cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incorporating Heterogeneity in Command Center Interactions

One of the many complexities of multinational coalition operations stems from differences in culture, military procedures, and command and control processes between the cooperating command centers.i¾ i¾ These differences can influence the interactions between decision makers of different command centers and can affect the outcome of the coalition operation.i¾ i¾ A coalition model, composed of individual models of the five-stage interacting decision maker model, was used in a virtual experiment.i¾ i¾ The subjective parameters included in the decision maker model can be any attribute that characterizes the heterogeneity of the decision makers.i¾ i¾ In this case, the parameters of power distance and uncertainty avoidance were used, two of Hofstede's (1991) cultural dimensions.i¾ i¾ The accuracy and timeliness of the coalition's response was used to evaluate its performance as a function of heterogeneity. Including the presence of heterogeneity in the coalition model, through the use of subjective parameters, is the first step in formalizing the process for developing adaptive coalition architectures.
The radial forearm snake flap: A novel approach to oral cavity and oropharyngeal reconstruction that reduces forearm donor site morbidity.

Background Radial forearm free flaps are a versatile option for head and neck reconstruction, but often complicated by donor-site problems including skin-graft loss and wound breakdown. We introduce the radial forearm “snake” flap as a technique enabling primary donor site closure and compare wound healing outcomes to flap donor sites requiring split thickness skin graft (STSG) closure. Patients and Methods A review of all radial forearm free flaps harvested over a 5-year period was performed. We identified 18 radial forearm snake flaps whose donor sites were closed primarily. These flaps were designed as a long, narrow ellipse parallel to the forearm. An additional 57 forearm flaps were identified whose donor sites were closed with STSGs. Patient demographics, free flap survival rates, and wound healing complications were compared. Results The survival rate for radial forearm snake flaps was 100% compared to 98.2% for wider radial forearm flaps (P = 1.00). There were 8 tendon exposures at the donor site, all of which occurred in patients whose donor sites were closed with STSGs. Delayed wound healing occurred in 1 radial forearm snake flap donor site (5.6%) compared to 18 (31.6%) donor sites closed with STSGs (P = 0.03). Conclusions Radial forearm snake flaps are useful for reconstruction of small to medium size defects of the oral cavity and oropharynx and enable primary donor site closure. Flap success rates are not compromised by raising a radial forearm snake flap and rates of delayed healing of the flap donor site are significantly reduced compared to forearm flap donor sites closed with STSGs. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery, 2015.
Overexpression of synaptophysin enhances neurotransmitter secretion at Xenopus neuromuscular synapses

Previous studies have suggested the importance of synaptophysin (p38), a major integral membrane protein of the synaptic vesicle, in transmitter secretion, but few have directly addressed its functional role at intact synapses. In the present study, injection of synthetic mRNA for synaptophysin into one of the early blastomeres of a Xenopus embryo resulted in elevated synaptophysin expression in 1 and 2 d embryos and in cultured spinal neurons derived from the injected blastomere, as shown by immunocytochemistry. At neuromuscular synapses made by neurons overexpressing synaptophysin [p38(+)] in 1 d cell cultures, the spontaneous synaptic currents (SSCs) showed a markedly higher frequency, as compared to control synapses. This increase in frequency was not accompanied by a change in the mean amplitude or the amplitude distribution of the SSCs, suggesting that synaptophysin is not involved in determining the size of transmitter quanta. The impulse-evoked synaptic currents (ESCs) of synapses made by p38(+) neurons showed increased amplitude as well as reduced fluctuation and delay of onset of ESCs. Under high-frequency tetanic stimulation at 5 Hz, the rate of tetanus-induced depression was faster for p38(+) neurons. Taken together, these results suggest a role for synaptophysin in the late steps of transmitter secretion, affecting the probability of vesicular exocytosis and/or the number of synaptic vesicles initially docked at the active zone.
Physiological consequences associated with overproduction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis FtsZ in mycobacterial hosts.

