cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nucleophilic aromatic substitution by paired electrosynthesis: Reactions of methoxy arenes with 1H-tetrazoles

Nucleophilic substitution reactions on 1,4-dimethoxybenzene and 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene by the anions of 1H-tetrazole, 1,2,4-triazole and 5-phenyl-1H-tetrazole have been carried out effectively by paired electrosynthesis. An undivided cell with platinum anode and cathode was used and the solvent was acetonitrile containing the tetrabutylammonium salt of the heterocyclic anion as electrolyte.
Molecular and Cellular Roles of PI31 (PSMF1) Protein in Regulation of Proteasome Function

We investigated molecular features and cellular roles of PI31 (PSMF1) on regulation of proteasome function. PI31 has a C-terminal HbYX (where Hb is a hydrophobic amino acid, Y is tyrosine, and X is any amino acid) motif characteristic of several proteasome activators. Peptides corresponding to the PI31 C terminus also bind to and activate the 20 S proteasome in an HbYX-dependent manner, but intact PI31protein inhibits in vitro 20 S activity. Binding to and inhibition of the proteasome by PI31 are conferred by the HbYX-containing proline-rich C-terminal domain but do not require HbYX residues. Thus, multiple regions of PI31 bind independently to the proteasome and collectively determine effects on activity. PI31 blocks the ATP-dependent in vitro assembly of 26 S proteasome from 20 S proteasome and PA700 subcomplexes but has no effect on in vitro activity of the intact 26 S proteasome. To determine the physiologic significance of these in vitro effects, we assessed multiple aspects of cellular proteasome content and function after altering PI31 levels. We detected no change in overall cellular proteasome content or function when PI31 levels were either increased by moderate ectopic overexpression or decreased by RNA interference (RNAi). We also failed to identify a role of PI31 ADP-ribosylation as a mechanism for regulation of overall 26 S proteasome content and function, as recently proposed. Thus, despite its in vitro effects on various proteasome activities and its structural relationship to established proteasome regulators, cellular roles and mechanisms of PI31 in regulation of proteasome function remain unclear and require future definition.
Kant’s Theory of Geometry

Since the important work of early twentieth century philosophers of geometry like Russell and Carnap, Schlick and Reichenbach, Kant’s theory of geometry has not looked very attractive. After their work and the work of Riemann, Hilbert, and Einstein from which they drew their inspiration, Kant’s conception is liable to seem quaint at best and silly at worst. His picture of geometry as somehow grounded in our intuition of space and time appears thoroughly wrong; and there is a consequent tendency to view the Transcendental Aesthetic as an unfortunate embarrassment that one has simply to rush through on the way to the more relevant and enduring insights of the Analytic.2
Electromagnetic properties of excited bands

Abstract In this paper the predictions of various microscopic and phenomenological models for the electromagnetic properties of nuclei are compared with experiment. The discussion centers on five case studies and illustrates that there often exist certain key matrix elements which permit to differentiate between various models.
Herbal Product Contamination and Toxicity

Herbal poisoning exposures reported to poison centers increased by 344% after passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, with 24412 exposures reported in 2003. Increased toxicity i...
Serum ferritin assay and bone-marrow iron stores in patients on maintenance hemodialysis

Serum ferritin assay and bone-marrow iron stores in maintenance hemodialysis patients. Fifty-five patients on maintenance hemodialysis underwent bone marrow aspirations for evaluation of iron stores that were to be compared to concomitant measurements of hematocrit, red blood cell volume, serum iron concentration, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation, and serum ferritin concentration. In 42 patients (76.4%), the bone-marrow iron stores were found to be absent or deficient. Mean hematocrit for the total group was 26.4%, and red blood cell volume measurement showed a mean value of 41.1% of predicted normal. Results also indicated that serum ferritin was the best predictor of iron storage levels, with diagnostic thresholds of 80 to 350 ng/ml derived from statistical analysis of the data. Other hematologic parameters studied had significantly less correlation with bone-marrow iron stores. Dosage de la ferritine serique et reserves medullaires de fer au cours de l'hemodialyse chronique. Cinquante cinq malades en hemodialyse chronique ont subi des ponctions de moelle osseuse pour l'evaluation des reserves de fer, evaluation qui a ete comparee aux mesures de l'hematocrite, du volume erythrocytaire, du fer serique, de la capacite totale de fixation du fer, de la saturation de la transferrine et de la ferritine serique. Chez 42 malades (76,4%) les reserves medullaires de fer etaient nulles ou insuffisantes. L'hematocrite moyen pour la totalite du groupe etait de 26,4% et le volume globulaire moyen etait a 41,1%, en moyenne, de la valeur theorique. Les resultats indiquent que la ferritine serique est le meilleur element de prediction des reserves de fer avec un seuil diagnostic de 80 a 350 ng/ml d'apres l'analyse statistique des resultats. Les autres parametres hematologiques etudies avaient significativement moins de correlation avec les reserves medullaires du fer.
Post-copulatory mate guarding by males of the demselfly Hetaerina vulnerata Selys (Odonata: Calopterygidae)

