cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-Newtonian Polymer–Nanoparticle Hydrogels Enhance Cell Viability during Injection

Drug delivery and cell transplantation require minimally invasive deployment strategies such as injection through clinically relevant high-gauge needles. Supramolecular hydrogels comprising dodecyl-modified hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(lactic acid) have been previously demonstrated for the delivery of drugs and proteins. Here, it is demonstrated that the rheological properties of these hydrogels allow for facile injectability, an increase of cell viability after injection when compared to cell viabilities of cells injected in phosphate-buffered saline, and homogeneous cell suspensions that do not settle. These hydrogels are injected at 1 mL min-1 with pressures less than 400 kPa, despite the solid-like properties of the gel when at rest. The cell viabilities immediately after injection are greater than 86% for adult human dermal fibroblasts, human umbilical vein cells, smooth muscle cells, and human mesenchymal stem cells. Cells are shown to remain suspended and proliferate in the hydrogel at the same rate as observed in cell media. The work expands on the versatility of these hydrogels and lays a foundation for the codelivery of drugs, proteins, and cells.
Nonlinear Modeling, Analysis and Simulation of Wind Turbine Control System With and Without Pitch Control as in Industry

This chapter introduces the state-of-the-art modeling, analysis and simulation of the wind turbine dynamics and control. The modeling part is a comprehensive time domain layout of the model currently considered by industry, such as General Electric, National Renewable Energy Lab and other major manufacturers. The time domain modeling allows for nonlinear and optimization studies for the highly nonlinear and complex wind turbine control system. Also, this allows for better understanding and intensive study of the very important Pitch control, which is crucial in wind turbine systems, for building/designing control strategies and for optimization objectives. This chapter also provides a documentation for what have been published recently (2016–2018) regarding important dynamical properties and parameter sensitivities in the wind turbine control system. In this regard, the chapter also provides a possible reduction to the wind turbine control system based on the range of wind speeds the wind turbine is exposed to. This allows scholar to study the wind turbine dynamics and control in three different regions, one of them has the Pitch control activated in the case of higher wind speeds. Moreover, the chapter provides an illustration of the dynamical stability and the possibility of approximating the wind turbine control system by multiple time scales. Additionally, The chapter provides different simulations of the system, which can be helpful for academic studies that intend to run non-autonomous scenarios. Also, we cite in a recently (2018) published work, a data validation for the model versus real measured data of the power-wind curve, which magnify the findings of our study.
Report of the Committee on Runoff, 1949–1950

The Weather Bureau activities in the runoff field during the 1949–1950 year centered largely around its flood and water supply forecasting activities. A new River Forecast Center was inaugurated at Portland, Oregon in January, 1950 to provide service for the Columbia River Basin and adjacent coastal areas. The first custom-made model of the electronic flood routing machine has been delivered and is being tested to determine its electrical and operating characteristics. A large portion of the Bureau's investigations during the year were aimed at developing to the fullest all possible applications of existing techniques but considerable effort was devoted to the problem of developing new methods for short-range forecasting of runoff from melting snow. A technique has been developed which appears to satisfy the requirements but it has not yet been adequately tested. Water supply forecasting activities were continued and the number of forecast points increased to about 300. The Cooperative Snow Investigations, with the Corps of Engineers, continued during the year.
Building the Somali National Army: Anatomy of a failure, 2008–2018

ABSTRACTOver a decade of security force assistance (SFA) initiatives to build an effective Somali National Army (SNA) failed because of the interrelated effects of political, contextual and operati...
Response: We Need to Be Smarter Than Our Smartphones

To the Editor: We thank Drs. Wissman and Hogan for their response to our commentary, which appeared in the April 2018 issue of the Journal, “Smartphones, Memory, and Pharmacy Education.”[1][1] In their response, they recommended the use of smartphones in pharmacy education as not only devices to
Optical and electrical properties of all-inorganic Cs2AgBiBr6 double perovskite single crystals

In this work, we explored the possibility of using Cs2AgBiBr6, a double perovskite crystal, for radiation detection. Cs2AgBiBr6 crystals were grown using the solution growth technique. The resistivity of the as-grown Cs2AgBiBr6 crystal is larger than 1010 Ω cm, which is high enough to ensure low leakage current for fabrication of semiconductor radiation detectors. Using the temperature-dependent resistivity measurements, we estimated that the Fermi level is at 0.788 eV above the valence band and the material is a p-type semiconductor. From the low-temperature cathodoluminescence measurements, two near band gap energies at 1.917 eV and 2.054 eV were revealed.
The Relationship Between Tests of Hearing and Vestibular Function and the Duration of Symptoms in Patients With Unilateral Ménière's Disease

Purpose Meniere's disease (MD) is a constellation of otologic symptoms that includes aural fullness, tinnitus, hearing loss, and episodic vertigo. Even though the criteria for diagnosing the disord...
Assertion Ranking Using RTL Source Code Analysis

