cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fetal Endangerment: A Challenge For Criminal Law

¶3 The choice of criminalizing prenatal drug use will also be discussed from a public policy perspective. Some points addressed include the effectiveness of criminalization and whether there are more effective alternatives, as well as the negative effects of these laws, such as purposefully avoiding prenatal care to escape prosecution. The potential “slippery slope” ramifications will be analyzed as well. For example, using the rationale in the South Carolina case, not only illegal activities but also legal ones such as smoking, alcohol consumption and inadequate diet may be prosecuted. Finally, a potpourri of topics ranging from the Equal Protection Clause, race, socioeconomic status, and political climates will be considered. In concluding, predictions will be made regarding the impact of the South Carolina case upon future cases.
Highway Safety and Roadside Hazards

Almost 40% of all highway fatalities occur when a vehicle leaves the roadway. To promote safe roadsides, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has encouraged a major safety upgrading effort of Federal-aid highways. To find out if this is succeeding, in 1978, a safety review examined the progress of the states in applying the concepts of “Highway Design and Operational Practices Related to Highway Safety.” Some of the devices whose purpose is to make a highway environment more forgiving, will not perform as intended. The review has been successful in that the states and FHWA are examining the safety performance of new highways and initiating programs to correct deficiencies on older highways. Of great importance in assuring safety improvements to the highway environment is safety awareness, and concern on the part of highway designers, constructors, and maintenance personnel.
How Riemannian Manifolds Converge

This is an intuitive survey of extrinsic and intrinsic notions of convergence of manifolds complete with pictures of key examples and a discussion of the properties associated with each notion. We begin with a description of three extrinsic notions which have been applied to study sequences of submanifolds in Euclidean space: Hausdorff convergence of sets, flat convergence of integral currents, and weak convergence of varifolds. We next describe a variety of intrinsic notions of convergence which have been applied to study sequences of compact Riemannian manifolds: Gromov-Hausdorff convergence of metric spaces, convergence of metric measure spaces, intrinsic Flat convergence of integral current spaces, and ultralimits of metric spaces. We close with a speculative section addressing possible notions of intrinsic varifold convergence, convergence of Lorentzian manifolds and area convergence.
Climate change, adaptation, and agricultural output

Recent studies have estimated that climate-generated extreme weather disasters have reduced crop yields globally by up to 10%. By incorporating indicators of adaptive capacity and sensitivity, we develop empirical models of the relationship between extreme weather disasters and agricultural output between 1995 and 2010. Using panel data models, we find that the greater the adaptive capacity of a country, the more attenuated are the expected agricultural losses from extreme weather disasters. In effect, climate-related agricultural consequences vary as a function of the heterogeneity across countries. Much of this heterogeneity in adaptive capacity is a result of policy choices about structural preparedness. Our results allow us to draw inferences about crop yields under different levels of adaptive capacity in the context of climate change.
Transcatheter redirection of hepatic venous blood to treat unilateral pulmonary arteriovenous malformations in a Fontan circulation by short‐term total exclusion of the unaffected lung

Clinically significant unilateral pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVM) can develop in patients with a Fontan circulation when there is unbalanced distribution of hepatic venous (HV) blood flow to the lungs. There are reported surgical and transcatheter techniques to treat PAVMs by rerouting HV return, with promising short-term results. We report a case of a novel, technically simple transcatheter approach to redirect HV blood flow in an adult Fontan patient with polysplenia syndrome and severe unilateral PAVMs. Our patient had a two-stage procedure, the first to redirect all HV blood flow to the affected lung with a single covered stent, and a second to confirm resolution of PAVMs and to reintroduce HV effluent to the unaffected lung. At 10-month follow-up, her oxygen saturations had increased from 75% to 93% with a marked improvement in her functional status.
OUTCOMES FOLLOWING ACL RECONSTRUCTION USING PATELLAR TENDON VERSUS HAMSTRING TENDON AUTOGRAFT IN ADOLESCENT ATHLETES: AN AGE-MATCH, SEX-MATCHED, AND BODY MASS INDEX-MATCHED COHORT STUDY:

Background:Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) remains one of the most commonly performed orthopaedic surgeries in adolescents and young adults. However, selection of the optimal graft...
The People's Duty: Collective Agency and the Morality of Public Policy

Can we talk about 'the people' as an agent with its own morally important integrity? How should we understand ownership of public property by 'the people'? Nili develops philosophical answers to both of these questions, arguing that we should see the core project of a liberal legal system - realizing equal rights - as an identity-grounding project of the sovereign people, and thus as essential to the people's integrity. He also suggests that there are proprietary claims that are intertwined in the sovereign people's moral power to create property rights through the legal system. The practical value of these ideas is illustrated through a variety of real-world policy problems, ranging from the domestic and international dimensions of corruption and abuse of power, through transitional justice issues, to the ethnic and religious divides that threaten liberal democracy. This book will appeal to political theorists as well as readers in public policy, area studies, law, and across the social sciences.
SYNTHESIS OF 2-ACYL-1,4-DIKETONES VIA THE DIACYLATION OF ALPHA , BETA -UNSATURATED KETONES

