cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic deletion of TNF receptor suppresses excitatory synaptic transmission via reducing AMPA receptor synaptic localization in cortical neurons

The distribution of postsynaptic glutamate receptors has been shown to be regulated by proimmunocytokine tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) signaling. The role of TNF-α receptor subtypes in mediating glutamate receptor expression, trafficking, and function still remains unclear. Here, we report that TNF receptor subtypes (TNFR1 and TNFR2) differentially modulate α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptor (AMPAR) clustering and function in cultured cortical neurons. We find that genetic deletion of TNFR1 decreases surface expression and synaptic localization of the AMPAR GluA1 subunit, reduces the frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC), and reduces AMPA-induced maximal whole-cell current. In addition, these results are not observed in TNFR2-deleted neurons. The decreased AMPAR expression and function in TNFR1-deleted cells are not significantly restored by short (2 h) or long (24 h) term exposure to TNF-α. In TNFR2-deleted cells, TNF-α promotes AMPAR trafficking to the synapse and increases mEPSC frequency. In the present study, we find no significant change in the GluN1 subunit of NMDAR clusters, location, and mEPSC. This includes applying or withholding the TNF-α treatment in both TNFR1- and TNFR2-deleted neurons. Our results indicate that TNF receptor subtype 1 but not 2 plays a critical role in modulating AMPAR clustering, suggesting that targeting TNFR1 gene might be a novel approach to preventing neuronal AMPAR-mediated excitotoxicity.—He, P., Liu, Q., Wu, J., Shen, Y. Genetic deletion of TNF receptor suppresses excitatory synaptic transmission via reducing AMPA receptor synaptic localization in cortical neurons.
Review of the Literature on Risk and Protective Factors of Offending Among Native Americans

Abstract The social and economic conditions faced by much of the Native American population, as well as the history and treatment of Native Americans in our society, create many risk factors for criminal offending. At the same time, however, the cultures, traditions, and spiritualities of Native American tribes likely provide unique protective factors against offending in light of these risks. While these issues, especially drug and alcohol abuse, have received considerable attention by a handful of scholars, the level of research on risk and protective factors of offending have not, although recent research and funding decisions are beginning to make this topic a priority. This paper provides a brief review of the literature on risk and protective factors among Native Americans, highlighting some of the major factors likely to receive the most research attention over the next several years.
Units of Analysis and Rae's Fractionalization Index

This article examines the relationship between Rae's fractionalization index and the units of analysis on which it is based. It is shown that as one increases the size of the unit of analysis, the value of the index will increase. An exact mathematical relationship between the mean level of fractionalization for a given set of units and a fractionalization index based upon the aggregate voting totals for the units is established. This relationship shows that the aggregate fractionalization index overestimates the level of interparty competition in a system as measured by the mean level of fractionalization. U.S. congressional elections from 1824 to 1978 are used to indicate the importance of the overestimation by the aggregate fractionalization index.
Laboratory Experiments on the Life Cycle and Ecologic Controls of Rosalina globularis d'Orbigny

SYNOPSIS. The life cycle of R. globularis is shown to include a Tretomphalus stage identified as T. bnlloides. The life cycle is further complicated by successive asexual division producing typica1 agamonts. A brief synonymy is given for the genus. Basic experiments with light and substrate variation have shown no direct response.
Suture Anchors and Tacks for Shoulder Surgery, Part 1: Biology and Biomechanics

The development and successful clinical application of suture anchors and tacks have revolutionized the surgeon's ability to secure soft tissues to bone via open or arthroscopic surgical techniques. When used carefully and with proper technique, these devices provide viable options for the repair and reconstruction of many intra-articular and extra-articular abnormalities in the shoulder, including rotator cuff tears, shoulder instability, and biceps lesions that require labrum repair or biceps tendon tenodesis. Like many technologies, however, the successful application of these devices requires an understanding of the biology and biomechanics that affect their use in the shoulder as well as knowledge of the factors that can affect subsequent clinical outcomes, including complications.
Biology of Siphoninus phillyreae (Haliday) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) and Its Relationship to Temperature

The effects of temperature on developmental rate (stage specific and total), survival, fecundity, longevity, sex ratio, and nymphal size of Siphoninus phillyreae (Haliday) were studied in environmental chambers at constant temperatures. Temperature had significant effects on developmental rate, survival, fecundity, female longevity, and size of female nymphs, but no effect on male longevity, sex ratio, and size of male nymphs. Lower developmental thresholds for each preimaginal stage and total development were approximately 10 degrees C. Upper developmental thresholds for eggs and first instars were approximately 30 degrees and 25 degrees C, respectively. There was no survival of eggs at 10 degrees C or crawlers at 32.2 degrees C. Net reproductive rates were 31, 49, and 8 viable females per female at 20, 25, and 30 degrees C, respectively Optimal temperature for development, survival, and reproduction, within the range examined, was 25 degrees C. Sex ratio was 1:1 at all three temperatures tested (20, 25, and 30 degrees C). Size of female third and fourth instars only were significantly affected by temperature.
HPA axis function in male caregivers: Effect of the monoamine oxidase-A gene promoter (MAOA-uVNTR)

