cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disease-Modifying Pharmacological Therapies for Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis

Transthyretin-related cardiac amyloidosis is a disease that is poorly understood and challenging to manage; however, pharmacotherapeutic developments in recent years has raised awareness and promoted earlier diagnosis. Transthyretin protein is a thyroid hormone-binding protein which transports thyroxine from the bloodstream to the brain, and cardiac involvement is either acquired or hereditary. This protein can misfold and lead to abnormal fibril formation, causing the extracellular deposition of ATTR into the heart. Further fibril deposition leads to irreversible organ dysfunction. Disease-modifying pharmacological therapies can be divided into three categories: ATTR stabilizers (diflunisal, tafamidis, and AG10), ATTR silencers (patisiran and inotersen), and ATTR disruptors (doxycycline and ursodeoxycholic acid and polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin gallate). This manuscript reviews these emerging pharmacological treatments available and under study for ATTR cardiac amyloidosis.
Focused Laser Differential Interferometry with Contoured Tunnel Windows

A unique focused laser differential interferometry (FLDI) configuration designed to work with contoured windows was developed for use with the Boeing/U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research Ma...
A sulfobetaine zwitterionic polymer–drug conjugate for multivalent paclitaxel and gemcitabine co-delivery

A zwitterionic polymer-drug conjugate (ZPDC) strategy is developed for the co-delivery of paclitaxel (PTX) and gemcitabine (GEM) chemotherapeutics, as well as a near-infrared fluorescence imaging agent cyanine5.5 (Cy5.5). The well-defined ZPDC is synthesized by tandem azide-alkyne and thiol-ene click functionalization of a biodegradable acetylenyl/allyl-functionalized polylactide and zwitterionic character is conferred by sulfobetaine. It has a number-average molecular weight of 53.6 kDa, comprising 6.5% PTX and 17.7% GEM by weight. Cy5.5 moieties are readily introduced to the ZPDC via conjugation. In aqueous solutions, the ZPDC exhibits a hydrodynamic diameter of 46 nm. In vitro MIA PaCa-2 human pancreatic cancer cells show strong ZPDC cellular uptake and cytotoxicity. In mice, the ZPDC exhibits long blood circulation, effective tumor accumulation, biocompatibility, therapeutic effect, and integrated imaging capacity. Overall, this work illustrates that ZPDCs are promising systems for chemotherapy delivery and bioimaging applications.
Evolution: The genetics of trait evolution in cavefish.

Summary Albino cavefish sleep less than their pigmented siblings. A recent study used CRISPR–Cas9-directed mutation to establish unambiguously that loss of function of a single gene, ocular and cutaneous albinism2, underlies both phenotypes, one morphological, the other behavioral.
History of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Its Ethical Dimensions.

Physical medicine and rehabilitation has developed into a medical specialty that aims to restore optimal patient function in multiple dimensions of life with an interdisciplinary approach to care delivery.
Vitamin A receptors. II. Characteristics of retinol binding in chick retina and pigment epithelium.

Abstract Gel filtration studies demonstrate that retinol receptors of chick retinal and pigment epithelial cytosols are (1) of very similar nature (2) of small molecular size (about 18 000 daltons) and are different in character from serum proteins. Citral inhibits the binding of [ 3 H] retinol to the retinal 2 S receptor. Retinol acetate competes with retinol for binding to 2 S receptor in both retina and pigment epithelium whereas retinol palmitate is an effective competitor only in the pigment epithelium. Dithiothreitol maximizes 2 S binding in retina and pigment epithelial cytosol; its absence does not lead to receptor aggregation however. A limited number of high affinity binding sites (2 S receptor) appear to be present in retina and pigment epithelium. A 5 S binding species is also present in pigment epithelium; it is similar in character to [ 3 H] retinol binding in serum and may arise from serum contamination of the pigment epithelial preparation. Binding affinity in retina is high with possibly two classes of retinol binding sites present of K D about 1·10 −9 and 4·10 −8 .
CLOSED CONDUIT TO OPEN CHANNEL STILLING BASIN

Criteria have been developed for designing a stilling basin to serve as a transition from closed conduit flow to open channel flow for a fully submerged pipe outlet. The unique feature of the stilling basin is the short-pipe energy dissipater so located and designed as to provide maximum energy dissipation for the basin configuration. The expanding characteristics of a submerged jet were used in establishing the length of the stilling basin. The unsteadiness of the water surface and the relative boil height in the model basin were used as the criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the structure for energy dissipation. Relations between the tailwater depth, the outlet flume floor elevation, the height of boils in the stilling basin, the width of the stilling basin, and the amount of freeboard have been studied. The interrelationships among these variables have been shown graphically.
A student model for object-oriented design and programming

