cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Needle‐type glucose biosensors based on a pyrolyzed cobalt‐tetramethoxy‐phenylporphyrin catalytic electrode

Amperometric needle-type glucose biosensors employing nonplatinum catalytic electrodes made from pyrolytic electrode of pyrolyzed cobalt-tetramethoxy-phenylporphyrin (CoTMPP) are described. A technique for preparation of the working electrode with catalyst and adsorbed enzyme (enzyme electrode) from a pressed matrix (tablet) is presented. This technique allows manufacturing numerous sensors from the same pressed tablet, all of which demonstrate a good reproducibility of their parameters (sensitivity, linear range, lifetime). Different glucose diffusion (external) membranes have been studied in order to extend the linear range of the biosensor response. Linearity of the sensor response to glucose concentrations up to 35 mM is reported when a cellulose paper membrane, impregnated with cellulose acetate. is used pressed into the needle sensor body. Sensors demonstrated a shelf lifetime of 30 days (with constant parameters of the signal output) and can be used for continuous glucose monitoring in vitro for at least 5 days.
Respiratory alkalemia during exercise reduces angina threshold.

The effect of hyperventilation-induced alkalemia on angina threshold was evaluated in nine subjects who had a consistent pattern of chest pain and ST segment depression during exercise. For this study, the subjects performed graded bicycle exercise to angina during normal breathing and during hyperventilation. The maximum workload achieved was not significantly different between normal breathing and hyperventilation exercise. However, in five subjects who had arterial alkalemia during hyperventilation exercise (mean pH = 7.52), the heart rate × blood pressure product (HR × BP) at angina was 224 × 10 2 compared with 240 × 10 2 during normal breathing exercise (P 2 vs 284 × 10 2 ). In conclusion, the threshold for angina during exercise fell in the five patients in whom hyperventilation caused alkalemia. This finding suggests that the alkalemia interfered with myocardial oxygen supply.
Paleoflow history determined from mudwave migration: Argentine Basin

Abstract A mudwave site in the central Argentine Basin was investigated to determine its present and past mudwave activity. Site 7, on the south flank of the Ewing Drift in the northern Argentine Basin, has mudwaves that have migrated primarily throurgh preferential deposition, resulting in a relatively complete sediment on both wave flanks. Thus a history of mudwave migration can be determined for this site. The mudwave studied shows migration from before 420 ka until 32 ka, with paleocurrent speeds near 15 cm s−1 and with minor changes in current speeds around 110–120 ka. The wave migration rate became less from 32 ka to 26 ka with paleospeeds of 9 cm s−1. Wave migration ceased about 26 ka, suggesting a cessation in flow. This study indicates that bottom water velocities at this site were high during the last glacial period. but dropped abruptly near the end of the last glacial period. However, bottom current velocities appear to have been moderately high during the previous interglacial period (∼ 120 ka), suggesting that there is no simple relationship between flow speed and paleoclimate at this site.
On the Density of Energy Levels of Heavy Nuclei

The present calculation of the density of energy levels of a heavy nucleus is based on the statistical model of Van Vleck. As in Bethe's calculation, the particles are assumed to move in a simple potential hole, but the depth of the hole varies with the velocity of the particle. If exchange forces act, the interaction energy of a given particle with the remainder of the nucleus decreases as the velocity of the particle increases. This results in a lower density of states of the individual particles at the top of the Fermi distribution. Bethe's formula for the density of excited levels of the nucleus as a whole may be applied to the present situation if this change in the density of the individual particle states is taken into account. The spacing between the levels is over a hundred times larger than that found by Bethe, and, if one uses the Gamow value for the radius of a radioactive nucleus (\ensuremath{\sim}9\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ cm), is much too large to be reconciled with the frequent occurrence of resonance levels for the capture of slow neutrons. If one uses the new value for the radius suggested by Bethe (\ensuremath{\sim}13\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ cm), the present theory gives more reasonable values.
Cerebral Protection During Surgery of the Aortic Arch

The most significant challenge in surgical repair of the aortic arch (transverse thoracic aorta) is to protect the brain from ischemic injury. During the portion of the procedure when the brachiocephalic vessels are at tached to a graft, there is an obligatory interruption in the normal path of circulation to the brain. Various strategies are used to overcome the potential for brain injury during discontinuity between the aorta and the cerebral circulation. These include deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, retrograde cerebral perfusion, and selective anterograde cerebral perfusion. Pharmaco logic adjuncts to these procedures are also used to further enhance brain protection. This review ad dresses the relative merits of these techniques as means of cerebral protection.
Laser-induced fluorescence from the predissociating formyl radical. 1. Mechanism for the predissociation of the A2A" state

