cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pain as the Presenting Symptom of Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (P6.273)

Objective: To highlight a case in which a patient had extensive treatment for chronic pain but not sufficient diagnostic evaluation to determine the underlying cause of symptoms. Background: To our knowledge, this is the first case report of pain being the presenting symptom of primary progressive multiple sclerosis. Methods: Case Report Results: We present a case of a 32 year old female with a benign past medical history presenting for a multitude of chronic pain complaints and back pain. Prior to visiting our neurology clinic, patient had been to several different pain physicians and turned away due to suspicion of narcotic seeking behavior. She described her pain as being a constant throbbing and sharp bilateral pain. The pain started to effect her balance and her grip ability. She had followed with a pain physician who had prescribed her narcotics and various neuropathic pain medications which did not help as her condition worsened. When she finally arrived to neurology clinic she was noted to be hyper reflexic with diminished proprioception. An MRI cervical spine was performed which demonstrated multiple foci of increased T2 signal noted throughout the brain cervical cord, and thoracic cord, with suggestion of focal areas of cord atrophy, suggestive of demyelinating disease. CSF analysis was consistent with oligoclonal bands and IgG Index providing our patient with the likely diagnosis of primary progressive multiple sclerosis Conclusions: This case highlights the importance of taking a diagnostic approach to pain via a good neurologic exam. Our patient suffered through years of pain and increasing debility and finally coming to a diagnosis gave her a great sense of relief and prognostication. Disclosure: Dr. Kaveeshvar has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zahoor has nothing to disclose. Dr. Loomba has nothing to disclose.
Single-step synthesis of hyperbranched, luminescent Mn2+-doped ZnSe1−xSx nanocrystals using dichalcogenide precursors

Taking advantage of dichalcogenide precursors, a simple, single-step heat-up method for obtaining Mn2+-doped ZnSe1−xSx nanocrystals (NCs) is presented. Tuning the ratios of diselendide and disulfide precursors results in alloys with varying shape, size and composition. When diphenyldiselenide (Ph2Se2) is used, highly branched networks of small NCs form. Dimethydisulfide (Me2S2) induces formation of larger NCs with less branching. Mixtures of the two exhibit branching proportional to the amount of Ph2Se2vs. Me2S2, allowing formation of a series of branched Mn2+-doped NCs. Interestingly, these NCs exhibit photoluminescence (PL) characteristic of Mn2+, despite the large number of defects and unusual shapes they possess. This demonstrates Mn2+ can be successfully doped into NCs with several degrees of branching, in which it acts as an efficient radiative trap. Addition of thiol to the NCs led to a large enhancement in the Mn2+ PL. In organic solution, the sensitivity to thiol varied with the degree of NC branching, with hyperbranching NCs giving the most sensitive response. After transfer to aqueous solution, the Mn2+ PL of the hyperbranched NCs increased dramatically in response to μM concentrations of dithiothreitol (DTT).
Imperial frontier encounters

The rise and expansion of the multicultural conquest states changed one important feature of the Eurasian frontiers and inaugurated an era of struggle over the Eurasian borderlands. The frontier became less a zone of encounter between nomadic and sedentary societies and more a zone of encounters between organized state systems based on agricultural communities and urban centers, ruled (mainly) by hereditary monarchs or emperors wielding great, if not always absolute, power legitimized by various political theologies; they were governed with the assistance of civil and military elites drawn up in hierarchical orders and occupying the central institutions of the state. These frontier encounters also involved the indigenous populations that inhabited the contested territories. New types of frontier communities sprang up, some organized by the central state, others resisting that authority. Different sections of the Eurasian frontiers began to take on distinctive geocultural profiles. Henceforth in this narrative these sections will be called complex frontiers; complexity in this case signifying the number of state systems and social groups engaged in violent and peaceful intercourse within a broadly conceived geographical space that set restraints and opened possibilities for human action. On this basis, seven complex frontiers will serve as the matrix for this chapter: the Baltic littoral, the western Balkans (Triplex Confinium), Danubian frontier, Pontic steppe, Caucasian isthmus, Trans Caspia, and Inner Asia. As frontiers they cannot be sharply delimited; they are blurred and porous at the margins. Encounters in one section often spilled over into others. As the conquest states carved out territories within these frontiers, annexed and incorporated them, these borderlands did not cease to become sites of external and internal conflicts.
Comparison of numerical convergence speeds of convergent and accelerated algorithms for penalized likelihood PET image

Computational cost is a major challenge for 3D PET image reconstruction. Traditional ordered subsets based methods, such as OS-EM, accelerate the reconstruction process but in general are not convergent. In recent years, accelerated and convergent algorithms have been developed for PET image reconstruction. In this work, we study the numerical convergence speeds for three types of ordered subsets based convergent algorithms for penalized likelihood image reconstruction: BSREM, COSEM, and OS-MAP. The study of the computational cost for these algorithms is important in guiding numerical algorithm selection in clinical applications of penalized likelihood image reconstruction. A special case of the q-generalized Gaussian Markov random field (q-GGMRF) was used as the prior and a separable surrogate function for the prior was derived for COSEM and OS-MAP. The experiments were performed with simulated data obtained from a resolution phantom and the NCAT phantom as well as with clinical data containing inserted lesions. We investigated the local convergence in lesion activity recovery and the global convergence in the objective function as a function of iteration number. The experiments indicate that BSREM achieves faster convergence with a good selection of relaxation parameters compared to COSEM. OS-MAP's convergence speed with a good rule for gradually reducing the number of subsets to one was comparable to that of BSREM.
Novel gene-sequence markers for isolate tracking within Monilinia fructicola lesions