"Objects-first" is an increasingly popular strategy for teaching object-oriented programming by introducing the concepts of objects, classes, and instances before procedural elements of a programming language. Learning object-oriented design and programming is a challenging task for many beginning students. We represent CIMEL ITS, which is an intelligent tutoring system that provides one-on-one tutoring to help beginners learn object-oriented analysis and design, using elements of UML before implementing any code. We also present a three-layered Student Model which supports adaptive tutoring by inferring the problem-specific knowledge state from student solutions, the historical knowledge state of the student and cognitive reasons about why the student makes an error.
A New Method for Improved Delay Characterization of VLSI Logic

A new method is described which allows determination of Ton and Toff delays of logic gates on VLSI chips as function of load by frequency measurements, that means with automatic testsystems and computer aided evaluation.
A heuristic model of mental depression derived from basic and applied research on thyrotropin-releasing hormone.

Recent clinical reports have shown that intrathecal administration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) can induce 2 to 3 day remissions of major depression more reliably than i.v. administration. Although clinically impractical, these remissions are rapid, occur within hours, and they survive at least one night's sleep. TRH and related peptides have regulatory effects in the limbic forebrain. Electroconvulsive shock (ECS) in rats induces synthesis of TRH in multiple subcortical limbic and frontal cortical regions, which are known in humans to be involved in both depression and in sleep. The increases in TRH and related peptides are regionally specific. The quantitative TRH increases in individual limbic regions have been correlated with the amount of forced-swimming done by the individual animal after ECS. Intraperitoneal TRH also gives a positive response in this test, as do all effective antidepressants. This article provides a heuristic framework for interdisciplinary neuroscientific study of the interrelated fields of depression and sleep, with a focus on TRH. Preclinical data suggest that glutamatergic, subcortical limbic circuits contain TRH and related peptides as inhibitory cotransmitters that may normally restrain glutamatergic hyperactivity. It is suggested that, in depression, pathologically overdriven glutamatergic circuits escape inhibitory regulation by TRH. This escape is especially pronounced during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and these phenomena may explain the prolonged latency of antidepressant treatment.
Stationary reflection in extender models

Working in L(E), we examine which large cardinal properties ofimply that all stationary subsets of cof(<�)\ � + reflect.
Learner preferences and prior knowledge in learner-controlled computer-based instruction

This study examined the effects of prior knowledge, learner preference for control, and type of control (learner or program) on the achievement of middle-school students in a computer-based instructional program on adding and subtracting integers. Students were blocked by preference-for-control scores and randomly assigned to either a learner-control or program-control version of instruction. A significant three-way interaction (prior knowledge × preference scores × type of control) revealed that students with high prior knowledge achieved better on the posttest when their preference for control was matched with the type of control they received, whereas students with low prior knowledge achieved better when their preference was mismatched. A significant three-way interaction on attitude reflected the same pattern found in the interaction for achievement scores. The overall results indicate that matching learner preference to the type of program they receive is an effective strategy for high-prior-knowledge students but not for those with low prior knowledge.
The solubilization of HLA antigens with detergents and partial characterization of the antigen-detergent complexes.

Abstract The A and B antigens specified by loci within the human HLA genetic complex have been solubilized with sodium deoxycholate and Triton X-100 from the membranes of lymphoblastoid cell lines and surgically-obtained human spleen fragments. These detergents have been evaluated in terms of their cytolytic effects on viable cell suspensions and their ability to solubilize both total membrane protein and HLA serologic activity. Both detergents were effective reagents for the solubilization of HLA serologic activity when used above their critical micelle concentrations (CMC). Aggregation of deoxycholate solubilized HLA antigens occurred when the concentration of the detergent was adjusted to concentrations below the CMC. Hydrodynamic parameters for HLA-A and B-deoxycholate complexes have been evaluated by column chromatography and sucrose density-gradient centrifugation. The predominant molecular species for both HLA-A and B-deoxycholate complexes were characterized as having Stokes' radii of 41 ± 1.5 A and apparent sedimentation coefficients of 4.2 ± 0.2 s. Larger molecular species were also noted.
Early and Late Effects of Growth Hormone on the Metabolism of Glucose in Adipose Tissue

The effect of growth hormone on the metabolism of glucose by adipose tissue was measured in vitro at various intervals after the administration of growth hormone (50 μg) in vivo to hypophysectomized rats. Thirty min after growth hormone administration U-14C glucose uptake, oxidation to CO2, and incorporation into fatty acids were doubled. This effect of growth hormone was reduced 1 hr after administration, and at 3½ hr opposite effects were observed: glucose uptake and fatty acid synthesis were reduced. Twentyfour hr after growth hormone, the metabolism of glucose was still inhibited, as evidenced by decreased uptake and oxidation of glucose and incorporation of its carbons into fatty acids. Three and one half hr after growth hormone injection the response of adipose tissue to growth hormone added in vitro was abolished. Administration of actinomycin D to these rats 1-2 hr before growth hormone was injected reversed the inhibitory effects of growth hormone on the metabolism of glucose and the response to ...
What is Basic about Basic Emotions? Lasting Lessons from Affective Neuroscience