The first example of a diacylation of the carbon−carbon double bond in α,β-unsaturated ketones is described. The reaction of acylcyanocuprate reagents with α,β-unsaturated ketones, followed by C-acylation, produces 2-acyl-1,4-diketones in good yields (50−89%).
Can the US and Europe contain Russian power in the European energy market? A game theoretic approach

Abstract The Russian history of politicization of natural gas supplies led Europe to seek alternatives. US LNG is considered to be a viable alternative for Europe, which positioned the US as a strong competitor against Russia. In a game theoretic approach, we model this strategic decision-making process in simultaneous-move and sequential games. Our findings indicate a mixed strategy equilibrium: Europe cannot commit to diversify in the face of Russian advantages, and Russia cannot fully resist the temptation to politicize its supplies to Europe. The US might attempt to intervene in the European commitment problem through implementing sanctions on Russian gas sales. We find that in any case episodic Russian politicization remains likely in equilibrium.
A Rare Case of Cytomegalovirus Infection Induced Hemophagacytic Lymphohistocytosis Syndrome (HLH)

Introduction: Haemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare immunopathological syndromes of excessive immune activation which results in multiorgan dysfunction and haemophagocytosis. Persistent stimulation of lymphocytes and histiocytes results in hypercytokinemia, leading to characteristic symptoms of HLH. Primary HLH is caused by the genetic mutation and secondary HLH occurs in autoinflammatory and autoimmune disease(macrophage activation syndrome), lymphoma, Iatrogenic immunosupression and healthy persons with infections. HLH is rare disease but has garnered increaed attension over past 10 years. Case description: This is 50 year old female patient with significant past medical history of autoimmune hepatitis controlled on Azathioprine for 2 years. She presented to the emergency room with worsening cough, fevers, chills and shortness of breath, and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to acute respiratory failure and suspicious for septic shock. She was found to have new onset pancytopenia with White Blood Cell count of 0.7 x10 9, Hemoglobin of 6.9, and platelet 77,000. She did not improved with antibiotics and clinical deteriorating with worse hypoxia and suspicion for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. She was Intubated and on pressor support. Mean while patient also developed Dissiminated Intravascular Coagulation which required multiple platelets, packed red blood cell and cryoprecipitate transfusions. Diagnostic bronchoscopy was done. Bronchial washing is positive for Cytomegalovirus (CMV). Serum CMV Polymerase chain reaction(PCR)test shows high viral load. Computed Tomogram (CT) of abdomen also showed splenomegaly. Patient was started on Valganlciclovir, CT guided bone marrow (BM) biopsy showed secondary hemophagocytosis, Consideration with immunosuppression along with systemic CMV infection, pancytopenia, fever, low fibrinogen ( Discussion: Disseminated CMV associated with HLH is uncommon in adults, this case is a type of secondary HLH. Early recognition and treatment is important. The clinical features raised the suspicion of HLH were fever, cytopenia, organomegaly, coagulopathy, elevated ferritin and hemophagocytic lymphohistocytic in the BM and not responded to initial antibiotics and Granulocyte colony stimulating factor. In this case patient met the 5 of 8 criteria and showed improvement of symptoms after treatment of the primary infection. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Disorder in large-scale networks with uni-directional feedback

This work investigates local and global measures of disorder in large-scale directed networks of double-integrator systems connected over a multi-dimensional torus. We quantify these performance measures in systems subjected to distributed disturbances using an $\mathcal{H}_{2}$ norm with outputs corresponding to local state errors or deviations from the global average. We consider two directed uni-directional state feedback interconnections that correspond to relative position and relative velocity feedback in vehicle network applications. Our main result reveals that absolute state feedback plays a critical role in system robustness when local state measurements are unidirectional. Specifically, if absolute measurements of either state variable are available, then systems with uni-directional relative feedback perform as well as their symmetric bi-directional counterparts but have the advantage of reduced communication requirements. However in the absence of absolute feedback their performance is worse; in fact, it is impossible to maintain stability (i.e. a finite $\mathcal{H}_{2}$ norm) with uni-directional state measurements for arbitrarily large networks. Numerical examples illustrate the theory.
Health Care Provider Knowledge and Perceptions of FDA-Approved and Do-It-Yourself Automated Insulin Delivery

Background:Automated insulin delivery (AID) technology may reduce variability in blood glucose, resulting in lower risk for hypoglycemia and associated complications, and by extension improve quali...
Stochastic Thermal Demand and Resulting Capacity Loss of Concrete Tunnel Liners Subjected to Vehicle Fires

Fire resistant design of both structural and non-structural components in road tunnels is predicated on the determination of fire demand intensity. Current practice typically uses a conservative, d...
Some Open Problems Regarding the Number of Lines and Slopes in Arrangements that Determine Shapes

