cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of prostacyclin on ovulation and microvasculature of the in vitro perfused rabbit ovary

Prostacyclin (prostaglandin I 2 ) methyl ester at 0.1, 1, or 10 μg/ml was added to the perfusate of one rabbit ovary every 2 hours for the first 10 hours of perfusion. The contralateral ovary was perfused with medium alone. Prostacyclin methyl ester at 1 and 10 μg/ml induced ovulation in the absence of gonadotropin, with ovulatory efficiencies of 26.7% ± 3.8% and 46.5% ± 5.0%, respectively. Most ovulated ova (77.4%) did not progress beyond the germinal vesicle stage, and there was no significant degeneration of ovulated ova or follicular oocytes. Examination of the follicular microvasculature 5 hours after exposure to prostacyclin revealed marked vessel dilatation and filling defects at the apex. By 7 hours after prostacyclin exposure, the intrafollicular space contained extravasated resin, reflecting increased vascular permeability. The vascular changes paralleled those previously observed in gonadotropin-induced ovulation. These results indicate that prostacyclin acting locally alters the vascular integrity of the follicle wall and facilitates follicle rupture.
Pneumococcal neuraminidase: Purification and properties

Abstract A relatively short purification scheme is described for pneumococcal neuraminidase (mucopolysaccharide N -acetylneuraminylhydrolase, EC 3.2.1.18). The enzyme has been characterized using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and microisoelectric focusing on polyacrylamide gel. The purified enzyme has an estimated molecular weight of 69 800 and a pI of 4.90.
Nonlinear second order boundary value problems: Continuous dependence and periodic boundary conditions

Zwei-punkt Randwertaufgaben fur die Differentialgleichung (*)y″=f(x,y,y′),a≤x≤b, sind betrachtet. Ziemlich gewohnliche hinreichende Bedingungen sind gegeben fur die Existenz und Einzigkeit einer Losung Φ(x,α,β) der Gleichung (*) und die Randbedingungeng(y(a), y′(a))=α, h(y(b), y′(b))=β, und fur die stegige Abhangigkeit der beiden Φ′(x, α, β) von (x, α, β). Diese Ergebnisse haben dann zur Folge Existenz- und Einzig- keitsatze fur die verallgemeinerte periodische Randwertaufgabe, die aus der Gleichung (*) und den Randbedingungeny(a)=y(b)+G (y′(a), y(b), H(y′(a), y′(b))=0 bestehen.
CENDA: Camouflage Event Based Malicious Node Detection Architecture

Compromised sensor nodes may collude to segregate a specific region of the sensor network preventing event reporting packets in this region from reaching the basestation. Additionally, they can cause skepticism over all data collected. Identifying and segregating such compromised nodes while identifying the type of attack with a certain confidence is critical to the smooth functioning of a sensor network. Existing work specializes in preventing or identifying specific type of attack and lacks a unified architecture to identify multiple attack types. Camouflage Event Based Malicious Node Detection Architecture (CENDA) is a proactive architecture that uses camouflage events generated by mobile-nodes to detect malicious nodes while identifying the type of attack. We exploit the spatial and temporal information of camouflage event while analyzing the packets to identify malicious activity. We simulated CENDA to compare its performance with other techniques that provide protection against individual attack types and the results show marked improvement in malicious node detection while having significantly less false positives. Moreover, CENDA is able to identify the type of malicious activity and is flexible to be configured to include other attack types in future.
Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Dynamic Model: H2S Absorption/Stripping, Water−Gas Shift Reactors, and CO2 Absorption/Stripping

Gasification could potentially emerge as the premier unit operation in the energy and chemical industries. In the future, plants are predicted to be a hybrid between power and chemical with the ability to handle unavoidable swings in both power demand and biomass feed composition without a loss of efficiency. The coupling of a power plant with a chemical plant provides an additional control degree of freedom, which fundamentally improves the controllability of the process. The coupling of an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant with a methanol chemical plant handles swings in power demand by diverting hydrogen gas from a combustion turbine and syn gas from the gasifier to a methanol plant for the production of an easily stored, hydrogen-consuming liquid product. This paper presents an extension of the dynamic gasifier model, which uses a high-molecular weight hydrocarbon (with a 1:1 hydrogen to carbon ratio) as a pseudo-biomass feed stock. Using this gasifier model, the downstream uni...
The artistic evolution of mommy: A longitudinal case study of symbolic and social processes

A longitudinal case study illustrates how artistic development can be understood as the interplay between the child's developing symbolic skills and the contextual social support for the child's artistic expression.
Precision and accuracy in tandem mass spectrometry measurements: A kinetics-based protocol for instrument-independent measurements of collision-activated dissociation in RF-only quadrupoles