Fluorescence excitation spectra of the HCO {tilde A}(0,11{degree},0)-{tilde X}(0,0{sup 1},0) and {tilde A}(0,9{degree},0)-{tilde X}(0,0{sup 1},0) transitions and the DCO {tilde A}-(0,15{degree},0)-{tilde X}(0,0{sup 1},0) transition are reported. Spectral simulations of each vibronic band show that all rotational transitions are lifetime broadened, with rotational line widths of {approx}0.5 and {approx}0.8 cm{sup {minus}1} for HCO and DCO, respectively. These values are constant up to N{prime} {approx} 10 and then increase with an N{prime}{sup 2}(N{prime} + 1){sup 2} dependence. The lifetime-broadening mechanism, which is nonradiative in nature, is due to predissociation to form H(D) + CO. The increase in line width is accompanied therefore by a reduction in fluorescence intensity. The origin of the homogeneous electronic predissociation mechanism at low N{prime} is unknown since no explanation for such a process currently exists. The N{prime}{sup 2}(N{prime} + 1){sup 2} dependence strongly implies K-type resonance as the dominant process for the heterogeneous electronic predissociation at high N{prime}. The more facile rate of predissociation of DCO over HCO precludes quantum mechanical tunneling as an explanation of the observed line-width and intensity dependence on N{prime}.
Indentation crack initiation behavior of vitreous silica glasses containing different hydroxyl concentration

Abstract The indentation crack initiation behavior of eight vitreous silica specimens containing bulk OH concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 754 wt ppm was investigated. A recording microindentation instrument equipped with optical observation and acoustic emission detection was used to study, in situ, the cracking behavior from indentation with a Vickers diamond. No significant differences in the threshold loads for various types of cracking behavior of the specimens were found. In addition, the polishing medium was found to have little influence on the cracking behavior. The lengths of median-radial cracks around indentations varied little between specimens. The Vickers hardness of the specimens measured at 0.98 N ranged from 6.6 ± 0.3 GPa to 7.5 ± 0.7 GPa, and no trend with the OH concentration was apparent. In addition, the Vickers hardness of the specimens measured while under a 9.81 N maximum load (LVHmax), showed little variation, and no apparent trend with the OH concentration.
Electrochemical polymerization of aniline investigated using on-line electrochemistry/electrospray mass spectrometry.

A thin-layer electrochemical flow cell coupled on-line with electrospray mass spectrometry (EC/ES-MS) was used to investigate the soluble products from the controlled-potential anodic polymerization of aniline in H2O and H2O/CH3OH (1/1 v/v) with ammonium acetate and acetic acid or ammonium hydroxide as electrolytes (pH 4, 6.5, or 9). At a working electrode (glassy carbon) potential of 1.0 V versus Ag/AgCl, singly protonated aniline oligomers containing as many as 10 aniline units (10-mer) were observed in the ES mass spectra when the polymerization in H2O/CH3OH at pH 4 was carried out. The abundance of the higher n-mers decreased at higher solution pH and in 100% H2O at pH 4. Most of the oligomers were observed in more than one redox state ranging from fully oxidized (all imine nitrogens) to fully reduced (all amine nitrogens). The number of different redox states observed for the n-mers increased with increasing n. The structures of the reduced (m/z 185) and oxidized (m/z 183) aniline dimer ions (head-to...
Reliability-based optimum inspection and maintenance procedures

The development of reliability-based optimum inspection and maintenance schedules for engines needs an understanding of the fatigue behavior of the engines. Critical areas of the engine structure prone to fatigue damage are usually identified beforehand or after the fleet has been put into operation. In these areas, fatigue cracks initiate after several flight hours, and these cracks grow in length until failure takes place when these cracks attain the critical lengths. Crack initiation time and its growth rate are considered to be random variables. Usually, the inspection (fatigue) or test data from similar engines are used as prior distributions. The existing state-of-the-art is to ignore the different lengths of cracks obserbed at various inspections and to consider only the fact that a crack existed (or did not exist) at the time of inspection. In this paper, a procedure has been developed to obtain the probability of finding a crack of a given size at a certain time if the probability distributions for crack initiation and rates of growth are known. Application of the developed stochastic models to devise optimum procedures for inspection and maintenance are also discussed.
Education and the Speculative Function of Philosophy

(1969). Education and the Speculative Function of Philosophy* Educational Philosophy and Theory: Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 41-52.
Phencyclidine (PCP)-like discriminative stimulus effects of metaphit and of 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate in pigeons: generality across different training doses of PCP.

