cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Magnetic Nanoparticle Polymer Brush Catalysts: Alternative Hybrid Organic/Inorganic Structures to Obtain High, Local Catalyst Loadings for Use in Organic Transformations

A new class of hybrid organic/inorganic molecular catalysts with high, local catalyst concentrations is demonstrated by supporting organic and organometallic catalysts on magnetic nanoparticle based polymer brushes (MPB). Poly(styrene) brushes containing Co(III)-salen or piperazine side chains are prepared via atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) from Fe3O4 nanoparticles modified with appropriate initiator molecules. The polymer brush architecture promotes the cooperative interactions required for Co-salen catalyzed ring-opening of epoxides as demonstrated in the hydrolytic kinetic resolution of rac-epichlorohydrin. In addition, the piperazine functionalized MPB catalyst contains the high catalyst concentration that is required for promoting the Knoevenagel condensation of benzaldehyde and malononitrile with this type of amine catalyst. All the MPB catalysts were easily removed from solution via application of a magnetic field, allowing straightforward recovery and reuse. The versatile MPB architecture can be used to create a variety of recoverable supported organic or organometallic catalysts.
Relationship between fracture traces and the occurrence of ground water in carbonate rocks

Abstract Fracture traces visible on aerial photographs are natural linear-drainage, soiltonal, and topographic alignments which are probably the surface manifestation of underlying zones of fracture concentration. The relationship between fracture traces and occurrence of ground water was studied in Nittany Valley of Central Pennsylvania, U.S.A., an area underlain by folded and faulted Lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks with interbedded sandstones. Several bore-hole caliper surveys were run to determine if fracture zones underlying fracture traces localized cavernous openings. Three caliper logs, obtained from wells drilled on fracture traces, showed that numerous cavernous openings were penetrated by wells extending to 350 feet in depth, while four logs obtained from wells drilled in interfracture trace areas showed few cavernous openings. Specific capacities, unadjusted for variations in well diameter, pumping period, and well losses, were determined for eleven wells drilled in dolomite and sandy dolomite and for three wells drilled in limestone. The specific capacities were divided by the total depth of saturated rock penetrated by each well to obtain the specific capacity in gallons per minute per foot of drawdown per foot of saturated rock penetrated. These values ranged from .0008 and .002 for two wells drilled in dolomite in interfracture trace zones to .02, .04, .04, .07, .08 and .09 for six wells drilled on or near a single fracture trace in dolomite, 1.52 and 1.23 for two wells drilled on a single fracture trace in limestone, .11, .12 and .17 for three wells drilled in dolomite at or near the intersection of two fracture traces and 3.27 for a single well drilled at the intersection of two fractures in limestone. These data support the concept that fracture traces reflect underlying fracture concentrations and are useful as a prospecting guide in locating zones of increased weathering, solutioning and permeability.
Considerations for clinical pharmacology studies for biologics in emerging markets

Registration of innovative biologics in Emerging Markets (EMs) poses many opportunities and challenges. The BRIC-MT countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, Mexico, and Turkey) that are the fastest growing markets and regulators in these countries have imposed certain requirements, including the need for local clinical studies, for registration of biologics. The regulatory landscape in these countries is rapidly evolving, which necessitates an up-to-date understanding of such requirements. There is growing evidence which suggests that race, after accounting for body weight differences, may not influence the pharmacokinetics of biologics to the same extent that it does for small molecules. Thus, the requirements for clinical pharmacology trials in EMs are driven mainly by regulatory needs set forth by local Ministry of Health. In addition to the clinical Phase I to III studies done in the global program that supports registration in large geographies, countries such as China require local single and multiple dose Phase I studies. Participating in global studies with clinical sites within their country may be sufficient for some markets, while other regulators may be satisfied with a Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product. This paper discusses the current requirements for registration of innovative biologics in key EMs.
A Hedonic Index Model: The Housing Market of Jos, Nigeria

This paper demonstrates the usefulness of the hedonic index approach to the study of housing markets in developing countries. The study broadens the geographical scope of the various economic studi...
Fatigue damage evolution in silicon films for micromechanical applications

In this paper we examine the conditions for surface topography evolution and crack growth/fracture during the cyclic actuation of polysilicon microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) structures. The surface topography evolution that occurs during cyclic fatigue is shown to be stressassisted and may be predicted by linear perturbation analyses. The conditions for crack growth (due to pre-existing or nucleated cracks) are also examined within the framework of linear elastic fracture mechanics. Within this framework, we consider pre-existing cracks in the topical SiO2 layer that forms on the Si substrate in the absence of passivation. The thickening of the SiO2 that is normally observed during cyclic actuation of Si MEMS structures is shown to increase the possibility of stable crack growth by stress corrosion cracking prior to the onset of unstable crack growth in the SiO2 and Si layers. Finally, the implications of the results are discussed for the prediction of fatigue damage in silicon MEMS structures.
Kalman filter with hypothesis testing: A tool for estimating uncertain parameters