Background Monilinia fructicola is a diverse pathogen of pome and stone fruits that causes severe economic losses each year. However, little is known about inoculum flow within or between orchards and pathogen establishment in an orchard, because few methods exist for detecting diversity or tracking isolates over time. SSR loci are an effective option, but may be confounded by a high degree of mutability and potential sensitivity to abiotic stress. Results Through transcriptome analysis, we identified novel markers mrr1, DHFR and MfCYP01 and validated stability of these markers under fungicide stress in natural infection sites. Nucleotide variation within mrr1, DHFR and MfCYP01 sequences differentiated isolates at all spatial scales: within the same infection site, between trees and between two farms. Sequenced regions were also effective for matching isolates collected from blossoms at the beginning of the season to progeny in cankers obtained at the end of the season. Conclusions Collectively, results show that mrr1, DHFR and MfCYP01 are able to accurately differentiate M. fructicola isolates at the population level, can be used to track isolates over time, and are more stable than SSRs under external stresses. Either by themselves or combined with SSR markers, these gene-encoding regions are a much-needed tool for better understanding M. fructicola population dynamics. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
Conflicting phylogenomic signals reveal a pattern of reticulate evolution in a recent high‐Andean diversification (Asteraceae: Astereae: Diplostephium)

Summary High-throughput sequencing is helping biologists to overcome the difficulties of inferring the phylogenies of recently diverged taxa. The present study analyzes the phylogenetic signal of genomic regions with different inheritance patterns using genome skimming and ddRAD-seq in a species-rich Andean genus (Diplostephium) and its allies. We analyzed the complete nuclear ribosomal cistron, the complete chloroplast genome, a partial mitochondrial genome, and a nuclear-ddRAD matrix separately with phylogenetic methods. We applied several approaches to understand the causes of incongruence among datasets, including simulations and the detection of introgression using the D-statistic (ABBA-BABA test). We found significant incongruence among the nuclear, chloroplast, and mitochondrial phylogenies. The strong signal of hybridization found by simulations and the D-statistic among genera and inside the main clades of Diplostephium indicate reticulate evolution as a main cause of phylogenetic incongruence. Our results add evidence for a major role of reticulate evolution in events of rapid diversification. Hybridization and introgression confound chloroplast and mitochondrial phylogenies in relation to the species tree as a result of the uniparental inheritance of these genomic regions. Practical implications regarding the prevalence of hybridization are discussed in relation to the phylogenetic method.
Standard cell library based layout characterization and power analysis for 10nm gate-all-around (GAA) transistors

Gate-all-around (GAA) nanowire transistor is promising for continuing scaling down the feature size of transistors beyond sub-10nm because it provides the gate with better controllability over the channel by wrapping around. In this paper, the device model for 10nm gate length conventional GAA (C-GAA) and junctionless GAA (JL-GAA) are extracted based on the TCAD simulation. The layout design of GAA transistors are characterized for different sizing methods. Liberty-formatted standard cell libraries are constructed by appropriately sizing pull-up and pull-down networks of each logic cell. Based on the library, power densities of 10nm technology node C-GAA and JL-GAA are analyzed under benchmark circuits in comparing with 7nm FinFET technology. Experimental results show that the vertical C-GAA transistor can achieve 28% area reduction and the horizontal C-GAA transistor can reduce 29% power consumption comparing with other C-GAA geometries. The power density of JL-GAA circuits can reach above the limit of air cooling and thermal management techniques are needed for JL-GAA circuits.
Periodic Trends in Olefin Epoxidation over Group IV and V Framework-Substituted Zeolite Catalysts: A Kinetic and Spectroscopic Study.

Group IV and V framework-substituted zeolites have been used for olefin epoxidation reactions for decades, yet the underlying properties that determine the selectivities and turnover rates of these catalysts have not yet been elucidated. Here, a combination of kinetic, thermodynamic, and in situ spectroscopic measurements show that when group IV (i.e., Ti, Zr, and Hf) or V (i.e., Nb and Ta) transition metals are substituted into zeolite *BEA, the metals that form stronger Lewis acids give greater selectivities and rates for the desired epoxidation pathway and present smaller enthalpic barriers for both epoxidation and H2O2 decomposition reactions. In situ UV–vis spectroscopy shows that these group IV and V materials activate H2O2 to form pools of hydroperoxide, peroxide, and superoxide intermediates. Time-resolved UV–vis measurements and the isomeric distributions of Z-stilbene epoxidation products demonstrate that the active species for epoxidations on group IV and V transition metals are only M-OOH/-(O2...
Activating Veterans Toward Sources of Reward: A Pilot Report on Development, Feasibility, and Clinical Outcomes of a 12-Week Behavioral Activation Group Treatment ☆ ☆☆

