cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electronic Stark Effect Studies of a Porphyrin-Based Push−Pull Chromophore Displaying a Large First Hyperpolarizability: State-Specific Contributions to β

Electroabsorption or Stark effect spectroscopy has been applied to a pair of porphyrin-based chromophores with the aim of deriving a detailed understanding of the origin of the remarkable first hyperpolarizability, β, of one of the chromophores: [5-[[4‘-(dimethylamino)phenyl]ethynyl]-15-[(4‘‘-nitrophenyl)ethynyl]-10,20-diphenylporphinato]zinc(II). The measurements show that significant changes in molecular dipole moment, Δμ, accompany excitations of x-polarized transitions of the aminophenyl (donor)/nitrophenyl (acceptor) functionalized chromophore, but are absent for a related chromophore lacking the donor and acceptor groups. For linear chromophores, changes in dipole moment are a prerequisite to effective molecular first hyperpolarization and incident light frequency doubling behavior. A more detailed consideration of the available |Δμ| data, within the context of a conventional two-level model, has yielded the following: (a) specific information about the roles of each of seven electronic and vibron...
Narrowband ultraviolet imaging experiment for wide-field surveys (NUVIEWS)

We are developing a rocket-borne, imaging, wide-field, survey experiment to study global interactions in the multiphase interstellar medium. The experiment will map diffuse C IV (C3+) (lambda) 1549, H2 (lambda) (lambda) 1575 - 1645 Lyman band fluorescence, and dust-scattered starlight continuum ((lambda) (lambda) 1400 - 1900) emission over one quarter of the sky in a single rocket flight. Good imaging is maintained in two dimensions, permitting the direct exclusion of stars entering the field of view. The payload consists of four independent, co-aligned telescopes of identical optical construction. Three telescopes are made sensitive in a narrow band by depositing tuned all-dielectric multilayers on the mirror surfaces to achieve a so-called `self-filtering' camera. Each telescope incorporates a large-format imaging microchannel plate detector that is read out using a two- dimensional, crossed, serpentine delay line anode which we have developed. The rocket flight, scheduled for launch in 1994, will be the first flight of a two-dimensional, crossed, serpentine delay line anode.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Suppression of drinking by naloxone in the rat: A further characterization

Abstract The effect of naloxone, an opiate antagonist, were examined on drinking induced by various dipsogenic stimuli. In rats deprived of water for 24 h, naloxone (0.1–10 mg/kg) produced a dose-related suppression of drinking immediately following water presentation but did not alter the latency to begin drinking. Naloxone also produced a dose-related suppression of water consumption induced by isoproterenol and angiotensin II, agents simulating conditions of extracellular dehydration. Naltrexone, a congener of naloxone, was more potent than naloxone in reducing isoproterenol-induced water intake. Schedule-induced polydipsia, which occurs in the absence of body fluid deficits, was not altered by either naloxone or naltrexone at doses attenuating drinking induced by the other methods. These data suggest that the suppressant effects of naloxone on water consumption are not a manifestation of an increased latency to drink or an impairment in the motor components of drinking activity. Futthermore, narcotic antagonists appear to attenuate regulatory, but not adjunctive drinking.
Teaching basic video skills as an aid in laparoscopic suturing.

Background There is a perception among surgeons that performing laparoscopic suturing is unduly difficult. The purpose of this study is to document a program which aides in learning laparoscopic suturing.
The effects of middle ear muscle contraction on auditory and overload thresholds

The present investigation examined psychophysically the frequency-specific and nonlinear attenuation of sound energy provided by middle ear muscle contraction in normal hearers. Aural overload and absolute auditory thresholds were measured at 500, 1 000 and 2 000 Hz prior to and during acoustic stapedial reflex contraction. Reflex contraction was elicited with contralateral broad-band noise. Results revealed that over-load thresholds were elevated at 500 and 1 000 Hz and a slight decrease in overload threshold was apparent at 2 000 Hz during reflex contraction while absolute thresholds remained essentially unchanged. These data are consistent with previous psychophysical and physiological findings. The aural overload test having been derived directly from observations of cochlear microphonic saturation, moreover, affords direct comparison to results of electrophysiological experimentation.
Parallel Poisson disk sampling

Sampling is important for a variety of graphics applications include rendering, imaging, and geometry processing. However, producing sample sets with desired efficiency and blue noise statistics has been a major challenge, as existing methods are either sequential with limited speed, or are parallel but only through pre-computed datasets and thus fall short in producing samples with blue noise statistics. We present a Poisson disk sampling algorithm that runs in parallel and produces all samples on the fly with desired blue noise properties. Our main idea is to subdivide the sample domain into grid cells and we draw samples concurrently from multiple cells that are sufficiently far apart so that their samples cannot conflict one another. We present a parallel implementation of our algorithm running on a GPU with constant cost per sample and constant number of computation passes for a target number of samples. Our algorithm also works in arbitrary dimension, and allows adaptive sampling from a user-specified importance field. Furthermore, our algorithm is simple and easy to implement, and runs faster than existing techniques.
Firm bankruptcy prediction: experimental comparison of isotonic separation and other classification approaches

