cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modulation of mechanosensitive calcium‐selective cation channels by temperature

Gating of associations of mechanosensitive Ca(2+)-selective cation co-channels in the plasmalemma of onion epidermis has a strong and unusual temperature dependence. Tension-dependent activity rises steeply as temperature is lowered from 25 degrees C to about 6 degrees C, but drops to a low level at about 5 degrees C. Under the conditions tested (with Mg2+ and K+ at the cytosolic face of outside-out membrane patches), promotion results both from more bursting at all observed linkage levels and from longer duration of bursts of co-channels linked as quadruplets and quintuplets. Co-channel conductance decreases linearly, but only modestly, with declining temperature. It is proposed that these and related mechanosensitive channels may participate in a variety of responses to temperature, including thermonasty, thermotropism, hydrotropism, and both cold damage and cold acclimation.
Impact of Conflict Avoidance Responsibility Allocation on Pilot Workload in a Distributed Air Traffic Management System

Pilot workload was examined during simulated flights requiring flight deck-based merging and spacing while avoiding weather. Pilots used flight deck tools to avoid convective weather and space behind a lead aircraft during an arrival into Louisville International airport. Three conflict avoidance management concepts were studied: pilot, controller or automation primarily responsible. A modified Air Traffic Workload Input Technique (ATWIT) metric showed highest workload during the approach phase of flight and lowest during the en-route phase of flight (before deviating for weather). In general, the modified ATWIT was shown to be a valid and reliable workload measure, providing more detailed information than post-run subjective workload metrics. The trend across multiple workload metrics revealed lowest workload when pilots had both conflict alerting and responsibility of the three concepts, while all objective and subjective measures showed highest workload when pilots had no conflict alerting or responsibility. This suggests that pilot workload was not tied primarily to responsibility for resolving conflicts, but to gaining and/or maintaining situation awareness when conflict alerting is unavailable.
TU‐G‐103‐01: Monte Carlo Simulation and Dose Calculation of Chest CT Scan with Tube Current Modulation

Purpose: To establish the method of organ dose calculation through Monte Carlo simulations for patients taking CT scans with tube current modulation (TCM), and to give the dose results as well as the preliminary comparison of the dose with TCM and the dose without TCM. Methods: The MCNPX Monte Carlo code was used to simulate an armless adult male phantom taking a typical chest CT scan with TCM. The TCM output from a similar scan was provided by the manufacturer (GE Healthcare), and every specific tube current value corresponding to one of the total 15022 projections respectively. The 15022 projections throughout the entire scan were simplified into 274 projections in simulation, and the average tube current was calculated for each projection. With the organ dose per mAs for each projection simulated, the average current, and the rotation time, the organ doses for the entire scan were calculated. This dose simulation was compared to the dose from a constant tube current scan that preserves the same minimum image quality without TCM. Results: As expected, significantly lower dose for the CT scan with TCM was observed. Dose reduction with TCM was found to be from 59% to 72% for different organs, and it was as low as 28% of the dose to thyroid without TCM. Conclusion: The study successfully demonstrated the feasibility of performing Monte Carlo based organ dose calculations for TCM, and suggested the significant dose reduction capability of TCM. One member was funded by the 2012–2013 J. Newell Stannard Fellowship Award from Health Physics Society.
Self-reported vision impairment and its contribution to disability among older adults.

Objectives: To examine contributions of self-reported vision impairment to disability by persons 65 years and older. Method: We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES IV; 1999-2008; weighted N = 6,550). The four-staged Nagi model of the disability process, incorporating biomarkers, disease, and physical functioning, was used as a framework to guide variable selection. An unadjusted ordinal logistic regression model testing effects of vision on daily-life activities was compared with models that controlled covariates associated with each stage of the disability model. Results For older adults with vision impairments, effects of poor vision in predicting disability were substantially reduced or eliminated when other health covariates were controlled. Where significant effects of poor vision remained, the strongest effect was found for doing leisure activities at home (OR = 5.29; 95% CI [3.14, 8.90]). Discussion: Results suggest the importance of considering multiple heal...
Replication origins in yeast versus metazoa: separation of the haves and the have nots

The recent flood of information concerning Saccharomyces cerevisiae replication origins and the proteins that interact with them contrasts alarmingly to the trickle of progress in our understanding of metazoan origins. In mammalian cells, origins are complex and heterogeneous, and appear to be selected by features of nuclear architecture that are re-established after each mitosis. Studies in Xenopus egg extracts have shown that once per cell cycle replication does not require specific origin sequences, despite the identification of functional homologues to yeast origin-binding proteins. These observations suggest that initiation of DNA replication in higher eukaryotes is focused to specific genomic regions by features of chromosome structure.
Theoretical calculations of microwave effects on the triplet yield in photosynthetic reaction centers

Abstract Calculations of the effects of a microwave field on the triplet quantum yield and the RYDMR (reaction yield detected magnetic resonance) spectrum of P F are presented. It is found that the RYDMR spectrum is most intense for D J when the microwave field strength is about twice the strength of the electron exchange interaction. In addition, the linewidth of the RYDMR spectrum at low power is caused mainly by lifetime broadening of the short-lived triplet. Measurements of the RYDMR spectrum should provide one width a more accurate and direct way of determining the lifetime of the P F state and the strength of exchange and dipolar interactions as compared to the study of triplet quantum yield at low static magnetic field.
The Hostile Reaction to the American Views of Johnson and Wesley

