cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chemically reactive enamel coating of steel rebar for enhanced durability of reinforced concrete structures

In this paper, the corrosion performances of three types of enamel coating (pure, mixed and double enamel) applied on smooth and deformed steel rebar are compared based on the electrochemical impedance spectroscope (EIS) tests in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. The effects of mortar cover, rebar deformation, enamel coating and coating thickness variation on the corrosion resistances of steel rebar are investigated. Mortar cover increases the corrosion resistance of tested specimens. The coated deformed rebar has lower corrosion resistances than the coated smooth rebar due to the variation in coating thickness around rebar ribs. Due to the isolated nature of air bubbles trapped during high temperature firing, pure and double enamel coatings are more corrosion resistant and more sensitive to the coating thickness than the mixed enamel coating with interconnected pores. Therefore, pure and double enamel coatings are recommended for the design of reinforced concrete structures in corrosive environments.
All-optical upstream carrier generation scheme for optical network unit using a Brillouin/erbium fiber laser

An all-optical upstream carrier generation scheme based on a Brillouin/erbium fiber laser (BEFL) is proposed for wavelength-independent optical network units in a wavelength-division multiplexed passive optical network. Experimental measurements show that the BEFL mainly operates in a single longitudinal mode and occasionally undergoes mode hopping given environmental fluctuations. Employing the proposed scheme, bidirectional transmission at 1.25-Gb/s over 20-km single-mode fiber is performed. Bit error rate measurement shows no crosstalk originating from Rayleigh backscattering and back-reflections in the network, due to a 0.08-nm-wavelength shift between the downstream and upstream carriers.
ANTINEUTROPHIL CYTOPLASMIC ANTIBODIES AS MARKERS FOR SYSTEMIC AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) have been associated with systemic vasculitis for almost 15 years. Significant advances in our understanding of the ANCA phenomenon have occurred with recognition of broadening the spectrum of diseases associated with ANCA, identification of specific antigens recognized by ANCA, and development of antigen specific assays for clinical use. Nevertheless problems continue for the chest physician in interpretation of this test. Although antigen specific testing improves overall performance of the test, accurate assessment of pretest probability of disease is still important for effective use of ANCA testing.
Human nucleotide excision repair protein XPA: NMR spectroscopic studies of an XPA fragment containing the ERCC1-binding region and the minimal DNA-binding domain (M59-F219).

Abstract XPA is a central protein component of nucleotide excision repair (NER), a ubiquitous, multi-component cellular pathway responsible for the removal and repair of many structurally distinct DNA lesions from the eukaryotic genome. The solution structure of the minimal DNA-binding domain of XPA (XPA-MBD: M98-F219) has recently been determined and chemical shift mapping experiments with 15 N -labeled XPA-MBD show that XPA binds DNA along a basic surface located in the C-terminal loop-rich subdomain. Here, XPA–DNA interactions are further characterized using an XPA fragment containing the minimal DNA-binding domain plus the ERCC1-binding region (XPA-EM: M59-F219). The 15 N / 1 H HSQC spectrum of XPA-EM closely maps onto the 15 N / 1 H HSQC spectrum of XPA-MBD, suggesting the DNA-binding domain is intact in the larger XPA fragment. Such a conclusion is corroborated by chemical shift mapping experiments of XPA-EM with a single strand DNA oligomer, dCCAATAACC (d9), that show the same set of 15 N/ 1 H HSQC cross peaks are effected by the addition of DNA. However, relative to DNA-free XPA-MBD, the 15 N/ 1 H HSQC cross peaks of many of the basic residues in the loop-rich subdomain of DNA-free XPA-EM are less intense, or gone altogether, suggesting the acidic ERRC1-binding region of XPA-EM may associate transiently with the basic DNA-binding surface. While the DNA-binding domain in XPA-EM is structured and functional, 15 N -edited NOESY spectra of XPA-EM indicate that the acidic ERRC1-binding region is unstructured. If the structural features observed for XPA-EM persist in XPA, transient intramolecular association of the ERCC1-binding domain with the DNA-binding region may play a role in the sequential assembly of the NER components.
Burn toxin and its competitin

Abstract A ‘toxic factor’ has been isolated and purified from scalded normal human skin; it is lethal to mice and toxic to HeLa and HEP2 cell lines in tissue culture. The toxic factor in both crude and purified form is antigenic in rabbits, producing an antisera that neutralizes the in vivo and in vitro effects of 'burn toxin', similar to that of the convalescent sera of burned human subjects. The sonicate of the toxic glycoprotein named competitin is relatively non-lethal and protects against the lethal effect of the toxic factor. The action of the purified burn toxic factor and its competitin is at the ATP site of actomyosin preparations. The data presented suggests that the purified burn toxic factor and its competitin compete for the same receptor sites in the myocardium. A thesis is presented that states that it is vital to neutralize the toxic effects of burn breakdown tissue products in severely burned subjects before the vicious cycle of depressed immunological function and malnutrition ensues. Competitin produced in vitro from toxic factor(s) generated by scalded normal human skin is offered as a means of neutralizing the toxic factor(s).
Contrast enhanced MRI characterization of the perfusion territories fed by individual coronary arteries in ex-vivo porcine heart