In this paper we present a simple and practical algorithm for the estimation of uncertain parameters of linear systems. The uncertainty is twofold, involving random observation noise, and possible jumps in the parameter values. The jumps may occur at unknown points in time, and are of unknown magnitudes and directions. The algorithm is based on the Kalman filter, with a single-sample hypothesis test, which is used to employ a three-state decision rule (yes, no, maybe). The "maybe" choice invokes a fading memory Kalman filter. The overall algorithm contains the constant parameter filter, fading memory filter, and the set of tests and rules that enable it to switch back and forth between the two filters. Application examples are presented.
The generation effect: further tests of the lexical activation hypothesis.

Three experiments compared recognition memory for word versus nonword responses when they had been either read or generated using a rhyme rule and either a word or nonword stimulus. That is, either the wordshop or the nonwordthop was generated from either the wordchop or the nonwordphop. In Experiment 1, the lexicality of the stimulus and response terms was manipulated orthogonally between subjects; in Experiments 2 and 3, it was manipulated orthogonally within subjects. In Experiment 3, subjects also made a lexical (word-nonword) decision about each response term after it had been read or generated. In all three experiments, memory performance was better for generated than read responses. This generation effect occurred only if the response term was a word, regardless of whether the stimulus term was a word or a nonword. These results are discussed in terms of the roles that lexical memory and response unitization play in the generation effect.
Linking object boundaries at scale: A common mechanism for size and shape judgments

The area over which boundary information contributes to the determination of the center of an extended object was inferred from results of a bisection task. The object to be bisected was a rectangle with two long sinusoidally modulated sides, i.e. a wiggly rectangle. The spatial frequency and amplitude of the edge modulation were varied. Two object widths were tested. The modulation of the perceived center approximately equaled that of the edges at very low edge modulation frequencies and decreased in amplitude with increasing edge modulation frequency. The edge modulation had a greater modulating effect on the perceived center for the narrower object than for the wider object. This scaling with object width didn't follow perfect zoom invariance but was precisely matched by the scaling of the bisection threshold with width, strongly supporting the idea that the same mechanism determines both the location of the perceived center for these stimuli and its variance. We propose that this mechanism is the linking of object boundaries at a scale determined by the object width.
Early intervention as we know it

Early intervention for infants and toddlers with disabilities was established as a national commitment in the form of federal legislation in 1986. Since then, we have witnessed steady growth in the number of children and families served, although the most recent report to Congress indicates that only about 1.7% of the population of infants and toddlers is served in early intervention programs. All states and territories currently are participating in this optional program. Federal regulations stipulate the components of an early intervention system that must be in place if states are to receive federal funding. However, a great deal of flexibility is allowed in how these broad regulations are implemented, resulting in considerable cross-state variability in who is served and the amount and type of services received. This article describes the current status of early intervention and discusses five issues we believe to be critical in the coming decade: (1) determining the outcomes expected of early intervention; (2) determining appropriate models and intensity of treatments; (3) factoring quality into the efficacy equation; (4) accounting for child, family, and community variables in determining efficacy; and (5) integrating emerging perspectives and knowledge from neuroscience and genetics. MRDD Research Reviews, 1999; 5:11–20. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Behavioral family therapy with conduct disorders in children

Child behavior therapy has developed primarily within a parent consultation framework (i.e., parent training), especially with “conduct disorder” problems in children. Recent critiques within the field of behavior therapy as well as an increasing amount of data suggest the need to expand the current paradigm in child behavior therapy. The present article reviews data concerning the impact of various family variables on the conceptualization and treatment of child behavior problems, specifically conduct disorder problems. The authors recommend expansion of the current child behavior therapy model to a “behavioral family therapy” model.
A decision support model for selecting product/service benefit positionings

Abstract The art (and science) of successful product/service positioning generally hinges on the firm's ability to select a set of attractively priced consumer benefits that are: • valued by the buyer, • distinctive in one or more respects, • believable, • deliverable, and • sustainable (under actual or potential competitive abilities to imitate, neutralize, or overcome) in the target markets that the firm selects. (While easily said, meeting all of these conditions is often the exception rather than the rule.) For many years, the ubiquitous quadrant chart has been used to provide a simple graph of product/service benefits (usually called product/service attributes) described in terms of consumers' perceptions of the importance of attributes (to brand/supplier choice) and the performance of competing firms on these attributes. This paper describes a model that extends the quadrant chart concept to a decision support system that optimizes a firm's market share for a specified product/service. In particular, we describe a decision support model that utilizes relatively simple marketing research data on consumers' judged benefit importances, and supplier performances on these benefits to develop message components for specified target buyers. A case study is used to illustrate the model. The study deals with developing advertising message components for a relatively new entrant in the US air shipping market. We also discuss, more briefly, management reactions to application of the model to date, and areas for further research and model extension.
Prospects for building cortex-scale CMOL/CMOS circuits: A design space exploration