T andem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is widely used for the analysis of multicomponent mixtures (e.g., targeted-component analysis and functional-class analysis) and for structure elucidation [1]. The analysis makes use of the collision-activated dissociation (CAD) of precursor ions. The most common mode of MS/MS operation is the daughter ion scan under multiple-collision conditions, with the key MSIMS parameters selected to suit the requirements of each individual operator. For reasons enumerated in ref. 2 (and ref. 9 therein), this mode of operation produces instrument-dependent CAD spectra (which cannot be used for interlaboratory comparisons or for intralaboratory comparisons among different instruments) and can produce nonreproducible results even within a single instrument. This was clearly demonstrated in a 1983 international round robin [3] wherein very different CAD spectra were observed for the same molecule. That is, the relative intensities measured in different MS/MS instruments for any given pair of progeny ions differed by factors ranging into the hundreds, even though the same nominal operating conditions were supposedly used in each of the MS/MS instruments of the XqQ type [where q denotes an rf-only quadmpole collision cell, Q denotes a quadrupole mass filter, and X (the first mass analyzer) can be either a Q or a sector analyzer (the second mass anaIyzer is a Q)]: for example, QqQ, BEqQ hybrid, etc. Therefore, until now it has not been possible to use a CAD spectrum of a given species (measured in one XqQ instrument) to identify and quantitate that same species in a different XqQ instrument. Notwithstanding this fact, there are currently more than 400 XqQ instruments worldwide (representing a capital investment of more than
Summary of the 2004 Cfd Validation Workshop on Synthetic Jets and Turbulent Separation Control

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) validation workshop for synthetic jets and turbulent separation control (CFDVAL2004) was held in Williamsburg, Virginia in March 2004. Three cases were investigated: synthetic jet into quiescent air, synthetic jet into a turbulent boundary layer crossflow, and flow over a hump model with no-flow-control, steady suction, and oscillatory control. This paper is a summary of the CFD results from the workshop. Although some detailed results are shown, mostly a broad viewpoint is taken, and the CFD state-of-the-art for predicting these types of flows is evaluated from a general point of view. Overall, for synthetic jets, CFD can only qualitatively predict the flow physics, but there is some uncertainty regarding how to best model the unsteady boundary conditions from the experiment consistently. As a result, there is wide variation among CFD results. For the hump flow, CFD as a whole is capable of predicting many of the particulars of this flow provided that tunnel blockage is accounted for, but the length of the separated region compared to experimental results is consistently overpredicted.
Solutre; a theoretical approach to the reconstruction of upper Palaeolithic hunting strategies

Abstract By the Upper Palaeolithic, there is considerable evidence that humans were very efficient communal hunters of large game. The significance of wild horses in the economy and ritual life of the Upper Palaeolithic people is attested to by the predominance of equids in European cave art and the frequency of their remains in archaeological deposits. The famous locality of Solutre, in east-central France, may be considered the best preserved example of a mass kill site in Western Europe. By integrating evidence from the regional topography, the faunal material from recent excavations, and modern equid behavioral studies, the hunting strategy employed throughout the span of time during which Solutre was utilized is reconstructured. Five basic hunting hypotheses are presented here and evaluated in light of the information obtained through current research. The most satisfactory reconstruction of activities leading to the formation of the site of Solutre involves the driving of bands of horses, during summer horse migrations, a short distance up from the valley floor into a cul-de-sac formed by the cliff-face were they were briefly corralled and killed with spears.
Structural and Mechanical Properties of Multilayer TiN/CrN Coatings

Multilayer and superlattice coatings of TiN/CrN coating are deposited on Si(100) substrate at different modulation wavelength by reactive unbalanced magnetron sputtering and characterized using X-ray diffraction, nanoindentation, AFM. Nano-roughness of films is in good correlation with hardness and modulus and this effect has been used for optimization of deposition parameters. Preliminary results have shown slightly better mechanical properties for multilayered TiN/CrN coatings compared to single layer TiN and CrN coatings. The XRD results have shown a preferred orientation in direction for TiN/CrN multilayer coatings at modulation wavelengths below 80 nm. At 100 nm layer thickness, TiN revealed small amount of crystals with orientation and their content significantly increases with increase in layer thickness while CrN layers only show preferred orientation of . Multilayered coatings exhibit better mechanical properties due to presence of large number of interfaces which act as barrier to dislocations. Fracture toughness and tribological properties of these coatings are also expected to show significant improvement and the investigation in this area is under progress.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Defects and Impurities in Mercuric Iodide Processing