A cross-species affective neuroscience strategy for understanding the primary-process (basic) emotions is defended. The need for analyzing the brain and mind in terms of evolutionary stratification...
Surface Expression of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Mutant ΔF508 Is Markedly Upregulated by Combination Treatment with Sodium Butyrate and Low Temperature

Abstract The ΔF508 gene mutation prevents delivery of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) to the plasma membrane. The current study examines the biochemical basis for the upregulation of ΔF508 CFTR expression by sodium butyrate and low temperature. Surface CFTR protein expression was determined by quantitative immunoblot following surface biotinylation and streptavidin extraction. CF gene expression was measured by Northern analysis and CFTR function by forskolin-stimulated 125I efflux. Butyrate increased ΔF508 mRNA levels and protein expression but did not increase the biochemical or functional expression of ΔF508 CFTR at the cell surface. Low temperature increased the biochemical and functional expression of ΔF508 CFTR at the cell surface but did not increase CFTR mRNA levels. Combining treatments led to a synergistic increase in both ΔF508 mRNA and surface protein levels that results from the stabilization of CFTR mRNA and protein by low temperature. These findings indicate that surface expression of ΔF508 CFTR can be markedly enhanced by carefully selected combination agents.
Cracking mechanisms in lithiated silicon thin film electrodes

Abstract The massive cracking of silicon thin film electrodes in lithium ion batteries is associated with the colossal volume changes that occur during lithiation and delithiation cycles. However, the underlying cracking mechanism or even whether fracture initiates during lithiation or delithiation is still unknown. Here, we model the stress generation in amorphous silicon thin films during lithium insertion, fully accounting for the effects of finite strains, plastic flow, and pressure-gradients on the diffusion of lithium. Our finite element analyses demonstrate that the fracture of lithiated silicon films occurs by a sequential cracking mechanism which is distinct from fracture induced by residual tension in conventional thin films. During early-stage lithiation, the expansion of the lithium-silicon subsurface layer bends the film near the edges, and generates a high tensile stress zone at a critical distance away within the lithium-free silicon. Fracture initiates at this high tension zone and creates new film edges, which in turn bend and generate high tensile stresses a further critical distance away. Under repeated lithiation and delithiation cycles, this sequential cracking mechanism creates silicon islands of uniform diameter, which scales with the film thickness. The predicted island sizes, as well as the abrupt mitigation of fracture below a critical film thickness due to the diminishing tensile stress zone, is quantitatively in good agreement with experiments.
Constraints on disordered locomotion A dynamical systems perspective on spastic cerebral palsy

Abstract Upper motor neuron disorders (UMN) result in abnormal movement patterns that are due to spasticity, weakness, cocontraction of muscles, inappropriate timing of muscle activations in relation to maximal mechanical advantage, and changes in the mechanical properties of muscles and connective tissues. Since many of the patterns observed in gait are reminiscent of immature patterns in non-disabled toddlers, prolonged abnormal patterns are often viewed as a failure of normal neural maturation. Since the 1960's the emphasis of therapeutic interventions has been to ‘normalize’ the movement pattern through a variety of neurotherapeutic techniques. The efforts have met with limited success. Recently there have been a number of publications that have emphasized the possibility that the observed patterns may develop or be functional adaptations to a neural system that is not ‘normal’, and that the observed movement patterns in pathological populations may be normal and optimal for that system (Fetters, 1991; Holt, 1993; Latash and Anson, in press; Winter et al., 1990). Some authors have emphasized that alternative patterns develop and are facilitated by redundancy in the motor system (Latash and Anson, in press). Our emphasis has been to pursue the notion that pattern development and functional adaptations in locomotion are driven by the underlying dynamics of the task and the dynamic resources available to the individual. We use a model developed within the dynamical systems framework, the force-driven, pendulum-spring model of locomotion, to parse out the energy forms that are needed for continued oscillations, and relate the energy forms to the dynamics that are available to a disordered system, specifically, spastic cerebral palsy (CP). We then attempt to relate the available dynamics to the observed gait patterns. In this way, we seek to understand ordered and disordered gaits as alternative functional solutions to the dynamical requirements for continued cycling of a periodically forced oscillator. The implications of the theoretical model and experimental findings are discussed with respect to therapeutic intervention, and the dynamical systems approach.
A Statistical Analysis of a Counseling-Teaching Instrument

Readers of this Journal for the past several years have been kept up to date on the development of the business communication program at the University of Houston. This article describes and evaluates a testing procedure used to pre dict student performance in the basic business communication course.
A clinically relevant assessment of posterior cruciate ligament and posterolateral corner injuries. Evaluation of isolated and combined deficiency.

