cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early Ambulation After Injury Is Associated With Increased Muscle Size and Strength.

BACKGROUND Trauma and management of injuries can result in reduction or loss of mobility, which can lead to skeletal muscle deconditioning and sustained disability. Prior investigators have examined changes in skeletal muscle due to injury and immobility separately. The muscular consequences of combined immobility and trauma have not been systematically investigated. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to explore the association of time to first ambulation with skeletal muscle size and strength in patients after major trauma. METHODS Adults (N = 19) admitted for major trauma (Injury Severity Score [ISS] > 15) provided daily measures of muscle size (ultrasound) and strength (dynamometry) during hospitalization. Participants were grouped based on time to first ambulation. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare muscle measures between the groups across 5 days while controlling for age and gender. RESULTS Participants were primarily male (63%) aged 40 ± 17 years with a mean ISS of 21 ± 4. Early ambulation was associated with a 10% increase from baseline in bicep size on Days 3 and 4 and a 15% increase from baseline on Day 5. There were no changes in rectus femoris size in either group. The early ambulation group was significantly stronger than the delayed ambulation group throughout the study in measures taken with the biceps (22%-37%) and quadriceps (26%-46%). CONCLUSION Early ambulation following major trauma was associated with increased bicep size and greater muscle strength in the biceps and quadriceps muscles over time.
Heterologous Expression of the Constitutive Disease Resistance 2 and 8 Genes from Poncirus trifoliata Restored the Hypersensitive Response and Resistance of Arabidopsis cdr1 Mutant to Bacterial Pathogen Pseudomonas syringae

Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening, is the most destructive disease of citrus worldwide. In the United States, this disease is associated with a phloem-restricted bacterium, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. Commercial citrus cultivars are susceptible to HLB, but Poncirus trifoliata, a close relative of Citrus, is highly tolerant of HLB. Isolating P. trifoliata gene(s) controlling its HLB tolerance followed by expressing the gene(s) in citrus is considered a potential cisgenic approach to engineering citrus for tolerance to HLB. Previous gene expression studies indicated that the constitutive disease resistance (CDR) genes in P. trifoliata (PtCDRs) may play a vital role in its HLB tolerance. This study was designed to use Arabidopsis mutants as a model system to confirm the function of PtCDRs in plant disease resistance. PtCDR2 and PtCDR8 were amplified from P. trifoliata cDNA and transferred into the Arabidopsis cdr1 mutant, whose resident CDR1 gene was disrupted by T-DNA insertion. The PtCDR2 and PtCDR8 transgenic Arabidopsis cdr1 mutant restored its hypersensitive response to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato strain DC3000 (Pst DC3000) expressing avrRpt2. The defense marker gene PATHOGENESIS RELATED 1 (PR1) expressed at much higher levels in the PtCDR2 or PtCDR8 transgenic cdr1 mutant than in the non-transgenic cdr1 mutant with or without pathogen infection. Multiplication of Pst DC3000 bacteria in Arabidopsis was inhibited by the expression of PtCDR2 and PtCDR8. Our results showed that PtCDR2 and PtCDR8 were functional in Arabidopsis and played a positive role in disease resistance and demonstrated that Arabidopsis mutants can be a useful alternate system for screening Poncirus genes before making the time-consuming effort to transfer them into citrus, a perennial woody plant that is highly recalcitrant for Agrobacterium or biolistic-mediated transformation.
Research on Intelligent Substation Simulation Modelling Technology Based on Data Acquisition Technology

The introduction of intelligent substation process layer network has caused great changes in the data source and transmission method of relay protection, and its action performance and reliability are increasingly dependent on the communication network. The data flow of the relay protection in the intelligent substation and the communication mechanism of each message are analysed. Based on the IEC61850 standard, the process layer network and the relay protection IED device are modelled on the OPNET simulation software to realize the MU of the relay protection in the intelligent substation the whole process simulation of data collection, SV message, GOOSE message, protection algorithm and protection export. Combined with the example of current protection, the principle and realization mechanism of modelling and simulation are explained, and its feasibility and effectiveness are verified, which provides a new effective research tool for the quantitative analysis of relay protection in smart substations.
Advocacy & Pediatric Human Trafficking

Abstract Human trafficking is a pervasive problem throughout the world and is largely underreported, particularly within the pediatric population. Signs of trafficking can be subtle, and it is important for clinicians to be familiar with red flags and how to advocate for children whom they suspect of being trafficked. This article provides a brief overview of pediatric human trafficking and methods of successfully advocating for pediatric victims.
Psychosocial Aspects and Stigma

There is often significant stigma associated with people affected by seizures and diagnosed with epilepsy. The effects of stigmatization in people with epilepsy can often be significant resulting in impaired psychosocial function, isolation, and agoraphobia due to the fear of experiencing seizures, worsening anxiety and depression, and compromised overall quality of life. Patients with drug-resistant epilepsy may be confused with a psychiatric disorder further stigmatizing them. The sophistication of medical and surgical understanding in managing people with epilepsy varies widely in developing countries with limited resources. While history and physical examination is usually helpful to differentiate patients with seizures from other causes such as sleep disorders in people with nocturnal seizures, video-EEG or video-polysomnography with an expanded EEG montage may be necessary to arrive at a definitive diagnosis.
Tick Sizes, Stock Prices, and Share Turnover: International Evidence