In the fabrication of mercuric iodide HgI{sub 2} room temperature radiation detectors, as in any semiconductor process, the quality of the final device is very sensitive to the impurities and defects present. Each process step can change the effects of existing defects, reduce the number of defects, or introduce new defects. In HgI{sub 2} detectors these defects act as trapping and recombination centers, thereby degrading immediate performance and leading to unstable devices. In this work we characterized some of the defects believed to strongly affect detector operation. Specifically, we studied impurities that are known to be present in typical HgI{sub 2} materials. Leakage current measurements were used to study the introduction and characteristics of these impurities, as such experiments reveal the mobile nature of these defects. In particular, we found that copper, which acts as a hole trap, introduces a positively charged center that diffuses and drifts readily in typical device environments. These measurements suggest that Cu, and related impurities like silver, may be one of the leading causes of HgI{sub 2} detector failures.
Ingestion of bacterially expressed double-stranded RNA inhibits gene expression in planarians

Freshwater planarian flatworms are capable of regenerating complete organisms from tiny fragments of their bodies; the basis for this regenerative prowess is an experimentally accessible stem cell population that is present in the adult planarian. The study of these organisms, classic experimental models for investigating metazoan regeneration, has been revitalized by the application of modern molecular biological approaches. The identification of thousands of unique planarian ESTs, coupled with large-scale whole-mount in situ hybridization screens, and the ability to inhibit planarian gene expression through double-stranded RNA-mediated genetic interference, provide a wealth of tools for studying the molecular mechanisms that regulate tissue regeneration and stem cell biology in these organisms. Here we show that, as in Caenorhabditis elegans, ingestion of bacterially expressed double-stranded RNA can inhibit gene expression in planarians. This inhibition persists throughout the process of regeneration, allowing phenotypes with disrupted regenerative patterning to be identified. These results pave the way for large-scale screens for genes involved in regenerative processes.
Growth and death behaviour of anchorage-independent animal cells immobilized within porous support matrices.

Growth and death of anchorage-independent animal cells entrapped within porous biomass support particles (BSPs) in static or shake-flask cultures were evaluated by comparison of enzyme activity with non-immobilized cells grown under static culture using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and release of lactate dehydrogenase into the culture medium. Mouse myeloma MPC-11 (ATCC CCL 167) cells inoculated within porous polyvinyl formal resin BSPs (3 × 3 × 3 or 2 × 2 × 2 mm; mean pore diameter, 60 μ ) grew exponentially at a specific growth rate comparable to that of non-immobilized cells in the initial period of incubation. Entrapped cells then reached the stationary phase with a cell density over 107 cells/cm3 BSP. The death rate of entrapped cells increased in response to the rise in viable cell density in the BSPs. Observation of viable cell distribution within the BSPs using MTT staining indicated that the cells concentrated within a thin outer shell of the BSPs with time. After the immobilized cells reached the stationary phase, penetration of cells into the outer shell ceased and heterogeneous distribution of cell density occurred in the viable cell layer in the shake-flask culture.
Evidence for a depressive self-focusing style

Abstract An experiment was conducted to assess the possibility that depressed persons have a unique self-focusing style in which they increase their level of self-focus after failures and decrease their level of self-focus after successes. Nondepressed and mildly depressed college students were randomly assigned to succeed or fail on a supposed test of verbal abilities or to a no-outcome control group that did not take the test. Subjects were then taken to a second room and given 10 min to work on two sets of puzzles, one of which was positioned in front of a large mirror. As in previous research on self-focus, the amount of time spent in front of the mirror was taken as a measure of aversion to self-focus. As predicted, depressed success subjects spent significantly less time in front of the mirror than did depressed control, depressed failure, or nondepressed success subjects. The time spent in front of the mirror by nondepressed subjects, however, was apparently unaffected by their performance outcomes. Implications of this depressive self-focusing style for the esteem, attributions, affect, motivation, and performance of depressed persons were discussed.
Experiments in Work System Design: Economic and Human Results. Part II.

In this, the second part of a two‐part paper (Part I, Personnel Review, Summer 1977, pp 21–34) a survey of instances of work system design (WSD) experiments will be continued. As described in the Introduction to Part I, cases chosen for inclusion report the economic and human results of actual physical or structural innovations in a set or series of human tasks which, taken together, form some meaningful technical whole. The term ‘experiment’ is used in both Part I and II to refer loosely to change or manipulation of actual work activities, and not necessarily to well controlled laboratory experiments. In fact, most cases reported here are ‘natural’ and very few are carefully controlled.
Morphological diversity of DNA-colloidal self-assembly