Caregiving stress is associated with negative health outcomes. Neuroendocrine functioning may be a mediator of such outcomes. The MAOA gene regulates activity of neurotransmitters involved with neuroendocrine responses to stress. Differences in polymorphisms of this gene have been shown to influence susceptibility to stress. Therefore, we examined allelic variation in MAOA-uVNTR, a functional polymorphism of MAOA, as a moderator of chronic stress effects on urinary cortisol excretion in 74 males enrolled in a case/control study of caregivers for relatives with dementia. Mixed models analysis of variance were used to examine MAOA-uVNTR genotype (3 vs 3.5/4 repeats) as a moderator of the impact of stress (caregiver versus non-caregiver) on the urinary excretion pattern (overnight, daytime, evening) of cortisol. Caregivers with MAOA-uVNTR alleles associated with less transcriptional activity (3-repeats) displayed a pattern of cortisol excretion–a decrease from overnight to daytime—that was suggestive of HPA axis blunting, as compared to noncaregivers and those caregivers with the more active alleles (3.5/4 repeats) (cortisol p<.043). Individuals with less active MAOA-uVNTR alleles who are under chronic stress may be at increased risk for exhaustion of the HPA response to such stress.
Density-Based Diamagnetic Separation: Devices for Detecting Binding Events and for Collecting Unlabeled Diamagnetic Particles in Paramagnetic Solutions

This paper describes the fabrication of a fluidic device for detecting and separating diamagnetic materials that differ in density. The basis for the separation is the balance of the magnetic and gravitational forces on diamagnetic materials suspended in a paramagnetic medium. The paper demonstrates two applications of separations involving particles suspended in static fluids for detecting the following: (i) the binding of streptavidin to solid-supported biotin and (ii) the binding of citrate-capped gold nanoparticles to amine-modified polystyrene spheres. The paper also demonstrates a microfluidic device in which polystyrene particles that differ in their content of CH2Cl groups are continuously separated and collected in a flowing stream of an aqueous solution of GdCl3. The procedures for separation and detection described in this paper require only gadolinium salts, two NdFeB magnets, and simple microfluidic devices fabricated from poly(dimethylsiloxane). This device requires no power, has no moving ...
Effect of impurities on the enhanced catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution in high purity magnesium

Abstract The accumulation of impurities more noble than magnesium (Mg) during dissolution has been suggested to be responsible for the enhanced catalytic activity of hydrogen evolution reaction on anodically polarized Mg surfaces. The effect of impurities on the so-called Negative Difference Effect was studied by galvanostatic experiments coupled with simultaneous measurements of H2 gas collection on electrodes of high purity (99.98% Mg) and ultra-high purity Mg (99.9999% Mg). The concentration of impurities was shown to have a strong effect on the anodic hydrogen evolution (HE), as the HE rates decreased with increasing purity of the Mg. However, HE rates were very large for both Mg electrodes when they were subjected to anodic polarization. These observations demonstrate that, even though the concentration of impurities influences anodic HE on dissolving Mg surfaces, this phenomenon cannot be fully explained in terms of impurity enrichment. The effects of Fe enrichment and the corrosion product film are shown to play a small role in the enhanced HE rates during anodic polarization. The large enhancement of HE rate during anodic dissolution was instead shown to be associated with hydrogen evolved at the regions of anodic dissolution.
Organization of recurrent inhibition and facilitation in motoneuron pools innervating dorsiflexors of the cat hindlimb.

The incidence of recurrent inhibition and facilitation in motor nuclei innervating the dorsiflexors of the ankle and digits was examined in spinalized, decerebrate cats. Motoneurons innervating the anterior and posterior portions of the tibialis anterior (TAa and TAp, respectively) received strong recurrent inhibition following stimulation of either of the homonymous muscle nerves. Both motoneuron species received substantial recurrent inhibition from the semitendinosus (St), but stimulation of the nerve to the extensor digitorum longus (EDL), an ankle flexor synergist, evoked smaller recurrent IPSPs. TA motoneurons received mainly facilitation from hindlimb extensors of the hip and ankle. Motoneurons of the EDL and extensor digitorum brevis (EDB), synergists which share mechanical action at the metatarsophalangeal joint and the digits, received little recurrent inhibition in response to stimulation of the nerve to either muscle. Overall, stimulation of heteronymous flexor nerves (including TAa, TAp, and St) failed to evoke responses in most of the EDB and EDL neurons tested (50–83%), and the amplitude of recurrent inhibitory responses was small. Recurrent facilitation from the extensors was more common in these motor nuclei. Most responses recorded in EDB motoneurons following either flexor or extensor nerve stimulation were recurrent facilitations. The sensitivity of this facilitation in EDB motoneurons to injection of polarizing current and its central latency indicate that it is mediated by a disinhibitory, trisynaptic pathway. Stimulation of the nerve to EDB produced recurrent IPSPs in some flexor motoneurons, but these potentials were infrequent and their amplitude was usually small. Based on a comparison of the distribution of recurrent inhibition to published reports of the activities of TAa, TAp, EDL, and EDB during different forms of locomotion, we conclude that recurrent inhibition is large for motor nuclei that exhibit stereotypical activity, while motor nuclei that are activated independently receive and produce little recurrent inhibition. Despite the absence of recurrent inhibition in some motor nuclei, recurrent circuits may still participate in their control through disinhibitory, facilitatory mechanisms.
SUPERVISED ADAPTIVE PREDICTIVE CONTROL USING DUAL MODELS