We examine tick sizes, stock prices, and share turnover rates in stock markets across 18 developed countries and find that (i) differences in mandatory tick sizes explain a significant proportion of the variation in stock prices among markets, and (ii) lower percentage tick sizes are not associated with higher turnover. We consider the implications of these findings for the recent decimalization of stock trading in the United States, and conclude that decimal trading is likely to result in lower stock prices (due to stock splits) with no substantial change in dollar trading volume.
Optimal profile descent with 4-D trajectory

Presented Optimal E design - Generate 4-D trajectories in-flight for RTA-compliant OPD operations. Presented a design to compute the feasible RTA window - Enable pilots to accept or reject the RTA provided by air traffic controllers. Work is on-going to further enhance the computational efficiency of Optimal E. Work is on-going to examine the statistical performance of RTA accuracy that is achievable without undue burden on avionics.
Tuning the Electronic Structure of Atomically Precise Sn/Co/Se Nanoclusters via Redox Matching of Tin(IV) Surface Sites.

A new strategy is reported to tailor the electronic properties of a superatomic metal chalcogenide cluster by redox matching the cluster core with surface tin(IV) sites. Two ternary clusters (SnR2)3Co6Se8L6 (R = Me, nBu) are synthesized by salt metathesis from the hexalithiated salt [Li2(py)2]3Co6Se8L6 and R2SnCl2. Cyclic and differential-pulse voltammetry studies reveal that the tristannylated clusters feature two new, near-degenerate, electronic states within the highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gap of the Co6Se8 core, which are attributed to the reduction of a surface tin site. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that no Sn···Se coordination is present in the solid state. The single-crystal X-ray structure of the hexalithiated salt starting material is reported for the tetrahydrofuran (THF) adduct variant [Li2(THF)2]6Co6Se8L6.
Flawed stimulus design in additive-area heuristic studies.

Abstract In a series of recently published studies purportedly on the “additive-area heuristic,” Yousif & Keil (2019, 2020) argue for a systematic distortion in the perception of the cumulative area of an item array and further claim that previous findings of numerical cognition and magnitude perception in general are “at risk” (Yousif & Keil, 2021). This commentary describes serious stimulus design flaws present in all of Yousif and colleagues experiments that prevent from making such conclusions. Specifically, item arrays used in those studies demonstrate a skewed correlational structure between selected magnitude dimensions and exhibit unbalanced ranges across different magnitude dimensions of interest. Because the perception of magnitude dimensions interferes one another and because our perceptual system is sensitive to the statistical regularities of the sensory input, such a biased design makes it difficult, if not impossible, to interpret the choice behavior of an observer making magnitude judgments. By re-introducing the mathematical framework for a systematic construction of dot array stimuli (DeWind et al., 2015) and by re-analyzing the data from another recent study on area perception (Tomlinson et al., 2020), this paper explains—and introduces a MATLAB code for—an optimal method for designing and constructing dot arrays for magnitude perception studies.
Critical Notice: Katerina Forrester's 'In the Shadow of Justice: Postwar Liberalism and the Remaking of Political Philosophy.'

This critical notice examines Katerina Forrester's "In the Shadow of Justice" and raises some worries about her characterization of and invitation to get out from the shadow of a tradition of liberal political philosophy most prominently carried forward in the 20th century by John Rawls.
Chemotherapy in pregnancy

Abstract Cancer is the second leading cause of death in women of reproductive age and accounts for 16% of deaths among women between ages 20–44 years. The most common malignancies diagnosed during pregnancy vary in order of frequency depending on the country studied and inclusion criteria, but the most common pregnancy-associated malignancies consistently include breast cancer, cervical cancer, lymphoma and leukemia, melanoma, thyroid cancer, and colorectal cancer. The care of the patient with a malignancy during pregnancy requires a multidisciplinary approach.
Robustness of deep learning algorithms in astronomy - galaxy morphology studies.

Deep learning models are being increasingly adopted in wide array of scientific domains, especially to handle high-dimensionality and volume of the scientific data. However, these models tend to be brittle due to their complexity and overparametrization, especially to the inadvertent adversarial perturbations that can appear due to common image processing such as compression or blurring that are often seen with real scientific data. It is crucial to understand this brittleness and develop models robust to these adversarial perturbations. To this end, we study the effect of observational noise from the exposure time, as well as the worst case scenario of a one-pixel attack as a proxy for compression or telescope errors on performance of ResNet18 trained to distinguish between galaxies of different morphologies in LSST mock data. We also explore how domain adaptation techniques can help improve model robustness in case of this type of naturally occurring attacks and help scientists build more trustworthy and stable models.
Chapter VIII Pulse Labelling of Micro-organisms