A newly introduced method called isotonic separation is evaluated in the prediction of firm bankruptcy. Feature reduction methods are first applied to reduce the ratios used in the prediction. Then, various classification methods, including discriminant analysis, neural networks, decision tree induction, learning vector quantization, rough sets, and isotonic separation, are used with the reduced ratios. Experiments show that the isotonic separation method is a viable technique, performing generally better than other methods for short-term bankruptcy prediction.
Cell Therapy: Replacement

Not long ago, the ability of the brain to restore function through regeneration of neural elements was thought to be nonexistent. It is now known that not only does some regenerative capacity exist, but implanted cells can integrate into the host brain, survive, and reverse neurological deficits. Neural stem cells, fetal transplants, immortalized cell lines, and bone marrow stromal cells show promise in experimental models of neurological disease including stroke. Although it is clear that transplanted cells function, the mechanism by which neurological deficits might improve is less certain. Transplanted cells may preserve existing host cells and connections through secretion of trophic factors; establish local connections that enhance synaptic activity; provide a bridge for host axonal regeneration; or actually replace cellular elements. Several observations from animal and human studies of cell therapy support the possibility that transplanted cells exert at least some of their effect through cellular replacement. In the early stages of brain development, implanting neural stem cells leads to replacement of multiple cellular elements including neurons and glia.1 Thus, the potential for cell replacement exists, but whether it persists into adulthood is uncertain. Models of Parkinson’s disease (PD) provide the most direct support for cell replacement as an important effect of cell therapy. Fetal ventral mesencephalic neurons grafted into the striatum in animal models of PD restore dopamine levels and improve function.2 Similar grafts outside the striatum fail to achieve clinical benefit. In humans, such fetal grafts produce clinical benefit 3 that accrues gradually rather than immediately, suggesting an accumulation of synaptic connections that eventually results in sufficient dopaminergic transmission to improve neurological deficits. Autopsy findings in patients receiving fetal grafts demonstrate implanted cell survival as well as axon growth and synaptic connections4. Additional support comes from
Solubility and equilibrium vapor pressures of HCl dissolved in polar stratospheric cloud materials: Ice and the trihydrate of nitric acid

Measurements of the pressure-solubility behavior of HC1 in water ice and in the nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) crystal at 200 K are reported. It was found that HC1 is about 20 times more soluble in NAT than in ice for stratospheric conditions. A relation between HC1 pressure and substrate composition based on the Gibbs-Duhem equation is developed. This relation, along with other thermodynamic data, can be used to obtain the HC1 pressure-solubility behavior at different temperatures. Implications of these results for the south polar ozone hole are discussed.
Stability of Delay Equations Written as State Space Models

In this paper we describe a new approach to examine the stability of delay differential equations that builds upon prior work using temporal finite element analysis. In contrast to previous analyse...
Improved Molecular Model of a Peptide Unit for Proteins

Pauling, Corey and Branson in their seminal paper in 1951 reported numerical values for the bond lengths and bond angles for a peptide unit in proteins. These values became the standard model for several decades after that. This classic peptide model was either confirmed or improved upon by other researchers over the years, by using more advanced X-Ray diffraction equipments. In this paper, we have made an attempt to calibrate the values of these bond lengths and bond angles based on a systematic and deterministic approach applied to a collection of proteins defined structurally in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Our method is based on the assumption that a peptide chain is a serial chain of identical rigid bodies connected by revolute joints (i.e. dihedral angles). The proposed procedure first computes the best estimate for the dihedral angles in the presence of inaccuracies in the atoms’ coordinates data. Then these values are used to find the conformation of the peptide chain using the calibrated model of the peptide unit. Through an optimization process, the structural error (RMSD of all atoms) between the resultant conformation and the PDB data is minimized to yield the best values for the bond length and bond angles in the calibrated peptide unit. Our numerical experiments indicate that by making small changes in the Pauling-Corey peptide model parameters (0.15% to 8.7%) the structural error is reduced significantly (3.0% to 57.4%). The optimum values for the bond angles and bond lengths are as follow: Bond Lengths: N-C(A): 1.4721A, C(A)-C: 1.6167A, C-N: 1.2047A, C=O: 1.1913A and N-H: 0.9621A. Bond Bending Angles: N-C(A)-C: 109.6823°, C(A)-C=0: 119.518°, C(A)-C-N: 114.5553°, O=C-N: 125.9233°, C-N-H: 123.5155°, C-N-C(A): 121.5756°, C(A)-N-H: 114.901°. Peptide bond torsion angle: ω: 179.4432°.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Health-Related Quality of Life During and After Intraperitoneal Versus Intravenous Chemotherapy for Optimally Debulked Ovarian Cancer: A Gynecologic Oncology Group Study

