cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reproducing kernel hierarchical partition of unity, Part I—formulation and theory

This work is concerned with developing the hierarchical basis for meshless methods. A reproducing kernel hierarchical partition of unity is proposed in the framework of continuous representation as well as its discretized counterpart. To form such hierarchical partition, a class of basic wavelet functions are introduced. Based upon the built-in consistency conditions, the differential consistency conditions for the hierarchical kernel functions are derived. It serves as an indispensable instrument in establishing the interpolation error estimate, which is theoretically proven and numerically validated. For a special interpolant with different combinations of the hierarchical kernels, a synchronized convergence effect may be observed. Being different from the conventional Legendre function based p-type hierarchical basis, the new hierarchical basis is an intrinsic pseudo-spectral basis, which can remain as a partition of unity in a local region, because the discrete wavelet kernels form a ‘partition of nullity’. These newly developed kernels can be used as the multi-scale basis to solve partial differential equations in numerical computation as a p-type refinement. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Residuals Based Estimators of the Covariogram

Assuming a polynomial trend with second-order stationary errors, expressions for the expectation of various covariogram estimators are derived. The goal of this article is to compare the estimator based on ordinary-least-squares residuals, with the estimator based on recursive residuals.
Early Returns from WUHF

This paper is a sequel to one given on October 6, 1961, at the Washington, D. C. meeting of the Professional Group on Broadcasting and published in the December, 1961 transactions of that group. The present status of the Commission's New York UHF-TV Project is described along with comments and tentative conclusions based on early results.
Comparison of inhibitors of superoxide generation in vascular smooth muscle cells

Background and purpose: We compared the dose-dependent reductions in cellular superoxide anion (O2-) by catalytic agents: superoxide dismutase (SOD), polyethylene glycol (PEG)-SOD and the nitroxide 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6,-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (tempol) with uncharacterized antioxidants: 5,10,15,20-tetrakis (4-sulphonatophenyl) porphyrinate iron (III)(Fe-TTPS), (-)-cis-3,3′,4′,5,7-pentahydroxyflavane (2R,3R)-2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,4-dihydro-1(2H)-benzopyran-3,5,7-triol (-epicatechin), 2-phenyl-1,2-benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-one (ebselen) and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) with the spin trap nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) and with the vitamins or their analogues: ascorbate, α-tocopherol and 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylkroman-2-carboxy acid (trolox). Experimental approach: O2- was generated in primary cultures of angiotensin II-stimulated preglomerular vascular smooth muscle cells from spontaneously hypertensive rats and detected by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence. Key results: SOD, PEG-SOD, NAC and tempol produced a similar maximum inhibition of O2- of 80–90%. -Epicatechin, NBT, ebselen and Fe-TTPS were significantly (P < 0.0125) less effective (50–70%), whereas trolox, α-tocopherol and ascorbate had little action even over 24 h of incubation (<31%). Effectiveness in disrupted and intact cells was similar for the permeable agents, PEG-SOD and tempol, but was enhanced for SOD. Generation of O2- was increased by NAC and NBT at low concentrations but reduced at high concentrations. Conclusions and implications: Maximum effectiveness against cellular production of O2- requires cell membrane permeability and catalytic action as exemplified by PEG-SOD or tempol. NAC and NBT have biphasic effects on O2- production. Vitamins C and E or analogues have low efficacy.
Electrochemistry of hydrogen-bonding systems

Hydrogen bonding is one of the most important intermolecular forces in molecular self-assembly or non-covalent synthesis. It is now possible to prepare rather large supramolecular assemblies (>1,000 Da) held together by hydrogen bonds between their molecular building blocks. From the standpoint of electrochemistry, this opens up interesting research avenues. This manuscript reviews recent results-mostly from the authors’ own group—on the electrochemistry of systems in which hydrogen bonding plays a crucial role. First, we explore the encapsulation of redox-active centers inside large hydrogen-bonded assemblies and its effects on the kinetics and thermodynamics of the electron transfer reactions of the encapsulated center. Second, we survey the use of electrochemistry to modulate the strength of hydrogen bonding between complementary partners. In this regard, the association and dissociation of dimeric calixarene molecular capsules can be fully controlled by the oxidation state of ferrocenyl centers located nearby the hydrogen-bonding sites. Finally, we also present very recent and intriguing results on the strong electronic coupling between two equivalent ferrocenyl centers held together by four hydrogen bonds in a non-covalent dimer.
The Role of Harmonic Resolvability in Pitch Perception in a Vocal Nonhuman Primate, the Common Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