Publisher Summary Pulse-labeling techniques have been of considerable importance in studies on macromolecular syntheses in microorganisms. These procedures allow distinguishing the rapidly formed or rapidly turned-over minor components from the bulk of similar classes of compounds in the cell. The pulse may vary from a few seconds to minutes or hours, depending upon the organism and conditions, and incorporation of the labeled compound may be terminated simply by harvesting the organisms, by application of a chase of unlabeled precursor or by addition of an appropriate inhibitor. Although cultures growing logarithmically in either a rich or a chemically defined medium can be used simply by adding the radioactive compound for a brief period before harvesting, a greater measure of control may be exercised with respect to the component labeled by restricting the biosynthetic capability of the cell. Several procedures by which this can be accomplished are detailed in the chapter.
Smoothing by Savitzky-Golay and Legendre Filters

This paper is about the definition and effectiveness and fast implementation of a particular family of smoothing filters. These “Savitzky-Golay filters” are popular in spectroscopy. But to filter experts in other areas they are virtually unknown! Since the filters are constructed in a very natural way, they allow analysis and explanation. They can give excellent results provided the filter length is correctly chosen, and they deserve to be understood.
Newly emerging resource efficiency manager programs

Many facilities in the northwest such as K--12 schools, community colleges, and military installations are implementing resource-efficiency awareness programs. These programs are generally referred to as resource efficiency manager (REM) or resource conservation manager (RCM) programs. Resource efficiency management is a systems approach to managing a facility`s energy, water, and solid waste. Its aim is to reduce utility budgets by focusing on behavioral changes, maintenance and operation procedures, resource accounting, education and training, and a comprehensive awareness campaign that involves everyone in the organization.
Studies on the origin of pandemic influenza. IV. Selection and transmission of "new" influenza viruses in vivo.

Abstract The emergence of recombinant influenza viruses as dominant strains after recombinant in vivo was studied in an avian system. Turkeys possessing low levels of antibodies to the hemagglutinin of turkey influenza virus and to the neuraminidase of fowl-plague virus were mixedly infected with fowl-plague virus and turkey influenza viruses. Recombinant influenza viruses possessing the hemagglutinin of FPV and the neuraminidase antigen of turkey influenza virus became the dominant viruses present and killed the turkeys. These recombinant influenza viruses spread under natural conditions of transmission to contact turkeys and caused a miniepidemic of disease. The recombinant viruses were genetically stable but differed in transmissibility. Some failed to transmit to contact birds while others were highly transmissible and highly virulent. These studies suggest a mechanism of recombination, selection, and transmission consistent with the emergence of new pandemic strains of influenza viruses.
Genetic manipulation of human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (HIPSC) have tremendous value as a source of autologous cells for cellular transplantation in the treatment of degenerative diseases. The protocols described here address methods for large-scale genetic modification of HIPSCs. The first is an optimized method for transfecting HIPSCs cultured in feeder-free conditions. The second method allows nucleofection of trypsinized HIPSCs at an optimal cell density. Both methods enable robust generation of stable HIPSC transfectants within two weeks. Our protocols are highly reproducible and do not require optimization for individual HIPSC and human embryonic stem cell (HESC) lines. Curr. Protoc. Stem Cell Biol. 23:5B.2.1-5B.2.9. © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: human induced pluripotent stem cells (HIPSCs); human embryonic stem cells (HESCs); transfection; genetic manipulation
Strand Breaks in Whole Plasmid DNA Produced by the Decay of 125I in a Triplex-Forming Oligonucleotide

Abstract Panyutin, I. V., Luu, A. N., Panyutin, I. G. and Neumann, R. D. Strand Breaks in Whole Plasmid DNA Produced by the Decay of 125I in a Triplex-Forming Oligonucleotide. Radiat. Res. 156, 158–166 (2001). DNA strand breaks produced by the decay of 125I positioned against a specific site in plasmid DNA via a triplex-forming oligonucleotide were studied both in the immediate vicinity of the site of the decay with a single nucleotide resolution and in the whole plasmid by measuring the percentages of supercoiled, open-circular and linear forms. The localized breaks are distributed within 10 bp in each direction from the decay site with maxima in both strands just opposite the 125I-dC residue in the triplex-forming oligonucleotide. The distributions of breaks in the two DNA strands are almost symmetrical, in agreement with the geometry of the pyrimidine motif triplex. We found that about 25% of the double-strand breaks were located outside the 90-bp fragment containing the triplex-forming oligonucleotide...
Familiar idiom comprehension

Sentences containing idioms used either literally or figuratively were presented repeatedly for 100 msec per presentation. Half of the sentences were preceded by a paragraph. The number of presentations required to read the sentences and cued recall of the sentences were recorded. The serial brief presentations method provided predictable and meaningful results. Sentences containing idioms used literally required more presentations than those containing idioms used figuratively. Cued recall was better for idioms used literally than for those used figuratively. These results are interpreted as support for the Idiomatic Processing Model of idiom comprehension, which suggests that the figurative meaning is processed first; only if that one is inappropriate is the literal meaning processed.
The nature of the isomerism in yeast ribonucleotides.

