cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cadmium exposure and the epigenome: Exposure-associated patterns of DNA methylation in leukocytes from mother-baby pairs

Cadmium (Cd) is prevalent in the environment yet understudied as a developmental toxicant. Cd partially crosses the placental barrier from mother to fetus and is linked to detrimental effects in newborns. Here we examine the relationship between levels of Cd during pregnancy and 5-methylcytosine (5mC) levels in leukocyte DNA collected from 17 mother-newborn pairs. The methylation of cytosines is an epigenetic mechanism known to impact transcriptional signaling and influence health endpoints. A methylated cytosine-guanine (CpG) island recovery assay was used to assess over 4.6 million sites spanning 16,421 CpG islands. Exposure to Cd was classified for each mother-newborn pair according to maternal blood levels and compared with levels of cotinine. Subsets of genes were identified that showed altered DNA methylation levels in their promoter regions in fetal DNA associated with levels of Cd (n = 61), cotinine (n = 366), or both (n = 30). Likewise, in maternal DNA, differentially methylated genes were identified that were associated with Cd (n = 92) or cotinine (n = 134) levels. While the gene sets were largely distinct between maternal and fetal DNA, functional similarities at the biological pathway level were identified including an enrichment of genes that encode for proteins that control transcriptional regulation and apoptosis. Furthermore, conserved DNA motifs with sequence similarity to specific transcription factor binding sites were identified within the CpG islands of the gene sets. This study provides evidence for distinct patterns of DNA methylation or “footprints” in fetal and maternal DNA associated with exposure to Cd.
Personality Processes in Anger and Reactive Aggression: An Introduction

The situational factors precipitating anger and reactive (i.e., emotional) aggression have been well documented in the social psychology literature. However, there are pronounced individual differences in reactivity to hostile cues that are equally important in understanding such outcomes. Indeed, in predicting tendencies toward anger and reactive aggression, it appears critical to simultaneously consider both individual difference and situational factors. This case is first made. Subsequently, the utility of this individual difference realm in understanding wider personality processes related to social cognition, reactivity, and self-regulation is highlighted. Individual difference frameworks of this type are scattered across multiple literatures. For this reason, the present special section of the Journal of Personality invited contributions from experts in developmental, social, cognitive, trait, and biological subdisciplines of psychology. The final section introduces the invited papers and makes a brief case for broader process-related conclusions that are generally apparent.
Some foundations and directions for applied developmental psychology

Abstract Applied developmental psychology (ADP) is an “umbrella” discipline which includes a range of psychological sciences and professions committed to use of the data base and methods of developmental psychology to address problems in education, health, human services and public policy. ADP emerges now as a manifestation of increasing recognition of the limits of developmental psychology's traditional models and paradigms, increasing recognition of our appropriate role in social problem-solving and public policy formation and an employment market which reflects these awarenesses. Consideration of clinical psychology as an ADP provides examples of synergies and distinctions helpful in defining ADP. The “linkage” concept inherent in a “scientist-practitioner” model is emphasized as a key in this definition and as a basis for designing appropriate doctoral training programs in ADP.
Extravasation of plasma proteins in brain trauma

Abstract The cellular distribution of extravasated plasma proteins in cortical contusions was studied with an immunoperoxidase method using polyclonal antibodies against human plasma albumin, α 1 -acid glycoprotein, α 2 -macroglobulin, α 1 -antitrypsin, transferrin, hemopexin, haptoglobin, fibrinogen, fibronectin and immunoglobulin G. The material consisted of 24 human autopsy brains with a primary diagnosis of cerebral contusion due to blunt trauma. The time interval between injury and death ranged between minutes and 7 years. Immediately after the trauma, a complete breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) occurred with hemorrhage and extravasation of all types of plasma proteins. This was followed by spreading of edema fluid within the extracellular space in and around the wound. Uptake of extravasated protein by glial cells began on the 3rd day followed by proliferation of reactive astrocytes whose ample cytoplasma appeared to serve as a reservior for the extravasated plasma proteins. Within the reactive astrocytes, plasma proteins and S-100 protein had a similar and diffuse distribution in the immunostained sections. The plasma proteins once incorporated into the glial cells remained unchanged for several years with little sign of degradation. It is suggested that the extravasated plasma proteins subsequent to uptake and processing by the glial cells, may serve some important physiological function in wound healing.
Analysis and Design of a Surface-Wave-Scanned Optical Sensor Array

This paper treats a scheme for converting the information of the spatial pattern of light of an image into a time-varying voltage pattern by the use of acoustic surface waves. After a brief review of earlier work, the application of the scheme to vidicon-type applications is tested by a feasibility calculation. This is followed by a consideration of various physical configurations possible and some experimental results. The rest of the paper deals with the subject of sensor array design. Included here are discussions of system components, methods of computation used, optimization, and the design of some integrated sensor arrays. The work shows that an integrated acoustically scanned array sensor of 250 or more elements per line in a 5 cm length, with scanning at TV frame rates, should be possible.
Sociotechnical Design Aspects of Educational Technology