Abstract A new adaptive control method based on supervision is presented. The algorithm only updates the control estimates when new relevant information is obtained. The technique is based on a dual-model approach. The first model acts as the control model and the second model is the supervisor which determines when the control model should update its estimated parameters. Simulation results using a CSTR illustrate the set point tracking capabilities of the algorithm. Experimental studies on a heat exchanger showcase how the algorithm successfully suppresses output bursting.
Do giant parathyroid adenomas represent a distinct clinical entity

Background The size of abnormal parathyroid glands in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is highly variable, but the clinical significance of giant glands is unknown. Methods We reviewed 300 consecutive patients after parathyroidectomy for PHPT. We compared patients with giant parathyroid adenomas (weight ≥95th percentile) with the remaining patients. Results Giant adenomas were defined as weight ≥95th percentile or 3.5 g (median, 0.61; range, 0.05–29.93). Patients with giant adenomas had a greater mean preoperative calcium level, greater mean parathyroid hormone (PTH) level, and were less likely to have multiglandular or symptomatic disease. Giant adenomas were successfully localized on imaging in 87% of patients, which was not increased over other patients (82%). There were no differences between the groups in age, gender, gland location, or the incidence of persistent or recurrent hyperparathyroidism. Finally, giant glands had an increased incidence of symptomatic postoperative hypocalcemia, including 1 patient who required rehospitalization after removal of a giant gland. Conclusion Giant parathyroid adenomas have a distinct presentation characterized by single gland disease and lower incidence of symptoms despite increased levels of calcium and PTH. Additionally, after resection of a giant adenoma, patients are more likely to develop symptomatic hypocalcemia.
Low SNR Digital Communication over Certain Additive Non-Gaussian Channels

This paper presents a simple formula for the capacity of a coherent digital communication channel operating near threshold [i.e., with very low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)] with additive noise from a certain class of arbitrary but known probability distributions. For the noncoherent threshold channel, the optimun receiver is derived for arbitrary modulations and fading. This receiver is shown to specialize to previously derived canonical froms for unmodulated signals.
Depression in Palliative Care Patients

SUMMARYDepression is common in patients with advanced, irreversible disease, but it is not normal. Many drugs and morbid states have been associated with depression. Psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, and electroconvulsive therapy, as well as pharmacotherapy may be helpful. The use of antidepressants and psychostimulants to manage depression in terminally ill patients is reviewed. Evaluation instruments that have been used to assess depression in this population are described. Some open research questions are listed. A treatment algorithm, evidence tables, and drug therapy tables which include drug costs are presented.
Confirmation of the astronomical calibration of the magnetic polarity timescale from sea-floor spreading rates

THE dating of the history of reversals of the Earth's magnetic field since the Jurassic period has been based primarily on radiometric dating of a small number of reversals, with most ages of individual reversals interpolated or extrapolated on the basis of the widths of marine magnetic anomalies. Recently, however, Pliocene and Pleistocene reversals have been dated by an entirely independent method, which relies on correlating climate proxies (such as oxygen isotope ratios) in sediments with calculated variations of the Earth's orbit and inclination1–4. The dates obtained from this astronomical calibration are ∼3–8% older than radiometrically calibrated ages published between 1979 and 1989 (see, for example, refs 5 and 6), although recent dating by the 40Ar/39Ar method tends to confirm the astronomical calibration7–10, at least for the past 3.3 Myr. Here I use sea-floor spreading rates determined from high-precision plate-rotation solutions for five plate pairs to test the astronomically calibrated timescale over the past 5.32 Myr. The results suggest that the errors in the astronomical calibration are no greater than 0.02 Myr, and also show that spreading rate can remain constant for several million years, even for fast-moving plates.
Mechanism-based inactivation of cytochrome P450 3A4 by L-754,394