Abstract The isomeric nucleotides obtained upon the hydrolysis of ribose nucleic acid have been studied. The nucleotides were dephosphorylated enzymically, and the resulting nucleosides subjected to further degradation by nucleoside deaminases. In all cases the nucleosides obtained from a pair of isomeric nucleotides showed exactly equal susceptibility to the enzymes in question. The nucleosides obtained from the isomeric adenylic acids by dephosphorylation and deamination were cleaved at the same rate by purine nucleosidase of yeast. In larger scale experiments the nucleotides were dephosphorylated and the nucleosides isolated. The nucleosides derived from a pair of isomeric nucleotides had identical melting points with no depression of melting point in a mixture of the two. It is concluded that the isomeric nucleotides designated as A and B isomers differ only in the point attachment of the phosphate residue to the sugar.
Predicting treatment outcomes and responder subsets in scleroderma-related interstitial lung disease†

Objective To identify baseline characteristics of patients with scleroderma-related interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) that could serve as predictors of the most favorable response to 12-month treatment with oral cyclophosphamide (CYC). Methods Regression analyses were retrospectively applied to the Scleroderma Lung Study data in order to identify baseline characteristics that correlated with the absolute change in forced vital capacity (FVC) (% predicted values) and the placebo-adjusted change in % predicted FVC over time (the CYC treatment effect). Results Completion of the CYC arm of the Scleroderma Lung Study was associated with a placebo-adjusted improvement in the % predicted FVC of 2.11% at 12 months, which increased to 4.16% when patients were followed up for another 6 months (P = 0.014). Multivariate regression analyses identified the maximal severity of reticular infiltrates (assessed as maximum fibrosis scores) on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) at baseline, the modified Rodnan skin thickness score (MRSS) at baseline, and the Mahler baseline dyspnea index as independent correlates of treatment response. When patients were stratified on the basis of whether 50% or more of any lung zone was involved by reticular infiltrates on HRCT and/or whether patients exhibited an MRSS of at least 23, a subgroup of patients emerged in whom there was an average CYC treatment effect of 9.81% at 18 months (P < 0.001). Conversely, there was no treatment effect (a −0.58% difference) in patients with less severe HRCT findings and a lower MRSS at baseline. Conclusion A retrospective analysis of the Scleroderma Lung Study data identified the severity of reticular infiltrates on baseline HRCT and the baseline MRSS as patient features that might be predictive of responsiveness to CYC therapy.
Condensation of pyramidal [AsSe3]3- anions for the construction of polymeric networks: Solventothermal synthesis of K3AgAs2Se5O25SMeOH, K2AgAs3Se6, and Rb2AgAs3Se6

Three novel quaternary selenoarsenates could be synthesized by the solventothermal reaction of [AsSe3]3- anions with AgBF4 in the presence of the respective alkali metal cation. Orange crystals of K3AgAs2Se5·0.25MeOH (I) are formed after reaction in MeOH at 130 °C for ∼2 h. Its structure is built up of ψ-bitetrahedral [As2Se5]4- units, which are connected by Ag+ ions to form anionic one-dimensional chains. These chains are separated from each other by the K+ cations. Longer reaction time, i.e., 3 days, at the same temperature provides red crystals of K2AgAs3Se6 (II) and, correspondingly, the isostructural Rb2AgAs3Se6 (III), which possess two-dimensional (2D) polyanions [AgAs3Se6]2-. They consist of double layers of strongly waved, infinite [AsSe2]- chains, which are interconnected by tetrahedral Ag+ ions. The structure can also be described as [Ag2As6Se14]8- cores, which are connected by bridging Se atoms to build the sheet anion. Both II and III possess Ag2Se2 four-membered rings, which lead to Ag···Ag d...
Reduction of Cardiac Stores of Norepinephrine in Experimental Heart Failure

Constriction of the ascending aorta in the guinea pig resulted in ventricular hypertrophy and congestive heart failure. In animals with heart failure which were killed 5 to 40 days after constriction, the norepinephrine stores in both ventricles were strikingly reduced; the extent of reduction was related to the severity of the constriction.
The elimination of periprosthetic leaks as a complication of mitral valve replacement.

Abstract A technique for placement of a mitral valve prosthesis has been designed specifically to eliminate the development of periprosthetic leak as a complication of mitral valve replacement. This technique has been employed in 97 patients undergoing isolated mitral valve replacement. No incidents of periprosthetic leak have been discovered in this group, despite a careful search for the complication. This group of patients is compared to an earlier group in whom mitral valve replacement was performed using more common techniques. A 10% incidence of periprosthetic leak was found in this group. Periprosthetic leaks commonly cause severe congestive heart failure or pronounced anemia from excessive hemolysis. Reoperation for the repair of periprosthetic leaks has been associated with a high mortality. These leaks are regarded as a technical error and may be avoided by an appropriate change in the technique of mitral prosthesis insertion.
Gas chromatographic method for the determination of free and total solanesol in tobacco