In this paper, we briefly present a hardware design space exploration methodology to investigate various architectures/designs, and their relative performance/price trade-offs. Using this methodology, we investigate CMOS and hybrid nano-scale (CMOL) based digital and mixed-signal circuits that implement Bayesian Memory (a simplified computational model based on George and Hawkins' model of the visual cortex, and Pearl's belief propagation), and for a cortex-scale spiking neural model. We then present the results of the hardware design space exploration, for implementing large-scale neuro/cortex inspired systems, and provide ballpark performance/price and scaling estimates for the same. These results provide some insight into the prospects for building large-scale Bayesian Inference engines, and neuromorphic networks using emerging nanoelectronics and/or nanogrid circuit structures. In general, the study of such hypothetical architectures will help guide research trends in intelligent computing (including neuro/cognitive systems), and the use of radical new device and circuit technology in these systems.
Elevated temperature mechanical properties of partially sintered alumina

The influence of porosity on the mechanical response of alumina prepared by the partial sintering of micron-sized powders has been evaluated at room temperature and 1100 °C using 4-point flexure and compression creep tests. An approximate fivefold increase in both flexure strength and modulus was observed with an increase in sample density from 55% to 70%. The significant reductions in steady-state creep rates measured for a constant applied stress was also quantified as a function of increasing density. Electron microscopy showed a rapid increase in the degree of interparticle contact and bonding following limited densification. The increases in flexure strength and modulus were well described by currently available analytical relationships. Compression creep rates could be predicted by a model developed for the densification of porous materials through diffusional creep.
Brand-embedded interaction: a dynamic and personalized interaction for co-creation

Recognizing the importance of timely access to market knowledge for successful new product development (NPD), extant research has theoretically argued and empirically shown the value of consumer co-creation during the NPD process. While most research views consumer-generated content as definite or fixed, this paper reveals how firms can enhance the value of consumer-generated ideas by facilitating the exchange of relevant information during co-creation. The authors introduce brand-embedded interaction as a process that enables consumers to generate new product ideas that not only reflect user needs but also align with the brand’s goals and capabilities. Results from two quasi-field experiments using Twitter show that a higher degree of dynamic interaction and personalization during co-creation enables consumers to generate more constructive new product ideas or ideas that are valuable to both consumers and firms. Results offer important implications for both theory and practice regarding co-creation and new product development.
Factors influencing physicians' screening behavior for liver cancer among high-risk patients

BACKGROUND Little is known about physicians’ screening patterns for liver cancer despite its rising incidence.
The Bainite Reaction in Fe-Si-C Alloys: The Secondary Stage

The de composition of austenite following the initial rapid formation of bainitic ferrite in silicon alloyed high-carbon steels isothermally transformed at 380 °C has been studied. The reaction is initiated by the formation of a triclinic carbide, closely relaled to cementite. The carbide is highly symmetric with {952} martensite, and crossings between carbide plates and faulting on the (010)c planes suggest that the carbide formation takes place by shear. The carbide formation is followed by the decomposition of the remaining austenite to ferrite, which is thought to be due to the lowering of the austenite carbon content resulting from the carbide formation.
Using genetic algorithms to reorganize superpeer structure in peer to peer networks

In this article, we describe a genetic algorithm for optimizing the superpeer structure of semantic peer to peer networks. Peer to peer, also called P2P, networks enable us to search for content or information in a distributed fashion across a large number of peers while providing a level of fault tolerance by preventing disconnecting peers from disrupting the network. We seek to maximize the number of queries answered while minimizing the time in which they are answered. It will be shown that the genetic algorithm (GA) dramatically improves network performance and consistently finds networks better than those found by random search and hill climbing. A comparison will also be made to networks found through exhaustive search, showing that the GA will, for smaller networks, converge on a globally optimal solution.
Mph1p promotes gross chromosomal rearrangement through partial inhibition of homologous recombination.