Abstract Males of the calopterygid damselfly Hetaerina vulnerata remain with their mates after copulating with them. The species exhibits two unusual features of post-copulatory mate guarding. First, a male will often leave his territory to accompany a female in tandem on a search for oviposition sites elsewhere. Second, a male will perch near his ovipositing female even though she completely submerges when egg-laying and cannot be captured and mated by another male while she is underwater. These activities carry two potential costs: (1) a male may miss other receptive females while guarding one mate and (2) he may lose his territory to an interloper while he is absent. These costs were low, however, because territorial males secured only one mating per 3.6 days on average. Moreover, 23 times out of 26, territorial males reclaimed their plots quickly after being away for 30–60 min. The gain from postcopulatory guarding came from being present to recapture a female should she fly up from the water after rejecting an oviposition site. There was a 40% chance that a female would leave one site to search for another during an oviposition bout. If the male were not present, his mate would be captured and mated by another individual (no female ever selected an oviposition site without being carried to it by a male). Her new partner would fertilize the remaining eggs in the female's clutch (if sperm precedence occurs in this species). The total number of eggs fertilized by a male will be affected by how well he prevents any one mate from copulating again before she lays her entire clutch and the total number of receptive females he captures. The variation in the degree of mate guarding by male odonates seems to be the evolutionary outcome of differences in fitness gains derived from these two competing activities in different ecological settings.
A fixed sample size selection procedure for negative binomial populations

A fixed sample size procedure for selecting the ‘best’ ofk negative binomial populations is developed. Selection is made in such a way that the probability of correct selection is at leastP* whenever the distance between the probabilities of success is at leastδ*. The exponentr is assumed to be known and the same for all populations. Extensive computer calculations* were employed to obtain the exact least favorable configuration. The smallest sample sizes needed to meet specifications (P*,δ*) are tabulated forr=1 (1)5;δ*=0.05 (0.05) 0.55 andP*=0.75, 0.80, 0.90, 0.95, 0.98, 0.99 involvingk=3 (1) 6, 8, 10 populations.
Free Flight and the Air Traffic Controller: Active Control versus Passive Monitoring

Free Flight, as originally proposed by the RTCA (1995), would allow transfer of authority for separation of aircraft from the air traffic controller to the pilot. More recent proposals have called for final authority to rest with the controller (FAA, 1997). These proposals have differing implications for the controller in terms of active control and passive monitoring. The present study investigated the effects of active control versus passive monitoring and traffic density on controller mental workload, performance, and memory in an air traffic control (ATC) task simulating FF conditions. Eighteen ATC specialists participated in an ATC simulation. Independent variables were (1) active control versus monitoring of traffic and (2) moderate versus high traffic density. Dependent variables included accuracy and timeliness in detecting potential conflicts, accepting and handing-off aircraft. Mental workload was assessed with a secondary task, heart rate variability and NASA-TLX ratings. Controller memory of a...
Preliminary thoughts about a UNIversal TEAching Machine (UNITEAM)

Computer Aided Instruction (C. A. I.) promises to make practical the goal of enabling each student to receive highly individualized instruction at some point in his educational career. C. A. I. has evolved over the last fifteen years from programmed instruction which itself has had a relatively short history as an educational procedure.
Cultural hierarchies in the discursive representations of China in the Chronicle of Higher Education

This paper presents the results of a discourse analysis of the Chronicle of Higher Education publications about China in 2011 and 2012. Drawing on postcolonial appropriations of governmentality to frame the discussion of globalization as the context of the study, the author analyzes the stylistic, rhetorical, and semantic strategies used in the newspaper to portray China in relation to the United States and the West. The author demonstrates how the US higher education media acknowledge the accomplishments of China in education, yet construct it as the culturally inferior Other, reinforcing the dominance of Western norms and practices in higher education. The author argues that the Chronicle’s placing of China in a dichotomous position to the West is symptomatic of a larger process of neoliberal globalization, which, in the case of the United States, is also preoccupied with preserving the centrality of the white, Western heritage in diverse society.
Handling negative inputs: On the plausible equity formulae

Abstract Equity research has been based on defining formulae that do not necessarily imply the hypotheses thought to have been derived from them and that are not consistent with empirical data cited as supporting equity theory. Neither Adams' (1965) ratio definition nor Walster et al.'s (1970, 1972, 1973) formula satisfy the fundamental criterion that, when equity holds, outcome should be an increasing function of input. Six formulae that do satisfy this fundamental criterion (including Adams' ratio definition restricted to positive ratios, Walster et al.'s revision of their formula, three formulae generated by a simple constructive procedure, and an exponential definition) are compared with respect to 11 other criteria and with respect to their predictions of the results of two thought experiments.
Acceleration of Ligand Exchange by Coordinated Nitrate in Polypyridyl Ruthenium Complexes

The rate of substitution of L by a chloride ion or acetonitrile in cis-[Ru(bpy) 2 (L)(X)] + (X = NO 3 ; L = pyridine, acetonitrile ; bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) in low polarity solvents, is greatly enhanced over the rates observed for complexes with X = Cl, NO 2 , CF 3 CO 2 and p-CH 3 C 6 H 4 SO 3 . For X = NO 3 , rate constants and a mechanism for formation of the final product, cis-Ru(bpy) 2 Cl 2 or cis-Ru(bpy) 2 (CH 3 CN) 2 ] 2+ , are presented. The rate enhancement for the nitrato complex is attributed to its ability to act as a bidentate ligand.
Extensor digitorum brevis test and resistance to botulinum toxin type A.