Abstract Solanesol, a trisesquiterpenoid alcohol in tobacco leaf, has been shown to be an important precursor of the tumorigenic polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons of smoke. Thus, a rapid, reproducible method for the determination of leaf solanesol levels is desirable. We developed procedures based on high-temperature gas chromatography for the analyses of free and total solanesol. The alcohol, as its trimethylsilyl derivative, was separated and quantified on a short Dexsil 300 GC column, with 1,3-dimyristin as an internal standard. The free alcohol was determined by direct derivatization of ground tobacco and its hexane extract with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)-acetamide-dimethylformamide reagents. For total solanesol, the ground tobacco or its hexane extract was saponified with ethanolic potassium hydroxide. Acidification and hexane extraction yielded samples suitable for silylation and gas chromatographic analysis. Evaluation of the various methods indicated that free solanesol was best determined in the hexane extract of tobacco, and total solanesol after saponification of ground tobacco. Total solanesol levels in commercially important tobacco types were determined.
The relation of education and gender on the attention items of the Mini-Mental State Examination in Spanish speaking Hispanic elders.

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) has frequently been challenged for its bias against individuals with lower levels of education and the use of scoring adjustments for lower educational levels has become standard practice. An additional source of concern is that original instructions specify that the “serial 7’s” item may be replaced by an apparently less difficult “backwards spelling” task. This study compared the performance on these items and the effects for total scores on 102 unimpaired and 58 memory impaired elder Hispanic individuals (age 54-98), divided into 3 groups based on educational level ( 11 years of education). The effects of education and gender on the total MMSE scores were analyzed using the “serial 7’s” and the “backwards spelling” items. For all the studied groups, MMSE scores were higher by an average of 1.5 points when using the “backwards spelling” task. Correlation between “serial 7’s” and “backwards spelling” was a modest .37. Education had a significant effect on the MMSE scores in both the impaired and the unimpaired groups. After controlling for education, gender also explains a significant proportion of the variance of the results. The “backwards spelling” and “serial 7’s” items do not appear to be either equivalent in difficulty or to test the same abilities in the unimpaired and the impaired Hispanics elders tested in this study. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of National Academy of Neuropsychology.
The kinetic enhancement of hydrogen cycling in NaAlH 4 by melt infusion into nanoporous carbon aerogel

Enhanced kinetic performance and reversibility have been achieved with uncatalyzed NaAlH4 by incorporation into nanoporous carbon aerogel. Aerogel with a pore size distribution peaked at 13 nm and a pore volume of 0.8 cm3 g−1 was filled with NaAlH4 to 94% capacity by melt infusion at 189 °C under 183 bar H2 gas overpressure. Dehydrogenation to NaH + Al with reasonable kinetics was accomplished at 150 °C, well below the NaAlH4 melting temperature (183 °C), compared to hydrogen release above 230 °C for bulk uncatalyzed NaAlH4. Uncatalyzed bulk samples did not rehydrogenate under laboratory conditions, whereas NaAlH4 in a carbon aerogel host was readily rehydrogenated at ~160 °C and 100 bar H2 to ~85% of its initial capacity. Ball-milled NaAlH4 catalyzed with 4 mol% TiCl3 showed somewhat better kinetics compared to the infused aerogel; nevertheless, the large kinetic enhancement obtained by incorporation into carbon aerogel, even in the absence of a catalyst, demonstrates the substantial benefit of confining the NaAlH4 to nanoscale dimensions.
A “Cramer rule” for the least-norm, least-squared-error solution of inconsistent linear equations

Abstract A recent “Cramer rule” for obtaining the least-norm solution of a consistent system of linear equations Ax = b is shown to also provide the least-squared-error solution in the inconsistent case, i.e. the solution A + b where A + is the Moore-Penrose inverse of A.
Interplay of Science and Stakeholder Values in Neuse River Total Maximum Daily Load Process

Successful engagement of stakeholders and scientists is essential when regulatory agencies want public input to environmental policy decisions that are technically complex. Standards of good practice for public involvement in regulatory decision making derived from the literature were used to evaluate stakeholder interactions with water quality models and modelers in the Neuse River total maximum daily load (TMDL) process. Some aspects of this interaction went well: stakeholders were involved early in the development of at least some of the models; presentations from modelers enhanced stakeholders' scientific knowledge; and the regulatory agencies accepted stakeholder input as having a strong advisory role in their decisions. Some elements did not go so well: delays in delivery of modeling results prevented their full consideration by stakeholders; and incompatible timeframes for data collection, modeling, and regulatory decision making diminished confidence in the integrated modeling and monitoring framework that had been developed for the Neuse. Most importantly, the TMDL regulatory process was defined much too narrowly to encompass the stakeholders' wide-ranging concerns for equity, cost effectiveness, and deliberate adjudication of the tradeoffs between costs and benefits of water quality regulation. Water quality monitoring and modeling emphasizing concentrations of chlorophyll did not begin to address the social, economic, and cultural concerns of the stakeholders. The most serious shortcomings of the Neuse TMDL process thus rest not with the scientists or the stakeholders, but with the too narrow structure of the regulatory process itself.
Decoupling probe method of measuring very high VSWR