The goal of this project is to develop and understand how technology can be integrated with the teaching of an instructional design course in a secondary education program. A sociotechnical approach to systems design is appropriate for this project because educational systems can be modeled as more or less open systems which are impacted by environmental factors. In general, it is expected that the approach adopted here can also be used by other organizations including higher and secondary education institutions. Most design constraints are sociotechnical rather than simply technical. Work completed includes concept development, a technology needs analysis, a survey of existing collaborative tools, and initial prototype development.
Ogilvie’s Syndrome following Cardioversion for Atrial Fibrillation

Acute colonic pseudoobstruction, also known as Ogilvie's syndrome, is characterized by distension of the colon in the absence of a mechanical obstruction as evident by abdominal radiography. This syndrome is usually treated conservatively; however, medical or surgical therapies can be employed in refractory cases. Ogilvie's syndrome has been reported following cardiac events, such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, and cardiac bypass surgeries. We report the first case of Ogilvie's syndrome following synchronized electric cardioversion for atrial fibrillation.
Studies in the Capparidaceae—VII old world Cleomes adventive in the new world

There are three Old World species ofCleome that are weedy in the New World:C. viscosa (Polanisia viscosa),C. gynandra (Cleome pentaphylla, Gynandropsis gynandra, G. pentaphylla) andC. rutidosperma (C. eiliata). Their very similar New World distribution is centered in the Carribean region, with sporadic occurrences in United States and Brazilian ports. Each species is distinctive enough to be placed in its own section. SectionRutidosperma Iltis is here established for the last named species. The two most common vernacular names used in the New World forC. gynandra (and to a lesser degree also forC. viscosa) were introduced, together with the species, from Africa. Usage of these names in the New World has by now been extended by transference to several indigenous American species. The holotypes ofCleome rutidosperma DC. andCarapa procera DC. (Meliaceae), originally cited as coming from the Antilles, were apparently collections of H. Smeathmann from Sierra Leone, West Africa. In view of the very early date of Smeathmann’s collection (ca. 1786) and its early use in theProdromus, recognition of this error should aid in the interpretation of other enigmatic names or distributions of supposedly West Indian species.
Average energy expended per ionized electron-hole pair for α particles in Si(Li)

New results have been obtained for the temperature dependence of e, the average energy required to create an electron-hole pair by ionizing radiation, for α particles incident on lithium-drifted silicon surface barrier detectors. For temperatures between 31 and 291°K, the application of fields up to 104 v/cm resulted in a saturated pulse height, which eliminated the necessity for extrapolation procedures to determine e. Between 4.2 and 31°K pulse height saturation was not observed. Below 31°K the presence of both fast and slow risetime components in the detector pulse prevented an accurate determination of the pulse height. A significant difference between the present results and those previously reported is that e plotted vs the energy gap gives a linear curve over the entire range reported (31-291°K).
GIS plays key role in NYC Rescue and Relief Operation

New York City, Sept. 17—The posters of missing loved ones are pasted onto New York City walls and street signs six days after 2 hijacked commercial airlines destroyed the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan on September 11. Several miles uptown from “ground zero,” heightened security hovers around the city's Office of Emergency Management rescue and relief command center, an around-the-clock operation. Police, firefighters, military, officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, communications technicians, and a beehive of others work in controlled chaos in this cavernous, convention center-sized hall, lined with computers and adorned with several American flags. After the original command center at 7 World Trade Center collapsed to rubble as an after-effect of the plane strikes, city officials scrambled to recreate it. Alan Leidner, director of New York's citywide geographic information systems (GIS), and who is with the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, knew that maps would be an integral component of the rescue and relief efforts. Maps provide emergency workers and others with accurate and detailed scientific data in the form of visual aids upon which they can make informed decisions.
Leaf buds, a factor in host selection by Battus philenor butterflies

. 1 Field and laboratory experiments identified a character intrinsic to Aristolochia reticulata Nutt. host plants, the terminal leaf bud, that is involved in host-selection behaviour by female pipevine swallowtail butterflies (Battus philenor L.) searching for oviposition sites. 2 In the field, the frequency with which females landed on non-host buds declined seasonally as the proportion of host foliage that consisted of buds decreased. Female butterflies did not land on non-host species in proportion to their abundance; rather, females landed on those non-host species whose buds resembled those of A.reticulata. 3 A.reticulata plants whose terminal leaf bud was concealed by plastic tape were less susceptible to oviposition in the field than were control plants. 4 Female butterflies released in a large, outdoor enclosure were conditioned to search for leaf buds only when exposed to a host species bearing a prominent terminal leaf bud. 5 The significance of conditioning of leaf-bud searching behaviour is discussed with respect to discrimination between hosts and non-hosts, between host species, and among plants within a host species.
Retrograde catheterization of left ventricle through tilting disc valves using a modified catheter system