We studied 22 patients with dystonia to determine the normal range of values for the extensor digitorum brevis (EDB) test, and to determine its sensitivity and specificity in detecting resistance to botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A). Three compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) elicited by peroneal nerve stimulation were averaged before and 2 weeks after injection of 20 units of BTX-A into the EDB. Amplitude and area ratios were calculated by dividing the averaged postinjection CMAP by the averaged preinjection CMAP values. The difference in means of this ratio between clinically sensitive and resistant subjects was statistically significant (P < 0.002). A normal range of <0.45 for each ratio was determined by adding two standard deviations to the ratio mean of 14 clinically sensitive subjects. Four of five resistant patients had values outside the normal range. The EDB test is a simple quantitative method of detecting resistance to BTX-A, with a sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 94%.
Changes in the endoplasmic reticulum during differentaiation of a sieve element in Gossypium hirsutum

In young sieve elements of Gossypium hirsutum the ER cisternae are single, bear ribosomes, and are randomly dispersed in the cytoplasm. As the sieve element nucleus begins to degencrate, ER cisternae increase in number and form stacks and convoluted aggregations. Ribosomes separate from the ER and electron-dense material appears between the contiguous cisternae. The stacked ER is most abundant at an advanced stage in nuclear degeneration and occurs mainly near the cell wall, with the cisternae cither parallel or perpendicular to the wall. Convoluted ER aggregates are found in more mature sieve elements. Occasionally the stacked and convoluted ER aggregates are continuous. Part of the stacked and convoluted forms of ER undergo further alterations. Some cisternae assume a tubular shape. Part of the ER appears as a complex network—the parictal anastomosing ER—along the plasmalemma. This ER appears to be consistently present in mature sieve elements.
A Newton‐like approximation algorithm for the steady‐state solution of the riccati equation for time‐varying systems

An approximation technique is developed for the steady-state solution of the time-varying matrix Riccati equation. We show how the Newton-type algorithm of Kleinman, developed for computing the steady solution to the algebraic Riccati equation for time-invariant systems, can be extended for time-varying linear systems. The time-varying case is considerably more involved than the time-invariant one. Consider a linear time-varying system x(t) = F(t)x(t) + G(t)u(t). If (F, G) is uniformly completely controllable, we show how one can construct a recursive sequence of matrix functions (using linear techniques) which converge to the steady-state solution of the associated time-varying matrix Riccati equation (a non-linear object). At each successive state, the next approximation is in terms of the steady-state solution to a linear Lyapunov differential equation (which is the extension of the algebraic Lyapunov equations used by Kleinman) for which an explicit expression exists. This provides an approximation technique for obtaining infinite-time, linear-quadratic, optimal controllers and steady-state Kalman—Bucy filters for time-varying systems using purely linear techniques. Thus, we provide new types of suboptimal stabilizing feedback laws for linear time-varying systems.
Communication Strategy Training for Caregivers of Individuals With Dementia

Researchers in this study investigated the perceptions of 14 professional and family caregivers regarding 11 communication strategies to use during interactions with individuals with dementia. The results showed that 10 of the strategies were frequently reported in the literature for caregivers of individuals with dementia (Small, Gutman, Saskia, & Hillhouse, 2003). The investigators added a final strategy that focused on using pictures, books, and props during interactions and planning/structuring interactions. Caregivers completed questionnaires before and after training to rate the importance and frequency of use of each strategy. Caregivers then participated in a training session led by the investigators that included a verbal and written explanation of each strategy and a description of why using the strategy would help to improve communication interactions. Comparisons of pretraining to posttraining questionnaires showed that most caregivers did not use materials such as books, pictures, magazines, ...
Bullous pemphigoid after liver transplantation for liver failure

Coomb's positive autoimmune hemolytic anemia with giant cell hepatitis (GCH) is a rare cause of liver failure and is usually associated with poor prognosis. A child with liver kidney microsomal (LKM) antibody positivity underwent successful liver transplantation for liver failure secondary to GCH with Coomb's positive hemolytic anemia. Autoimmune neutropenia developed ten months after transplant. Four months later, pemphigoid skin lesions developed. The diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid (BP) was made on the basis of skin biopsy, direct and indirect immunofluorescence test results. Treatment was with immunosuppressants - prednisone and azathioprine/rapamycin, with addition of dapsone when lesions persisted. This child is unique in that his liver function and hemolytic anemia appeared to normalize after liver transplant, but neutropenia and BP both thought to be autoimmune in etiology, developed more than a year post-transplant.
Symmetric replication of an unstable isodicentric Xq chromosome derived from isolocal maternal sister chromatid recombination.