Abstract This pilot study evaluates a 12-week group Behavioral Activation protocol adapted to meet the needs of a Veteran population seeking treatment in an outpatient mental health clinic at a Veteran Affairs Medical Center. In a detailed Method we describe the treatment structure. Acceptability and feasibility are addressed by providing data on referral sources, treatment retention, attendance, and patient satisfaction. Initial clinical outcomes are presented, focusing on symptom reduction, improved quality of life, and changes in the hypothesized mechanism of treatment: improving motivated behavior to pursue rewards ( decisional anhedonia ). Finally, feedback from individual exit interviews is presented. We conclude with implementation tips and challenges in the service of continuing to improve our evidence-based interventions in Veteran Affairs facilities.
A DYADIC EXAMINATION OF INSPIRATIONAL FACTORS DRIVING B2B SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCE

This study demonstrates how digital content, engagement strategies, and influence tactics inspire social media communities to embrace B2B marketers seeking their advocacy. Using grounded theory in ...
Neurobiological markers of stress in youth at risk for bipolar disorder

Abstract Bipolar disorder (BD) is a serious, persistent, and highly familial psychiatric disorder with significant long-term consequences. To understand the profound deficits that characterize BD, researchers have identified vulnerabilities in the expression and regulation of stress in youth at familial risk for BD. Such high-risk youth may be exposed to environmental stress from the time of conception to the time they develop mania and beyond. In this chapter, we synthesize recent data from human endocrine, psychological, and neuroimaging studies in presenting an integrated framework for understanding the earliest possible neurobiological impairments related to stress experienced by youth at risk for BD. We discuss the implications of these findings for assessment of and intervention for BD over development. We conclude by offering directions for future research that we believe will advance our understanding of stress-mediated risk factors that contribute to the development of BD, and serve as key candidate targets for early intervention.
Pitfalls in the Interpretation of Leukocyte Counts of Newborn Infants

Some pitfalls in the interpretation of neonatal leukocyte counts are identified. The well-known variability in neonatal leukocyte counts was investigated by simultaneously sampling arterial, venous and capillary blood, and during periods of rest and mild and violent exercise. Venous blood leukocyte counts were 82% +/- 3.5 (mean +/- SE, P = less than .001) of counts in simultaneously drawn capillary blood from heel punctures; arterial blood counts were 77% +/- 5.3 (P less than .001) of capillary blood values. Following violent crying, capillary blood leukocyte counts increased to 146% +/- 6.1 (P less than .001) of baseline values, and a shift to the left occurred. Milder exercise induced an increase to 113% +/- 5.2 (P less than .05), without a leftward shift. Thus, counts from different vascular sources cannot be considered equivalent. Also, counts from vigorously crying babies may show leukocytosis and a leftward shift, and erroneously suggest bacterial infection. It is recommended that serial counts be obtained from a consistent vascular source in resting babies.
Graph Theory Connections

This chapter uses the articulated body model to derive a new Innovations Operator Factorization of the serial–chain mass matrix, M. This factorization has square fac- tors, in contrast to the non-square Newton–Euler factorization ofM= HfMf*H* in (5.23). The Innovations factorization is subsequently used to obtain an explicit analytical operator expression for the inverse of the mass matrix. These factoriza– tions have many important uses, which will be explored in subsequent chapters.
Water Temperature Duration Curves for Thermoelectric Power Plant Mixing Zone Analysis

AbstractThermoelectric power plants, constituting the largest withdrawals of fresh water in the United States, can cause thermal pollution in waterways via elevated temperature effluent. Thermal po...
The incorporate bodies of recombinant capital

Cut-and-paste bodies In 1973, biochemist Herbert Boyer and molecular biologist Stanley Cohen published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, outlining their procedures for producing “recombinant DNA.” 1 Working separately at the University of California San Francisco, Boyer had developed a method for using “molecular scissors” – an enzyme known as a restriction endonuclease – to snip bacterial DNA at precise locations. Cohen, working at Stanford University, was simultaneously working on the use of bacterial plasmids – short loops of DNA in bacteria such as E. coli – as a kind of delivery system for novel segments of DNA. Together, Boyer and Cohen, along with other researchers, were central to the development of what became known as genetic engineering. Put simply, genetic engineering is based on the premise that the DNA of an organism can be re-shuffled and engineered; the tools of genetic engineering are the organism’s own biology, and its techniques are based on the logic of cutting (restriction enzymes), pasting (DNA ligase enzymes), and replication (in the cellular divisions of the bacterial plasmid EcoRI). Boyer and Cohen had not only demonstrated that DNA could be artificially “collaged” into new hybrids, but they also demonstrated that this logic of cut-and-paste could operate across species. They had provided a technical logic for engineering at the molecular and genetic levels, and they had provided a set of powerful tools – many of which are still used – for carrying out genetic engineering research. There were several consequences of this research. Several years after Boyer and Cohen had published their recombinant DNA findings, both researchers patented their techniques for producing recombinant DNA, and they put together a business plan for a company to market these techniques. That company, called Genentech, garnered some $35 million from its IPO in 1980, and is often cited as the first true biotech company. Genentech – its name an abbreviation for “genetic engineering technology” – would focus on
Web design studio: a preliminary experiment in facilitating faculty use of the web