Mechanism-based inactivation of human liver P450 3A4 by L-754,394, a Merck compound synthesized as a potential HIV protease inhibitor, was investigated using recombinant P450 3A4. Enzyme inactivation was characterized by a small partition ratio (3.4 or 4.3 ± 0.4), i.e., the total number of metabolic events undergone by the inhibitor divided by the number of enzyme inactivating events, lack of reversibility upon extensive dialysis, no decrease in the characteristic 450-nm species relative to control, and covalent modification of the apoprotein. The major and minor products formed during the inactivation of P450 3A4 were the monohydroxylated and the dihydrodiol metabolites of L-754,394, respectively. L-754,394 that had been adducted to P450 3A4 was hydrolyzed under the conditions used for SDS-PAGE, Ni2+ affinity chromatography, and proteolytic digestion. In addition, the modification was not stable to the acidic conditions of HPLC separation and CNBr digestion. The labile nature of the peptide adduct and th...
SU-FF-T-343: Analysis of Chest Wall In-Vivo Dosimetry for Post Mastectomy Radiotherapy Using Helical TomoTherapy

Purpose: To analyze clinical in‐vivoskindose data from post‐mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) patients who received chest wall (CW) irradiation from the TomoTherapy Hi‐Art system. Method and Materials: In‐vivo CW skindose measurements were compared with calculated dose for 5 patients. For each of the 5 patients, the in‐vivo data consisted of TLD‐measured CW skindoses at 4 locations near the mastectomy scar for 15 fractions. Doses were calculated at each measurement point using patient planning CT data. The location of each in‐vivoTLD was defined on the CT by a radiopaque pellet. A permanent mark on the CW at each pellet location had been used to place TLDs prior to treatment. Calculated doses were determined by transferring the TomoTherapy dose distributions to the Pinnacle treatment planning system (TPS) where a Region of Interest (ROI) was defined at each TLD location. The percent difference between the measured (in‐vivo) and calculated (TPS) doses for each dose point and patient were determined and analyzed (mean ± σ). Results: Combining doses for all 4 TLD points over the 15 fractions, percent dose differences for the 5 patients were −0.1±3.8, −4.1±3.1, 0.7±3.2, −0.8±3.9, and −2.1±3.7%, respectively. 28% of the measured fraction point doses differed from the calculated dose by more than 5%; 2% differed by more than 10%. Possible factors for the dose differences are inaccuracies in the TPS dose calculation, intra/interfraction motion of the patients, and air cavity between the bolus and patient. Conclusions: Results showed all average doses to be within the limits of clinical acceptability (5%). However, understanding the reasons for point dose differences greater than 5% for a single fraction might allow improvement to our existing technique. Conflict of Interest: This work funded in part by a research grant with TomoTherapy, Inc.
Persecution of the Huguenots in the 18th Century

In 1685 the government of Louis XIV revoked the vestiges of the Edict of Nantes, after having made various encroachments on it since the 1630's when Richelieu nullified the military provisions. And thus France, which under Henry IV in the late sixteenth century had gone farther toward legal toleration than the other states of Europe, lapsed into the ranks of those intolerant. The Edict had never been popular with a large element of the French people, notably the group which had fought under the Guises in the Wars of Religion. The clergy in particular urged its repeal. Louis XIII and Louis XIV under the influence of his Jesuit advisors, Peres Le Tellier and La Chaise, and of his second wife, Madame de Maintenon, a zealous ex-Protestant, revoked the Edict completely.
Extracellular dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens of freely moving rats during intracerebral dialysis following systemic administration of cocaine and other uptake blockers

Extracellular levels of dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and norepinephrine (NE) were measured by microdialysis in conscious rats equipped with dual probes, one in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and another one in the contralateral nucleus accumbens (NACC). Dialysate content of all amines in both regions was essentially abolished by local infusion of tetrodotoxin (1 μM) or Ca2+-free buffer. Injection of the selective DA uptake blocker GBR 12935 (15 mg/kg IP) increased DA, as well as NE and, to a lesser extent, 5-HT in the VTA; it increased DA more than 5-HT in the NACC. The selective NE uptake blocker desipramine (10 mg/kg IP) increased NE but also 5-HT in the VTA and NACC; the DA level was persistently enhanced in the VTA, whereas in the NACC it initially rose and then fell below baseline value. The selective 5-HT uptake blocker citalopram (15 mg/kg IP) was generally more effective in elevating dialysate level of 5-HT than that of other amines in both regions. Cocaine (20 mg/kg IP) was non-selective in enhancing all three amines in both regions. There is considerable crosstalk between monoamine systems occurring upon systemic administration of uptake blockers, and the VTA and NACC are notably different in the time course of the DA effect (long-lasting versus transient).
Relating Damping to Soil Permeability

Published comparisons of complex moduli in dry and saturated soils have shown that viscous behavior is only evident when a sufficiently massive viscous fluid (like water) is present. That is, the loss tangent is frequency dependent for water saturated specimens, but nearly frequency independent for dry samples. While the Kelvin–Voigt (KV) representation of a soil captures the general viscous behavior using a dashpot, it fails to account for the possibly separate motions of the fluid and frame (there is only a single mass element). An alternative representation which separates the two masses, water and frame, is presented here. This Kelvin–Voigt–Maxwell–Biot (KVMB) model draws on elements of the long standing linear viscoelastic models in a way that connects the viscous damping to permeability and inertial mass coupling. A mathematical mapping between the KV and KVMB representations is derived and permits continued use of the KV model, while retaining an understanding of the separate mass motions.
Water precautions and tympanostomy tubes: a randomized, controlled trial.