An amniocyte culture was found to be mosaic for 45,X/46,X,idic(X)(p11.2)/ 47,X, idic(X)(p11.2),idic(X)(p11.2) cell lines, reflecting mitotic nondisjunction of the idic(X)(p11.2) chromosome. Upon learning of abnormal karyotype and ultrasound findings, the parents decided to discontinue the pregnancy. Subsequent cultures of fetal skin, kidney, and lung were mosaic 45,X/46,X,idic(X)(p11.2) reflecting mitotic loss of the unstable idic(X)(p11.2) chromosome. C-banding and in situ hybridization of X chromosome-specific α-satellite probe to metaphase fetal cells confirmed two centromeres on the idic(X)(p11.2) chromosome with both centromeres appearing to be active in two-thirds of cells. This result was confirmed by centromere protein-E (CENP-E) antibody staining which delineated 80% of scored cells with two active centromeres and 20% with 1 active centromere. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and acridine orange staining characterized the DNA replication pattern of the idic(X)(p11.2) chromosome as late and symmetrically replicating. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of highly polymorphic loci determined that the normal X chromosome carried paternal alleles and the idic(X)(p11.2) chromosome carried maternal alleles from only one grandparental chromosome. Overall, the results suggest that recombination occurred between two maternal sister chromatids both in the same chromosome band Xp11.2 (isolocal) prior to maternal meiosis II anaphase to generate an unstable maternal idic(X)(p11.2) chromosome. Additional factors that could contribute to i(Xq) and idic(X) formation and instability are discussed along with a mechanism to explain the high frequency of intrauterine loss in 45,X pregnancies. Am. J. Med. Genet. 85:429–437, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Neuronal metabolomics by ion mobility mass spectrometry: cocaine effects on glucose and selected biogenic amine metabolites in the frontal cortex, striatum, and thalamus of the rat

We report results of studies of global and targeted neuronal metabolomes by ambient pressure ion mobility mass spectrometry. The rat frontal cortex, striatum, and thalamus were sampled from control nontreated rats and those treated with acute cocaine or pargyline. Quantitative evaluations were made by standard additions or isotopic dilution. The mass detection limit was ∼100 pmol varying with the analyte. Targeted metabolites of dopamine, serotonin, and glucose followed the rank order of distribution expected between the anatomical areas. Data was evaluated by principal component analysis on 764 common metabolites (identified by m/z and reduced mobility). Differences between anatomical areas and treatment groups were observed for 53 % of these metabolites using principal component analysis. Global and targeted metabolic differences were observed between the three anatomical areas with contralateral differences between some areas. Following drug treatments, global and targeted metabolomes were found to shift relative to controls and still maintained anatomical differences. Pargyline reduced 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid below detection limits, and 5-HIAA varied between anatomical regions. Notable findings were: (1) global metabolomes were different between anatomical areas and were altered by acute cocaine providing a broad but targeted window of discovery for metabolic changes produced by drugs of abuse; (2) quantitative analysis was demonstrated using isotope dilution and standard addition; (3) cocaine changed glucose and biogenic amine metabolism in the anatomical areas tested; and (4) the largest effect of cocaine was on the glycolysis metabolome in the thalamus confirming inferences from previous positron emission tomography studies using 2-deoxyglucose.
Chicago Radiocarbon Dates, IV.

These cover the period Sept. 1, 1952 -- Sept. 1, 1953; Mesopotamia and Western Asia-6, United States-23, Central America-1, other areas-2. Most of these are of archeological material. -- AATA
SU-FF-J-16: A Method to Determine the Necessity of Rotational Correction in Image Guided Radiotherapy

Introduction:IGRT technologies have enhanced the abilities to detect temporal and spatial deviations of target relative to beams. Correcting these deviations may improve the accuracy of dose delivery to target. Frequently, a clinical decision has to be made on the necessity to correct some of the deviations since the relevant dosimetric impact may or may not be significant. The decision should be based on an objective criterion. This study developed a method to determine the necessity of rotational correction during treatment verification process. Method and Materials: At treatment stage, treated volume should be almost geometrically identical to that of the PTV while the goal is to treat the CTV. Various uncertainties may move the CTV outside of the treated volume leading to suboptimum coverage. In many cases, the CTV can be approximated as an elastic semi‐rigid body and its geometry in the treatment space can be derived by using translational and rotational matrices. These matrices can be determined with an image registration tool between plan and treatment verification images. A software package was developed to perform the transformation, and to evaluate whether the transformed CTV remains inside the treatment volume. With the method, the spatial deviation caused by target rotation is computed and the margin size between the PTV and CTV is used as criterion for the necessity of rotational correction. Results: The related equations and algorithm have been developed and was evaluated by applying to a clinical prostate cancer case. For this particular patient, there existed a 26 degree rotation around one axis. Without rotational correction 30% of the CTV would be located outside the treatment volume. Conclusions: A method has been developed to evaluate the necessity of rotational correction. It is potentially useful in IGRT where elastic semi‐rigid body model is a good approximation for target volumes.
An efficient lower bound for the generalized spectral radius of a set of matrices