Pitch is one of the most fundamental percepts in the auditory system and can be extracted using either spectral or temporal information in an acoustic signal. Although pitch perception has been extensively studied in human subjects, it is far less clear how nonhuman primates perceive pitch. We have addressed this question in a series of behavioral studies in which marmosets, a vocal nonhuman primate species, were trained to discriminate complex harmonic tones differing in either spectral (fundamental frequency [f0]) or temporal envelope (repetition rate) cues. We found that marmosets used temporal envelope information to discriminate pitch for acoustic stimuli with higher-order harmonics and lower f0 values and spectral information for acoustic stimuli with lower-order harmonics and higher f0 values. We further measured frequency resolution in marmosets using a psychophysical task in which pure tone thresholds were measured as a function of notched noise masker bandwidth. Results show that only the first four harmonics are resolved at low f0 values and up to 16 harmonics are resolved at higher f0 values. Resolvability in marmosets is different from that in humans, where the first five to nine harmonics are consistently resolved across most f0 values, and is likely the result of a smaller marmoset cochlea. In sum, these results show that marmosets use two mechanisms to extract pitch (harmonic templates [spectral] for resolved harmonics, and envelope extraction [temporal] for unresolved harmonics) and that species differences in stimulus resolvability need to be taken into account when investigating and comparing mechanisms of pitch perception across animals.
Isolation of human basophils by flow microfluorometry

Abstract Human mononuclear cells labeled with fluorescein-conjugated anti-IgE antibody were subjected to flow microfluorometric analysis. Basophils were enriched to 97–99% purity with a 2-step cell sorting procedure. Trypan blue exclusion of sorted cells exceeded 90% and the net yield of the procedure was 15%.
Food and beverages in labor. Part I: Cross-cultural and historical practices.

The diet permitted a laboring woman varies between cultures and eras. Here, cross-cultural practices regarding food and drink during labor are reviewed, with particular attention to historical and present-day American medical advice. In most American hospitals women are prohibited from eating or drinking in labor. This custom started in the middle of the twentieth century when general anesthesia was widely used for ordinary childbirth, creating risks of aspiration pneumonia and maternal death. Despite marked improvements in obstetric care, anesthetic agents, and anesthesia administration, women are still prohibited from eating and drinking in labor. It is posited that this reflects the phenomenon of culture lag. (BIRTH 15:2, June 1988)
Ointments and transdermal nitroglycerin patches for stable angina pectoris

Nitroglycerin (NTG) ointment is used for the prophylaxis against angina pectoris, but there are no data to support its effectiveness during long-term therapy. Continuous, once-daily application of isosorbide dinitrate cream produces tolerance with complete loss of efficacy within 1 week. Nitroglycerin patches are very popular and continuous once-daily application is still claimed by some investigators to provide 24 hour antiischemic and antianginal efficacy. This claim is based on data from postmarketing studies in a very large number of patients and placebo-controlled studies in smaller groups of patients from Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Germany. In contrast, studies from the United States, Canada, England, and some centers in Germany have failed to show superiority of patches over placebo during continuous therapy. This controversy was addressed by the NTG cooperative study group, in which a total of 562 patients who were responders to sublingual nitroglycerin were studied. Patients received either placebo or NTG patches delivering low (15–30 mg/ 24 hr), moderate (45–60 mg/24hr), or large (75 and 105 mg/ 24 hr) amounts of NTG. Four hours after the initial application, NTG patches increased exercise duration compared to placebo, but this beneficial effect had disappeared by 24 hours. Furthermore, after 8 weeks of continuous therapy, none of the NTG patches were superior to placebo, whether patients were or were not taking concomitant beta-blockers. Therefore, current opinion is that continous therapy with NTG patches produces pharmacologic tolerance and is ineffective. Pharmacologic tolerance can be minimized when patches are applied every morning and removed after 10–12 hours at night. However, patches delivering >15mg NTG/24hr are required to maintain an increased exercise duration for up to hour 8 after the patch application. Intermittent therapy with patches, however, may lead to rebound nocturnal angina in some patients. Also, intermittent therapy with patches has been associated with worsening of exercise performance in the morning prior to the patch renewal, compared to therapy with placebo patches. This has been referred to as the zero-hour effect and probably represents a rebound phenomenon following nitrate withdrawal. Patients experiencing either nocturnal or early morning angina during intermittent therapy with patches should either be switched to oral long-acting nitrates or should in addition be treated with a beta-blocker, provided there are no contraindications to beta-blocker treatment.
Comparison of the metabolic effects of chylomicrons and their remnants on isolated hepatocytes

Abstract A comparison was made between the effects of chylomicrons and chylomicron remnants on metabolic processes of isolated hepatocytes. Since isolated triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins are contaminated with nonesterified fatty acids, control incubations were conducted with an amount of fatty acid equivalent to the contaminating fatty acids present in the chylomicrons and the remnant preparations, respectively. Chylomicron remnants, produced in vitro by incubation of chylomicrons in postheparin rat plasma, caused marked inhibition of glycolysis, fatty acid synthesis, and cholesterol synthesis, along with marked stimulation of ketogenesis. These effects were traced to the release of nonesterified fatty acids from these remnant particles as a consequence of contamination with lipoprotein lipase, picked up by the particles during the incubation with rat plasma. Fatty acids inhibit glycolysis, cholesterol, and fatty acid synthesis, but enhance ketone body formation by isolated hepatocytes. Chylomicrons and remnants prepared in vivo by the injection of chylomicrons into functionally hepatectomized rats were not contaminated with lipoprotein lipase and did not inhibit glycolysis and cholesterol synthesis nor increase ketone body formation. These lipoprotein particles did, however, cause significant inhibition of fatty acid synthesis, with the chylomicrons being more effective on a protein basis than the remnants produced in vivo . The mechanism responsible for the inhibition of fatty acid synthesis by chylomicrons and remnants prepared in vivo remains to be resolved.
Stereospecific 1,4-polymerization of 2,3-bis(trimethylsilyl)-1,3-butadiene

