cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
1090 THE DEVELOPMENT OF RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS (RSV) SPECIFIC IgE AND THE RELEASE OF HISTAMINE IN NASOPHARYNGEAL SECRETIONS FOLLOWING RSV INFECTION: POSSIBLE ROLE IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF BRONCHOSPASM

A group of 20 infants and children with acute infection with RSV were tested during the first week of illness for the appearance of RSV specific IgE and the presence of histamine in their nasopharyngeal secretions. The IgE antibody activity was determined by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), using purified RSV and peroxidase-conjugated monospecific rabbit antisera to human IgE. The histamine concentrations were determined by the fluoremetric method. RSV specific IgE was detected in nasopharyngeal secretions of 57% of all infected subjects. 75% of patients with bronchiolitis associated with wheezing and 30% of RSV infected subjects without wheezing possessed RSV specific IgE in the nasopharyngeal secretions. Histamine activity was observed in the nasopharyngeal secretions of all RSV infected subjects Significantly, however, the individual and mean histamine content in the secretions of patients with bronchiolitis or wheezing was higher (P<0.01) than in subjects without any clinical bronchospasm. These observations suggest the development of RSV specific IgE and histamine release in the respiratory tract of many RSV infected subjects. It appears that the magnitude of IgE mediated histamine production in the respiratory tract may determine the form of clinical illness and the degree of bronchospasm during acute infection with RSV.
Hypertension and the kidney: Determinants of the response to antihypertensive therapy and their implications

Medicine has long recognized an association between hypertension and the kidney. The kidney may be a culprit or a victim in the process. As a culprit, the kidney may be responsible for the pathogenesis of hypertension in many patients, and in virtually all patients the renal response to antihypertensive therapy is a major determinant of its success or failure. In some patients, hypertension can lead to renal injury and even end-stage renal disease. Indeed, 25% of patients entering dialysis or transplant programs in the United States today have hypertension as the primary or sole mechanism, and another 25% have the complex combination of diabetes and hypertension as the cause. Antihypertensive therapy appears to be successful in preventing or arresting the renal response in accelerated hypertension, regardless of the treatment used to reduce blood pressure. However, treatment appears to be less successful in preventing the progression of moderate hypertension to end-stage renal disease. Substantial evidence suggests that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition and calcium channel blockade may prevent this progression when other antihypertensive therapy does not. The renal response to an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or a calcium channel-blocking agent appears to be determined by the pathogenetic features of the hypertension, and this may be an important determinant of the efficacy of the agents selected. Although still indistinct, the guidelines favoring selection of a specific antihypertensive agent are gradually emerging.
Efficient execution of programs with static semantics

An extension to single-threading (using each value exactly once) is presented that allows efficient execution of functional programs while maintaining their static semantics. This extension preserves the idea of only one, possibly modifying, use of a data item, and also allows any number of read-only uses. The inefficiency problem is overcome by imposing a restriction on function composition. The proposed method is based upon a static analysis of function definitions and calls. This analysis is linear in the size of function definitions, and additive between functions. Unlike approaches utilized in optimizing compilers, the proposed method can be applied even to large programs, and it guarantees the asymptotic complexity of corresponding imperative programs while obviating the need for garbage collection. An experimental functional programming language based on these ideas has been designed and implemented.
Root surface/leaf area ratios in arctic dwarf shrubs

Individual shoots of the shrubs Ledum palustre L., Vaccinium uliginosum L., and Betula nana L. were severed from their parent plants beneath the moss surface in an Alaskan tussock tundra. These shoots remained one year in their original position in peat moss cushions without further disturbance. After this period fine root dry weight, fine root surface area, leaf dry weight, and leaf area of these shoots were measured and compared with equivalent values from unsevered control shoots. Dry weight ratios of fine roots/leaves were similar in cut and control shoots, with the exception of B. nana. The fine root surface/leaf area ratios showed significant differences between control and cut shoots except in L. palustre. Without tedious rootlet extractions it should be possible to estimate fine root surface area from leaf area of L. palustre.
The rational effect of price promotions on sales and consumption

We explore the rational effect of price variation on sales and consumption in markets where consumers are uncertain about the future price of goods. We first derive an optimal ordering policy which expresses the amount a consumer should purchase and consume in a given period as a function of the observed price of the good, the distribution of future prices, and the nature of his or her inventory. This policy extends previous normative models of inventory control, such as those by Golabi 1985 and Kalymon 1970 to the case where the amount to consume in a given period is an explicit decision variable and prices follow a first-order stochastic process. We then use this model to explore how changes in the long-run frequency and temporal correlations of price promotions should normatively affect the contemporaneous relationship between purchase, consumption and price. Among the predictions which follow from the model are that consumption should rationally increase with the size of existing inventories, the short-term sensitivity of sales to prices should be greater than that of consumption to price, and this discrepancy increases with decreases in the temporal correlation of price deals and the long-term relative frequency of price deals.
Expression of a Cloned Human Interleukin-2 cDNA Is Enhanced by the Substitution of a Heterologous mRNA Leader Region