By using a conventional slotted-line technique, a high value of VSWR can be measured by initially obtaining a reading at the V min , and then, without changing the meter scale, decoupling the probe in successive increments until the V max is reached.
A Study of Pulvinar‐cortical Interaction in Acute Tungstic Acid‐induced Epilepsy in the Cat

SUMMARY The model of the tungstic acid-induced epileptic focus in acute cats was utilized to elucidate further the role of the thalamus during seizures. Specifically the activity of single neurons in the pulvinar nucleus was compared with electrocorticographic and single-unit responses recorded from the area of the tungstic acid injections in the posterior suprasylvian gyrus. It was observed that the firing patterns of cells throughout the posterior suprasylvian gyrus were closely correlated with the summated ECoG activity. The extracellular responses of 103 pulvinar neurons were studied before, during and after an electrocorticographically recorded epileptiform seizure. Approximately 60 % of the pulvinar cells demonstrated increased firing rates at the end of the cortically recorded seizures. It was concluded that the data presented in this paper add a further suggestion that the thalamus plays an important role in the mechanisms of epilepsy. RESUME Dans le but de mieux preciser le role joue par le thalamus pendant les crises, on a utilise comme modele chez le chat aigu, le foyer epileptique produit par l'acide tungstique. On a en particulier, compare l'activite des cellules du noyau du pulvinar avec les reponses electrocorticographiques et unitaires enregistrees dans la region injectee avec l'acide tungstique, dans le gyrus suprasylvien posterieur. On a observe que les modalites de decharges des cellules dans le gyrus suprasylvien posterieur etaient en relation etroite avec l'activite globale de l'electrocorticogramme. On a etudie les reponses extracellulaires de 103 neurones du pulvinar avant, pendant et apres une crise epileptique enregistree par l'electrocorticogramme. Dans 60% environ des cellules du pulvinar, il y avait une augmentation de la frequence des decharges a la fin des crises enregistrees sur le cortex. On arrive a la conclusion que ces donnees sont en faveur de l'hypothese que le thalamus joue un role important dans les mecanismes de l'epilepsie.
Opportunities and challenges for the clinical utilization of functional electrical stimulation.

Clinical applications of electrical stimulation for effecting change in the damaged or disabled nervous system are in their infancy. This technique is extremely powerful, because any neural structure that is electrically excitable can potentially be affected. Although early attempts to apply electrical stimulation were limited by insufficient physiological knowledge and undeveloped technology, developments over the past two decades now provide a strong base for clinical applications. Clinical systems for bladder control and respiration have been in use for many years. Some applications of FES to restore hand function and walking are in multicenter testing, whereas many others are being studied for clinical feasibility at single sites. Applications are focusing on safety and efficacy, as well as on clinical outcome measures to address the issues posed by the regulatory and reimbursement processes. As clinical systems become more routine, issues of multiple system applications will need to be addressed. Pre...
Viscoelastic Properties, Ionic Conductivity, and Materials Design Considerations for Poly(styrene-b-ethylene oxide-b-styrene)-Based Ion Gel Electrolytes

The viscoelastic properties and ionic conductivity of ion gels based on the self-assembly of a poly(styrene-b-ethylene oxide-b-styrene) (SOS) triblock copolymer (Mn,S = 3 kDa, Mn,O = 35 kDa) in the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([EMI][TFSA]) were investigated over the composition range of 10–50 wt % SOS and the temperature range of 25–160 °C. The poly(styrene) (PS) end-blocks associate into micelles, whereas the poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) midblocks are well-solvated by this ionic liquid. The ion gel with 10 wt % SOS melts at 54 °C, with the longest relaxation time exhibiting a similar temperature dependence to that of the viscosity of bulk PS. However, the actual values of the gel relaxation time are more than 4 orders of magnitude larger than the relaxation time of bulk PS. This is attributed to the thermodynamic penalty of pulling PS end-blocks through the PEO/[EMI][TFSA] matrix. Ion gels with 20–50 wt % SOS do not melt and show two plateaus in the storage mo...
From dispersal to landscapes: progress in the understanding of population dynamics

The development of our understanding of population dynamics over the past 50 years is reviewed from a personal perspective. An early emphasis on population vital rates was superceded by recognition of the importance of the specific community context of focal populations, and most recently has in turn been enriched by a landscape perspective. Certain basic principles are outlined including the value of a systems context for population analyses, the power of a dual mechanistic and contextual perspective, and the inevitability of density control in a finite biosphere. Numbers are determined by the balance of two complex parameters:p — the per capita growth promoting (enhancing) forces, ands — the per capita growth suppressing forces. Multiple factor explanations of demographic behavior are therefore to be expected, as well as temporal and spatial variations in them. An appreciation for the potential role of dispersal as a population vital rate led to the development of metapopulation theory. A renewed understanding of the role of community context in population dynamics provoked the realization that a multi-factor approach was required. This in turn allowed us to reconcile the reality of local demographic complexity with global generalizations. Finally, the introduction of landscape ecology into demographic thinking added many new insights. It is now appreciated that a spatially explicit mosaic of habitat patches, edge effects, corridors, and even the proportion of favorable to marginal habitats can all be critically important factors in influencing population dynamics.
Comparing Presidents' Economic Policy Leadership