Gross chromosomal rearrangement (GCR) is a type of genomic instability associated with many cancers. In yeast, multiple pathways cooperate to suppress GCR. In a screen for genes that promote GCR, we identified MPH1, which encodes a 3′–5′ DNA helicase. Overexpression of Mph1p in yeast results in decreased efficiency of homologous recombination (HR) as well as delayed Rad51p recruitment to double-strand breaks (DSBs), which suggests that Mph1p promotes GCR by partially suppressing HR. A function for Mph1p in suppression of HR is further supported by the observation that deletion of both mph1 and srs2 synergistically sensitize cells to methyl methanesulfonate-induced DNA damage. The GCR-promoting activity of Mph1p appears to depend on its interaction with replication protein A (RPA). Consistent with this observation, excess Mph1p stabilizes RPA at DSBs. Furthermore, spontaneous RPA foci at DSBs are destabilized by the mph1Δ mutation. Therefore, Mph1p promotes GCR formation by partially suppressing HR, likely through its interaction with RPA.
Deterministic irreducibility testing of polynomials over large finite fields

We present a sequential deterministic polynomial-time algorithm for testing dense multivariate polynomials over a large finite field for irreducibility. All previously known algorithms were of a probabilistic nature. Our deterministic solution is based on our algorithm for absolute irreducibility testing combined with Berlekamp's algorithm.
Tumefactive multiple sclerosis: an uncommon diagnostic challenge

Objective This case report describes a rare presentation of multiple sclerosis (MS) that was initially diagnosed as a peripheral nerve lesion in the emergency department.
Aborted sudden cardiac death (SCD) in a patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) with low-risk factors for SCD

Remarkable advancements have been made in understanding the pathophysiology of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), since the first implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) was placed in a human, more than 25 years ago to prevent sudden cardiac death (SCD). ICD has become the cornerstone in the management of HCM, with an ability to change the natural course of this complex disease. American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines have been charted out to help risk stratify asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic adults with HCM, in order to prevent SCD in such individuals. Our patient with left ventricular outflow tract gradient <30 mm Hg, left ventricular wall thickness < 30 mm, negative medical history of syncope and no family history of SCD, would have been at low risk for SCD.
Wage Differentials and the Mating Taboo 1970-1980

This paper studies the role ofthe mating taboo (distaste for intermarriage) in explaining the narrowing mean wage gaps between intermarried and intramarried black men. A search framework is extended to incorporate agents' races. To offset the mating taboo, agents who intennany raise selection criterion; such selection behavior implies that the conditional expected intermarriage output can exceed the conditional mean intramarriage output. Samples of newlyweds from the 1970-1980 Census are used to examine the wage gap response to the mating taboo. After controlling for self-selection, the predicted positive mean wage gap for college educated black men diminishes from 1970 to 1980, while it rises for high-school dropouts. The mating taboo accounts for most of the mean wage gap for a11 education levels between 1970 and 1980. In particular, the magnitude of the mating taboo declines from 1970-1980 for college graduates but increases for high-school dropouts. (D!O, JIS, Jl2)
Automating Intrusion Response via Virtualization for Realizing Uninterruptible Web Services

We present a virtualization-based web server system, a prototype, and experimental results for providing uninterrupted web services in the presence of intrusion attacks and software faults. The proposed system utilizes replicated virtual servers managed by a closed-loop feedback controller. Using anomaly and intrusion sensor outputs, the controller calculates cost-weighted actions against threats to ensure web service continuity. We will show that the system can handle broad classes of attacks. Experiment results show that our prototype retains 60% of its peak throughput under 8 DoS attacks per second over extended periods.
Estimating Regional Changes in Soil Carbon with High Spatial Resolution

To manage lands locally for carbon sequestration and for emissions reductions it is useful to have a system that can monitor and predict changes in soil carbon and greenhouse gas emissions with high spatial resolution. We are developing a carbon accounting framework that can estimate carbon dynamics and net emissions associated with changes in land management. One component of this framework integrates field measurements, inventory data, and remote sensing products to estimate changes in soil carbon and to estimate where these changes are likely to occur at a sub-county (30m x 30m) resolution. We applied this framework component to a mid-western region of the US that consists of 679 counties approximately centered around Iowa. We estimate the 1990 baseline soil carbon to a maximum depth of 3m for this region to be 4,117 Tg C. Cumulative soil carbon accumulation of 70.3 Tg C is estimated for this region between 1991-2000, of which 33.8 Tg C is due to changes in tillage intensity. Without accounting for soil carbon loss following changes to more intensive tillage practices, our estimate increases to 45.0 Tg C. This difference indicates that on-site permanence of soil carbon associated with a change to less intensive tillage practicesmore » is approximately 75% if no additional economic incentives are provided for soil carbon sequestration practices. This carbon accounting framework offers a method to integrate inventory and remote sensing data on an annual basis and to transparently account for alternating annual trends in land management and associated carbon stocks and fluxes.« less
Pediatric trigger thumb.