Pigeons were trained to discriminate either a fixed dose of PCP (1 mg/kg; n=3) or a progressively decreasing dose (1-0.56–0.32 mg/kg; n=4) from saline. Lowering of the training dose shifted the dose-effect curve for PCP's discriminative stimulus effects about 5-fold to the left, in a parallel manner, but did not decrease the accuracy of the discrimination performance and did not significantly increase the extent to which pentobarbital and chlordiazepoxide produced PCP-appropriate responding. Dose-effect curves based on binary generalization data were evaluated statistically with new methods that may be more appropriate than those used previously. Metaphit, a proposed PCP-receptor acylator, and 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (AP5), an N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist, produced complete PCP-appropriate responding in the high training dose group only at doses that suppressed the rate of responding and that produced ataxia. However, 4-fold lower doses of metaphit and AP5, which did not produce directly observable behavioral effects, were found to substitute completely for PCP in the low training dose group. These data support the notion that PCP, metaphit, and AP5 have a common discriminative effect in pigeons.
Determination of alcohols by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection after precolumn derivatization with 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-6-methoxybenzofuran

Abstract A simple procedure is described for the derivatization of primary short- and long-chain alcohols and the high-performance liquid chromatographic separation and determination of the resulting derivatives. The alcohols were derivatized to their 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-6-methoxybenzofuran esters with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride as the dehydrating agent. The coupling (esterification) reaction proceeded rapidly and smoothly in the presence of a base catalyst. An aliquot of the reaction mixture was analyzed either directly or after further purification using solid or solvent extraction procedures. The resulting esters of 30 alcohols were separated on a reversed-phase column (Ultrasphere C 8 ) with gradient elution and detected fluorimetrically (excitation at 315 nm, emission at 390 nm). The limits of detection (signal-to-noise ratio = 3) for the derivatized alcohols were in the range 0.1–0.5 pg per injection.
A pediatric residency experience with surgical co-management.

Background and Objective: Acquisition of knowledge and skills in the care of surgical patients is defined as an essential element of training by the Pediatric Residency Review Committee. The pediatric–surgical comanagement model of care is increasingly utilized, yet its impact on residency training has not been described. The goal of this study was to describe a 5-year experience with a co-management model in a pediatric residency program. Methods: We describe the planning and implementation of a surgical co-management model in a pediatric residency program and report on case volume and diversity from 2005 to 2010. We assessed the experience of pediatric residents and faculty through rotation evaluations, program leadership meetings, and an anonymous online survey. In the survey, residents rated the value of their exposure on knowledge and skills in selected perioperative domains and their experience with interprofessional teamwork. Results: The volume of co-managed patients increased threefold from 2005 to 2010; most (79%) had concurrent medical conditions, and one-third (36%) were children with special health care needs (CYSHCN). Residents reported that co-management helped them gain knowledge and skills in pain management, fluid and electrolytes, respiratory, and nutritional support, as well as in interprofessional teamwork. Other strengths included greater exposure to CYSHCN and subspecialty faculty, and preparedness for critical care rotations. Challenges included clarity of roles and responsibilities between pediatric and surgery residents and interservice communication. Conclusions: A surgical co-management model in pediatric residency training presented important opportunities for development of residents’ knowledge and skills in perioperative care and interprofessional teamwork.
A Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus-Based Retrovirus with 4070A Long Terminal Repeat Sequences Induces a High Incidence of Myeloid as Well as Lymphoid Neoplasms

Retroviruses can be used to accelerate hematopoietic cancers predisposed to neoplastic disease by prior genetic manipulations such as in transgenic or knockout mice. The virus imparts a second neoplastic "hit," providing evidence that the initial hit is transforming. In the present study, a unique retrovirus was developed that can induce a high incidence of myeloid disease and has a broad host range. This agent is a Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MuLV)-based virus that has most of the U3 region of the long terminal repeat (LTR) replaced with that of retrovirus 4070A. Like Mo-MuLV, this virus, called MOL4070LTR, is NB-tropic and not restricted by Fv1 allelles. MOL4070LTR causes myeloid leukemias in ca. 50% of mice, a finding in contrast to Mo-MuLV, which induces almost exclusively lymphoid disease. The data suggest that the LTR of the 4070A virus expands the tissue tropism of the disease to the myeloid lineage. Interesting, MCF recombinant envelope was expressed in the lymphoid but not the myeloid neoplasms of BALB/c mice. This retrovirus has the potential for accelerating myeloid disease in genetically engineered mice.
SAR image formation using 2D reweighted minimum norm extrapolation

In this paper, we present a detailed description of a non- parametric two-dimensional (2-D) procedure to extrapolate a signal, denoted Adaptive Weighted Norm Extrapolation (AWNE), and we propose its application for SAR image formation. The benefits of the AWNE procedure are shown when it is applied to the MSTAR targets database of images. Once the phase history is recovered, the AWNE method is applied to a subaperture or to the full set of frequency samples to extrapolate them to a larger aperture. Then, the Inverse DFT is applied to obtain the new complex SAR image. Use of the 2-D AWNE procedure proves to be superior to its one-dimensional version by reducing undesirable effects such as sidelobe interference, and variability in energy of the extrapolated data from row to row and from column to column. To assess the performance of AWNE in enhancing prominent scatterers, reducing speckle, and suppressing clutter, we compare the super-resolved images to the images formed with the traditional Fourier technique starting from the same frequency samples. Both images are also compared with images formed starting from less data to assess the quality of the extrapolation and to quantify the ability to recover from lost resolution. We quantify the performance with the help of a target mask produced by a CFAR detector using metrics such as peak location blob matching count and a mean minimum peak distance. Another focus of our experiments is the illustration of the potential advantages of going beyond the traditional limits of resolution by extrapolating the full aperture of phase history to a larger size. We quantify performance by visual comparison and by the use of a geometric constellation of prominent point scatterers of the targets extracted from the images.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Optoelectronic neural network prototype with digital 3D holographic memory