Objectives/Hypothesis: The objective was to determine whether there is an increased incidence of otorrhea in young children with tympanostomy tubes who swim and bathe without water precautions as compared with children who use water precautions in the form of ear plugs. Study Design: Prospective, randomized, investigator-blinded, controlled trial. Methods: Two hundred one children (age range, 6 mo–6 y) who had undergone bilateral myringotomy and tube insertion were randomly assigned into one of two groups: swimming and bathing with or without ear plugs. Children were seen monthly for 1 year and whenever there was intercurrent otorrhea. Results: Ninety children with and 82 children without ear plugs returned for at least one follow-up visit. Mean (SD) duration of follow-up was 9.4 (4.1) months for the children with ear plugs and 9.1 (4.4) months for the children without ear plugs. Forty-two children (47%) who wore ear plugs developed at least one episode of otorrhea, as compared with 46 (56%) who did not use ear plugs (logistic regression adjusting for stratification variables, P = .21). The mean (SD) rate of otorrhea per month was 0.07 (0.31) for the children who wore ear plugs as compared with 0.10 (0.31) for the children who did not wear ear plugs (Poisson regression adjusting for stratification variables, P = .05). Conclusion: There is a small but statistically significant increase in the rate of otorrhea in young children who swim and bathe without the use of ear plugs as compared with children who use ear plugs. Because the clinical impact of using ear plugs is small, their routine use may be unnecessary.
Systematic implications of the flavonoids and chromosomes ofFlyriella (Compositae—Eupatorieae)

The leaves of five species ofFlyriella were found to contain from one to four glycosides of quercetin and its 4′- and 7,4′-methyl ethers. These patterns are distinct from those observed for more than seventy species ofBrickellia and support morphological and chromosomal data which indicate thatFlyriella should not be treated as an element ofBrickellia. Alternative treatments are briefly considered.
Deregulation or Re-Regulation?: Regulatory Reform in Europe and the United States

Regulation and deregulation in the United States - airlines, telecommunications and antitrust, Stephen Breyer entry, divestiture and the continuation of economic regulation in the United States telecommunications sector, Robert W. Crandall deregulation in Europe - telecommunications and transportation, Gunther Knieps comments on telecomunications regulatory reform in the European community, Herbert Ungerer deregulation of the telecommunications sector, Philippe Koebel efficiency and prices in the European air transport market, Matthias-Wolfgang Stoetzer privatization and state intervention - an economic approach, Anibal Santos the regulation of new product development in the drug industry, Erich Kaufer paradoxes of deregulatory strategies at community level - the example of product safety policy, Christian Joerges some preliminary thoughts on an ecological tax reform, Ernst Ulrich Von Weizsacker strategies of regulatory reform - an economic analysis with some remarks on Germany, Charles B. Blankart regulatory reform - an appraisal, John Kay and John Vickers.
Digital Imprinting of RNA Recognition and Processing on a Self-Assembled Nucleic Acid Matrix

The accelerating progress of research in nanomedicine and nanobiotechnology has included initiatives to develop highly-sensitive, high-throughput methods to detect biomarkers at the single-cell level. Current sensing approaches, however, typically involve integrative instrumentation that necessarily must balance sensitivity with rapidity in optimizing biomarker detection quality. We show here that laterally-confined, self-assembled monolayers of a short, double-stranded(ds)[RNA-DNA] chimera enable permanent digital detection of dsRNA-specific inputs. The action of ribonuclease III and the binding of an inactive, dsRNA-binding mutant can be permanently recorded by the input-responsive action of a restriction endonuclease that cleaves an ancillary reporter site within the dsDNA segment. The resulting irreversible height change of the arrayed ds[RNA-DNA], as measured by atomic force microscopy, provides a distinct digital output for each dsRNA-specific input. These findings provide the basis for developing imprinting-based bio-nanosensors, and reveal the versatility of AFM as a tool for characterizing the behaviour of highly-crowded biomolecules at the nanoscale.
The Roentgen Densitometer A Novel Device For Pediatric Cardiology

The Roentgen densitometer comprises a conventional x-ray head and a compact cluster of six solid-state x-ray detectors in the place of conventional x-ray film. Each detector is connected via suitable amplifiers to one channel of a six-channel pen recorder. An infant or child is placed over the detectors such that the cardiac silhouette shadows the cluster, and a bolus of radio-opaque dye is injected into the external jugular vein. The dye coursing through the cardiopulmonary system modulates the intensity of X-radiation impinging upon the detectors thereby producing six simultaneous high-resolution densitometer curves from within the cardiac chambers. The curves are analyzed through a least mean square fit digitized program for abnormal hemodynamics resulting from intracardiac shunting and T, the exponential time constant, and the time to peak is computed for each curve. Analysis of these two parameters allows classification of the patients into four clinically distinguishable categories; right-to-left intracardiac shunt, left-to-right intracardiac shunt, bidirectional shunting,.and normal cardiac circulation. By this simple, inexpensive and relatively non-invasive means, congenital heart defects can be detected without resorting to cardiac catheterization procedures.© (1976) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Schoolwide Enrichment Models an Overview of the Theoretical and Organizational Rationale