4 0 0 m s FIGURE 2. In this registration the sinus beat (arrow) is not sensed because the pacemaker is still in the DVI mode after the ventricular premature beat. See text for explanation. The programmed pacing mode, lower rate, atrioventricular interval and upper rate are noted in this order. X = temporary DVI mode after a VPB; AR/V = atrial refractory period after a sensed or paced ventricular event.
Environmental risk analysis of hazardous material rail transportation

An important aspect of railroad environmental risk management involves tank car transportation of hazardous materials. This paper describes a quantitative, environmental risk analysis of rail transportation of a group of light, non-aqueous-phase liquid (LNAPL) chemicals commonly transported by rail in North America. The Hazardous Materials Transportation Environmental Consequence Model (HMTECM) was used in conjunction with a geographic information system (GIS) analysis of environmental characteristics to develop probabilistic estimates of exposure to different spill scenarios along the North American rail network. The risk analysis incorporated the estimated clean-up cost developed using the HMTECM, route-specific probability distributions of soil type and depth to groundwater, annual traffic volume, railcar accident rate, and tank car safety features, to estimate the nationwide annual risk of transporting each product. The annual risk per car-mile (car-km) and per ton-mile (ton-km) was also calculated to enable comparison between chemicals and to provide information on the risk cost associated with shipments of these products. The analysis and the methodology provide a quantitative approach that will enable more effective management of the environmental risk of transporting hazardous materials.
Is random noise causing a poor correlation between the Lunar Prospector TiO2 data and Clementine UVVIS-color ratio?

The ability to measure TiO 2 remotely is important for mapping the composition lunar basalt flows globally, and for placing lunar samples into a regional and global geologic context. Comparing Clementine UVVIS-ratio (415/750 nm) with Lunar Prospector derived TiO 2 data, however, yields a less than ideal correlation, which would suggest that either the UVVIS ratio has poor predictive capabilities with respect to TiO 2 composition or poor accuracy of the Lunar Prospector TiO 2 data. Established uncertainties of the Clementine UVVIS data are approximately 1%, while the reported relative errors for Lunar Prospector neutron spectrometer data are on the order of 5%. Thus, we investigate the possibility of whether the greater uncertainty of the Lunar Prospector neutron data could cause the poor correlation between the two data sets. The sensitivity of the TiO 2 -UVVIS correlation to data accuracy was measured by adding randomly-distributed noise to the Clementine UVVIS data, and then comparing this modified Clementine data with the “noiseless” Clementine data. The comparison was then evaluated for the level of noise needed to produce a similar amount of scatter observed in the Lunar Prospector TiO 2 and Clementine UVVIS-ratio trend. The results of this study indicate that Lunar Prospector would have to possess significantly more than 5% uncertainty to match the observed poor correlation between Lunar Prospector and Clementine data sets. On this basis, we concluded that algorithms that depend solely upon correlations between UV and visible spectral parameters and TiO 2 concentration have inherently poor predicting power.
Bringing Recovery to Practice: Improving Provider Competencies and Promoting Positive Outcomes

The concept of “recovery” in the context of treating mental illness—including serious mental illness—has been recognized as a central guiding principle for the orientation of behavioral health systems, including the delivery of effective treatment and services, and the development of practices, policies, and systems change. As the adoption of recovery-oriented care expands, there is a need to prepare the mental health and addictions workforce with recovery-based clinical skills and practice delivery approaches. In response, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) created an innovative workforce collaborative to increase clinician skills to deliver evidence-based, recovery-oriented treatment, services, and supports. This column describes that collaborative—the Recovery to Practice project.
Real-time algorithm enabling high dynamic range imaging and high frame rate exploitation for custom CMOS image sensor system implemented by FPGA with co-processor

We present results from a prototype CMOS camera system implementing a multiple sampled pixel level algorithm (“Last Sample Before Saturation”) in real-time to create High-Dynamic Range (HDR) images that approach the dynamic range of CCDs. The system is built around a commercial 1280 × 1024 CMOS image sensor with 10-bits per pixel and up to 500 Hz full frame rate with higher frame rates available through windowing. We provide details of system architecture and present images collected with the system.
Dematiaceous - a mycologic misnomer?