We study theoretically a binary system in which an attraction of unlike particles is combined with a type-independent soft-core repulsion. The possible experimental implementation of the system is a mixture of DNA-covered colloids, in which both the repulsion and the attraction may be induced by DNA solution. The system is shown to exhibit surprisingly diverse and unusual morphologies. Among them are the diamond lattice and the membrane phase with in-plane square order, a striking example of spontaneous compactification.
Abstract 3870: Overexpression of SPARC represses MMP-9 mediated metastasis in neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common pediatric solid tumor and arises from defective neural crest cells. NB is characterized by local invasion and metastasis, which is partly regulated by the proteins matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9) and secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC). Although the pleiotropic anti-cancer role of SPARC and its effect on metastasis has been shown in a variety of cancers, the mechanism by which it acts is not very clear. In the present study, we found that the overexpression of SPARC in NB-1649 and SK-AS cell lines downregulated MMP-9 protein and inhibited the expression of other metastasis promoting molecules such as N-cadherin, β-Catenin and FAK. Moreover, SPARC overexpression significantly suppressed MMP-9-mediated migration, invasion and proliferation of NB cells. Interestingly, immunohistochemistry analysis of 36 human NB paraffin-embedded specimens showed that higher expression of MMP-9 was associated with lower levels SPARC. All these data suggest that SPARC and MMP-9 negatively associate to regulate the various stages of tumor progression. Furthermore, computational docking studies showed the existence of structural and physical interaction between SPARC and MMP-9 proteins. This SPARC-MMP-9 interaction was validated by immunoprecipitation and immunohistochemistry analysis in NB-1649 and SK-AS cells. Consistent with the above results, we observed a similar MMP-9-SPARC interaction in intracranial NB tumors of mice and found that the expression of MMP-9 was higher in control mice when compared to SPARC-treated mice. Taken together, our results demonstrate the role of SPARC in negative regulation of MMP-9 and MMP-9-mediated migration, invasion and metastasis of NB cells. Citation Format: Kiran Kumar Velpula, Bharathi Gorantla, Swapna Asuthkar, Arnima Bhasin, Venkateswara Rao Gogineni, Chandramu Chetty, Jasti S. Rao. Overexpression of SPARC represses MMP-9 mediated metastasis in neuroblastoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3870. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3870
Evaluation of Drosophila melanogaster as an alternative animal for studying the neurotoxicity of heavy metals.

Heavy metals cause irreversible neurobehavioral damage in many developing mammals, but the mechanisms of this damage are unknown. The influence of three heavy metal compounds, triethyllead chloride, lead acetate and cadmium chloride, on lethality, development, behavior and learning was studied using the fruit fly,Drosophila melanogaster. This animal was used because it allows hundreds of subjects to be assayed very easily in individual experiments and because it is a system in which toxicological questions might be answered by using the techniques of modern molecular genetics. When triethyllead chloride, lead acetate or cadmium chloride was placed in the medium, the larval LC50 (± standard error) was found to be 0.090±0.004, 6.60±0.64 and 0.42±0.04mm, respectively. Each of the tested compounds produced a dose-related delay in development. In particular, they caused a delay in the development of larvae to pupae. When larvae were reared on medium containing triethyllead chloride (0.06mm), lead acetate (3.07mm) or cadmium chloride (0.11mm), phototaxis, locomotion and learning were not inhibited. Since significant neurobehavioral effects were not observed under the experimental conditions used,Drosophila does not appear to be an appropriate animal for the genetic dissection of such effects of heavy metals during development.
Nesting distributions of Galápagos boobies (Aves: Sulidae): an apparent case of amensalism

Blue-footed boobies (Sula nebouxii) in the Galapagos Islands nest at coastal sites such as cliff edges if Nazca boobies (S. granti) are absent. However, if sympatric with nesting Nazca boobies, they nest nearby, but farther inland, in areas with little topographical relief. Nazca boobies nest at the coastal sites whether blue-footed boobies are present or not. The segregated nesting pattern of these two species offers a model system to investigate factors influencing community structure. We tested a non-interactive hypothesis, in which different fundamental niches generate the non-overlapping distributions, and an interactive hypothesis, in which the two fundamental niches overlap and an interaction between the two species causes the segregation. Data on three factors considered as likely parameters differentiating fundamental niches (nest microclimate, nature of the nesting substrate, and ease of taking flight from nest sites) failed to support the non-interactive hypothesis. These results suggest that the two species have indistinguishable fundamental niches with respect to these parameters, but different realized niches. Researchers studying resource partitioning by ecologically similar species often only consider competition (a "-/-" interaction) to explain situations like this, ignoring the more parsimonious amensal (0/-) possibility. Nesting segregation in this situation is apparently caused by attacks of non-breeding adult Nazca boobies on blue-footed booby nestlings, injuring nestlings and ultimately preventing them from fledging. The interaction does not result in any discernible costs or benefits (i.e., effects on fecundity or survival) for the adult Nazca boobies, so it is best described as an amensal interaction. This interaction provides a sufficient explanation of the observed nesting segregation, and precludes present competition for nesting space.
Reaction of Organosilicon Hydrides with Solid Surfaces: An Example of Surface-Catalyzed Self-Assembly