We are pleased to have this opportunity to share with the international community of gifted educators the theoretical, research, and practical aspects of our work. Since the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) has been described in great detail in various books and other publications, this introductory article will present an overview of the major theoretical and organizational issues underlying the model Other articles in this special issue will deal with a summary of research and examples of how the model is used at various school levels and in different countries. Interested readers are also invited to visit the SEM folder at our web site [www.gifted.uconn.edu] for additional resources that can be used to aid in the implementation of the model I have also listed at the conclusion of this article a number of key resources for interested readers.There are two main considerations that educators should think about when exploring the use of this or any other model for use in their schools: the underlying theo...
Comparison of Cartesian, UTE radial, and Spiral Phase-Contrast MRI in Measurement of Blood Flow in Extracranial Carotid Arteries: Normal Subjects

Use of Phase contrast (PC) MRI in measurement of blood flow has significant clinical importance. In this paper, we compare the accuracy of the conventional approach to flow imaging to two de novo approaches in 3 normal subjects in the common, internal, and external carotid arteries and discuss and demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of each method. The conventional PC sequence adopts a Cartesian read-out in k-space and requires longer acquisitions but exhibits flow artifacts in the setting of stenotic and disturbed flow. Spiral PC collects k-space data using spiral readout and is capable of reducing the TR and TE in order to minimize the total imaging time. Despite its efficiency in scan time, in the single shot mode, this technique suffers from off-resonance and inconsistent data artifacts. Use of multiple short spiral arms for providing k-space coverage resolves these issues. Ultra short TE (UTE) PC MRI is a novel technique which adopts a radial trajectory and provides improvements to the standard radial acquisition by reducing the echo time to less than 1 ms through combination of flow encoding and slice select gradients and by immediate sampling of the FID during readout. The ultra-short echo times, improves on intravoxel spin dephasing due to fluid mixing observed in imaging of disturbed flow and stenotic jets. Despite its capability of achieving the shortest TE, this method is hindered by longer acquisition times and phase corruption errors. We mitigate this by a novel 3-D acquisition which includes a phase correction step. All three approaches were found to be able to quantify the normal Carotid flow waveform with high accuracy.
Summing Pn(cos θ)/p(n) for certain polynomials p(n)☆

Abstract Procedures are given to sum Pn (cos θ)/p(n), where Pn (cos θ) is a Legendre function, p(n) is a polynomial in (2n+1)2, with roots that are perfect squares, and p(n) ≠ 0 for all n ≥ N, the lower limit of the infinite series. These series are needed in problems of computational chemistry, and may be of use in other applications of potential theory. They converge too slowly for direct numerical summation, when the degree of p(n) is small. The results are extended to coefficients (2n+1)p(n) and p(n)/(2n+1).
T cell-dependent IgA anti-polysaccharide response in vitro.

The induction in mice of humoral antibody to purified poly-saccharides, such as dextran B1355, dextran B512 and other bacterial capsular materials, is generally regarded as being thymus independent1–5, that is, not requiring conventional carrier-specific T-cell help6. Such responses are largely immunoglobulin M (IgM), often transient although occasionally cyclic, and there is little evidence of immunological memory7–11. The selective formation of an IgG response to polysaccharides or haptenated polysaccharides (for example, dextran B512, dinitrophenol (DNP)–FicolI) has also been characterized as thymus independent12,13. Recent reports have indicated that the murine IgG response to such antigens is restricted largely to the IgG3 subclass14,15 although lesser amounts of other IgG subclasses have been reported after stimulation with thymus-independent antigens such as DNP–Ficoll and DNP–Levan16,17. In the latter study, T cells were shown to influence certain IgG subclass responses to haptens on a thymus-independent carrier17. Here we report that BALB/c mice produce a substantial IgA anti-α(l,3)dextran B1355 response in vitro that is highly T-cell dependent and age-dependent. This finding represents a significant departure from previous observations and may have particular relevance for mucosal immunity. It also suggests the need for a re-evaluation of the induction and regulation of anti-polysaccharide antibody responses.
Altered muscle calcium channel binding kinetics in autoimmune motoneuron disease

