cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, Complex Formation, and Dilute-Solution Associative Behavior of Linear Poly(methacrylic acid)-Graft-Poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)

Poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA) and poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEOZO) are a polyacid/polybase pair capable of forming reversible, pH-responsive, hydrogen-bonding complexes stabilized by hydrophobic effects in aqueous media. Linear PMA was modified with long-chain (number-average molecular weight: 10,000) PEOZO via statistical coupling reactions in organic media to prepare a series of PMA-graft-PEOZO copolymers. Potentiometric titrations revealed that the presence of tethered PEOZO markedly increases the pKa values for PMA-g-PEOZO copolymers as compared with simple PMA/PEOZO mixtures at degrees of ionization, α, between 0.0 and 0.1. The dilute-solution PMA–PEOZO intramolecular association has been probed by monitoring the PEOZO NMR spin–spin (T2) relaxation as a function of pH. Covalently attached PEOZO side chains participate in complexation at higher values of α than untethered PEOZO. Surprisingly, most PEOZO side chains did not take part in hydrogen bonding at low α, and the highest level of PEOZO incorporation induced a decrease in the number of PMA/PEOZO hydrogen bonds. The polymer self-diffusion as a function of α was measured with dynamic light scattering. At low pH, the copolymers had no charge and they were in a collapsed form. At high pH, the expected conformational expansion of the PMA units was enhanced at moderate levels of PEOZO incorporation. However, the highest PEOZO incorporation induced the onset of intramolecular associations between PEOZO units along the copolymer chains. Low shear rheometry and light scattering measurements were used in conjunction with the T2 NMR measurements to propose a model consistent with the aforementioned behavior. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2520–2533, 2004
Optical path function calculation for an incoming cylindrical wave

Modern polishing methods of ion-beam milling, and single atom removal techniques are beginning to allow the fabrication of arbitrary surface shapes for reflecting grazing incidence optics. Moreover, the total expense of fabrication, coating, measuring, mounting, aligning, cooling, and surrounding the optic with vacuum make the reduction of optical part count attractive for the latest generation x-ray sources, not even considering potential effects on the scattering and reflective losses of the radiation. These two developments converge to effectively suggest the question of what surface would be the optimally de-magnifying surface to replace a toroid illuminated by a wave cylindrical in the sagittal direction if the sag of the single surface were determined by a function, and not constrained to be a typical optical shape. To address this we derive a simplified case of the formalism of Chrisp, using the classical optical path function approach of Fermat to give a power series calculation of this best surface. This surface, the "diaboloid," would in principle earn its name by its, at least ab initio, consideration of being very difficult to manufacture. We show an example of improvement this surface would provide.
The Generalizability of Psychophysical Ratings in Predicting the Perception of Lifting Difficulty

Psychophysical rating scales have been used as a parameter in lifting guidelines for workers in industrial settings, used to identify musculoskeletal disorders in the workforce, and used as a surveillance tool to identify workforce discomfort. These scales can be an inexpensive and easy-to-use tool for evaluating a large variety of exertions, especially those which are difficult to evaluate using current biomechanical and physiological models because of complex dynamic or asymmetric movements. In order for these scales to be used quantitatively, however, it is essential that they consistently represent the same level of perception across different subjects and tasks. Twenty subjects rated a variety of elbow flexion exertions on the Borg CR-10 scale under two task formats. The intra-subject, inter-subject, and inter-task variations were measured. Results indicate that the Borg CR-10 scale provides a consistent measure of psychophysical perceptions across a variety of task parameters.
Epidemiologic assessment of trauma-independent skeletal pathology in non-passerine birds from museum collections

Systematic survey of mammalian skeletons has revealed patterns of disease reproducible over geologic time. Systematic examination of non-passerine bird skeletons also reveals patterns of disease and identifies those disorders amenable to epidemiologic assessment. Neoplasia, infection, osteochondromatosis and gout are extremely rare, precluding phylogenetic comparisons--at least those based on macroscopic examination of skeletons. Osteoarthritis, paradoxically, is identified at sufficient population frequency for meaningful investigation.
Pomegranate and the Mediation of Balance in Early Medicine

Different elements of the pomegranate, both tree and fruit, had a wide range of uses in premodern therapeutics. Pomegranate also had a rich symbolic role in the art, literature, and religion of numerous cultures. In nearly every part of the globe where the pomegranate grew, it came to represent fundamental dualities: life and death, inside and out, many and one. The medicinal purposes for which healers recommended pomegranate at times reflected broader symbolic associations, and those associations are an important part of the therapeutic tradition. The dualistic symbolism that attended the pomegranate in various cultural traditions synergized with dualistic medical concepts, reinforcing the therapeutic power of pomegranate in otherwise diverse contexts. Reflecting this duality, pomegranate was both an astringent and a laxative, an emmenagogue and an antimenorrhagic, an expectorant and an antiemetic, a pyrogen and a febrifuge, a restorative and a soporific. In both literary and medical traditions, the pomegranate mediated transitions—or maintained balance—between opposing states. This essay provides an overview of the rich and sundry uses of pomegranate in premodern therapeutics, revealing how cultural associations both reflected and informed medical practices.
Empirical investigation of closed-loop control of extensible continuum manipulators