The generalized spectral radius (GSR) is a fundamental concept in studying the regularity of compactly supported wavelets. Here we describe an efficient method for estimating a lower bound for the GSR. Let Mq be the set of all q × q matrices with complex entries. Suppose ∑ = {A0, …, Am−1} is a collection of m matrices in Mq. Let Ln be the set of all products of length n of the elements of ∑. Define n(∑) = maxA∈Ln [ϱ(A)]In, where ϱ(A) is the spectral radius of A. The generalized spectral radius of ∑ is then ϱ(∑) = lim supn → ∞ ϱn(∑). The standard method for estimating ϱ(∑), from below and at level n, is to calculate the spectral radii of all mn products in Ln and select the largest. Here we use three elementary theorems from linear algebra, combinatorics, and number theory to show that the same result can be obtained with no more than mnn matrix calculations.
Novel Root Fungal Consortium Associated with a Dominant Desert Grass

The broad distribution and high colonization rates of plant roots by a variety of endophytic fungi suggest that these symbionts have an important role in the function of ecosystems. Semiarid and arid lands cover more than one-third of the terrestrial ecosystems on Earth. However, a limited number of studies have been conducted to characterize root-associated fungal communities in semiarid grasslands. We conducted a study of the fungal community associated with the roots of a dominant grass, Bouteloua gracilis, at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico. Internal transcribed spacer ribosomal DNA sequences from roots collected in May 2005, October 2005, and January 2006 were amplified using fungal-specific primers, and a total of 630 sequences were obtained, 69% of which were novel (less than 97% similarity with respect to sequences in the NCBI database). B. gracilis roots were colonized by at least 10 different orders, including endophytic, coprophilous, mycorrhizal, saprophytic, and plant pathogenic fungi. A total of 51 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were found, and diversity estimators did not show saturation. Despite the high diversity found within B. gracilis roots, the root-associated fungal community is dominated by a novel group of dark septate fungi (DSF) within the order Pleosporales. Microscopic analysis confirmed that B. gracilis roots are highly colonized by DSF. Other common orders colonizing the roots included Sordariales, Xylariales, and Agaricales. By contributing to drought tolerance and nutrient acquisition, DSF may be integral to the function of arid ecosystems.
Effect of processing conditions on the properties of high molecular weight conductive polyaniline fiber

Polyaniline- emeraldine base (EB) fiber with excellent mechanical and electrical properties have been spun from highly concentrated (20% w/w), EB/N-methyl- 2-pyrrolidinone (NMP)/2-methylaziridine (2 MA) solution. These solutions had gelation times, which varied from hours to days depending on the molar ratio of 2 MA to EB tetramer repeating unit in the N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) solvent. To better compare the mechanical and electrical properties, dense films were also prepared by thermal evaporation of less concentrated solution (1% w/w). Both fibers and films were amenable to thermal stretching with maximum draw ratios o f4:1a ndthese stretched samples exhibited the greatest tensile strength overall. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) of as-spun and 4-times stretched fiber showed a completely amorphous struc- ture. Fiber subjected to heat treatment at 250 °C under N2 flux for 2 h displayed further improvements in mechanical properties because of crosslinking between the polymer chains. Fibers and films were later doped by immersion in a variety of aqueous acid solutions. Room temperature DC conductivities for the doped samples ranged from 6 3 10 24 to 45 S/cm depending on the specific choice of acid. Scanning electron micros- copy of fiber samples shows the presence of macrovoid formation during fiber spinning. Continued refinement of the processing parameters and fiber post-treatment, to en- hance chain alignment and increase fiber density, will likely lead to additional improve- ments in the fiber mechanical and electrical properties. Characterization of emeraldine base (EB) powder, solution, films, and fibers by UV-Vis, DSC, TGA, and WAXD were also performed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 194 -204, 2000
A bifurcation theorem for potential operators

Abstract A general bifurcation theorem for potential operators is proved. It describes the possible behavior of the set of solutions of an operator equation as a function of the eigenvalue parameter in a neighborhood of the bifurcation point. The theorem applies in particular to buckling problems in elasticity theory as well as to other fields in which the bifurcation problems have a variational formulation.
Effect of End‐Stage Renal Failure and Hemodialysis on Mortality Rates in Implantable Cardioverter‐Defibrillator Recipients