The solution-phase reactions of octadecylsilane (C18H37SiH3) with 10 high surface area metal oxides (groups II−VIII) were investigated. C18H37SiH3 reacted with most metal oxides at room temperature and produced supported monolayers (self-assembled monolayers, SAMs) with a high grafting density of C18, ∼4.5−5 groups/nm2. According to the FTIR and 29Si NMR spectra, molecules in the SAMs demonstrated “horizontal” cross-linking (Si−O−Si and Si−OH···HO−Si bonds) and little or no “vertical” bonds with the metal oxide forming an amorphous, yet ordered film. Also, ∼3 mol of H2 was formed per each mole of grafted C18, indicating complete hydrolysis of C18H37SiH3 during the reaction. On the basis of the activity of different metal oxides, we concluded that the hydrolysis of C18H37SiH3, the key step in the reaction mechanism, is catalyzed by water adsorbed on acidic and basic centers (Lewis and Bronsted) of the surface of metal oxide. Metal oxides and solids with weak acidic and basic properties, like silica, carbon...
Prostate cancer detection by using digital rectal examination: contemporary practice patterns in the United States.

Abstract Background Digital rectal examination (DRE) may play an important role as a secondary method of prostate cancer detection if prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening decreases. Current practice patterns in the use of DRE are not well defined, and potential variations in its use among different subgroups of men are unclear. Materials and Methods The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System was examined for the year 2010. All men aged 40 years old or older were asked if they ever had a rectal examination to check their prostate and the date of their last examination. Men who reported having had a DRE within the past 12 months were considered up to date. The proportion of men who reported having had a DRE and independent demographic and socioeconomic predictors for having had a DRE were determined. Results A total of 110,661 respondents were included: 72.2% of respondents reported ever having had a DRE; 36.8% had had a DRE within the past year, and 49.7% within the past 2 years. On multivariate analysis for reporting having an up-to-date DRE, older men, those with higher body mass index, and those of black race were more likely to have an up-to-date DRE. Asian or Hispanic race, divorced or widowed marital status, lower education, lower income, and lack of health insurance were independently associated with being less likely to have an up-to-date DRE. Conclusions Of American men, 36.8% reported having an up-to-date DRE within the past year and 49.7% of men within the past 2 years. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were strongly associated with the likelihood of having an up-to-date DRE.
A Fault Classification and Localization Method for Three-Terminal Circuits Using Machine Learning

This paper presents a traveling-wave-based method for fault classification and localization for three-terminal power transmission systems. In the proposed method, the discrete wavelet transform is utilized to extract transient information from the recorded voltages. Support-vector-machine classifiers are then used to classify the fault type and faulty line/half in the transmission networks. Bewley diagrams are observed for the traveling-wave patterns and the wavelet coefficients of the aerial mode voltage are used to locate the fault. Alternate Transients Program software is used for transients simulations. The performance of the method is tested for different fault inception angles, different fault resistances, nonlinear high impedance faults, and nontypical faults with satisfactory results.
Nonlinear Strain Hardening Model for Predicting Clamp Load Loss in Bolted Joints

Closed form solution for the amount of clamp load loss due to an externally applied separating force is determined for a bolted assembly in which the fastener is initially tightened beyond its proportional limit. The joint may or may not have been yielded at initial assembly, however. After the initial tightening of the fastener, the joint is subsequently subjected to a tensile separating force, which further increases the fastener tensile stress into the nonlinear range. Such a separating force will simultaneously reduce the clamping force in the bolted joint. Upon the removal of the separating service load, the bolted joint system reaches a new equilibrium point between the fastener tension and the joint clamping force. At the new equilibrium point, the fastener tension is reduced from its value at initial assembly. due to the plastic elongation of the fastener The reduction in fastener tension translates into a partial-yet permanent-loss of the clamping load, which may lead to joint leakage, loosening, or fatigue failure. A nonlinear strain hardening model is implemented in order to describe the fastener behavior past the proportional limit of its material, and to determine the clamp load loss due to the permanent set in the fastener after the separating force has been removed. In order to study the effect of strain hardening, various rates of strain hardening are used for modeling the behavior of the fastener material. The effect of three nondimensional variables on the amount of clamp load loss is investigated. This includes the joint-to-fastener stiffness ratio, the ratio of initial fastener tension to its elastic limit, and the ratio of the separating force to its maximum value that would cause joint separation to start. Analytical results are presented for a range of stiffness ratios that simulates both soft and hard joint applications.
Compliance with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (cpap) in epilepsy and obstructive sleep apnea