ABSTRACT A cloned interleukin-2 (IL-2) cDNA was poorly expressed in transfected eukaryotic cells. This low expression was only partly relieved by removal of the homopolymer tail present in the 5′ l...
Choice and development

The process of development creates a phenotype from one or more genotypes of an individual through interaction with an environment. The opportunity for development to choose a phenotype from a set of alternatives made possible by the individual's genotype(s) has not been widely considered in evolutionary computation. We briefly review recent research on developmental learning, dominance, and hybrid genetic algorithms that has investigated the role of choice in development. A new model of probabilistic development is presented based upon genotypes that encode the probabilities that the various alleles are expressed in the phenotype. The model outperforms a standard, binary haploid model on two families of single-peaked fitness functions in terms of average fitness. The standard model performed better on multi-peaked MAXSAT environments. More research is needed to fully evaluate the new model.
Analytical Prediction of Photo-Compton Emission Currents

An analytical procedure for describing vacuum photoemission from one dimensional materials more than one electron range thick has been developed. The magnitude, angular and energy distributions are expressed in terms of bulk Photo-Compton current information by algebraic formulae. A semi-empirical equation for the low energy component (<100 eV) is also presented. Comparison with experimental data is good, comparable to that obtained using more sophisticated Monte Carlo codes, except in extreme cases.
Sorption of oxytetracycline to iron oxides and iron oxide-rich soils.

The sorption interactions of oxytetracycline with goethite, hematite, and two iron oxide-rich soils were investigated using batch sorption experiments. Oxytetracycline sorption coefficients for goethite and hematite increased with pH to maximum values at pH ∼8. The sorption edge shape and desorption treatments were consistent with a surface complexation mechanism and could be described by the interaction of divalent anion species with the oxide surface. Oxytetracycline sorption to Georgeville and Orangeburg Ultisol soils decreased with pH. Chemical digestion treatments were used to deduce that soil sorption occurred by complexation to oxide coatings on clay and quartz grains. These results indicate that sorption models must consider the interaction of oxytetracycline, and other similar ionogenic compounds, with soil oxide components in addition to clays and organic matter when predicting sorption in whole soils.
Localization and characterization by quantitative autoradiography of [125I]LSD binding sites in rat brain

The binding of [125I]LSD in rat brain was characterized and localized by quantitative autoradiography. Frozen 32 μm thick brain sections were labeled in vitro with [125I]LSD and exposed for 24 h against LKB Ultrofilm to generate autoradiograms. Nonspecific binding was defined as the labelling in the presence of 1 μM d-LSD. Scatchard analysis by densitometry indicated that the binding of [125I]LSD was saturable, with a Kd of 0.2 nM. In agreement with the results of Hartig and co-workers [5,6], [125I]LSD showed a high affinity for 5-HT2 serotonin receptors with some overlap with D-2 dopamine receptors. High concentrations of [125I]LSD sites were observed in layer IV of the cerebral cortex, caudateputamen, claustrum, olfactory tubercle, nucleus accumbens, ependyma, mammillary nucleus and inferior olive. Co-incubation of sections with sulpiride to block binding to D-2 receptors resulted in a uniform 20–30% reduction in the amount of specific [125I]LSD binding, with no qualitative difference in the pattern of labeling. However, co-incubation with ketanserin to block 5-HT2 receptors resulted in a pattern of binding that was similar to previous descriptions of the location of D-2 receptors, with high levels of residual binding in caudate-putamen, olfactory tubercle, nucleus accumbens and inferior olive. Our results indicate that [125I]LSD is a suitable ligand for quantitative autoradiography of both 5-HT2 and D-2 receptors, and that there is a strong anatomical correspondence between these receptor subtypes, perhaps implying a functional interaction.
Energy dependence of the absorptive S-wave pion-nucleus optical potential

It is shown that the simplest two-body pion rescattering model for pion absorption in nuclei leads to a rapid increase with pion energy for the absorptive part of the S-wave pion-nucleus optical potential proportional to rho/sup 2/. The energy dependence is almost entirely due to the pion-nucleon rescattering amplitude and not to nuclear structure effects.
Vibrations of the tetrahedral AlCl4− ion in crystals: An estimation of crystal environmental effects on the spectra of the chloroaluminate ion in crystals

Force constans for AlCl4− in a series of alkali metal compound crystals were calculated using an orbital valence force field. The calculated force constants were utilized to estimate, by empirical methods, the spreads in AlCl bond lengths and ClAlCl angles caused by crystalline environmental effects. They are of the order of few hundredths of an angstrom and a few degrees, respectively. These variations are compared and correlated with the structure details available in the literature for these ions in crystals.
Defective processing of human adenovirus 2 late transcription unit mRNAs during abortive infections in monkey cells.