The term dematiaceous has been used to describe dark fungi. However, the historic and etymologic derivation suggest that the concept of dark coloration attached to the root demat… is epistemologically incorrect.
Ultrasonic Study of Three-Phonon Interactions. I. Theory

The nonlinear interaction of two ultrasonic waves in a homogeneous, isotropic medium is investigated by using the first-order time-dependent perturbation theory of quantum mechanics to calculate transition probabilities between available phonon states. Excluding collinear interactions, it is shown that there are two general types of possible interactions, depending on whether the zeros of the scattered wave displacement amplitude do or do not depend on the third-order elastic constants. Using correspondences between phonon densities and classical displacement amplitudes, and between generated phonons and Huygens wave sources, the theoretical displacement amplitudes for the scattered waves are derived. The amplitudes agree exactly with those derived from classical theory and are plotted for various materials and interaction geometries.
Digital steganography: hiding data within data

Digital steganography is the art of inconspicuously hiding data within data. Steganography's goal in general is to hide data well enough that unintended recipients do not suspect the steganographic medium of containing hidden data. The software and links mentioned in this article are just a sample of the steganography tools currently available. As privacy concerns continue to develop along with the digital communication domain, steganography will undoubtedly play a growing role in society. For this reason, it is important that we are aware of digital steganography technology and its implications. Equally important are the ethical concerns of using steganography and steganalysis. Steganography enhances rather than replaces encryption. Messages are not secure simply by virtue of being hidden. Likewise, steganography is not about keeping your message from being known - it's about keeping its existence from being known.
Room temperature mechanical properties of natural-mineral-based thermoelectrics

Low cost, highly efficient thermoelectric materials for waste heat recovery applications can be made by combining the naturally occurring thermoelectric mineral tetrahedrite (Cu10Zn2As4S13) and the synthetic compound Cu12Sb4S13. To better utilize this material in waste heat harvesting applications, it is essential to characterize the material’s mechanical properties including elastic modulus, hardness, and fracture toughness. In this study, powders of Cu10Zn2As4S13 were mixed with varying amounts of Cu12Sb4S13 and then densified by hot pressing. The room temperature mechanical properties were investigated as a function of (i) composition and (ii) ball milling time. Elastic moduli were measured using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy. Hardness and fracture toughness were determined by Vickers indentation technique.
A relaxed-constraint model for the tensile behavior of polycrystal shape-memory alloy wires

This article provides a micromechanics-based theory to elucidate that the thermomechanical behavior of a polycrystal shape-memory alloy (SMA) wire is different from that of a bulk material. The study is based on the observation that a polycrystal wire cannot retain any significant amount of internal stress in the transverse direction; thus, the internal stress of its constituent grains is predominantly tensile and the transverse components can be relaxed to zero. The heterogeneous tensile internal stress is then calculated from a self-consistent relation. By this internal stress and an irreversible thermodynamic principle, the decrease of Gibbs free energy and the thermodynamic driving force for martensitic transformation in the grain is established. This leads to a kinetic equation for the evolution of the martensite phase in each constituent grain and then, by an orientational average process, the evolution of the overall phase-transformation strain of the polycrystal SMA wire. Applications of the theory to a Ti-Ni wire under a thermal cycle and under a stress cycle have led to results that are consistent with experimental data. As compared to the bulk behavior, the range of transformation temperatures for the wire is substantially narrower, and the tangent modulus of its stress-strain curves is much lower. These characteristics point to the superiority of an SMA wire over the bulk in smart-material applications and are both attributable to its reduced geometrical constraint in the transverse direction.
Polishable composite electrode based upon graphite powder modified with an electrochemically deposited catalyst

A polishable bulk-modified electrode is described that contains polymeric-mixed valent ruthenium oxide with cyano cross-links (mvRuCN) as a catalyst. Because mvRuCN is not available as an isolated compound, it was electropolymerized on graphite powder that was subsequently formed into a conducting composite with epoxy. Except for promoting oxidations at a more positive potential, this composite behaved the same as mvRuCN films on glassy carbon. Electrocatalytic oxidation of various N-nitrosamines, As(III), glutathione, isotocin, and myoglobin was observed. Flow-injection analysis of 50 μM N-nitrosodi-n-propylamine with amperometric detection at the bulk-modified composite electrode yielded currents of 2.5 ± 0.1 μA (5 trials) when the carrier solution is pH 1.5 phosphate buffer. The use of a micellar carrier,pH 1.5 phosphate buffer in 0.01 M hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride, decreased the sensitivity of the flow-injection amperometric determination of N-nitrosodi-n-phenylamine by 50%, but otherwise, the behavior of the electrode was unchanged. The major advantages of the bulk-modified electrode over the surface-modified electrode jras the long-term stability (at least several months with dry storage) and polishability. Regarding trie latter, 19 replicates of the oxidation of As(III) yielded a relative standard deviation (RSD) of the current response of 3% when the surface was polished between each trial.
Prostaglandin E2 release evoked by intrathecal dynorphin is dependent on spinal p38 mitogen activated protein kinase