Lyles analyzes the contemporary reactions to the 1775 pamphlets of Samuel Johnson ("Taxation No Treanny")Â and John Wesley ("A Calm Address to Our American Colonies" ).
Faulting processes of the 1956 San Miguel, Baja California, earthquake sequence

Body waveform modeling is used to determine the source processes of three large earthquakes (magnitude 6.8, 6.4, 6.3) occurring between February 9 and 15, 1956 along the San Miguel fault in northern Baja California, Mexico. Results of the modeling suggest that the mainshock on February 9 was responsible for the 20 km of surface faulting observed during the sequence. Although previous researchers have suggested a complex rupture history for the mainshock, uncertainty estimates of source-time function shape indicate single or double source models fit the observed waveforms equally well. The February 15 aftershock, however, appears to have consisted of two events. Locations and focal mechanisms obtained for the three events suggest that the rupture process may have been controlled by cross faults to the main trace of the San Miguel fault. The good correlation between source parameter information and the surficial geology/geometry of the San Miguel fault zone demonstrates the usefulness of waveform modeling studies in unravelling the complexities of historic multi-event earthquake sequences.
Responses to L-163,491, a nonpeptide angiotensin II mimic, in the pulmonary vascular bed of the cat.

Abstract Pulmonary vascular responses to 5,7-dimethyl-2-ethyl-3-[[2′-[(butyloxycarbonyl)amino-sulfonyl]-5′-(3-methoxybenzyl)-[1,1′-biphenyl]-4-yl]methyl]-3H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (L-163,491), a novel nonpeptide angiotensin agonist, and angiotensin IV, the 3–8 amino acid fragment of angiotensin, were compared with responses to angiotensin II. Responses were investigated in the intact-chest cat under conditions of controlled blood flow and intralobar injections of angiotensin II, L-163,491, and angiotensin IV caused dose-related increases in lobar arterial pressure. When comparable in lobar arterial pressure of the three agents were examined, L-163,491 was approximately 3-fold less potent than angiotensin IV and approximately 100-fold less potent than angiotensin II when doses are expressed on a nmol basis. DuP 532, 2-propyl-4-pentafluoroethyl-1-([2′-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)biphenyl-4]-methyl)imidazole-5-carboxylic acid, an angiotensin II AT1 receptor antagonist, reduced pulmonary vasoconstrictor responses to angiotensin II, angiotensin IV and L-163,491, but did not significantly change pressor responses to serotonin, norepinephrine, or the thromboxane A2 mimic, U46619. PD 123319, an angiotensin II subtype 2 receptor antagonist, did not significantly change pressor responses to L-163,491, angiotensin II, or angiotensin IV. Captopril, the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, decreased pulmonary vasoconstrictor responses to angiotensin I and enhanced vasodilator responses to bradykinin, but did not significantly change pressor responses to L-163,491. These data show that L-163,491 has significant angiotensin AT1 receptor-mediated vasoconstrictor activity in the pulmonary vascular bed of the cat. These data also show that the nonpeptide agonist has 3-fold less activity compared to angiotensin IV and is approximately 100-fold less potent than angiotensin II in the feline pulmonary vascular bed.
Attention to Multiple Events Helps 2 1/2-Year-Olds Extend New Verbs

An important question in verb learning is how children extend new verbs to new situational contexts. In Study 1, 2 1/2-year-old children were shown a complex event followed by new events that preserved only the action from the initial event, only the result, or no new events. Children seeing events that preserved either the action or the result produced appropriate verb extensions at test while children without this information did not. In a follow-up study, children hearing new verbs produced more extensions than did children hearing nonlabeling speech. These studies suggest that attention to related events is helpful to young verb learners, perhaps because they structurally align these events (e.g., Gentner, 1983; 1989) during verb learning.
Bond Rotations at the Si(100) Surface: Anharmonicity, Chaotic Dynamics, and Signature of Tilted-Dimer Reconstruction

In our first-principles-based molecular dynamics simulations for Si(100), we have found that the total energy U(θ) is rather flat with respect to the bond-rotation angle θ for |θ| < 10°, with shallow minima at the positions θ = ±θ0 corresponding to a tilted-dimer geometry. Here we calculate the Fourier transform of the atomic displacements, u(ω), and find a characteristic bond-rotation mode with ν ~ 5 THz. This mode is primarily associated with the upper atom in a dimer, and appears to be a signature of the tilted-dimer reconstruction. At low temperature the vibrations are nearly harmonic, but at high temperature there is strong anharmonicity, and θ appears to exhibit chaotic behavior.
In-vivo and in-situ detection of atherosclerotic plaques using full-range complex-conjugate-free spectral domain optical coherence tomography in the murine carotid