This paper details closed-loop control experiments that were conducted on an extensible continuum manipula- tor, the OctArm. The performance of three controllers are shown here. The controllers can be classified into two cat- egories: Closed-loop configuration-space control and closed- loop task-space teleoperation. Two controllers were tested in the configuration-space control experiments: a proportional- derivative (PD) controller and a nonlinear sliding-mode con- troller. The third controller is also shown in which the redun- dant extensible continuum manipulator tip tracks the motion of a kinematically-dissimilar non-redundant rigid-link master system. The results of these experiments confirm the ability of the control strategies to effectively control continuum robot hardware.
Cofactor recycling in liquid membrane-enzyme systems.

Abstract In contrast to other entrapment techniques, hydrocarbon-based liquid surfactant membranes have been shown to effectively retain NADH and NAD+. The activities of an immobilized yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) - NAD+ system and of a coupled cofactor recycling system involving ADH, diaphorase and ferricyanide were examined by determining the extent of both ethanol consumption and acetaldehyde accumulation in the external aqueous solution. The results establish suitability of the liquid membrane system for the immobilization of enzyme systems involving in - situ cofactor regeneration.
Explaining the Performance of Mature Municipal Solid Waste Recycling Programs

This paper assesses the contextual, programmatic and decision-making factors that affect the performance of mature municipal solid waste recycling programs. Tobit models were prepared for cities with populations of less than or more than 25 000 to facilitate analysis of recycling performance. Recycling participation rates were found to be higher among cities in both groups that offered more convenient recycling programs and whose residents had a higher mean household income. The larger cities that achieved higher participation rates employed a decision-making process known as ‘collaborative learning’, imposed sanctions on improper sorting recyclable materials, and had a larger non-minority population. Among smaller cities, higher participation was attained by using variable fee pricing for solid waste collection and by mandating household participation. The study findings suggest that future research should focus on improved ways to characterize and measure the decision-making processes used to make polic...
Experimental study of a two-dimensional gas-liquid phase transition

The surface pressure exerted by a monomolecular layer of pentadecanoic acid spread on a pH-2 distilled-water substrate has been measured as a function of temperature and surface density in the vicinity of the gas-liquid critical point for this two-dimensional system. From these measurements, the shape of the gas-liquid coexistence curve and the isothermal compressibility along both sides of the coexistence curve and above the critical temperature are deduced. In agreement with the findings of Hawkins and Benedek obtained on pure distilled water, we find that a true phase transition exists between the liquid and gaseous states of the film and that the behavior of the film in the vicinity of its critical point can be characterized by power-law behavior with mean-field exponents. We do not, however, find it possible to interpret all of our data in terms of a simple mean-field phase transition.
An Efficient Error-Detection and Error-Correction (EDEC) Scheme for Network Coding

Network coding is being viewed to have the potential for significant throughput improvement in network environment. However, these expected benefits are very fragile to malicious attacks, including message block content corruption and node compromise attacks. To solve these problems, both pollution detection and pollution correction based schemes have been proposed. These schemes are only effective in some limited scenarios. In this paper, we propose a new scheme that combines the benefits of the existing error-detection and error-correction (EDEC) schemes. The proposed scheme is similar in structure to the existing error-control based schemes. However, by appropriately modifying the rate of the underlying error-control scheme, we can improve the network throughput and robustness significantly. Our scheme can detect the malicious attacks by computing whether the syndromes are all zeros. By collecting all the non-zero syndromes, the malicious attacks within the error-decoding capacity of the underlying linear network coding can be removed and the original message can be recovered. Our theoretical analysis and simulation results demonstrate that the proposed EDEC scheme can improve the overall network performance dramatically with only a very moderate increase of the computational overhead.
A method for subsampling terrestrial invertebrate samples in the laboratory: estimating abundance and taxa richness.