Presidents are rightly held responsible for managing the national economy - they exercise substantial discretion over fiscal policy and have the potential for informally influencing monetary policy. At the same time, presidential accomplishments are circumscribed by market forces and institutions at home and overseas, and the complexities of fragmented authority and external constraints make judging performance difficult. I draw on the literature on economic policymaking and on the presidency to explicate a set of criteria for comparing presidential economic policy leadership, construct quantitative indicators of each dimension, and display the results of comparative analyses covering the second half of the twentieth century. The four criteria view presidents from three different vantage points: the separation of powers, focusing on presidents' success at gaining congressional approval for an economic agenda; the public, based on an original compilation of survey data tracking the electorate's evaluation; and the economy, tracing how presidents' policies affect overall prosperity and the distribution of income. Combining information about how crucial audiences have perceived and responded to presidential initiatives, with outcomes in the economy, this approach emphasizes comparison, and thus complements the qualitative depth of narrative approaches.
Clonal relationships between epidermotropic metastatic melanomas and their primary lesions: a loss of heterozygosity and X-chromosome inactivation-based analysis

Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) has previously been demonstrated at multiple chromosome microsatellites in primary and metastatic melanomas. Epidermotropic metastases of melanoma are unique in their varied histopathologic appearance, which can mimic a primary lesion. Our objective was to compare LOH profiles in primary and epidermotropic metastatic melanoma to delineate their clonal relationship. We examined the pattern of allelic loss in the primary melanomas of nine patients in addition to the 21 corresponding epidermotropic metastatic melanomas (average 2.3 metastases per patient). DNA samples were prepared from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections using laser capture microdissection. Eight DNA microsatellite markers on six different chromosomes were analyzed: D1S214 (1p), D6S305 (6q), D9S171 (9p), D9S157 (9p), IFNA (9p), D10S212 (10q), D11S258 (11q), D18S70 (18q). In addition, X-chromosome inactivation analysis was performed in tumors from four women. LOH was seen in 67% (6/9) of primary melanomas and 81% (17/21) of epidermotropic metastatic melanomas. The most frequent allelic losses in informative cases occurred at 10q (33%), 9p (22%), and 11q (22%) in primary melanomas, and at 10q (50%), 1p (44%), and 6q (39%) in epidermotropic metastatic melanomas. Primary lesions demonstrating LOH had concordant allelic loss in at least one locus in a corresponding epidermotropic metastatic melanoma in 83% (5/6) of cases. X-chromosome analysis showed nonrandom inactivation in 75% (3/4) and 71% (5/7) of primary melanoma and epidermotropic metastatic melanoma cases, respectively. Our LOH and X-chromosome inactivation analysis data suggest that epidermotropically metastatic melanomas are clonally related to their primary lesion in many cases. Our data also indicated that some cases diagnosed as epidermotropic metastatic melanoma might be divergent clones or new primaries rather than metastatic disease.
Rise of the Rival

Like protein phosphorylation, the posttranslational addition of acetyl groups to lysine residues of eukaryotic and prokaryotic proteins has been known for decades ( 1 ). The discovery that eukaryotic enzymes implicated in transcriptional regulation can acetylate or deacetylate lysines in chromatin-associated proteins (histones) raised the possibility that dynamic changes in lysine acetylation might provide an important regulatory switch in complex cellular processes ( 2 , 3 ). A decade ago, Kouzarides made the bold prediction that acetylation might “rival phosphorylation” as a regulator of cell function ( 4 ). With proteomics, thousands of mammalian proteins with acetylated lysines have indeed been identified ( 5 , 6 ), and one of the surprising findings has been that, along with chromatin proteins, metabolic enzymes are highly represented among acetylation substrates. This suggested that changes in acetylation status might alter enzymatic activity to allow the cell to respond to changes in metabolic demands by adjusting flux through critical nodes in the relevant pathways. Reports by Zhao et al. and Wang et al. on pages 1000 and 1004 of this issue, respectively, now validate this hypothesis in the prokaryote Salmonella enterica and in human liver cells ( 7 , 8 ).
Teaching Microcomputer Interfacing to Non-Electrical Engineers

Anticipation of the future social impact of the microcomputer has underscored the need on the part of most institutions of higher education to develop methods of teaching non-electrical engineers the basic principles and applications of microcomputers. During the past two years at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, we have made significant progress in that direction: we have developed laboratory hardware and written several selfinstructional laboratory workbooks that permit a novice in electronics to learn the basic principles of digital electronics, the 7400-series of integrated circuit chips, asynchronous serial digital communication techniques, microcomputer programming, and 8080A microcomputer interfacing. Within only two quarters, our students-many of whom have had no prior exposure to electronics and none of whom have substantial undergraduate or graduate course time available for studying electronics—can learn sufficient digital electronics and microcomputer interfacing to undertake projects of modest complexity. Student response to the course has been enthusiastic.
Electron trapping states in a-Si:(H,O) and a-Si:(H,N) alloys