Carotid endarterectomy is a common vascular surgical procedure which may help prevent patients’ risk of having a stroke. A high resolution real-time imaging technique that can detect the position and size of vascular plaques would provide great value to reduce the risk level and increase the surgical outcome. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), as a high resolution high speed noninvasive imaging technique, was evaluated in this study. Twenty-four 24-week old apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice were divided into three groups with 8 in each. One served as the control group fed with normal diet. One served as the study group fed with high-fat diet to induce atherosclerosis. The last served as the treatment group fed with both high-fat diet and medicine to treat atherosclerosis. Full-range, complex-conjugate-free spectral-domain OCT was used to image the mouse aorta near the neck area in-vivo with aorta exposed to the imaging head through surgical procedure. 2D and 3D images of the area of interest were presented real-time through graphics processing unit accelerated algorithm. In-situ imaging of all the mice after perfusion were performed again to validate the invivo detection result and to show potential capability of OCT if combined with surgical saline flush. Later all the imaged arteries were stained with H and E to perform histology analysis. Preliminary results confirmed the accuracy and fast imaging speed of OCT imaging technique in determining atherosclerosis.
Euphorigenic doses of cocaine reduce [123I]β-CIT SPECT measures of dopamine transporter availability in human cocaine addicts

The in vivo potency of euphorigenic doses of intravenous cocaine for displacing [123I]β-CIT ([123I]2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl)tropane) binding to striatal dopamine transporters (DAT) was assessed in human cocaine addicts using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Cocaine-dependent subjects (n=6) were injected with [123I]β-CIT and imaged 24 h later under equilibrium conditions. Sequential cocaine infusions (0.28±0.03 and 0.56±0.07 mg/kg) produced significant (P<0.0005) reductions in the specific to non-specific equilibrium partition coefficient, V3″ (6±6 and 17±3%), a measure proportional to DAT binding potential. Regression analysis of the logit transformed data enabled reliable determination of the Hill coefficient (0.51) and 50% displacement (ED50) dose of cocaine (2.8 mg/kg). These preliminary data suggest that cocaine produces behavioral effects in humans at measurable levels of DAT occupancy.
Synthesis and cleavage reactions of thiocarbonyl-bridged Cp2Fe2(CO)3CS, and preparation of the carbene complexes CpFe(CO)C(N2C2H6)SnPh3 and [CpFe(CO)2C(OMe)2]PF6

The thiocarbonyl-bridged complex Cp2Fe2(CO)3CS is obtained by the reaction of CpFe(CO)2− and (PhO)2CS in THF. Infrared and NMR spectra show that the compound exists in solution in interconverting cis and trans forms, but that the isomerization occurs more slowly than for the carbonyl analog [CpFe(CO)2]2. Most reagents which cleave [CpFe(CO)2]2, such as Br2, HgCl2, and O2/HBF4, do not give simple cleavage reactions with Cp2Fe2(CO)3CS. Reductive cleavage of Cp2Fe2(CO)3CS with Na(Hg) gives the thiocarbonyl anion CpFe(CO)(CS)−, which reacts with Ph3SnCl to form CpFe(CO)(CS)SnPh3. Methylamine reacts with CpFe(CO)(CS)SnPh3 to give CpFe(CO)(CNMe)SnPh3, while ethylenediamine gives the carbene complexes CpFe(CO)C(N2C2H6)SnPh3. The preparation of another new carbene complex, [CpFe(CO)2C(OMe)2]PF6, is also described.
Watermarking Schemes and Protocols for Protecting Rightful Ownership and Customer's Rights

Various digital watermarking techniques have been proposed in recent years as methods to protect the copyright of multimedia data. However, as pointed out by Craveret al., the rightful ownership problem has not been properly solved. Currently, there are two proposals to solve the ownership problem. Unfortunately, one proposal lacks a formal proof and the other can be easily defeated. In addition, because the purpose of a watermark is mainly for protecting the original owner's rights, the rights of legitimate customers have not been addressed. This could eventually defeat the goal of using a watermark to protect the owner's copyright. In this paper, we present solutions to both problems: resolution of the rightful ownership problem and protection of the customer's rights problem. For the rightful ownership problem, we develop watermarking methods which successfully resolve the ownership of watermarked MPEG video and/or uncompressed video/image. We introduce specific requirements in the watermark construction algorithm which allow us to prove that the proposed schemes are noninvertible; i.e., the rightful ownership is guaranteed. Furthermore, we design customer rights protocols which give legal customers the ability to create their own evidence and prove their legitimate rights to use the watermarked multimedia data. The integration of our watermarking schemes with the customer's rights protocols creates a robust framework toward resolving rightful ownership and protecting customer's rights.
Field study - Steinle Ranch, an intermediate depth oil field, shows significant benefit from bauxite proppants