The ftsZ gene of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv has been characterized as the first step in determining the molecular events involved in the cell division process in mycobacteria. Western analysis revealed that intracellular levels of FtsZ are growth phase dependent in both M. tuberculosis and Mycobacterium smegmatis. Unregulated expression of M. tuberculosis ftsZ from constitutive hsp60 and dnaA promoters in M. tuberculosis hosts resulted in lethality whereas expression from only the hsp60 promoter was toxic in M. smegmatis hosts. Expression of ftsZ from the dnaA promoter in M. smegmatis resulted in ∼sixfold overproduction and the merodiploids exhibited slow growth, an increased tendency to clump and filament, and in some cases produced buds and branches. Many of the cells also contained abnormal and multiple septa. Expression of ftsZ from the chemically inducible acetamidase promoter in M. smegmatis hosts resulted in ∼22-fold overproduction of FtsZ and produced filamentous cells, many of which lacked any visible septa. Visualization of the M. tuberculosis FtsZ tagged with green fluorescent protein in M. smegmatis by fluorescence microscopy revealed multiple fluorescent FtsZ foci, suggesting that steps subsequent to the formation of organized FtsZ structures but prior to septum formation are blocked in FtsZ-overproducing cells. Together these results suggest that the intracellular concentration of FtsZ protein is critical for productive septum formation in mycobacteria.
2‐Thiono‐1,3‐dioxol‐4‐ene

[37635-87-3] C3H2O2S (MW 102.12) InChI = 1S/C3H2O2S/c6-3-4-1-2-5-3/h1-2H InChIKey = MMGCXSBBWCOBEX-UHFFFAOYSA-N (dienophile in Diels–Alder reactions;1 acetylene equivalent in cycloaddition reactions;2 source of ketene;3 forms dication dichalcogenides with strong Lewis acids4) Alternate Name: vinylene thionocarbonate. Physical Data: mp 48 °C; bp 60–70 °C/0.2 mmHg. Solubility: sol acetonitrile, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, dichloromethane, toluene; insol hexane. Form Supplied in: not commercially available. Preparative Method: prepared by reaction of Phosphorus(V) Sulfide with Vinylene Carbonate.1 Purification: recrystallization from benzene–hexane gives white crystals; sublimation at 120 °C generates long white needles. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: material is apparently stable.
Creating Our Map: Considering The Future of Service-Learning: New Solutions for Sustaining and Improving Practice

Over the last thirty years practitioners of service-learning have struggled to canonize the definitions, language and methods of a burgeoning field. This text, accurately titled, serves to move us past adolescence toward more mature engagement by providing grounded, straight forward reflection and critique. By including the work of several colleagues, the editors outline best practices that will ensure the field’s growth and success. Practitioners have long struggled with teaching pedagogy and foundational definitions, yet to continue focusing solely on those topics is to risk stagnation. These authors embrace the foundational work and herald a specific call for deeper and sustainable growth in our partnerships and methods.
Understanding high-temperature superconductivity: a progress report☆

Abstract I review recent theoretical calculations and experimental measurements which demonstrate that the planar excitations in the normal state of the superconducting cuprates are best described as a nearly antiferromagnetic Fermi liquid. Its anomalous transport, optical and quasiparticle properties arise from the magnetic interaction between the quasiparticles which gives rise to a high T c transition to a superconducting state with d x 2 − y 2 symmetry now observed in nuclear magnetic resonance, penetration depth, SQUID and other tunneling experiments, Raman and neutron scattering, photoemission, and numerous other experiments. I discuss the influences of imperfections on both T c and the low-temperature properties, review experiments on dirty d-wave superconductors, and suggest a possible “intrinsic imperfection” hierarchy of cuprate superconductors.
Evidence for local hormonal communication between neurones in Aplysia.

IT has been suggested that in certain systems, communication between neurones is mediated, not by conventional synaptic transmission, but by a mechanism in which substances are dispersed over relatively long distances to act on target neurones1–3. The marine mollusc Aplysia may be useful for cellular studies of this novel mode of communication. Activation of spike activity in a group of neurones, the bag cells, produces several types of response in nearby identified cells4–7. These responses have slow onsets and prolonged durations compared to those at conventional synapses. We describe here the response of one of the target neurones, cell R15, which involves a distinctive change in the cell's activity lasting for as long as three hours. When the release of neurosecretory product from the bag cells is simulated by brief local application of bag-cell extract to the target cell, an apparently identical response is produced. These results, combined with previous anatomical data, support the hypothesis that the bag-cell induced responses are mediated by a local hormonal interaction, one that is intermediate between blood-borne hormonal and synaptic interactions.
Insect GDNF:TTC fusion protein improves delivery of GDNF to mouse CNS