We present a systematic and efficient ranking method to quantify the goodness of an assertion. We model dependencies among design variables as a directed graph called a variable dependency graph . We define assertion importance and assertion complexity metrics and use the dependency graph to algorithmically compute those two metrics. We repurpose an assertion coverage algorithm from the literature to form a statement-coverage-based ranking as our baseline. We compare our assertion ranking both qualitatively and quantitatively to this baseline. We demonstrate that our ranking is computationally more efficient than statement-coverage-based ranking and takes up to $4366\times $ less computation time. We identify the potential design intents that each ranking prioritizes. We also discuss at length the effect of those prioritizations on the rank agreement and the bug detection ability of the top-ranked assertions according to the two rankings. Finally, we provide a comprehensive ranking for a set of assertions by combining our ranking and the statement-coverage-based ranking.
The state of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology in the Arab Middle East

Abstract The Arab World consists of 22 countries with more than half located in the Arab Middle East. Whereas the current state of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology in the Western World is well known, available information on the current state of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology across the Arab Middle East is lacking. This concise communication sheds light on the current state of these two specialties with specific reference to specialty training programs, board certification, and future directions. This piece provides valuable information to the general public and other disciplines to raise awareness and guide clinicians in making appropriate referrals. Additionally, it is of importance to newly graduated dentists interested in pursuing a career in either of these two disciplines.
Endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition of solid mass lesions of the pancreas: A retrospective comparison study of fine-needle aspiration and fine-needle biopsy

Background Although endoscopic ultrasound guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) has emerged as an alternative to fine-needle aspiration (FNA) for the sampling of solid pancreatic mass lesions, it remains unclear which method is more effective. We compared the diagnostic yields of FNA, FNB, and combined FNA/FNB at a tertiary care institution. Methods Specimens from EUS-FNA (04/2014-08/2017) and EUS-FNB (10/2015-08/2017) with SharkCore needle of pancreatic solid mass lesions were retrieved. Clinical, radiologic, and pathologic data was recorded. Pathology results of malignancy/neoplasms with uncertain malignant potential were considered as true positive. The "negative" cases included were with ≥6 months of follow-up. Nondiagnostic cases showed unremarkable pancreatic tissue, nonpancreatic elements, atypia, or features suspicious for malignancy. Diagnostic yield was defined as percentage of lesions sampled in which a benign or malignant tissue diagnosis, as defined above, was obtained. Statistical comparisons were performed using Fisher's exact test and univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results The study cohort included 76 FNA only cases, 88 FNB only cases, and 40 combined FNA/FNB cases. Diagnostic yields were 70% (FNA), 70% (FNB), and 83% (FNA/FNB), which were not statistically different. Increase in lesion size and presence of ROSE were significantly associated with a diagnostic outcome on both univariable and multivariable analysis, unlike the number of passes. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that for solid pancreatic lesions, the diagnostic yields of FNA, FNB, and combined FNA and FNB are comparable. Presence of ROSE and increasing lesion size increased the diagnostic yield while the number of passes had no significant impact.
Structural Requirements for DA2 (peripheral) Dopamine Receptor Agonist Activity

ABSTRACT Studies with dopamine analogs, apomorphine and ergolines suggested that phenol-, pyrrol- or pyrazole-ethylairines constitute the minimum structure required for DA2 agonist activity. Piribedil a potent and selective D2 agonist does not fit such a criterion. Lack of DA2 activity in a structure like CY-208,243, a benzergoline, further suggests that our current views on structural determinants of dopamine receptor activity require fresh thinking.
Tourism Gentrification of the Old City of Damascus

This chapter examines the reasons behind the increase in the number of boutique hotels in the Old City of Damascus during the years leading up to the civil war. Tourism gentrification of the intramural neighborhoods began in the early 1990s with the conversion of traditional courtyard houses into fashionable spaces of consumption for the Syrian middle and upper classes. Boutique hotels only began to appear in the mid-2000s as the Old City was becoming an international tourist destination. This new trend coincided with travel articles published in major British and American newspapers encouraging affluent travelers to look beyond the headlines and visit Syria. This led to an increase in the number of Western visitors to Damascus, and the political and economic integration of Syria into the global community. With the Old City becoming a global tourist destination, the political repression and social injustices in Syria for many travel writers were secondary to the luxury boutique hotels, fashionable restaurants, and historic sites.
Intravenous fluid resuscitation in the management of acute pancreatitis