The Steinle Ranch field initially was developed in the mid-1970s. Wells were drilled, cased, perforated, and treated by chemical injection with lease-crude or condensate carriers to restore oil saturation to the formation, which is suspected to be hydrophobic. Stimulation by hydraulic fracturing of 4 wells was attempted from 1975 through 1977 with mixed results and no particular success. These treatments used sand and glass beads for proppant. A fifth hydraulic fracture treatment, in which sintered bauxite was used as the proppant was very successful. As a result, all wells in the field have been fractured. This program, in a mature field in late stages of depletion, at intermediate depth (10,600 ft), has been very successful; ca 940,000 bbl of additional reserves have resulted for a total cost of ca $2,000,000, a return on investment of 9.4:1. Comparing these reserves to estimated reserves if the wells had been propped with sand shows a 23:1 return by the incremental reserves on the incremental cost of the bauxite.
Preresonance Raman Single-Crystal Measurements of Electronic Transition Moment Orientations in N-Acetylglycinamide

We have examined electronic coupling between the two amide electronic transitions in a dipeptide and have found strong excitonic interactions in a case where the amide planes are almost perpendicular. We compared the absorption and resonance Raman spectra of N-methylacetamide (NMA) and acetamide (AM) to that of the dipeptide N-acetylglycinamide (NAGA), which is composed of linked primary and secondary amides. We measured the transition moment magnitudes of each of these species and also determined the orientation of the preresonance Raman tensor of NAGA in a single crystal. From these single-crystal tensor values, we calculated the NAGA diagonal Raman tensor orientations and compared them to those expected for unperturbed primary and secondary amides oriented as in the NAGA crystal. Because the primary and secondary amide III vibrations are vibrationally uncoupled and nonoverlapping, we can use their intensities to determine the contributions to their resonance enhancement from the coupled NAGA electronic...
Photochemically-induced reduction and rearrangements of N,N′-bis-(carboxymethyl)-N,N′-dinitroso-1,4-phenylenediamine

Abstract When irradiated with ∼10 ns laser pulses of 308 nm light, N,N′-bis-(carboxymethyl)-N,N′-dinitroso-1,4-phenylenediamine (1) fragments in less than a μs to give NO and the denitrosylated radical of 1 (2). Species 1 has great potential as a research tool because the photo-generated NO can subsequently be used to probe fast reactions of biochemical interest. This study focuses on the properties of the reactive intermediate 2, which must be known before 1 can confidently be used in more complex investigations. Experiments in which 1 was irradiated in the presence of myoglobin (Mb) or ferrocytochrome c revealed that 2 can rapidly oxidize either species. For myoglobin, the rate constant kox was measured as (5.5±0.5)×107 M−1 s−1. Experiments in which large amounts of 2 were photo-generated in the presence of free NO revealed that 2 probably recombines with NO to produce metastable isomers of 1, which have lifetimes of ∼20 ms and liberate additional NO as they decay. Previously, 2 was only known to either rapidly recombine with NO to regenerate 1 exclusively, or fragment further to give a second equivalent of NO and the doubly denitrosylated quinoimine derivative of 1 (3). The experiments with myoglobin, which is a chromophoric NO scavenger, also made it easy to quantify the amount of NO generated under various conditions, thus providing indirect information about the reactions of 2. On the basis of these experiments, the value of the rate constant for fragmentation of 2 into 3 and NO (kd) was revised from the previously published 500–2600 s−1. The NO scavenger experiments also suggest that the metastable isomers of 1, generated by recombination of 2 and NO, liberate additional equivalents of NO as they decay.
AN ELECTROPHORETIC INVESTIGATION OF A PEPTIC HYDROLYSATE OF COTTONSEED STORAGE PROTEIN

Cottonseed storage protein that had been hydrolyzed with pepsin in an ultrafiltration cell and in a batch system was subjected to electrophoresis. Bands of protein occur in the peptic hydrolysates but these bands are not as sharp as known protein standards. The peptides were not present in native (unhydrolyzed) SP and are considered to be peptic resistant peptides. Molecular weights of these peptides are estimated.
Combinatorial exploration of novel thin film amorphous oxides

New systems of erbium-containing amorphous oxides are investigated. The composition-spread approach provides a means for evaluating the maximum Er/sup 3+/ emission in hundreds of combinations of bismuth-, gadolinium-, and aluminum-substituted SiO/sub 2/.
Responding under positive and negative response contingencies in pigeons and crows.

Abstract Four crows were trained to key peck for food. Then, they were exposed to a positive response contingency that required them to peck the key when it was illuminated briefly (the trial) in order to receive food. This procedure resulted in consistent within-trial pecking. When the contingency changed so that food was presented at the end of a trial when no response occurred, but the trial terminated immediately and food was omitted when a response occurred (negative response contingency), responding decreased markedly. Eight pigeons were studied under the same change in contingencies. These birds varied in their response histories from naive to having several years' experience. The previously naive pigeons also showed rapid declines in responding under the negative contingency; the responding of the birds with extended training histories declined much more slowly. Eventually, however, six of the eight pigeons showed little or no responding under the negative contingency, while they responded consistently when re-exposed to the positive contingency. These findings question the power and the generality of the negative automaintenance phenomenon.
A robot in a cage-exploring interactions between animals and robots

Typically, the animal world has been used conceptually by roboticists as a source of inspiration for finding new approaches to efficient locomotion, perception and intelligent control [Brooks, 1991], [Hallam and Walker, 1993], [Aloimonos, 1997]. This paper explores the question of designing a robot to share a space with a simple animal. A series of experiments between a mobile robot and three chickens in a cage are described. Techniques are described to mechanically reduce chickens' anxiety towards moving machinery. A model of interaction between animals and machines is proposed. These insights are then placed into a wider context of robot design.
Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy is associated with comparable outcomes to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in post-menopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer

Objectives: We compared outcomes in post-menopausal estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (NAHT) or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). Methods: We retrospectively identified post-menopausal women who received either NAHT or NACT for non-metastatic, non-inflammatory, ER+, Her2neu negative breast cancer from 2004 to 2011. We compared long-term rates of locoregional relapse free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis free survival (DMFS), and overall survival (OS) using the Kaplan-Meier method. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify patient and disease factors significantly associated with these endpoints. Results: We identified 99 patients in our study, including 27 who received NAHT and 72 who received NACT. There were no differences in 4-year LRFS, DMFS, or OS between groups. On Cox proportional hazards modeling, the type of systemic therapy (NAHT vs. NACT) was not associated with OS. However, patients with progesterone receptor (PR) positive disease had a 92% lower risk of death compared to patients with PR negative disease. Conclusions: Our data suggest that outcomes are not adversely affected by NAHT in post-menopausal women with ER+ breast cancer. Therefore, NAHT is a viable and potentially less toxic option than NACT in appropriately selected patients. Furthermore, although PR negative disease appears to be associated with poor prognosis, intensification of systemic treatment with chemotherapy may not be associated with improvement of disease-related outcomes in this patient population.
Canon in G major: designing DHTs with hierarchical structure

Distributed hash tables have been proposed as flat, nonhierarchical structures, in contrast to most scalable distributed systems of the past. We show how to construct hierarchical DHTs while retaining the homogeneity of load and functionality offered by flat designs. Our generic construction, Canon, offers the same routing state vs. routing hops trade-off provided by standard DHT designs. The advantages of Canon include (but are not limited to) (a) fault isolation, (b) efficient caching and effective bandwidth usage for multicast, (c) adaptation to the underlying physical network, (d) hierarchical storage of content, and (e) hierarchical access control. Canon can be applied to many different proposed DHTs to construct their Canonical versions. We show how four different DHTs - Chord, Symphony, CAN and Kademlia - can be converted into their Canonical versions that we call Crescendo, Cacophony, Can-Can and Kandy respectively.
Fabrication of barium titanate/acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene/poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposite films for hybrid ferroelectric capacitors

A new organic–inorganic ferroelectric hybrid capacitor designed by uniformly incorporating surface modified monodisperse 15 nm ferroelectric BaTiO3 nanocubes into non-polar polymer blends of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymer and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) terpolymer is described. The investigation of spatial distribution of nanofillers via a non-distractive thermal pulse method illustrates that the surface functionalization of nanocubes plays a key role in the uniform distribution of charge polarization within the polymer matrix. The discharged energy density of the nanocomposite with 30 vol% BaTiO3 nanocubes is ∼44 × 10−3 J cm−3, which is almost six times higher than that of the neat polymer. The facile processing, along with the superior mechanical and electrical properties of the BaTiO3/PMMA–ABS nanocomposites make them suitable for implementation into capacitive electrical energy storage devices.
Safety of intravitreal voriconazole: electroretinographic and histopathologic studies.

Purpose Voriconazole, a novel triazole antifungal agent, presents potent activity against a broad spectrum of yeast and molds. To determine whether it could be safely used as an intravitreal agent in the treatment of fungal endophthalmitis, retinal toxicity of voriconazole was examined in a rodent animal model. Methods Voriconazole solutions were serially diluted and injected intravitreally into eyes of normal adult Sprague-Dawley rats so that the final intravitreal concentrations were 5 microg, 10 microg, 25 microg, 50 microg, and 500 microg/mL (N = 3 for each concentration group). Saline was injected into the fellow eyes of each animal as controls. Three weeks after injections, electroretinograms (ERGs) were measured, and eyes were subsequently enucleated for histologic examination. Results In ERG studies, maximum scotopic b-wave, bmax intensity needed for half saturation, I0.5, and saturated a-wave amplitude were measured. There was no statistically significant difference in these parameters recorded between control eyes and voriconazole-injected eyes in any concentration groups. Histologic examination with light microscopy did not reveal any retinal abnormality in the eyes with 5 to 25 microg/mL intravitreal voriconazole. In the eyes with 50 microg/mL and 500 microg/mL voriconazole, small foci of retinal necrosis were occasionally observed in the outer retina, especially in the eyes with 500 mg/mL voriconazole. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that intravitreal voriconazole of up to 25 mg/mL causes no ERG change or histologic abnormality in rat retina. This indicates that voriconazole is a safe antifungal agent that may be employed by intravitreal injection in the treatment of fungal endophthalmitis.
Expert Systems Development: Towards Transparency of Design Process

Expert systems have been in use since the early eighties, but there is a lack of strong theoretical base for handling the design process of expert systems development. The concept of design process plays a very important role in the beginning of the expert systems development process. One of the main issues is how the designer (knowledge engineer) thinks about the design process. The designers 'process is shaped by the knowledge engineer's understanding. This paper endeavors to reveal some of the major issue related to the knowledge engineer's conception of design process and an effort is made to disclose the expert systems' design process. This attempt is an initial step towards a successful implementation of expert system projects.
Heterogeneity in Intratumor Correlations of 18F-FDG, 18F-FLT, and 61Cu-ATSM PET in Canine Sinonasal Tumors