Purpose A Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) randomized phase III trial (GOG 172) in optimal stage III epithelial ovarian cancer showed that intravenous (IV) paclitaxel plus intraperitoneal (IP) cisplatin and paclitaxel significantly lengthened progression-free survival and overall survival compared with IV paclitaxel and cisplatin. The purpose of this report is to comprehensively evaluate the patient-reported outcomes associated with IP versus IV therapy. Patients and Methods Four hundred fifteen eligible women were enrolled onto GOG 172 at member institutions. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Trial Outcome Index (FACT-TOI; which includes physical, functional, and ovarian subscales) and neurotoxicity (Ntx) and abdominal discomfort (AD) subscales were used to assess patient-reported outcomes. Assessments were completed before random assignment, before cycle 4, and 3 to 6 weeks and 12 months after treatment. Results Physical and functional well-being and ovarian cancer symptoms were significantly ...
Evidence of 'genuine empty follicles' in follicular aspirate: a case report †

Failure to retrieve oocytes after normal ovarian stimulation has been labeled 'empty follicle syndrome' (EFS). The existence of genuine EFS has been questioned and is still controversial. Here, we report an unusual case in which an extraordinary number of empty follicle-like structures were identified in the ovarian aspirate at the time of retrieval. A 31-year-old woman presented with a 4-year history of primary infertility and underwent ovulation induction. The patient was given hCG and oocyte retrieval was performed 36 h later. During the oocyte retrieval, more than 200 tiny structures resembling pre-antral follicles were noted in the ovarian aspirate. They exhibited two to three layers of granulosa cells and appeared to enclose an immature oocyte. They showed a great variation in size ranging between 40 and 80 microm. These structures were further characterized by electron microscopy and cultivated in vitro to assess hormone secretion. The follicles were found to be devoid of oocytes, but each had a readily identifiable zona. Hormone assays revealed that these follicles were secreting increasing levels of estradiol. A second in vitro fertilization attempt gave similar results. These data are suggestive of some failure in the oocyte maturation process. We speculate that this may be the first actual evidence to support the existence of true empty follicles, which if left to grow in vivo might lead to empty graffian follicles and genuine EFS.
A Theoretical Analysis of the Role of Ambipolar Diffusion in Charge-Carrier Transport in a Quasi-Neutral Region Under High Injection

A recent theoretical analysis considered charge collection from an ionization source in a p-n junction silicon diode under steady-state conditions, i.e., carrier liberation is at a quasi-constant rate, and concluded that the quasi-neutral region partitions into distinct sub-regions. A later empirical investigation (via TCAD simulations) found that this partitioning also applies under transient conditions, but a theoretical explanation was not given for the transient problem. The theoretical analysis given here provides that explanation, and also explains why a charge-collection model derived under steady-state conditions gives correct predictions for the transient problem.
An Infrared-Spectroscopic Study of Methyl Iodide and Methylene Iodide on Ag(111)

The adsorption of methylene iodide and methyl iodide is studied on Ag(111) using reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy. Molecular methylene iodide adsorbs in a random orientation at 80 K and converts into a species with the H–C–H plane adsorbed perpendicular to the surface on heating to 155 K, and also dissociates into iodomethyl species. These undergo further decomposition eventually to form ethylene, although no methylene species are detected on the surface. Methyl iodide forms both multilayers and a metastable state on Ag(111) at 180 K, where the C–I axis of the metastable state is oriented nearly parallel to the surface. Infrared data suggest that the metastable state both desorbs almost simultaneously with the multilayer and converts to adsorbed methyl iodide with the C–I axis oriented nearly perpendicular to the surface. The latter species decomposes into adsorbed methyl fragments and adsorbed iodine where the frequency of the methyl bending mode for CH3(ads) and for CH3I(ads) are identical at 1230 cm-1.
Message Locus and Message Content Two Studies in Communication Behavior and Coorientational Relations

Results of several studies developed from a process model of coorientation are discussed and summarized. In the process model described, four cognitive states are defined in terms of the accuracy with which each person in a dyad perceives the similarity between his own orientation and the orientation of the other. Two new studies are reported: (1) allowing options in the locus of communication behavior, and (2) analyzing the degree of "self-disclosure" in messages generated with respect to different cognitive states. The frequency of messages with a locus external to the dyad was low and did not vary across coorientational states; in the second study, variance in self-disclosure was not explained by coorientational states. The new studies did, however, provide replication of previously demonstrated regularities in information giving and seeking behaviors. While seeking and giving of information have been found to vary predictably, the content of communication behavior has not.
A novel method for constructing gene-targeting vectors