Significant progress has been made in developing subsampling techniques to process large samples of aquatic invertebrates. However, limited information is available regarding subsampling techniques for terrestrial invertebrate samples. Therefore a novel subsampling procedure was evaluated for processing samples of terrestrial invertebrates collected using two common field techniques: pitfall and pan traps. A three-phase sorting protocol was developed for estimating abundance and taxa richness of invertebrates. First, large invertebrates and plant material were removed from the sample using a sieve with a 4 mm mesh size. Second, the sample was poured into a specially designed, gridded sampling tray, and 16 cells, comprising 25% of the sampling tray, were randomly subsampled and processed. Third, the remainder of the sample was scanned for 4–7 min to record rare taxa missed in the second phase. To compare estimated abundance and taxa richness with the true values of these variables for the samples, the remainder of each sample was processed completely. The results were analyzed relative to three sample size categories: samples with less than 250 invertebrates (low abundance samples), samples with 250–500 invertebrates (moderate abundance samples), and samples with more than 500 invertebrates (high abundance samples). The number of invertebrates estimated after subsampling eight or more cells was highly precise for all sizes and types of samples. High accuracy for moderate and high abundance samples was achieved after even as few as six subsamples. However, estimates of the number of invertebrates for low abundance samples were less reliable. The subsampling technique also adequately estimated taxa richness; on average, subsampling detected 89% of taxa found in samples. Thus, the subsampling technique provided accurate data on both the abundance and taxa richness of terrestrial invertebrate samples. Importantly, subsampling greatly decreased the time required to process samples, cutting the time per sample by up to 80%. Based on these data, this subsampling technique is recommended to minimize the time and cost of processing moderate to large samples without compromising the integrity of the data and to maximize the information extracted from large terrestrial invertebrate samples. For samples with a relatively low number of invertebrates, complete counting is preferred.
Paraumbilical block for umbilical herniorraphy.

Background: Umbilical herniorraphy is a common paediatric surgery day case. Paraumbilical blocks have previously been reported to provide excellent analgesia for umbilical hernia repairs. Methods: Local anaesthesia through a paraumbilical block was compared with local infiltration. Postoperative analgesic requirements were used to gauge the effectiveness of the techniques. Results: Patients receiving a paraumbilical block required significantly less analgesia postoperatively. These patients were generally discharged from hospital sooner. Conclusion: Paraumbilical block results in improved postoperative pain control through the more precise delivery of local anaesthetic to the intercostal nerves.
First documented case of a submandibular arteriovenous malformation in a male patient.

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are high-flow lesions of intercommunicating veins and arteries formed by abnormal vessel morphogenesis [1]. Most of the AVMs discussed in previous review articles are congenital lesions that became clinically apparent later in life, whereas acquired AVMs are rare and usually form posttraumatically [2]. Both types of AVMs may produce symptoms of pain, swelling, or discoloration, whereas some AVMs present solely as a mass lesion [3]. The 2 types differ in that congenital AVMs often have multiple communications between arteries and veins, whereas acquired lesions may be solitary arteriovenous communications [1]. Most AVMs are found in the extremities, lungs, and head and neck region, with head and neck lesions approaching 51% of all AVMs [4]. Head and neck lesions are usually intracranial and occur in 0.1% of the population [5]. In contrast, extracranial lesions are considered much more rare, and when they do occur, they are typically located at the carotid or vertebral arteries and can sometimes involve the mandibular bone [2]. Most cases of extracranial AVMs in the literature are cited in female patients with very few cases presenting in males. Furthermore, only 8 cases of submandibular AVMs have been cited in the literature, with all cases presenting in females. Treatment options for AVMs include transvenous or transarterial embolization, radiotherapy, or surgery. Although literature discussing the complications of these treatments is limited, complications that have been described include reperfusion bleeding, ischemic ulceration and necrosis, infection, numbness of the inferior alveolar
Markers of inflammation in prevalent and incident Parkinson's disease in the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Background Studies demonstrate existence of inflammation in prevalent Parkinson’s disease (PD). We assessed associations of baseline levels of inflammatory markers with prevalent PD at baseline (1989) and incident PD identified over 13 years of follow-up of the Cardiovascular Health Study.
Digital Simulation Techniques for Lunar Midcourse Guidance and Navigation Conputer Systems Research

A hardware oriented digital computer systems simulation is described and digital simulation techniques are reviewed as they have been applied to a lunar midcourse guidance and navigation computer systems research project. Digital simulation techniques are considered in terms of Fortran and symbolic programming, the role of the systems programming engineer, the use of actual equipment, hardware interfacing, the establishment of theoretical base lines, simulation repeatability, computational range and accuracy, operational flexibility and data reduction. Attention is given to the celestial scene simulation construction, calibration and system errors. Conclusions summarize advantages and disadvantages of digital simulation techniques.
Pentane and butane isomerization over platinum promoted sulfated zirconia catalysts