Background: The treatment of symptomatic posterior cruciate ligament injuries of the knee is controversial. Identification of concomitant injuries of the posterolateral corner is important to optimize surgical and clinical outcomes, although this diagnosis is sometimes difficult. The purpose of this study was to determine the physical examination and stress radiography parameters of isolated injuries of the posterior cruciate ligament and combined injuries of the posterior cruciate ligament and posterolateral corner. Our hypothesis was that Grade-3 posterior drawer laxity is an indicator of a concomitant injury of the posterolateral corner. Methods: Ten pairs of cadaver knees (a total of twenty knees) were evaluated with posterior drawer testing, dial testing, and stress radiography. Stress radiography was performed by applying a 200-N posterior drawer at 90° of knee flexion. The knees were tested while intact and then retested following the sequential resection of the posterior cruciate ligament followed by the posterolateral corner structures. Results: All intact specimens were rated as Grade 0 on posterior drawer testing. Sectioning of the posterior cruciate ligament resulted in Grade-2 posterior drawer in all specimens. The additional resection of the posterolateral corner resulted in Grade-3 posterior drawer in all specimens. Dial testing of the intact knees resulted in a mean (and standard error) of 10.5° ± 1.0° and 10.5° ± 0.80° of external rotation at 30° and 90°, respectively. This increased significantly to 15.1° ± 1.1° and 16.2° ± 0.89°, respectively, following sectioning of the posterior cruciate ligament (p < 0.05). After resection of the posterolateral corner, rotation was further increased to a mean of 21.6° ± 1.5° at 30° and 27.5° ± 1.6° at 90° (p < 0.05). On stress radiography, the average posterior displacements measured 2.9 ± 0.5 mm in the intact specimens, 12.7 ± 1.0 mm after resection of the posterior cruciate ligament, and 22.3 ± 1.6 mm after the additional resection of the posterolateral corner (p < 0.05). The corrected posterior displacement, calculated by subtracting the displacement in the intact knees, was 9.8 mm after resection of the posterior cruciate ligament and 19.4 mm after the additional resection of the posterolateral corner. Conclusions: A grade of 3 on posterior drawer testing and >10 mm of posterior tibial translation on stress radiography correlate with the presence of a posterolateral corner injury in addition to a complete disruption of the posterior cruciate ligament. Clinical Relevance: Detection of grade-3 posterior drawer on physical examination should alert the examiner to the presence of a posterolateral corner injury.
Pesticide use and fatal injury among farmers in the Agricultural Health Study

To assess whether pesticide use practices were associated with injury mortality among 51,035 male farmers from NC and IA enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study. We used Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age and state to estimate fatal injury risk associated with self-reported use of 49 specific pesticides, personal protective equipment, specific types of farm machinery, and other farm factors collected 1–15 years preceding death. Cause-specific mortality was obtained through linkage to mortality registries. We observed 338 injury fatalities over 727,543 person-years of follow-up (1993–2008). Fatal injuries increased with days/year of pesticide application, with the highest risk among those with 60+ days of pesticide application annually [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.87; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.10, 3.18]. Chemical-resistant glove use was associated with decreased risk (HR = 0.73; 95% CI = 0.58, 0.93), but adjusting for glove use did not substantially change estimates for individual pesticides or pesticide use overall. Herbicides were associated with fatal injury, even after adjusting for operating farm equipment, which was independently associated with fatal injury. Ever use of five of 18 herbicides (2,4,5-T, paraquat, alachlor, metribuzin, and butylate) were associated with elevated risk. In addition, 2,4-D and cyanazine were associated with fatal injury in exposure–response analyses. There was no evidence of confounding of these results by other herbicides. The association between application of pesticides, particularly certain herbicides, and fatal injuries among farmers should be interpreted cautiously but deserves further evaluation, with particular focus on understanding timing of pesticide use and fatal injury.
The value of attention aware systems in educational settings

Research on human attention has provided designers with a wealth of information on conditions that promote effective information delivery. Attention aware systems attempt to apply those principles during computer-delivered experiences. These systems can track user interactions with computer presentations, dynamically updating interfaces and content to facilitate user focus on important material. Because the resources necessary to design and implement attention aware systems are not trivial, it is critical to outline the utility of these systems for applicable domains. In this article, the implications of such systems for educational settings are discussed. Attention aware systems may prove useful for teaching diverse learners, assessing student performance, providing feedback during curriculum development, and adding value to computer-assisted teaching methodologies. The implications described in this article are intended as a starting point for collaborative work on the application of attention aware systems to everyday educational settings.
Observed effect of an eddy on inertial oscillations

Abstract Of the many current measurements made by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, one set, made at Site D, 39°N, 70°W, in the fall of 1969, has a double peak in its energy spectrum, one on each side of the local inertial frequency. Coincident with these current records were expendable bathythermograph and infra-red aircraft observations indicating the presence of an anticyclonic eddy that drifted through the observing site. The observed split in the inertial peak of the current records is attributed to variations in the effective inertial frequency caused by the vertical component of vorticity associated with the eddy.
Carboxylic Acid-Functionalized Conductive Polypyrrole as a Bioactive Platform for Cell Adhesion