Polymerization of 2,3-bis(trimethylsilyl)-1,3-butadiene in hexane/HMPA catalyzed by n-butyllithium yields trans-1,4-poly[2,3-bis(trimethylsilyl)-1,3-butadiene]. This polymer has been characterized by 1H, 13C and 29Si NMR as well as IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The stereochemistry of the carboncarbon double bonds has been established by protodesilation of the polymer with HI. The molecular weight distribution of the polymer has been determined by gel permeation chromatography and its thermal stability by thermogravimetric analysis.
"New membrane" formation in Amoeba proteus upon injury of individual cells. Electron microscope observations.

Changes in the plasma membrane complex following the injury of single cells of Amoeba proteus were examined with the electron microscope. Two types of injury were employed in this study; cells were either pinched ("cut") in half or speared with a glass microneedle, and quickly fixed. Speared cells, when fixed in the presence of the ruthenium violet (a derivative of ruthenium red), revealed the presence of an extra trilaminar structure outside of each cell. This structure, called the "new membrane," was separated from the plasma membrane complex by a distance of less than a micron. The trilaminar structure of the new membrane strikingly resembled the image of the plasma membrane in all cells examined, except for its increased width (30%). This new membrane appeared nearly to surround the injured amebae. Attempts were made to demonstrate the possible origin of the new membrane, its reality, and its sensitivity to calcium. Also, some evidence is shown concerning the role of the small dense droplets (100-1200 A in diameter) normally present in the cytoplasm of amebae. Their frequent contact with the plasma membrane of the cell as the result of injury is interpreted as indicating their involvement in the formation and expansion of the plasma membrane.
Optimal financial structure of finance companies in a regulated environment of a developing country

Little is known about the regulatory framework for financial institutions in developing countries. In this paper, the effect of regulations in the financial structure of finance companies in a developing country is examined. The analysis suggests that regulations are so restrictive that they are reducing competition, limiting the mobilization of local resources, and inducing credit rationing in the financial system. The application of simple programming techniques to evaluate the regulatory framework is also demonstrated. Some policy recommendations and suggestions for further research are presented at the end.
Specific in vitro histamine release from basophils by bivalent haptens: Evidence for activation by simple bridging of membrane bound antibody

Abstract Rabbits were immunized with either BPO or DNP protein conjugates to produce reaginic antibody. Leukocytes from animals were tested for histamine release with monovalent, bivalent and mixed haptens. Monovalent haptens were incapable of releasing histamine whereas all the bivalent compounds were active. Leukocytes from rabbits immunized with both BPO and DNP conjugated proteins were capable of releasing histamine with a mixed hapten with the formula BPO-NH-(CH2)6-NH-DNP. The mixed hapten was inactive in rabbits immunized with either hapten alone. It was also negative with cells, from singly immunized animals (BPO or DNP) mixed in vitro. A homologous series of bivalent BPO haptens were tested for their ability to release histamine from cells of BPO-immunized rabbits. The general formula of these compounds was BPO-NH-(CH2)n-NH-BPO. Short chain compounds where n = 3 were active in releasing histamine but were less active than compounds groups were separated by rigid diphenyl bridges the longer chain compounds were equally active. The bivalent haptens were as active on a molar basis as a multivalent compound. This indicates that the hapten binding sites on some of the IgE molecules must be very shallow. The results are interpreted to indicate that activation of a basophil is due to bridging of two molecules on the cell surface with the resultant formation of a dimer. The evidence suggests that bridging does not occur withn the two Fab portions of a single IgE molecule.
The synthesis of novel polycyclic heterocyclic ring systems via photocyclization. 16. [1]benzothieno[2′,3′:4,5]thieno[2,3-c]quinoline and [1]benzothieno[2′,3′:4,5]thieno[2,3-c]naphtho[1,2-f]quinoline†

The synthesis of two previously unknown polycyclic heterocyclic ring systems via photocyclization is described. The unequivocal assignment of their proton and carbon spectra was achieved by utilizing two-dimensional nmr techniques.
Controlled release from fibers of polyelectrolyte complexes