We developed a simple and rapid method for constructing knockout vectors using inverse-PCR (IPCR). The method consists of three steps: (i) digestion of a target bacterial artificial chromosome with several restriction enzymes (six-base cutters) followed by self-ligation; (ii) IPCR using circular DNAs as templates and two primers which are oriented in opposite directions; and (iii) cloning into a vector containing a positive selection marker, which results in a typical replacement knockout vector. We successfully targeted three mouse genes including the HPRT gene using this method. Compared with the conventional method, this method requires much less time (no more than 3 weeks). Notably, this method requires only small amounts of sequence information (several hundred base pairs such as is available from expressed sequence tags) and can be extended to a systematic mass production of targeting vectors applicable to many organisms, including yeast.
Features and utilization of Motorola's advanced INFOSEC machine, AIM, in embedded encryption applications

AIM is a highly flexible, multi-processor Ultra-Large Scale Integration (ULSI) circuit, designed expressly for implementing programmable cryptographic algorithms. It offers a single, embeddable solution for encryption applications, from the most highly classified to commercial, and is exportable. AIM's ability to simultaneously run multiple algorithms on multiple channels enables the reduction of the size, weight and power in scenarios where formerly many discrete crypto devices were used. Features of the AIM ULSI and several current applications are discussed, along with description of other areas where programmable, embeddable cryptography can be used.
Staphylococcus intermedius: Clinical presentation of a new human dog bite pathogen

Staphylococcus intermedius is a Gram-positive, coagulase-positive coccus that can be distinguished from Staphylococcus aureus by routine microbiological testing. Whereas S intermedius is recognized as flora and pathogen of dogs, it has never been isolated from human infections. We hypothesized that S intermedius may cause human dog bite wound infections and that it has been previously misindentified as S aureus . Fourteen isolates from clinically infected dog bite wounds that were originally identified as S aureus were subjected to further testing; three (22%) were found to be S intermedius . The clinical and microbiological characteristics of these three S intermedius cases are described. All three patients were nonimmunocompromised persons seen within 24 hours for bites on the upper extremity. All patients developed cellulitis within one to three days. All S intermedius isolates were distinguished from S aureus by the lack of acetoin production and by the presence of β -galactosidase activity. S intermedius was susceptible to a wide range of antibiotics; one isolate was resistant to penicillin. Two patients were treated with penicillin, one with amoxicillin-clavulanate, and all were clinically cured. These are the first three reported human infections involving S intermedius . Further study is necessary to define its clinical importance as a potential human pathogen.
Observed change of the standardized precipitation index, its potential cause and implications to future climate change in the Amazon region

Observations show that the standard precipitation index (SPI) over the southern Amazon region decreased in the period of 1970–1999 by 0.32 per decade, indicating an increase in dry conditions. Simulations of constant pre-industrial climate with recent climate models indicate a low probability (p=0%) that the trends are due to internal climate variability. When the 23 models are forced with either anthropogenic factors or both anthropogenic and external natural factors, approximately 13% of sampled 30-year SPI trends from the models are found to be within the range of the observed SPI trend at 95% confidence level. This suggests a possibility of anthropogenic and external forcing of climate change in the southern Amazon. On average, the models project no changes in the frequency of occurrence of low SPI values in the future; however, those models which produce more realistic SPI climatology, variability and trend over the period 1970–1999 show more of a tendency towards more negative values of SPI in the future. The analysis presented here suggests a potential anthropogenic influence on Amazon drying, which warrants future, more in-depth, study.
A revision of Pholidostachys (Arecaceae)

A taxonomic revision of the neotropical palm genus Pholidostachys based on morphological data and morphometric methods was carried out. Two hundred and eighty-eight herbarium specimens were scored for five qualitative variables and 25 quantitative variables. Qualitative variables were divided into four characters and one trait. Using the Phylogenetic Species Concept, characters were used to recognize seven species. These are widely distributed in Central and northwestern South America from Nicaragua to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. Analysis of each species for geographic distribution and quantitative variables led to recognition, in one species, of two subspecies, giving a total of eight taxa. Four new species ( P. amazonensis, P. occidentalis, P. panamensis, P. sanluisensis ) are described. Two new combinations are made. Nomenclature, descriptions, and distribution maps are provided for each species and subspecies. Images of the type specimens of all new taxa are also provided.
Dental Hygiene Students' Perceptions of an Academic Service Learning Course on Special Needs Patients