Abstract Spinal dynorphin has been hypothesized to play a pivotal role in spinal sensitization. Although the mechanism of this action is not clear, several lines of evidence suggest that spinal dynorphin-induced hyperalgesia is mediated through an increase in spinal cyclooxygenase products via an enhanced N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor function. Spinal NMDA-evoked prostaglandin release and nociception has been linked to the activation of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p38). In the present work, we show that intrathecal delivery of an N-truncated fragment of dynorphin A, dynorphin A 2-17 (dyn 2-17 ), which has no activity at opioid receptors, induced a 8–10-fold increase in phosphorylation of p38 in the spinal cord. The increase in phosphorylated p38 was detected in laminae I–IV of the dorsal horn. Moreover, confocal microscopy showed that the activation of p38 occurred in microglia, but not in neurons or astrocytes. In awake rats, prepared with chronically placed intrathecal loop dialysis catheters, the concentration of prostaglandin E 2 in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid was increased 5-fold by intrathecal administration of dyn 2-17 . Injection of SD-282, a selective p38 inhibitor, but not PD98059, an ERK1/2 inhibitor, attenuated the prostaglanin E 2 release. These data, taken together, support the hypothesis that dynorphin, independent of effects mediated by opioid receptors, has properties that can induce spinal sensitization and indicates that dyn 2-17 effects may be mediated through activation of the p38 pathway. These studies provide an important downstream linkage where by dynorphin may act through a non-neuronal link to induce a facilitation of spinal nociceptive processing.
Precession model for the nucleus of periodic comet Giacobini-Zinner

The comet Giacobini-Zinner, which was discovered in 1900, is a short-period comet of the Jupiter family. It will become the first comet ever to be investigated by a spacecraft in situ, because the International Comet Explorer (ICE) is scheduled to fly through the plasma tail of this comet on September 11, 1985. For this project, it is useful to have as complete a model of the comet as can be deduced from available ground-based observations. The present paper represents, in this connection, an attempt to fill some of the many gaps with respect to an understanding of this particular comet. One of the major results of Yeomans' studies (1971, 1983, 1984) was the detection of a 'discontinuity' in the orbital motion, which qualifies P/Giacobini-Zinner as an 'erratic' comet. One objective of the paper is the formulation of a self-consistent working model of the cometary nucleus, taking into account questions regarding the applicability of the nucleus-precession model of Sekanina (1984) to the dynamically 'erratic' comets.
Biochemical analysis of wood and wood products by pyrolysis-mass spectrometry and multivariate analysis☆

Abstract Pyrolysis—mass spectrometry in combination with discriminant analysis and a newly development non-supervised mixture analysis approach is shown to provide valuable information about the biochemical composition of wood and wood products. The application of this technique to the chemotaxonomy of sagebrush (Artemisia) species as well as to the quality control of wood pulping processes is discussed. With regard to the latter application strong correlations are found between classical lignin and xylan determinations and direct pyrolysis—mass spectrometric analysis results.
Calanoid copepod, cladoceran, and rotifer eggs in sea-bottom sediments of northern Californian coastal waters: Identification, occurrence and hatching

Resting eggs of copepods, cladocerans, and a rotifer were found in sediments from water depths of 60 to 120 m off the northern coast of California in February and April 1989. Eggs occurred as deep as 10 cm in the sediment. These eggs were viable, as evidenced by their hatching (41 to 58%) at 14°C in the laboratory.
Myocardial inactivity of therapeutic concentrations of hydralazine and diazoxide.

Therapeutische Konzentrationen von Hydralazin (10−7–2×10−6M) und von Diazoxid (5×10−6–4×10−5M) haben keine inotropischen oder chronotropischen Wirkungen auf isolierte Herzmuskeln von Katzen und Meerschweinchen. Hydralazin Konzentrationen uber 10−4M erhohen die Spannungsentwicklung durch Freisetzung von endogenem Noradrenalin aber vermindern die Schrittmacherfunktion.
Stress waves produced by impact on the surface of a plastic medium

Abstract This paper discusses certain observations of the effect that local plastic yielding has on the radial surface strain waves produced by the impact of a hard sphere on the surface of a steel block. At impact velocities slightly greater than that required first to initiate local plastic yielding, the effect is almost imperceptible close to the area of impact, but becomes observable at distant points. At higher velocities of impact, however, the experimental results clearly show the presence of plastic yielding as a sudden change in the slope of the strain waves for all distances of travel. In the development of the theory the surface displacements of an elastic half-space are written as integrals over the first derivative of an arbitrary vertical loading f(t) applied at a point on the free surface. It is shown that at large distances r away from the point of impact the amplitude of the radial surface strain generated by f(t) is inversely proportional to r 1 2 . However, the radial surface strains excited by finite jumps of f(0) and f'(0) are shown to decay as r−2 and r−1, respectively, for large values of r. On the basis of the theory developed here, the slope of the applied forcing function is shown to vary rapidly when local plastic yielding occurs.
On a stress resultant geometrically exact shell model. Part IV: variable thickness shells with through-the-thickness stretching