With a view toward improving delivery of exogenous glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) to CNS motor neurons in vivo, we evaluated the bioavailability and pharmacological activity of a recombinant GDNF:tetanus toxin C-fragment fusion protein in mouse CNS. Following intramuscular injection, GDNF:TTC but not recombinant GDNF (rGDNF) produced strong GDNF immunostaining within ventral horn cells of the spinal cord. Intrathecal infusion of GDNF:TTC resulted in tissue concentrations of GDNF in lumbar spinal cord that were at least 150-fold higher than those in mice treated with rGDNF. While levels of immunoreactive choline acetyltransferase and GFRα-1 in lumbar cord were not altered significantly by intrathecal infusion of rGNDF, GDNF:TTC, or TTC, only rGDNF and GDNF:TTC caused significant weight loss following intracerebroventricular infusion. These studies indicate that insect cell-derived GDNF:TTC retains its bi-functional activity in mammalian CNS in vivo and improves delivery of GDNF to spinal cord following intramuscular- or intrathecal administration.
Defining human embryo phenotypes by cohort-specific prognostic factors.

Background Hundreds of thousands of human embryos are cultured yearly at in vitro fertilization (IVF) centers worldwide, yet the vast majority fail to develop in culture or following transfer to the uterus. However, human embryo phenotypes have not been formally defined, and current criteria for embryo transfer largely focus on characteristics of individual embryos. We hypothesized that embryo cohort-specific variables describing sibling embryos as a group may predict developmental competence as measured by IVF cycle outcomes and serve to define human embryo phenotypes.
The effectiveness of medical assistant health coaching for low-income patients with uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia: protocol for a randomized controlled trial and baseline characteristics of the study population

Many patients with chronic disease do not reach goals for management of their conditions. Self-management support provided by medical assistant health coaches within the clinical setting may help to improve clinical outcomes, but most studies to date lack statistical power or methodological rigor. Barriers to large scale implementation of the medical assistant coach model include lack of clinician buy-in and the absence of a business model that will make medical assistant health coaching sustainable. This study will add to the evidence base by determining the effectiveness of health coaching by medical assistants on clinical outcomes and patient self-management, by assessing the impact of health coaching on the clinician experience, and by examining the costs and potential savings of health coaching. This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effectiveness of clinic-based medical assistant health coaches to improve clinical outcomes and self-management skills among low-income patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia. A total of 441 patients from two San Francisco primary care clinics have been enrolled and randomized to receive a health coach (n = 224) or usual care (n = 217). Patients participating in the health coaching group will receive coaching for 12 months from medical assistants trained as health coaches. The primary outcome is a change in hemoglobin A1c, systolic blood pressure, or LDL cholesterol among patients with uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia, respectively. Self-management behaviors, perceptions of the health care team and clinician, BMI, and chronic disease self-efficacy will be measured at baseline and after 12 months. Clinician experience is being assessed through surveys and qualitative interviews. Cost and utilization data will be analyzed through cost-predictive models. Medical assistants are an untapped resource to provide self-management support for patients with uncontrolled chronic disease. Having successfully completed recruitment, this study is uniquely poised to assess the effectiveness of the medical assistant health coaching model, to describe barriers and facilitators to implementation, and to develop a business case for sustainability. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT-01220336
Calcium Channel Modulation as an All-Purpose Mechanism for Short-Term Synaptic Plasticity

The paper by Mochida et al. in this issue of Neuron proposes that synaptic facilitation, depression, and augmentation all arise from calcium-dependent regulation of calcium channels in the presynaptic terminal. Their proposal provides a unifying explanation for several forms of short-term presynaptic plasticity.
Electronic shearography and electronic holography working side by side

In this paper, fundamentals of electronic shearography and electronic holography are outlined. Equations for quantitative interpretation of the electronically generated interferograms are discussed and their implementation is presented and illustrated by representative examples. These examples were obtained by operating the shearographic and holographic systems side by side. Responses of the object to static and dynamic loads were recorded using double-exposure and time-average interferograms. Comparison of the electronically generated shearographic and holographic results shows good correlation with each other and also with the theoretical results.
Development of the gambling attitude scales: Preliminary findings