A set $L$ of straight lines and a set $P$ of points in the Euclidean plane define an arrangement $\mathcal{A}$ = ($L$, $P$) of construction lines and registration marks, if and only if: (1) any point in $P$ is a point of intersection of at least two lines in $L$, and (2) any two nonparallel lines in $L$ have a unique point of intersection in $P$. This paper discusses the following open problems regarding such arrangements. Suppose $k \geq 0$ number of points are given in the plane. How many construction lines $k$ points must determine? How many distinct slopes, or directions, are defined by construction lines that $k$ points determine? How many distinct sets of construction lines partition the plane, such that the lines meet at exactly $k$ points? Empirical evidence is reported for small numbers of $k$, offering partial answers to the three problems. A conjecture is also stated for the first problem, on the number of construction lines, after examining a related problem about finite linear spaces from incidence geometry.
Finding Methuselah: New Light on an Old Story

Edmund Schulman is rightly honored for quantifying the age of bristlecone pines and discovering individuals significantly older than giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron gigantea), previously thought to be the oldest living things. However, George Engelmann inferred the potential for great age in his description of bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata) almost a century before, in 1863. Staff from Inyo National Forest re-made Engelmann's inference, and publically asserted that White Mountain bristlecones might outlive giant sequoias before Schulman had published any results of his bristlecone research.Schulman sampled White Mountains pines after seeing a photograph and caption associated with an article by founders of the University of California White Mountain Research Station. Although Schulman's correspondence and publications make this clear, incorrect theories regarding his decision to come to the White Mountains have been published and are promulgated at the Schulman Grove Visitor Center in the White Mountains. This paper places Schulman's work in its historic context by recovering forgotten information about attempts by Inyo National Forest staff and White Mountain Research Station to call attention to the trees. It also recovers details of Schulman's and C. Wesley Ferguson's activities in the White Mountains range as documented in field notes and Thomas Harlan's Bristlecone Pine Project database.
Dysregulated miRNAs mark Parkinson’s disease progression

Biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease are critical to our efforts to identify disease-modifying therapies. Kern et al. document potential microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers and trends in miRNA regulation that occur in a bimodal distribution with age.
Smoking Cessation Pharmacotherapy Utilization and Costs to a Medicaid Managed Care Plan.

Medicaid coverage for smoking cessation medications has expanded; however, little research has been conducted to evaluate patient-level changes in medication use over time and its associated economic impact on health plans. The aim of this study was to characterize trends in smoking cessation medication utilization between 2006 and 2017 within a Medicaid population and estimate per-member per-month (PMPM) costs to the health plan. This study was a retrospective longitudinal analysis conducted among adult members of a Medicaid managed care plan in California. Pharmacy claims data from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2017 were analyzed to estimate utilization and cost of smoking cessation medications. Additionally, data from 3164 members who filled prescription(s) for cessation medication(s) in 2017 were evaluated to quantify quit attempts and use of combination therapy. For members who had been prescribed bupropion SR, varenicline, or the nicotine patch, the extent to which the durations of therapy were consistent with the manufacturers’ recommended minimum duration of therapy were also assessed. The average PMPM expenditures for smoking cessation medications were approximately US$0.15 in 2017, compared with US$0.01–US$0.03 between 2006 and 2013. In 2017, a total of 3164 members initiated an estimated 3850 quit attempts, most commonly using the nicotine patch (57.5%) or varenicline (32.8%). Combination therapy accounted for 2.9% of quit attempts. The median therapy duration for the nicotine patch, varenicline, and bupropion SR was 28, 30, and 33 days, respectively, and for each of these medications, fewer than half of members filled prescriptions for the minimum recommended duration of therapy. Pharmacy claims data suggest that despite comprehensive coverage, most beneficiaries are underutilizing smoking cessation agents and are not completing the recommended treatment durations.
Sea ice extents continue to set new records: Arctic, Antarctic, and global results

Abstract The multi-channel satellite passive-microwave record of Earth's sea ice coverage, extending back to the late 1970s, has long revealed declining sea ice coverage in the Arctic but through 2015 revealed an overall increase rather than decrease in Antarctic sea ice coverage. Following major decreases in Antarctic sea ice since 2015, the 42-year 1979–2020 satellite dataset now shows recent losses in sea ice coverage in both hemispheres, and this is convincingly demonstrated by the enumeration of monthly and yearly record high and record low sea ice extents experienced over the course of the 42 years. In fact, one of the most convincing statistics on the declining Arctic sea ice cover is the fact that since 1986 the Arctic has not experienced a single monthly record high sea ice extent in any month but has experienced 93 monthly record lows. In contrast, all 12 calendar months have their 42-year Antarctic monthly record high sea ice extents in the period 2007–2015, while 8 of the 12 calendar months have had Antarctic record lows since 2015. Globally, every calendar month has registered a new monthly record low within the past 5 years. These results are complemented (and somewhat tempered) by quantification of the range of monthly and yearly sea ice extent values over the 42 years. For instance, although the Arctic's lowest September monthly average sea ice extent (in 2012) is 53% lower than its highest September monthly average sea ice extent (in 1980), the other months have far smaller percent differences between their lowest and highest Arctic values. For yearly average sea ice extents, the Arctic's lowest value (in 2020) is 18% lower than its highest value (in 1982), the Antarctic's lowest value (in 2017) is 16% lower than its highest value (in 2014), and the global lowest value (in 2019) is only 12% lower than its highest value (in 1982).
Interaction of stimulants of acid secretion in cat.