Abstract This paper in concerned with the extension of the shell theory and numerical analysis presented in Part I, II and III to include finite thickness stretch and initial variable thickness. These effects play a significant role in problems involving finite membrane strains, contact, concentrated surface loads and delamination (in composite shells). We show that a direct numerical implementation of the standard single extensible director shell model circumvents the need for rotational updates, but exhibits numerical ill-conditioning in the thin shell limit. A modified formulation obtained via a multiplicative split of the director field into an extensible and inextensible part is presented, which involves only a trivial modification of the weak form of the equilibrium equations considered in Part III, and leads to a perfectly well-conditioned formulation in the thin-shell limit. In sharp contrast with previous attempts in the context of the degenerated solid approach, the thickness stretch is an independent field, not a dependent variable updated iteratively via the plane stress condition. With regard to numerical implementation, an exact update procedure which automatically ensures that the thickness stretch remains positive is presented. For the present theory, standard displacement models would exhibit ‘locking’ in the incompressible limit as a result of the essentially three-dimensional character of the constitutive equations. A mixed formulation is described which circumvents this difficulty. Numerical examples are presented that illustrate the effects of the thickness stretch, the performance of the proposed mixed interpolation, and the well-conditioned response exhibited by the present approach in the thin-shell (inextensible director) limit.
Mixing and Homogenization in the Early Solar System: Clues from Sr, Ba, Nd, and Sm Isotopes in Meteorites

High-precision barium isotopic compositions of large samples of an ordinary chondrite and a eucrite are identical to the terrestrial values. In contrast, the carbonaceous chondrites reveal excesses in 135Ba and 137Ba of around +39 and +22 parts per million (ppm), respectively; no anomalies are resolvable in 130,132,138Ba. High-precision Sr isotopic compositions of all meteorites are identical within error. The data are consistent with the carbonaceous chondrites having an excess in the r-process 135,137Ba with respect to Earth, eucrite parent bodies, and ordinary chondrites. The carbonaceous chondrites, however, display no variation in the r- and s-process Sm and Nd isotopes, suggesting that the r-process sources of Ba and the lanthanides were decoupled. The homogeneity of Ba and Sm isotopes in the Earth, eucrite parent body, and ordinary chondrite indicates that the solar nebula that fed planetesimals between ~1 and ~2.4 AU was well mixed with respect to these isotopes. It was heterogeneous beyond ~2.7 AU where carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies formed. These observations also indicate that the best estimate of the Nd isotopic composition of the Earth is obtained from ordinary chondrites and not from carbonaceous chondrites, as is normally assumed. Since the terrestrial upper mantle shows a 142Nd anomaly of +18 ± 8 ppm with respect to the ordinary chondrites, this is further evidence that the upper mantle retains a memory of early Earth differentiation and sequestration of a reservoir with an average Sm/Nd ratio lower than that of chondrites.
Theoretical study of a two-photon double-beam laser

A nondegenerate two-photon laser in a cascade three-level atomic system is studied. The difference between the laser and that derived from an effective Hamiltonian is discussed. Photon number distributions about field 1 are presented. The effects of field 2 on field 1 are studied in detail. Field 2 can play a role of gain enhancement or gain reduction for field 1. This is due to two actions of field 2: reducing the population of the intermediate level and changing the detuning really acting upon field 1, which is caused by the ac Stark shift.
HTLV-I Gene Expression in Adult T-Cell Leukemia Cells Elicits an NK Cell Responsein Vitroand Correlates with Cell Rejection in SCID Mice

Abstract Human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) is the etiologic agent of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). We have previously shown that the ATL cell line, RV-ATL, formed tumors when inoculated into severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. In contrast, the HTLV-I in vitro -transformed cell line, SLB-I, was nontumorigenic in SCID mice. ATL cells contain HTLV-I proviral DNA sequences but lack detectable viral gene expression, in contrast to HTLV-I in vitro -transformed cells, which express all viral gene products. We investigated the role of HTLV-I gene expression in tumorigenesis by superinfecting RV-ATL cells with HTLV-I. The resulting cell line, HT-1RV, expressed HTLV-I. Injection of HT-1RV cells into SCID mice resulted in a reduced tumorigenic phenotype compared to the parental RV-ATL cells. In vitro natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity assays revealed that cell lines expressing HTLV-I gene products, SLB-I and HT-1RV, were sensitive to NK cell cytolysis. In contrast, nonexpressing RV-ATL cells were resistant to NK cell cytolysis. These studies indicate that lack of viral gene expression allows HTLV-I-infected cells to elude detection by murine NK cells and increases tumorigenicity in SCID mice. Thus the loss of HTLV-I gene expression in ATL cells may be an important mechanism by which leukemic cells escape immune surveillance in humans.
Isolation of phytoalexin-deficient mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana and characterization of their interactions with bacterial pathogens