Background: Most defibrillator (ICD) trials have excluded patients on hemodialysis (HD). It is therefore not known whether the ICD, when indicated, confers the same mortality benefit to HD and non-HD patients. Method: HD patients implanted with an ICD from July 2001 to June 2004 were matched by age, gender, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and class of heart failure to non-HD ICD recipients. Results: Forty-six (16 on HD) patients (age = 65 ± 15 yrs, LVEF = 30 ± 14%, 44% in class III-IV HF) were followed for a mean of 30 ± 16 months (range, 4–61 months) after ICD implantation. During this period, 12/16 HD versus 9/30 non-HD patients died (P = 0.006). The two-year mortality rates were 54% and 29% in the HD and non-HD groups, respectively (P = 0.01). After correcting for age, gender, race, LVEF, class of HF, and ICD indication (primary vs. secondary prevention) in a Cox regression model, HD remained a significant predictor of the time to death (HR = 2.9, adjusted P = 0.023). Conclusion: Despite having an ICD, HD patients have approximately a three-fold increase in total mortality and may therefore not extract the same survival benefits from the ICD as their non-HD counterparts. If duplicated in larger randomized trials, these results may demonstrate the futility of implanting defibrillators in HD patients.
Brief Therapy for Monocular Hysterical Blindness in Childhood

A case report of monocular hysterical blindness, a rare form of childhood conversion reaction, is presented. A brief description of the treatment is included, which utilized a team approach and short-term management. An attempt is made to compare this patient's motivation with other cases of conversion reactions and to identify a possible dynamic mechanism for monocular hysterical blindness.
Computing time-periodic solutions of a model for the vortex sheet with surface tension

We compute time-periodic solutions of a simple model for the vortex sheet with surface tension. The model has the same dispersion relation as the full system of evolution equations, and also has the same destabilizing nonlinearity (if the surface tension parameter were to be set to zero, then this nonlinearity would cause an analogue of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability). The numerical method uses a gradient descent algorithm to minimize a functional which measures whether a solution of the system is timeperiodic. We find continua of genuinely time-periodic solutions bifurcating from equilibrium.
A First Look into the 3D Structure of the TRPV2 Channel by Single-Particle Cryo-Em

The TRPV2 channel is a ∼385 kDa integral membrane protein complex that functions as a high-threshold thermosensor and is involved in calcium signaling during inflammation and nerve injury. TRPV2 is constituted of four subunits, each with six transmembrane (TM) spanning helices with a pore loop between the fifth and sixth TM helices. To date, little is understood about the complex biophysical properties or the 3D architecture of the TRPV2 channel. We used single particle electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) to solve the 3D structure of the tetrameric TRPV2 channel. To obtain sufficient quantities of purified channel proteins for structural and functional analysis, we used heterologous expression in the budding yeast, S. cerevisiae and immunoaffinity chromatography to purify TRPV2. The purified channel was vitrified in the presence of amphipathic polymer, amphipol 8-35, which was used to substitute for solubilizing detergent in TRPV2 preparations. This procedure allowed us to achieve optimal ice thickness and uniform particle distribution in the cryospecimen. Vitrified TRPV2 samples were imaged using an FEI Polara electron cryo-microscope operated at 300 keV at liquid-nitrogen temperature. Images of the channel were acquired on a 4k x 4k CCD camera (TVIPS) at 59,000 nominal magnification of microscope using low-dose mode and a defocus range of 2-5 μm. The 3D reconstruction of TRPV2 was generated with 20,608 particle images extracted from 431 CCD frames, and image processing was performed using EMAN2. The resulting structure was validated using tilt-pair analysis, and is interpretable to ∼15 A based on "gold standard" resolution criterion. Supported by grants from NIH (R21AR063255, R01GM072804, P41GM103832, T32KD007696, R01EY07981) and by AHA (12GRNT10510002).
Interpersonal Skill in Medicine: The Essential Partner of Verbal Communication

Medical educators have promoted skillful communication as a means for doctors to develop positive relationships with their patients. In practice, communication tends to be defined primarily as what doctors say, with less attention to how, when, and to whom they say it. These latter elements of communication, which often carry the emotional content of the discourse, are usually referred to as interpersonal skills. Although recognized as important by some educators, interpersonal skills have received much less attention than task-oriented, verbal aspects. Moreover, the field lacks a common language and conceptualization for discussing them. This paper offers a framework for describing interpersonal skills and understanding their relationship to verbal communication and describes an interpersonal skill-set comprised of Understanding, Empathy, and Relational Versatility.
Roles for NAD(P)H oxidases and reactive oxygen species in vascular oxygen sensing mechanisms

Abstract Observations that physiological levels of O2 control the rates of production of reactive O2 species by systems including NAD(P)H oxidases and that certain of these species have signalling mechanisms that regulate vascular tone has resulted in consideration of these systems in processes that mediate the sensing of changes in PO2. Evidence exists for the participation of hydrogen peroxide-dependent regulation of prostaglandin production and soluble guanylate cyclase activity, resulting from the metabolism of peroxide by cyclooxygenase and catalase, respectively, in PO2-elicited signalling mechanisms that regulate vascular force generation. A microsomal NADH oxidase whose activity is controlled by the redox status of cytosolic NAD(H) appears to function as a PO2 sensor in bovine pulmonary and coronary arteries where changes in O2 levels control the production of superoxide anion-derived hydrogen peroxide and a cGMP-mediated relaxation response. Interactions with nitric oxide and superoxide anion, and the activity of glutathione peroxidase appear to influence the function of these O2 sensing systems, and some of these interactions, along with the activation of other oxidases, may contribute to alterations in PO2 sensing mechanisms under pathophysiological conditions that affect vascular function.
Effects of Unidentified Factors on the Body and Spleen Weights of Young Chicks