Reported in this chapter is an action research project using Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to help manage the process of encouraging faculty to utilize Internet tools in the implementation of their classes. The research provides an in-depth examination of an innovative experiment to impact the process of faculty website development, faculty training, and faculty support, reflected in terms of the TPB framework. These results will be of interest to managers in need of encouraging autonomous decision makers, such as faculty, who need to structure, reengineer, and innovate their business processes in terms of an Internet component. Recommendations about incentives and support are provided.
Storied Ground: Landscape and the Shaping of English National Identity

The title of Paul Readman's excellent study of landscape and national identity formation in late nineteenth and early twentieth century England lulls the reader into an expectation of cozy intellec...
DE ONDE VEM E PARA ONDE VAI A TEORIA LITERÁRIA: DESAFIOS DA ATUALIDADE

Nem a “critica literaria” e nem a “teoria literaria” existiram desde sempre e em todos os lugares – pelo contrario, como praticas e instituicoes intelectuais ambas possuem inicios historicos e locais bem especificos. Esta palestra tentara reconstruir estas origens tanto na versao europeia quanto na brasileira, levando-nos a seguinte questao: sera que hoje, em circunstâncias muito diversas daquelas observadas em seus principios, a critica literaria e a teoria literaria teriam chance (e acima de tudo, uma boa razao) para sobreviver? Palavras-chave: Critica literaria. Teoria literaria. Epistemologia.
Effects of Alternating Standing and Sitting Compared to Prolonged Sitting on Cerebrovascular Hemodynamics.

Previous research suggests that prolonged sitting may acutely reduce cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFv). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of alternating standing and sitting vs prolonged sitting on CBFv. This randomized crossover study enrolled working adults (N = 25) with pre-to-stage 1 hypertension not using antihypertensive medications, and a body mass index (BMI) from 25 to 0.05). There were, however, significant nonlinear effects of time (decrease from morning to midday; increase from midday to afternoon) on systolic CBFv (P = 0.014), mean CBFv (P = 0.001), diastolic CBFv (P = 0.002), and pulsatility index (P = 0.038). When overall time effects were evaluated during each time interval, mean and diastolic CBFv significantly decreased morning to midday and all CBFv increased from midday to afternoon. When separated by condition, significant time effects were observed for all CBFv during SIT (P 0.05). In individuals with elevated BP and BMI, CBFv significantly decreased by midday and increased by afternoon, especially during a workday of prolonged sitting. Future studies should evaluate the combination of frequent walks and a sit-stand desk to break up prolonged sitting.
Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy of Metal Oxide Electrodes for Energy Applications

Metal oxides have been of great importance to the development of energy conversion and storage technologies including heterojunction solar cells, Li-ion batteries, and electrocatalysts/photocatalys...
Cardiac diagnostic test results and outcomes in 44 dogs naturally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi

Background The protozoal parasite Trypanosoma cruzi causes myocarditis in dogs. Objectives To describe the cardiac diagnostic test results and outcomes of dogs naturally infected with T. cruzi. Animals Forty-four client-owned dogs. Methods Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to identify dogs with an indirect fluorescent antibody test result for T. cruzi ≥1 : 80. Data collected included signalment, cardiac diagnostic test results (ECG, echocardiography, cardiac troponin I) and outcome. Outcomes were categorized as alive, dead (cardiac or noncardiac) or lost to follow up. Results ECG abnormalities were present in 41 dogs with ventricular arrhythmias (n = 28) and atrioventricular block (AVB) (n = 15) most commonly identified. Echocardiographic chamber enlargement was present in 28 dogs and most often included the right ventricle (RV) (n = 15) and left atrium (n = 12). Troponin was ≥2 times the reference range in 20/36 (56%) dogs. In univariate analysis using nonparametric Kaplan-Meier, ventricular arrhythmias with a modified Lown score ≥2 (P = .02), presence of AVB (P = .04), and RV enlargement (P = .006) were associated with decreased survival times. Right ventricular enlargement (HR 3.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-9.3; P = .007) and higher body weight at presentation (HR 1.0; 95% CI 1.0-1.1; P = .04) were associated with decreased time to death in the final explanatory multivariable model. Conclusions and clinical importance Cardiac abnormalities were common and variable, and RV enlargement was associated with shorter survival time. A diagnostic evaluation that includes screening for arrhythmias, echocardiography, and cTnI can provide useful information related to the characterization of heart disease in dogs seropositive for T. cruzi.
Endothelial Glycocalyx-Mediated Nitric Oxide Production in Response to Selective AFM Pulling