Academic Service Learning (ASL) is a teaching method used to cultivate a connection between course work and real life experiences. It allows students to contribute to their community while meeting explicit learning objectives. In response to the new American Dental Association (ADA) accreditation standard for dental hygiene programs to better prepare professionals to care for people with special health care needs, the didactic portion of a special needs course was revised to include ASL. The purpose of this project was to examine dental hygiene students9 perceptions of an ASL course on special needs patients. A retrospective pre-test post-test open response questionnaire, given to a convenience sample of 23 (n=23) female students, was used to determine what students hoped to gain, what they liked best, and what they liked least about the experience. Using the Constant Comparative Method, responses were categorized into recurring themes. Results indicated that students hoped to gain knowledge, understanding, and experience with patients with special needs. After the experience, students generally reported that their expectations were met. Students reported they liked working with people best. Almost half of the students reported a change between their initial thought and what they liked best at the conclusion of the course. Students initially reported the ASL course would be time consuming and felt uncomfortable around patients with special needs. At the conclusion of the course, their main concern was organization at the ASL sites. Most students reported a different concern at the end than they initially reported. The varied list indicated that students were able to observe multiple influences on ASL. In conclusion, course goals were achieved as students reported gaining knowledge and experience in working with patients with special needs.
Solid-state Porphyrin Interactions with Oppositely Charged Peripheral Groups.

The crystallization and the crystal and molecular structure of a very slightly soluble electrostatically interacting pair of porphyrins is described. The tetra-anion 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(4-sulfonatophenyl)-21,23H-porphyrin [H2TPPSO3]4− and the tetra-cation 5,10,15,20-tetra(N-methylpyridyl)21H,23H-porphyrin [H2TMePyP]4+ are found to form an alternating one-dimensional stack that is stabilized by electrostatic interactions between the porphyrin rings but also by π –π interactions between all substituted phenyl rings in the ensemble. The resulting interactions between the porphyrins is exceptionally tight.
Integrating Global Content into Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs.

Globalization affects many aspects of our lives in the 21st century and requires us to adopt an international perspective. For this study, global content was integrated into one course of an underg...
Noninnocent Behavior of Bidentate Amidophosphido [NP]2– Ligands upon Coordination to Copper

The synthesis and preliminary coordination chemistry of two new redox-active bidentate ligands containing amido and phosphido donors are described. Treatment of the [RNP]2– (R = Ph, 2,4,6-trimethyl...
Peasant Morality and Pre-Marital Relations in Late 19th Century Russia

At the close of the nineteenth century, peasant morality in most of rural Russia strictly forbid sexual intercourse outside of marriage, and harshly punished the woman when sexual transgression occured. When others learned that a couple was engaging in pre-marital intercourse, only the woman became subject to ritual shaming, and she was far the more likely to have her chances at marriage severely reduced. In the sense that it was male-dominated and operated according to a double standard, village morality, like village life, was patriarchal. But village life was patriarchal in an older sense as well. In the multi-generational peasant household, the decisions of the bol'shak (its male head) were absolute according to law and custom, so that sons were subordinated to fathers as well as women to men. The father had the authority to dispose of the sexuality of sons as well as daughters, because he held final say as to whom his children would marry. But within this patriarchal context, the behavior of the young appears to have been changing. In the decades following the emancipation of the serfs in 1861, rates of peasant literacy slowly rose, and items representing urban material life and culture, such as samovars and factory-made clothing, could increasingly be seen in peasant cottages. More and more peasants migrated elsewhere in search of wages, or found jobs nearby, in factories that dotted the landscape of rural Russia.' External influences brought new ideas, while wages earned outside the household encouraged youthful self-assertiveness, especially the assertiveness of sons, and sometimes prompted young men and women to contest the authority of their parents in order to claim greater say over their sexual lives. According to the accounts of their contemporaries, the young were particularly likely to do this in the Central Industrial Region (CIR), the most heavily industrialized region of Russia. There, children might insist upon marrying whom they chose, and sons working elsewhere might even dispense with parental permission altogether.2 The young were also more prepared to flout village moral strictures. Attributing the change to wages earned outside the village, and to the erosion of village insularity, a resident of rural Riazan wrote: "Earlier, it was more common to meet young people who were virgins; now it is hard to find a chaste young man, and even such girls are rare."3 According to C. Ia Derunov, a peasant from Poshekhon'e, Iaroslavl', as a result of outmigration to the city, "People who keep their virginity until marriage are growing increasingly rare among the girls as well as the boys."4 In the factory districts of Shuia, Vladimir, where a substantial minority of unmarried women worked year-round in nearby textile mills, the local peasants believed that "Only one or two girls out of a dozen are chaste when they marry."5 Historians of Russia have begun to study peasant sexual morality and behavior, but they have looked at them from the perspective of continuity rather than
Enhanced calling song syllable period discrimination during one-eared phonotaxis by the female cricket (Acheta domesticus)