Introduction Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is prevalent in nearly a third of patients with epilepsy. Treatment with Continuous Positive Airway pressure (CPAP) is associated with improvement in seizure control. However, CPAP is often difficult to tolerate for various reasons, and it has been suggested that noncompliant patients with epilepsy and OSA are at higher risk of recurrent seizures than are CPAP-compliant patients. Our objective is to determine short-term compliance, which predicts long-term adherence, to CPAP therapy in patients with OSA and epilepsy. Materials and methods We retrospectively identified patients with moderate to severe OSA (AHI ⩾ 15) started on nasal CPAP between 2012–2013 at the New York Sleep Institute. We divided them into OSA-only (control) and epilepsy-OSA groups. Patients with history of non-epileptic seizures, poor compliance with anti-epileptic drugs, greater than ten seizures a day, diagnosis of epilepsy within the past six months, a significant history of medical, psychiatric or substance abuse, or a two month compliance rate of less than ten percent were excluded. CPAP compliance (defined as percent of days with greater than 4 h usage) was obtained via a monitoring card within the CPAP system. Results Sixty-five epilepsy patients were identified, forty-one (65%) of which were diagnosed with concomitant OSA. Thirty-two patients from the control group and fourteen epilepsy patients met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 50.7 and 60.4 ( p = 0.018), BMI was 32.3 and 32.4 ( p = 0.48), Epworth Sleepiness Scale was 8.4 and 9.8 ( p = 0.23), spontaneous arousal index 10.0 and 7.7 ( p = 0.19), sleep efficiency was 80.7% and 78.7% ( p = 0.35), optimal CPAP pressure was 11.4 and 10.6 cm H 2 O ( p = 0.22), and AHI 30.2 and 41.0 ( p = 0.075), in the epilepsy-OSA and OSA-only groups, respectively. One month compliance rates were 65.7% in epilepsy patients and 78.3% in the control group ( p = 0.038), and 2 month compliance rates were 68.3% and 71.5%, respectively ( p = 0.33). Conclusion Short-term compliance rates were decreased in epilepsy patients with concomitant OSA, most notably within the first month after beginning CPAP. This study demonstrates the importance of providing early and aggressive support, in this particularly vulnerable group. Acknowledgements We thank the staff at New York Sleep Institute for their dedication and support.
Theranostic immunoliposomes for osteoarthritis

Abstract Although there have been substantial advancements in the treatment of inflammatory arthritis, treatments for osteoarthritis (OA) have lagged and currently are primarily palliative until joints become totally dysfunctional and prosthetic replacement is needed. One obstacle for developing a preventive therapy for OA is the lack of good tools for efficiently diagnosing the disease and monitoring its progression during the early stages when the effect of therapeutic drugs or biologics is most likely to be effective. We have developed near infrared immunoliposomes conjugated with type II collagen antibody for diagnosis and treatment of early OA. These immunoliposomes bind to damaged but not normal cartilage. Utilizing these reagents, we can quantitate exposure of type II collagen during cartilage degradation in individual joints in vivo in a guinea pig. Immunoliposomes could be used to determine the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions in small animals as well as vehicles for localized drug delivery to OA chondrocytes. From the Clinical Editor This team of authors have developed near infrared immunoliposomes conjugated with type II collagen antibody for diagnosis and treatment of early OA, with promising results demonstrated in a guinea pig model.
“NOMINAL” AND “REAL” INTERSTATE INCOME INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES: SOME ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE

Using a good inequality index, and data on personal income and cost-of-living estimates for the period 1981–90, interstate inequality in “nominal” and “real” personal income per capita is compared. Four points are noted. First, inequality in real income is smaller than that in nominal income. Second, while the nominal-income inequality shows the well-known increase over the 1980s, real-income inequality declined during the period. Third, inequality patterns in the wage and the non-wage components of income are somewhat different. Last, even the nominal-income inequality indicates a decline in the early 1990s.
International research: ethical imperialism or ethical pluralism?

Conflicts have arisen in international research when countries in which research is being carried out lack the ethical rules or mechanisms for review employed in the United States and Europe. It is...
Fatal air embolism through an umbilical venous catheter.

A fatal case of air embolism through an umbilical venous catheter occurred during calibration of a pressure transducer. This could have been prevented by disconnecting the tubing between the transducer and the umbilical catheter during the calibration procedure. It is hoped that this case report will help prevent similar complications in other nurseries.
Policy challenges in building dependability in global infrastructures

