cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Known Crystals to Design Polymorph Prediction Strategies

Computational analysis of known crystals was used to provide insight into polymorph prediction strategies. It was hypothesized that intermolecular crystalline interactions are inadequately accounted for in current computational strategies. The QEq method of partial charge assignments was applied to the crystal milieu (CMc) and to the isolated molecule (IMc). For 90 known crystal structures, these two partial charging methods showed that the unit cell energy was almost always lower (more stable) with CMc partial charge assignments. In simulations on a model drug, the CMc charging re-ranked the unit cell energies of possible polymorphs in a way that aided the identification of physically reasonable packings more easily than IMc. Decomposing the unit cell energy for known crystals showed that the cohesive IMc deviation from CMc was dominant. On the other hand, for simulations, the corresponding IMc conformational component of unit cell energy dominates when conformational adaptive strategies (CA) are used; this was not apparent with rigid-body simulations (RB). Furthermore, evidence is presented that polymorph strategies that use unit cell energy for optimizing are especially prone to this undesired conformational bias. Suggestions are made for polymorph strategies that might enhance the probability of identifying physically relevant polymorphs in the future.
Holographic study of crystal growth

Abstract Holography has two main advantages over conventional microscopy for studies of crystal growth. First, the hologram records the object in great depth, so that events occuring at unpredictable locations can be studied in the reconstructed image. Second, the hologram records the phase as well as the amplitude of the light scattered from the object, thus making possible several interferometric techniques. A holographic microscopy system has been constructed to study the growth of transparent crystals. Holograms were made of initially planar solid/liquid interfaces developing into cellular or dendritic morphologies. Several interferometric techniques were used to measure the development of interface features. The techniques included double exposure holography, which revealed the crystal growth between the two exposures and interference of the reconstructed image with a plane wave, which revealed surface contours. The use of a relatively high-powered argon laser permitted exposure times as short as 30 microseconds, so that rapidly growing crystals could be studied. Interferograms of reconstructed holograms are shown, illustrating the development of micromorphology on solid/liquid interfaces. The measured shape of a dendrite tip is compared to that predicted by a theoretical model.
First-principles study of binary bcc alloys using special quasirandom structures

We present three 16-atom special quasirandom structures (SQS's) for ${\mathrm{A}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{B}}_{x}$ bcc substitutional alloys at compositions $x=0.25$, 0.50 and 0.75, respectively. The structures possess local pair and multisite correlation functions that mimic those of the corresponding random bcc alloy. The introduction of these SQS's allows for the possibility of first-principles calculations of bcc solid solutions, even those with significant size-mismatch or atomic relaxation. We have tested our SQS's via first-principles calculations in the Mo--Nb, Ta--W and Cr--Fe systems, in which the bcc solid solution is observed to be stable over the whole composition range. Our first-principles SQS results provide formation enthalpies, equilibrium lattice parameters and magnetic moments of these bcc alloys which agree satisfactorily with most existing experimental data in the literature. In an effort to understand the atomic relaxation behavior in bcc solid solutions, we have also investigated the nearest neighbor bond length distributions in the random bcc alloys. The proposed bcc SQS's are quite general and can be applied to other binary bcc alloys.
Reflecting on MACOS: why it failed and what we can learn from its demise

The New Social Studies movement was an effort by social scientists to reform US social studies/history curriculum at all levels during the 1960s and early 1970s. In the end, more than 50 different projects attempting to revitalise social studies were developed. Many of the projects focused on inquiry‐based teaching practices and curriculum. Considered to be the most controversial of the projects developed was Man: A Course of Study (MACOS) which sought to restructure social studies instruction by emphasising social science empiricism. The purpose of this historical analysis was to explore the curricular, ideological and financial obstacles that contributed to the eventual demise of the MACOS project. The author proposes that federally funded MACOS challenged the “history‐as‐national‐progress” paradigm of the early to mid‐twentieth century. This precipitated an ideological “conflict” that called into question the nature and purpose of social studies education. The study of MACOS's demise provides an insigh...
Multiplexed coded illumination in Fourier Ptychography

Fourier Ptychography recovers high-resolution phase and amplitude from low-resolution images taken at varying illumination angles. Here, we describe multiplexing methods for reduction of the acquisition time and data size requirements for this method.
Calmodulin antagonists inhibit endothelium‐dependent hyperpolarization in the canine coronary artery

1. The effects of the calmodulin antagonists, calmidazolium and fendiline were investigated on endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization in the canine coronary artery. The membrane potential of vascular smooth muscle cells was measured with the microelectrode technique. 2. Smooth muscle cells of the canine coronary artery had a resting membrane potential of -50 mV. Bradykinin and the Ca(2+)-ionophore, A23187, induced concentration- and endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization. The hyperpolarization induced by a supramaximal concentration of bradykinin (10(-6) M) reached approximately 20 mV. 3. Calmidazolium (10(-5) M) and fendiline (10(-4) M) inhibited hyperpolarization induced by bradykinin and A23187. By contrast, calmidazolium did not affect the hyperpolarization induced by lemakalim, an opener of ATP-sensitive K(+)-channels. 4. These observations suggest that calmodulin is involved in the generation of endothelium-dependent membrane hyperpolarization of vascular smooth muscle.
Benefits of a self-management program in low-income African-American women with systemic lupus erythematosus: results of a pilot test