Controlled release systems for delicate compounds, such as proteins, often suffer the drawbacks of decreased bioactivity and low encapsulation efficiency. This study introduces the concept of producing drug-loaded fibers from interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation. Chitosan-alginate fibers were produced by pulling from the interface between two polyelectrolyte solutions at room temperature. Depending on the component properties, the release time of encapsulated components from these fibers can range from hours to weeks. Dexamethasone was completely released within 2 h, whereas charged compounds such as BSA, PDGF-bb, and avidin showed sustained release for 3 weeks. The fibers were able to release PDGF-bb in a steady fashion for over 3 weeks without an initial burst. Furthermore, the bioactivity of PDGF-bb was retained over this period. Release kinetics could be controlled by the inclusion of heparin, which contains specific binding sites for various growth factors. By varying the alginate/heparin ratios in the anionic polyelectrolyte solution, the release of PDGF-bb could be significantly altered. In this study, interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation has been demonstrated to be a promising technique for producing drug-loaded fibers with high encapsulation efficiency, sustained release kinetics, and capacity to retain the bioactivity of the encapsulants.
Umbral oscillations as resonant modes of magneto-atmospheric waves

Umbral oscillations in sunspots are identified as a resonant response of the umbral atmosphere to forcing by oscillatory convection in the subphotosphere. The full, linearized equations for magnetoatmospheric waves are solved numerically for a detailed model of the umbral atmosphere, for both forced and free oscillations. Resonant 'fast' modes are found, the lowest mode having a period of 153 s, typical of umbral oscillations. A comparison is made with a similar analysis by Uchida and Sakurai (1975), who calculated resonant modes using an approximate ('quasi-Alfven') form of the wave equations. Whereas both analyses give an appropriate value for the period of oscillation, several new features of the motion follow from the full equations. The resonant modes are due to upward reflection in the subphotosphere (due to increasing sound speed) and downward reflection in the photosphere and low chromosphere (due to increasing Alfven speed); downward reflection at the chromosphere-corona transition is unimportant for these modes.
Compound Nucleus Formation Mechanisms in Reaction of Heavy Ions with Medium-Mass Elements

Excitation functions and range distributions of heavy products formed by the reaction of ${\mathrm{O}}^{16}$, ${\mathrm{N}}^{14}$, and ${\mathrm{C}}^{12}$ with ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{55}$ and ${\mathrm{Co}}^{59}$ have been measured. Results show that the bulk of products, with mass numbers greater than that of the target, are formed exclusively by decay of a compound nucleus formed by complete fusion of target and projectile. One nuclide, ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{61}$, can also be formed from ${\mathrm{O}}^{16}$ bombardment of ${\mathrm{Co}}^{59}$ (but not from the formally similar compound system ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{55}$+${\mathrm{Ne}}^{20}$) by a mechanism in which only part of the momentum of the projectile is transferred. It appears to be representative of products with mass near that of the target, which can be formed by nucleon transfer in a grazing reaction. No evidence is found for a general type of "buckshot" mechanism. Small yields of ${\mathrm{Na}}^{24}$ and ${\mathrm{P}}^{32}$ appear to result from a fission or fragmentation mechanism.
Surgical therapy for Barrett’s esophagus: prevention, protection and excision

Barrett’s esophagus is a complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease and is a manifestation of chronic tissue injury. It is characterized by the presence of intestinal metaplasia in an esophagus lined with cardiac-type mucosa; alternatively described as a columnar-lined esophagus with intestinal metaplasia or Barrett’s mucosal. When present, the abnormal mucosa confers a more than 30 to125-fold risk of progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma, which emerges at a rate of about 1–2 cancers per 100 patient-years of follow-up. 1–3 Current dogma states that Barrett’s esophagus develops quickly to its full extent, with little subsequent increase in length. 4 This is based on data from patients with only long segments of Barrett’s mucosa within the tubular esophagus, i.e. > 3 cm. It is now accepted that intestinal metaplasia occurs in segments of cardiac-type mucosa that are less than 3 cm in length, and that intestinal metaplasia can even occur in extremely small segments of cardiactype mucosa located just below the squamous epithelium of an endoscopically normal appearing gastroesophageal junction. 5–7 It is known that cardiac-type mucosal at the gastroesophageal junction is almost always inflamed, as evident by an inflammatory infiltrate on microscopy, and is exposed to increased acid exposure on 24 h esophageal pH monitoring. 7 Consequently, this finding is referred to as carditis and is one of the early signs of gastroesophageal reflux disease. The length of the inflamed cardiac-type mucosa has been shown to be related to the degree of esophageal acid exposure, the level of lower esophageal sphincter pressure and the length of the sphincter exposed to the abdominal pressure environment. 8 It is now known that the segments of cardiac-type mucosa can show intestinal metaplasia on biopsy and that the prevalence of this finding is directly related to the length of the segment. 8 On the bases of these studies, it is hypothesized that Barrett’s esophagus spreads progressively upwards in a stepwise fashion. Initially, short segments of inflamed cardiac-type mucosa develop below an endoscopically normal appearing gastroesophageal junction. The inflammation causes a loss in the pressure and length of the lower esophageal sphincter resulting in greater esophageal acid exposure with extension of inflamed cardiac-type mucosa into the distal 3 cm of the esophagus. With further loss of sphincter pressure and length, the process extends higher into the esophageal body. With time, and under proper conditions, intestinalization of the cardiac mucosa can occur with a prevalence that is related to the duration and functional severity of the disease. It is the occurrence of intestinalization that is associated with a cancer risk and is required for the diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus. Understanding the disease in this way has strong implications regarding its therapy.
Fundamental oscillations of coils and windings