Purpose of review In the absence of proven effective pharmacologic therapy in acute pancreatitis, and given its simplicity, wide availability, and perceived safety, intravenous fluid resuscitation remains the cornerstone in the early treatment of acute pancreatitis. Herein, we will review the rationale of fluid therapy, critically appraise the published literature, and summarize recent studies. Recent findings Several observational studies and small clinical trials have raised concern about the efficacy and safety of aggressive fluid resuscitation. Early aggressive fluid therapy among acute pancreatitis patients with predicted mild severity appears to have the highest benefit, whereas aggressive resuscitation in patients with predicted severe disease might be futile and deleterious. Lactated Ringer's solution is the preferred fluid type based on animal studies, clinical trials, and meta-analyses. There is a wide variation of fluid resuscitation approaches in current guideline recommendations, quality indicators, and worldwide practice patterns. Summary There is lack of high-quality data that supports the use of early aggressive fluid resuscitation. Large, well designed, multicenter randomized controlled trials are needed to determine the optimal timing, fluid type, volume, rate, and duration of fluid resuscitation in acute pancreatitis.
Ethanol‐Impaired Myogenic Differentiation is Associated With Decreased Myoblast Glycolytic Function

BACKGROUND Myopathy affects nearly half of individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD), and impaired skeletal muscle regenerative potential is a probable contributing factor. Previous findings from our laboratory indicate that chronic in vivo and in vitro ethanol (EtOH) treatment decreases myogenic potential of skeletal muscle myoblasts. Myogenesis, a highly coordinated process, requires shifts in cellular metabolic state allowing for myoblasts to proliferate and differentiate into mature myotubes. The objective of this study was to determine whether alcohol interferes with myoblast mitochondrial and glycolytic metabolism and impairs myogenic differentiation. METHODS Myoblasts were isolated from vastus lateralis muscle excised from alcohol-naive adult male (n = 5) and female (n = 5) rhesus macaques. Myoblasts were proliferated for 3 days (day 0 differentiation; D0) and differentiated for 5 days (D5) with or without 50 mM EtOH. Metabolism was assessed using a mitochondrial stress test to measure oxygen consumption (OCR) and extracellular acidification (ECAR) rates at D0. Differentiation was examined at D5. Expression of mitochondrial and glycolytic genes and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was measured at D0 and D5. RESULTS Ethanol significantly (p < 0.05) increased myoblast maximal OCR and decreased ECAR at D0, and decreased fusion index, myotubes per field, and total nuclei at D5. The EtOH-induced decrease in ECAR was associated with the EtOH-mediated decreases in fusion index and myotubes per field. EtOH did not alter the decrease in glycolytic gene expression and increase in mtDNA from D0 to D5. CONCLUSION During myoblast proliferation, EtOH decreased glycolytic metabolism and increased maximal OCR, suggesting that myoblast metabolic phenotype was dysregulated with EtOH. The EtOH-induced decrease in ECAR was associated with decreased differentiation. These findings suggest that EtOH-mediated shifts in metabolic phenotype may underlie impaired differentiation, which has important clinical implications for myogenesis in those affected by alcoholic myopathy.
Cell-mediated immunity in the neonatal calf

To understand the immunological capabilities of the bovine neonate, the complete ontogeny of the bovine immune system must be understood. As in most species, the developing bovine fetus is deficient in a number of different cellular and humoral factors that play important roles in host defenses during postnatal life. In the bovine fetus, as in other species, the immune response appears to develop and mature sequentially. During this development, maternal cells and humoral factors serve as the major protective barriers to infectious agents. However, the newborn calf is essentially agammaglobulinaemic because of the syndesmochorial placentation that does not permit the transfer of maternal immunoglobulins to the fetal circulation. The newborn calf is dependent on the absorption of immunoglobulins from colostrum to provide adequate humoral immunity. Colostrum also contains numerous leukocytes. The role and relative importance of these cells are not clear. However, recent data suggest that these maternally derived cells may influence the development of effective cellular immunity.
Synthesis and evaluation of porphyrin glycoconjugates varying in linker length: preliminary effects on the photodynamic inactivation of Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Porphyrins have served as common photosensitizing agents in photomedicine due to their unique properties and broad therapeutic potential. While photodynamic therapy (PDT) offers a promising avenue for novel drug development, limitations in application due to selectivity, and the inherent hydrophobicity and poor solubility of porphyrins and other organic photosensitizers has been noted. Porphyrin glycoconjugates have recently gained attention for their potential to overcome these limitations. However, little has been done to explore the effects of the linker between the carbohydrate and porphyrin analog. Here we report the synthesis of over 30 new carbohydrate–porphyrin conjugates which vary in the nature of the sugar (Gal, Glc, GalNAc, GlcNAc, Lac and Tre) and the distance between the porphyrin macrocycle and the carbohydrate. Porphyrin glycoconjugates were synthesized in three steps from a readily available meso-brominated diphenylporphyrin analog by (i) C–O coupling of an appropriate TMS-protected alkynol consisting of two to six carbon spacers (ii) removal of the TMS protecting group, and (iii) CuAAC conjugation with an appropriate glycosyl azide. First studies with trehalose-based glycoporphyrins and M. smeg were used to determine the effects of the linker in photodynamic inactivation (PDI) studies. Preliminary results demonstrated an increase in photodynamic inactivation with a decrease in linker length. Investigations are underway to determine the mechanism for these results.
Patent Politics: Life Forms, Markets, and the Public Interest in the United States and Europe