1. In an arena, female Acheta domesticus, which walked directly to a standard model calling song (CS) in a pretest, displayed angular deviations and complete 360° circling following unilateral occlusion of the posterior and anterior tympana. Following removal of the occlusion, the crickets once again oriented directly to the sound source (Fig. 1). Following unilateral removal of the tibia of a prothoracic leg just distal to the ear, crickets oriented directly to a standard CS. Unilateral leg amputation just proximal to the ear caused angular deviations and circling which was similar to that following occlusion of an ear (Fig. 2). 2. Thresholds of auditory interneurons increased dramatically (to greater than 85 dB) following occlusion of the ear which provides excitatory input to these neurons. Removal of the occlusion restored responsiveness (Fig. 3). 3. The mean number of complete turns by a cricket with one ear occluded is greatest in response to syllable periods that are most attractive and thus can be used as a measurement of the relative attractiveness of the CS presented (Figs. 4, 5). Females that did not significantly discriminate between different syllable periods before unilateral occlusion of an ear, discriminated between CS syllable periods by their degree of circling following occlusion.
American Bribery Legislation: An Obstacle to International Marketing:

The authors discuss some key aspects of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and their implications for American executives engaged in international marketing. American corporations are sufferi...
Electric Eddy-current Power Tester and Its Application Technique in Use of Energy-absorbing Device

The structure, operating principle and external characteristics of electric eddy-current power tester are introduced. Several application technique problems of electric eddy-current power tester in use of energy-absorbing device are discussed as well.
Slowly relaxing caffeine responses in rat ventricle: relationships of ryanodine and caffeine actions

Contractile responses to 20 mM caffeine were compared in arterially perfused rat right ventricle as tension, in intact rat myocytes as shortening, and in Triton X-100-"skinned" rat myocytes as shortening and stiffness. Responses in intact quiescent ventricle and membrane-disrupted myocytes at -log molar Ca concentration (pCa) of 7.0-6.8 were similar; force and stiffness rose quickly on application of caffeine and declined incompletely toward base line over 20 min. Subsequent caffeine responses were blunted. By contrast, in freshly isolated rat myocytes, rapid caffeine exposures induced large phasic contractures, which relaxed for the most part in 2-5 s. These responses were largely suppressed by 0.2 microM ryanodine pretreatment at 35 degrees C but not by high ryanodine concentrations (10 microM). Ryanodine was without effect on slowly relaxing contractile responses in both intact ventricle and Triton X-100-treated myocytes. The results are discussed in relation to the predicted effects of a calcium store leak in a simple model of cardiac excitation-contraction coupling. The results suggest that slowly relaxing caffeine contractures can be caused entirely by direct actions of caffeine on myofilaments.
Cardiac function in genetically engineered mice with altered adrenergic receptor signaling

In disease states such as heart failure, catecholamines released from sympathetic nerve endings and the adrenal medulla play a central role in the adaptive and maladaptive physiological response to altered tissue perfusion. G protein-coupled receptors are importantly involved in myocardial growth and the regulation of contractility. The adrenergic receptors themselves are regulated by a set of specific kinases, termed the G protein-coupled receptor kinases. The study of complex systems in vivo has recently been advanced by the development of transgenic and gene-targeted "knockout" mouse models. Combining transgenic technology with sophisticated physiological measurements of cardiac function is an extremely powerful strategy for studying the regulation of myocardial contractility in normal animals and in models of disease states. The purpose of this review is to summarize current knowledge about the regulation of cardiovascular homeostasis involving signaling pathways through stimulation of adrenergic receptors.
Surgical Validation of Angiographic Studies of Renal Lesions

AbstractWe reviewed 428 renal arteriograms done during a 5-year period to document the accuracy of angiography in the diagnosis of renal mass lesions and non-function. Subsequently, 198 kidneys (46 per cent) were explored for treatment and diagnostic confirmation. Of the kidneys explored 87 (44 per cent) were radiologically diagnosed as benign cysts. At exploration 6 diagnostic errors were proved, including 3 malignant and 3 benign lesions. The falsely negative malignancy rate was 3 per cent in this category. The angiographic diagnosis of definite tumor was proved to be 100 per cent accurate at operation. However, 3 tumors were benign, representing an 8 per cent falsely positive diagnosis for malignancy. Of the kidneys explored 8 per cent were angiographically diagnosed as being indeterminate. A variety of lesions were found, including 1 benign tumor, 1 malignant tumor and 5 inflammatory lesions. Two malignant lesions were found when exploring angiographically defined hydronephrosis. The remaining kidneys...
Molecular basis of ionic strength effects: interaction of enzyme and sulfate ion in CO2 hydration and HCO3- dehydration reactions catalyzed by carbonic anhydrase II.