Electroactive polymers such as polypyrrole (PPy) are highly attractive for a number of biomedical applications, including their use as coatings for electrodes or neural probes and as scaffolds to induce tissue regeneration. Surface modification of these materials with biological moieties is desired to enhance the biomaterial-tissue interface and to promote desired tissue responses. Here, we present the synthesis and physicochemical characterization of poly(1-(2-carboxyethyl)pyrrole) (PPyCOOH), a PPy derivative that contains a chemical group that can be easily modified with biological moieties at the N-position of the polymer backbone. FTIR, XPS, and fluorescence microscopy were used to demonstrate the successful incorporation of carboxylic acid (-COOH) functionality into PPy materials, and a four-point probe analysis was used to demonstrate electrical conductivity in the semiconductor range. Human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) cultured on PPyCOOH films surface-modified with the cell-adhesive Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif demonstrated improved attachment and spreading. Thus, PPyCOOH could be useful in developing PPy composites that contain a variety of biological molecules as bioactive conducting platforms for specific biomedical purposes.
Transformation of broadcasts into propagations in systolic algorithms

Abstract A major problem for the automatic mapping of algorithms onto parallel architectures is that many algorithms possess data dependences that cannot be realized directly on the available physical interconnections. In this paper, one particular class of such data dependences in recurrence algorithms, called data sharing or broadcast, is considered. A data routing scheme called propagation, which can be directly implemented on regularly connected processor arrays, is presented. It is shown that all broadcasts can be systematically transformed into propagations.
Preservice teachers’ reflections on their growth in an inquiry-oriented science pedagogy course

This study reports on student experiences in an inquiry-oriented elementary science. methods course. Students in this course designed and conducted an independent investigation, and then adapted that investigation to develop an inquiry-oriented lesson and a corresponding performance assessment. Students’ written reflections expressed increased understanding of inquiry-oriented science and stronger confidence in their ability to use these methods in their future classrooms.
The Connubial Relationship Between Market Orientation and Entrepreneurial Orientation

Research examining the relationship between market orientation (MO) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) has recently received considerable attention in both the marketing and the management literature. To date, most academic studies have treated EO and MO as separate constructs. Here, we argue that both EO and MO reside in a single coexisting network. Unlike past research, a reverse moderation from one MO construct (i.e., Intelligence Generation) is found in the mediated EO network (Proactiveness → Risk-Taking Propensity → Innovativeness). We also find that our mediated EO is directly related to a market-oriented dimension (i.e., Responsiveness). Furthermore, we examine some hidden relational links between the operational dimensions of MO and EO in order to unwrap the structural nature of correlations between the two constructs. Practical implications are discussed along with some important theoretical recommendations.
A study of the influence upon the spatial vectorcardiogram of localized destruction of the myocardium of dog.

Abstract Superficial myocardial destruction was performed, in acute experiments, on 27 dogs by burning with soldering iron, torch, or electrocautery and by pericardial instillation of formaldehyde. The effect on the QRSsE loop of superficial localized myocardial loss was either not detectable or, more often, led to the appearance of a small deformity in the direction predicted by present-day electrocardiographic concepts. Similarly, shifts in S-T vectors and orientation of TsE loops, when recorded, were in the predicted direction. The use of a fixative, such as formaldehyde, is suggested as a possible means of producing acute and relatively discrete lesions in the study of the relations between the anatomic site and the electrical activity of cardiac muscle.
Convection at the Entrance of Micropipes With Sudden Wall Temperature Change

Transient heat convection in a circular microchannel for hydrodynamically fully developed and thermally developing flow conditions is analytically solved by the integral transform and the Laplace transform techniques. A prescribed wall temperature boundary condition is assumed. The effects of velocity slip, temperature jump, and viscous heating are investigated. The results confirm that the viscous heating effects increase the Nusselt number for the specified conditions.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Partial Purification of Pemphigus-related Epidermal Antigens

Epidermal antigens partially purified by either isoelectric focusing (the pH 5.2 peak) or concanavalin A (Con A) affinity chromatography react with Con A in tube precipitation reactions. Bands of identity between crude skin antigens, the Con A affinity antigens eluted with α-methyl glucoside and the pH 5.2 peak are formed in Ouchterlony gel with rabbit antisera (Rab) to the pH 5.2 antigen. Absorption of Rab or pemphigus antibodies (Pab) with A+ erythrocytes does not affect complement fixation reactions of Rab with the skin antigen nor abolish the ability of Pab to interact with the intercellular cement. The pH 5.2 epidermal antigens react weakly with Pab in tube precipitation reactions and only weakly, if at all, to inhibit Pab reactions in the region of the intercellular cement. High concentrations of Con A inhibit the Pab, peroxidase-anti-IgG tissue reaction whereas the converse inhibition does not occur. Simultaneous use of both Pab and Con A-perodixase reactions at Con A concentrations which do not inhibit Pab, causes enhanced tissue peroxidase reactions in the region of the intercellular cement. These preliminary data indicate that the Pab and Con A-reacting sites are localized on different molecules or antigenic determinants in the intercellular cement. They exclude the possibility that A-blood substances are involved in either site.
Nanomedicine: elastic clues in cancer detection.