Minorities with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at high risk of poor disease outcomes and may face challenges in effectively self-managing multiple health problems. The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) is an evidence-based intervention that improves the health of people with chronic illnesses. Although the CDSMP is offered by organizations throughout the United States and many countries around the world, it has not been tested among SLE patients. We pilot tested the benefits of the CDSMP in low-income African American patients with SLE. CDSMP workshops were delivered to 49 African American women with SLE who received medical care at a public lupus clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, US. We compared pre-post CDSMP changes (from baseline to 4 months after the start of the intervention) in health status, self-efficacy and self-management behaviors using self-reported measures. Additionally, we assessed health care utilization changes using electronic administrative records in the 6-month period...
COMPARISON OF OPTIMAL SUPERVISORY CONTROL STRATEGIES FOR A SERIES PLUG-IN HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE POWERTRAIN

This paper uses dynamic programming to compare the optimal fuel and electricity costs associated with two supervisory control strategies from the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) literature. One strategy blends fuel and electricity for propulsion throughout the useful range of battery state of charge (SOC), while the second strategy switches from all-electric to blended operation at a predefined SOC threshold. Both strategies are optimized for a series PHEV powertrain using deterministic dynamic programming (DDP) to ensure a fair comparison. The DDP algorithm is implemented in a novel manner using a backward-looking powertrain model instead of forward-looking models used in previous research. The paper’s primary conclusion is that there is no significant difference in the performance of the two control strategies for the series PHEV considered. This result contrasts sharply with previous results for parallel and power-split PHEVs, and is examined for different relative fuel and electricity prices and trip lengths.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
A comparative study of frequency domain and time domain analysis of signal-averaged electrocardiograms in patients with ventricular tachycardia

Although both time domain and frequency domain analysis of signal-averaged electrocardiograms (ECGs) may distinguish patients with and without sustained ventricular tachycardia, it remains unclear which method is superior. Both methods were assessed in 55 subjects comprising 26 patients with sustained ventricular tachycardia (Group I), 18 control patients with organic heart disease but without sustained ventricular tachycardia (Group II) and 11 normal volunteers (Group III). Time domain analysis was performed with high pass filtering of 25, 40 and 80 Hz and low pass filtering of 250 Hz. Frequency domain analysis was performed on the terminal 40 ms of the QRS complex, either alone or with 216 or 150 ms of the ST segment. Absolute summed energies of discrete frequency bands and band energy ratios were calculated. The effectiveness of discrimination between Groups I and II was evaluated in terms of group means, sensitivity, specificity and an information content index based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Group I showed a uniform decrease in amplitude across all frequencies derived from the terminal 40 ms of the QRS complex (p less than 0.005). This was abolished by the inclusion of ST segment data in frequency domain analysis. No frequency band was unique for Group I. At a specificity of 78%, the best time domain sensitivity was 85%, and the best frequency domain sensitivity was 77%. The best time domain information content index was 0.156, the best index for frequency domain analysis was 0.077 using absolute band areas. It is concluded that patients with sustained ventricular tachycardia have decreased energy content across all frequencies in the terminal 40 ms of the QRS complex. Frequency domain analysis was not an improvement over time domain analysis in differentiating patients with ventricular tachycardia from those without.
Patient use of images of artworks to promote conversation and enhance coping with hospitalization

Background: This exploratory study investigated the spiritual use of visual images of artwork to facilitate conversation with hospitalized patients regarding their experiences of illness and hospitalization, with the aim of improving patients' coping and well-being. Methods: Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with patients (n = 20), who were asked to examine a selection of paintings and to choose one to discuss with the interviewer. Results: Ninety percent of participants found the experience to be positive. Thematic analysis of patients' descriptions of their reactions to the paintings reveals multiple beneficial dimensions of spirituality during the illness experience. The findings suggest that the use of images can facilitate conversation and enhance well-being in hospitalized patients. Conclusions: Using narrative images may be a useful spiritual modality for working with hospitalized patients.
Nonintersecting random walk in the presence of nonspherical obstacles.