Abstract Growth of human adenoviruses is severely restricted in monkey cells. We examined the synthesis of mRNAs from the Ad2 late transcription unit (LTU) in abortively infected monkey cells at late times in infection. All L2, L3, and L5 mRNAs were absent or drastically reduced in abortive infections. Most L1 and L4 mRNAs were also greatly decreased in abortive infections; however, a single large messenger was produced from each of the L1 and L4 families, at levels approaching those found in productive infections. The pattern of i -leader containing mRNAs was also changed in abortive infections. These defects could be corrected in monkey cells by the presence of SV40 T antigen or an altered adenoviral DNA binding protein. These defects in late gene expression in abortive infections could not be attributed to differences in transcription along the LTU or levels of DNA replication. In abortively infected cells, nuclear levels of L5 mRNA were decreased 2 to 6 fold, while cytoplasmic levels were decreased over 200-fold. These findings imply a general defect in processing of viral mRNAs, most likely due to defective splicing and/or transport, during abortive infections.
Effect of foliar fungicides on aflatoxin, oil and protein content and maturing rate of peanut kernels.

Arachis hypogaea L. ‘Tifspan’ and ‘Florunner’ peanuts (groundnuts) were treated with selected foliar fungicides for control of Cercospora leafspot. Peanut fruits were harvested on three different dates and analysed for aflatoxin, oil and protein content and degree of maturity. No significant differences (P = <0.05) in aflatoxin incidence were associated with either fungicide treatments or harvest dates. Significant differences were observed, however, in the percentage protein and oil content of the peanut kernels, depending upon the fungicide treatment. Delayed maturity was caused by specific fungicide treatments.
Determinants of software piracy: economics, institutions, and technology

This paper determines the various influences on software piracy using a large sample of countries. In particular, our cross-sectional study estimates the effects of economic, institutional and technical factors on the piracy of software. A more comprehensive look at potential determinants of software piracy, including economic and non-economic factors, may be considered as the main contribution to a literature that is still in its infancy. Results show that a country’s stage of development and the quality of governance have the largest impact on the incidence of software piracy. Greater economic and political freedoms are shown to have opposite effects on piracy. Further, greater diffusion of the Internet and of computer technologies, other things equal, actually promote the legal use of software. Higher access prices also reduce piracy, with the impact of telephone charges being more pronounced than that of Internet access fees. There are significant variations in the impacts of different types of legal institutions and of fractionalization on piracy. The influence of digital divide between rural and urban areas does not significantly affect the piracy of software. Overall, economic, institutional, and technological factors exert important influences on software piracy, albeit with some qualitative and quantitative differences. Policy implications are discussed.
On the applicability of game theory to evolution: A response

Reijnders (1978) has criticized the application of game theory to evolutionary questions on the basis that we cannot expect organisms to behave as “intuitive statisticians”. He cites many references to demonstrate that Homo sapiens is not an organism capable of evaluating relationships of risk and uncertainty in order to improve its fitness. I have no doubt that such a conclusion is justified, but that is not the point of a game theoretic view of evolution nor is it the process by which evolution moves. Evolutionary change lies more precisely in the non-conscious, non-anticipatory nature of the genetic system and its interactions with the environment. The problem with game theory applications to biology is not that their initial assumptions are not met, i.e. that environment and genotype interact to give a “rational” heritable phenotype, but that, as is often the case, terms are misrepresented, as with the word strategy. This word has led people to look at natural decisions as “conscious” ones where a choice is made predicting future conditions from the present, and planning accordingly. This view, in essence, predates the Darwinian revolution and as such is no longer believed (Ghiselin, 1972). The confusion this term generates is unfortunate and unnecessary because all that need be done is to simply define a “strategy” as any one of a combination of phenotypes. The phenotypes which are best suited to the conditions that do, indeed, occur, then preferentially reproduce and dominate the next generation. A “strategy” has been successful because it was the best, or more precisely better than its competitors; natural selection has acted on “strategyphenotypes” that have been produced by chance. It cannot be overemphasized that this generation of strategies is stochastic and involves no element of conscious decision-making. The evolutionary process is best characterized by dynamic or inductive games, where the outcome of any strategy is unknown to the players. That is, knowledge of the game matrix is not assumed. Rapoport (1966) shows how once the game dynamic is described
Evaluation of GPFARM for dryland cropping systems in eastern Colorado