In vitro nanomechanical studies have shown that cultured cancer cells are elastically softer than healthy ones, and new measurements on cells from cancer patients suggest that this mechanical signature may be a powerful way to detect cancer in the clinic.
The reflection method in elasticity and bending of plates

One obvious test to which the reflection method must be subjected in order to evaluate its merits is a comparison with the finite difference approach. Concerning the number of simultaneous equations which must be solved, the reflection method seems to be more advantageous since its equations correspond to a net of points which lie on the boundary and has one dimension less than the space which it encloses. Thus, if the same “net fineness”, i.e., the same distance,h, between adjacent points in the net, is used in the two methods, the ratio of the number of equations in the finite difference method to the number in the reflection method would be approximately (A/2 p h), whereA represents the area (or volume) of the body andp the length (or area) of its boundary. For reasonably accurate results, one should takeh 1. On the other hand, it must be recognized that the finite difference method yields a matrix which is more nearly diagonal.
Expected Improvements in the Quantitative Remote Sensing of Optically Complex Waters with the Use of an Optically Fast Hyperspectral Spectrometer—A Modeling Study

Using simulated data, we investigated the effect of noise in a spaceborne hyperspectral sensor on the accuracy of the atmospheric correction of at-sensor radiances and the consequent uncertainties in retrieved water quality parameters. Specifically, we investigated the improvement expected as the F-number of the sensor is changed from 3.5, which is the smallest among existing operational spaceborne hyperspectral sensors, to 1.0, which is foreseeable in the near future. With the change in F-number, the uncertainties in the atmospherically corrected reflectance decreased by more than 90% across the visible-near-infrared spectrum, the number of pixels with negative reflectance (caused by over-correction) decreased to almost one-third, and the uncertainties in the retrieved water quality parameters decreased by more than 50% and up to 92%. The analysis was based on the sensor model of the Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) but using a 30-m spatial resolution instead of HICO’s 96 m. Atmospheric correction was performed using Tafkaa. Water quality parameters were retrieved using a numerical method and a semi-analytical algorithm. The results emphasize the effect of sensor noise on water quality parameter retrieval and the need for sensors with high Signal-to-Noise Ratio for quantitative remote sensing of optically complex waters.
Higher Body Mass Index Leads to Longer Operative Time in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Obesity has been shown to be a risk factor for degenerative knee arthritis and its incidence is increasing in epidemic proportions. Obesity has also been shown to be a risk factor for surgical complications associated with total knee replacement (TKR) surgery. There have been no prior investigations examining the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and surgical time during TKR. Two hundred and seventy three patients were evaluated and stratified by BMI. There was a direct linear relationship between BMI and operative time. In addition, the higher the BMI group, the younger the age at surgery, and obese class III patients experienced a higher rate of early post-operative complication. Therefore, patients should be counseled that obesity prior to TKR surgery might lead to a longer operative time and any sequelae associated with further exposure of the operative wound, especially with regard to higher rates of prosthetic joint infection (PJI).
Aggregation formation in the polyglutamine diseases: Protection at a cost?

Mutant protein aggregation is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, including the polyglutamine disorders. Although the correlation between aggregation formation and disease pathology originally suggested that the visible inclusions seen in patient tissue might directly contribute to pathology, additional studies failed to confirm this hypothesis. Current opinion in the field of polyglutamine disease research now favors a model in which large inclusions are cytoprotective and smaller oligomers or misfolded monomers underlie pathogenesis. Nonetheless, therapies aimed at reducing or preventing aggregation show promise. This review outlines the debate about the role of aggregation in the polyglutamine diseases as it has unfolded in the literature and concludes with a brief discussion on the manipulation of aggregation formation and clearance mechanisms as a means of therapeutic intervention.
Synthesis of nor1‐ and nor2‐chlorpromazine derivatives

p-Toluenesulfonyl and acetyl derivatives of nor1- and nor2-chlorpromazine were synthesized and their physical properties studied. The reaction is intended to be an effective means for a differential analysis of chlorpromazine metabolites in biological materials.
The damping of gravity water-waves due to percolation