The statistics of a self-avoiding walk of N steps on a lattice in a field of asymmetric obstacles is developed. The obstacles are modeled by rigid rods of asymmetry ratio r oriented preferentially and/or by stretched flexible molecules. Each obstacle consists of N segments, each one of which occupies one lattice site. The size, shape, and entropy of the molecule represented by the self-avoiding walk are obtained. The scaling law deviates from the conventional no-obstacles limit (\ensuremath{\nu}=0.6) only for large concentrations of obstacles. However, the molecule is elongated even for a small concentration of obstacles. Because the formulas are so easily obtained and extended the method promises to be widely applicable.
In pursuit of ‘green gold’: immigration and the fortunes of a Sicilian greenhouse district

Abstract Over the past 20 years, foreign workers, especially men from nearby Tunisia, have become indispensable to the greenhouse district of southeastern Sicily. This article examines the development of the greenhouse sector, the role of foreign labor, and relations between immigrants and Sicilians. Despite recent gains, it appears unlikely that immigrants will gain the security and respect achieved by Sicilian agriculturalists since the 1960s. The integration of immigrants into rural Sicilian society is therefore best described as an uneasy one.
The Derivation of kordiakos: A New Proposal

The medical term kordiakos (m. Git. 7:1) is derived not from the anatomical situs of disease, but from the harmful action of a pathogenic demon who acts upon the "heart" to effect a husband's legal incompetence. This is consistent with the Talmud's own definition of kordiakos as the name of a spirit. The Talmud's interest in tales of Solomon's mastery of the demons (b. Git. 67b-71b) is due to the derivation of kordiakos from the verb καρδιoω in Song 4:9 (LXX), which readers understood to describe the enchantment whereby Solomon was led to his own moral collapse (1 Kgs 11:1-10).
Identification of DNA restriction fragments of corynebacteriophage β corresponding to hypotoxic peptides of diphtheria toxin

An XbaI/EcoRI restriction fragment (ca. 2000 bp) from corynebacteriophage β DNA was shown to contain the entire structural gene (tox) for diphtheria toxin, plus about 500 bp upstream from the amino terminus of the mature toxin. Restriction analysis and partial sequencing of this fragment permitted us to identify 3 large subfragments coding for hypotoxic peptides of diphtheria toxin. Two MboI restriction fragments, F1 (ca. 825 bp) and F3 (ca. 1000 bp), contained regions coding for the enzymatically active A fragment and most of the B fragment, respectively, of the toxin. An MspI fragment, F2 (ca. 1450 bp), encoded a toxin peptide corresponding approximately to CRM45, a chain termination fragment lacking the carboxyl terminal region of the toxin. Fragments F1, F2, and F3 are permissible to clone in Escherichia coli under P1 + EK1 conditions according to current recombinant DNA guidelines.
Modeling Electrokinetic Nanoparticle Penetration for Permeability Reduction of Hardened Cement Paste

Electrokinetic nanoparticle treatments have been demonstrated to reduce the permeability of hardened cement paste by orders of magnitude. The origin of this approach stems from the tendency of particles to flocculate and precipitate when they make contact with pore fluid. The feasibility of a given treatment application is dependent upon the transport properties of the particle and of the cement paste. It is theorized that this process causes particles to fill the initial sections of pores to a large extent before further penetration is achieved. In this work a model was developed to predict the rate of penetration of a given nanoparticle treatment using the principle of superposition to combine the influence of electrophoresis, electroosmosis, and hydraulic flow. The model finds the penetration depth by dividing the net transport rate by the effective number of degrees of freedom in the pore system and multiplying by the treatment time. The model was found to compare well with experimental results, both for predicting if a penetration is possible and for predicting the extent of penetration.
Blending Better Beverage Options: A Nutrition Education and Experiential Workshop for Youths

Objective. To reduce intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in youths as a means to reduce obesity risk. Methods. Youths 5–14 years old attending a summer program were given a two-hour workshop addressing the sugar content in SSBs, the health risks from drinking SSBs, and hands-on preparation as well as tastings of low-sugar beverage alternatives. Data on usual intake of SSBs was obtained at baseline, and pre- and postprogram surveys were conducted to gauge change in knowledge and/or attitudes regarding SSBs. Results. There were 128 participants (63% male) in the program. SSBs were commonly consumed with over 80% reporting regular consumption (mean daily intake 17.9 ounces). Significant increase in knowledge regarding the sugar content of commonly consumed SSBs was achieved; however change in attitudes was not significant. The large majority of youths reported enjoying the workshop and intention to reduce intake of SSBs following program participation. Conclusion. SSBs are commonly consumed by youths. Knowledge regarding the sugar content of SSBs is easier to impart to youths than influencing attitudes held about these beverages. Long-term interventions that reach out to parents and address the widespread availability of SSBs are needed to influence resistant attitudes and beverage choosing behaviors in youths.
An Upper-Bound Solution for Tube Cropping

An upper-bound solution for the cropping of thin-walled tubes is developed, based on a plastic hinge approach, to predict the load-deflection behavior up to the point of shearing. A simple strain theory is used to estimate the deflection at the maximum cropping load. A deformation pattern (collapse mode) is proposed consisting of plastic hinges and then, for any given deflection, the associated plastic work is calculated. Subsequently, the cropping load is estimated by numerical differentiation with respect to the deflection. Comparisons are made with experiment.
Integration of 3D intraoperative ultrasound for enhanced neuronavigation