Abstract Nitric oxide (NO) is a regulatory molecule in the vascular system and its inhibition due to endothelial injury contributes to cardiovascular disease. The glycocalyx is a thin layer of glycolipids, glycoproteins, and proteoglycans on the surface of mammalian epithelial cells. Extracellular forces are transmitted through the glycocalyx to initiate intracellular signaling pathways. In endothelial cells (ECs), previous studies have shown the glycocalyx to be a significant mediator of NO production; degradation of the endothelial glycocalyx layer (EGL) drastically reduces EC production of NO in response to fluid shear stress. However, the specific EGL components involved in this process are not well established. Recent work using short-hairpin RNA approaches in vitro suggest that the proteoglycan glypican-1, not syndecan-1, is the dominant core protein mediating shear-induced NO production. We utilized atomic force microscopy (AFM) to apply force selectively to components of the EGL of confluent rat fat pad ECs (RFPECs), including proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans, to observe how each component individually contributes to force-induced production of NO. 4,5-diaminofluorescein diacetate, a cell-permeable fluorescent molecule, was used to detect changes in intracellular NO production. Antibody-coated AFM probes exhibited strong surface binding to RFPEC monolayers, with 100–300 pN mean adhesion forces. AFM pulling on glypican-1 and heparan sulfate for 10 min caused significantly increased NO production, whereas pulling on syndecan-1, CD44, hyaluronic acid, and with control probes did not. We conclude that AFM pulling can be used to activate EGL-mediated NO production and that the heparan sulfate proteoglycan glypican-1 is a primary mechanosensor for shear-induced NO production.
Next‐Generation Sequencing Fragment Library Construction

All current next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms and applications require the sequencing library to have specific characteristics: in particular, size, size distribution, and 5' and 3' flanking sequences. This unit presents a robust protocol for converting a wide variety of input DNA samples into appropriate NGS libraries and discusses important considerations in experimental design, failure modes, and typical results.
Generalized Symbolic Trajectory Evaluation - Abstraction in Action

Generalized STE (Symbolic Trajectory Evaluation) [21, 22, 23] is a very significant extension of STE [11, 20] that truly combines the efficiency, capacity and ease of use of STE with the ability of classic symbolic model checking for verifying a much richer set of properties [9]. GSTE provides a unified model checking framework that gives one the power to choose and seamlessly adjust the level of abstraction in a model as well as in a specification during a verification effort. This paper describes some of the techniques that made this possible using a simple FIFO example for illustration. Finally, a set of real life verification results is provided to strongly demonstrate the viability of GSTE as a new generation model checking solution for complex designs.
THE SOCIAL WORLD OF THE URBAN SLUM CHILD: SOME EARLY FINDINGS.

This paper compares selected aspects of the after-school and home activities of a sample of poor Negro and Caucasian children currently attending first and fifth grades in the New York City public schools. Discussion centers on factors that distinguish the family life, self-images and recreational activities of these children from those of their middle-class peers, with whom they must compete in school.
Violence Against Women: Vulnerable Populations by Douglas A. Brownridge

Douglas Brownridge's Violence Against Women: Vulnerable Populations looks at levels of interpersonal violence (IPV) within diverse groups, such as female immigrants and women with disabilities, spe...
Many Body Calculations in Atomic Physics

In these lectures, the use of many-body perturbation theory for atomic calculations will be reviewed. The major emphasis will be on use of the linked-cluster many-body perturbation theory first derived by Brueckner1 and Goldstone.2 General reviews of many-body theory are given in books such as those by Thouless,3 Fetter and Walecka,4 March, Young, and Sampanthar,5 and Lindgren and Morrison.6 In understanding many-body theory, it is useful to begin with Rayleigh-Schrodinger (RS) theory for a one-particle system and to relate it to the many-body case. A similar discussion has been presented previously.7
Incidence, pathophysiology, and clinical manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APLS) is a complex systemic disease with a wide variety of clinical manifestations. In the obstetric population, recurrent early pregnancy loss, fetal loss, and thrombosis are hallmarks of the disease. Patients with APLS have developed one or more pathogenic auto-antibodies directed against plasma and cell surface proteins. These antibodies are characterized by their affinity for anionic phospholipids. Interactions between APLS antibodies and their protein targets influence a wide variety of biological systems and signaling pathways, including monocytes, platelets, the complement system, and endothelial cells. While much research is currently directed at understanding the mechanisms involved in this autoimmune disease, the key clinical presentation is the hypercoagulable state resulting in thrombosis occurring in essentially any arterial or venous location, as well as numerous obstetrical complications. Treatment of APLS is generally directed at preventing thrombosis and poor pregnancy outcomes by ameliorating the hypercoagulable state.
Kappa Opioid Receptor Tolerance in the Guinea Pig Hippocampus

We investigated whether chronic, in vivo administration of U50,488H, a kappa- 1 opioid agonist, caused the development of tolerance to both the electrophysiological effects of applied kappa opioids and endogenously released dynorphins. In hippocampal slices from drug-naive guinea pigs, application of U69,593, a kappa- 1 agonist, produced a concentration-dependent inhibition (EC 50 = 20 nM) of the amplitude of the granule cell population response in the dentate gyrus. In slices from chronically U50,488H-treated animals, the concentration-response curve for U69,593 was shifted 3-fold to the right (EC 50 = 59 nM), with a significant decrease in the maximal effect of U69,593. We also found that the effects of endogenously released dynorphins were significantly attenuated by chronic U50,488H treatment. There was no cross-tolerance between kappa and mu opioid receptor agonists as measured with the in vitro electrophysiological assay, and the noncompetitive N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist MK801 did not prevent the development of tolerance to either the electrophysiological effects or the hypothermic effects of kappa opioids. Our study demonstrates that receptor-selective tolerance to the kappa opioid actions in the guinea pig hippocampus does develop after chronic U50,488H treatment; but, unlike the mechanisms reported to underlie tolerance to kappa opioid analgesia, the inhibitory effects in the hippocampus did not depend on activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors.
Gram Stains: A Resource for Retrospective Analysis of Bacterial Pathogens in Clinical Studies