Architectures of optoelectronic neural network modules based on digital 3-D holographic memory are evaluated in terms of holographic memory design, module scalability and learning capability. A feed-forward module with 900 inputs and 9 outputs with 12-bit interconnection accuracy and perceptron learning are demonstrated experimentally.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Generation of blue light by frequency doubling in periodically poled bulk and waveguide KTP

We have investigated second-harmonic generation in short- period periodically-poled bulk and waveguide potassium titanyl phosphate crystals to generate blue light using subpicosecond laser pulses. For the bulk, the maximum conversion efficiency is approximately equals 5.5%, which is about two orders of magnitude larger than that achieved previously. For the waveguide, the maximum conversion efficiency is approximately equals 32%, which is about a factor of 4 higher than that obtained before. These measured values are in good agreement with our theoretical results. We have observed saturation of conversion efficiency, which sets a limit to the maximum conversion efficiency that can be obtained.
Cerebral glucose transport and metabolism in preterm human infants.

Few data regarding early developmental changes in cerebral (blood-to-brain) glucose transport (CTXglc) and CMRglc are available for humans. We measured CBF, CTXglc, and CMRglc with positron emission tomography at 4 to 7 days of life in six preterm human infants whose estimated gestational age was 25 to 34 weeks. The Michaelis-Menten constants Kt and Tmax were estimated from CTXglc and the calculated cerebral capillary plasma glucose concentration. Mean CMRglc was 8.8 μmol 100 g−1 min−1. The CMRglc did not correlate with plasma glucose concentration (r = .315, P = .543), whereas CTXglc showed a significant correlation with plasma glucose concentration (r = .836, P = .038). Estimation of the Michaelis-Menten constants from the best fit to the measured data produced values of Kt = 6.0 μmol mL−1 and Tmax = 32.6 μmol 100 g−1 min−1. These values for Kt in the developing human brain are similar to those that have been reported for the mature brain of adolescent and adult humans and adult nonhuman primates, indic...
Influence of load position on the stability of shallow arches

The influence of load position of lhe snap-through instability of shallow, circular, elastic arches is investigated. Results are obtained for pinned, clamped, and clamped-pinned end conditions. The ‘worst’ load position is seen to depend on the arch rise.
Maximizing Exposure Therapy: An Inhibitory Learning Approach

Exposure therapy is an effective approach for treating anxiety disorders, although a substantial number of individuals fail to benefit or experience a return of fear after treatment. Research suggests that anxious individuals show deficits in the mechanisms believed to underlie exposure therapy, such as inhibitory learning. Targeting these processes may help improve the efficacy of exposure-based procedures. Although evidence supports an inhibitory learning model of extinction, there has been little discussion of how to implement this model in clinical practice. The primary aim of this paper is to provide examples to clinicians for how to apply this model to optimize exposure therapy with anxious clients, in ways that distinguish it from a 'fear habituation' approach and 'belief disconfirmation' approach within standard cognitive-behavior therapy. Exposure optimization strategies include (1) expectancy violation, (2) deepened extinction, (3) occasional reinforced extinction, (4) removal of safety signals, (5) variability, (6) retrieval cues, (7) multiple contexts, and (8) affect labeling. Case studies illustrate methods of applying these techniques with a variety of anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, social phobia, specific phobia, and panic disorder.
Sensor design considerations for HSI remote sensing

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technique in remote sensing gauges its performance based on the usefulness of the products. Many of the products consists of the detection and identification of various materials within an imaging element or pixel. Nearly all HSI systems image at a level in which several materials may compromise a single pixel. We have derived an expression for the sub-pixel detection capabilities assuming complete knowledge of background and target spectra and the spectral influence of the atmosphere. This derivation assumes that a pixel is comprised of a set of background and target spectral components which when added together, weighted by the area extent, produce the observed spectrum of the pixel. The analysis is done for two sensor types: one that is photon-noise limited and one that is detector-noise limited. Results of this analysis show that the basic sensor parameters can be separated effectively from phenomenology limitations, thus providing an ability to trade sensor parameters, leading to an understanding of their effect on target detection. This derivation forms a framework for discussing conditions for which backgrounds and the atmospheric interferences are not completely known and for cases in which the target spectrum may or may not be known. These results are compared to analyses directed at empirically understanding sensor trades.
On the cold drawing of polymers