CO2 hydration and HCO3- dehydration reactions catalyzed by carbonic anhydrase II have been examined at various concentrations of sodium sulfate with a stopped-flow technique. We find that at low ionic strength CO2 hydration and HCO3- dehydration reaction rates remain unaffected by varying the salt concentration at pH higher than 7.0, while the reaction rates decrease with increasing ionic strength at low pH. For CO2 hydration reactions, salt effects reside only in the kcat term, not in the Km term, whereas for HCO3- dehydration reactions, salt effects reside only in the Km term, not in the kcat term. In this regime, the salt concentration dependence of the turnover rate for CO2 hydration at low pH is attributed to an electrostatic effect on the ionization constants of the enzyme and/or enzyme-substrate complex, which in turn affect the pH profile of kcat. The rates of the bimolecular interaction between the uncharged CO2 molecule and carbonic anhydrase II at high pH are unaffected by low salt concentration while the rates of the bimolecular interaction of HCO3- with enzyme at low pH decrease with increasing salt concentration, consistent with a negative salt effect on an electrostatically enhanced diffusion of the negatively charged substrate to the positively charged active site. These bimolecular reactions between enzyme and substrate at low ionic strength obey rate equations derived from the Debye-Huckel limiting law and the transition-state theory. Simple linear relationships between the logarithm of the catalytic constant, log kdenz, and the square root of the ionic strength were established.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Profiling underground merchants based on network behavior

Online underground forums serve a key role in facilitating information exchange and commerce between gray market or even cybercriminal actors. In order to streamline bilateral communication to complete sales, merchants often publicly post their IM contact details, such as their Skype handle. Merchants that publicly post their Skype handle potentially leak information, since Skype has a known protocol flaw that reveals the IP address(es) of a user when they are online. In this paper, we collect Skype handles of merchants from three underground forums—AntiChat, BlackHat World and Hack Forums—and longitudinally monitor their network behavior. Our analysis of their network behavior provides a rich profile of their likely locations, network behavior, work habits, and other dynamics. In particular, we show that these merchants do not frequently use VPN services, and even when they do, they often leak their likely geolocation by also directly using residential and cellular IP addresses.
A Sharp Polya-Based Approximation to the Normal CDF

We introduce a closed form approximation to the cumulative distribution function of the standard normal variable involving only five explicit constants with an approximation error of 5.79 x 10^{-6} across the entire range of real numbers. With its simple form and applicability for all real numbers, our approximation surpasses either in computational efficiency or in accuracy, and most often in both, other approximation formulas based on numerical algorithms or ad-hoc approximations. An extensive overview and classification of the existing approximations from the literature is included.
Case Studies of IWRM Archetypes

Case studies can clarify the principles and provide context to discussions of IWRM scenarios. They also offer a common platform to discuss IWRM across disciplines with different perspectives. The case study method provides structure to develop them and is used across several fields that focus on complex problems with multiple dimensions. It is especially useful in management-oriented fields that deal with complexity and the need to understand context. This includes development situations, which are multidimensional and complex and often involve water in one way or another. The chapter presents a number of short cases to illustrate the application of IWRM across problem scenarios in the context of national income levels and the local, regional, national, and international scales.
Nuclear Industry: France has new regulator

The French nuclear industry is to be regulated by a new independent authority, it was announced by Lionel Jospin, the French prime minister, last month. The authority will replace the hotch-potch of organizations that currently control the industry. The new body will be responsible for the safety of all French nuclear installations and the transport of nuclear material.
Chiral-Selective Plasmonic Metasurface Absorbers Operating at Visible Frequencies

We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally a chiral-selective plasmonic absorber by utilizing n-shaped-resonators in the visible frequencies. Our metasurface design enables chiral-selective absorption bands, in which absorption peaks for left-handed circularly polarized and right-handed circularly polarized occur at different resonance wavelengths resulting in significant circular dichroism (CD). Both simulated and measured absorption spectra exhibit maximum absorptions exceeding 80% associated with a CD value of ~0.5. Such a chiral plasmonic metasurface absorber with high performance could find applications in optical filters, non-linear optics, thermal emitters, and hot-electron collection devices.
Answering the ultimate question “What is the Proximal Cause of Aging?”

Recent discoveries suggest that aging is neither driven by accumulation of molecular damage of any cause, nor by random damage of any kind. Some predictions of a new theory, quasi-programmed hyperfunction, have already been confirmed and a clinically-available drug slows aging and delays diseases in animals. The relationship between diseases and aging becomes easily apparent. Yet, the essence of aging turns out to be so startling that the theory cannot be instantly accepted and any possible arguments are raised for its disposal. I discuss that these arguments actually support a new theory. Are any questions remaining? And might accumulation of molecular damage still play a peculiar role in aging?
Patient safety and quality improvement: What the pediatric trainee needs to know