Abstract REVIEW OF LITERATURE GRAHAM and Griffith (1929) found that a purified diet fed to rats was lacking in some essential nutrient. Normal growth was not obtained even when such a diet was supplemented with liver and yeast. Keenan el al. (1933) reported that chicks fed a simplified diet not only failed to grow but developed paralysis. The addition of hog liver to the synthetic diet produced normal growth and freedom from paralysis. Defatted liver substance was shown to contain two factors, one insoluble in water and necessary for growth, and one soluble in water and necessary for the prevention of paralysis. Griffith and Graham (1929) reported that the extraordinary effect of liver on the growth rate of rats might be attributed to an increased food intake resulting from a stimulation of the appetite. Elvehjem, Koehn and Oleson (1936) described an essential dietary factor in liver which was necessary for growth… .
Outdoor color rating of sweet cherries using computer vision

In this paper, we report the results of an exploration study of the feasibility of using computer vision to conduct accurate color rating of sweet cherry in outdoor orchard environments. Pre-harvest color rating of cherry is important to growers in determining the optimal harvest time. Currently, the in-field rating relies heavily on the manual comparison between the color of cherry fruits and standard color charts, which is both labor intensive and subjective. It is not uncommon to have one or two grades of deviation. A computer vision-based color rating system was developed in an attempt to provide an automatic and objective way to achieve more consistent and accurate color ratings. This system successfully used a camera flash to reduce the effects of two major obstacles in outdoor color rating: (1) inconsistent ambient light; and (2) glaring reflections on cherry skin. To mimic the manual color rating practice that is widely accepted by sweet cherry growers today, a task-oriented image processing algorithm was developed to remove the glaring reflections and to classify the color of cherries into seven levels. Field tests showed that the overall accuracy of the rating exceeded 85% based on 660 samples from three field tests under natural, outdoor lighting conditions. The tests validated the feasibility of using a computer vision system to achieve accurate and objective color ratings of sweet cherry under outdoor natural light conditions for actual in-orchard use.
Measles virus infection and vaccination: Potential role in chronic illness and associated adverse events

Over the last decade, a number of concerns have arisen related to safety issues that have had an adverse effect on the public's trust, particularly among parents whose children are the primary recipient of the vaccine. Historically, the live attenuated measles virus (MV) vaccine and the combination multivalent measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine have had a major impact on the health of children worldwide and have been extremely successful at preventing infectious diseases associated with three childhood viral pathogens. In this report, we describe MV infection, replication, pathogenesis, and immunization. MV is a viral pathogen that exhibits a number of complex processes that can effect its replication, pathogenesis, and the induction of an effective antiviral immune response. We describe the published literature as it relates to MV infection and immunization and report adverse events in an attempt to provide a balanced discussion and an historical perspective of the MMR vaccine and autism.
A Note on Prediction Error with Collinearity

Least squares (LS) estimator is the best linear unbiased estimator for linear models. It is well known that LS performs poorly in estimation when collinearity is present among regressors. However, it is not fully understood and is even controversial whether LS performs well in prediction. To address this controversy, we study the mean and variance of the prediction squared error (PSE) of LS estimator, and conclude theoretically that although the mean PSE remains invariant regardless of the collinearity, the variance of PSE increases with the collinearity. Thus the prediction error is sensitive to the location in the feature space.
Carbon nanofiber reinforced syntactic foams: Degradation mechanism for long term moisture exposure and residual compressive properties

Abstract Hollow particle filled polymer matrix composites, called syntactic foams, are challenging for studies related to environmental exposure and degradation mechanisms due to the possible role of matrix, particle–matrix interface, and particle material and wall thickness. In the current study, syntactic foams reinforced with 1 wt.% vapor grown carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are subjected to water immersion and characterized for residual compressive properties under quasi-static and high strain rates. The testing is conducted on four different types of syntactic foams, fabricated with glass hollow particles of two different densities: 220 and 460 kg/m 3 in 30 and 50 vol.% quantities. After a period of 6 months, a maximum of 7% weight gain is observed in the worst performing syntactic foam. The exposed specimens are tested for residual compressive properties and the results are compared with the properties of dry specimens. The quasi-static compressive strength of CNF reinforced syntactic foams is found to decrease and the modulus remained unaffected due to the moisture exposure. The high strain rate compressive strength was 1.3–2.2 times higher for wet and dry specimens compared to the quasi-static strength of the same type of syntactic foams.
Open scientific communication urged