Sudden cardiac death is often caused by ventricular arrhythmias. These arrhythmias are believed to originate from the border zones where tissue was damaged by an ischemic event involving the coronary arteries. The specific mechanisms relating the geometry of these territories to the electrical behavior remains poorly understood. A major problem is the lack of detailed information describing the morphology of the affected perfusion bed. We present the first perfusion MR images of excised whole heart preparations where the irregular boundaries of perfusion territories are described. The filling pattern and final volume of the RCA perfusion territory are clearly visualized.
Activin-βA Signaling Is Required for Zebrafish Fin Regeneration

Summary Vertebrate limb regeneration occurs in anamniotes such as newts, salamanders, and zebrafish [1–4]. After appendage amputation, the resection site is covered by a wound epidermis capping the underlying mature tissues of the stump from which the blastema emerges. The blastema is a mass of progenitor cells that constitute an apical growth zone. During outgrowth formation, the proximal blastemal cells progressively leave the zone and undergo the differentiation that results in the replacement of the amputated structures. Little is known about the mechanisms triggering regenerative events after injury. The zebrafish caudal fin provides a valuable model to study the mechanisms of regeneration [3, 5, 6]. Zebrafish blastemal cells express specific genes, such as the homeobox-containing transcription factors msxB and msxC [7], and secreted signal FGF20a [8]. In this study, we set out to identify signals that are transcriptionally upregulated after fin amputation and before blastema formation. Accordingly, a gene encoding a TGFβ-related ligand, activin-βA ( actβA ), was found to be strongly induced within 6 hr after fin amputation at the wound margin, and later in the blastema. Inhibition of Activin signaling through two specific chemical inhibitors, SB431542 and SB505124, lead to the early and complete block of regeneration. The morpholino knockdown of actβA and its receptor alk4 impaired the progression of regeneration. Closer examination of the phenotype revealed that Activin signaling is necessary for cell migration during wound healing and blastemal proliferation. These findings reveal a role of Activin-βA signaling in the tissue repair after injury and subsequent outgrowth formation during epigenetic regeneration of the vertebrate appendage.
MMT optics support structure: performance for interferometric imaging

A laser interferometer has been used to measure the relative optical pathlength variations from the focal plane to the six individual secondary telescopes of the Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT). These pathlengths vary as functions of elevation due to variable gravitational loading, drive acceleration and velocity, temperature variations, and wind loading. Vibrations induced by wind loading and telescope drives, including building vibrations transmitted to the mount, cause high-frequency variations in the otherwise slowly varying optical pathlengths. This experiment was designed to evaluate the effects of these high-frequency perturbations on optical interferometry at various tracking rates, including those relevant to earth satellite observation. Effects are found which can strongly affect the contrast of interferograms.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Correlated terrestrial and marine evidence for global climate changes before mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary.

Terrestrial climates near the time of the end-Cretaceous mass extinction are poorly known, limiting understanding of environmentally driven changes in biodiversity that occurred before bolide impact. We estimate paleotemperatures for the last ≈1.1 million years of the Cretaceous (≈66.6–65.5 million years ago, Ma) by using fossil plants from North Dakota and employ paleomagnetic stratigraphy to correlate the results to foraminiferal paleoclimatic data from four middle- and high-latitude sites. Both plants and foraminifera indicate warming near 66.0 Ma, a warming peak from ≈65.8 to 65.6 Ma, and cooling near 65.6 Ma, suggesting that these were global climate shifts. The warming peak coincides with the immigration of a thermophilic flora, maximum plant diversity, and the poleward range expansion of thermophilic foraminifera. Plant data indicate the continuation of relatively cool temperatures across the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary; there is no indication of a major warming immediately after the boundary as previously reported. Our temperature proxies correspond well with recent pCO2 data from paleosol carbonate, suggesting a coupling of pCO2 and temperature. To the extent that biodiversity is correlated with temperature, estimates of the severity of end-Cretaceous extinctions that are based on occurrence data from the warming peak are probably inflated, as we illustrate for North Dakota plants. However, our analysis of climate and facies considerations shows that the effects of bolide impact should be regarded as the most significant contributor to these plant extinctions.
Stimulated hyper-Raman scattering in a molecular gas via a three-photon process to obtain IR and far IR radiation

The laser, Raman, and hyper-Raman processes are studied in a three-wave four-level system by means of a numerical analysis of the steady-state density matrix equations. Gain spectra curves are presented for IR-IR and IR-MW pumped systems and for two four-level systems in NH 3 that yield 12.159 and 12.114 μm wavelength radiation. Using the gain spectra data, threshold pump intensities, output intensities, ac Stark shifts, M splittings, optimum NH 3 pressures, and saturation are studied. The theoretical data agrees with the experimental data well within a factor of two. It is shown that the hyper-Raman process can lead to higher power, frequency stable, optically pumped lasers.
Requirements for Arabidopsis ATARP2 and ATARP3 during Epidermal Development