Social scientists recognize gambling as a universal phenomenon that occurs in a myriad of forms. Although gambling is often a harmless social activity, some participants become pathological gamblers. Given the negative consequences associated with pathological gambling, it is important to understand attitudes toward gambling because they typically represent a readiness to act. One hundred and seventy university students completed four gambling attitude scales constructed to measure general attitudes and attitudes toward gambling in casinos, betting on horse races, and playing the lottery. Results showed the scales to be internally consistent and to have short-term temporal stability. The most positive attitudes were shown toward playing the lottery and the least positive were shown toward betting on horse races. In general, men reported more positive attitudes than women. Positive attitudes toward gambling were related to a tendency toward risk taking. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 54: 763–771, 1998.
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY MODELS FOR POROUS BAKED FOODS

Models for the thermal conductivity of porous food were developed by modifying the parallel model to include structural data such as pore diameter, pore wall thickness and shortest path ratio. The predictions from these models and 12 literature models were compared to values determined for 12 porous foods. The models from the literature considered the air volume fraction but no other structural information. The proposed parallel, Kopelman random (KR) and Kopelman fibrous parallel models gave predictions that were not significantly different from the experimental thermal conductivity. All acceptable models except the KR model are variations of the parallel model, indicating that heat flows in parallel through the air and solid portions of porous foods. Regression analysis determined that only the thermal conductivity of the solid and shortest path ratio significantly correlate to the final thermal conductivity, indicating that the configuration of the pores is important in porous foods.
Partially decentralized SLU filtering via interaction estimation

This paper considers the design of state estimators for interconnected systems where in it may not be feasible to measure the complete interaction vector to each subsystem. Unbiased estimates are obtained by allowing the various local filters to exchange the minimal information required for constructing estimates of the interaction vectors. The optimization of such a structure via an existing coordination algorithm is discussed and a numerical example is presented.
Functional Reinnervation of Vocal Folds After Selective Laryngeal Adductor Denervation-Reinnervation Surgery for Spasmodic Dysphonia

Selective laryngeal adductor denervation-reinnervation surgery (SLAD-R) offers a viable surgical alternative for patients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia refractory to botulinum toxin injections. SLAD-R selectively denervates the symptomatic thyroarytenoid muscle by dividing the distal adductor branch of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), and preventing reinnervation, by the proximal RLN and maintaining vocal fold bulk and tone by reinnervating the distal RLN with the ansa cervicalis. We present a patient who had previously undergone successful SLAD-R but presented 10 years postoperatively with a new regional dystonia involving his strap muscles translocated to his reinnervated larynx by his previous ansa-RLN neurorraphy. The patient's symptomatic vocal fold adduction resolved completely on division of the ansa-RLN neurorraphy confirming successful selective functional reinnervation of vocal fold adductors by the ansa cervicalis.
Structure–activity relationship of chemical defenses from the freshwater plant Micranthemum umbrosum

Vascular plants produce a variety of molecules of phenylpropanoid biosynthetic origin, including lignoids. Recent investigations indicated that in freshwater plants, some of these natural products function as chemical defenses against generalist consumers such as crayfish. Certain structural features are shared among several of these anti-herbivore compounds, including phenolic, methoxy, methylenedioxy, and lactone functional groups. To test the relative importance of various functional groups in contributing to the feeding deterrence of phenylpropanoid-based natural products, we compared the feeding behavior of crayfish offered artificial diets containing analogs of elemicin (1) and β-apopicropodophyllin (2), chemical defenses of the freshwater macrophyte Micranthemum umbrosum. Both allyl and methoxy moieties of 1 contributed to feeding deterrence. Disruption of the lactone moiety of 2 reduced its deterrence. Finally, feeding assays testing effects of 1 and 2 at multiple concentrations established that these two natural products interact additively in deterring crayfish feeding.
Central modulation of pain

It has long been appreciated that the experience of pain is highly variable between individuals. Pain results from activation of sensory receptors specialized to detect actual or impending tissue damage (i.e., nociceptors). However, a direct correlation between activation of nociceptors and the sensory experience of pain is not always apparent. Even in cases in which the severity of injury appears similar, individual pain experiences may vary dramatically. Emotional state, degree of anxiety, attention and distraction, past experiences, memories, and many other factors can either enhance or diminish the pain experience. Here, we review evidence for "top-down" modulatory circuits that profoundly change the sensory experience of pain.
Furazolidone in the Treatment of Salmonella Infections of Turkeys 1. Effect on Acute Pullorum Disease in Poults