Skeletal isomerizations of n-pentane and n-butane have been studied at 11 bar in a microflow reactor over platinum containing sulfated zirconia (PtSZ) catalysts. The isomerization rate of n-pentane is about seven times higher than that of n-butane; selectivity to i-pentane is 91.6% at p(H2)= 2.2 bar. Hexanes and butanes are the main byproducts of pentane isomerization; the C6/C4 ratio is 0.91. Upon increasing the H2 pressure from 2.2 to 6.1 bar, the isomerization rate of n-butane decreases markedly (nH2< −1.1), but that of n-pentane only marginally ((nH2≈ 0). Both changes are perfectly reversible. Kinetic analysis reveals that the major mechanism of C4 isomerization is inter-molecular, but that of C5 isomerization is intra-molecular. With n-pentane, small amounts of hexanes and butanes are formed in a parallel, apparently inter-molecular reaction, one presumably involving a C10 intermediate. The qualitative difference between the isomerization mechanisms of butane and pentane parallels the known chemistry in liquid superacids. Catalysis via “ chemisorbed carbenium ions” on heterogeneous catalysts thus strongly resembles catalysis via “ solvated carbenium ions” in liquid acids.
Validation of the behavioral dyscontrol scale-electronic version: sensitivity to subtle sequelae of mild traumatic brain injury.

Primary objective: To determine whether a new computer-administered battery (Behavioral Dyscontrol Scale-Electronic Version; BDS-EV) can detect subtle executive weaknesses among individuals with a self-reported history of mild head trauma (MHT), and to compare the utility of this battery to the original, non-electronic BDS and other traditional executive measures. Both BDS-EV and BDS are comprised of three factors (motor programming, environmental independence, and fluid intelligence).Method: Participants with (n = 19) and without (n = 24) MHT were compared on their performance on the BDS-EV, the non-electronic BDS, and three traditional measures of executive abilities.Results: Participants with MHT differed from those without MHT on the BDS-EV motor programming and environmental independence, but not on any other measures.Conclusion: The results show that electronic administration improved the sensitivity of the battery, and support prior findings that traditional executive measures are generally insensi...
Propranolol-induced alterations in the pathophysiology of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Abstract Male and female, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were treated with propranolol (14 weeks) when they became 1, 4 and 8 months old prior to, during the steep ascent, and when severe high blood pressure becomes established. Propranolol prevented the usual increase in blood pressure at an early age but did not effectively lower blood pressure at all age levels. Propranolol-treated SHR manifested marked alterations in pituitary, adrenal, thymus, heart and gonadal weights. Despite progressively increasing hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia, there were no significant differences between lipid, glucose, BUN, or serum enzyme levels in treated vs nontreated SHR. Circulating aldosterone and corticosterone levels were reduced in propranolol-treated SHR. Male SHR, treated or untreated, developed severe cardiovascular-renal lesions when they became 8 months old; none of the female SHR manifested any pathologic changes. It is suggested that the anti-hypertensive effects of propranolol were partially mediated by hormonal as well as by hemodynamic mechanisms.
Inhibition of Steroid Glycoalkaloid Accumulation by Arachidonic and Eicosapentaenoic Acids in Potato

Eicosapentaenoic and arachidonic acids extracted from the fungus Phytophthora infestans elicit the accumulation of fungitoxic sesquiterpenoid stress metabolites and inhibit the accumulation of steroid glycoalkaloids in potato tubers. This dual activity, which did not occur with other saturated and unsaturated fatty acids tested, corresponds to the activity of incompatible races of Phytophthora infestans and crude elicitor preparations from Phytophthora infestans that contain bound forms eicosapentaenoic and arachidonic acids. Arachidonic acid applied to potato slices, which had been aged for various time intervals, elicited the accumulation of sesquiterpenoid stress metabolites and concomitantly inhibited the accumulation of steroid glycoalkaloids.
EXERCISE FOR MITOCHONDRIA

![Figure][1] An important source of metabolic inefficiency is a futile cycle of protons across the mitochondrial inner membrane, a process called proton leak. In brown fat, proton leak is catalysed by a protein called uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), and two homologues of this protein have been
Primary Structure of Noetia ponderosa Hemoglobins: Functional Correlates☆

Abstract ABSTRACT Homo- and heterodimeric hemoglobins have been isolated from the red cells of the arcid clam Noetia ponderosa (Np). These hemoglobins bind oxygen cooperatively. An extensively studied dimeric hemoglobin from another arcid clam, Scapaharca inaequivalvis, exhibits a molecular mechanism for cooperative ligand binding that is radically different from tetrameric vertebrate hemoglobins. In this study, the two chains found in both Noetia hemoglobins are sequenced and compared to the hemoglobins of the related clam S. inaequivalvis to determine whether Noetia hemoglobins have the structural basis for the same unusual mechanism for cooperative ligand binding and to inquire about the structural basis of absence of tetramers. Although the Noetia sequences are homologous to the Scapharca sequences, critical differences exist. The lack of tetramerization of Np subunits is most likely related to the absence of critical residues in the A and G helices that stabilize the interdimer contact seen in the Scapharca Hb tetramer. The lower affinity of the homodimer (Np-I), but particularly the heterodimer (Np-II) with respect to the homodimer and heterotetramer of Scapharca, can be due to (i) changes in the proximal heme environment and (ii) changes in the dimer interface. Interactions between Asn 100 and the heme of the other subunit are altered in Np-II due to the substitution of this residue by methionine, possibly causing the reduced O 2 affinity of the heterodimer of Noetia. (iii) Sequence changes in the E and F helices present in Np-I and Np-II could also contribute to the effect through interfacial changes. In particular, the substitution of Val for Thr in position 72 is expected to have a substantial influence on the interface. We conclude that Np dimers have the structural basis for a direct heme–heme interaction mechanism for cooperativity, as in Scapharca, but there are enough sequence changes to suggest that the pathway of interaction might be somewhat different.
Compartmentalized Production of Ceramide at the Cell Surface