In cats with gastric fistulas, observed highest rates of acid secretion in microequivalents per minute were greater with combinations of stimulants (histamine plus gastrin 130, histamine plus pentagastrin 123, histamine plus bethanechol 117) than with single stimulants (histamine 108, pentagastrin 110). However, the observed highest rates with combinations did not exceed the calculated maximal rates with single stimulants. Also, calculated maximal responses to single stimulants and to combinations did not differ significantly. Cat is like man in that combinations do not give greater observed rates than calculated maximum to single stimulants, and these two species differ from dog in which combinations do give observed (and calculated) highest rates that are greater than calculated maximum for single stimulants. Potentiation should be defined as response to pairs of stimulants greater than calculated maximal response to either stimulant singly. So defined, potentiation of acid secretion has been demonstrated only in dog.
Using process journals to gain qualitative understanding of beginning programmers

Process journals are informal journals kept by students as they work on a programming project. The goal in using them is to gain qualitative information about the student's problem solving and programming process. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of the journals from a data structures course, categorizing the broad themes found in the journals and the nature of the responses given by the instructor. The goal of this qualitative analysis is to answer the questions, "what sort of information do you see in a process journal and how do you use them in your course?"
The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership Practices and Global Social Responsibility

The present study explored whether there was a correlation between global social responsibility and transformational leadership using the Global Social Responsibility Inventory and the Student Leadership Practices Inventory existed. The findings showed a positive correlation between transformational leadership and global social responsibility. Specifically, four of five variables on the Student Leadership Practices Inventory, an instrument that measures transformational leadership, correlated with global social responsibility (prosocial behavior) as measured on the scale of Global Social Responsibility Inventory.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Tensile Strength of CVI SiC/BN/SiC Composites

Tows of Nicalon yarn were first precoated by CVD with amorphous BN, then infiltrated with SiC by CVD to form single strand composites. Two different methods for the preparation of BN were investigated. The first involved the formation of a BCl3-NH3 adduct; the second consisted of the direct reaction of the gases in hot zone. Tensile strength measurements made on the composites were about 277 MPa and displayed a considerable amount of fiber pull-out and crack bridging. In order to establish their thermal stability, the ends of the composites were cut, exposing the fiber and interface, and annealed in air to 1100 C for 70 h. This annealing process did not result in a decrease in tensile strength. The composites were characterized by AES, SEM, and X-ray diffraction analysis. 16 refs.
Transcontinental Moving and Storage: the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers Transfer the Andes to the Atlantic

Large rivers are massive conveyance systems for moving detrital sediment and dissolved matter across transcontinental distances. As Potter (1978a,b) pointed out a generation ago, the large eastward-fl owing rivers of South America transfer sediment over thousands of kilometres, from the leading edge (active margin) to the trailing edge (passive margin) of a drifting continent. Matching these large spatial scales of movement are the temporal scales of alluvial storage, on the order of thousands of years, that retard the conveyance of sediment from original source to ultimate sink. In the post-Pleistocene Orinoco and Amazon River basins, the original sources have been the eastern slopes of the northern half of the Andean mountain ranges. The extensive alluvial plains of the Andean foreland basin and the large tracts of fl oodplain along the Amazon mainstem and some of its major tributaries are the depositories in which much of the Andean-derived sediment is stored – for periods of centuries, millennia, or longer – during its eastward journey. The ultimate sinks for these sediments (‘ultimate’ on a multimillennial timescale) are the lowermost fl oodplains and deltaic regions of the Amazon and Orinoco, and the thousand-and-a-half-kilometre Atlantic coastal zone that separates the mouths of these two great rivers. All the major parts of the story that follows have been told previously (but mostly separately), especially in the publications by Dunne et al. (1998), Eisma et al. (1991), Johnsson et al. (1991), Meade (1994), Meade et al. (1985, 1990), Mertes et al. (1996), Nittrouer and DeMaster (1987), Nittrouer and Kuehl (1995), Nordin et al. (1994), Stallard (1995), Stallard et al. (1990) and Warne et al. (2002). This chapter recounts the major components of the story in downstream sequence, from west to east across the northern half of South America.
A 300 K-circuit ASIC logic family