GPFARM is an ARS decision support system for strategic (long-term) planning. This study evaluated its performance for comparing alternative dryland no-till cropping systems and established limits of accuracy for eastern Colorado, using data collected in 1987 through 1999 from an ongoing long-term experiment at three locations along a gradient of potential evapotranspiration (PET) (Sterling, low PET; Stratton, medium PET; and Walsh, high PET). The crop rotations, which included winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), corn (Zea mays L.), sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.), and varying fallow periods, were wheat-fallow, wheat-corn-fallow, and wheat-corn-millet-fallow at Sterling and Stratton and wheat-fallow, wheat-sorghum-fallow, and wheat-sorghum-millet-fallow at Walsh. The ranges of relative error (RE) of simulated mean and root mean square error (RMSE) were total soil profile water content (RE: 0 to 23%; RMSE: 38 to 76 mm water), dry mass grain yield (RE: -27 to 84%; RMSE: 419 to 2567 kg ha -1 ), dry mass crop residue (RE: -5 to 42%; RMSE: 859 to 1845 kg ha -1 ), and total soil profile residual nitrate N (RE: - 42 to 32%; RMSE: 26 to 78 kg ha -1 ). GPFARM simulations agreed with observed trends and showed that productivity and water use efficiency increased with cropping intensification and that Stratton was the most productive and Walsh the least. GPFARM (v. 2.01) was less suited for year-to-year grain yield prediction under dryland conditions but has potential as a tool for studying long-term interactions between environment and crop management system. Future development and applications of GPFARM must account for crop-specific responses to stress, detailed hydrology, better understanding of root uptake processes, and spatial variability to give more accurate grain yield predictions in water-stressed environments.
Quantum dot-fluorescent protein pair as ratiometric pH sensor

ABSTRACT Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between a quantum dot (QD) and the pH-sensitive fluorescent protein mOrange has been used to develop a fluorescent pH-indicator that is bright and photostable enough for applications in fluorescence imaging, including the tracking of molecules through endocytic pathways. As the molar extinction coefficient of mOrange increases with pH, the ratio of the mOrange emission to the QD emission (F A /F D ) increases sharply, producing greater than 10-fold increases in the F A /F D ratio between pH 4.5 and 7.5. This probe has been thoroughly characterized and it intr acellular imaging potential explored.Keywords: Quantum dot, fluorescent protein, FRET, biosensor, pH sensor 1. INTRODUCTION Intracellular pH is an important modulator of cell function. Ev en very small changes in pH can trigger dramatic cellular responses, and a number of mechanisms finely regulate the pH of various sub-cellular domains [1] . Imaging intracellular pH with high spatial resolution could extend our insight into many physiological or pathogenic processes taking place within cells. Fluorescent indicators, most commonly fluorescei n and its derivatives, can be used to measure intracellular pH, but are typically not suited for precise quantification becau se single wavelength emitters provide no internal control for concentration. Thus, it is unclear whether a change in the brightness of the indicator is due to a change in local concentration, which is frequently exasperated by the leakage of the dyes, or is truly a result of a pH fluctuation
Isolation of glutathione from bovine thymus and its significance to research relevant to immune systems

Abstract A peptide was isolated from bovine thymus when a cAMP assay guided fractionation; it was glutathione. Pure glutathione (isolated and purchased) at 1, 10, 20, 40 and 100 μg/ml was active, P
Distortion and peak broadening in quasicrystal diffraction patterns.

In this paper, we discuss how quenched strains in phonon and phason variables and/or quenched dislocations can lead to peak broadening and distortion in quasicrystal diffraction patterns. We argue that high-resolution electron micrographs and observations of distortions in electron diffraction patterns indicate the presence of anisotropic strains in the phason variable in the icosahedral phase of Al-Mn and related alloys. Such strains also contribute to the x-ray peak widths and line shapes.
A Roundup of Articles Published in Recent Months

The nine papers selected for the "best of the month" cover a broad range of topics including adjuvant therapy, targeted therapy with epidermal growth factor or vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors, surgical approaches to lung cancer, and use of genomic profiles.
Similarity scoring methodology for comparing real-world cases to crash test standards

A National Automotive Sampling System–Crashworthiness Data System (NASS–CDS) based Similarity Scoring Methodology (SSM) is presented for the quantitative comparison of real-world crashes to crash tests. Using NASS–CDS 2000–2008, five categorical and five continuous crash, vehicle and occupant parameters were utilised for frontal and side impacts. Mahalanobis metric results revealed that 1% of frontal and 23% of side NASS–CDS cases scored received similarity scores of <0.14 demonstrating greater similarity to standard crash tests. These included 20,334 frontal and 442,511 side impact case occupants (weighted). On average, the best scores occurred for NASS–CDS cases compared to FMVSS 214 side crash tests. The majority of real-world crashes had lower delta-Vs and maximum crush than associated crash tests. The results will aid in the study of occupant safety and vehicle crashworthiness by helping researchers identify population groups to study real-world injuries versus the injury risk predicted by anthropomo...
Crystal chemistry and electrical properties of the delafossite structure