ABSTRACT THE problem of salmonellosis in domestic birds has long been recognized. Although many drugs are available which will reduce mortality in an acute outbreak, none have been found effective in preventing the development of carrier birds. This is illustrated by the sulfonamides, which are used extensively in the treatment of pullorum disease. Pomeroy, Fenstermacher and Roupke (1948) found that while some of the sulfonamides reduced mortality from pullorum disease in chicks, they did not prevent the development of carriers. Their results also indicated that the sulfonamides tested had little or no value in reducing the mortality among poults experimentally infected with Salmonella pullorum. Pital, Stafseth and Lucas (1954) found that aureomycin, Chloromycetin, and penicillin administered with cobalt reduced mortality from pullorum disease in experimental infections. Their in vitro studies revealed that aureomycin and Chloromycetin were bacteriostatic rather than bactericidal. Penicillin was bactericidal in vitro, but cultures from treated and recovered . . .
Translocation ‐ A key factor limiting the efficiency of nitrogen fixation in legume nodules

A hypothesis is presented that the availability of water for export of nitrogenous products from legume nodules is a major factor limiting the efficiency of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Water for export of solutes in the xylem probably depends largely on the import of water and reduced carbon in the phloeum, and one function of respiration may be to dispose of reduced carbon in order to increase the supply of water. A second hypothesis presented is that control of gas diffusion in soybean nodules is largely restricted to the cortex nearby the vascular bundles, thus making possible the linkage of solute balances in xylem and phloem with resistance to diffusion. These concepts are used in a re-examination of literature on manipulations of nodules and nodulated plants such as lowering of light levels, water stress, defoliation, stem girdling, and alteration of oxygen supply. The concept of translocation as a major factor limiting efficiency of symbiotic fixation is consistent with the failure of superior rhizobial isolates to improve N input significantly, and this limitation could also prevent exploitation of superior bacterial symbionts in the future
Violent Adolescence: State Development and the Propensity for Militarized Interstate Conflict

This article examines how economic development influences interstate conflict. Rather than theorizing a linear relationship between economic development and state behavior in militarized conflicts, this article hypothesizes a non-linear relationship where both extreme poverty and prosperity reduce this risk. This occurs because states at an intermediate level of development have both the opportunity and willingness to pursue territorial claims, which makes them most prone to militarized interstate conflicts. The changing orientation of economies from agricultural and extractive activities eventually to service-based economies alters the cost-benefit calculations concerning territorial acquisition. Developed states, more reliant on services for their economic growth, are less likely to push territorial claims, decreasing their involvement in interstate conflict. Meanwhile, the poorest states, although they have more to gain through territorial expansion, have a decreased ability to pursue their objectives through military force. The authors examine all states between 1870 and 1992 at the monadic level of analysis. In general, the statistical analysis confirms the hypotheses. States at an intermediate level of development are most prone to initiate and participate in militarized conflicts, including those over the issue of territory and those that result in battlefield deaths. High levels of economic development mitigate the effects of military power and population growth that increase the risk of interstate violence. This project helps explain why past studies have linked development to both war and peace, as well as suggesting possible flashpoints in the future. Finally, the results also suggest that other models in the literature theorizing linear functions for economic development and conflict are misspecified.
Comment on “Does ferric gluconate lower epoetin requirements in hemodialysis patients with high ferritin levels?”

Comment on “Does ferric gluconate lower epoetin requirements in hemodialysis patients with high ferritin levels?”
Can public information programs affect risk perceptions

This article provides the first controlled evaluation of how different information materials explaining the risks from radon influenced people's perceptions of these risks. Using a panel study, it was possible to observe how stated risk perceptions responded to information about indoor radon concentrations and brochures explaining the radon readings. The findings indicate that risk communication policies can be effective in modifying risk perceptions. Moreover, they have three specific implications for radon policy: (1) Public officials should not adopt strategies that provide minimal risk information to the public as a means of avoiding undue alarm, for this can have the reverse effect; (2) measures of the effectiveness of risk communication will depend on how education and behavior change are defined; (3) categorical guidelines about risk without quantitative information can lead people to treat the levels as thresholds, creating an artificial discontinuity in their responses to small changes in risk perceptions.
Derived Metric Tensors for Flow Surface Visualization