Abstract Plant cells employ the actin cytoskeleton to stably position organelles, as tracks for long distance transport, and to reorganize the cytoplasm in response to developmental and environmental cues [1]. While diverse classes of actin binding proteins have been implicated in growth control, the mechanisms of cytoskeletal reorganization and the cellular functions of specific actin filament arrays are unclear. Arabidopsis trichome morphogenesis includes distinct requirements for the microtubule and actin filament cytoskeletons. It also is a genetically tractable process that is providing new knowledge about cytoskeleton function in plants [2]. The "distorted group" of mutants defines a class of at least eight genes that are required during the actin-dependent phase of trichome growth. Using map-based cloning and a candidate gene approach, we identified mutations in ARP3 ( ATARP3 ) and ARP2 ( ATARP2 ) genes as the cause of the distorted1 ( dis1 ) and wurm ( wrm ) phenotypes, respectively. ARP2 and ARP3 are components of the evolutionarily conserved ARP2/3 complex that nucleates actin filament polymerization [3]. Mutations in DIS1 and WRM caused severe trichome growth defects but had relatively mild effects on shoot development. DIS1 rescued the phenotype of Δarp3 when overexpressed in S. cerevisiae . Developing dis1 trichomes had defects in cytoplasmic actin bundle organization and reduced relative amounts of cytoplasmic actin filaments in developing branches.
Expansion of a Modified Transient Liquid Crystal Method for Thin Plates of Different Materials

The purpose of this research is to apply a modified transient liquid crystal method to a thin flat plate to determine the local temperature distribution and heat transfer coefficient. This research examines three different plates: 1) 1/8 inch thick Plexiglas plate, 2) 1/2 inch thick Plexiglas plate, and 3) 1/8 inch thick aluminum plate. Each plate is approximately 6 inches in length by 3 inches in width. The temperature distributions on a flat plate are viewed over time using a liquid crystal thermography (LCT) technique. The plates are coated with a wide band liquid crystal (R30C5W) and fixed in a vertically oriented wind tunnel. For any thickness plate, the speed of the tunnel was adjusted for a Reynolds number within the range of approximately 22100 and 23100. For the theoretical analysis, the thin flat plate used a convective surface boundary condition and a 2-D transient finite-differencing conduction scheme. An initial local heat transfer coefficient distribution is selected based upon flat plate theory and is used to calculate an initial streamwise temperature distribution. The local heat transfer coefficient distribution is readjusted until the theoretical temperature distribution matches the experimental temperature distribution over the center surface of the plate. This technique allows a wider application of transient LCT and for heat transfer coefficients to be mapped on thin surfaces of different materials.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
A single amino acid substitution in the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase of Newcastle disease virus results in a protein deficient in both functions

Sequence determinations of the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) glycoproteins of a temperature-sensitive mutant of Newcastle disease virus and two sequentially selected revertants had previously shown that substitution at a pair of residues, 129 and 175, resulted in a deficiency in neuraminidase (NA) activity, which was partially restored by a third substitution at residue 193. To evaluate the role of the substitution at residue 175 in diminished NA activity, the mutation was introduced into HN and the protein expressed in COS cells. The mutated HN not only had minimal NA activity but also was unable to absorb chicken erythrocytes, even though it was transported to the cell surface in normal amounts, in an apparently antigenic form. Attachment function was restored to the protein by the introduction of the additional substitution(s) at 129 and/or 193. These results indicate that residue 175 influences not only NA activity but also receptor recognition.
On the general theory of solid granulation

Abstract The general population balance equation for the kinetics of granulation by simultaneous coalescence and crushing and layering mechanisms is posed and self-preserving solutions are obtained. A general similarity transformation, which contains in it all the physical information concerning the granulation process, is presented. It is clearly shown that self-preserving granule size distributions are possible for granulation by simultaneous coalescence and crushing and layering.
The effect of PTH(1-84) on quality of life in hypoparathyroidism.

Context: Complaints from hypoparathyroid patients often reflect a reduction in quality of life (QOL), yet few data exist characterizing these complaints or the potential effects of PTH therapy to ameliorate them. Objective: We tested the hypothesis that PTH(1–84) therapy improves QOL in hypoparathyroidism. Design: Fifty-four hypoparathyroid subjects received open-label recombinant human PTH(1–84). Before and during PTH(1–84), subjects completed the RAND 36-Item Health Survey, a measure of health-related QOL covering 8 domains of physical and mental health. Results: At baseline, subjects scored significantly lower than the normative reference range in all 8 domains (T-scores −1.35 to −0.78; P < 0.001 for all). With PTH(1–84), the total score improved as early as month 1 and remained higher through 1 year (400 ± 200 to 478 ± 230; P = 0.001). The overall mental component summary score improved (204 ± 110 to 247 ± 130; P = 0.001), as did 3 mental health domains (vitality, social functioning, and mental health...
Genetic risk for earlier menarche also influences peripubertal body mass index