In April 2021, a group of protesters gathered outside of the biotechnology firm Moderna in Cambridge, Massachusetts, demanding the waiver of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine patents. This protest was...
Indians in Prison: Incarcerated Native Americans in Nebraska

Penologists, social services administra-tors, and students of criminal justice as well as of Indian studies will welcome this groundbreaking study, the product of close observation of and direct involvement on behalf of Indians in the Nebraska state penal system. Opening with a group profile, it discusses in detail the special concerns of that population: cultural and spiritual activities (Indians incarcerated in Nebraska were among the first to seek court permission to practice their religion behind bars), the seriously underestimated rates of alcoholism and drug addiction and the need for culturally appropriate treatment, and high rates of recidivism and their effect on parole. The final chapters present comparative data on Indians incarcerated in other states and offer recommendations for dealing with recurrent problems. Indians in Prison is particularly timely for its focus on how the social environments of Indian youth contribute to their delinquency and substance abuse and how Indians in prison perceive rehabilitation strategies, parole, and the law. Elizabeth Grobsmith is a professor of anthropology and assistant vice chancel-lor for academic affairs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The Politics of Sour Grapes: Sartre, Elster, and Tocqueville on Emotions and Politics

Two philosophers, Jean-Paul Sartre and Jon Elster, have taken great interest in the famous children’s fable, “The Fox and the Grapes.” Elster believes the fable teaches us that opportunities shapes desires while Sartre contends it demonstrates how consciousness alleviates the frustrations associated with failure. In this essay, I will break down the cognitive and emotional processes that are involved in sour grapes, and through Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, demonstrate how sour grapes shapes democratic political life. Politics, as Tocqueville knew, is as much about frustration and emotion as desires and rationality.
Specificity in the association of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase with isolated human erythrocyte membranes.

Abstract We have characterized the binding of glyceraldehyde 3phosphate dehydrogenase to isolated human erythrocyte membranes in an effort to establish whether this in vitro association has physiologic significance. At pH 8 and µ = 0.015 m, approximately 2 x 106 glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase molecules bound reversibly and homogeneously to the inner (but not the outer) membrane surface with an association constant of 1 x 107 m-1. This binding capacity exceeded by roughly 10-fold the cell's glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase content. Binding diminished with increasing ionic strength and pH, suggesting a strong electrostatic component in the association. Millimolar amounts of certain metabolites also released bound enzyme from the membrane. In contrast, an "indifferent" strongly basic protein, cytochrome c, lacked specificity in its association with the erythrocyte membrane. That is, binding was relatively weak, occurred at both membrane surfaces, and may have been limited in extent by close packing (i.e. monolayer formation) rather than by a fixed number of binding sites. Cytochrome c showed much stronger association with carboxymethylcellulose than did glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase, but was more readily eluted from the membrane by electrolytes. Cytochrome c binding to membranes was not altered by any metabolite tested. We hypothesize that a fraction of erythrocyte glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase may be specifically bound to the inner surface of the membrane in vivo in a fashion which is responsive to metabolic and ionic transients.
The False Modesty of Department of Revenue v. Davis: Disrupting the Dormant Commerce Clause Through the Traditional Public Function Doctrine

In Department of Revenue v. Davis, the United States Supreme Court held that the Kentucky income tax statute and, by extension, other states' similar laws do not discriminate for purposes of the dormant Commerce Clause. By explicitly deferring to established practices and expectations, Davis is, at first blush, the kind of modest, pragmatic decision advocated today by many, including, most prominently, Chief Justice Roberts. However, on a second look, Davis has broad implications. Indeed, Davis disrupts the Court's preexisting dormant Commerce Clause doctrine by confirming the Roberts Court's use of the "traditional public function" category to immunize government activity from dormant Commerce Clause scrutiny. Over two decades ago, in Garcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority, the Supreme Court rejected for Commerce Clause purposes the "traditional public function" doctrine as unworkable. The Garcia Court's criticism remains persuasive today: There is no principled basis for determining when a government function is old enough to be "traditional" or "public" enough to be public. Every government activity is traditional or becomes so. Given the breadth (indeed, the indeterminacy) of the "traditional public function" category, that category, as affirmed in Davis, encompasses and gives dormant Commerce Clause protection to all governmental activities including tax-based subsidies the Court has previously stricken as impermissibly discriminating under the dormant Commerce Clause. As these previously stricken activities constitute "traditional public functions," Davis logically protects them from dormant Commerce Clause scrutiny.
Some remarks on quantum theory and integrable systems