True three-dimensional (3D) volumetric ultrasound (US) acquisitions stand to benefit intraoperative neuronavigation on multiple fronts. While traditional two-dimensional (2D) US and its tracked, hand-swept version have been recognized for many years to advantage significantly image-guided neurosurgery, especially when coregistered with preoperative MR scans, its unregulated and incomplete sampling of the surgical volume of interest have limited certain intraoperative uses of the information that are overcome through direct volume acquisition (i.e., through 2D scan-head transducer arrays). In this paper, we illustrate several of these advantages, including image-based intraoperative registration (and reregistration) and automated, volumetric displacement mapping for intraoperative image updating. These applications of 3D US are enabled by algorithmic advances in US image calibration, and volume rasterization and interpolation for multi-acquisition synthesis that will also be highlighted. We expect to demonstrate that coregistered 3D US is well worth incorporating into the standard neurosurgical navigational environment relative to traditional tracked, hand-swept 2D US.
Long-term survival and quality of life in cardiac surgical patients with prolonged intensive care unit length of stay.

Abstract Background . Patients with prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stays after cardiac operations are labor intensive and expensive. We sought to determine whether exhaustive ICU efforts result in survival or quality-of-life benefits and whether outcome could be predicted. Methods . We retrospectively analyzed all adult cardiac surgical patients in 1998 for ICU stays more than 14 days. Data were analyzed to create multiple organ dysfunction scores (MODS, range 0 to 24) and hospital charges. Follow-up was conducted 1 and 2 years apart for survival and quality-of-life evaluation. Results . Forty-nine patients remained in the ICU more than 14 days, comprising 3.8% of our patients but 28% of total ICU bed time. This population had a 28.5% hospital mortality, which was greater than those in the ICU less than 14 days (5.3%, p p p Conclusions . Patients remaining in the ICU for more than 14 days suffer a higher mortality at greater expense. A MODS at day 14 may help predict those who will not enjoy long-term survival and thus aid in the decision to terminate care.
Tribocorrosion in PWR: A Parametric Approach

A specific tribometer equipped for electrochemical measurements in pressurized high temperature water (PHTW) is being used to study the effect of the water chemistry on the wear rate of a stainless steel. First results indicate that a slightly acidic pH increases drastically the wear rate compared to slightly alkaline pH. The influence of hydrogen partial pressure and contact kinematics is also described.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
A stochastic version of the brass PF ratio adjustment of age-specific fertility schedules.

Estimates of age-specific fertility rates based on survey data are known to suffer down-bias associated with incomplete reporting. Previously, William Brass (1964, 1965, 1968) proposed a series of adjustments of such data to reflect more appropriate levels of fertility through comparison with data on children-ever-born by age, a measure of cohort-specific cumulative fertility. His now widely-used Parity/Fertility or PF ratio method makes a number of strong assumptions, which have been the focus of an extended discussion in the literature on indirect estimation. However, while it is clear that the measures used in making adjusted age-specific fertility estimates with this method are captured with statistical uncertainty, little discussion of the nature of this uncertainty around PF-ratio based estimates of fertility has been entertained in the literature. Since both age-specific risk of childbearing and cumulative parity (children ever born) are measured with statistical uncertainty, an unknown credibility interval must surround every PF ratio-based estimate. Using the standard approach, this is unknown, limiting the ability to make statistical comparisons of fertility between groups or to understand stochasticity in population dynamics. This paper makes use of approaches applied to similar problems in engineering, the natural sciences, and decision analysis—often discussed under the title of uncertainty analysis or stochastic modeling—to characterize this uncertainty and to present a new method for making PF ratio-based fertility estimates with 95 percent uncertainty intervals. The implications for demographic analysis, between-group comparisons of fertility, and the field of statistical demography are explored.
Adaptive Control of Anti-stable Wave PDE Systems: Theory and Applications in Oil Drilling

Abstract — Adaptive control of PDEs is a nonlinear feedback design problem for an infinite-dimensional system. The author's early work for PDEs with unmatched uncertainties was limited to parabolic and first-order hyperbolic PDEs. However, problems in oil drilling, combustion dynamics, and other applications give rise to wave PDE models, which are not only unstable, but have all of their infinitely many eigenvalues at uncertain locations in the right half plane (anti-stable). For example, in oil drilling, the friction between the drill bit and the rock is characterized by a highly uncertain friction parameter (depending on the nature of the soil the drill is passing through), is of destabilizing (anti-damping) character, and appears on the opposite end of the PDE's domain relative to the boundary control input. The wave system being of second order in time requires a special adaptive design approach in order to avoid the appearance of the second time derivative of the parameter estimate in the error system. The design is performed using infinite-dimensional backstepping transformations and Lyapunov functionals constructed with such transformations.
A Microfluidic Platform For High-Throughput Screening And Sorting Of Cells Based Upon FRET Response