HE PATIENT 13-month-old, otherwise healthy boy presents for valuation of a “crooked thumb.” His family denies any istory of trauma, laceration, or known injury. For the ast 3 months, they have noted difficulties with thumb nterphalangeal (IP) joint extension and occasional clicking and popping.” Recently, the thumb has reained flexed, with inability to spontaneously extend he IP joint. On examination, there is a palpable volar odule at the level of the thumb metacarpophalangeal oint. While there is intact function of the extensor ollicis longus, extensor pollicis brevis, and flexor policis longus, the IP joint cannot be passively extended. he diagnosis of a “trigger thumb” is made. No treatent has been initiated, and the patient now presents for he first hand surgery consultation.
Explaining the Single Factor Bias of Arbitrage Pricing Models in Finite Samples

Abstract This paper shows that in finite samples it is not possible to distinguish all the latent factors from the idiosyncratic noise and that this leads to a bias towards the identification of a single factor. It provides an approximation to this bias and the corresponding sampling distribution.
Ligand-dependent and -independent degradation of the human aryl hydrocarbon receptor (hAHR) in cell culture models.

Studies have shown that zebrafish and rodent aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AHRs) are degraded following ligand exposure and that reductions in AHR protein can impact growth and development in vivo. The current study was designed to evaluate the degradation of the AHR in seven human cell lines that were derived from various carcinomas or from normal tissue. Consistent with studies in other species, the results show that the human AHR (hAHR) is degraded in a ligand dependent manner following exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin for up to 16 h. However, the hAHRs expressed in the various cell lines show differences in the time course and magnitude of degradation. The ligand dependent degradation is completely blocked by treatment with the proteasome inhibitor, MG-132. Ligand-independent degradation of the hAHR following exposure to geldanamycin (GA) is also observed in the different cell lines, although the magnitude of hAHR degradation is also is variable. These findings are significant since they indicate that ligand-dependent and independent degradation of the AHR is a conserved aspect of this signal transduction cascade from fish to human. In addition, the study identifies several cell lines that may provide novel models to further assess the regulation of AHR-mediated signaling and degradation of the human AHR.
Exploring the efficacy of different electric field models in driving a model of the plasmasphere

The dynamics of the plasmasphere are strongly controlled by the inner magnetospheric electric field. In order to capture realistically the erosion of the nightside plasmapause and the formation of the drainage plume in a model of the plasmasphere, the electric field must be accurate. This study investigates how well five different electric field models drive the Dynamic Global Core Plasma Model during eight storm periods. The five electric field models are the Volland-Stern analytic formula with Maynard-Chen Kpdependence, two versions of the Weimer statistical models (96 and 05), and two versions of the Assimilative Mapping of Ionospheric Electrodynamics (AMIE) technique using magnetometer and DMSP satellite data. Manually extracted plasmapause locations from images taken by the EUV instrument on the Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) satellite, as described by Goldstein et al. (2005), were compared to the simulation results throughout the main phase of the eight events. Three methods of calculating the plasmapause were employed to determine the best fit to EUV data, using the maximum gradient, a constant density contour (fit method), and the location in which the modeled density fell significantly below the specified saturation density for the given radial position (saturation method). It was found that the simulations driven by the Weimer (1996) model produced the best fit overall and that the fit and saturation methods worked best for matching the model results to the observations.
The value of life purpose: Purpose as a mediator of faith and well-being

This study investigated the relationship between faith, life purpose, and well-being, and the potential mediational effects of life purpose between faith and well-being. One hundred and three male and female college students completed a life purpose measure designed for the current study, the General Life Purpose Scale, as well as the Perceived Wellness Scale (Adams, T.B. (1995). The conceptualization and measurement of wellness (Doctoral dissertation, University of Texas at Austin, 1995). Dissertation Abstracts International, 56(6–B), 3111) and the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (Plante, T.G., & Boccaccini, M.T. (1997). The Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire. Pastoral Psychology, 45, 375–387). Results indicated that life purpose significantly mediated the relationship between faith and well-being. The importance of these findings for clinicians and educators is discussed.
Effects of freshwater exposure to arsenic trioxide on the parr‐smolt transformation of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)

The effects of chronic (6 months) exposure to arsenic trioxide in fresh water on the Parr-smolt transformation of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) were evaluated. Exposure to 300 μg As/L (as As2O3) appeared to delay the onset of the normal increase in plasma thyroxine concentration and cause a transient reduction of gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity. Fish exposed to 300 μg As/L also migrated to the sea less successfully than did nonexposed smolts, but there were no effects on the survival and growth of smolts held in 28‰ salt water for 6 months.
STAR-H2: The Secure Transportable Autonomous Reactor for Hydrogen Production and Desalinization

The Secure Transportable Autonomous Reactor for Hydrogen production is a modular fast reactor intended for the mid 21st century energy market wherein electricity and hydrogen are employed as complementary energy carriers and nuclear energy contributes to sustainable energy supply based on full transuranic recycle in a passively safe, environmentally friendly and proliferation-resistant manner suitable for widespread worldwide deployment.
Approximations for multiproduct contracts with stochastic demands and business volume discounts: single supplier case