Some formulas and speculations are presented relative to integrable systems and quantum mechanics.
Road Facilitation of Trematode Infections in Snails of Northern Alaska

: Road disturbances can influence wildlife health by spreading disease agents and hosts or by generating environmental conditions that sustain these agent and host populations. I evaluated field patterns of trematode infections in snails inhabiting ponds at varying distances from the Dalton Highway, a wilderness road that intersects northern Alaska. I also assessed the relationships between trematode infections and snail densities and six environmental variables: calcium concentration, aquatic vegetative cover, canopy cover, temperature, pond size, and community structure. Presence of trematode infections and snail density were negatively correlated with distance from the highway. Of the pond characteristics measured, only calcium concentration and vegetation density declined with distance from road. However, neither variable was positively associated with snail density or trematode presence. One potential explanation for observed patterns is that vehicles, road maintenance, or vertebrate vectors attracted to the highway facilitate colonization of snails or trematodes. Emerging disease threats to biological diversity in northern ecosystems highlight the importance of understanding how roads affect disease transmission. Resumen: La perturbacion por caminos puede influir en la salud de la vida silvestre al propagar agentes infecciosos y huespedes o al generar condiciones ambientales que sostienen a las poblaciones de agentes y huespedes. Evalue los patrones de infecciones de trematodos en caracoles que habitan charcas a diferentes distancias de la Carretera Dalton, que intersecta el norte de Alaska. Tambien evalue las relaciones entre infecciones de trematodos y las densidades de caracoles y seis variables ambientales: concentracion de calcio, cobertura de vegetacion acuatica, cobertura del dosel, temperatura, tamano de la charca y estructura de la comunidad. La presencia de infecciones de trematodos y la densidad de caracoles se correlacionaron negativamente con la distancia a la carretera. De las caracteristicas medidas en las charcas, solo la concentracion de calcio y la densidad de la vegetacion declinaron con la distancia a la carretera. Sin embargo, ninguna variable se asocio positivamente con la densidad de caracoles o con la presencia de trematodos. Una posible explicacion de los patrones observados es que los vehiculos, el mantenimiento de caminos o los vectores vertebrados atraidos a la carretera facilitan la colonizacion de caracoles o trematodos. Las amenazas de enfermedades emergentes a la diversidad biologica en ecosistemas nortenos resaltan la importancia de entender el efecto de los caminos sobre la transmision de enfermedades.
LeakSurvivor: towards safely tolerating memory leaks for garbage-collected languages

Continuous memory leaks severely hurt program performance and software availability for garbage-collected programs. This paper presents a safe method, called LeakSurvivor, to tolerate continuous memory leaks at runtime for garbage-collected programs. Our main idea is to periodically swap out the "Potentially Leaked" (PL) memory objects identified by leak detectors from the virtual memory to disks. As a result, the virtual memory space occupied by the PL objects can be reclaimed by garbage collectors and available for future uses. If a swapped-out PL object is accesses later, LeakSurvivor will restore it from disks to the memory for correct program execution. Furthermore, LeakSurvivor helps developers to prune false positives. We have built the prototype of LeakSurvivor on top of Jikes RVM 2.4.2, a high performance Java-in-Java virtual machine developed by IBM. We conduct the experiments with three Java applications including Eclipse, SPECjbb2000 and Jigsaw. Among them, Eclipse and Jigsaw contain memory leaks introduced by their developers, while SPECjbb2000 contain a memory leak injected by us. Our results show that LeakSurvivor effectively tolerates memory leaks for two applications (Eclipse and SPECjbb2000), i.e., no cumulative performance degradation and no software failures when facing continuous memory leaks at runtime. For Jigsaw, LeakSurvivor extends the program lifetime by two times and improves the performance by 46% compared with native runs. Furthermore, when there are no memory leaks, LeakSurvivor imposes small runtime overhead, i.e., 2.5% over the leak detector and 23.7% over the native runs.
Feature correspondence by interleaving shape and texture computations

The correspondence problem in computer vision is basically a matching task between two or more sets of features. We introduce a vectorized image representation, which is a feature-based representation where correspondence has been established with respect to a reference image. The representation consists of two image measurements made at the feature points: shape and texture. Feature geometry, or shape, is represented using the (x,y) locations of features relative to the some standard reference shape. Image grey levels, or texture, are represented by mapping image grey levels onto the standard reference shape. Computing this representation is essentially a correspondence task and in this paper we explore on automatic technique for "vectorizing" face images. Our face vectorizer alternates back and forth between computation steps for shape and texture, and a key idea is to structure the two computations so that each one uses the output of the other. In addition to describing the vectorizer, an application to the problem of facial feature detection is presented.
Effects of propionate and acetate additions on solvent production in batch cultures of Clostridium acetobutylicum