Abstract Over the past few decades, the field of transparent conducting oxides has undergone tremendous advances. With the rapid growth of optoelectronic applications related to display technologies, traditional materials such as Sn-doped indium oxide (ITO) are now widely used as transparent electrodes. In addition, with the advent of p -type transparent conductors, through the transparent pn -junction building block, a wide range of functional transparent optoelectronic devices have been demonstrated including UV-emitting diodes, UV-detectors, and transparent thin film transistors. This paper will highlight the unique characteristics of oxide materials based on the delafossite structure with a focus on the interrelationship between the chemistry, crystal structure, process conditions, and electrical and optical properties. The delafossite structure (ABO 2 ) is characterized by a layer of linearly coordinated A cations stacked between edge-shared octahedral layers (BO 6 ). The A-site cation is comprised of Pt, Pd, Ag, or Cu ions nominally in a monovalent state. The B-site cation can consist of most trivalent transition metals, group III elements, rare earths, or charge compensated pairs (e.g. B 2+ /B 4+ ). This layered structure leads to highly anisotropic physical properties. The crystal chemistry of the delafossite structure will be discussed in reference to phase stability, the stability of dopants, and the important physical properties such as the conductivity and optical transparency.
Collective Cognition and Collaborative Work: The Effects of Cognitive and Communicative Processes on the Organization of Television Production

Analysis of working discourse in the television production industries of the US and UK shows that, collaborative work processes affect both the organization and practices of television production. The complexities of such work are not merely the result of hierarchical and commercial constraints, but also result from the cognitive and communicative processes related to ongoing design, modification and fabrication of materials. Such interactive processes actually mitigate the effects of hierarchical authority. Participants' occupational expertise, including differing practical knowledge of constraints and administrative practices at various phases of production, affects their respective models of objectives, models of work procedures and interpretations of materials and working discourse. In order to understand materials and each other's comments, participants engage in collective cognition through which they develop, communicate and modify their respective occupationally framed mental models of materials, ...
Subadditive withdrawal from cocaine/κ-opioid agonist combinations in Planaria

Abstract We have previously developed and extensively characterized a convenient and sensitive metric for the quantification of withdrawal responses using Planaria. Planaria are particularly valuable for these studies because of their permeable exteriors and their relevant neurotransmitter systems (e.g., dopaminergic, opioid, and serotonergic). In the present study, we used this metric and mathematically rigorous joint-action analysis to investigate poly-drug withdrawal from fixed-ratio cocaine/κ-opioid agonist combinations. The D50 (concentration producing half-maximal effect) for cocaine and U-50,488H was 10.3 and 1.02 μg, respectively. The D50 for 19:1 or 1:19 combinations did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) from expected additive values (11.6 ± 3.0 vs. 9.9 ± 1.4 and 1.1 ± 0.2 vs. 1.5 ± 0.1, respectively), but the 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3 ratios did (34.5 ± 6.9 vs. 7.7 ± 1.1; 55.1 ± 10.0 vs. 5.7 ± 0.7; and 40.8 ± 8.9 vs. 3.3 ± 0.4, respectively), indicating subadditive interaction at these ratios. The finding of subadditivity in this model suggests that abstinence-induced withdrawal from the combination is less intense than that predicted from the individual drug potencies. The concept that certain combinations of drugs leads to attenuated withdrawal might generalize to humans.
A randomized clinical trial comparing advanced pneumatic truncal, chest, and arm treatment to arm treatment only in self-care of arm lymphedema

Treatment of the truncal lymphatics prior to treatment of the lymphedematous arm is an accepted, although not empirically tested, therapeutic intervention delivered during decongestive lymphatic therapy (DLT). Breast cancer survivors with arm lymphedema are encouraged to use these techniques when performing simple lymphatic drainage as part of their life-long lymphedema self-care. Self-massage is at times difficult and pneumatic compression devices are used by many patients to assist with self-care. One such device, the Flexitouch® System, replicates the techniques used during DLT; however, the need for application of pneumatic compression in unaffected truncal areas to improve self-care outcomes in arm only lymphedema is not established. The objective of this study was to compare the therapeutic benefit of truncal/chest/arm advanced pneumatic compression therapy (experimental group) verses arm only pneumatic compression (control group) in self-care for arm lymphedema without truncal involvement using the Flexitouch® System. Outcomes of interest were self-reported symptoms, function, arm impedance ratios, circumference, volume, and trunk circumference. Forty-two breast cancer survivors, (21 per group), with Stage II lymphedema completed 30 days of home self-care using the Flexitouch® System. Findings revealed a statistically significant reduction in both the number of symptoms and overall symptom burden within each group; however, there were no statistically significant differences in these outcomes between the groups. There was no statistically significant overall change or differential pattern of change between the groups in function. A statistically significant reduction in bioelectrical impedance and arm circumference within both of the groups was achieved; however, there was no statistically significant difference in reduction between groups. These findings indicate that both configurations are effective, but that there may be no added benefit to advanced pneumatic treatment of the truncal lymphatics prior to arm massage when the trunk is not also affected. Further research is indicated in a larger sample.
The Other Side of Placement Decisions Assessment of the Mainstream Learning Environment