[This paper was given at Compsec 2002, in London, on 30 October 2002]. Global or continental critical infrastructures - including electric power, telecommunications, and the Internet - are now the control plane for advanced economies. The occasional failures of these key infrastructures illustrate not only our dependence, but also the unanticipated interdependencies between systems. For example, the 1998 failure of a single telecommunications satellite, Galaxy 4, led to an outage of nearly 90% of all pagers in the United States, while also causing a number of unanticipated failures: many banking and financial services (credit card purchases, automated teller machines) were interrupted, as was communications with doctors and emergency workers [1]. With awareness of economic and social dependence on these distributed infrastructures has come a growing concern about their reliability and security. Defense against deliberate attack - critical infrastructure protection - emerged as part of the US national security posture in the mid-1990s with the work of the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure, and was codified by Presidential Decision Directive 63 in 1998. Other nations are also beginning to develop national strategies for infrastructure protection. Reliability is more than protection against deliberate attack. An accidental cut of a fiber optic trunk shut down air traffic control along the east coast of the US for a day. A cascading series of events, starting with a tree limb falling, caused much of the western US to lose electricity. The challenge of improving the reliability of global networked infrastructures presents us with significant analytical and decision-making complexities, with both technical and policy relevant dimensions [2]. This paper - using principally examples from the Internet and other distributed IT systems - presents two perspectives on these complexities. First is to present critical global infrastructures as complex adaptive systems, which share certain characteristics that policy makers and managers need to account for. Secondly, the balance of the paper outlines five major dimensions of the analytical and decision-making complexity, and presents the research and policy-making agendas that need to be addressed if we are to significantly improve the reliability of global infrastructures. Neither of these perspectives is purely technical or engineering based. Success in increasing the reliability of global infrastructures will require much more analytically sophisticated research in, among other topics, the issue areas identified here - in addition to ongoing technology-based research.
Fiber-optic-based immunosensors for haptens

Abstract A selective fiber-optic-based immunosensor for haptens is described and characterized. In order to construct a sensor for different analytes, a prescribed reaction protocol is followed and only the recognition element [F(ab′) antibody fragment] has to be changed. The dynamic range of this sensor is about two orders of magnitude and the detection limits are at least 25 nM (25-μ1 volume). By using steady-state fluorescence and classical ultra-high-vacuum surface analytical techniques, the effects of regeneration media, reaction and storage times and interferents on the sensor response were studied.
My So-Called Choice: The Trappings of School Choice for Non-Admits

Exploratory research investigates how students in a neighborhood high school navigate the complex school choice admissions process in New York City. Four years of in-depth, longitudinal interviews with thirty minority youth explores how their status as non-admits (students rejected from all schools) shapes their perceptions of peers and experiences in school. Non-admits feel duped into attending stigmatized neighborhood schools and believe their peers cannot be trusted. Analysis suggests school choice research and policy can be improved by: (1) considering students’ participation in the decision-making process; (2) investigating students who only receive the trappings of choice; (3) integrating the social consequences of school choice into current policy discussions and; (4) analyzing how the quality of officially published information about schools influences decision-making.
Synchronously pumped dye laser passively mode-locked with an antiresonant ring.

A synchronously pumped colliding pulse mode-locked laser using an antiresonant ring as one end reflector is demonstrated.
Gatekeeping transactions: women's resource acquisition and mental health in the workplace

This research explored gatekeeping transactions of professional women in selected occupational fields. Subjects were asked to keep daily records on strategies they used to gain needed resources from other people in their workplace. Characteristics of gatekeeping transactions were studied as potential stressors that might affect specific indicators of mental health. Results suggest that differences in levels of job satisfaction and substance use can be predicted by specific characteristics of gatekeeping transactions, such as total number of transactions, number of strategies used per transaction, negativity of transactions, and gender and role status of gatekeeper. Patterns of influence strategies used by the subjects are discussed, as are implications for future research on gatekeeping transactions in relation to professional women's mental health and job satisfaction.
Comparative study of liver uricase activity in fresh-water teleosts

Abstract 1. 1. Uricase activity was assayed in liver homogenates of nineteen species of fresh-water teleost fishes. Activity using fresh-tissue homogenates varied from 0·69 units/mg of protein in the shovel-nose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) to 5·19 units/mg of protein in the white bass (Roccus chrysops). 2. 2. Uricase activity was also assayed using acetone powder preparations. 3. 3. Certain parameters of uricase kinetics were measured. Optimum assay conditions varied slightly depending on the species used. 4. 4. No correlation seemed to be evident between liver uricase activity and phylogeny, diet, age or reproductive state.
Natural Representation: Diagram and Text in Darwin'sOn the Origin of Species

This article examines Darwin's use of diagram and text in the Origin by focusing on their interacting roles in his discussion of natural relations, extinction, and time. Each medium presented opportunities and challenges that depend on the topic in question; indeed, a medium's dimensionality could undermine one claim and make self-evident another. While Darwin divides representational labor between diagram and text, he also creates a constitutive interplay between media. The resulting dynamic alliance of form and content recalls his early evolutionary reflections on representation; image and word could be used not simply to argue for, but also as evidence of, his theory.
A comparison of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder scales.