In a report released last week the National Academy of Sciences' Panel on Scientific Communication and National Security concluded that the ‘limited and uncertain benefits’ of controls on the dissemination of scientific and technological research are ‘outweighed by the importance of scientific progress, which open communication accelerates, to the overall welfare of the nation.’ The 18-member panel, chaired by Dale R. Corson, president emeritus of Cornell University, was created last spring (Eos, April 20, 1982, p. 241) to examine the delicate balance between open dissemination of scientific and technical information and the U.S. government's desire to protect scientific and technological achievements from being translated into military advantages for our political adversaries. The panel dealt almost exclusively with the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union but noted that there are ‘clear problems in scientific communication and national security involving Third World countries.’ Further study of this matter is necessary.
The determination of 226Ra and 228Ra in water and solids by the least squares gamma spectrometric method

Abstract An extremely simple, fast and accurate method for the simultaneous analysis of both 226 Ra and 228 Ra in water, sludge, sediments, soil and other types of samples has been developed. This method differs from the standard US Environmental Protection Agency methods for radium analysis in that it is used for all types of environmental materials. The radium from a 10- to 100-liter water sample is adsorbed on to a special high-radium-retaining resin, placed in a sealed container and counted on a sodium iodide detector system. The resultant gamma-ray spectrum is analyzed by a least squares method to determine the nuclides present. For a 20-liter water sample, the accuracy approaches ± 4% at radium concentrations of 90 mBq2 liter −1 (2·5 pCi liter −1 ). For 20-liter water samples processed in the system at Argonne National Laboratory, the lower limit of detection (4.66σ background) for 226 Ra and 228 Ra are 130 mBq (6·5 mBq liter −1 ) and 240 mBq (12 mBq liter −1 ), respectively. However, systematic errors increase this limit to about 20 mBq liter −1 for both radionuclides. The lower limits of detection for natural uranium and thorium series nuclides in secular equilibrium in sludge, sediments and other types of solid samples are 240 mBq and 190 mBq, respectively. Thus, only 50- to 100-g quantities of sludge, sediments, soils and other types of solid samples are required and these samples are processed non-destructively. A single operator can process up to 20 water or solid samples per day. When these samples are counted on an analysis system with completely automatic sample changing, a single counting system can process up to 3500 samples per year.
Computation of the aeroelastic response of a flexible delta wing at high angles of attack

Abstract To perform relevant aeroelastic analyses for a delta wing at an angle of attack, a computational technique capable of addressing both complex nonlinear aerodynamics and nonlinear structural features is presented. This numerical method couples a well-validated Euler/Navier–Stokes code (Euler computations only in present work) with a nonlinear finite-element plate model. The resulting aeroelastic solver is used to simulate a 60° sweep flexible delta wing for angles of attack from 5° to 40°. When vortex breakdown is present over the wing, increased buffeting of the wing is observed consistent with previous experimental observations. Comparisons of the computed r.m.s. wingtip acceleration with experimentally measured values shows good qualitative agreement. Spectral analysis of the wingtip deflection and acceleration show the first structural mode to be the dominant mode with participation also from the second and third mode.
ISOLATION OF BARTONELLA SPP. FROM EMBRYOS AND NEONATES OF NATURALLY INFECTED RODENTS

Embryos and neonatal offspring of wild-captured cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) and white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) were tested for the presence of Bartonella spp. Isolates of Bartonella spp. were obtained from 18 of 31 embryos and 7 of 19 neonates from bacteremic dams of the two species; no isolates were obtained from material from non-bacteremic dams. Sequence analysis demonstrated that the isolates from embryos and neonates matched the phylogenetic group of Bartonella spp. isolates obtained from the mother. No antibodies to homologous Bartonella spp. antigens were detected in maternal and neonatal blood or embryonic tissue. These findings suggest the possibility of vertical transmission of Bartonella spp. among natural rodent hosts.
The Riddle of Ishtar's Shoes: The Religious Significance of the Footprints at ‘Ain Dara from a Comparative Perspective

This essay analyzes the carved footprints in the Iron Age temple at ‘Ain Dara, Syria from a broadly comparative perspective. This methodology is necessitated by the fact that footprint iconography is very rare in ancient Near Eastern art. The diverse examples utilized in this paper to help explicate the footprints at ‘Ain Dara range from the Footprints of the Buddha (Buddhapadas) to the sullied feet of Jesus. Through analysis of footprint iconography in other religious contexts, I have drawn conclusions concerning the form and function of the temple footprints at ‘Ain Dara that have escaped other scholars of the ancient Near East.
Indirect adaptive robust control of electro-hydraulic systems driven by single-rod hydraulic actuator

This paper presents an indirect adaptive robust control (IARC) of electro-hydraulic systems driven by single-rod hydraulic actuators. Unlike the tracking-performance-oriented direct adaptive robust control (DARC) algorithm, in addition to good output tracking performance, the IARC also focuses on accurate parameter estimates for secondary purposes such as machine health monitoring and prognostics. Accurate parameter estimates are obtained through parameter estimation algorithms based on the plant dynamics rather than the tracking error dynamics, while robust stability and performance are achieved through adaptive robust control. Comparative experimental results show that the proposed IARC achieves good tracking performance and accurate parameter estimation.