint, and differentiable parts).