A 300 K-circuit ASIC (application-specific-integrated-circuit) family built in a 0.8- mu m four-level-metal single-poly CMOS process is discussed. Wafers consist of p/sup +/ substrate with a p-epitaxial layer and retrograde n-wells. Polysilicon and diffusions are silicided for low resistance. Nominal effective channel length is 0.45 mu m and gate oxides are 120 A. A local interconnect level enhances density. Metal levels 1, 2, and 3 have a contact pitch of 2.4 mu m; metal level 4 has a pitch of 4.8 mu m. All metal lines are aluminum with tungsten vias. Chips are organized as a sea of cells. The standard-cell library consists of 91 combinatorial and sequential elements, available in three performance levels to control delay over a wide range of loads. Three types of embedded array macros are available: fixed custom static random-access memories (SRAMs), growable SRAMs (GRAMs), and growable register arrays (GRAs). Up to 472 full-function signal I/Os are available per chip. >
United States Practice in International Law

1. General international and U.S. foreign relations law 2. State diplomatic and consular relations 3. State jurisdiction and immunities 4. State responsibility and liability 5. International organizations 6. International oceans, environment, health, and aviation law 7. International economic law 8. International human rights 9. International criminal law 10. Use of force and arms control 11. Settlement of disputes 12. Private international law.
Eve in early Reformation exegesis: the case of Iohannes Oecolampadius

Iohannes Oecolampadius stood at the forefront of the Reformation in Basel. He not only worked tirelessly for the reform of the city's churches, but also authored pioneering evangelical works of theology and exegesis. The interpretation of Eve found in his late lectures on Genesis showcases both a new emphasis on Eve's goodness and original equality with Adam, as well as a parallel insistence on her subordination to her husband after the Fall. His conception of husband and wife as partners of equal dignity on the path toward salvation moves in the direction of companionate marriage, but it stops short of calling for women's equality in the public sphere.
Chaotic Inflation and the Omega Problem

An overview of the omega problem is presented along with discussions of several ways to resolve this problem in the context of chaotic and stochastic inflation.
Implementation of a pediatric surgical quality improvement (QI)-driven M&M conference.

Abstract Background/Purpose The M&M conference at Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH) categorized failures as technical error or patient disease, but failure modes were never captured, action items rarely assigned, and follow-up rarely completed. In 2013 a QI-driven M&M conference was developed, supporting implementation of directed actions to improve quality of care. Methods A classification was developed to enhance analysis of complications. Each complication was analyzed for identification of failure modes with subcategorization of root cause, a level of preventability assigned, and action items designated. Failure determinations from 11/2013–10/2014 were reviewed to evaluate the distribution of failure modes and action items. Results Two-hundred thirty-seven patients with complications were reviewed. One-hundred thirty patients had complications attributed to patient disease with no individual or system failure identified, whereas 107 patients had identifiable failures. Eighty-five patients had one failure identified, and 22 patients had multiple failures identified. Of the 142 failures identified in 107 patients, 112 (78.9%) were individual failures, and 30 (21.1%) were system failures. One-hundred forty-seven action items were implemented including education initiatives, establishing criteria for interdisciplinary consultation, resolving equipment inadequacies, removing high risk medications from formulary, restructuring physician handoffs, and individual practitioner counseling/training. Conclusions Development of a QI-driven M&M conference allowed us to categorize complications beyond surgical or patient disease categories, ensuring added focus on system solutions and a reliable accountability structure to ensure implementation of assigned interventions intended to address failures. This may lead to improvement in the processes of patient care.
Fracture Diagnostics Results for the First Multiwell Experiment's Paludal Zone Stimulation

A dual seismic system designed to monitor the growth of hydrofractures was fielded during the first stimulation at the DOE-sponsored Multi-Well Experiment (MWX) during December 1983. The MWX consists of three 8000-ft wells which have been drilled in low permeability gas reservoirs. The wellbores are spaced less than 200 ft apart over most of their length. With this configuration, microseismic activity created by the fracture treatment in one well could be observed with downhole geophone packages in the two adjacent wells. The responses of the two triaxial borehole seismic tools were monitored in real time and analyzed post-frac. Upon the detection of a seismic event of known location, orientations of the tools were determined from the polarization of the compressional wave arrivals. From knowledge of the horizontal and vertical angles of incidence and an empirical estimate of seismic velocities, the location of the fracture induced seismic sources was estimated. Thus, the location of the microseisms could be estimated and, in turn, the fracture height and extent inferred. This paper presents the results of the fracture diagnostics using this borehole seismic system for the first MWX stimulation. This information is compared to and combined with the results obtained from other diagnostic more » techniques to provide an integrated estimate of the fracture geometry resulting from the stimulation. « less
Effects of Nutrient Enhancement on Juvenile Sockeye Salmon Growth

(1994). Effects of Nutrient Enhancement on Juvenile Sockeye Salmon Growth. Lake and Reservoir Management: Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 140-145.
Conserved interneuron-specific ErbB4 expression in frontal cortex of rodents, monkeys, and humans: implications for schizophrenia.