Fluorescent protein biosensors are powerful tools for real-time quantitative measurements of specific analytes in cells. These sensors have been used in mammalian cells to provide insight into signaling processes, as well as identify the cellular perturbations associated with disease and cellular targets of drug-based therapeutics. Development of new fluorescent proteins typically involves rounds of mutagenesis and selection of those sensors with the desired characteristics in a high-throughput (HT) manner i.e. by FACS. However, there is currently no similar HT technology for sorting libraries of fluorescent protein biosensors. Thus, we have developed a novel microfluidic platform designed for high-throughput screening based on FRET change upon analyte binding. Using this platform, we sort a library of fluorescent protein Zn2+ sensors, selecting for both amount of FRET response and binding affinity for Zn2+. The device is shown schematically below. The microfluidic platform incorporates a laser diode-bar optical trap, two-channel fluorescence excitation and detection, and bright-field imaging. This technology has numerous potential applications due to the great versatility in selection parameters and its ability to sort based upon cellular perturbations.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Phase Conventions and the Interference Equation

The arbitrary choice between phase conventions places restrictions upon the interference equation for reflected light, the discontinuous phase shift upon reflection, and the complex refractive index. An attempt has been made to formulate a set of rules within which there is consistency among the existent mathematical framework for treatment of intereference, some experimental observations, and the requirement that the amplitude of a wave decrease with increasing penetration in an absorbing medium.
Digital data processing applied to HF DF by phase measurement

Presents some numerical methods for extracting wave direction from sensor phase measurements. A single ring circular array is considered. Some discussion of optimality is given. RMS error due to measurement noise is derived. A simulation program is described and some results of its exercise are given. Finally, some thoughts on implementation and future work are presented.
Dizziness in Elderly Men

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the causes of dizziness in elderly men. DESIGN: A descriptive study involving the clinical and laboratory features of elderly men with dizziness. SETTING: A university-affiliated Veterans Affairs medical center. PATIENTS: One hundred seventeen consecutive men more than 50 years of age attending a general neurology clinic with the chief complaint of dizziness. RESULTS: The median duration of dizziness at first office visit was 45 weeks. Forty-nine percent of patients had more than one diagnosis that contributed to their dizziness. Dysfunctions of the peripheral vestibular system were found in 71% and were the principal causes in 56%. Benign positional vertigo was present in 34%. Disorders of the visual system were found in 26% but were the major cause in only 1%. Diagnoses involving the proprioceptive system were present in 17% and were the principal cause in 7%. Structural lesions of the brainstem or cerebellum or metabolic disorders that affected normal brainstem function were identified in 59% and were the major diagnoses in 22%. A psychophysiologic diagnosis was made in 6% but was the major diagnosis in only 3%. At the 6-months follow-up, 55% of patients improved, 34% were unchanged, 4% worsened, and 7% were lost to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to reports in the literature, dizziness in the elderly is more persistent, has more causes, is less often due to a psychophysiologic cause, and seems to be more incapacitating than dizziness in younger patients. J Am Geriatr Soc 42:1184–1188, 1994.
The Early History of Syphilis: A Reappraisal

The historical record and examination of disinterred human bones indicate that venereal syphilis is very old in America but did not appear in the Old World until about 1500. Traditionally it has been believed that the disease was brought to the Old World by Columbus in the 1490s. The most popular alternative hypothesis at present is that venereal syphilis is really only one facet of a disease—treponematosis, appearing as yaws in the tropics, nonvenereal syphilis in the Middle East, pinta in Mexico, etc.—that is present wherever man has settled and has been his unshakable companion for thousands of years in all the continents. Unfortunately, the latter, or Unitarian, theory has no more claim to validity than the Columbian. The diseases mentioned are similar but we cannot be sure that they are all really the same. And the testimony of the sixteenth-century Spaniards, who knew Columbus and his men, that syphilis was an American import cannot be easily brushed aside. The hypothesis of this paper is that treponematosis, originally a single disease, evolved into several related but distinct maladies as man spread through the world and that venereal syphilis is the variant that developed in the remote cul-de-sac of America, from which it probably was indeed introduced to Europe with the return of Columbus.
The relation of oxygen consumption to ambient oxygen concentration during metamorphosis of the blowfly, Phormia regina

Abstract At 1–5 days of pupal life in Phormia regina at 25°C, respiration becomes oxygen-limited at ambient oxygen concentrations between 15 and 10 per cent. In 1 per cent O 2 it is reduced to about one-fifth of the corresponding control levels. One and 5 day pupae tend to be somewhat more sensitive to hypoxia than other ages. Pupae exposed to pure nitrogen for 4 hr show a subsequent respiratory overshoot in air as compared with controls. Considering the overshoot as repayment of oxygen debt, the theoretical extent of repayment in 7 hr is 14 or 26+ per cent, depending on whether development is considered to stop or to continue during anoxia. The corresponding repayments in pure oxygen are 26 and 33+ per cent, suggesting that the rate of postanoxic respiration in air is physically limited.
Phenobarbital and Phenytoin Effects on Somatosensory Evoked Potentials and Spontaneous EEG in Normal Cat Brain