It is unclear whether earlier age at men- arche is associated with higher body mass index (BMI) because they share a common genetic underpinning. We investigated the impact of single nucleotide polymor- phisms (SNPs) influencing menarche timing on peripu- bertal BMI. For 556 Fels Longitudinal Study children (277 boys/279 girls) born 1928-1992, a genetic risk score (GRS42) was computed as the sum of the number of risk alleles in 42 putative menarche SNPs. Serial BMI Z- scores within 66.99 years from each individual's age at peak height velocity (Age@PHV) were grouped into seven time points (26 years, 24 years, -2 years, Age@PHV, 12 years, 14years, and 16 years). Heritabil- ity of BMI ranged from 0.53 to 0.85 across the time points. The effect of GRS42 on BMI Z-scores at each time point was modeled using variance components-based pro- cedures. GRS42 had a significant (P < 0.05) effect at ev- ery time point; an increase of one risk allele was associ- ated with an increase of 0.03-0.08 BMI Z-scores. A sepa- rate score (GRS29) was computed that excluded 13 of the menarche SNPs previously documented to also influence adiposity; significant main effects were observed at Age@PHV14 and 16 years. This finding supports a causal effect of advanced sexual development on post- Age@PHV BMI. Significant positive GRS42 (or GRS29)- by-birth year interactions indicate that some genetic influences on BMI have amplified over the 20th century. This gene-by-environment interaction also suggests that children with a genetic predisposition to earlier sexual development might avoid elevated BMI through altera- tion of their nutritional environment. Am J Phys
Discovery of Brucella virulence mechanisms using mutational analysis.

This overview is written with the aim of providing an introduction to and historical perspective on naturally occurring and experimentally derived Brucella mutants. Spontaneous or naturally occurring mutants have proven of value over the last century in combating animal brucellosis. The most effective of these, S19, Rev-1 and RB51 have been used as vaccines in animals, but have drawbacks that have limited their effectiveness in some hosts including humans. The spontaneous appearance of these mutants has never been genetically characterized, but is now possible with the advent of genome sequencing. However, it is possible that these strains contain multiple genetic changes and identifying the relevant defects may be exceedingly difficult. Despite early sequencing initiatives Brucella virulence remains unresolved and a limited number of molecular systems have been identified that specifically enhance growth in host cells, the so-called virulence genes. Instead, the Brucella appear to have preserved a plethora of metabolic functions from their ancestors that enhance growth and survival in specific or varied environments, some of which are even duplicated. Direct and controlled mutagenesis of Brucella remains a valuable experimental approach to characterize the role of these genes in survival and virulence.
Age- and calorie-independent life span extension from dietary restriction by bacterial deprivation in Caenorhabditis elegans

Dietary restriction (DR) increases life span and delays age-associated disease in many organisms. The mechanism by which DR enhances longevity is not well understood. Using bacterial food deprivation as a means of DR in C. elegans, we show that transient DR confers long-term benefits including stress resistance and increased longevity. Consistent with studies in the fruit fly and in mice, we demonstrate that DR also enhances survival when initiated late in life. DR by bacterial food deprivation significantly increases life span in worms when initiated as late as 24 days of adulthood, an age at which greater than 50% of the cohort have died. These survival benefits are, at least partially, independent of food consumption, as control fed animals are no longer consuming bacterial food at this advanced age. Animals separated from the bacterial lawn by a barrier of solid agar have a life span intermediate between control fed and food restricted animals. Thus, we find that life span extension from bacterial deprivation can be partially suppressed by a diffusible component of the bacterial food source, suggesting a calorie-independent mechanism for life span extension by dietary restriction. Based on these findings, we propose that dietary restriction by bacterial deprivation increases longevity in C. elegans by a combination of reduced food consumption and decreased food sensing.
Reactions of Co4(CO)12 and Cr(CO)6 with Dibenzothiophene and Benzothiophene

Reaction of Co{sub 4}(CO){sub 12} with dibenzothiophene (DBT) gives ({eta}{sup 6}-DBT)Co{sub 4}(CO){sub 9} (1), in which one arene ring of DBT is {eta}{sup 6}-coordinated to a Co. This cluster 1 reacts with Cr(CO){sub 6} to give ({eta}{sup 6}-DBT)Cr(CO){sub 3} and [(CO){sub 3}Cr]{sub 2}({mu}-DT) but reacts with Cr(CO){sub 3}(NCMe){sub 3} to give the desulfurized ({eta}{sup 6}-benzene)Co{sub 4}(CO){sub 9} (4). Benzothiophene yields the same desulfurized product 4 upon reaction with Co{sub 4}(CO){sub 12}.
BUS ACCESSIBILITY FOR PEOPLE WITH SENSORY DISABILITIES