Ceramide produced by the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin is an important cellular intermediate in hormone action. Here, we present evidence that interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) binding to normal human fibroblasts initiates a lipid messenger cascade that takes place in a sphingomyelin-rich plasma membrane domain with the characteristics of caveolae. Hormone binding first stimulated the appearance of diacylglycerol (DAG) in a caveolearich membrane fraction isolated from whole cells. This was immediately followed by the loss of a resident population of sphingomyelin from the fraction and the concomitant appearance of ceramide. The ceramide produced in response to IL-1 beta blocked platelet-derived growth factor-stimulated DNA synthesis. IL-1 beta stimulated the appearance of DAG in other fractions from the same cell, but this DAG was not coupled to ceramide production. This indicates that ceramide production is highly compartmentalized at the cell surface. Since caveolae are known to be involved in membrane internalization, they may be essential for the delivery of ceramide to a site of action within the cell.
An Approximate Bayesian Analysis of Somatic Cell Score Curves in Holsteins

Somatic cell score (SCS) decreases to a minimum at around 60 days postpartum and then increases until the end of lactation. This pattern was described with three non-linear mixed effects models. Parameters of the models were linear in fixed and random (cow) effects. Data were 1705 SCS test-day records (155 primiparous Holsteins) taken from 14 to 300 days in milk. Point estimates were the mode of the joint posterior distribution of fixed and random effects (given dispersion parameters) and approximate marginal maximum likelihood estimates of covariance components. Intramammary infection during lactation, season and period of calving affected SCS patterns. Estimates were similar with or without a relationship matrix. There was between-cow variation of trajectories, suggesting that SCS curve parameters can be modified by selection in some advantageous manner.
Understanding APRN Distribution in the United States Using NPI Data

Abstract This study examined the 2010 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services National Plan and Provider Enumeration System's National Provider Identifier (NPI) data to ascertain their usefulness to determine the distribution of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in rural and urban areas of the United States. This study showed that certified registered nurse anesthetists were more likely to practice in rural areas in states with greater practice autonomy. For nurse practitioners, the findings were similar but were of borderline statistical significance. These findings imply that practice autonomy should be considered as a state-level strategy to encourage rural practice by APRNs.
Statistical Methods for Analysis of Hyperspectral Anomaly Detectors

Most hyperspectral (HS) anomaly detectors in the literature have been evaluated using a few HS imagery sets to estimate the well-known ROC curve. Although this evaluation approach can be helpful in assessing detectors' rates of correct detection and false alarm on a limited dataset, it does not shed lights on reasons for these detectors' strengths and weaknesses using a significantly larger sample size. This paper discusses a more rigorous approach to testing and comparing HS anomaly detectors, and it is intended to serve as a guide for such a task. Using randomly generated samples, the approach introduces hypothesis tests for two idealized homogeneous sample experiments, where model parameters can vary the difficulty level of these tests. These simulation experiments are devised to address a more generalized concern, i.e., the expected degradation of correct detection as a function of increasing noise in the alternative hypothesis.
The effect of a natural environmental disturbance on maternal investment and pup behavior in the California sea lion

Observed changes in maternal investment due to an environmentally induced decrease in food supply (the 1983 El Nino-Southern Oscillation) are compared witha priori predictions for the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). Changes in behavior, growth and mortality of off-spring were also examined. Data collected in the first two months postpartum for the years before (PRE), during (EN), and the two years after (POST1 and POST2) the 1983 El Nino indicate that females initiated postpartum feeding trips earlier during the food shortage, and spent more time away on individual feeding trips in both the El Nino year and the year after. Perinatal sex ratios (♀:♂) in the years PRE, EN, POST1 and POST2 were 1:1, 1.4:1, 1.1:1 and 1:1.4, respectively. Fewer copulations were observed during the El Nino year, but this difference was not statistically significant. Pups spent less time suckling in the food shortage year and the year following, but attempted to sneak suckle more. Pups were less active and played on land less in the El Nino and following year. Finally, maternal investment as measured by milk intake of offspring was decreased, pups grew more slowly, and suffered increased mortality during the food shortage year. Despite expected sex differences in maternal investment and pup behavior in response to food shortage, there were no sex-biased differences in response in either females or pups. As expected, the food shortage did not affect adult males since they migrate north during the non-breeding season where the environmental perturbation was less severe.
Fast source-based dithering for networked digital video