Background Neuregulin-1 and ErbB4 are genetically associated with schizophrenia, and detailed knowledge of the cellular and subcellular localization of ErbB4 is important for understanding how neuregulin-1 regulates neuronal network activity and behavior. Expression of ErbB4 is restricted to interneurons in the rodent hippocampus and cortex. However, controversy remains about the cellular expression pattern in primate brain and its subcellular distribution in postsynaptic somatodendritic locations versus presynaptic terminals. Methods ErbB4 expression was analyzed in pyramidal cells and interneurons in the frontal cortex of five species: C57BL6 mice ( n = 3), ErbB4-/- mice ( n = 2), Sprague-Dawley rats ( n = 3), two macaque species ( n = 3 + 2), and humans (normal control subjects, n = 2). We investigated 1) messenger RNA in mice, macaques, and humans; 2) protein expression in all species using highly specific monoclonal antibodies; and 3) specificity tests of several ErbB4 antibodies on brain samples (mouse, macaque, human). Results ErbB4 RNA is restricted to interneurons in the frontal cortex of mice. ErbB4 protein is undetectable in pyramidal cells of rodents, macaques, and human frontal cortex, whereas most interneurons positive for parvalbumin, calretinin, or cholecystokinin, but only a minority of calbindin-positive cells, co-express ErbB4 in macaques. Importantly, no presynaptic ErbB4 expression was detected in any species. Conclusions The interneuron-selective somatodendritic expression of ErbB4 is consistent with a primary role of neuregulin-ErbB4 signaling in the postsynaptic modulation of gamma-aminobutyric acidergic function in rodents and primates. Our data validate the use of rodents to analyze effects of abnormal ErbB4 function as a means to model endophenotypes of psychiatric disorders.
Orthopositronium Decay Into Axions

Abstract We point out that if the mass of the hypothetical particle called the axion is less than 2 m e , then it can be emitted in the decay of orthopositronium. The lifetime of the decay 1 3 S 1 → γ h is calculated to be about 8 s. We suggest an experiment to look for “single” photons from positronium annihilation. An accurate measurement of the energy E γ of these photons gives the mass of the axion through the relation m 2 axion = 4 m e ( m e − E γ ).
Inhibiting drug efflux transporters improves efficacy of ALS therapeutics.

The limited progress in identifying successful therapies in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) has only resulted in one moderately effective pharmacological agent, riluzole.1,2 In research on the SOD1-G93A mouse model of ALS, riluzole showed a modest effect on survival when administrated prior to disease onset.3 Since then, follow-up studies have shown conflicting results,4–6 due to differences in trial design and lack of pharmacokinetic measurements. Riluzole brain disposition is limited in the ALS mouse model through interaction with the drug efflux transporters P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and breast cancer-resistant protein (BCRP) at the blood-brain/spinal cord barrier (BBB/BSCB).7,8 Accordingly, riluzole loses effectiveness as disease progresses in this model.9 Similarly, in patients with ALS, riluzole loses effectiveness in the later stages of disease.10 Studies in patients demonstrated that riluzole is particularly effective in the first 12 months of treatment, reducing mortality by 38% and that this initial efficacy is reduced to 19.4% at 21 months of treatment.11 The negligible therapeutic effect of riluzole in the ALS mice and its modest effect in patients could derive from acquired pharmacoresistance. In previous studies, we reported an ALS-specific and disease-driven increase in expression and function of two drug efflux transporters, P-gp and BCRP, in both ALS mouse spinal cord capillaries and in spinal cord tissue of ALS patients.12 The findings suggested that this increased expression potentially conferred an acquired pharmacoresistance, which could limit the bioavailability of ALS/CNS-targeted therapeutics.12,13 Here, we tested this hypothesis and determined whether improving riluzole CNS bioavailability through inhibition of P-gp and BCRP efflux transporter(s) improves and prolongs riluzole's therapeutic effect(s) in the ALS mice. Given that our ultimate goal is to translate this concept of inhibiting drug efflux to ALS patients' therapy, we further analyzed expression levels of P-gp in human ALS cases.
Chlorophyll synthesis in x-irradiated etiolated bean leaf tissue*†

Abstract X-irradiated etiolated bean leaf tissue exhibits a marked reduction of chlorophyll synthesis when exposed to continuous white light of high intensity. However, chlorophyll synthesis is appreciably increased in this X-irradiated tissue if subjected to a few minutes of visible radiant energy either before or after X-irradiation, then placed in the dark for several hours, and subsequently exposed to high intensity white light. This light pretreatment, furthermore, appears to be much more effective in the red than in the blue region of the spectrum. The response to light pretreatment of X-irradiated leaves is markedly similar to that found in control samples of non-X-rayed tissue. Rather than an interaction of ionizing radiation and nonionizing radiant energy, light pretreatment appears to induce an independent photomorphogenic response related to the chlorophyll-synthesizing mechanism which is superimposed upon the damage resulting from X-ray dosages.
Linear estimation theory applied to the evaluation of a priori information and system optimization in coded-aperture imaging