With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) it has become a civil rights violation to deny access to public transportation to people with disabilities. ADA requires transit agencies to provide accessible buses or equivalent services to people with mobility, sensory, or cognitive impairments. Issues concerning people with sensory impairments, and their access to fixed-route transit services, are examined in this study. The literature concerning access to public transit by people with sensory disabilities is summarized in this paper, along with exemplary training programs and technologies that have improved transit accessibility for people with sensory disabilities. A major conclusion of this study is that technological solutions may not increase bus accessibility for people with sensory impairments. One-on-one interaction is needed to solve many individual access problems of the transit users. Training for transit personnel is needed so personnel become aware of, and more sensitive to, th...
Molar heat capacity and thermodynamic functions of the type II antiferromagnet MnO

Abstract The heat capacity of a polycrystalline sample of MnO was measured from T ≈ 1 K to T ≈ 400 K using two different experimental apparatuses. Features revealed by the data include a hyperfine contribution due to the Mn nuclei, a T2temperature dependence at low temperatures due to the type II antiferromagnetic magnon contribution, and a sharp but well-defined antiferromagnetic transition with TN = 117.7095 K. The third-law entropy at T = 298.15 K, Δ0298.15Smo, calculated from these heat capacities is 59.02J · K − 1· mol − 1, which is 1.2 per cent lower than the previously accepted value. Revised values for ΔfHmoand ΔfGmoof MnO are tabulated up to T = 950 K.
Bioeconomic management of invasive vector-borne diseases

Invasive insects, arthropods, and other invertebrates are of concern due to the role some play in introducing and transmitting pathogens via a pathogen–vector relationship. Indeed, vector-borne diseases represent a significant portion of emerging diseases. We compare and contrast three strategic approaches to managing a vector-borne pathogen: conventional strategies based on disease ecology without regard to economic tradeoffs and cost-effective strategies based on a bioeconomic framework. Conventional strategies entail managing the vector population below a threshold value based on R0—the basic reproductive ratio of the pathogen, which measures a pathogen’s ability to invade uninfected systems. This does not account for post-infection dynamics, nor does it balance ecological and economic tradeoffs. Thresholds take on a more profound role under a bioeconomic paradigm: rather than unilaterally determining vector control choices, thresholds inform control choices and are influenced by them. Simulation results show cost-effective strategies can lower overall program costs and may be less sensitive to parameter estimation.
Transport of proteins dissolved in organic solvents across biomimetic membranes.

Abstract Using lipid-impregnated porous cellulose membranes as biomimetic barriers, we tested the hypothesis that to afford effective transmembrane transfer of proteins and nucleic acids, the vehicle solvent should be able to dissolve both the biopolymers and the lipids. While the majority of solvents dissolve one or the other, ethanol and methanol were found to dissolve both, especially if the protein had been lyophilized from an aqueous solution of a pH remote from the protein's isoelectric point. A number of proteins, as well as RNA and DNA, dissolved in these alcohols readily crossed the lipidized membranes, whereas the same biopolymers placed in nondissolving solvents (e.g., hexane and ethyl acetate) or in those unable to dissolve lipids (e.g., water and dimethyl sulfoxide) exhibited little transmembrane transport. The solubility of biopolymers in ethanol and methanol was further enhanced by complexation with detergents and poly(ethylene glycol); significant protein and nucleic acid transport through the lipidized membranes was observed from these solvents but not from water.
Directional Antenna for Multipath Ad Hoc Routing

Multipath routing can be effectively used to maximize the utilization of network resources for real-time traffic. In mobile ad-hoc network environments, this approach can suffer from co-channel interference due to the simultaneous transmission of packets via multiple routes. In this paper, by exploiting the directionality of directional antennas, a Directional Dynamic Source Routing (DDSR)-based Multipath routing protocol is proposed for mobile wireless ad hoc networks. Three metrics are considered in the route discovery process in order to select the best multiple routes. These are hop count, beam overlaps, and the number of joint nodes between the different routes. The proposed directional routing protocol has shown to be capable of minimizing inter-path and intra-path interference, hence significantly improving the system throughput performance for simultaneous transmission of multimedia information over multiple routes.
Norman geschwind lecture: Geschwind’s lesson

Norman Geschwind had a profound effect on behavioral neurology, not only on the basis of his research and theories expressed during his lifetime, but also through the impact that he had on colleagues privileged to train under him or have their work personally influenced by him. My work falls into the latter category. Novel associations between brain function/structure and behavior characterized his professional contributions, and offer a model for those who follow in his footsteps. He correctly predicted that like aphasic disorders, developmental dyslexia might be associated with deficits in color naming expressed currently as deficits in Rapid Automatized Naming. He stimulated anatomic research regarding patterns of asymmetry and microscopic architecture leading to the establishment of the Orton Dyslexia Neuropathology Laboratory at Beth Israel Hospital, Boston. He predicted an association between autoimmune disorders and reading disorders, an association that proved to be of genetic origin. He further predicted that reading disorders, like language disorders, would be cross-cultural and, similarly, their mechanism of production would be cross-cultural, although affected perhaps by the structure of the language to be learned. His suspicion that the clinical impression of male gender preponderance in dyslexia was accurate and carried biologic significance has recently been reconfirmed by colleagues at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Finally, with respect to dyslexia, one should not be surprised that since affect is influenced by brain architecture, developmental disorders characterized by altered brain architecture might be associated with affective or other psychiatric phenomena. My own work suggests that the altered neuroanatomy in dyslexia may be accompanied by altered clinical neurophysiology, offering the possibility that in some developmental disorders, behaviors, including academic aptitude and cognitive function, might benefit from medications designed originally to lower the risk of clinical seizures. Perhaps Geschwind’s greatest lesson is to not assume that all we have been taught as dogma is truth. Rather, we must have a willingness to make clear perceptions and draw conclusions that come closer to the reality of the causal relationship between brain and behavior.
Determinants of drug prices and expenditures