This article explores the recommendation for assessment of mainstream learning environments in order to facilitate placement of mildly and moderately handicapped students. First, a six-point rationale for such assessment is presented. Next, three types of indicators for learning environment assessments are described, including indication of substantive modifications, more typical modifications, and curriculum anomalies in the local setting. Recommendations concerning who should conduct the assessment are presented, followed by suggestions for needed research in this area.
Periorbital marginotomies: Anatomy and applications

Summary The application of craniofacial techniques has led to a greater variety of methods for operative exposure. In the orbital region, the inferior marginotomy of Tessier is a valuable adjunct in the reconstruction of severe orbital floor fractures and their sequelae. This concept has been extended to the superior, lateral, and medial orbital rims to improve the exposure of the respective orbital wall. These marginotomies have been used for a variety of problems. There have been no complications related to the inclusion of a periorbital marginotomy, and its use in appropriate patients is strongly recommended.
CRYSTAL STRUCTURES OF [Ni(en)2(N02)]Cl (I) AND [cis-β-Ni(trien)(NO2)]ClO4 (II)

Abstract Compound (I) [Ni(en)2(NO2)]Cl, NiC4ClH16N5O2, has been synthesized and its crystal structure determined at 100 K. This compound crystallizes from a deionized water solution at 25°C. in the orthorhombic system space group Fdd2 (No. 43) with lattice constants: a = 18.219(3), b = 8.841(2), c = 12.924(1)A, V = 2081.6(5)A3 and MW = 260.37, Z = 8 d = 1.662mgm−3. A total of 3239 data were recorded over the range of 4° ≤ 2θ ≤ 60° of these, 3086 (unique and with I > l[sgrave](I)) were used in the structural analysis. Data were corrected for absorption. The final discrepancies in the refinement of the structure are RF = 0.057 and Rw = 0.072. Compound (II) [Ni(trien)(NO2)]C104, NiC6ClH18N5O6, has been synthesized and its crystal structure determined at room temperature. This compound crystallizes from a deionized water solution at 25°C, in the monoclinic system space group P21/n (No. 14) with lattice constants: a = 8.934(3), b = 12.705(8), c = 12.522(9)A, β = 90.33(4), V = 1421.4(14)A3 MW = 350.40, Z = 4, d...
Fabrication of polymer microsphere particle standards containing trace explosives using an oil/water emulsion solvent extraction piezoelectric printing process.

Abstract We present a methodology for fabricating polymer microspheres using inkjet printing of a biodegradable polymer containing either high explosives or high explosive simulant. Poly( dl -lactide/glycolide) 85:15 (PLGA) microsphere production is based on an oil/water emulsion solvent extraction process. The inkjet printing process allows for precise control of the microsphere diameter and the chemical composition. The microspheres can be used as calibrants or verification standards for explosives trace detection instruments. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis demonstrated that the composition of the microspheres was consistent with predicted concentrations based on the amount of analyte incorporated into the polymer solution and the inkjet operating parameters. We have demonstrated that the microspheres can be fabricated with a mass fraction of 70% of an analyte compound.
A clinical comparison of pathologic skin picking and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Abstract Background It has been hypothesized that pathologic skin picking (PSP) shares many of the same biological and phenomenological characteristics as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study sought to examine the clinical similarities between PSP and OCD. Method Demographic and clinical characteristic data were examined in a treatment-seeking sample of 53 PSP (mean age, 34.2 ± 13.1 years; 86.8% female) and 51 OCD (mean age, 36.5 ± 11.7 years; 35.3% female) subjects. Psychiatric comorbidity and family history data were also obtained. Results The PSP subjects were more likely to be female ( P P P P P = .001). Conclusion Although PSP and OCD share some clinical similarities, important differences exist and cast doubt on the conceptualization of PSP as simply a variant of OCD.
Comments from our Guest Editor

In the past couple of decades, two important domains of grammar have held a central position in the study of children's grammatical development. One is children's acquisition of aspect, in particul...
Morphological evolution of a submerged artificial nearshore berm along a low-wave microtidal coast, Fort Myers Beach, west-central Florida, USA

Abstract Nourishment in the nearshore is becoming an increasingly utilized method for regional sediment management, particularly for dredged material that contains more fine sediment than the native beach. A nearshore berm was constructed at Fort Myers Beach, Florida, USA using mixed-sized sediment dredged from a nearby channel. The nearshore berm, which is the shallowest of its kind, was placed in water depths between 1.2 and 2.4 m with the berm crest just below the mean lower low water level. Based on time-series profiles surveyed from 2009 to 2013, the nearshore berm migrated onshore while the system was approaching a dynamic equilibrium. The distant passage of two tropical storms in the third year generated exceptionally high waves for the study area. Substantial profile change induced by the energetic conditions contributed to rapid evolution of the berm profiles toward equilibrium. Near the end of the fourth year, the berm profiles had returned to the equilibrium shape characteristic of the study area. Gaps in the berm allowed water circulation when the berm became emergent and watercraft access to the beach for recreational purposes. Gaps should be considered as a design parameter for future berm nourishments. Sediment samples collected and analyzed showed that the fine sediment content in the original placed material was selectively transported and deposited offshore, while the coarser component moved onshore. The dry beach maintained the same sediment properties throughout the study period and was not influenced by the fine sediment in the initial construction of the berm.
Nearshore Phytoplankton of Hammond Bay, Lake Huron