Source-based dithering is a set of techniques designed to maximize the performance of real- time networked digital video systems that encode and decode video entirely in software. Usually frame grabber hardware presents frames in a 24 bit per pixel (bpp) format. However, most hosts are only equipped with single or eight bit deep displays and thus the color depth of the video must be reduced at some point. If the encoder reduces the color depth, the bandwidth required to carry the video on the network is lowered by a factor of 24 or 3 respectively, and the computational load is lightened on the receiving hosts. The color depth reduction algorithm must be efficient since the resulting frame rate, and thus the degree to which the illusion of motion is preserved, depends on how quickly a pixel can be processed. We use dithering algorithms chosen for efficiency and a contrast enhancement algorithm to improve image quality.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Direct effects of diltiazem, nifedipine and verapamil on peripheral sympathetic nerve function, cardiac impulse conduction and cardiovascular function in anesthetized dogs subjected to ganglionic blockade.

The Ca2+ entry blockers diltiazem, nifedipine and verapamil produced dose-dependent increases in atrioventricular conduction time (A-H interval), while decreasing heart rate and mean arterial pressure in anesthetized dogs previously subjected to ganglionic blockade to prevent hypotension-induced reflex changes in sympathetic tone. Nifedipine and verapamil, but not diltiazem, also reduced (P<0.05) the tachycardia produced by electrical stimulation of the cardioaccelerator nerve at doses which did not alter the heart rate response to direct β-adrenoceptor stimulation by isoproterenol (0.1 μg/kg i.v.). The lowest doses of nifedipine (0.03 mg/kg) and verapamil (0.3 mg/kg) that produced decreases in mean arterial blood pressure were the same as or greater than those which selectivity reduced the tachycardiac effects of low frequency (1 Hz, 25–35 V, 5 ms), but not high frequency (10 Hz, 25–35 V, 5 ms) cardiac nerve stimulation. These data suggest that threshold vasodilator doses of some Ca2+ blockers may selectively reduce low level (or basal) sympathetic neurotransmission and this additional pharmacologic action may contribute to the antihypertensive mechanism. The failure to inhibit the high frequency nerve response may also help to explain the relatively low incidence of orthostatic hypotension associated with the clinical Ca2+ blockers as compared to other direct-acting vasodilators.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Sexually Abused Children

Abstract Thirty-one sexually abused children were studied using structured interviews and standardized instruments to determine the frequency of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and associated symptoms. Of these sexually abused children, 48.4% met DSM-III-R PTSD criteria; 75% of children abused by natural fathers, 67% abused by strangers, and 25% of those abused by trusted adults met criteria as opposed to none of the children abused by an older child. Many children not meeting full DSM-III-R criteria exhibited partial PTSD symptoms. No relationship was observed between the time lapsed since last abusive episode and the development of PTSD. Three standardized instruments (CDI, SEI, and STAIC), although useful in identifying non-PTSD related symptoms, were not useful in differentiating PTSD. The CBCL detected group differences, with PTSD children exhibiting significantly more symptoms of externalizing and internalizing behaviors.
Studies concerning the mechanism of action of acetoacetyl succinic thiophorase by use of O18.

Abstract In the reaction of succinate-O18 with acetoacetyl coenzyme A to form succinyl coenzyme A and acetoacetate, as catalyzed by acetoacetyl succinic thiophorase, O18 from the succinate appears in the carboxyl group of acetoacetate. An enzymic mechanism considered consistent with these findings involves formation of mixed anhydrides as intermediates.
Poly[acrylic acid-b-styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene-b-acrylic acid] pentablock terpolymers: 1. Morphological characterization

The morphologies of synthesized poly[acrylic acid-b-styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene-b-acrylic acid] pentablock terpolymers were investigated using transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, small angle X-ray scattering, and indirectly by dynamic mechanical analysis and degree of water sorption. These materials possess considerable order within three-phase morphologies that contain the usual elements of rods and lamellae that are arranged as a function of polyacrylic acid block composition in continuous polyisobutylene phases.
A finite element solution of transonic flow

The use of finite elements is explored in a field in which its use has previously not been deemed very feasible, that of transonic flow. The specific problem chosen is that of steady small-disturbance transonic flow. The nonlinear equations are formulated with an artificial viscosity term added to yield the proper domain of dependence and directional bias in supersonic regions and across imbedded shock waves. Justification is given for the problem and means of solution chosen, and the potential advantages of the finite element procedure over standard finite difference procedures are discussed. Several possible improvements on the method as presently derived are stated. Computational mesh requirements and certain mesh variations are described. Some results equivalent to finite difference calculations are given as a sample solution.
Paraprofessional Services for Students with Disabilities: A Legal Analysis of Issues.