Abstract The energy levels of alloy atom complexes and dangling bond defect states in a-Si host materials are determined using an empirical tight-binding formalism. These calculations demonstrate that alloy atom complexes, such as bonded-atom sequences of the form SiOSiH or SiNSiH do not by themselves introduce localized states into the pseudo-gap of a-Si. However, dangling bond defects on Si atoms that are bonded to strongly electronegative atoms such as O or N produce localized states in the pseudo-gap whose energies relative to the top of the valence band are shown to vary systematically with the chemical nature of the Si atom neighbors. These calculations then confirm that the additional localized defect states in a-Si:H alloys associated with O or N impurities are dangling bonds on Si atoms which have O or N impurity atoms as their nearest neighbors.
Synthesis and Characterization of PAMAM Dendrimer-Based Multifunctional Nanodevices for Targeting αvβ3 Integrins

We have synthesized a stable and clinically relevant nanodevice (cRGD-BT-ND; ND for short) that exhibits superior binding to the biologic target αvβ3 integrins, when either compared to the same free cRGD peptide or to the biotinylated nanodevice without covalently attached peptides (BT-ND). Selective targeting of αvβ3 integrins was achieved by coupling cyclic cRGD peptides to the nanodevice (ND) surface, while biotin groups (BT) were used for amplified detection of bound cRGD-BT-ND by anti-biotin antibody or avidin linked to horseradish peroxidase after binding. The synthesis involved the following steps: the amino-terminated ethylenediamine core generation 5 poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM_E5.NH2) dendrimer was first partially acetylated and then biotinylated, and residual primary amine termini were converted to succinamic acid groups (SAH), some of which finally were conjugated with cRGD peptide residues through the amino group of the lysine side chain. The starting material and all derivatives were extensivel...
Ovulation induction in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility. There are multiple ways to induce ovulation in PCOS patients, which will eventually provide a successful live birth. Each of these treatments varies in aggressiveness and effectiveness. Ranging from lifestyle modifications, through insulin-sensitizing agents, selective estrogen receptor modulators, aromatase inhibitors, gonadotropins, to laparoscopic ovarian drilling and assisted reproductive techniques, each method achieves ovulation induction through different mechanisms of action. This review provides a description and specific characteristics of the different methods used for ovulation induction which can help to design a personalized approach to each PCOS patient, and a general stepwise approach to ovulation induction in these patients.
Properties of action potentials carried by divalent cations in identified leech neurons.

1. Properties of divalent cation potentials carried by either Sr2+ or Ca2+ ions in Na+-free, TEA-Ringer solution were characterized in identified neurons of two species of leeches (Macrobdella andHaementeria). 2. InMacrobdella, the overshoot of the potentials varied logarithmically with [Sr2+]0 (28.5 mV per 10-fold change). The overshoot,\(\dot V_{\max } \), and duration of the potentials increased with increasing divalent cation concentration and saturated at about 20 to 30 mM [Sr2+]0. 3. The\(\dot V_{\max } \), amplitude, and duration of the potentials were reversibly blocked by Co2+ and Mn2+. The block by Mn2+ could be well-fitted by a reverse Langmuir-curve with an apparentKI of 100 micromolar. 4. The local anesthetic procaine also reversibly inhibited the\(\dot V_{\max } \) and duration of the potentials. The inhibition was greater at alkaline pH suggesting that procaine blocks the calcium channel from inside the membrane. 5. The identified leech neurons examined inMacrobdella varied considerably in their ability to sustain somatic divalent cation potentials. Stimulation of T cells and most motoneurons produced no or only weak potentials, whereas stimulation of Retzius, N, Nut, and AP cells evoked overshooting potentials of several seconds' duration. 6. Stimulation of the ALG cell ofHaementeria in normal Ringer solution evoked a slowly-rising, purely Ca2+-dependent potential of approximately 100 ms duration. This response was TTX-resistant, unaffected by complete removal of Na+ from the Ringer solution, and abolished by 1 mM Mn2+. The overshoot varied logarithmically with a slope of 28 mV/decade change in [Ca2+]0.
Microencapsulation of Bacterial Cell‐Free Extract to Produce Acetic Acid for Enhancement of Cheese Flavor

A cell-free extract (CFE) of Gluconobacter oxydans was encapsulated in milkfat, and used to generate acetic acid from ethanol as a means of enhancing flavor in foods, such as cheese. Factors affecting the activity of the CFE were evaluated to establish conditions that would allow gradual synthesis of acetic acid in milkfat microcapsules. Optimum pH for conversion of ethanol to acetic acid was 8.3. A pseudo Km and Vmax were determined as 7.6 ± 10-3 M and 55 μmol/1-min, respectively. Concentrations of acetic acid in microcapsules with the highest level of encapsulated CFE increased gradually over 40 hr to 75 μg/ml of capsules during incubation at 22°C. No measurable acetic acid was produced from appropriate controls.