Addition of acetate or propionate to uncontrolled-pH batch cultures does not affect the initiation of solventogenesis but does enhance final solvent concentrations compared with those of unchallenged cultures. This observation can be explained in terms of the increased buffering capacity of the medium brought about by the added acids, resulting in protection against premature growth inhibition due to low culture pH values at the end of the fermentation. The uptake of propionic acid from the medium does not proceed solely via the coenzyme A-transferase pathway, since less acetone than propanol is formed. Therefore, at least 50% of the propionic acid is taken up through the reversed kinase-phosphotransbutyrylase reaction pathway.
Yellow lights for emerging technologies

There is an infuriating, often confusing four-way stop intersection near my home. The city refuses to install traffic lights, because devices such as roundabouts, four-way stop signs, and flashing yellow lights, which require drivers to slow and scan before entering, can result in fewer accidents, as well as a faster and more even flow of traffic. There is a lesson to be learned here for regulation of new technologies. Clear, decisive rules are seductive. New drugs cannot be sold untold until proven safe. Food supplements are sold until proven unsafe. Although such clean demarcations can be reassuring, they do not work well for technologies whose applications cannot be presumed safe or unsafe.
Acoustic-velocity measurement across the diameter of a liquid-metal column

Present techniques for measuring sound velocity in liquid metals have been limited by the use of transducers which cannot survive in extreme-temperature conditions. These methods also require relatively long measurement times. An optical noncontacting method has been developed which may be used for extremely short experimental times and very high temperatures and pressures. This technique is being incorporated into an isobaric-expansion apparatus in which a 1-mm-diam wire sample in a high-pressure argon-gas environment is resistively heated to melt within a time period of only a few microseconds. Before instability of the liquid column occurs, thermal expansion, enthalpy and temperature are measured. The addition of the sound-velocity measurement permits a more complete determination of the thermophysical properties of the liquid metal.
On the Problem of Output Feedback Control under Set-Membership Uncertainty

Abstract This paper gives a concise description of a solution approach to the problem of output feedback control under unknown but bounded disturbances. It is based on combining dynamic programming with set-valued techniques and ranges from theoretical schemes to computational routes which indicate the possibility of treating the overall problem through finite-dimensional techniques. The results apply to nonlinear systems with more details for the linear case.
Imperfection sensitivity of shear deformable moderately thick laminated cylindrical shells

Abstract The problem of instability of imperfect, laminated, circular cylindrical shells under the action of uniform axial compression is investigated. The analysis is based on nonlinear kinematic relations where the effect of transverse shear deformation is taken into account. The buckling is assumed to be elastic and the geometry to have initial geometric imperfections. The kinematic relations, governing equations and the related boundary conditions for the nonlinear analysis are derived and presented. A solution methodology has been developed and employed in generating results. The imperfection sensitivity is investigated. The results obtained indicate that geometric imperfections have little effect on the limit point load for moderately thick cylindrical shells.
Do Goals Affect the Structure of Students' Argumentative Writing Strategies?

Fourth- and sixth-grade students with and without learning disabilities wrote essays about a controversial topic after receiving either a general persuasion goal or an elaborated goal that included subgoals based on elements of argumentative discourse. Students in the elaborated goal condition produced more persuasive essays that were responsive to alternative standpoints than students in the general goal condition. Students with learning disabilities wrote poorer quality and less elaborated arguments than students without disabilities. Measures derived from the structure of students' argumentative strategies were highly predictive of essay quality, and they accounted for the effects of goal condition, grade, and disability status. Nearly all students used the argument from consequences strategy to defend their standpoint. The implications for argumentative writing are discussed.
A comparison of picture-stimulus and conversational elicitation contexts: Responses to comments by adults with aphasia

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare responses to comments of adults with aphasia and those with normal language in two elicitation contexts, picture-stimulus and spontaneous conversation. The results indicate that picture-stimulus elicitation is a valid method for assessing responses to comments among adults with aphasia. The potential uses of the picture-stimulus method at specific points in the intervention process are discussed.
Depletion of peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptors after hypophysectomy in rat adrenal gland and testis

We examined the effect of hypophysectomy in rats on peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptors in the adrenal gland and testis. Following removal of the pituitary, binding sites for [3H]Ro5-4864, a ligand selective for peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptors, are depleted in these tissues in parallel with their atrophy. This reduction in receptor levels appears to be a primary effect of the hypophysectomy, since castration has no effect on benzodiazepine receptors in the adrenal gland, nor does adrenalectomy influence testicular levels of these receptors. Our results indicate that peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptors in these steroidogenic organs are localized to cells which are dependent on trophic maintenance by the pituitary.
Television Viewing and Attention Deficits in Children