Concomitant with the increase in the number of paraprofessionals assisting students with disabilities is the emergence of legal issues pertaining to the need, selection, responsibilities, preparation, and supervision of those paraprofessionals. The purpose of this article is to provide a legal analysis of administrative and judicial decisions concerning these issues and to propose guidelines for ensuring appropriate paraprofessional involvement in the educational programs for students with disabilities.
Unification, Harmonization, Restatement, Codification, and Reform in International Commercial Law

This conference is a tribute to the variety of efforts in nations around the world, in regional organizations, and in agencies such as UNIDROIT and UNCITRAL to bring the commercial law of the world together. As the title of this essay suggests, these efforts bear a number of labels and the general assumption is that all of them are desirable, consistent elements of a coherent plan to support economic transactions with a legal structure that encourages enterprise and reduces costs. We hope that the paths to unification, harmonization, codification and reform run in parallel directions, but this is not necessarily so. Recent experience suggests that unification does not always produce harmonization, and that codification can be the enemy of reform and substantive improvement in the quality of justice. My goal is not to criticize the many splendid projects represented on today's program, but to suggest that our agenda for the future should emphasize additional and different aspects of the task and not merely be designed to produce a new edition of old codes. The primary function of commercial law is to provide tools for economic and social enterprise. Viewed functionally in an international context, harmonization of results, that is, general consistency in substantive outcomes, will allow those who engage in transactions a higher level of confidence in a worldwide market. The UNIDROIT Principles support this goal, but will be of limited impact. I urge that we not lose sight of the importance of reform and renovation to enable the law to better reflect changing commercial realities and to embody emerging values of fair and appropriate commercial practice. We should be flexible in our commitments to such techniques as codification, scholarly restatement, and judicial case development. I know that some of these techniques, particularly uniform and model laws and restatements, now are of special interest to Europeans. I do not deny their usefulness, particularly as a way to inform different parts of the legal community about the practices and jurisprudence of other parts. They also serve as monuments to indicate the
Children are not just little adults: recent advances in understanding of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma biology

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a high-grade glioma that originates in the pons and is seen exclusively in children. Despite numerous efforts to improve treatment, DIPG remains incurable with 90% of children dying within 2 y of diagnosis, making it one of the leading causes of death in children with brain tumors. With the advent of new genomic tools, the genetic landscape of DIPG is slowly being unraveled. The most common genetic alterations include a K27M mutation in H3.3 or H3.1, which are found in up to 78% of DIPGs, whereas p53 mutations are found in up to 77%. Other recently discovered alterations include amplification of components of the receptor tyrosine kinase/Ras/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling pathway, particularly platelet-derived growth factor receptor A. Recapitulating such alterations, genetically engineered DIPG preclinical models have been developed, and DIPG xenograft models have also been established. Both models have strengths and weaknesses but can help with the prioritization of novel agents for clinical trials for children with DIPG. As we move forward, it is important that we continue to study the complex and unique biology of DIPG and develop improved preclinical models to increase our understanding of DIPG pathogenesis, allowing translation into successful therapies in the not too distant future.
Measuring party support: Leaners are not independents

Abstract Many Americans, especially middle class and better educated ones, call themselves independent and citizens who choose the better candidate regardless of party affiliation. Their numbers seem to have increased in recent decades to nearly 40% of the electorate. The description and estimate are misleading. Very few Americans lack a party preference. Our largely unchanged high levels of party voting and the willingness of most “independents” to acknowledge a party preference after a bit of probing indicates that independence is more a matter of self-presentation than an accurate statement about our approach to elections, candidates, the parties, and politics in general. Most of the independents in national surveys and most of the increase in their numbers are contributed by “leaners” (those who initially describe themselves as independents but then acknowledge a preference for either the Democrats or Republicans). Leaners are partisans. Characterizing them as independents underestimates the partisanship of Americans and leads to inaccurate estimates of party effects and the responsiveness of the electorate to short-term electoral forces. The frequent treatment of leaners as independents in The American Voter Revisited contributes to this all-too-common misconception. The data used in this analysis were provided by the Interuniversity Consortium for Social and Political Research. Neither the Consortium nor the principle investigators of the various national election studies used here are responsible for the analysis or interpretation.
Reconstructing the Antarctic Ice Sheet at the Last Glacial Maximum.