Abstract When the amount of stretch in a taut fiber varies rapidly with distance z along the fiber axis, the tension T on a cross section normal to the axis is not determined by only the temporal history of the local stretch, but is affected by the variation of stretch with z . Here a study is made of the implications of a constitutive relation giving the tension in a polymeric fiber as a function of the local stretch, λ, the spatial derivative, v z , of the velocity, and the first two spatial derivatives of the stretch, λ z and λ zz . When this relation is placed in the equation for balance of momentum in the axial direction, dynamical equations are obtained whose equilibrium solutions for λ as a function of z can be rendered explicit. The solutions describe necks, bulges, drawing configurations, and periodic striations. The assumption that motions resulting from slow changes in applied tension or length are homotopies formed from these equilibrium solutions is compatible with many of the observed properties of tension-induced necking and cold drawing in polymeric fibers. Properties of non-equilibrium solutions of the dynamical equations are also discussed here. Lyapunov functions appropriate to several types of boundary conditions, including elongation under a dead load, are constructed. It is shown that the presence of viscous stresses has a strong effect on the types of traveling waves that can occur in long fibers. A detailed discussion is given of a class of traveling waves, called “steady draws,” that correspond to the continuous drawing processes frequently employed to improve the stiffness and tenacity of synthetic fibers.
Student Services for Athletes: A Model for Enhancing the Student-Athlete Experience

A comprehensive outreach program for providing student services to college athletes is described. Sponsored by the Center for Counseling and Student Development, the program attends to the developmental needs of student-athletes. Services include academic monitoring, consultation, workshops, and personal counseling. Benefits and suggestions for implementation of the program are addressed.
Explicit mean-field radius for nearly parallel vortex filaments in statistical equilibrium with applications to deep ocean convection

Deep ocean convection, under appropriate conditions, gives rise to quasi-2D vortex structures with axes parallel to the rotational axis. These vortex structures appear in axisymmetric arrays that have a characteristic radius or size. This size is dependent, not only on competition between vortex interaction and conservation of angular momentum, but on 3D effects that 2D point vortex models leave out. In this article, we propose a hypothesis that as 3D variations become more significant in these arrays, the process of interaction/angular momentum competition gives way to entropy/angular momentum competition and that this shift results in a reversal of the trend of the radius to decrease with increasing kinetic energy. We derive an explicit, closed-form, mean-field expression for the radius using a quasi-2D model for filaments with a local induction approximation (LIA). We validate the formula with Monte Carlo simulations. Both confirm that there is a reversal in the 2D point vortex contraction trend. We co...
Synthesis of benzobicyclo[3.2.1]octanes involving inversion of configuration via an N to O acetyl migration

Synthese des amino-8 tetrahydro-6,7,8,9 methano-5,8benzocycloheptene-endo-ol-9 et -exo-ol-9 a partir de la phenyl-4 cyclohexanone
Adaptive optics applications in vision science

Adaptive optics can be used to correct the aberrations in the human eye caused by imperfections in the cornea and the lens and thereby, improve image quality both looking into and out of the eye. Under the auspices of the NSF Center for Adaptive Optics and the DOE Biomedical Engineering Program, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has joined together with leading vision science researchers around the country to develop and test new ophthalmic imaging systems using novel wavefront corrector technologies. Results of preliminary comparative evaluations of these technologies in initial system tests show promise for future clinical utility.© (2003) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A unified theory of biology and physics

Abstract It is found that the basic mechanisms of biology and physics are remarkably similar. Fifteen fundamental phenomena are listed whose expression in physics and biology have not usually been recognized as being related. In certain cases, it was not even realized that the expression in one of the sciences existed. Thus the existence of bosons and fermions in biology and the existence of alternation of generation in physics had not been foreseen. In a sense, the basic content of the natural world appears to be organization. The organized entities of biology and physics are constantly being affected by disorganizing influences. Their design in both structure and function is such that they combat these disorganizing influences in every possible way. We have called this characteristic of their design the antichaos principle. Part of the design includes the effective assimilation of order from the environment. This has been well known in biology, but not in physics. The antichaos principle is the reason for the existence of cells, and for many characteristics of cell structure. A pervasive characteristic of both physics and biology is duality. Thus there is duality in representation domains. The individuality of an organism is expressed both in the genes of its chromosomes and in its structural and functional characteristics. Similarly, the state function of a physical system may be expressed either in the domain of conserved observables or in the configuration domain. Duality is likewise expressed in wave-particle complementarity in physics, and in the biological and physical interpretations of biological activity. Symmetries and conservation laws as well as alternation of generation are further examples of duality in physics and biology. Aging is well known as a biological phenomenon. Aging is associated with disorganization, but there is evidence that it also involves the loss of a youth factor. It appears that rejuvenation, operating through alternation of generation, is likewise a universal phenomenon. Aging and rejuvenation are equally important in biology and physics. The youth factor is not yet clearly defined. In biology it is associated with conjugation and sexual interaction. In physics, it appears to be associated with particle-antiparticle interaction.
Notch-1 immunoexpression is increased in Alzheimer's and Pick's disease