THE NORMAL FUNCTIONS of a coil or winding are obtained from the solution of the Fredholm integral equation
Titíes, mundinovos y purichinelas en una mojiganga inédita de Antonio de Zamora: estudio y edición

This paper is an analyisis, annotation and edition of the Mojiganga del mundinovo (‘The raree show, a carnival play’) by Antonio de Zamora. The play was performed in 1698 Madrid by the troupe of Carlos Vallejo, along with the sacramental one-act play El templo vivo de Dios (‘The living temple of God’). The hitherto unpublished text is based on the only two extant manuscripts, located in archives in Madrid. Despite the play’s title, my analysis argues that the novelty in this play is not so much the raree show, a contraption popularized four decades earlier in Golden Age theater, as the marmosets. The death of two marmosets and the ensuing desolation of their owner, Ms. Estupenda, both trigger the play and provide it with a plot. The marmosets, too, point to a changing mentality in late 17th-century society, regarding the possession among ladies of marmosets and other monkeys as pets.
Soft Drink Consumption and Changes in Body Composition in 170 Women: A 4-Year Prospective Study

SOFT DRINK CONSUMPTION AND CHANGES IN BODY COMPOSITION IN 170 WOMEN: A 4-YEAR PROSPECTIVE STUDY Jared M. Tucker Department of Exercise Sciences Master of Science Background: In recent history, there have been significant increases in both soft drink consumption and the prevalence of obesity throughout the developed world. To help curb the obesity epidemic, a better understanding of the behaviors contributing to weight and fat gain is vital. Objective: To examine the extent to which soft drink consumption is predictive of changes in body composition in middle-aged women over a 4-year period, while statistically controlling for age, energy intake, physical activity, and menopause status. Design: A prospective cohort design over 48 months with no intervention. Self-reported soft drink consumption was used to predict changes in body weight and body fat percentage over the study period. Subjects included 170 healthy women (mean: 41.5 yrs at baseline). Soft drink consumption and menopause status were measured by questionnaire. Body weight was assessed using a calibrated, electronic scale, and total body fat percentage was measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Energy intake was estimated using 7-day, weighed, food records. Results: Women who primarily consumed sugar-sweetened soft drinks gained significantly more weight than those who consumed diet soft drinks or no soft drinks (p = 0.022), even after controlling for confounding variables, except energy intake, which weakened the relationship by 28%. Changes in body fat were unrelated to the type of soft drink consumed. Women who consumed 7+ soft drinks per week gained significantly less body fat (p = 0.015) and body weight (p = 0.052) over the 4-year study compared to women who consumed fewer soft drinks per week. Further investigation revealed that women who consumed 7+ soft drinks per week did so almost exclusively in the form of diet soft drinks (87%). Conclusions: Drinking sugar-sweetened soft drinks significantly increases risk of weight gain compared to consuming diet soft drinks or no soft drinks over a 4-year period. It appears that this relationship is partly due to differences in energy intake among those who drink different types of soft drinks. Thus, it appears that consuming diet soft drinks or no soft drinks instead of sugar-sweetened soft drinks may be a worthwhile method of preventing weight gain.
Oscillatory correlates of the primacy effect in episodic memory.

Both intracranial and scalp EEG studies have demonstrated that oscillatory activity, especially in the gamma band (28 to 100 Hz), can differentiate successful and unsuccessful episodic encoding [Sederberg, P.B., Kahana, M.J., Howard, M.W., Donner, E.J., Madsen, J.R., 2003. Theta and gamma oscillations during encoding predict subsequent recall. Journal of Neuroscience, 23(34), 10809-10814; Fell, J., Klaver, P., Lehnertz, K., Grunwald, T., Schaller, C., Elger, C.E., Fernandez, G., 2001. Human memory formation is accompanied by rhinal-hippocampal coupling and decoupling. Nature Neuroscience, 4 (12), 1259-1264; Gruber, T., Tsivilis, D., Montaldi, D., and Muller, M. (2004). Induced gamma band responses: An early marker of memory encoding and retrieval. Neuroreport, 15, 1837-1841; Summerfield, C., Mangels, J.A., in press. Dissociable neural mechanisms for encoding predictable and unpredictable events. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience]. Although the probability of recalling an item varies as a function of where it appeared in the list, the relation between the oscillatory dynamics of successful encoding and serial position remains unexplored. We recorded scalp EEG as participants studied lists of common nouns in a delayed free-recall task. Because early list items were recalled better than items from later serial positions (the primacy effect), we analyzed encoding-related changes in 2 to 100 Hz oscillatory power as a function of serial position. Increases in gamma power in posterior regions predicted successful encoding at early serial positions; widespread low-frequency (4-14 Hz) power decreases predicted successful memory formation for later serial positions. These results suggest that items in early serial positions receive an encoding boost due to focused encoding without having to divide resources among numerous list items. Later in the list, as memory load increases, encoding is divided between multiple items.
Suicidal Ideation Among Older Primary Care Patients