Linear estimation theory is developed in the context of object reconstruction from data obtained by a general shift-variant imaging system. The formalism adopts nonstationary first- and second-order statistics of the object and noise classes as a priori information. In addition, a metric for system optimization that depends on the a priori information is presented. The role of this a priori information as derived from several different training sets is then studied with respect to reconstruction performance for various noise levels in the data, using a tomographic coded-aperture system as the model. In a separate experiment, a simple coded-aperture system is optimized to a particular object class, and the results are compared with those from an earlier optimization experiment.
Inflammation and atherosclerosis: role of C-Reactive protein in risk assessment

Inflammation participates critically in atherosclerosis. Circulating levels of several inflammatory markers rise in individuals at risk for atherosclerotic events. In particular, elevation of plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), a nonspecific acute-phase reactant that is easily and reliably measured, has strong predictive power for cardiovascular events. Indeed, measurements of high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) plasma levels add to both the prognostic information gleaned from assay of plasma lipid risk factors and the risk levels estimated by means of Framingham study-based criteria. Retrospective data suggest the hypothesis that hs-CRP plasma levels may be useful for guiding use of lipid-lowering therapy in individuals who appear to be at low risk according to traditional risk assessment. A large-scale, randomized clinical trial-Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin (JUPITER)-will test whether rosuvastatin therapy will reduce incident cardiovascular disease in subjects with elevated plasma hs-CRP concentrations who do not meet current criteria for initiation of lipid-lowering drug therapy. Such clinical trial data may provide an evidence base for the use of plasma CRP assay as an adjuvant guide to therapy to complement the established traditional risk factors such as plasma lipid levels. Thus, medical practitioners are ushering in an era in which the biology of inflammation in atherosclerosis will find its way into clinical application.
Optimum Allocation of Personal Presence

A person may give his attention directly by transporting himself from place to place, or vicariously by communicating over a wire with the object of his attention. A procedure is presented for combined allocation of these two kinds of personal presence. Allocation of a physician's time to direct diagnosis versus telediagnosis is an example.
Step-Tunable Far Infrared Radiation by Phase Matched Mixing in Planar-Dielectric Waveguides

The mixing of various pairs of CO/sub 2/ laser lines in a nonlinear material can produce thousands of step-tunable far infrared (FIR) signals in the range 70-mu m-7-mm wavelength with frequency spacings of less than 0.1 cm/sup -1/. The major problem in realizing these coherent signals is achieving phase matching in a suitable nonlinear material. In this paper, the interest is in generating tunable signals at the milliwatt level in a planar-dielectric integrated-optics waveguide configuration. Phase rnatching can be achieved with cubic materials (i.e., GaAs) by adding the waveguide dispersion to the bulk dispersion. Work on the analysis of the waveguide mixing system and its correlation with experimental data are described for a planar GaAs dielectric waveguide in the 100-1000-mu m wavelength range.
Further insight into the mass-spectral fragmentation of tetracyclone. Tetraphenyltetrahedrane ion

The p-fluoro labeling technique is used to demonstrate that the ions formed by the loss of CO from tetracyclones pass through a tetrahedral transition state or intermediate before they fragment.
Current role of angiography in the evaluation of adrenal disease causing hypertension

With the advent of computed tomography, gray-scale sonography, and radionuclide adrenal scintigraphy, the role of angiography in the evaluation of adrenal disease has changed. Although sensitive in localization of various adrenal tumors, angiography is performed to confirm those findings of noninvasive studies. Arteriography continues to be performed for localization of extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas, although adrenal venography with adrenal venous sampling may still be necessary in many cases for the definitive diagnosis of adrenal hyperplasia and adenomas causing Cushing’s syndrome and primary aldosteronism.
Multimodal Approaches to Define Network Oscillations in Depression

The renaissance in the use of encephalography-based research methods to probe the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders is well afoot and continues to advance. Building on the platform of neuroimaging evidence on brain circuit models, magnetoencephalography, scalp electroencephalography, and even invasive electroencephalography are now being used to characterize brain network dysfunctions that underlie major depressive disorder using brain oscillation measurements and associated treatment responses. Such multiple encephalography modalities provide avenues to study pathologic network dynamics with high temporal resolution and over long time courses, opportunities to complement neuroimaging methods and findings, and new approaches to identify quantitative biomarkers that indicate critical targets for brain therapy. Such goals have been facilitated by the ongoing testing of novel invasive neuromodulation therapies, notably, deep brain stimulation, where clinically relevant treatment effects can be monitored at multiple brain sites in a time-locked causal manner. We review key brain rhythms identified in major depressive disorder as foundation for development of putative biomarkers for objectively evaluating neuromodulation success and for guiding deep brain stimulation or other target-based neuromodulation strategies for treatment-resistant depression patients.
FAWSETS perfusion measurements in exercising skeletal muscle.