SUMMARY Chronic oral administration of phenobarbital (PB) and phenytoin was studied in chronically implanted cats. The effects of two dosages (PB, 3 mg/kg and 15 mg/kg; phenytoin, 5 mg/kg and 8 mg/kg) were analyzed with two physiological measures: somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) and power spectral analysis of the EEG. The low dosage of PB had no effect on SEPs except those recorded in the mesencephalic reticular formation; high dosage resulted in general SEP attenuation. PB had little effect on the EEG. Phenytoin at both dosages produced three main effects: (1) A negative component in the SEP which appears to be dominant in the dorsal hippocampus was significantly enhanced. (2) EEG changes occurred in the dentatothalamic pathway but not at those electrode locations which recorded fastigiobulbar activity. (3) The EEG changes which did occur were Peak Frequency shifts comparable to those previously reported in humans. The results are interpreted as demonstrating (1) minimal EEG and SEP modifications at the cerebral cortical level due to nontoxic dosages of PB and phenytoin, (2) a selective phenytoin effect on the dentatothalamic outflow of the cerebellum and on the dorsal hippocampus, and (3) a potential usefulness of Peak Frequency analysis as a measure of EEG response to anticonvulsant drugs.
Jojoba—Variability in oil content and composition in a collection of 1156 native plants

Data are presented on the oil content and composition in the seeds of 1156 native jojoba plants harvested individually from inland and coastal areas of California and Arizona in the U.S. and from Sonora and Baja California in Mexico. The mean oil content of these samples was 53.2%; 34.2% of the samples exceeded 53%. The mean single seed weight was 0.56 g. A significant correlation between single seed weight and oil content was found but there was no correlation between oil content of the seed and seed yield per plant. Analysis of the oil for fatty acids and fatty alcohols showed very little variability among samples. This compositional uniformity is a major asset in terms of industrial application of this oil. Half the seeds studied in 144 samples had a mean oil content of 49.5% and mean single seed weight of 0.39 g. Simple correlations between fatty acids and oil content were similar to those reported earlier.
Introduction to the Special Section — Bat Habitat Use in Eastern North American Temperate Forests: Site, Stand, and Landscape Effects

Forest bats of eastern North America select habitats for roosting, foraging, and winter hibernation/migration over a myriad of scales. An understanding of forest-bat habitat use over scales of time and space is important for their conservation and management. The papers in this Special Section report studies of bat habitat use across multiple scales from locations across the eastern forests of North America. The consensus of the studies in the Special Section is that the larger portion of the variability in bat habitat use occurs at the smaller scales of sites (roost trees) and stands (foraging areas). Nevertheless, it was also recognized that these features occur discontinuously across larger-scale watersheds and landscapes.
The Effect of Wind and Demand Uncertainty on Electricity Prices and System Performance

The uncertainty in wind power forecasts often results in forecast errors that require system operators to redispatch a power system in real time, once the actual wind generation is known. This paper analyzes the financial impact of this uncertainty in terms of the costs of redispatch. The analysis uses an optimal power flow (OPF) model in a Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) framework to estimate these cost impacts as the difference in production cost and system lambda from a base case dispatch. Using a range of wind generation, reserve margins and assumptions for the ramp capability of non-wind generators, the results from the OPF and MCS show that wind power forecast uncertainty combined with load uncertainty can increase the variability in production cost for situations where moderate wind and load are expected, and will increase the variability in system lambda for the situation where low wind output and high load are expected. The results also show that on average there are few voltage violations.
Triglyceride-rich lipoprotein remnant particles and risk of atherosclerosis.

More than 3 decades of clinical research have suggested a relationship between triglycerides and coronary heart disease.1 However, because of the complexity of what is actually measured by a plasma triglyceride determination, establishing a firm relationship between triglycerides and coronary heart disease has been difficult. Triglycerides are carried in virtually all plasma lipoproteins and present a different risk profile in both the fasting and postprandial states, making triglyceride-rich lipoproteins highly heterogenous. This heterogeneity is a major contributing factor to the complexity of the relationship between triglycerides and coronary heart disease. Accumulating evidence indicates that specific triglyceride-rich lipoprotein remnants of differing size and composition, such as VLDL, IDL, lipoprotein B–containing particles (LP-B:C, LP-B:C:E, and LP-A-II:B:C:D:E), and markers of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein metabolism such as apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III), are more related to progression of atherosclerosis than triglycerides per se.2 In this issue of Circulation , Kugiyama et al3 present further evidence for the relationship between coronary heart disease and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, demonstrating in patients with coronary artery disease that remnant lipoprotein levels in the fasting state predict future clinical coronary events independently of other risk factors. This is an important observation because it is consistent with a previous report that showed that calculated IDL plus estimated remnant VLDL as a measure of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein remnants was significantly correlated with the progression of coronary artery disease and clinical coronary events.4 The assertion by Kugiyama et al3 that fasting remnant lipoproteins may reflect postprandial remnant lipoproteins is consistent with the long circulatory residence time of certain partially delipidized lipoproteins …
Recent developments in the theory of one- and two-electron molecules