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence and sociodemographic and clinical correlates of suicidal ideation among older primary care patients. DESIGN: Baseline screening for depressive symptoms, functional status, and suicidal ideation, with prospective assessment of mortality. SETTING: An academic primary care group practice at an ambulatory care clinic. PARTICIPANTS: 301 patients who screened positive for depression and a random sample of 101 patients who screened negative from among 3767 patients aged 60 and older who completed screening for depression during routine office visits. MEASUREMENTS: Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale, Hamilton Depression Rating (HAM-D) scale, Sickness Impact Profile (SIP), structured psychiatric interview, sociodemographic and clinical variables, and mortality. RESULTS: Among the 301 patients with CES-D scores ≥16, 14 (4.6%) reported suicidal ideation and received urgent evaluation by mental health professionals. The estimated prevalence of suicidal ideation in this cohort of older primary care patients was 0.7 to 1.2%. All patients with suicidal ideation had evidence of a current affective disorder, and nearly all had moderate to severe functional impairment. However, even though all 14 patients endorsed suicidal ideation, corresponding HAM-D scores ranged from 3 to 40, and only four of 14 met diagnostic criteria for major depression. The most common suicide plan involved use of a hand gun. Depressed patients with suicidal ideation did not differ significantly from depressed non-suicidal patients on any of the following variables: age, gender, race, education, alcohol abuse, cognitive impairment, or mean CES-D, HAM-D, or SIP scores. None of the suicidal patients had died within 12 months of the screening date. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of suicidal ideation was about 1% among this cohort of older primary care patients, and the prevalence approaches 5% among those older adults who report significant symptoms of depression. However, asking patients directly about the presence of active suicidal ideation appears to be the only effective means of identifying those at risk.
“Political Monitoring” as an Analytical Concept: A Lasting Legacy?

This article highlights the concept of monitoring as an example of how researchers can learn from the scholarship of Elinor and Vincent Ostrom. It emphasizes the concept's critical role in the pursuit of good governance and in related explanations of self-organized collective action to overcome social dilemma issues. Framed by their theoretical concerns, the discussion raises questions about how future research might analytically apply political monitoring, suggests cases to be explored, and offers guidelines that should be considered.
Evaluation of an interactive computer-aided diagnosis (ICAD) system for mammography: a pilot study

Five radiologists detected suspicious mass regions depicted on mammograms acquired from 32 examinations during this pilot study. Among these, 24 examinations depicted subtle masses (12 malignant and 12 benign) and 8 were negative. Each observer interpreted a case in a sequential order under three reading modes. In mode one, the observer interpreted images without viewing CAD-generated cues. The observer provided two likelihood scores (for detection and classification) for each identified suspicious region. In mode two, CAD-cued results were provided and the observer could decide whether to make any changes in the previous ratings. In mode three, each observer was forced to query at least one suspected region. Once a region was queried, CAD scheme automatically segmented the mass region and computed a set of image features. Using a conditioned k -nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithm, six reference regions that were considered "the most similar" to the queried region were selected and displayed along with CAD-generated scores. Again, the observer had an option to change previous ratings. Experimental results were analyzed using ROC method. Five observers marked total 271, 276, and 281 mass regions under the three reading modes, respectively. In mode 2 observers marked 5 new suspected mass regions and did not make any changes in previously rated detection or classification scores. In mode three, although observers queried 18 additional regions, 13 were discarded and 5 were marked with region specific related scores. The observers also changed previous rating scores of 28 mass regions marked during mode one. The areas under ROC curves for individual readers ranged from 0.51 to 0.71 for mass detection ( p = 0.67) and from 0.50 to 0.73 for mass classification ( p = 0.43). This pilot study suggested that using ICAD could increase radiologists' confidence in their decision making. We also found that because radiologists tend to accept a higher false-positive rate in a laboratory environment, once they made their detection decision during the initial reading, they are frequently reluctant to make changes during the following modes. Hence, while simple and efficient operationally, the sequential reading mode may not be an optimal approach to evaluate the actual utility of ICAD.
An internal model approach to autonomous leader/follower trailing for non‐holonomic vehicles

The focus of this paper is on the design of a control architecture of decentralized type for controlling a leader/follower pair of autonomous non-holonomic vehicles. A fundamental constraint in this trailing control requires that each agent employs local sensor information to process data on the relative position and velocity between its neighbouring vehicles, without relying on global communication with mission control. This constraint poses a challenge in the design of the control system because the reference trajectory to be tracked, which in the case considered in this paper is related to the motion of the leader, is not known a priori. It is shown in the paper that this specific control problem can be approached from the point of view of the internal model paradigm. In particular, once models of the autonomous dynamics of the leader are embedded in a decentralized dynamic controller, the design of the controller can be completed with a robust stabilizer, obtained by using ISS-gain-assignment techniques. It is shown that asymptotic convergence of the follower to an arbitrarily small neighbourhood of the desired steady-state configuration is achieved, despite the presence of possibly large parameter uncertainties, while the motion of each agent remains confined into specified ‘sectors’ to avoid possible collision between neighbouring vehicles during transients. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the design methodology. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Physiological Effects of Subvisible Microspheres Administered Intravenously to Beagle Dogs