Arterial spin labeling (ASL) techniques are now recognized as valid tools for providing accurate measurements of cerebral and cardiac perfusion. The labeling process used with most ASL techniques creates two problems, magnetization transfer (MT) effects and arterial transit time effects, that require compensation. The compensation process limits time resolution and hinders absolute quantification. MT effects are particularly problematic in skeletal muscle because they are large and change rapidly during exercise. The protocol presented here was developed specifically for quantification of perfusion in exercising skeletal muscle. The ASL technique that was implemented, FAWSETS, eliminates MT effects and arterial transit times. Localized, single-voxel perfusion measurements were acquired from rat hind limbs at rest, during ischemia and during three different levels of stimulated exercise. The results demonstrate sufficient sensitivity to determine the time constants for perfusion changes at onset of, and during recovery from, exercise and to distinguish the differences in the amplitude of the perfusion response to different levels of exercise. Additional measurements were conducted to demonstrate insensitivity to MT effects. The exercise protocol is easily adaptable to phosphorous magnetic resonance measurements, allowing the possibility to acquire local measurements of perfusion and metabolism from the same tissue in future experiments. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cooperative effects in sonoluminescence

Abstract Atomic emission lines arising from caviation of sodium chloride and potassium chloride aqueous solutions have been studied over a range of acoustic powers and concentrations. Experimental observations of singular threshold behavior in multibubble sonoluminescence are presented. It is shown that threshold type dependencies of peak width and intensity of the emission lines are consistent with the concept of the cooperative, many-body character of sonoluminescence. Our results strongly suggest that sonoluminescence may have been the first experimentally observed collective optical emission effect, almost three decades prior to the first realization of an optical laser.
Continuum background reduction in orthogonal-acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometry with continuous ion sources

The continuum ion background in an inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) has been reduced by 2 orders of magnitude by using energy discrimination (ED). A potential barrier placed in front of the ion detector effectively discriminates between higher-energy signal ions and the lower-energy background ions. The signal-to-noise ratio was increased tenfold and detection limits of 0.4–4.2 ppt were achieved for 11 elements ranging from Li to U. The resolving power was observed to degrade from 1520 to 1230 with the addition of the potential barrier. The residual background count rate was found to be limited by neutrals formed after exiting the ion reflectron via charge exchange with the background gas. This ED method can be employed to effectively reduce the continuum ion background in any TOFMS that uses orthogonal acceleration with a continuous ion source.
Charge transfer photochemistry of quadruply bonded ditungsten halophosphine complexes

Abstract The quadruple metal-metal bonded complexes, W2Cl4(PR3)4 (PR3 = PMe3, PMe2Ph, PBu3), photoreact in dichloromethane with near-UV excitation (λ>375 nm) to yield a mixed valence W2(II,III) photoproduct. Electronic absorption and EPR spectra of photolyzed solutions are identical to those obtained from the thermal oxidation of W2Cl4(PR3)4 by PhICI2, which is known to yield W2Cl5(PR3)3. Subsequent reaction of the photolyzed solution yields the oxidized, confacial biotahedral W2(III,III) halophosphine. Analysis of the organic photoproduct reveals that the halocarbon solvent is reduced by one electron to yield the chloromethyl radical. When the radical is produced in low yields, hydrogen abstraction from solvent appears to be sufficiently efficient to compete with dimerization and only chloromethane is observed; however, at higher concentrations, the chloromethyl radicals couple to produce dichloroethane. Photoreaction is observed only with near-UV excitation of the LMCT absorption manifold of W2Cl4(PR3)4. At lower energy wavelengths, transient absorption spectroscopy shows the production of the 1 δδ ∗ excited state, which decays to ground state over times commensurate with the decay of 1 δδ ∗ luminescence. In hydrocarbon solutions, no transient intermediate or photochemistry is observed, indicating that the LMCT excited state, although capable of reducing a CX bond, cannot activate the stronger CH bonds of hydrocarbons. The photochemistry and transient absorption spectroscopy results of the W2Cl4(PR3)4 complexes are compared to our previous studies of the homologs.
Predicting shrimp growth: Artificial neural network versus nonlinear regression models

Abstract This study evaluated the potential of artificial neural networks (ANN) as an alternative to the traditional statistical regression techniques for the purpose of predicting shrimp growth in a commercial setting. Empirical data collected from a commercial shrimp farm in Hawaii was used for this evaluation. Eight regression functional forms (i.e., linear, polynomial, log reciprocal, von Bertalanffy, Gompertz, logistic and exponential) were employed as counterparts to ANN. The specific models were first estimated from a dataset consisting of 459 records and then applied to a dataset consisting of 249 records to validate their predictive performance. Performance was assessed by four measures (i.e., root mean square error (RMSE), R 2 , the percentage of wrong turning points and the percentage of predicted values that are within the 5% tolerance of the corresponding actual values). The results indicated that ANN outperformed regression models for the complex set of conditions typical of a commercial production environment. ANN generated a slightly better descriptive shrimp growth curve than the best ones generated from nonlinear models and made the most accurate prediction. Hence, we conclude that ANN represents a valuable tool for predicting shrimp growth for the variable set of growth conditions typifying commercial shrimp farms.