Notch-1 is a protein that influences cell fate decisions, with its expression occurring primarily during embryogenesis and development. However, Notch-1 is also expressed in the adult brain, in regions with high synaptic plasticity, particularly the hippocampus. Its role in adults is unknown; however, it may impact neurite outgrowth or cell differentiation in adult brain regions undergoing neurogenesis. Notch-1 is increased in Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, its expression in other CNS degenerative diseases has not been described. To begin to define the range of degenerative disorders where Notch-1 expression is altered, we examined Notch-1 immunoreactivity in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases to determine whether its increase is selective for AD. We examined sections of hippocampus from 13 AD, 13 classical Pick's disease (PiD; with Pick bodies), 4 dementia lacking distinctive histopathology (DLDH) and 8 control brains, emphasizing hippocampal (dentate gyrus) pathology. We determined that Notch-1 immunoexpression is increased in AD and PiD relative to control cases. DLDH cases were not significantly different than control cases with respect to Notch-1 expression. Given the increase in Notch-1 immunoexpression in AD and PiD, two diseases where abnormal tau aggregates are present, and the lack of Notch-1 immunoexpression in DLDH (where tau aggregates are absent), we cannot rule out the possibility that tau aggregates are associated with Notch-1 expression in neurodegenerative diseases.
Macroeconomic effects of a community-based biodiesel production system.

Abstract Oilseeds can be processed into biodiesel, a diesel fuel substitute that can be utilized in unmodified diesel engines. A previous study indicated that under very specific conditions, biodiesel can be processed and can compete with standard diesel fuel when produced in community-based plants. Investment in such plants would generate positive macroeconomic effects in communities where they are located. This preliminary analysis suggests that positive regional impacts are partially offset by a decrease in retail businesses, such as bulk fuel supply firms and local feed dealers within that community. Net permanent job creation in rural communities was found to be slight with the operation of a single 500 000 gallon community-based biodiesel plant; however, temporary jobs were increased due to plant construction. Overall, community-based biodiesel plants were beneficial to the local economies in terms of increased wages, increased tax base and the value added to soybeans. More rigorous analyses will be essential to identify the true impacts of biodiesel production, both inside and outside the region in which plants are located.
Correction for intensity falloff in surface coil magnetic resonance imaging

A method has been developed to compensate for sensitivity variation in surface coil images. An algorithm to derive the surface coil profile by acquiring a crude body coil image of the region under study is presented and tested using a homogeneous phantom. Practical application is demonstrated on images of a tomato and rabbit acquired with a 2 T 33‐cm bore magnetic resonance imager/spectrometer.
Ivy/Neurogliaform Interneurons Coordinate Activity in the Neurogenic Niche

Depolarization by the neurotransmitter GABA regulates adult neurogenesis. We found interneurons of the neurogliaform cell family to be a primary source of GABA for newborn neurons in mouse dentate gyrus. GABAergic depolarization occurred in concert with reduced synaptic inhibition of mature neurons, suggesting that the local circuitry coordinates the activation of new and pre-existing cells.
Effects of Diagnostic Test Accuracy and Treatment Efficacy on the Occurrence of Suspected Failure of Heartworm Prophylaxis in Dogs

Background Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA/CVM) cited concern regarding failure of heartworm prophylaxis. The positive and negative predictive value of the heartworm antigen test is an estimate of the probability of adult heartworm infection. Hypothesis/Objectives Assess the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of heartworm antigen tests. Explore the role of heartworm test accuracy and treatment with immiticide to generate reports of suspected failure of heartworm prophylaxis. Methods Literature searches for published information on the accuracy of heartworm antigen tests and efficacy of immiticide for treatment of the adult heartworm. Results Weighted averages for heartworm antigen test sensitivity and specificity were 78.2 and 97.3%, respectively. Efficacy of immiticide by 2-injection or alternate dose protocols were 88.3 and 89.1%, respectively. Depending on prevalence, the positive predictive value of the heartworm antigen test ranged from 15 to 54% and negative predictive value from 99 to 99.9%. For a hospital testing 1,000 dogs per year, false-positive test results may vary from 24 to 27 dogs. If these dogs were on heartworm preventive, they may undergo treatment and be classified as prophylaxis failures. Ten percent of dogs who were treated and continued or placed on prophylaxis at the time of treatment may have adult heartworms when tested 1 year later and be presumed to represent failure of prophylaxis. Conclusions When interpreting heartworm antigen test results, clinical signs, history, and regional prevalence of heartworm disease should be considered in estimating the predictive value of the test result. Limitations of test and treatment should be discussed with clients as part of the decision-making process.
An evaluation of potentially low-cost silicon substrates for metal-insulator-semiconductor solar cells