Abstract To predict the effects of increased nutrient loading on nearshore phytoplankton populations in northern Lake Huron, we collected phytoplankton from a small, nearshore water intake at Hammond Bay four times per week from August 1973 to July 1975. Phytoplankton density, taxonomic composition, and biomass in the nearshore waters followed predictable, seasonal fluctuations during each of two 12-month periods. The density of total phytoplankton was high (450 to 650 cells/mL) in June and low (60 to 210 cells / mL) from January to April each year. The mean annual composition of the phytoplankton assemblage by number for the study period was 33% cryptomonads, 24% diatoms, 16% chrysophytes, 16% blue-green algae, and 10% green algae. Phytoplankton biomass was low throughout each year (range, 0.09 to 0.66 g/m 3 ), resembling values previously reported from Lake Superior. Pennate diatoms contributed 60 to 80% of the total biomass from December to April and in July. Phytoflagellates consisting of chrysophytes and cryptomonads accounted for 35% of the biomass throughout the 2-year study.
Glucose Transfer from Adenosine Diphosphate-Glucose to Starch in Preparations of Waxy Seeds

Preparation of starch granules from the developing seeds of 17 different waxy mutants of maize all transfer glucose from adenosine diphosphate-glucose to starch at about one-tenth of the rate of similar preparations from seeds of non-waxy maize. The source of most, if not all, of the activity in preparations from waxy mutants is a limited number of enzymatically active starch granules from the embryo and maternal tissue of the seed. All starch granules in these tissues appear to be enzymatically active. The endosperm which is the site of most starch synthesis and storage is apparently devoid of transferase activity.
Cognitive motivations associated with screening mammography in Cyprus.

Abstract Background This study examined the relationship between cognitive motivations, demographic characteristics, related preventive health behaviors, and intention to obtain a first screening mammogram among Greek Cypriot women. Methods This cross-sectional study took place at the outpatient clinics of the General Hospital of Nicosia during the fall of 1999. The participants were 293 women asymptomatic of breast cancer and with no previous mammographic experience. The Theory of Planned Behavior in conjunction with the construct of self-efficacy was used in the development of the questionnaire. The assessment also included demographic information, practice of other preventive health behaviors, and knowledge of breast cancer screening. Results Self-efficacy was the most significant determinant of initial screening mammography, followed by normative beliefs associated with the physician, family and close friends, and perceived behavioral control beliefs related to barriers to obtaining a mammogram. Educational level, time of last clinical breast examination, and status of breast self-examination were also strongly implicated in the explanation of initial screening mammography. Conclusions Insights into specific salient motivational cognitions and certain demographic characteristics or related preventive health behaviors are crucial to the development and implementation of effective intervention strategies.
On the asymptotic distribution of an estimate of a scale parameter

In an earlier paper, an estimate of an unknown scale parameter was proposed and shown to have certain desirable properties. The asymptotic distribution of a modified version of the estimate is found.
HIV-1 neuroimmunity in the era of antiretroviral therapy.

Abstract Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) can affect up to 50% of infected people during the disease course. While antiretroviral therapies have substantively increased the quality of life and reduced HIV-1-associated dementia, less severe minor cognitive and motor deficits continue. Trafficking of HIV-1 into the central nervous system (CNS), peripheral immune activation, dysregulated glial immunity, and diminished homeostatic responses are the disease-linked pathobiologic events. Monocyte–macrophage passage into the CNS remains an underlying force for disease severity. Monocyte phenotypes may change at an early stage of cell maturation and immune activation of hematopoietic stem cells. Activated monocytes are pulled into the brain in response to chemokines made as a result of glial inflammatory processes, which in turn, cause secondary functional deficits in neurons. Current therapeutic approaches are focused on adjunctive and brain-penetrating antiretroviral therapies. These may attenuate virus-associated neuroinflammatory activities thereby decreasing the severity and frequency of HAND.
Minimum Correlation Spreading Codes Design

Inter symbol interference (ISI) and multiple access interference (MAI) appear in code division multiple access systems when the spreading codes are not orthogonal. ISI and MAI are function of the auto and cross correlation values of the spreading codes. In this paper we investigate the tradeoff between auto and cross correlation properties; we formulate the optimum solution for both cases, transform the problem from multi-criterion to single criterion optimization problem, then formulate the dual problem, and find the optimal tradeoff solution where minimum auto and cross correlation values are attained. Minimum Correlation codes show a great enhancement in performance compared to Hadamard codes.
Craniolacunia diagnosed prenatally.