Integral flow surfaces constitute a widely used flow visualization tool due to their capability to convey important flow information such as fluid transport, mixing, and domain segmentation. Current flow surface rendering techniques limit their expressiveness, however, by focusing virtually exclusively on displacement visualization, visually neglecting the more complex notion of deformation such as shearing and stretching that is central to the field of continuum mechanics. To incorporate this information into the flow surface visualization and analysis process, we derive a metric tensor field that encodes local surface deformations as induced by the velocity gradient of the underlying flow field. We demonstrate how properties of the resulting metric tensor field are capable of enhancing present surface visualization and generation methods and develop novel surface querying, sampling, and visualization techniques. The provided results show how this step towards unifying classic flow visualization and more advanced concepts from continuum mechanics enables more detailed and improved flow analysis.
Genomic and microarray analysis of aromatics degradation in Geobacter metallireducens and comparison to a Geobacter isolate from a contaminated field site

Groundwater and subsurface environments contaminated with aromatic compounds can be remediated in situ by Geobacter species that couple oxidation of these compounds to reduction of Fe(III)-oxides. Geobacter metallireducens metabolizes many aromatic compounds, but the enzymes involved are not well known. The complete G. metallireducens genome contained a 300 kb island predicted to encode enzymes for the degradation of phenol, p-cresol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxybenzoate, benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde, and benzoate. Toluene degradation genes were encoded in a separate region. None of these genes was found in closely related species that cannot degrade aromatic compounds. Abundant transposons and phage-like genes in the island suggest mobility, but nucleotide composition and lack of synteny with other species do not suggest a recent transfer. The inferred degradation pathways are similar to those in species that anaerobically oxidize aromatic compounds with nitrate as an electron acceptor. In these pathways the aromatic compounds are converted to benzoyl-CoA and then to 3-hydroxypimelyl-CoA. However, in G. metallireducens there were no genes for the energetically-expensive dearomatizing enzyme. Whole-genome changes in transcript levels were identified in cells oxidizing benzoate. These supported the predicted pathway, identified induced fatty-acid oxidation genes, and identified an apparent shift in the TCA cycle to a putative ATP-yielding succinyl-CoA synthase. Paralogs to several genes in the pathway were also induced, as were several putative molybdo-proteins. Comparison of the aromatics degradation pathway genes to the genome of an isolate from a contaminated field site showed very similar content, and suggested this strain degrades many of the same compounds. This strain also lacked a classical dearomatizing enzyme, but contained two copies of an eight-gene cluster encoding redox proteins that was 30-fold induced during benzoate oxidation. G. metallireducens appears to convert aromatic compounds to benzoyl-CoA, then to acetyl-CoA via fatty acid oxidation, and then to carbon dioxide via the TCA cycle. The enzyme responsible for dearomatizing the aromatic ring may be novel, and energetic investments at this step may be offset by a change in succinate metabolism. Analysis of a field isolate suggests that the pathways inferred for G. metallireducens may be applicable to modeling in situ bioremediation.
The relationship of comorbid anxiety symptom severity and challenging behaviors in infants and toddlers with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract The rates of comorbid anxiety as well as the presentation of challenging behaviors are elevated within the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population. The current study utilizes the Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits (BISCUIT) to explore the relationship of anxiety/repetitive behavior symptom severity and challenging behaviors in infants and toddlers with ASD. Children with ASD who evinced more severe impairment associated with anxiety/repetitive behavior (n = 94) demonstrated higher rates of overall challenging behaviors than those with ASD who evinced no to minimal anxiety impairment (n = 291). Specifically, a comparison of individual challenging behavior items indicated that the infants and toddlers with moderate to severe anxiety impairment exhibited more significant challenging behaviors under the domains of aggression/destruction, stereotypies, and self-injurious behavior than children with no to minimal impairment. This study adds to the literature evidencing an exacerbation of challenging behaviors by comorbid psychopathology in individuals with ASD. Clinical implications of these results are discussed.
Lysosomal delivery of a lipophilic gemcitabine prodrug using novel acid-sensitive micelles improved its antitumor activity