Abstract Experiments were performed to determine the acute effects of polystyrene microspheres in four size ranges (3, 8, 15, and 25 μ m) upon intravenous administration to dogs. The parameters monitored were arterial pressure, arterial blood pH, blood gases (pO 2 and pCO 2 ), white blood cell count, heart rate, and single lead ECG. A filtered (particle-free) control volume was administered after establishing background readings for each dog for 30 min, and the monitoring was continued for an additional 30 min before dosing with the suspension of spheres. The animals were followed for up to 3 hr after dosing. Initial experiments with 15- μ m spheres at bolus dose levels of 0.1, 1,5, and 10 million spheres revealed no drastic changes in the clinical parameters monitored; therefore, an incremental dosing regimen was followed in which 0.5,1,5, and 40 million spheres/min were administered at sizes of 25,15,8, and 3 μ m, respectively, for 1 hr (total of 30, 50, 300, and 2400 million spheres). Even at these exaggerated doses, the only appreciable change observed was a slight increase in white cell count. The dogs were further observed for 4 weeks after the experiment and appeared to remain normal. Histological evaluation of representative tissue samples showed no evidence of damage that could be attributed to the presence of microspheres in the organs.
Hexanal Formation via Lipid Oxidation as a Function of Oxygen Concentration: Measurement and Kinetics

A system was developed to continuously quantify hexanal produced via lipid oxidation of oils at constant oxygen concentrations. Two kinetic models were derived from molecular mechanisms of oxidation to describe the initial (a cubic model) and accelerated (an extended model) stages of oxidation. The kinetic models illustrated the mechanistic influence of oxygen on rate constants and fit the data as well as simplistic curve fitting models. The monomolecular reaction phase showed the expected hyperbolic fit of inverse rate vs reciprocal oxygen concentration. The break point between initial and accelerated stages as function of oxygen concentration was represented by a logarithmic function.
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome following Infection with O111 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Revealed through Molecular Diagnostics

ABSTRACT We report a case of hemolytic uremic syndrome in a 69-year-old woman due to Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, possibly serotype O111, to illustrate the potentially deleterious implications of a Campylobacter enzyme immunoassay (EIA) result and the increasing importance of molecular testing when conventional methods are limited.
Selenium transport and bioaccumulation in aquatic ecosystems: a proposal for water quality criteria based on hydrological units.

Abstract Local water quality criteria for selenium should be based on an assessment of the degree of toxicological hazard to fish and wildlife, which is influenced by the spatial and temporal variation of the selenium cycle at the site under consideration. The physical area from which measurements are taken to evaluate selenium residues and biological effects, i.e., the database for setting site-specific criteria, must encompass more than an isolated segment of river, a tributary stream, etc. Because of hydrological connections between the various aquatic habitats that may be present in a watershed basin—wetlands, rivers, streams, and impoundments—the toxic threat from selenium contamination is also connected. For example, a criterion that is appropriate for a stream or river where low bioaccumulation occurs may result in seemingly harmless concentrations of selenium becoming a problem in downstream impoundments or in off-channel bays and wetlands where bioaccumulation is greater. The hydrologically connected parts of a basin downstream of a selenium discharge (natural or synthetic selenium source), extending to the point at which new sources of low-selenium water dominate the hydrology (e.g., confluence with larger tributary or river, spring or groundwater inflow), should be the area evaluated and given a specific criterion, not isolated components. Thus, a hydrological unit should be identified and used as the “site” for the purpose of setting criteria. Importantly, criteria derived in such a fashion will reflect the transport and bioaccumulation of selenium within the entire hydrological unit rather than simply focusing on a small, artificially designated segment of the system. Failure to use a hydrological unit approach can set the stage for significant biological and legal problems.
Suppressed Th17 Levels Correlate with Elevated PIAS3, SHP2, and SOCS3 Expression in CD4 T Cells during Acute Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

T helper 17 (Th17) cells play an important role in mucosal immune homeostasis and maintaining the integrity of the mucosal epithelial barrier. Loss of Th17 cells has been extensively documented during human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infections. The lack of effective repopulation of Th17 cells has been associated with chronic immune activation mediated by the translocation of microbial products. Using ex vivo analysis of purified peripheral blood CD4 T cells from SIV-infected rhesus macaques, we show that the suppression of interleukin-17 (IL-17) expression correlated with upregulated expression of negative regulatory genes PIAS3, SHP2, and SOCS3 in CD4 T cells. Suppressed Th17 expression was accompanied by elevated levels of soluble CD14 (sCD14) and lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) in the plasma during early stages of infection. Plasma viral loads rather than sCD14 or LBP levels correlated with acute immune activation. Additionally, we observed a significant increase in the expression of CD14 on peripheral blood monocytes that correlated with IL-23 expression and markers of microbial translocation. Taken together, our results provide new insights into the early events associated with acute SIV pathogenesis and suggest additional mechanisms playing a role in suppression of Th17 cells.
Systems, control models, and codec for collaborative observation of remote environments with an autonomous networked robotic camera