Intratumor heterogeneity in biologic properties and in relationships between various phenotypes may present a challenge for biologically targeted therapies. Understanding the relationships between different phenotypes in individual tumor types could help inform treatment selection. The goal of this study was to characterize spatial correlations of glucose metabolism, proliferation, and hypoxia in 2 histologic types of tumors. Methods: Twenty canine veterinary patients with spontaneously occurring sinonasal tumors (13 carcinomas and 7 sarcomas) were imaged with 18 F-FDG, 18 Flabeled 39-deoxy-39-fluorothymidine ( 18 F-FLT), and 61 Cu-labeled diacetyl-bis(N 4 -methylthiosemicarbazone) ( 61 Cu-ATSM) PET/CT on 3 consecutive days. Precise positioning and immobilization techniques coupled with anesthesia enabled motionless scans with repeatable positioning. Standardized uptake values (SUVs) of gross sarcoma and carcinoma volumes were compared by use of Mann– Whitney U tests. Patient images were rigidly registered together, and intratumor tracer uptake distributions were compared. Voxelbased Spearman correlation coefficients were used to quantify intertracer correlations, and the correlation coefficients of sarcomas and carcinomas were compared. The relative overlap of the highest uptake volumes of the 3 tracers was quantified, and the values were compared for sarcomas and carcinomas. Results: Large degrees of heterogeneity in SUV measures and phenotype correlations were observed. Carcinoma and sarcoma tumors differed significantly in SUV measures, with carcinoma tumors having significantly higher 18F-FDG maximum SUVs than sarcoma tumors (11.1 vs. 5.0; P 5 0.01) as well as higher 61Cu-ATSM mean SUVs (2.6 vs. 1.2; P 5 0.02). Carcinomas had significantly higher population-averaged Spearman correlation coefficients than sarcomas in comparisons of 18F-FDG and 18F-FLT (0.80 vs. 0.61; P 5 0.02), 18F-FLT and 61Cu-ATSM (0.83 vs. 0.38; P , 0.0001), and 18F-FDG and 61CuATSM (0.82 vs. 0.69; P 5 0.04). Additionally, the highest uptake volumes of the 3 tracers had significantly greater overlap in carcinomas than in sarcomas. Conclusion: The relationships of glucose metabolism, proliferation, and hypoxia were heterogeneous across different tumors, with carcinomas tending to have high correlations and sarcomas having low correlations. Consequently, canine carcinoma tumors are robust targets for therapies that target a single biologic property, whereas sarcoma tumors may not be well suited for such therapies. Histology-specific PET correlations have farreaching implications for the robustness of biologic target definition.
Impact of super-steep-retrograde channel doping profiles on the performance of scaled devices

Super-steep retrograded (SSR) channels were compared to uniformly doped (UD) channels as devices are scaled down from 250 nm to the 50 nm technology node, according to the scheme targeted by the National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (1997). The comparison was done at the same gate length L/sub gate/ and the same off-state leakage current I/sub off/, where it was found that SSR profiles always have higher threshold voltages, poorer subthreshold swings, higher linear currents, and lower saturation currents than UD profiles. Using a simulation strategy that takes into account the impact of short-channel effects on drive current, it was found that the improved short-channel effect of retrograde profiles is not enough to translate into a higher performance over the UD channels for all technologies. Hence, if the effective gate-dielectric thickness scales linearly with technology, retrograde doping will not be useful from a performance point of view. However, if the scaling of the gate-dielectric is limited to about 2 nm, SSR profiles can give higher drive current than UD channels for the end of the roadmap devices. Thus, the suitability of SSR channels over UD channels depends on the gate-dielectric scaling strategy. Simulations using a self-consistent Schrodinger-Poisson solver were also used to show that the impact of quantum mechanical (QM) effects on the long-channel characteristics of SSR and UD MOSFET's will be similar.
An iterative image registration technique with an application to stereo vision

Image registration finds a variety of applications in computer vision. Unfortunately, traditional image registration techniques tend to be costly. We present a new image registration technique that makes use of the spatial intensity gradient of the images to find a good match using a type of Newton-Raphson iteration. Our technique is taster because it examines far fewer potential matches between the images than existing techniques Furthermore, this registration technique can be generalized to handle rotation, scaling and shearing. We show how our technique can be adapted tor use in a stereo vision system.
Inhibition of Dna Synthesis In the Macronuclear Replication Band of Euplotes Eurystomus