The process by which pharmaceuticals are bought and sold is exceedingly complex. The major reason is that most consumers do not pay directly for the drugs they consume. Intermediaries are generally present who purchase pharmaceuticals from their manufacturers and have them provided to their subscribers or affiliates. The products themselves, however, are generally supplied by the same pharmacies used by cash purchasers. The purpose of this paper is to describe and examine these markets. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Topological and regulatory aspects of dolichyl phosphate mediated glycosylation of proteins

From the time of their synthesis in the rough endoplasmic reticulum until they are secreted, packaged in lysosomes, or appear as membrane components at the cell surface, the polypeptide chains of N - and O -linked glycoproteins remain associated with intracellular membranes that are components of the secretory pathway. The various co-translational and post-translational modifications of the carbohydrate moieties of glycoproteins have been shown to occur within morphologically and functionally distinct regions of this complex membrane system. However, the sugar nucleotides, which serve as precursors to the oligosaccharide moieties of these glycoproteins, are synthesized almost exclusively in the cytoplasm. These findings raise a number of questions about the mechanisms involved in the transmembrane assembly of membrane and secretory glycoproteins. In this paper these questions are reviewed and recent studies directed towards providing answers to them are summarized. In addition, information related to the possible role of dolichyl phosphate in regulating the glycosylation of proteins is presented.
The measurement of body-image dissatisfaction–satisfaction: Is rating importance important?

Abstract Some researchers have argued that evaluative body image may be better assessed by measures that weight dissatisfaction–satisfaction ratings by their subjective importance to individuals. The Body Areas Satisfaction Scale (BASS) is a frequently used, standardized assessment of evaluative body image, albeit one that does not use differential item weights. This investigation, with 410 female and male college students, examined whether an importance-weighted revision of the BASS would have incremental validity relative to the original version in the prediction of multiple criterion variables. Results confirmed the reliability and validity of unweighted and weighted versions. However, the validity of weighted versions did not surpass that of the original BASS. The extremity of individuals’ satisfaction and dissatisfaction ratings appears inherently to reflect the importance placed on physical attributes for self-evaluation. Moderated regression analyses offered only weak support for the interaction of average satisfaction and average importance ratings beyond their main effects. The simpler, unweighted BASS is an acceptable assessment of evaluative body image.
Clinical Usefulness and Cost of Echocardiography in Patients Admitted to a Coronary Care Unit

The usefulness and cost of echocardiography was evaluated in 133 consecutive patients admitted to the Coronary Care Unit. A useful echocardiogram was one that provided new information, which influenced diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment. The cost of a useful echocardiogram was defined as the unit cost ($476 the Medicare global fee) x units (i.e., total echocardiograms / useful echocardiograms). Admission diagnoses were unstable angina (34%), arrhythmia (14%), congestive heart failure (8%), postprocedure monitoring (7%), acute myocardial infarction (6%), and miscellaneous (20%). The echocardiogram provided new information in 29% of patients. Patients without a recent echocardiogram (within 3 months) were twice as likely to have a useful echocardiogram (33 of 99, 33%) as those with a recent echocardiogram (5 of 34, 15%, p <0.05). A cardiologist predicted the overall usefulness of echocardiography with a positive predictive accuracy of 52% and a negative predictive accuracy of 94% (p < 0.0001). The overall cost of a useful echocardiogram of 3.5 units or $1,666 per useful study was decreased to $904 (1.9 units) if only studies predicted to be useful were considered. The usefulness of echocardiography varied significantly (p <0.02) within the admitting diagnostic categories. The usefulness of an echocardiogram was underestimated in patients with congestive heart failure, where it was found to be most useful (64%; $762 or 1.6 units). Thus, usefulness relates to the admission diagnosis, the availability of a recent echocardiogram, and to clinical judgment.
Cerebral Venous Thrombosis and Activated Protein C Resistance