Networked robotic cameras are becoming popular in remote observation applications such as natural observation, surveillance, and distance learning. Equipped with a high optical zoom lens and agile pan-tilt mechanisms, a networked robotic camera can cover a large region with various resolutions. The optimal selection of camera control parameters for competing observation requests and the on-demand delivery of video content for various spatiotemporal queries are two challenges in the design of such autonomous systems. For camera control, we introduce memoryless and temporal frame selection models that effectively enable collaborative control of the camera based on the competing inputs from in-situ sensors and users. For content delivery, we design a patch-based motion panorama representation and coding/decoding algorithms (codec) to allow efficient storage and computation. We present system architecture, frame selection models, user interface, and codec algorithms. We have implemented the system and extensively tested our design in real world applications including natural observation, public surveillance, distance learning, and building construction monitoring. Experiment results show that our frame selection models are robust and effective and our on-demand content delivery codec can satisfy a variety of spatiotemporal queries efficiently in terms of computation time communications bandwidth.
Orbitofrontal Cortex as a Cognitive Map of Task Space

Summary Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has long been known to play an important role in decision making. However, the exact nature of that role has remained elusive. Here, we propose a unifying theory of OFC function. We hypothesize that OFC provides an abstraction of currently available information in the form of a labeling of the current task state, which is used for reinforcement learning (RL) elsewhere in the brain. This function is especially critical when task states include unobservable information, for instance, from working memory. We use this framework to explain classic findings in reversal learning, delayed alternation, extinction, and devaluation as well as more recent findings showing the effect of OFC lesions on the firing of dopaminergic neurons in ventral tegmental area (VTA) in rodents performing an RL task. In addition, we generate a number of testable experimental predictions that can distinguish our theory from other accounts of OFC function.
Learning to Deliver Care in a Medical Home A Qualitative Analysis of Residents’ Reflections on Practice

Objective. We used online structured reflection to improve residents’ understanding of care delivery in the medical home. Methods. Third-year pediatric residents participated in an online curriculum on delivering effective, patient-centered primary care in the medical home to children with special health care needs. Residents were prompted to respond to questions designed to stimulate reflection. We qualitatively assessed their responses, graded their depth of reflection, and provided structured feedback. Results. Residents identified aspects of their practice consistent with medical home principles. Depth of reflection increased over time. Residents realized they needed to better understand families’ financial, emotional, and social needs and increase families’ involvement in care planning. Residents identified systems issues and practice changes to improve care delivery. Conclusions. Online reflective writing with feedback is a powerful strategy to improve residents’ learning. Residents identified and b...
Dissociable Mechanisms Supporting Awareness: The P300 and Gamma in a Linguistic Attentional Blink Task

As demonstrated by the attentional blink (AB) phenomenon, awareness for attended stimuli is governed by sharp capacity limits. We used a linguistic AB task to investigate the neural mechanisms that underlie failures of awareness, examining both event-related potentials and oscillatory brain activity to correctly reported and missed second targets (T2s) presented after a correctly reported first target (T1) in a rapid visual stream of distractors. Correctly reported targets occurring at a short lag (250 ms) after T1-within the classic AB period-elicited enhanced late gamma activity relative to incorrectly reported targets but showed no P300 modulation relative to missed targets. In contrast, correctly reported targets presented at a long lag (830 ms)-outside the classic AB period-elicited a greater P300 component but did not significantly modulate oscillatory activity. This double dissociation suggests that there are multiple neural mechanisms supporting awareness that may operate in parallel. Either the P300 or the gamma can index impairment in the cascade of processing leading to a target's entry into awareness. We conclude that the P300 and gamma activity reflect functionally distinct neural mechanisms, each of which plays an independent role in awareness.
In the grip of the big telescope age

George Ellery Hale was a man of many dreams. One of his most persistent was to find the means to collect as much light as possible, but there is another element in his designs for the modern astrophysical observatory that has even greater significance, as it defines and distinguishes the practice of astrophysics from that of classical astronomy. Here we examine factors that either impeded or drove the acceptance of reflectors over refractors around the turn of the twentieth century at the outset of what may best be called the “Hale era.” This commenced in the late nineteenth century, when the first large multi-focus photographic reflectors emerged during the reign of the great refractors. It lasted through to the onset of World War II when astronomical practice was dominated by ten reflectors with mirrors between 60 and 100 in., and was about to add one more whose surface area would almost double that of all the rest combined. We will touch upon how design choice reflected both scientific priorities and technological limitations.