In this paper we analyze contracts for multiple products when the supplier offers business volume discounts. The contract takes the form of price discounts for total minimum dollar volume commitments over the horizon with flexibility to adjust the total purchases upwards by a fixed percentage about this minimum commitment. The optimal policy could be complex since it involves the solution of a constrained multi-period multi-product dynamic program. We suggest approximations that give us an upper bound. To develop this upper bound, we present the optimal policy for a similar contract for a single product problem. We then develop a lower bound for the multiproduct problem and show, numerically, that the gap is small. Given the approximations standard single period resource allocation algorithms can be used to solve the problem. The resulting solution methodology is fast and permits evaluation of various what-if scenarios.
Technical aspects and utility of fMRI using BOLD and ASL

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an emerging methodology which provides various approaches to visualizing regional brain activity non-invasively. Although the exact mechanisms underlying the coupling between neural function and fMRI signal changes remain unclear, fMRI studies have been successful in confirming task-specific activation in a variety of brain regions, providing converging evidence for functional localization. In particular, fMRI methods based on blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrast and arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion contrast have enabled imaging of changes in blood oxygenation and cerebral blood flow (CBF). While BOLD contrast has been widely used as the surrogate marker for neural activation and can provide reliable information on the neuroanatomy underlying transient sensorimotor and cognitive functions, recent evidence suggests perfusion contrast is suitable for studying relatively long term effects on CBF both at rest or during activation. New developments in combining or simultaneously measuring the electrophysiological and fMRI signals allow a new class of studies that capitalize on dynamic imaging with high spatiotemporal resolution. This article reviews the biophysical bases and methodologies of fMRI and its applications to the clinical neurosciences, with emphasis on the spatiotemporal resolution of fMRI and its coupling with neurophysiology under both normal and pathophysiological conditions.
Two new species of flatworms (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida) from the continental slope of the Gulf of Mexico

Two new species of polyclads are described from the continental slope of the Gulf of Mexico. Specimens of Didangia carneyi sp. nov. and Oligocladus bathymodiensis sp. nov. were collected from the Louisiana slope at 610 m and 650 m, respectively. Didangia carneyi sp. nov. was collected from a natural wood fall, and is characterized by the presence of tentacular and cerebral eyes, an interpolated prostatic vesicle provided with two muscular accessory prostatic vesicles, and large glandular cells that surround the male atrium. Oligocladus bathymodiensis sp. nov. has a mouth anterior to the brain, a few cerebral and pseudotentacular eyes, four pairs of intestinal branches, and a ventral anal pore. Specimens of this species were collected on the margin of a hypersaline cold seep in association with mussels of Bathymodiolus childressi. All type material is deposited at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AND COLLECTIVE ACTION: ANALYZING INITIAL MAIL RESPONSE TO THE 2000 CENSUS

This paper analyzes how community heterogeneity influences resident decisions to undertake actions generating public benefits. The decision in question is completing and returning the 2000 Census questionnaire, an action which secures a significant amount of federal grants for the community. The model developed to explain this action allows members of societal groups to differentially value public benefits that accrue to other group members. Racial, generational, and socioeconomic class heterogeneity all predict significantly lower response rates at the county level. The potential for endogenous sorting into heterogeneous counties implies that the magnitude of true behavioral effects exceeds these estimates.
Requirement for Ca2+ signaling in the mechanism of thrombin-induced increase in endothelial permeability.

We compared the thrombin-activated responses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and a HUVEC-derived cell line, ECV304. Thrombin induced a 40–50% decrease in transendothelial monolay...
Animal models of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The preterm and term rabbit models

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is an important lung developmental pathophysiology that affects many premature infants each year. Newborn animal models employing both premature and term animals have been used over the years to study various components of BPD. This review describes some of the neonatal rabbit studies that have contributed to the understanding of BPD, including those using term newborn hyperoxia exposure models, premature hyperoxia models, and a term newborn hyperoxia model with recovery in moderate hyperoxia, all designed to emulate aspects of BPD in human infants. Some investigators perturbed these models to include exposure to neonatal infection/inflammation or postnatal malnutrition. The similarities to lung injury in human premature infants include an acute inflammatory response with the production of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors that have been implicated in human disease, abnormal pulmonary function, disordered lung architecture, and alveolar simplification, development of fibrosis, and abnormal vascular growth factor expression. Neonatal rabbit models have the drawback of limited access to reagents as well as the lack of readily available transgenic models but, unlike smaller rodent models, are able to be manipulated easily and are significantly less expensive than larger animal models.
Isolation and determination of the ferric iron chelate of ethylenediamine di(o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) in plant tissues