Abstract A reconstruction of the Antarctic Ice Sheet at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), constrained by geologic data, shows expansion across continental shelves accompanied by little inland change. This added peripheral ice volume contributed 14 m to the lowering of eustatic sea level at the LGM. Of the total expansion, one-third took place in East Antarctica and two-thirds in West Antarctica.
Searching and mapping among indistinguishable convex obstacles

We present exploration and mapping strategies for a mobile robot moving among a finite collection of convex obstacles in the plane. The obstacles are unknown to the robot, which does not have access to coordinates and cannot measure distances or angles. The robot has a unique sensor, called the gap sensor, that tracks the direction of the depth discontinuities in the robot's visibility region. Furthermore, the robot can only move towards depth discontinuities. As the robot moves, the depth discontinuities split and merge, and these changes are encoded in a Gap Navigation Tree. We present a strategy for this robot that is guaranteed to explore the whole environment, but that cannot decide whether the exploration has been completed. If in addition it is assumed that the robot has access to a pebble, which is an identifiable point that the robot can manipulate, then we prove that the robot can decide (in polynomial time in the number of obstacles) whether the environment has been completely explored. For this, the robot is able to distinguish every obstacle using only the gap sensor and a single pebble. These results are a continuation of our previous work on gap sensing for multiply connected environments [23], in which we reduce the sensing requirements for the robot by constraining the shape of the obstacles.
The epithelial mucin, MUC1, of milk, mammary gland and other tissues

MUC1 is a mucin-type glycoprotein that is integrally disposed in the apical plasma membrane of the lactating epithelial cell and protrudes from the cell surface into the alveolar lumen where milk is stored. Envelopment of milk fat globules by this membrane accomplishes their secretion and conveys MUC1 into milk. The human form of this mucin has been detected in many other organs, tissues and body fluids. It projects from the cell surface as long filaments. In the human and a number of other species, MUC1 is polymorphic due to variable numbers of a tandemly repeated segment 20 amino acids in length. The individual codominantly expresses two alleles for the mucin so that differences in its size among individuals and between the two forms of an individual are observed. The tandem repeats are rich in serines and threonines which serve as O-glycosylation sites. Carbohydrate content of MUC1, as isolated from milk of human, bovine and guinea pig, is approximately 50%. The oligosaccharides carry substantial sialic acid at their termini and this accounts for two putative functions of this mucin, i.e., to keep ducts and lumens open by creating a strong negative charge on the surface of epithelial cells which would repel opposite sides of a vessel, and to bind certain pathogenic microorganisms. MUC1 is protease resistant (trypsin, chymotrypsin and pepsin) and large fragments of it can be found in the feces of some but not all breast-fed infants. MUC1 has a highly varied structure because of its polymorphism, qualitative and quantitative variations in its glycosylation between tissues, individuals and species, and differences due to divergence in the nucleotide sequences among species. Sequencing of the MUC1 gene for various species is showing promise of revealing unique evolutionary relationships and has already indicated conserved aspects of the molecule that may be functionally important. Among these are positions of serine, threonine and proline in the tandem repeats and a high degree of homology in the transmembrane and cytoplasmic segments of the molecule.
Phytolith Evidence for a Grass-Dominated Prairie Landscape at Quiroste Valley on the Central Coast of California

Phytoliths are microscopic particles of silica formed in many plant taxa, particularly grasses. To better understand the extent of grass-dominated vegetation and the utilization of grasses by indigenous peoples in Quiroste Valley on the central coast of California, we used phytolith analysis of soil columns collected on the valley floor and columns collected within late Holocene archaeological site CA-SMA-113, located within the valley. Surface soil phytolith content in all soil columns is greater than 0.75 percent, much higher than normal for grassland in California. High phytolith content indicates extensive grass cover in the valley for several hundred to thousands of years, and cannot be explained by historical land use practices. The phytolith content-depth relationship of non-midden columns within the archaeological site mirrors the pattern observed for off-site soils; midden columns exhibit high variability at very small scales and consistently greater phytolith content below 35 cm than soils. Phytolith content of excavated ash features was highly variable; several features exhibited very high grass phytolith content. Phytolith evidence suggests there was considerable indigenous management of vegetation in Quiroste Valley; frequent burning was likely required to maintain grass-domi- nated grassland. Phytolith analysis is a useful tool to routinely include in archaeological investigations in California.
Vaccines and their impact on the control of disease

Disease control exerts evolutionary pressures that can lead to the evolution of resistance. This has been seen in a spectacular fashion in the evolution of resistance to antibiotics, anti-virals and anti-parasitics. Despite intense (and often successful) attempts to control infectious diseases through vaccination, there is still rather little evidence of the emergence of strains of pathogen resistant to vaccines. This chapter asks why this should be so and what are the exceptions indicating that the evolution of vaccine resistance, though currently rare, is a possibility that should be planned for.