Abstract The problem of viscous damping of gravity water-waves over a permeable sea bed is re-examined. A generalized Darcy's law (Dagan, 1979) is adopted to describe the oscillatory flow motions in the sea bed. Boundary layers are required in the sea bed adjacent to boundaries due to the discontinuity of medium property. A boundary-layer-Poincare method is used to derive the damping rate and to obtain in addition the small wave number shift due to viscosity. The damping rate is shown to increase with permeability for small permeability and then to decrease with permeability for large permeability. Laboratory results (Savage, 1953) are used to verify the theory.
An adaptive bayebsian solution to the control peoble1 for linear control systems

In this paper, a Bayesian procedure to solve the control problem in Linear Control Systems , when the precision Matrices of the obstsrvaiional and systems errors are unknown, is proposed. Prior information on those matrices is required, A numerical example illustrates the procedure applied to models Which contain bivariate observations and bivariate state vectors.
Resources, not male mating strategies, are a determinant of social structure in Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni)

Summary Previous studies of Gunnison’s prairie dogs, Cynomys gunnisoni, have reached different conclusions about the factors influencing sociality in this species. In this study I tested whether Gunnison’s prairie dog social structure was resource-based or whether male mating strategies drive the organizational patterns observed. Group size, where the term group refers to individuals occupying the same territory, was predicted by territory size and density of food available. The spatial overlap of adults within territories was positively correlated with spatial patchiness of food resources. All group members participated in territory defense, although adult males engaged in significantly more intergroup aggressive interactions. There was no significant difference in adult male and female home range size. The number of female home ranges that any given male home range overlapped was not correlated with male body mass, male home range size, or territory size. Contrary to predictions of typical mammalian male mating strategies, adult females ranged significantly further than males during the mating period. Body mass of males and nonreproductive females was similar, whereas that of reproductive females was smaller. In addition, males and females did not differ in size, based on skull length and skull width. Results from this study strongly suggest that patterns of space use and social structure in Gunnison’s prairie dogs are the result of individual responses to resource abundance and distribution and are not due to male mating strategies, such as resource defense or female defense polygyny.
The internet public key infrastructure

Long before the advent of electronic systems, different methods of information scrambling were used. Early attempts at data security in electronic computers employed some of the same transformations. Modern secret key cryptography brought much greater security, but eventually proved vulnerable to brute-force attacks. Public key cryptography has now emerged as the core technology for modern computing security systems. By associating a public key with a private key, many of the key distribution problems of earlier systems are avoided. The Internet public key infrastructure provides the secure digital certification required to establish a network of trust for public commerce. This paper explores the details of the infrastructure.
Marine Redbeds in Central Colorado Basin: ABSTRACT

Considerable, difference of opinion is reflected in geologic literature concerning the environment of deposition of redbeds. Many geologists apparently assume that red coloration (hematite) in sediments can be preserved only under conditions of subaerial deposition, and they therefore assume that all redbeds are continental sediments. These assumptions are not valid. If an adequate source of hematite is available, redbeds can originate in any environment, continental or marine, in which End_Page 1107------------------------------ oxidizing conditions exist below the depositional interface, or in which the reducing capacity of the bottom sediments is inadequate to destroy the volume of hematite present. Sediments deposited in normal marine environments (those having normal salinity and open circulation) rarely are red because if hematite is present it normally is altered to non-red ferrous compounds by the reducing action of decaying organic matter in the bottom sediments. However, if sedimentation and subsidence are comparatively rapid, and if the volume of hematite present is large, red sediments can originate even in normal marine environments. Excellent examples of such redbeds are found in certain red shales, red arkoses, and red limestones in the Minturn formation (Des Moines) along the northeastern flank of the central Colorado basin near McCoy, Colorado. These red sediments contain well preserved marine fossils that reflect deposition under normal marine conditions. Mildly re ucing conditions existed in the depositional environment causing some bleaching, but the sediments are predominantly red because they were deposited in an area of relatively rapid subsidence in which the volume of hematite was too great to be completely reduced in the time available. Marine waters with abnormally high salinity, on the other hand, can be highly favorable for hematite preservation, a fact that has been pointed out by earlier writers. Because organisms are scarce in such waters the bottom sediments commonly lack the reducing influence of decaying organic matter. If good mixing of the overlying water is maintained by wave action or by convection currents, oxidizing conditions prevail below the depositional interface; any organic matter present is destroyed by oxidation and any hematite present is preserved. Redbeds originating under these conditions are nonfossiliferous but possess other characteristics of marine sediments, e.g., well sorted texture, uniform bedding, absence of channel structures, and association with primary dolomite and evaporites. arts of the Pennsylvanian and Permian strata in the central Colorado basin provide convincing examples of redbeds of this origin. In petroleum exploration, redbeds should be analyzed carefully for possible marine origin. Although such rocks are unfavorable as source beds of petroleum, they may serve as satisfactory reservoir rocks and may be closely associated with other marine sediments that are highly prospective for oil. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1108------------
Busy period analysis for M/PH/1 queues with workload dependent balking