We demonstrate the feasibility of using qPCR on DNA extracted from vaginal Gram stain slides to estimate the presence and relative abundance of specific bacterial pathogens. We first tested Gram stained slides spiked with a mix of 108 cfu/ml of Escherichia coli and 105 cfu/ml of Lactobacillus acidophilus. Primers were designed for amplification of total and species-specific bacterial DNA based on 16S ribosomal gene regions. Sample DNA was pre-amplified with nearly full length 16S rDNA ribosomal gene fragment, followed by quantitative PCR with genera and species-specific 16S rDNA primers. Pre-amplification PCR increased the bacterial amounts; relative proportions of Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus recovered from spiked slides remained unchanged. We applied this method to forty two archived Gram stained slides available from a clinical trial of cerclage in pregnant women at high risk of preterm birth. We found a high correlation between Nugent scores based on bacterial morphology of Lactobacillus, Gardenerella and Mobiluncus and amounts of quantitative PCR estimated genus specific DNA (rrn copies) from Gram stained slides. Testing of a convenience sample of eight paired vaginal swabs and Gram stains freshly collected from healthy women found similar qPCR generated estimates of Lactobacillus proportions from Gram stained slides and vaginal swabs. Archived Gram stained slides collected from large scale epidemiologic and clinical studies represent a valuable, untapped resource for research on the composition of bacterial communities that colonize human mucosal surfaces.
Analysis of structural and optical interactions of the precision optical interferometer in space (POINTS)

The Precision Optical Interferometer in Space (POINTS) is a free flying, space-based, astrometric interferometry mission employing an instrument with two 2-meter baseline interferometers. This paper addresses a disturbance analysis of the preliminary POINTS spacecraft and instrument design in order to determine whether and to what extent any isolation and/or added structural damping is necessary to meet the POINTS instrument requirements. The analysis was performed using the Integrated Modeling of Optical Systems (IMOS) integrated modeling tool. IMOS is an integrated software environment wherein structural, optical, and control system modeling can be performed. Linearized optical models, structural finite element models, and disturbance characterization models were developed and integrated in IMOS. Starlight fringe coherence was used as a metric to quantify the performance of the POINTS instrument. Linear optical perturbation analysis gave insight into the sensitivity of the performance of the interferometers to perturbations of the positions and orientations of the optical elements. Finite element modal analysis yielded structural modes, modeshapes, modal costs, and Hankel singular values. These models were integrated with the disturbance models allowing for generation of frequency response functions. The result of this analysis is end-to-end disturbance characterizations (starlight fringe coherence as a function of reaction wheel speed, for example).© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
On the Impact of Energy-Accuracy Tradeoff in a Digital Cellular Neural Network for Image Processing

This paper studies the opportunities of energy-accuracy tradeoff in cellular neural network (CNN). Algorithmic characteristics of CNN is coupled with hardware-induced error distribution of a digital CNN cell to evaluate energy-accuracy tradeoff for simple image processing tasks as well as a complex application. The analysis shows that errors modulate the cell dynamics and propagate through the network degrading the output quality and increasing the convergence time. The error propagation is determined by the task being performed by the CNN, specifically, the strength of the feedback template. Controlling precision is observed to be a more effective approach for energy-accuracy tradeoff in CNN than voltage over scaling.
Chemotactic responses of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes to cyclic GMP and other compounds.

Abstract We investigated the chemotactic responses of individual human polymorphonuclear leukocytes in defined fields of adenosine and guanosine 5′monophosphate, dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate, cyclic guanosine 3′,5′monophosphate, Kaolin and uric acid. We observed positive chemotaxis towards dibutyryl cyclic AMP, positive and negative chemotaxis towards cyclic GMP and no response towards the other chemicals. These results are discussed and compared with the known response to cyclic AMP.
Ceramic turbocharger cost modeling and demand analysis

Abstract Turbocharger rotors represent one of the most likely early uses for engineering ceramics. The use of ceramics in turbocharger rotors is currently limited by technical, institutional, and economic barriers. Cost simulations illustrate that if technical barriers are overcome, in a full-scale production facility ceramic rotors could be produced at a cost level competitive with metallic rotors. Based on a survey of the preferences of turbocharger manufacturers in terms of the value they place on cost, weight and performance, the future ceramic turbocharger market is projected to grow to over $40 million/year by the year 2000. This implies a silicon nitride powder demand of approximately 350 t by the year 2000.
M-matrices leading to semiconvergent splittings