Abstract A genetic approach was used to assess the extent to which a particular plant defense response, phytoalexin biosynthesis, contributes to Arabidopsis thaliana resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pathogens. The A. thaliana phytoalexin, camalexin, accumulated in response to infection by various P. syringae strains. No correlation between pathogen avirulence and camalexin accumulation was observed. A biochemical screen was used to isolate three mutants of A. thaliana ecotype Columbia that were phytoalexin deficient (pad mutants). The mutations pad1, pad2, and pad3 were found to be recessive alleles of three different genes. pad1 and pad2 were mapped to chromosome IV and pad3 was mapped to chromosome III. Infection of pad mutant plants with strains carrying cloned avirulence genes revealed that the pad mutations did not affect the plants' ability to restrict the growth of these strains. This result strongly suggests that in A. thaliana, phytoalexin biosynthesis is not required for resistance to avirulent P. syringae pathogens. Two of the pad mutants displayed enhanced sensitivity to isogenic virulent P. syringae pathogens, suggesting that camalexin may serve to limit the growth of virulent bacteria.
Analysis and Design of N -Phase Current-Sharing Autotuning Controller

Current sensing and sharing are important functionalities for parallel and multiphase power converters. Good current-sensing accuracy and high-performance current-sharing loop design are required for reliable and efficient operation. Therefore, sensing errors and mismatches in the current-sharing loop should be eliminated and calibrated. On the other hand, conventional current-sharing controllers are designed to force equal current sharing or current distribution between power converter phases, which may not result in the most power-efficient operation. An N-phase current-sharing algorithm and controller (NCSAT) with current-sensing autotuning capability is presented in this paper. The presented controller is able to adaptively autotune the current sensing and current sharing between N converter phases that results in achieving current sharing ratio between converter phases for maximum power efficiency. This is achieved without the need for a precise calibration reference or resistor and without the need for any converter's parameters estimation. The presented controller is also free of sensing inaccuracies and mismatches. The NCSAT controller is analyzed and verified by simulation and experimental results.
The histopathologic effects of transpupillary thermotherapy in human eyes.

Abstract Objective To determine the histopathologic effects of transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) on the normal human retina. Design Prospective, noncomparative small case series. Participants Three patients with eyes scheduled for enucleation because of the presence of a malignant intraocular tumor. Intervention Application of TTT to the posterior pole by using an 810-nm laser and the following laser parameters: 2-mm spot size, 60-second duration, and power settings of 430, 530, and 630 mW (low, medium, and high doses, respectively). Two or three TTT treatments at varying dose levels were performed in each eye. The eyes were then enucleated within 7 days of TTT, and light microscopy of serial sections was performed. Main outcome measures Light microscopic histopathologic changes of the neurosensory retina, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), and choroid in the areas of treatment compared with adjacent normal (control) tissue. Visual acuity, fundus appearance by slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and symptoms of pain, burning, or visual change were recorded before and after each TTT application. The degree of fundus pigmentation was also noted. Results Eight treatment spots from three eyes were analyzed. The first eye was judged to have a lightly pigmented fundus, and no histopathologic alterations were seen on light microscopy at any of the three dose levels. The second eye had a more pigmented fundus. This eye had minimal outer retinal changes in the area corresponding to the low-dose treatment, more prominent changes in the outer and middle layers in the medium-dose treatment area, and full-thickness retinal alterations, along with changes in the RPE and choroid, where the high dose was applied. The third eye was found to have an unexpected extension of pigmented choroidal melanoma under the fovea, and full-thickness retinal changes were observed in this area after a medium-dose application. No histopathologic changes were seen at the low dose in this eye. Conclusions TTT applications resulted in a spectrum of histopathologic effects of the retina that are related to both energy level and fundus pigmentation. Mild or no changes were observed in most low- or medium-dose applications. More extensive retinal damage occurred with applications that used energy levels higher than what have been used in the clinical setting or when the fundus was more heavily pigmented.
Binary shaping for low-duty-cycle communications

We develop a method called binary shaping for transmitting low-duty-cycle sequences robustly over binary-input channels, that employs a convolutional shaping code and a serially-concatenated convolutional code (SCCC) for forward error correction. Binary shaping is closely related to the nested linear coding scheme for coding over channels with known interference.
Auscultated Forced Expiratory Time as a Clinical and Epidemiologic Test of Airway Obstruction