Stimulus-sensitive micelles are attractive anticancer drug delivery systems. Herein, we reported a novel strategy to engineer acid-sensitive micelles using a amphiphilic material synthesized by directly conjugating the hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) with a hydrophobic stearic acid derivative (C18) using an acid-sensitive hydrazone bond (PHC). An acid-insensitive PEG-amide-C18 (PAC) compound was also synthesized as a control. 4-(N)-Stearoyl gemcitabine (GemC18), a prodrug of the nucleoside analogue gemcitabine, was loaded into the micelles, and they were found to be significantly more cytotoxic to tumor cells than GemC18 solution, likely due to the lysosomal delivery of GemC18 by micelles. Moreover, GemC18 in the acid-sensitive PHC micelles was more cytotoxic than in the acid-insensitive PAC micelles, which may be attributed to the acid-sensitive release of GemC18 from the PHC micelles in lysosomes. In B16-F10 melanoma-bearing mice, GemC18-loaded PHC or PAC micelles showed stronger antitumor activity than GemC18 or gemcitabine solution, likely because of the prolonged circulation time and increased tumor accumulation of the GemC18 by the micelles. Importantly, the in vivo antitumor activity of GemC18-loaded PHC micelles was significantly stronger than that of the PAC micelles, demonstrating the potential of the novel acid-sensitive micelles as an anticancer drug delivery system.
Substrate recognition of VAMP-2 by botulinum neurotoxin B and tetanus neurotoxin.

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT; serotypes A-G) and tetanus neurotoxin elicit flaccid and spastic paralysis, respectively. These neurotoxins are zinc proteases that cleave SNARE proteins to inhibit synaptic vesicle fusion to the plasma membrane. Although BoNT/B and tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) cleave VAMP-2 at the same scissile bond, their mechanism(s) of VAMP-2 recognition is not clear. Mapping experiments showed that residues 60-87 of VAMP-2 were sufficient for efficient cleavage by BoNT/B and that residues 40-87 of VAMP-2 were sufficient for efficient TeNT cleavage. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis and kinetic analysis identified three regions within VAMP-2 that were recognized by BoNT/B and TeNT: residues adjacent to the site of scissile bond cleavage (cleavage region) and residues located within N-terminal and C-terminal regions relative to the cleavage region. Analysis of residues within the cleavage region showed that mutations at the P7, P4, P2, and P1′ residues of VAMP-2 had the greatest inhibition of LC/B cleavage (≥32- fold), whereas mutations at P7, P4, P1′, and P2′ residues of VAMP-2 had the greatest inhibition of LC/TeNT cleavage (≥64-fold). Residues within the cleavage region influenced catalysis, whereas residues N-terminal and C-terminal to the cleavage region influenced binding affinity. Thus, BoNT/B and TeNT possess similar organization but have unique residues to recognize and cleave VAMP-2. These studies provide new insights into how the clostridial neurotoxins recognize their substrates.
Development and Psychometric Qualities of the SEIPS Survey to Evaluate CPOE/EHR Implementation in ICUs

Health Information Technology IT implementation can fail or meet high levels of user resistance for a variety of reasons, including lack of attention to users' needs and the significant workflow changes induced and required by the technology. End-user satisfaction is a critical factor in health IT implementation. In this paper, the authors describe the process of developing and testing a questionnaire to evaluate health IT implementation, in particular Computerized Provider Order Entry CPOE and Electronic Health Record EHR technologies. Results show evidence for the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. The Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety SEIPS questionnaire is easy to administer and allows researchers to evaluate different aspects of health IT implementation. Results of this research can be used for benchmarking results of future studies evaluating health IT implementation.
Inhibition of Experimental Vasospasm With Anti–Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 Monoclonal Antibody in Rats

Background and Purpose Inflammation may play a role in delayed chronic vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. We investigated the role of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and...
Tests for sexual isolation among sympatric salamanders of the genus Desmognathus

Populations of the dusky salamanders Desmognathus ochrophaeus (Cope), D. imitator (Dunn) and D. santeetlah (Tilley) (Amphibia: Caudata: Plethodontidae) are sympatric at the locality of Indian Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains of eastern North America. In order to determine the extent of sexual isolation ( = sexual behavioural incompatibility) among these species, individuals of both sexes of all three species were collected and subjected to both intra- and interspecific courtship trials in the laboratory. Sexual isolation was very strong between D. ochrophaeus and D. imitator. Sexual isolation was complete between D. ochrophaeus and D. santeetlah, and between D. santeetlah and D. imitator. Mechanisms which prevent interspecific mating are highly developed in these salamanders, and likely are responsible (at least in part) for the apparent absence of hybridization and introgression among these species.
Oxidation kinetics of Cu-30vol.%Cr coating