Background Activated protein C resistance (APC-R) due to factor V Leiden has recently been established as an important risk factor for cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). The clinical significance of abnormal or borderline functional APC-R in the absence of factor V Leiden is uncertain. Our observations suggest that APC-R due to mechanisms other than factor V Leiden may also contribute to the development of CVT. Case Descriptions We describe three women who had superior sagittal and lateral sinus thrombosis while taking oral contraceptives and had a number of additional risk factors for CVT. Each had APC-R for different reasons. Conclusions Inherited thrombophilia, including APC-R, should be looked for in all patients with CVT. Functional APC-R is a highly prevalent coagulopathy, but the reasons for this abnormality are diverse; abnormal and borderline functional APC-R results should be supplemented by DNA analysis for the presence of factor V Leiden.
A Comparison of Three Catholic Marital Groups on Sexual and Gender Issues

Abstract The present study analyzed six different issues (abortion when a rape is involved, abortion as a means of birth control, premarital sex, extra-marital relations, homosexual relations, and women as priests). We hypothesized that differences would exist among a sample of Catholics based on their marital status. Specifically, we argued that the married sample would follow Catholic doctrine most closely and would therefore be most opposed to the items, while the divorced were predicted to be the most accepting. Significant differences were found on all six items with the differences supporting the hypothesis. When gender was controlled, a significant difference was found only on the homosexual item. Finally, a gender comparison within each marital status group resulted in three significant differences.
Progressive depolarization: a unified hypothesis for defibrillation and fibrillation induction by shocks.

Progressive Depolarization Defibrillation Hypothesis Experimental studies of defibrillation have burgeoned since the introduction of the upper limit of vulnerability (ULV) hypothesis for defibrillation. Much of this progress is due to the valuable work carried out in pursuit of this hypothesis. Tbe ULV hypothesis presented a unified electrophysiologic scheme for linking the processes of defibrillation and shock-induced fibrillation. In addition to its scientific ramifications, this work also raised the possibility of simpler and safer means for clinical defibrillation threshold testing. Recent results from an optical mapping study of defibrillation suggest, however, tbat the experimental data supporting the ULV hypothesis could instead be interpreted in a manner consistent with traditional views of defibrillation such as the critical mass hypothesis. This review will describe the evidence calling for such a reinterpretation. In one regard the ULV hypothesis superseded the critical mass hypothesis by linking the defibrillation and shock-induced fibrillation processes. Therefore, this review also will discuss the rationale for developing a new defibrillation hypothesis. This new hypothesis, progressive depolarization, uses traditional defibrillation concepts to cover the same ground as the ULV hypothesis in mechanistically unifying defibrillation and shock-induced fibrillation. It does so in a manner consistent with experimental data supporting the ULV hypothesis but which also takes advantage of what has been learned from optical studies of defibrillation. This review will briefly deseribe how this new hypothesis relates to other contemporary viewpoints and related experimental results.
The growth, structure, and thermal stability of vapor deposited ultra-thin metal films: Rh on Ag(100), Au on Pd(110), and Pt on Pd(110)

The growth, structure, and thermal stability of ultra-thin metal films (Rh on Ag(100); Au on Pd(110) and Pt on Pd(110)) is investigated using surface sensitive techniques. The three systems studied present a variety of differing characteristics which can contribute to the growth mode, two-dimensional structure, and thermal stability of the films. The main factors contributing to the differing properties of the three systems presented here are: (1) the different substrate morphologies; (2) the differences in surface free energies between the overlayer and the substrate; (3) the degree of lattice mismatch for a particular system; and (4) the extent of miscibility of the two metals. 200 refs., 38 figs.
Use of solid state miniature detectors for study of alkaline earth metabolism in rat oral bone

Abstract This paper shows the usefulness of miniature solid state detectors for the study of the dynamics of alkaline earths in normal, stressed and injured rat oral bone. Silicon avalanche and lithiumcompensated solid state detectors were used in the present investigation. Concurrently, the advantage of using short-lived radionuclides is stressed, especially in cases when repeatable dynamic studies are required. In a first series of experiments the rate of 45Ca uptake in rat's oral bone was determined at 3-hr interval after intravenous administration of the radionuclide. After a stress exerted on normal oral bone, the highest uptake was found in the maxillary alveolar plate. Lesser uptakes were recorded in the alveolar ridge and the lowest values were noted in the palatine process. There appears to exist a correlation between the rate of radionuclidic uptake and the degree of functional stress applied to the area. Another series of experiments explored the rate of remineralization of specifically injured and healing maxillary alveolar ridges. The short-lived 87mSr was used and its uptake was monitored with a Si(Li) solid state detector over the wound as well as over the contralateral site. The rate of radionuclidic incorporation was measured up to 3 weeks after wounding. A peak in uptake over the wound site occurred about 2 weeks after injury, correlating with the known physiological data on bone remineralization during healing. The data obtained with the short-lived 87mSr were confirmed with other experiments with 85Sr and subsequent radioactivity assay with gamma ray detection in a NaI(Tl) crystal well counter.
Magnetization studies of the Haldane gap material TMNIN

Abstract The magnetization of oriented single crystals of the Haldane gap material (CH3)4N[Ni(NO2)3], more commonly known as TMNIN, has been measured using a capacitive platform magnetometer operating in magnetic fields up to 8 T at temperatures down to 25 mK. In addition, powdered samples have been studied by standard induction techniques in pulsed fields up to 50 T at 4 K. The results of our preliminary investigations, which probe the anisotropy of the critical magnetic field, are presented.
Mineralogical signatures of stone formation mechanisms.