Objective Seeking an inexpensive, readily available, clinical, screening, and field surveillance test of airway obstruction, we determined the validity of current dogma that forced expiratory time (FET) is a good clinical test of airway obstruction yet is of no epidemiologic use given excessive intrasubject variability. Subjects and Methods Two hundred twenty-nine white male plumbers and pipefitters were evaluated by spirometry, chest roentgenography, and a standardized respiratory questionnaire during a union-sponsored asbestos screening program. Subjects were classified as having large airway obstruction (LAO), small airway obstruction (SAO) alone, or no obstruction, on the basis of standard spirometric prediction equations. Two physicians, blinded to clinical and spirometric data, independently measured FET while auscultating the trachea with a stethoscope. The FET was defined as the time taken for an individual to forcefully exhale through an open mouth from total lung capacity until airflow became inaudible. Five such times were recorded for each subject. The mean of the three times having the narrowest range was deemed the FET for calculating test sensitivity and specificity. Based on previous literature, an FET ≥6 s was considered abnormally prolonged. Results Two hundred five subjects completed both spirometry and FET testing; 67 had LAO, 5 SAO, and 133 no obstruction. A total of 83 percent had three FETs reproducible within a range of ≤ 1 s. The sensitivity and specificity of FET for LAO were 92 and 43 percent, respectively, while for SAO alone, 60 and 44 percent, respectively. Overall, FET misclassified 56 percent of nonobstructed subjects. Adjusting the normal-abnormal cutoff points for both FET and SAO minimally improved the performance of FET. Conclusion Although FET is a simple, inexpensive, sensitive, and fairly reproducible clinical test of LAO, it cannot be recommended as a clinical or an epidemiologic tool because of its extremely low specificity. (Chest 1991; 100:636-39)
Presidential Power and Republican Government: The Theory and Practice of OMB Review of Agency Rules

This article focuses on Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review of agency rules, a major institutional innovation of the Reagan Administration which established central clearance of administrative rules for the first time in our history. It places OMB review in theoretical perspective by examining the traditional paradigm of public administration, the breakdown of that paradigm, and the manner in which the theory offered to justify OMB review both draws on prior elements of doctrine and combines them in new and distinctive ways. In addition, it measures practice against theory by analyzing the actual impacts of OMB review on presidential power, objective or impartial administrative decision making, and the formal safeguards established by administrative procedures and court review. Finally, the article analyzes the broader institutional significance of OMB review by assessing its theory and practice in terms of their implications for adapting republican political institutions in the United States to ...
On pharynx—larynx interactions

The role which the pharynx plays in the production of speech sounds has long been the subject of debate, in particular as regards the independence of the pharynx from other speech articulators and in particular the larynx. Given that the linguistic and anatomical information about the larynx and the pharynx is quite complex, the objective of this paper is to review the literature relevant to the relationship between these two articulators and to recast some of this information in terms of current articulator-based theories of phonological features such as the ones reviewed in McCarthy (1988). 1 presents two pharyngeal features [ATR/ RTR] ‘advanced tongue root’ and ‘LL/RL’ ‘lowered larynx’separately in two subsections, with definitions, examples and arguments in favour of having two pharyngeal features rather than one. § 2 argues that pharyngeal features are independent of the primary point of articulation features.
The development of national medical care programs in the United Kingdom and Canada: applicability to current conditions in the United States.

After a hiatus in the early to mid-1980s, a growing number of policy leaders, policy organizations, and citizen groups are advocating programs that ensure basic medical care for all. Although a large literature examines the applicability to the U.S. of national medical care programs that have been established in other countries from the perspective of operations and effectiveness, little attention has been given to the applicability of the experience of other nations in securing these programs. This paper examines the development of national programs in the U.K. and Canada and addresses two questions. First, what factors were critical to the establishment of the British National Health Service and the Canadian hospital and physician insurance programs? Second, how applicable are those factors to current conditions in the U.S.? The paper reviews the roles played by dislocations in society, by established models of state-sponsored medical care programs, by political institutions and leaders, and by the major medical sectors. It shows that the U.S., while differing in many particulars, presents several parallels to the U.K. and Canada. The paper argues that the current environment in the U.S. offers the nation the opportunity to develop at state or local levels government-sponsored programs that guarantee basic medical benefits to all. A new and powerful coalition, moreover, may in the coming years advance the cause of broader, more substantive change at the national level.
A critique of the latest consensus panel for intrathecal therapy

Because of the relative lack of placebo and dose-ranging studies regarding the initiation and titration of intrathecal (IT) therapy, the Polyanalgesic Consensus Conference (2007) yielded recommendations regarding the management of pain by IT drug delivery. Expert opinion is valuable; however, further consideration might be given to the established literature on the subject. Conclusions of the Polyanalgesic Consensus Conference (2007) were reviewed in light of existing literature. Of note, few published data exist to determine hydromorphone equianalgesic doses or maximum IT dose, the risk of spinal cord lesion secondary to bupivacaine, the suitability of ziconotide as a first-line agent, and the practicality of computed tomography-myelography for diagnosis of granuloma at the IT catheter tip. Common practices are not necessarily supported by established data. Nevertheless, continuous IT infusion has established itself as a powerful, effective, and safe modality for the treatment of pain in selected individuals who cannot tolerate or find relief with noninvasive analgesic techniques.