Two cases of craniolacunia in utero are reported and the literature reviewed.—The diagnosis of craniolacunia is rarely made prenatally. A review of all pelvimetry studies performed during one year in a large hospital showed only one case of craniolacunia in utero. None of 21 cases of infants with large myelomeningocele showed changes of craniolacunia prenatally. The associated congenital anomalies as demonstrated in the two cases tends to further support the theory of developmental defect as the etiology of craniolacunia.
The impact of OBRA on shareholder wealth

Market-return data and a multivariate regression model are used to investigate the impact of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA) on the wealth of shareholders of firms sponsoring overfunded and underfunded pension plans during the period surrounding the passage of OBRA. Assuming semistrong market efficiency, a reduction in the pension insurance effect associated with the passage of OBRA was hypothesized to have a negative impact on the security prices of all plan sponsors. In general, the market reacted unfavorably to sponsors of both overfunded and underfunded defined-benefit pension plans when OBRA was introduced. However, the market reaction varied as a function of the funding-level change during the period preceding passage of the Act.
Relative perturbation bounds for the unitary polar factor

LetB be anm×n (m≥n) complex (or real) matrix. It is known that there is a uniquepolar decomposition B=QH, whereQ*Q=I, then×n identity matrix, andH is positive definite, providedB has full column rank. Existing perturbation bounds suggest that in the worst case, for complex matrices the change inQ be proportional to the reciprocal ofB's least singular value, or the reciprocal of the sum ofB's least and second least singular values if matrices are real. However, there are situations where this unitary polar factor is much more accurately determined by the data than the existing perturbation bounds would indicate. In this paper the following question is addressed: how much mayQ change ifB is perturbed to\(\tilde B = D_1^* BD_2 \), whereD 1 andD 2 are nonsingular and close to the identity matrices of suitable dimensions? It is shown that for a such kind of perturbation, the change inQ is bounded only by the distances fromD 1 andD 2 to identity matrices and thus is independent ofB's singular values. Such perturbation is restrictive, but not unrealistic. We show how a frequently used scaling technique yields such a perturbation and thus scaling may result in better-conditioned polar decompositions.
An investigation into the protective effect of various salts on the acid inactivation of human serum butyrylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8)

Human serum butyrylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8) loses 100% of its activity toward butyrylthiocholine in 60 min atpH 3.0. This deactivation is retarded by 1.37 M ammonium sulfate to a loss of 40% after 60 min atpH 3.0. Reneutralization experiments suggest that the mechanism for this acid inactivation does not exclusively involve hydrolysis of peptide bonds or protonation of the enzyme's active site. Studies with different anions and cations demonstrate that the order of their effectiveness as protective agent against acid inactivation closely follows the Hofmeister series. No relationship was found between catalytic activation or inhibition by salt and protection from acid inactivation. Ultraviolet difference studies at 288 nm with enzyme brought topH 2.7 frompH 8.0 in the presence and absence of 1.37 M ammonium sulfate demonstrated no change in UV absorbance with ammonium sulfate present and approximately a 0.15 ODU rise in absorbance in the absence of ammonium sulfate. These results suggest that acidicpH conditions result in deactivating stereochemical changes in the active site of butyrylcholinesterase and that certain anions and cations, according to the Hofmeister series, are able to protect the enzyme from acid inactivation by stabilizing the active conformation of its active site.
Traits of the invasive Centaurea maculosa and two native grasses: effect of N supply

The Eurasian forb Centaurea maculosa (Lam.; spotted knapweed) has invaded millions of hectares of semi-arid grasslands in western North America. It readily colonizes disturbed areas, but also invades pristine grasslands. C. maculosa's success could be attributed to greater use, or more efficient use, of available soil nitrogen (N). Soil N often limits growth on semi-arid grasslands. Greater or more efficient use of soil N by C. maculosa, if this occurred, may inhibit establishment, survival, or reproduction of native grasses. In a glasshouse, C. maculosa and two native grasses, Pseudoroegneria spicata [Scribn. and Smith] A. Love and Pascopyrum smithii [Rybd.] A. Love, were grown in mixed- and monoculture for 8 weeks to determine growth response to two soil N supplies, which mimicked low and high N mineralization rates in semi-arid grasslands. At the end of the 8 weeks, plants were exposed to 15N-labeled nitrate for 24 h, and harvested to compare uptake of NO3 −. C. maculosa's growth response to N indicated that it was more competitive for N than the tussock grass P. spicata, but less competitive than the rhizomatous grass P. smithii. C. maculosa used nitrogen less efficiently than both of these native grasses. C. maculosa roots took up more 15N per unit root mass than the grasses, but acquired less N than P. smithii because P. smithii had greater root mass than C. maculosa. Total biomass and 15N uptake of C. maculosa varied depending on which species it was growing with. C. maculosa's success cannot be explained wholly by greater or more efficient use of soil N than that of the native grasses with which it competes.