To the Editor .— The report by Christakis et al1 suggests that early-age television viewing is associated with attention deficits later in childhood. It has been argued that television promotes inactivity, obesity, promiscuity, and possibly aggression in adults, and thus the impact of television viewing by children is certainly a concern. The message resonates in a society seemingly obsessed with public health villains. Although television eventually may earn a place among contemporary threats to our well-being, Christakis et al do not provide a convincing case for this conclusion. The use of 1.2 standard deviations above the mean on a hyperactivity scale as the threshold for attention disorders is problematic. The authors defend the arbitrary threshold by noting that it corresponds to previous reports of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) prevalence in age-matched community samples. However, this misapplication of statistical data seriously compromises the very foundation of the authors’ conclusions. In the first place, the choice of 1.2 standard deviations above the mean as the threshold for attention disorders is specious and begs the question by assuming the conclusion before advancing the argument. According to the American Diabetes Association, 6% of the US population has diabetes, but this does not imply that everyone with blood glucose >94th percentile has diabetes, and measurement of blood glucose is a far more reliable test than subjective responses to behavioral surveys. Second, the 10% incidence of ADHD cited by the authors …
Pressure and volume measurements from the eye for detecting possible arterial obstruction

Detection and evaluation of functionally significant carotid occlusive disease are effectively achieved by noninvasive pressure and/or volume measurements from the eye. Ocular arterial blood pressure is measured by applying either direct compression or suction to evaluate intraocular pressure to the point of arterial collapse. Carotid blood flow is evaluated as it affects ocular volume waveforms, which result from the difference between pulsatile arterial flow and relatively constant venous flow. The relationship between noninvasive measurements from the eyes and carotid blood flow can be predicted using simple models of the cervical-cerebral circulatory system. Proper models verify clinically observed correlations between pressure and volume measurements from the eye and the underlying carotid occlusive disease. Electrical analog circuits provide a method for varying model parameters to simulate abnormalities, producing waveforms with good similarity to waveforms recorded from patients with known vascular or ophthalmic pathology. Further model refinements can be contributed by interested investigators. By using the improved models the strengths and weaknesses of current tests and techniques can then be better defined. Techniques that have been widely used for screening and evaluating potential stroke patients can thereby be modified to give improved functional analysis of these patients.
Married couples' perspectives on prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment decision-making.

Prostate cancer is a disease of men. But for married men, it is commonly and quite reasonably expected that their wives will be significantly involved in dealing with the disease and its treatment. Yet, there are few data on how wives perceive the diagnosis and their role in responding to it. This study explores men's and their wives' perceptions of the prostate cancer diagnosis and their role in treatment decision-making. We conducted separate focus group interviews with seven married men with metastatic prostate cancer and their wives. The accounts of receiving the diagnosis and deciding on treatment that were told by the men differed in significant ways from the stories told in the wives' groups. We found that many men do not share their prostate-related health problems with their wives and some men choose their treatment without much spousal consideration. Our findings suggest that physicians may be in a position to influence how men and their wives interact in reaching a treatment decision.
Formation of a 1-bicyclo[1.1.1]pentyl anion and an experimental determination of the acidity and C-H bond dissociation energy of 3-tert-butylbicyclo[1.1.1]pentane

Decarboxylation of 1-bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanecarboxylate anion does not afford 1-bicyclo[1.1.1]pentyl anion as previously assumed. Instead, a ring-opening isomerization which ultimately leads to 1,4-pentadien-2-yl anion takes place. A 1-bicyclo[1.1.1]pentyl anion was prepared nevertheless via the fluoride-induced desilylation of 1-tert-butyl-3-(trimethylsilyl)bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane. The electron affinity of 3-tert-butyl-1-bicyclo[1.1.1]pentyl radical (14.8 ± 3.2 kcal/mol) was measured by bracketing, and the acidity of 1-tert-butylbicyclo[1.1.1]pentane (408.5 ± 0.9) was determined by the DePuy kinetic method. These values are well-reproduced by G2 and G3 calculations and can be combined in a thermodynamic cycle to provide a bridgehead C−H bond dissociation energy (BDE) of 109.7 ± 3.3 kcal/mol for 1-tert-butylbicyclo[1.1.1]pentane. This bond energy is the strongest tertiary C−H bond to be measured, is much larger than the corresponding bond in isobutane (96.5 ± 0.4 kcal/mol), and is more typical of an alkene or...
Electromagnetic modeling and measurements of the 104 cm rod and biconical antenna for radiated emissions testing below 30 MHz