The replication band is a large, migrating, macronuclear domain that is the site of DNA synthesis in hypotrichous ciliated protozoa. A number of agents that produce inactivation of this structure and its replicational activity are described here. These agents include heat shock, aphidicolin, cell crowding, various cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitors and a calmodulin inhibitor. With the exception of aphidicolin, which has a direct inhibitory effect upon DNA polymerases, the mechanisms of inactivation are presently unknown. The inactivating properties of cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitors suggest that intracellular cAMP levels may influence replication band structure and function. Supplementary key words. Autoradiography, electron microscopy, in situ hybridization. HE sole site of DNA synthesis in the macronuclei (MAC) T of hypotrichous ciliated protozoa is the replication band (RB) 115, 20, 39, 401. It has been most studied in the MAC of the fresh water ciliate Euplotes eurystomus. The single MAC is elongate and C-shaped; i.e. ca. 100-150 pm long by 10-15 pm wide. The single MIC is the "germline" micronucleus, ca. 3 pm diameter, with an independent S phase immediately following cytokinesis. During MAC S phase, two RB appear simulta- neously at the tips of a MAC. Both RB migrate to the midpoint of the elongate MAC as S phase progresses for about 10-12 hr. The two RB fuse at the termination of S, the MAC shortens and becomes pinched in half during cytokinesis. During the entire S phase the RB maintain a unique ultrastructural strati- fication (30, 3 1, 401. The migrating RE is ca. 5 pm in length and composed of two structural zones: a forward zone (FZ) consisting of a mesh of 40-50-nm chromatin fibers; and a pale- staining rear zone (RZ) containing fine ca. 10-nm fibers. In front of and behind the RB, chromatin is organized into condensed granules. Autoradiographic EM studies have demonstrated that the site of DNA synthesis is the junction between FZ and RZ (25) (Stevens, A. R. 1963, Electron microscope autoradiog- raphy of DNA and RNA synthesis in Euplotes eurystomus. J. Cell Biol., 19:67a). Replication bands exhibit distinctive cyto- chemical and immunochemical properties ( 1-3, 30, 33, 34, 361. A clue towards understanding the structural integrity of RB may be derived from the recent observation of non-chromatin 10- nm filaments within Euplotes MAC in condensed chromatin granules (CG) and in the FZ (29). Conceivably these 10-nm filaments might function to organize the chromatin molecules into the various nuclear compartments and functional states. Organization of MAC chromatin is an obvious necessity when it is recalled that each MAC contains ca. lo8 gene-size linear DNA fragments of average size ca. 2 kb (21, 221. Each type of MAC DNA fragment appears to possess a single coding region flanked by non-transcribed regions and terminated by identical telomeric nucleotide sequences. Otherwise, the MAC DNA mol- ecules exist as reasonably normal chromatin molecules with inner histones, histone H1 and nucleosomes (8, 9, 171.
Test-retest reliability of anxiety symptoms and diagnoses with the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV: child and parent versions.

ABSTRACT Objective To examine the test-retest reliability of the DSM-IV anxiety symptoms and disorders in children with the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV: Child and Parent Versions (ADIS for DSM-IV: C/P). Method Sixty-two children (aged 7–16 years) and their parents underwent two administrations of the ADIS for DSM-IV: C/P with a test-retest interval of 7 to 14 days. Results and Conclusions Results revealed that the ADIS for DSM-IV: C/P is a reliable instrument for deriving DSM-IV anxiety disorder symptoms and diagnoses in children. The ADIS for DSM-IV: C/P was found to have excellent reliability in symptom scale scores for separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, specific phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder and good to excellent reliability for deriving combined diagnoses of these disorders, as well as using child-only and parent-only interview information. Reliability coefficients were generally similar and, in most instances, superior to those found in previous ADIS-C/P reliability studies. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
Effects of Abuse Within Violence Exposed Youth: Desensitization or Masked Effects?

The current study examined the differences in presentation of psychopathology following varying types of maltreatment, including the witnessing of intimate partner violence. Families recruited from a community mental health center specializing in child trauma were asked to complete questionnaires related to multiple realms of psychosocial functioning. Results indicated that the presence of sexual abuse significantly impacted the development of depressive and anxiety symptoms in children; however, this was not observed following other types of trauma. Analyses also revealed significant mediative relationships with respect to family variables. Although findings supported the original hypothesis, it was proposed that, rather than desensitization, these children might be may be explained by cognitive dissonance. More research needs to examine these findings.
Timing Analysis Of Cyclic Concurrent Programs

An approach to timing analysis of cyclic concurrent programs is presented. GR/sub 0/ path-expressions are used to describe synchronization and concurrency of atomic operations in cyclic concurrent programs. The behavior of a cyclic concurrent program is represented as a partial order of atomic operations, and a technique to derive this partial order from a GR/sub 0/ program is developed. Given the execution times of the individual atomic operations of a GR/sub 0/ program and a set of timing constraints, our timing analysis technique uses the partial order to determine whether the concurrent program, when executed, will satisfy the set of timing constraints. The timing analysis technique can be completely automated.
Sliding Friction Measurements of Molecularly Thin Ethanol and Pentanol Films: How Friction and Spreading Impact Lubricity

We describe herein how a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) can be used to measure wetting behavior and sliding friction levels of adsorbed films and a brief summary of the status of the fundamental energy dissipative mechanisms that give rise to friction in these systems. The relation between sliding friction values, diffusion coefficients, and film lubricity is next described. Finally, as a specific case example, QCM measurements of the uptake and sliding friction levels of adsorbed ethanol, trifluoroethanol (TFE) and pentanol films on silicon, aluminum and perfluorodecyl-trichlorosilane (PFTS) treated substrates are reported and analyzed. These systems are of interest to the silicon microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) community, whose progress has been limited by tribological issues.
Pollen and Spore Evidence in Forensics