Abstract An M -matrix as defined by Ostrowski is a matrix that can be split into A = sI − B , s > 0, B ⩾ 0 with s ⩾ ρ ( B ), the spectral radius of B . M -matrices with the property that the powers of T = (1/ s ) B converge for some s are studied and are characterized here in terms of the nonnegativity of the group generalized inverse of A on the range space of A , extending the well-known property that A − 1 ⩾ 0 whenever A is nonsingular.
Papas' Baby: Impossible Paternity in Going to Meet the Man

"Papas' Baby: Impossible Paternity in James Baldwin's Going to Meet the Man" employs the conceit of "impossible" fatherhood to critique mutually reinforcing racist and heteronormative constructions of reproduction. It argues, first, that the white paternal fantasy of creating "pure" white sons is undermined by the homoerotic necessity of bringing the phantasmatic black eunuch, castrated yet powerfully potent, into the procreative white bed. The "fact" of the "white" child produced in that marital bed, however, not only cloaks the failure of racial reproduction in the living proof of success but also occludes the male/male union that subtends the heteronormative fantasy of reproduction. Dangerously generative, queer interracial fatherhood is made to seem doubly impossible.
Geometrical methods for lightness adjustment in YCC color spaces

Lightening or darkening an image is a fundamental adjustment used to improve aesthetics or correct exposure. This paper describes new geometrical algorithms for lightness adjustment, implementing fast traversal of colors along lightness-saturation curves, applicable when the data starts naturally in YCC space (JPEG images or MPEG videos). Here, YCC refers generically to color spaces with one luminance and two color difference channels, including linear YCC spaces and CIELAB. Our first solution uses a class of curves that allows closed-form computation. Further assuming that saturation is a separable function of luminance and curve parameter simplifies the computations. This approach reduces clipping and better adjusts lightness together with saturation. Preliminary evaluation with 96 images finds good subjective results, and clipping is reduced to about 5% of a prior approach.
Synthesis and performance of novel hydrogels coatings for implantable glucose sensors.

Novel hydrogel polymers were prepared, characterized, coated on implantable glucose sensors, and tested in vitro and in vivo. The effects of 2,3-dihydroxypropyl methacrylate (DHPMA) on the swelling, morphology, glass transition (Tg), and water structure were studied. The results show that the degree of swelling increases with increasing DHPMA content. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies identified uniform, porous structures in samples containing 60–90 mol % DHPMA. Glass-transition temperatures did not change significantly with DHPMA content, but the ratio of freezing to nonfreezing water tended to increase with DHPMA content. Sensors coated with different hydrogels were prepared and in vitro evaluations were performed. The 80% DHPMA hydrogels exhibited optimum sensitivity, response, and stability when coated directly onto the sensor or top of a polyurethane (PU) layer. The histology results show that 80% DHPMA samples exhibit reduced fibrosis and reduced inflammation, resulting in a longer function...
Hydrogen peroxide induced resistance to broad-spectrum near-ultraviolet light (300-400 nm) inactivation in Escherichia coli.

— Strains of Escherichia coli carrying the four possible combinations of the alleles nur, nur+, uvrAb, and uvrA+ were either untreated or pretreated with a sublethal dose of H202 prior to inactivation with NUV radiation. Pretreated cells exhibited a greater resistance to NUV than did untreated cells. Pretreatment with H2O2 did not induce resistance to FUV radiation. The induction of resistance to NUV inactivation by H2O2 pretreatment apparently leads to protection against the damage caused by NUV radiation. Although pretreatment of cells with H202 leads to resistance of such cells to inactivation by H2O2 and NUV, survival of H2O2 treated bacteriophage PI cml clr100 is not enhanced when assayed on H2O2 pretreated E. coli host cells.
Assessing Watershed-Scale, Long-Term Hydrologic Impacts of Land-Use Change Using a GIS-NPS Model

Land-use change, dominated by an increase in urban/impervious areas, has a significant impact on water resources. This includes impacts on nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, which is the leading cause of degraded water quality in the United States. Traditional hydrologic models focus on estimating peak discharges and NPS pollution from high-magnitude, episodic storms and successfully address short-term, local-scale surface water management issues. However, runoff from small, low-frequency storms dominates long-term hydrologic impacts, and existing hydrologic models are usually of limited use in assessing the long-term impacts of land-use change. A long-term hydrologic impact assessment (L-THIA) model has been developed using the curve number (CN) method. Long-term climatic records are used in combination with soils and land-use information to calculate average annual runoff and NPS pollution at a watershed scale. The model is linked to a geographic information system (GIS) for convenient generation and management of model input and output data, and advanced visualization of model results. The L-THIA/NPS GIS model was applied to the Little Eagle Creek (LEC) watershed near Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Historical land-use scenarios for 1973, 1984, and 1991 were analyzed to track land-use change in the watershed and to assess impacts on annual average runoff and NPS pollution from the watershed and its five subbasins. For the entire watershed between 1973 and 1991, an 18% increase in urban or impervious areas resulted in an estimated 80% increase in annual average runoff volume and estimated increases of more than 50% in annual average loads for lead, copper, and zinc. Estimated nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) loads decreased by 15% mainly because of loss of agricultural areas. The L-THIA/NPS GIS model is a powerful tool for identifying environmentally sensitive areas in terms of NPS pollution potential and for evaluating alternative land use scenarios for NPS pollution management.
179 Exercise Determinates of Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease: Which Is Better?