While skeletal muscle is not apparently affected directly in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), immunoglobulin G fractions purified from patients with ALS (ALS IgG) bind dihydropyridine (DHP)-sensitive L-type voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) antigen isolated from skeletal muscle in ELISA and Western immunoblot, and alter VGCC function in vitro. To determine whether muscle VGCC properties are altered in ALS, VGCC-enriched subsarcolemmal membrane fractions were prepared from biopsied quadriceps muscle of patients with ALS, with other neurologic diseases, or without apparent muscle disease, and tested for DHP binding with [3H]PN200-110. ALS muscle VGCCs possessed eightfold higher binding affinities for [3H]PN200-110 than did VGCCs from muscle fractions of most other patients, independent of denervation-induced increases in DHP binding site number. Similarly elevated DHP binding affinities were observed in specimens from patients with autoimmune motor neuropathies, suggesting that ALS and immune mediated motoneuron disease share skeletal muscle L-type VGCC alterations.
Confidence intervals for the parameters of the logistic distribution

where a and b are location and scale parameters. The range of application of the logistic distribution as a probability model to describe random phenomenon covers such areas as psychosensory response systems, population growth, bioassay, life tests and physiochemical phenomena. Harter & Moore (1967) have given an extensive review of the problem of point estimation of the parameters in the logistic distribution using a censored sample. They evaluate the maximum likelihood estimators and the best linear unbiased estimators for the parameters, stating that the precision of the two is nearly the same for symmetric, or no, censoring, while the maximum likelihood estimators are better for strongly asymmetric censoring. Their evaluation is given for samples of size 10. They also present the asymptotic variances and covariances of the maximum likelihood estimators for 30 different censoring proportions. Gupta & Gnanadesikan (1966) have used the sample quantiles to estimate the parameters as proposed by Ogawa (1951). They indicate that Ogawa's estimator of a with b known is rather good while his estimator of b with a unknown is fair. They also evaluate the estimators, also linear in the order statistics, proposed by Jung (1955) and Blom (1958, p. 120, equation 10.3.12). When a and b are both unknown, they recommend that Blom's estimator of a and Jung's estimator of b be used, stating that these are nearly as efficient as the best linear unbiased estimators. Our concern is with inference based on the maximum likelihood estimators of a and b, which we shall denote by a and &. While there are examples, for example, the double exponential, in which the maximum likelihood estimators are not as good as the best linear unbiased estimators, it appears that they are always somewhat better in the case of the logistic distribution. For symmetric censoring, 2 is always unbiased and an unbiasing factor for 8 that depends only upon the sample size n, can be determined; this factor can be obtained by Monte Carlo methods. The task of finding the maximum likelihood estimators is easily accomplished by a brief computer program or with a bit of patience and a desk calculator, though the latter method
Systems engineering for the 777 Autopilot Flight Director System

This paper will describe the systems engineering process used in developing the 777 Autopilot Flight Director System (AFDS). It will include discussions regarding requirements capture, requirements allocation to hardware and software, system architecture considerations (including the architectural impact of safety requirements), change management, requirements and verification traceability, and requirements based verification. Additionally, the organizational structure employed and its interaction with the systems engineering process will also be reviewed. Finally, the results from a recent joint (Boeing and Collins) lessons learned exercise will be summarized.
The theoretical length distribution of ionized meteor trails

Abstract The lengths of the columns of ionization formed by meteors are determined theoretically from the available theoretical and experimental information on 1. (1) the production and radio detection of meteoric ionization, 2. (2) the mass distribution of shower and sporadic meteors, and 3. (3) the distribution of sporadic meteor radiants. The primary factors controlling the length of an individual meteor trail are the mass of the meteoric particle and its angle of approach (radiant) into the upper atmosphere. The most likely (modal) value of trail length for meteors from the same radiant is found to be 12 sec ζ km for sporadic meteors, and approximately 17 sec ζ km for shower meteors, where ζ is the zenith angle of the radiant. The distribution of sporadic trail lengths is found to be relatively insensitive to the exact radiant distribution. For a representative radiant distribution, the most likely trail length for sporadic meteors is 15 km. When these trails are detected by a radar system, there is a selection process which favours the longer trails, so that the most likely length of the trails detected by a radar system employing a broad-beam antenna is about 25 km. This value compares well with a previous experimental determination of trail lengths. The theory indicates that the length distribution of detected trails is essentially independent of the sensitivity of the radar receiver and the power output of the radar transmitter.
Caretakers and collaborators.

A chilling subplot in the twentieth-century saga of state-sponsored mass murder, torture, and other atrocities was the widespread incidence of medical complicity. Nazi doctors' human “experiments” and assistance in genocidal killing are the most oft-cited exemplar, but wartime Japanese physicians' human vivisection and other grotesque practices rivaled the Nazi medical horrors. Measured by these standards, Soviet psychiatrists' role in repressing dissent, Latin American and Turkish military doctors' complicity in torture, and even the South African medical profession's systematic involvement in apartheid may seem, to some, almost prosaic. Yet these and other reported cases of medical complicity in human rights abuse compel an inquiry into medicine's vulnerability to becoming an adjunct to illicit state purposes.
The strength and order of responses in a sequence as related to the degree of structure in stimuli

An examination of the effects of different sequences of learning material on the acquisition and retention of knowledge in science.
Aluminum Nitridation in a Solar-Heated Vibrating Fluidized Bed Reactor