Cr metal‐insulator‐semiconductor solar cells were fabricated on special silicon substrates identified as 5‐in.‐diam Czochralski wafers, Wacker polycrystalline‐Si, silicon on ceramic, and IBM ribbon. These cells produced open circuit voltages ranging from 0.58 to 0.48 V, short circuit current density from 32 to 18 mA/cm2, and efficiency from 11.5 to 5.1% depending on surface perfection and diffusion length. Spectral response data gave diffusion length values in a range from 150 to 39 mm. Calculations showed interface state density values ranging from 4.2×1012 to 1.2×1013/cm2 eV, which are quite high due to the surface nature of these substrates.
Systemic Factors in Esophageal Mucosal Protection

Blood bicarbonate is an important systemic factor in esophageal protection due to its capacity for buffering H+ either in the lumen, at the epithelial surface, within the intercellular spac
Vascular surgery: The burr under the saddle

Abstract A decade ago vascular surgery "came of age" with formalization of accreditation of training programs and certification of subspecialists in the field. These events created turbulence in general surgery, with initial resistance to further subspecialization and fragmentation of the specialty. Subsequent reassessment of the trends in general surgery and its subspecialty disciplines has led to a reaffirmation of the integrity of the parent specialty. Recent proposals for reforms in resident training in general surgery and its subspecialties are currently being evaluated. Despite the current rapprochement between general and vascular surgery, many challenges remain for both disciplines. All surgeons, regardless of specialty, should broaden their respect for both "microscience," particularly molecular biology, and "macromedicine," including epidemiology, preventive medicine, and health services research. (J. VASC SURG 1993;17:1090-4.)
Challenges to Breastfeeding Infants With Phenylketonuria

Breastfeeding duration for infants with phenylketonuria (PKU) is less than other full-term infants. However, no study has examined the challenges encountered by mothers' breastfeeding infants with PKU. In 75 mothers of a child with PKU, three categories of breastfeeding challenges were identified: common breastfeeding issues, breastfeeding and PKU, and no challenges. The common breastfeeding issues can be identified in the literature but for these mothers, the issues are heightened due to frequent phenylalanine (Phe) monitoring. Even so, many mothers adapt breastfeeding to maintain desired Phe levels. A few mothers had no issues and were the exception, not the norm.
The Link Between Psychosis and Aggression in Persons with Dementia: A Systematic Review

The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature to determine whether aggression is linked to psychosis in persons with dementia. An electronic search using PubMed for articles in English focusing on psychosis and aggression or agitation in adults aged 65+ with dementia. Cross-sectional, longitudinal, and randomized controlled treatment studies examining the outcomes of aggression and psychosis were eligible for inclusion. Eighteen articles were selected for final analysis. Of the seven cross-sectional and two longitudinal studies directly examining the correlation of aggression and psychosis, most showed a positive association. Outcome data from the nine treatment studies was more mixed. Limited data link psychosis with aggression in persons with dementia. Prospectively designed studies looking at the temporal relationship of these variables are needed to make a stronger causal argument.
Two Orthogonal Layers of Metal Medium in Granular Materials for 3D Speckle Shadowgraph by Flash X-ray

We designed a special-sand container for X-ray radiography showing the motion of sand during projectile penetration. Two orthogonal layers of X-ray opaque iron balls reveal the motion of sand in their shadowgraphs. The container has two perpendicular middle planes that can be separated. During target preparation, iron balls are placed on the middle planes. Thin sheets that create the middle planes are then removed to merge the sand into a target. Flash X-ray shadowgraphs in both horizontal and vertical directions show high-quality arrangement of the iron balls.
Real-time personalized sports video filtering and summarization

We demonstrate a real-time fully automated software system for filtering important events in sports video. Events represent occurrences of actions or state changes in video content. In the current prototype, we demonstrate detection of pitching in baseball and serving in tennis. For wireless video applications, we propose and apply a unique notion of content-based adaptive streaming,in which video encoding rate and media modality is dynamically varied according to the event filtering results. Our system includes an event detection module, an adaptive encoding module, and a buffer management module for adaptive streaming. We achieve the real-time performance by exploring compressed-domain techniques and multi-stage multi-resolution content-analysis processes.
Soft Magnetic Alloy–Polymer Composite for High-Frequency Power Electronics Application

Soft magnetic alloys are limited to lower frequencies because of increased eddy-current losses at higher frequencies. A simple low-temperature solvent-based process was developed to coat permalloy powder with a benzocyclobutene insulating layer to reduce interparticle eddy-current loss. Low-signal measurements show that the permeability of the cured composite exhibits a bandwidth beyond 10 MHz. In contrast, the permeability of the pure powder rolled off well below 1 MHz with a corresponding increase in the imaginary permeability. Measurements of the core loss density at 5 MHz on pressed composite cores show a core loss of 300 mW/cm3 at more than 90 gauss, while the pure powder core achieved the same core loss density at just over 10 gauss. The results demonstrate that the polymer coating process is an effective way of reducing the interparticle eddy-current loss in powdered magnetic cores at high frequencies.
Thermal oxidation of blends of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(methyl methacrylate)