Recent theoretical work dealing with one- and two-electron molecules is reviewed. Results obtained using both the variational method and the perturbation theory are discussed for the ground states as well as for excited states of the molecules. Emphasis is placed on those results which are sufficiently accurate to yield definite conclusions with regard to either the system or the method. On analyse quelques travaux recents sur des molecules a un et deux electrons. On discute des resultats obtenus de calculs variationnels et des theories de perturbation pour l'etat fondamental et pour des etats excites. On s'interesse surtout aux resultats qui sont suffisamment exacts pour permettre des conclusions definies en ce qui concerne ou le systeme ou la methode. Neue theoretische Arbeiten uber Ein- und Zweielektronenmolekule werden besprochen. Resultate, die mit der Variationsmethode und der Storungstheorie erhalten worden sind, werden fur den Grundzustand und fur angeregte Zustande diskutiert. Die Betonung wurde auf solche Resultate gelegt, die genugend genau sind, um bestimmte Schlusse mit Rucksicht auf entweder das System order die Methode zuzulassen.
Failure recovery in the MICON system

MICON is a knowledge-based system that designs small computer systems. The synthesis of a digital system may be viewed as successive design and redesign of individual subsystems. Redesign is necessary when the design of one subsystem imposes conflicting requirements on the design of another, and when a design cannot meet specifications. Described is a technique to correct failures during the synthesis process based on dependency-directed backtracking. The dependency network is built dynamically during the design process. The failure recovery scheme implemented is more sophisticated than most existing schemes because of the unstructured problem domain on which it is applied. >
Prevalence and risk factors for periprosthetic fracture in older recipients of total hip replacement: a cohort study

Background The growing utilization of total joint replacement will increase the frequency of its complications, including periprosthetic fracture. The prevalence and risk factors of periprosthetic fracture require further study, particularly over the course of long-term follow-up. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors for periprosthetic fractures occurring in recipients of total hip replacement.
Nickels Not Pennies: Granularity in Analysts' Earnings per Share Forecasts and Forecast Revisions

This article extends the study of Herrmann and Thomas (2005) on granularity in analyst forecasts at multiples of nickels and finds that forecasts at multiples of nickels are more optimistic, and induce weaker market responses. Granularity in analyst forecasts combined with managers' incentive to meet forecasts help explain discontinuity in actual earnings per share (EPS) at multiples of nickels documented in Thomas (1989). In addition, this article documents a hitherto unrecorded phenomenon that forecast revisions also exhibit granularity at multiples of nickels and shows that analysts are more likely to make nickel forecast revisions when they lack precise information. Forecasts that revise prior forecasts by multiples of nickels are less accurate.
LIPASE ACTIVITY IN SERUM MEASURED WITH EKTACHEM IS OFTEN INCREASED IN NONPANCREATIC DISORDERS

For patients with symptoms of pancreatitis, measurement of amylase in serum reportedly is more sensitive than that of lipase in acute pancreatitis, whereas lipase reportedly is more specific. However, serum lipase activities exceeding the upper reference limit (URL) have been reported for many patients who did not have pancreatitis. I reviewed the serum lipase and amylase concentrations of 493 consecutive inpatients and emergency department patients for whom both tests were ordered. Serum lipase and amylase activities, determined with an Ektachem 700 analyzer, were less than or equal to URL for 390 patients (83%) and greater than URL for 103. Medical records of 101 of these 103 were reviewed; 18 had acute or chronic relapsing pancreatitis. In this latter group, serum lipase values greater than URL had 100% sensitivity and 84% specificity; those of serum amylase greater than URL had 72% sensitivity and 88% specificity. However, the test combination of serum lipase greater than URL and serum amylase less than or equal to URL also occurred in 84% of the patients in which review of the medical records revealed nonpancreatic gastrointestinal or hepatobiliary disorders as the primary problem (n = 55). Therefore, serum lipase activity measured with the Ektachem assay is also often increased in patients with intra-abdominal disorders that appear to be nonpancreatic.
Flow cytometric study of the type II pneumocyte cell cycle in vivo and in vitro