A new technique for the extraction and quantitative determination of the ferric iron chelate of ethylenediamine di(o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) from aqueous plant extracts is described. The metal chelate is salted out with ammonium sulfate and then is extracted into a small volume of n-amyl alcohol. Spectrophotometric data indicate that the extracted chelate has an absorption maximum corresponding to the iron chelate in aqueous solution and adheres to Beer's law in the range of 0 to 150 micrograms of the metal chelate. The chelate, being anionic in nature, can be absorbed and desorbed from an anion-exchange resin. Isolation and determination of the iron chelate in tomato tissues also is described. Recovery of the iron chelate from these tissues was 94 to 97 per cent.
Acute Artificial Light Diminishes Central Texas Anuran Calling Behavior

Abstract Male anuran (frog and toad) advertisement calls associate with fitness and can respond to environmental cues such as rain and air temperature. Moonlight is thought to generally decrease call behaviors – perhaps as a response to increased perceived risk of predation – and this study sought to determine if artificial lighting produces a similar pattern. Using a handheld spotlight, light was experimentally introduced to natural anuran communities in ponds and streams. Custom call surveys where then used to measure anuran calls in paired unlit and lit conditions at six locations in central Texas. Among seven species heard, the number of frogs calling and call index declined in response to the acute light input. Local weather conditions could not explain differences between numbers of frogs calling between species, sites, survey order, or lighting order suggesting the main effect on number calling was light treatment. It appears acute artificial light alone can change calling behavior within several s...
Selective urethrectomy following cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer.

AbstractThe poor prognosis in patients who have symptomatic urethral carcinoma after cystoprostatectomy has prompted some investigators to recommend prophylactic urethrectomy. However, this approach subjects the majority of these patients (up to 90 per cent) to an operation for a disease that they might never have and precludes some innovative urinary diversion techniques. From June 1976 to July 1985 we performed 75 cystoprostatectomies for bladder cancer in men. Three patients underwent simultaneous urethrectomy because of tumor in the urethra. Of the remaining 72 patients who were followed by urethral wash cytology studies every 6 months 7 (10 per cent) had positive cytology studies during followup and underwent urethrectomy. Subsequent histological examination showed carcinoma in situ in all 7 specimens. To date 6 of the 7 patients are free of disease. One patient died 18 months after urethrectomy without evidence of transitional cell carcinoma. We have had no false positive urethral wash cytology stud...
Secondary Pyeloureterostomy with an Intact Ureter

AbstractA technique is described for secondary reconstruction of the urinary tract in cases of renal transplantation. An anastomosis is created between the transplant pelvis and the native ureter, and left in continuity, draining the native kidney and the allograft.
The role of axonal transport in neurodegenerative disease spread: a meta-analysis of experimental and clinical poliomyelitis compares with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

ALS symptom spread results from local spread of the neuronal degeneration because contiguous areas are more quickly involved than non-contiguous areas. Local spread to contiguous areas of motor neuron dysfunction is faster at the brainstem, cervical and lumbar regions than spread to non-contiguous areas. The time for caudal-rostral symptomatic spread of ALS to involve a distant region is a function of the distance of that region from the site of onset. The time for spread to the bulbar region is shorter following arm onset than leg onset. Spread to non-contiguous areas is faster within the spinal cord than from the spinal cord to the bulbar region. These kinetics are consistent with axonal transport of the etiological agent in a manner similar to spread of poliovirus in poliomyelitis patients. Spread from the bulbar region to the spinal cord, on the other hand, occurs faster than symptom spread from the limb region to the bulbar region in limb onset patients. This rapid limb involvement following bulbar onset is more dramatic in males compared with females. Females with leg onset, on the other hand, show more rapid involvement of the opposite leg, either arm or bulbar structures than males. Gender effects may determine the course of ALS depending on the original site of onset.
A Mixture Theory Approach to the Modeling of Fiber-Reinforced Composites Subject to Impulsive Loading

An investigation of shock wave modeling in fiber-reinforced composites is conducted in this paper. This may be conveniently carried out by using an appropriate mixture theory in conjunction with an orthotropic constitutive model. The theory of mixtures permits the development of a methodology which is both complex enough to encompass the essential physics, and yet sufficiently simple for incorporation into existing wave propagation codes.
Study of the Impact of the Location of a Perforator in the Perfusion of a Perforator Flap: The Concept of “Angle of Perfusion”