Thermal oxidation of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and its blends with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were studied using oxygen uptake measurements. The rates of oxidation and maximum oxygen uptake contents were reduced as the content of PMMA was increased in the blends. The results were indicative of a stabilizing effect by PMMA on the oxidation of PEO. The oxidation reaction at 140°C was stopped at various stages and PMMA was separated from PEO and its molecular weights were measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The decrease in the number-average molecular weight of PMMA was larger as the content of PEO increased in the blends. The visual appearance of the films suggested that phase separation did not occur after thermal oxidation. The activation energy for the rates of oxidation in the blends was slightly increased compared to pure PEO. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Learnability and grammar reorganization in L2A: against negative evidence causing the unlearning of verb movement

This paper reassesses the role of Negative Evidence (NE) in nonnative language acquisition. We argue that the grammar-building process cannot make use of NE to restructure (Interlanguage) grammars ...
Field of Needs The Genetics of Stroke

Stroke is the single leading cause of severe disability and the third leading cause of death in the United States.1 A large number of studies have evaluated the prevalence of stroke in various populations, and these studies have identified sex, age, race, uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, cigarette smoking, and family history as significant risk factors. Of the ≈250 000 deaths each year due to the complications of untreated hypertension, one third are due to stroke, and blood pressure control is known to reduce the risk of stroke and stroke mortality.2 However, these risk factors play different roles in the 2 major stroke types, hemorrhagic and infarctive,3 infarctive being the more common type in the United States. Twin and family studies have determined that there is a significant familial or genetic component underlying the occurrence of stroke. Analysis of twin pairs from the registry maintained by the National Academy of Sciences yielded proband concordance rates of 17.7% for monozygotic twins and 3.6% for dizygotic twins.4 Likewise, a large number of studies have indicated that a positive family history is a significant risk factor for future stroke among offspring.5 As is the case with other complex diseases, studies of the genetics of stroke need to move from arguing that genes are involved in the pathogenesis and risk of stroke toward identifying and characterizing the specific genes contributing to disease risk. Some successes have been realized for mendelian disorders associated with stroke. For example, mutations in the human Notch 3 gene on chromosome 19p13 contribute to an autosomal dominant form of stroke called cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL).6 However, this condition occurs rarely in the general population and most likely contributes little to the overall prevalence of stroke. In this issue of Circulation …
An identification approach to nonlinear state space model for industrial multivariable model predictive control

Extending application of model predictive control (MPC) technology has encountered new challenges from the chemical and polymer industries where the processes show strong nonlinear dynamic behaviour and necessitate nonlinear dynamic models for MPC. This paper presents an approach to identify nonlinear state space models from plant data. This approach uses a direct identification scheme and integrates several technologies including a hybrid linear-neural network model, principal component analysis and partial least squares modeling algorithms and online adaptation to address the robustness of the identification and the resultant model. Two examples are presented to demonstrate the features of the approach.
Expression and function of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha in human melanoma under non-hypoxic conditions.

Hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) protein is rapidly degraded under normoxic conditions. When oxygen tensions fall HIF-1α protein stabilizes and transactivates genes involved in adaptation to hypoxic conditions. We have examined the normoxic expression of HIF-1α RNA and protein in normal human melanocytes and a series of human melanoma cell lines isolated from radial growth phase (RGP), vertical growth phase (VGP) and metastatic (MET) melanomas. HIF-1α mRNA and protein was increased in RGP vs melanocytes, VGP vs RGP and MET vs VGP melanoma cell lines. We also detected expression of a HIF-1α mRNA splice variant that lacks part of the oxygen-dependent regulation domain in WM1366 and WM9 melanoma cells. Over-expression of HIF-1α and its splice variant in the RGP cell line SbCl2 resulted in a small increase in soft agar colony formation and a large increase in matrigel invasion relative to control transfected cells. Knockdown of HIF-1α expression by siRNA in the MET WM9 melanoma cell line resulted in a large decrease in both soft agar colony formation and matrigel invasion relative to cells treated with non-specific siRNA. There is a high level of ERK1/2 phosphorylation in WM9 cells, indicating an activated Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK1/2 MAPK pathway. Treatment of WM9 cells with 30 μM U0126 MEK inhibitor, decreased ERK1/2 phosphorylation and resulted in a decrease in HIF-1α expression. However, a 24 h treatment with 10 μM U0126 totally eliminated Erk1/2 phosphorylation, but did not change HIF-1alpha levels. Furthermore, siRNA knockdown of MEK siRNA did not change HIF-1alpha levels. We speculate that metabolic products of U0126 decrease HIF-1alpha expression through "off target" effects. Overall our data suggest that increased HIF-1α expression under normoxic conditions contributes to some of the malignant phenotypes exhibited by human melanoma cells. The expanded role of HIF-1α in melanoma biology increases its importance as a therapeutic target.