The mechanisms involved in biomineralization are modulated through interactions with organic matrix. In the case of stone formation, the role of the organic macromolecules in the complex urinary environment is not clear, but the presence of mineralogical ‘signatures’ suggests that some aspects of stone formation may result from a non-classical crystallization process that is induced by acidic proteins. An amorphous precursor has been detected in many biologically controlled mineralization reactions, which is thought to be regulated by non-specific interactions between soluble acidic proteins and mineral ions. Using in vitro model systems, we find that a liquid-phase amorphous mineral precursor induced by acidic polypeptides can lead to crystal textures that resemble those found in Randall’s plaque and kidney stones. This polymer-induced liquid-precursor process leads to agglomerates of coalesced mineral spherules, dense-packed spherulites with concentric laminations, mineral coatings and ‘cements’, and collagen-associated mineralization. Through the use of in vitro model systems, the mechanisms involved in the formation of these crystallographic features may be resolved, enhancing our understanding of the potential role(s) that proteins play in stone formation.
Likelihood ratio estimation in forensic identification using similarity and rarity

Forensic identification is the task of determining whether or not observed evidence arose from a known source. It is useful to associate probabilities with identification/exclusion opinions, either for presentation in court or to evaluate the discriminative power of a given set of attributes. At present, in most forensic domains outside of DNA evidence, it is not possible to make such a statement since the necessary probability distributions cannot be computed with reasonable accuracy, although the probabilistic approach itself is well-understood. In principle, it involves determining a likelihood ratio (LR) - the ratio of the joint probability of the evidence and source under the identification hypothesis (that the evidence came from the source) and under the exclusion hypothesis (that the evidence did not arise from the source). Evaluating the joint probability is computationally intractable when the number of variables is even moderately large. It is also statistically infeasible since the number of parameters to be determined from the data is exponential with the number of variables. An approximate method is to replace the joint probability by another probability: that of distance (or similarity) between evidence and object under the two hypotheses. While this reduces to linear complexity with the number of variables, it is an oversimplification leading to errors. We consider a third method which decomposes the LR into a product of two factors, one based on distance and the other on rarity. This result, which is exact for the univariate Gaussian case, has an intuitive appeal - forensic examiners assign higher importance to rare feature values in the evidence and low importance to common feature values. We generalize this approach to more complex data such as vectors and graphs, which makes LR estimation computationally tractable. Empirical evaluations of the three methods, done with several data types (continuous features, binary features, multinomial and graph) and several modalities (handwriting with binary features, handwriting with multinomial features and footwear impressions with continuous features), show that the distance and rarity method is significantly better than the distance only method. HighlightsWe formulate probability of identification in terms of likelihood ratio (LR).We factor LR into the product of two factors, based on distance and rarity.We describe methods for computing distance in forensics for different data types.We provide empirical evaluations of three methods of LR computation.Proposed method outperforms distance method with forensic data.
Quantification of ceramide species in biological samples by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

We present an optimized and validated liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous measurement of concentrations of different ceramide species in biological samples. The method of analysis of tissue samples is based on Bligh and Dyer extraction, reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography separation, and multiple reaction monitoring of ceramides. Preparation of plasma samples also requires isolation of sphingolipids by silica gel column chromatography prior to LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis. The limits of quantification were in a range of 0.01-0.50ng/ml for distinct ceramides. The method was reliable for inter- and intraassay precision, accuracy, and linearity. Recoveries of ceramide subspecies from human plasma, rat liver, and muscle tissue were 78 to 91%, 70 to 99%, and 71 to 95%, respectively. The separation and quantification of several endogenous long-chain and very-long-chain ceramides using two nonphysiological odd chain ceramide (C17 and C25) internal standards was achieved within a single 21-min chromatographic run. The technique was applied to quantify distinct ceramide species in different rat tissues (muscle, liver, and heart) and in human plasma. Using this analytical technique, we demonstrated that a clinical exercise training intervention reduces the levels of ceramides in plasma of obese adults. This technique could be extended for quantification of other ceramides and sphingolipids with no significant modification.
A miniature electrooptical force transducer

A 5 mm*6 mm*3 mm electrooptical force-sensing transducer has been developed from a metal U-shaped spring. Force compresses the open end of the spring so that it decreases light passing from a light-emitting diode to a light-sensing photodiode. The operating range is from 0 to 50 N, but can be changed by changing the spring metal and dimensions. Nonlinearity is less than +or-7%. Hysteresis is less than 3%. Random error is about 6% peak-to-peak. Temperature-related zero drift is less than 1%/ degrees C uncompensated and much lower compensated. When embedded in a rubber insole, this thin transducer has measured force on the sole of the foot during normal human gait. >