Abstract Patient safety and quality improvement in healthcare has been a principle focus for more than a decade. Deaths attributable to medical errors have been estimated to be the third leading cause of mortality in the United States. As such, the healthcare industry has avidly pursued means to reduce errors by studying models of high reliability used in the nuclear power and aviation industries. Pediatric studies have also shown the importance of patient safety events, and their contributory role to deaths and increased hospital charges and length of stay. While safety and quality improvement are now being added to medical school curricula, it is essential that exposure of pediatric trainees (residents and fellows) to quality improvement principles occur during to their training. These include: the importance of error detection and timely reporting, error investigation and prevention techniques, and the importance of error disclosure to patients and families. With increasing public focus and heightened expectations from insurers around patient safety, it is paramount to actively involve pediatric residents and fellows in quality improvement. It is, also, essential for training programs to teach our impressionable learners to be part of a fair culture around medical errors. Recognition that most medical errors can be attributable to imperfect systems is an important starting point. Further, these trainees are part of a health care system that focuses on redesigning a better system to make it more difficult to commit future errors. Immersion of pediatric trainees in a hospital culture that emphasizes the value of a multidisciplinary team approach to health care where all members at all levels of training are respected will go a long way in transforming our future caregivers who will impact healthcare quality and safety for decades to come. This type of environment allowing the trainee to feel safe to speak up will increase engagement, allow for increased event reporting, and create future champions for a culture of high reliability in the hospital setting.
Accent Controllability Beliefs and Bias against Nonnative English Speakers

An abundance of research in the social sciences has demonstrated a persistent bias against nonnative English speakers (Giles & Billings, 2004; Gluszek & Dovidio, 2010). In the United States, nonnative English speakers are conferred lower status and evaluated negatively across a variety of employment settings compared to native speakers. Yet, organizational scholars have only begun to investigate the underlying mechanisms that may be driving these negative perceptions toward nonnative speakers and subsequently, to design interventions to mitigate these biases. In two studies, we investigated the extent to which people’s belief about the controllability of accents might affect attitude towards nonnative speakers. In Study 1, participants listened to and evaluated a business pitch presented by either a native or a nonnative English speaking entrepreneur. We measured participants’ belief about the extent to which accents were within the control of the speaker. We found that participants who were high, compare...
Similar familial underpinnings for full and subsyndromal pediatric bipolar disorder: A familial risk analysis.

Objectives To examine the validity of subthreshold pediatric bipolar I disorder (BP-I), we compared the familial risk for BP-I in the child probands who had either full BP-I, subthreshold BP-I, ADHD, or were controls that neither had ADHD nor bipolar disorder. Methods BP-I probands were youth aged 6−17 years meeting criteria for BP-I, full (N=239) or subthreshold (N=43), and also included were their first-degree relatives (N=687 and N=120, respectively). Comparators were youth with ADHD (N=162), controls without ADHD or bipolar disorder (N=136), and their first-degree relatives (N=511 and N=411, respectively). We randomly selected 162 non-bipolar ADHD probands and 136 non-bipolar, non-ADHD control probands of similar age and sex distribution to the BP-I probands from our case−control ADHD family studies. Psychiatric assessments were made by trained psychometricians using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children Epidemiological Version (KSADS-E) and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) structured diagnostic interviews. We analyzed rates of bipolar disorder using multinomial logistic regression. Results Rates of full BP-I significantly differed between the four groups (χ23=32.72, P<.001): relatives of full BP-I probands and relatives of subthreshold BP-I probands had significantly higher rates of full BP-I than relatives of ADHD probands and relatives of control probands. Relatives of full BP-I, subthreshold BP-I, and ADHD probands also had significantly higher rates of major depressive disorder compared to relatives of control probands. Conclusions Our results showed that youth with subthreshold BP-I had similarly elevated risk for BP-I and major depressive disorder in first-degree relatives as youth with full BP-I. These findings support the diagnostic continuity between subsyndromal and fully syndromatic states of pediatric BP-I disorder.
Outcomes following thrombolysis for posterior circulation stroke

P189 There is relatively less information about indications and outcome for thrombolysis in posterior circulation stroke as compared to anterior circulation stroke. Prior randomized studies either excluded this group of patients (PROACT-II), or used inclusion criteria that made enrollment less likely (NINDS rt-PA, ECASS I & II). Medical records were reviewed for all patients who received intravenous (IV) or intraarterial (IA) thrombolytic therapy for posterior circulation ischemic stroke at the University of California, San Francisco between October 1993 and February 2000. NIHSS was measured at baseline, 1 day, and at discharge, and a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was measured at baseline. A retrospective modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was measured at last follow-up. A mRS≤2 was considered a good outcome. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. 20 patients received thrombolytic therapy: 9 IV rt-PA; 9 IA urokinase; 2 IA rt-PA. Mean age was 57 (range 25–87). 11 of 20 patients were treated within 12 hours (1.5 hours-16 days) of symptom onset. Mean initial NIHSS score was 20 (range 2–39), and GCS was 10 (range 3–15). One day following thrombolytic therapy the mean NIHSS was 13 (range 0–36, p 12 hours after stroke onset. At hospital discharge the 8 survivors treated in under 12 hrs had a mean NIHSS of 4 (range 0–13), and the 6 survivors treated beyond 12 hrs had a mean NIHSS of 10 (range 3–20, p