A vibrating fluidized bed reactor was constructed and interfaced with the High-Flux Solar Furnace at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO. Various precursor mixtures of aluminum and aluminum nitride were heated for approximately 10 to 15 minutes using focused sunlight with an intensity as high as 2,000 kW/m{sup 2}. Particles ranging in size from 2{micro}m to 10{micro}m were produced with the heating and fluidization process. X-ray diffraction and chemical composition analyses of the product indicate virtually complete conversion of aluminum to aluminum nitride for some precursor mixtures. High conversion was also achieved using multi-pass processing.
An Iterative Learning Control Approach to Improving Fidelity in Internet-Distributed Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation

Abstract : One of the main challenges of co-simulating hardware-in-the-loop systems in real-time over the Internet is the fidelity of the simulation. The dynamics of the Internet may significantly distort the dynamics of the network-integrated system. This paper presents the development of an iterative learning control based approach to improve fidelity of such networked system integration. Towards this end, a new metric for characterizing fidelity is proposed first, which, unlike some existing metrics, does not require knowledge about the reference dynamics (i.e., dynamics that would be observed, if the system was physically connected). Next, using this metric, the problem of improving fidelity is formulated as an iterative learning control problem. Finally, the proposed approach is illustrated on a purely simulation-based case study. The conclusion is that the proposed approach holds significant potential for achieving high fidelity levels.
Xanthophyll (lutein, zeaxanthin) content in fruits, vegetables and corn and egg products

Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids that are selectively taken up into the macula of the eye where they are thought to protect against the development of age-related macular degeneration. Current dietary databases make it difficult to ascertain their individual roles in eye health because their concentrations in foods are generally reported together. The objective of this work is to determine the concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin, separately, within major food sources of dietary xanthophylls as determined by NHANES 2001-2002 intakes. Corn and corn products were found to be major contributors of dietary zeaxanthin whereas green leafy vegetables were major contributors of dietary lutein. The predominant isomeric xanthophyll form was trans for all foods. Processed foods contained more cis xanthophyll isomers than fruits and vegetables. These data will provide added information to the current databases for lutein and zeaxanthin content of commonly consumed foods as well as enhance the validity of estimates of dietary intake of these xanthophylls and their respective contributions to health.
Projections from the orbital gyrus in the cat. II. To telencephalic and diencephalic structures

Direct projections from the anterior part of the orbital gyrus and its immediate vicinity to telencephalic and diencephalic structures in the cat were investigated by means of the Nauta and Marchi methods. Association fibers were observed to project to the ipsilateral coronal gyrus, the anterior part of the insular cortex, and the lateral part of the pericruciate gyrus. Degenerated fibers originating at the site of the lesion were traced to the callosal body, and from there chiefly to the contralateral putamen and the contralateral orbital and coronal gyri. Projection fibers to the telencephalic nuclei were found to terminate in the head of the caudate nucleus, the putamen, claustrum, and anterior amygdaloid area. Degenerated fibers in the external capsule were traced to the prepyriform area and the lateral part of the olfactory tubercle. Some of these components were observed to join the medial forebrain bundle and could be followed to the lateral preoptic area. Orbitothalamic fibers were traced through the anterior limb of the internal capsule and the internal medullary lamina. These fibers were found to terminate in the rostroventral part of the nucleus reticularis and ventralis anterior, and in the rostral parts of the intralaminal nuclei.
Southeast Asian Refugee Parents: An Inquiry into Home‐School Communication and Understanding

Southeast Asian refugee parents in one school district in the Pacific Northwest were interviewed to obtain their perspectives on formal education for their children attending local schools. Interpretation of survey data was augmented by two prior years of participant observation fieldwork in the setting. This account describes efforts in the district to learn about and to help refugee families adjust to American schools, with an emphasis on understanding parents' perceptions of the language and social environments of schools. Descriptive information is presented on family characteristics, cross-cultural communication, parent involvement in schools, and bilingualism. The author identifies problems faced by refugee families and educators. SOUTHEAST ASIAN REFUGEES; PARENTS; ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE; BILINGUALISM; HOME-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION.
Simultaneous multi-format RZ-OOK and RZ-DPSK optical packet switching based on tunable four-wave mixing

We demonstrate multi-format optical packet switching using RZ-OOK and RZ-DPSK signal formats based on four-wave mixing for optical packet switching system at 10 Gb/s. Error-free performance for each packet signal is achieved.
A scalable system architecture for remote experimentation

The emergence of new fields is forcing engineering educators to constantly reconsider both the content and means of delivery of modern curricula, which requires the conception, implementation and assessment of innovative pedagogical approaches and technical realizations. Many Internet-based tools are currently being introduced that promise to enhance the educational experience of on-campus students and expand the reach of unique educational offerings beyond the local campus. A laboratory approach based on remotely accessible experimental setups was developed and piloted at Stevens. This paper discusses the development of a scalable system architecture for remote experimentation, which enables the interaction Of many users with a network of spatially distributed experimental devices. The paper concludes with an outlook on possible directions for future remote laboratory developments based on an assessment of the main advantages and shortcomings of the current system.