We consider an M/PH/1 queue with workload-dependent balking. An arriving customer joins the queue and stays until served if and only if the system workload is no more than a fixed level at the time of his arrival. We begin by considering a fluid model where the buffer content changes at a rate determined by an external stochastic process with finite state space. We derive systems of first-order linear differential equations for the mean and LST (Laplace-Stieltjes Transform) of the busy period in this model and solve them explicitly. We obtain the mean and LST of the busy period in the M/PH/1 queue with workload-dependent balking as a special limiting case of this fluid model. We illustrate the results with numerical examples.
Overview Of The NASA Tropospheric Environmental Quality Remote Sensing Program

This paper will summarize the current NASA Tropospheric Environmental Quality Remote Sensing Program for studying the global and regional troposphere from space, airborne and ground-based platforms. As part of the program to develop remote sensors for utilization from space, NASA has developed a series of passive and active remote sensors which have undergone field test measurements from airborne and ground platforms. Recent measurements with active lidar and passive gas filter correlation and infrared heterodyne techniques will be summarized for measurements of atmospheric aerosols, CO, SO2, O3, and NH3. These measurements provide the data base required to assess the sensitivity of remote sensors for applications to urban and regional field measurement programs. Studies of Earth Observation Satellite Systems are currently being performed by the scientific community to assess the capability of satellite imagery to detect regions of elevated pollution in the troposphere. The status of NASA sponsored research efforts in interpreting satellite imagery for determining aerosol loadings over land and inland bodies of water will be presented, and comments on the potential of these measurements to supplement in situ and airborne remote sensors in detecting regional haze will be made.
Agonist-Induced Peroxynitrite Production from Endothelial Cells

Abstract Nitric oxide reacts with superoxide to form peroxynitrite, a potential mediator of oxidant-induced cellular injury. The endothelium is a primary target of injury in many pathological states, including acute lung injury, sepsis, multiple organ failure syndrome, and atherosclerosis, where enhanced production of nitric oxide and superoxide occurs simultaneously. It was hypothesized that stimulation of endothelial cell nitric oxide production would result in formation of peroxynitrite. Immediate oxidant production was detected by luminol- and lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence from cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells exposed to bradykinin or to the calcium ionophore A23187. Luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence was efficiently inhibited by the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and by superoxide dismutase, implying dependence on the presence of both nitric oxide and superoxide for oxidant production. Inhibition of luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence by nitro-L-arginine methyl ester was partially reversed by L-arginine, but not by D-arginine. Cysteine, methionine, and urate, known inhibitors of peroxynitrite-mediated oxidation, inhibited luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence, while the hydroxyl radical scavengers, mannitol and dimethylsulfoxide, and catalase did not. Bicarbonate increased luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence in a concentration-dependent manner. Superoxide production, detected by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence, was slightly increased in the presence of nitro-l-arginine methyl ester, suggesting that endothelial cell-produced superoxide was partially metabolized by reaction with nitric oxide. These results are consistent with agonist-induced peroxynitrite production by endothelial cells and suggests that peroxynitrite may have an important role in oxidant-induced endothelial injury.
Production of Superheavy Nuclei by Multiple Capture of Neutrons

A new calculation of fission barriers and neutron separation energies for heavy neutron-rich nuclei indicates that it is unlikely that superheavy nuclei can be produced either in the astrophysical r'' process or in man-made nuclear explosions. (auth)
Evaluating differences between measured personal exposures to volatile organic compounds and concentrations in outdoor and indoor air

Accurate estimation of human exposures to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a key element of strategies designed to protect public health from the adverse effects of hazardous air pollutants. Th...
Structural evolution of nanoporous gold during thermal coarsening

Abstract The three-dimensional evolution of nanoligaments of nanoporous gold created by Ag–Au dealloying was studied during isothermal coarsening by X-ray nanotomography and microbeam Laue diffraction. The surface normal orientation, curvature and size of the gold nanoligaments were measured as a function of coarsening time (from 2 to 320 min). The following observations were made at 550, 600 and 650 °C. First, the distribution of orientations for the surfaces of the nanoligaments becomes more anisotropic with coarsening time, with an increasing area of the surfaces having a low surface energy, consistent with the growth of facets. Second, the curvature distribution of the nanoligaments (scaled by their size) also evolves during coarsening. The evolution of both surface orientation and scaled surface curvature indicates that coarsening does not occur in a self-similar manner, i.e. the interfacial shape distribution of the gold nanoligaments is not self-similar over time as they coarsen. This is consistent with the ligament size not being described by a classical temporal power law for coarsening systems. All three effects, and in particular the increased prevalence of surfaces with a low surface energy at long coarsening times, may affect the surface functionalities and properties of nanoporous gold in various applications, e.g. as catalysts, sensors and actuators.