Background Perforator flaps remain challenging in their design, especially as free flaps. We used a cadaveric model to help refine the design of perforator flaps by studying their vascular features. We define the angle of perfusion of a perforator as a tool to achieve safer flap designs. Methods A total of 83 flaps were designed from 20 fresh cadaveric anterolateral thigh flaps. The most dominant perforator larger than 0.5 mm was used as the reference point on the midline of the flap, and the tip of the flap was set at 5 cm ( n = 10), 2 cm ( n = 5), or 10 cm ( n = 5) from this perforator. The perforator was injected with contrast agent, and the flap was scanned with computed tomography (CT) angiography. The vascular territory of the injected perforator was drawn twice by two different investigators. Perfused volumes were then obtained through a computerized algorithm on the CT workstation. Flaps were then flushed with heparinized saline and cut at decreasing angles (120, 90, 60, and 45 degrees) and rescanned with contrast for each perfusion angle. The perfused volumes were calculated for each angle. Results Volume and percentage of perfusion were significantly decreased with decreasing angles of perfusion, regardless of perforator location (2 cm, p = 0.002; 5 cm, p = 0.02; 10 cm, p Conclusions Acute angles of perfusion were associated with fewer incorporated linking vessels and lower flap perfusion. This phenomenon was less apparent in centrally located perforators. Perfusion angle and perforator location influence flap vascularity in a cadaveric model.
Creating Hemodialysis Access in Intravenous Drug Users: A Vascular Surgeon’s Perspective

Access surgeons face multiple obstacles in dealing with patients with active intravenous drug-use addictions. Lack of adequate superficial veins, medical noncompliance, associated psychiatric illness, and needs for durable-functioning access are some of the issues that need to be addressed when dealing with this unique patient population.
Towards a unified theory of parameter adaptive control. I. Tunability

A conceptual framework is proposed in which a parameter adaptive control system is taken to be a particular interconnection of a process, a parameterized controller, and a tuner. Emphasis is placed on the importance of a tuning error in the adaptation process. The concept of tunability is defined, characterized, and shown to be necessary for adaptive stabilization. Tunability also proves to be sufficient for adaptive stabilization for systems using tuning algorithms with certain typical capabilities. >
Mining structure patterns on the protein-DNA interfaces

The interaction between proteins and DNA play important roles in numerous biological processes. Researchers have been trying to explain how protein-DNA interactions achieve their desired binding affinity and specificity using various methods ranging from molecular and genetic experiments to computational methods. In this work, we present an innovative graph method for the discovery of structure patterns that are favored in the protein-DNA interfaces. We evaluated the biological significance of the patterns discovered by the proposed method using three independent experiments. The first one showed that the patterns could be used to discriminate DNA-binding sites versus non-DNA-binding sites with 79.1% accuracy, 88.3% specificity, and 69.8% sensitivity. In the second experiment, we compared the patterns with expert annotations in the UniProtKB, a comprehensive database of protein function information. The comparison showed that the patterns had a significant overlap with amino acid residues that have been proven to be crucial for DNA-binding in biological experiments like mutagenesis. In the third test, we used the patterns to build a simple scoring function for protein-DNA docking. The scoring function assigned score to a docking pose based on the number of patterns found on the protein-DNA interface of the pose. Despite its simplicity, the scoring method achieved slightly better performance than FTdock, a well-established scoring method that took into consideration shape complementarity, electrostatics, and biochemical information. These results confirmed the significance of the discovered patterns. The proposed graph method will be a very helpful tool for studying the protein-DNA interaction and other type of molecular interactions.
Pulmonary arterial strain- and remodeling-induced stiffening are differentiated in a chronic model of pulmonary hypertension.

Abstract Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a debilitating vascular disease that leads to pulmonary artery (PA) stiffening, which is a predictor of patient mortality. During PH development, PA stiffening adversely affects right ventricular function. PA stiffening has been investigated through the arterial nonlinear elastic response during mechanical testing using a canine PH model. However, only circumferential properties were reported and in the absence of chronic PH-induced PA remodeling. Remodeling can alter arterial nonlinear elastic properties via chronic changes in extracellular matrix (ECM) content and geometry. Here, we used an established constitutive model to demonstrate and differentiate between strain-stiffening, which is due to nonlinear elasticity, and remodeling-induced stiffening, which is due to ECM and geometric changes, in a canine model of chronic thromboembolic PH (CTEPH). To do this, circumferential and axial tissue strips of large extralobar PAs from control and CTEPH tissues were tested in uniaxial tension, and data were fit to a phenomenological constitutive model. Strain-induced stiffening was evident from mechanical testing as nonlinear elasticity in both directions and computationally by a high correlation coefficient between the mechanical data and model ( R 2 = 0.89). Remodeling-induced stiffening was evident from a significant increase in the constitutive model stress parameter, which correlated with increased PA collagen content and decreased PA elastin content as measured histologically. The ability to differentiate between strain- and remodeling-induced stiffening in vivo may lead to tailored clinical treatments for PA stiffening in PH patients.