Forensic palynology, the use of pollen and spores to assist in solving criminal and civil cases, is a highly underutilized and neglected technique. During the past century, there have been only limited attempts to use pollen and spore evidence in either criminal or civil cases for a variety of reasons, including a lack of available information about the technique, a very limited number of specialists trained to do this type of forensic work, and an almost total absence of academic centers that are capable of training needed pollen specialists or forensic facilities able, or willing, to fund research in this area. I outline examples of how forensic pollen has been used as evidence and how it has proved helpful in finding and convicting criminals guilty of various types of crimes. I also explore new areas and analytical techniques being offered to enhance the precision of pollen data. The reliability and increased use of forensic palynology can change provided steps are taken to encourage better research and data and routine collection, analysis, and use of pollen evidence in both criminal and civil cases. Keywords: pollen and spores; trace elements; forensics
The Virulence Plasmid-Encoded impCAB Operon Enhances Survival and Induced Mutagenesis in Shigella flexneri after Exposure to UV Radiation

Upon exposure to UV radiation, Shigella flexneri SA100 displayed survival and mutation frequencies comparable to those of Escherichia coli AB1157, which contains a functional UmuDC error-prone DNA repair system. Survival of SA100 after UV irradiation was associated with the presence of the 220-kb virulence plasmid, pVP. This plasmid encodes homologues of ImpA and ImpB, which comprise an error-prone DNA repair system encoded on plasmid TP110 that was initially identified in Salmonella typhimurium, and ImpC, encoded upstream of ImpA and ImpB. Although the impB gene was present in representatives of all four species of Shigella, not all isolates tested contained the gene. Shigella isolates that lacked impB were more sensitive to UV radiation than isolates that contained impB. The nucleotide sequence of a 2.4-kb DNA fragment containing the imp operon from S. flexneri SA100 pVP was 96% identical to the imp operon from the plasmid TP110. An SA100 derivative with a mutation in the impB gene had reduced survival following UV irradiation and less UV-induced mutagenesis relative to the parental strain. We also found that S. flexneri contained a chromosomally encoded umuDC operon; however, the umuDC promoter was not induced by exposure to UV radiation. This suggests that the imp operon but not the umuDC operon contributes to survival and induced mutagenesis in S. flexneri following exposure to UV radiation.
Host-Directed Antimicrobial Drugs with Broad-Spectrum Efficacy against Intracellular Bacterial Pathogens

We sought a new approach to treating infections by intracellular bacteria, namely, by altering host cell functions that support their growth. We screened a library of 640 Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved compounds for agents that render THP-1 cells resistant to infection by four intracellular pathogens. We identified numerous drugs that are not antibiotics but were highly effective in inhibiting intracellular bacterial growth with limited toxicity to host cells. These compounds are likely to target three kinds of host functions: (i) G protein-coupled receptors, (ii) intracellular calcium signals, and (iii) membrane cholesterol distribution. The compounds that targeted G protein receptor signaling and calcium fluxes broadly inhibited Coxiella burnetii, Legionella pneumophila, Brucella abortus, and Rickettsia conorii, while those directed against cholesterol traffic strongly attenuated the intracellular growth of C. burnetii and L. pneumophila. These pathways probably support intracellular pathogen growth so that drugs that perturb them may be therapeutic candidates. Combining host- and pathogen-directed treatments is a strategy to decrease the emergence of drug-resistant intracellular bacterial pathogens. Importance: Although antibiotic treatment is often successful, it is becoming clear that alternatives to conventional pathogen-directed therapy must be developed in the face of increasing antibiotic resistance. Moreover, the costs and timing associated with the development of novel antimicrobials make repurposed FDA-approved drugs attractive host-targeted therapeutics. This paper describes a novel approach of identifying such host-targeted therapeutics against intracellular bacterial pathogens. We identified several FDA-approved drugs that inhibit the growth of intracellular bacteria, thereby implicating host intracellular pathways presumably utilized by bacteria during infection.
SOME PHYSICOCHEMlCAL PROPERTIES OF STARCHES AS AFFECTED BY CHANGES IN ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

The effects of varying atmospheric pressures on the properties of starches were investigated. Four types of starches-corn, rice, potato and wheat-were studied for their water-binding capacity and viscosity behavior. Photomicrographs of starch suspensions were taken at five altitudes and temperatures of 22 °, 60 °, 70 °, 80 ° and 90 °C respectively. Measurements of the photomicrographs showed corn, potato and rice starch granules to increase in size on changing elevation from sea level to 10,000 feet. Wheat starch was not affected. Water-binding capacity increased for corn and potato starches as the altitude increased, but rice and wheat starches were not affected. The viscosity of corn, rice and wheat starch suspensions decreased initially with increasing altitudes but increased at the higher altitudes. The viscosity of potato starch suspensions did not change at increased elevations.