The purpose of this paper is to identify the optimum approach to grounding of the 104 cm rod antenna counterpoise in a radiated emissions test setup when testing below 30 MHz. Electromagnetic modeling is used to analyze various grounding approaches and empirical results are included to substantiate the analysis. Results of the analysis and measurements reveal a complete floating of the counterpoise to be the optimum approach for obtaining accurate measurements. Commercially available fiber optic isolators are demonstrated as an easy way to achieve isolation of the counterpoise. Additional results are included for the biconical antenna in the frequency range of 20 to 30 MHz.
Kinematic implications of consequent channels on growing folds

[1] As soon as a fold begins to grow above base level, it becomes subject to erosion. A numerical model of simultaneous fold growth and river erosion captures the early stages of channel formation and delineates the evolution of longitudinal channel profiles. This numerical exploration suggests that the patterns of channel incision into growing folds can be used to guide kinematic interpretations of fold growth. Four types of fold limb growth are modeled: limb lengthening through (1) the fold crest or (2) the fold toe, (3) limb rotation, and (4) curved fold limbs due to trishear folding. Initially, the pattern of channel incision is sensitive to the kinematics of surface deformation. Subsequently, more mature streams evolve toward similar incision patterns with deepest incision near the midpoint of the longitudinal channel profile. We compare these model predictions to Rough Ridge on New Zealand's South Island, where high-resolution topographic data reveal the multitude of channels incised into the flanks of these folds. Because the opposing limbs of these folds have followed distinct deformation pathways, the early sensitivity of channel incision to deformation pathway can be examined. Furthermore, the lateral propagation of the fold through time allows for an approximate space-for-time substitution, such that the evolution of these incision patterns can be examined from early through more mature stages. This analysis indicates that the west limb of Rough Ridge has grown by limb lengthening through the toe and the east limb has grown primarily by lengthening through the crest.
The role of urodynamic testing in the evaluation of subtle neurologic lesions

Seventy-five patients with equivocal neurologic findings were prospectively evaluated to determine the presence or absence of “neurogenic bladder.” All were referred by neurologists or neurosurgeons because of their inability to make a definitive diagnosis of neurologic impairment of bladder function. On the basis of sophisticated urodynamic studies, a definite diagnosis of “neurogenic bladder dysfunction” was made in 23% of the patients. In 40%, the findings were equivocal, and in 37%, “neurogenic bladder” was excluded.
Atrial natriuretic peptide dose dependently inhibits cardiac remodeling after exposure to pressure overload

Abstract P-147A Key Words: Atrial Natriuretic Peptide, Cardiac Remodeling, Cardiac Hypertrophy ;;2>POSTERS: Kidney and Hypertension
Stratigraphic record of Early Eocene Hyopsodus and the geometry of mammalian phylogeny

Eocene strata in Wyoming spanning a period of 5 million years record a branching phylogeny which exhibits gradual phyletic evolution, overall size increase with iterative evolution of small species and character divergence following the origin of each new lineage.
Binding and processing of epidermal growth factor in Panc-I human pancreatic carcinoma cells.

Abstract The binding of 125 I-labeled epidermal growth factor (EGF) was studied in Panc-I human pancreatic carcinoma cells. At 37°C, binding was rapid and associated with marked endocytosis of the ligand. Bound EGF was sequentially converted to a number of more acidic species as follows: pI 4.55 to pI 4.2, to pI 4.35, to pI 4.0. EGF internalization and processing were blocked at 4°C. EGF did not alter cell growth when Panc-I cells were incubated in the presence of 2 to 10% serum. In contrast, when the serum concentration was lowered to 0.1%, EGF significantly enhanced cell replication after 6 days of culture.
Improved methods for separation of human cytokeratins.

Abstract The cytokeratins from human bladder and esophageal epithelia were separated using chromatographic techniques. The cytokeratins were first extracted from fresh autopsy tissue using high and low salt buffers. Urea, 8.0–9.5 M, was used to solubilize the resulting cytokeratin pellet. Imidazole was found to increase the solubility of the pellet but reducing agents such as 2-mercaptoethanol were not beneficial. DEAE ion exchange chromatography produced three fractions which were analyzed by using one and two-dimensional electrophoresis. The third fraction was shown to contain the acidic cytokeratins and was further fractionated on a moderately polar reverse phase HPLC column using an acetonitrile elution gradient. Tetramethylammonium tetrafluoroborate was added to the mobile phase to react with any unreacted silanol groups on the stationary phase, and trifluoroacetic acid was added to ion pair with the protein. HPLC fractions of the acidic proteins from human esophagus revealed seven reproducible peaks. All seven peaks were shown by Western blotting to contain an epitope found on cytokeratin 13. The results suggest that the isolation and separation procedures have produced a series of peptide products which all retain a similar epitope but which vary significantly in their hydrophobic characteristics.
The promise and limitations of population exomics for human evolution studies

Exome sequencing is poised to yield substantial insights into human genetic variation and evolutionary history, but there are significant challenges to overcome before this becomes a reality.