The type II pneumocyte cell cycle was studied in vivo and in vitro through bivariate flow cytometric analysis of DNA content vs. incorporated 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdUrd). The cell cycle phase durations Ts (7.8 h) and TG2/M (1.1 h), measured in vivo, agreed well with earlier estimates obtained by thymidine labeling. Left unilateral pneumonectomy increased the BrdUrd labeling index of type II cells in the remaining lung from an initial value of 1.9 +/- 0.3% to 4.8 +/- 1.0%, but had no effect on Ts or TG2/M in vivo. In both normal and pneumonectomized animals, BrdUrd-positive cells in vivo rapidly completed mitosis but did not enter a second S-phase. These results demonstrate that proliferating type II cells do not form a continuously cycling population in the normal or regenerating adult lung. When cell cycle parameters were measured in vitro immediately after type II cell isolation, Ts increased 2-fold and TG2/M rose up to 10-fold above the value obtained in vivo. After 2 d of primary culture under customary plating conditions, Ts had returned to the same value as that in vivo, but TG2/M remained elevated. Little variability was observed in the duration of S-phase within each treatment group. In contrast, type II cells exhibited considerable heterogeneity in the rate of G2/M-phase traverse, especially in vitro. These data suggest that the inability of adult rat type II pneumocytes to proliferate in primary culture is related to delayed G2/M-phase transit and imply the existence of pneumocyte subpopulations which differ in susceptibility to growth arrest.
Backbone and sidechain (1)H, (15)N and (13)C assignments of the human G-actin binding protein profilin IIa.

The resonance assignment of the human profilin IIa have been determined, based on triple-resonance experiments using uniformly [13C,15N]-labeled protein. These assignments facilitate further studies of interactions between profilin IIa and its poly-l-proline rich ligands.
Accuracy of the CNAP monitor, a noninvasive continuous blood pressure device, in providing beat-to-beat blood pressure readings in the prone position.

Abstract Study Objective To assess the accuracy of a noninvasive continuous arterial pressure (CNAP) monitor in patients who are positioned prone in the operating room. Design Prospective study. Setting Operating room at a children's hospital. Patients 20 pediatric patients, aged 13.8 ± 2 years, and weight 63.7 ± 18.8 kg, scheduled for surgery in the prone position, and for which arterial catheter placement was planned. Interventions Measurements were recorded with an arterial line (AL) and a new noninvasive continuous blood pressure (BP) monitor. Measurements Systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), and mean arterial (MAP) pressure readings were captured from an arterial cannula and the CNAP device every minute during anesthesia. Main Results The study cohort consisted of analysis of 4104 pairs of SBP, DBP, and MAP values, which showed an absolute difference between the AL and CNAP device readings of 7.9 ± 6.3 mmHg for SBP, 5.3 ± 4.3 mmHg for DBP, and 4.6 ± 3.9 mmHg for MAP. Bland-Altman analysis of MAP values showed a bias of 0.26 mmHg, with upper and lower limits of agreement of 12.18 mmHg and -11.67 mmHg, respectively. CNAP readings deviated from arterial values by ≤ 5 mmHg in 67% of MAP values, 59% of DBP values, and 43% of SBP readings. The difference was ≤ 10 mmHg for 94% of MAP readings, 90% of DBP values, and 73% of SBP readings. Conclusions During prone positioning, the CNAP monitor provided clinically acceptable accuracy for MAP values, similar to those reported in adults in the supine position.
Different roles of axon guidance cues and patterned spontaneous activity in establishing receptive fields in the mouse superior colliculus

Visual neurons in the superior colliculus (SC) respond to both bright (On) and dark (off) stimuli in their receptive fields. This receptive field property is due to proper convergence of On- and Off- centered retinal ganglion cells to their target cells in the SC. In this study, we have compared the receptive field structure of individual SC neurons in two lines of mutant mice that are deficient in retinotopic mapping: the ephrin-A knockouts that lack important retinocollicular axonal guidance cues and the nAChR-β2 knockouts that have altered activity-dependent refinement of retinocollicular projections. We find that even though the receptive fields are much larger in the ephrin-A knockouts, their On-Off overlap remains unchanged. These neurons also display normal level of selectivity for stimulus direction and orientation. In contrast, the On-Off overlap is disrupted in the β2 knockouts. Together with the previous finding of disrupted direction and orientation selectivity in the β2 knockout mice, our results indicate that molecular guidance cues and activity-dependent processes play different roles in the development of receptive field properties in the SC.
Modeling a three-phase power conditioning system and improving its transient behavior following a heavy load drop

Abstract A power conditioning system is a device used to improve the quality of power in order to reduce equipment malfunctions. In a three-phase power conditioning system which utilizes ferroresonant circuits, the improved quality results from the synthesis of output voltages which remain constant over a wide range of input voltage variations caused by voltage sags or surges, transients, noise, or harmonic distortions. This paper presents the development of, to our knowledge, the only existing model for three-phase power conditioning systems. It is shown, through extensive computer simulations and laboratory tests, that the developed model very closely mimics the behavior of the physical system under both transient and steady-state conditions. The validation of the model is verified in both time and frequency domains. The term ringing is used to describe the transient created in the output voltage following a sudden load drop. In a three-phase power conditioning system such transients may last up to one second. In this time period, the quality of power delivered to the consumers who remain connected to the system is poor. Two design modifications which would reduce the ringing time are presented in this paper. One of the proposed modifications has been successfully tested in the laboratory, while the success of the other has been demonstrated through computer simulations.