In this study, we utilized a large undergraduate sample (N = 536), oversampled for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text revision [DSM–IV–TR]; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) obsessive–compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) pathology, to compare 8 self-report measures of OCPD. No prior study has compared more than 3 measures, and the results indicate that the scales had only moderate convergent validity. We also went beyond the existing literature to compare these scales to 2 external reference points: their relationships with a well-established measure of the five-factor model of personality (FFM) and clinicians' ratings of their coverage of the DSM–IV–TR criterion set. When the FFM was used as a point of comparison, the results suggest important differences among the measures with respect to their divergent representation of conscientiousness, neuroticism, and agreeableness. Additionally, an analysis of the construct coverage indicated that the measures also va...
Heterosexual College Student Sexual Experiences, Feminist Identity, and Attitudes Toward LGBT Individuals

Although sexual experiences among college students have been well documented, few studies have explored how sexual activity may be related to attitudes concerning sex and sexuality. Limited research suggests there may be an important relationship between sexual experiences, feminist self-identification, and supportive attitudes toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. Using a college sample of heterosexual students (n = 735) from a large southern university, this article explores sexual activity, feminism, and perspectives toward LGBT individuals. Overall, results suggest that measures of sexual experience are unrelated to attitudes toward LGBT individuals, unless coupled with feminist ideology.
Civil and Criminal Forensic Psychological Assessment: Similarities and Unique Challenges

The current article reflects on the similarities and unique challenges of civil and criminal forensic psychological assessment. We begin with an overall review of the general roles and ethical responsibilities of the forensic psychologist working in any legal arena. Topics such as ethics of the forensic examiner, the role of psychiatric diagnosis, consideration of malingering and response bias, use of psychological testing, and researching relevant laws and psycholegal questions are covered. We then discuss the particular challenges of working in a criminal forensic setting (e.g., conducting assessments in a correctional setting, working with potentially dangerous evaluees), as well as civil forensic setting (e.g., role of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in civil litigation). This paper will highlight that while there are unique challenges and aspects of working in a particular area of the law, more often than not, the same general principles and skill sets of forensic psychological assessment will translate between each area.
Resident Perceptions of an Overt Drug Elimination Strategy

Open-air drug markets are destructive to communities and negatively influence community residents. To combat open-air drug markets, a data-driven, focused deterrence approach drawn from David Kennedy’s “pulling levers” framework was used in two North Carolina cities. Until now, the elements of the strategy have only been articulated through the perspective of law-enforcement personnel. However, community residents living in open-air drug market areas offer critical perspectives that frequently go unvoiced. Through the use of focus groups with community residents, this article elucidates the perspectives and perceptions of community residents as they relate to the strategy and emphasizes the imperative community role in deterring drug crime.
Ultrasonic sensor-based motion control for robotic manipulators

A two-level hierarchical control structure is used to achieve motion-control of a robotic manipulator. A highly-directional ultrasonic distance ranging device is utilized to measure features of interest in the workspace of the robot arm. Off-line trajectory planning is combined with online motion guidance by the supervisory controller to formulate and execute the desired path movement. In a demonstration application, the vertical distance from a workpiece surface was measured and utilized to perform online trajectory adjustment for the robot cutting-tool motion. This makes it possible to compensate for factors such as robot performance limitations, inaccurate fixturing and inexact object location. The hardware implementation and control strategy used to provide verification of the concept are presented, along with the experimental results achieved. >
Depression help-seeking attitudes and behaviors among an Internet-based sample of Spanish-speaking perinatal women

OBJECTIVE: To examine attitudes and beliefs related to help-seeking for depression among an international sample of pregnant women, a majority of whom were Spanish-speakers residing in Latin America. METHODS: More than 6 000 (n = 6 672) pregnant women met eligibility criteria and consented to participate between 15 January 2009-12 August 2011. Of these, 1 760 with a Latino/Hispanic background completed a baseline survey as part of a larger study. Group comparisons analyzed attitudes and behaviors related to seeking help for depression, while a logistic regression was conducted to identify demographic characteristics related to help-seeking support. RESULTS: Of the participants, three-fourths reported experiencing depression during or after their current or past pregnancies. The majority of participants did not seek help, and generally reported ambivalence about their depressive symptoms and uncertainty as to the helpfulness of others. However, 44.8% did seek help, mostly by speaking to family or partners and reported feeling fear, shame, and embarrassment about their symptoms. A current major depressive episode and an income less than or equal to US$ 10 000 were significant predictors of help-seeking behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Data from this study suggest that when feeling sad or depressed, perinatal Latinas tend to seek emotional support first from family and friends and may underutilize mental health services when needed. The Internet is an effective means for reaching perinatal women, especially those in areas of the world where there may be barriers to accessing psychological resources.
Integrated aerodynamic/structural design of a sailplane wing

Using lifting-line theory and beam analysis, the geometry (planiform and twist) and composite material structural sizes (skin thickness, spar cap, and web thickness) were designed for a sailplane wing, subject to both structural and aerodynamic constraints. For all elements, the integrated design (simultaneously designing the aerodynamics and the structure) was superior in terms of performance and weight to the sequential design (where the aerodynamic geometry is designed to maximize the performance, following which a structural/aeroelastic design minimizes the weight). Integrated designs produced less rigid, higher aspect ratio wings with favorable aerodynamic/structural interactions.