Exercise Determinates of Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease: Which Is Better? H.F. Armstrong, P.C. Schulze, D.J. Lederer, M.N. Bartels. Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY; Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY; Department of Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY.
A magnetization study of amorphous Fe70Cr10P13C7 thin films

Abstract Sputter-deposited amorphous thin films of Fe70Cr10P13C7 were studied to determine the nature of the low-temperature phase and its approach to magnetic saturation. Below ≈ 410 K, the films are ferromagnetic forming monodomains for fields B ⪆ 2.5 mT. The approach to magnetic saturation is observed to be weak and M s −M M s ⪅ B −2 3 for fields between 2.6 and 20 mT. We attribute this behavior to the absence of dislocations and magnetic anistropy in these films.
POSITION CONTROL OF A TWO DEGREE-OF-FREEDOM ACTUATOR

Abstract The paper describes control of a helical-motion induction motor (HMIM) which can be used in a tandem arrangement of two units to form a direct-acting, two degree-of-freedom actuator capable of producing pure rotary motion, pure linear motion, or helical motion. A microprocessor-based controller is designed to drive this closed-loop position control actuator. A proportional control with high gain about command position is implemented to give a desired stiffness coefficient. Using the microprocessor system, an artificial viscous damping is introduced to enhance the dynamic performance.
Applications of computer graphics and image processing to 2D and 3D modeling of the functional architecture of visual cortex

A description is given of a series of studies in computational neuroscience that illustrate the application of computer graphics and image processing to the reconstruction and representation of the complex architectures that make up primate visual cortex. Techniques are demonstrated for reconstructing brains in three dimensions, 'peeling' them apart, and flattening the brain with minimal metric error. Simulations of natural images as they are mapped in the brain by these architectures are shown, including the simulation of a stereo image at the level of primary visual cortex. >
Dinitrogen Cleavage Stemming from a Heterodinuclear Niobium/Molybdenum N2 Complex: New Nitridoniobium Systems Including a Niobazene Cyclic Trimer

Preparation of the terminal nitrido anion -[NNb(N[iPr]Ar)3] and the niobazene trimer {(μ-N)Nb(N[iPr]Ar)2}3 (iPr = CH(CH3)2 or CH(CD3)2, Ar = 3,5-C6H3Me2) entails cooperative splitting of dinitrogen upon reduction of the heterobimetallic paramagnetic dinitrogen complex (Ar[R]N)3Mo(μ-N2)Nb(N[iPr]Ar)3 (R = tBu or C(CD3)2 CH3).
GEOMETRIC MODELLING AND DEFECT CHEMISTRY OF ORTHOGONAL DOMAIN INTERFACES IN YBA2CU3O7-X

Abstract Geometric modelling of orientational domain interfaces in YBa2Cu3O7−x indicate that dislocations extending from the interface must be present in order to accomodate the lattice mismatch there. The variation of dislocation density with oxygen stoichiometry and interfacial orientation has been determined. For the first time, the effect of oxygen stoichiometry on the interfacial structure and properties of YBa2Cu3O7−x has been modelled. Stereochemical modelling of these dislocations indicates that they are likely sites where both the localization of copper (II) holes and the degradation of superconducting properties may occur.
Cell-free protein synthesis programmed with R17 RNA: identification of two phage proteins.

Bacteriophage R17 RNA directs the in vitro synthesis of two identifiable phage proteins, which sediment at 20 s and 30 s. That the protein sedimenting in the 30 s region is R17 coat protein was demonstrated by chromatography on an equilibrated Sephadex column and by analysis of the tryptic peptide fingerprint. The rapid sedimentation of the in vitro synthesized coat protein was shown to result from this protein binding to the R17 RNA added as messenger. Chromatography on Sephadex and fingerprint analysis of the 20 s protein suggest that it is composed of polypeptides much longer than coat protein (a minimum estimate being 50,000). Further, the 20 s protein has been identified as R17 RNA synthetase by examining in vitro protein synthesis programmed with RNA from a mutant of R17 that contains an amber codon in the R17 RNA synthetase cistron. Comparison of polypeptide synthesis in permissive and in non-permissive extracts mediated by RNA from two different amber coat-protein mutants of R17 provides additional evidence that the protein sedimenting in the 30 s region is coat protein.
Coupling Monte Carlo quadrature with boundary elements to handle domain integrals in Poisson type problems

Abstract Presented is a method for dealing with the nonhomogeneous terms occurring in the boundary element formulation of the Poisson equation. Using Monte Carlo quadrature, an algorithm for the construction of a two-dimensional BEM Poisson equation analyzer is derived. The result is a simple, yet effective device for solving the general Poisson equation without the need for either domain discretization or the use of Galerkin tensor techniques. Sample analyses of several engineering problems are performed and the results are compared with solutions obtained by other means. The fine quality of the results implies that the analysis technique is generally viable for obtaining solutions to the Poisson equation.