Abstract The oxidation kinetics of a Cu-30vol.%Cr coating were studied in air over the temperature range from 500 to 700 °C. The CuCr coating was deposited on a Cu-15vol.%Nb substrate by co-evaporation of Cu and Cr from a single CuCr composite target in a vacuum chamber. The coating microstructure was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The coating microstructure consists of an intimate mixture of Cr particles in a Cu-rich matrix. The size of the Cr phase was less than one micrometer. Thermogravimetric analyses show the oxidation kinetics to be parabolic at all investigated temperatures. The activation energy of oxidation was calculated to be 24.8 kcal mole −1 . While the uncoated Cu-15vol.%Nb oxidized rapidly to form external Cu-oxide scales, the CuCr coating surface formed continuous Cr 2 O 3 scales. With the coating, the CuNb substrate was protected from oxidation for an extended time.
A tool-change scheduling model for machining centres

Robert P. Davis, Richard A. Wysk and Delbert L. Kimbler Department of lndustrial Enghzeering and Operations Research, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA (Received October 19 78; revised January 19 79) Introduction Because of the increased cost of direct labour, as well as the shortage of competent machinists, the metal cutting industry is looking toward automation as a means to improve its stagnating productivity. Since 1950, the metal machining industry has seen the advent of Numerical Control (NC), Direct Numerical Control (DNC), Computer Numerical Control (CNC), and Computer Integrated Manu- facturing Systems (CIMS). NC essentially eliminated the machinist from metal cutting. DNC and CNC facilitated part programming and increased control over NC machines. And finally, CIMS integrated material handling and machin- ing under the control of a common central computer. Today, CIMS exist where all of the machining and material handling is done under the control of a single computer (or under the control of a network of computers), and the system is virtually devoid of expensive direct labour. 1,2 The use of automation, however, has brought about some difficult analytical problems. Many problems formerly resolved by a machinist's experience and intuition, coupled with his adaptive interpretation of the system, must now be resolved by means of a static control strategy. A par- ticular example of this situation is that of the toot-changing cycle. In a Conventional machining system, the machine operator decided when a particular tool should be changed based on the accuracy of the last part produced, the sound produced by the metal cutting operation, and the number of parts which were left to be machined. The accuracy of the last part and the sound produced in the metal cutting operation are indicators of the extent of tool wear. The queue of parts waiting for a particular tool is viewed to determine the maximum wear rate which will allow tool replacement after the batch is completed. In today's more modern m~chining systems, an operator is seldom solely responsible for the monitoring of a single machine tool. This would be especially true for DNC, CNC and CIMS and may also be true of stand-alone NC. Because an operator is not present to monitor and 'adaptively control' the machine, a mathematical formulation of the problem is required in order to develop algorithms for the efficient operation of automated machining systems. Several models have been developed for the selection of the optimum machining parameters: feed, speed and depth of cut. 3-s All of these models employ a functional relationship between the machining parameters and 'expected tool life'. The most commonly used expression for tool life is one developed by F. Taylor 6 in 1907. Taylor's tool life equation has been expanded to include several variables, such as workpiece hardness, tool approach angle, slenderness ratio, etc. However, for a given tool and workpiece, tool life can most simply be expressed as: C T L = Vaf#d ~ where:
Overstatements of Self-evaluations by Students with Psychoeducational Problems

As part of an investigation of the relationship between self-efficacy, self-concept, and expectancy of success, 19 students with learning and behavior problems were administered several self-evaluation measures. Unfortunately, the experimental procedures failed to counter a previously noted tendency of such students toward overly positive self-evaluative statements. Because of the persistence of this phenomenon, the originally planned study was aborted and efforts were initiated to explore the overstatement tendency as a self-protective coping strategy. The results support previous findings indicating that the students' positive self-evaluations represent a selective tendency and are not due to an inability to make accurate self-evaluative judgments. The findings also support an interpretation of such overstatements as a form of self-protective behavior; in this context, however, a new concept, “protective avoidance,” is offered as a broader construct for understanding selective overstatements and related...
Electrical Rectification by a Molecule of Hexadecylquinolinium Tricyanoquinodimethanide

The asymmetrical forward versus reverse - bias DC electrical conductivity (macroscopic and also nanoscopic) through Langmuir-Blodgett multilayers and monolayers of lj-(n-hexadecyl) quinolinum tricyanoquinodimethanide, C16H33Q-3CNQ (1) is attributable to rectification of electrical current by a single molecule.
Comparison of indoor robot localization techniques in the absence of GPS

When available, GPS is the quick and easy solution to localizing a robot. However, because it is often not available (e.g. indoors) or not reliable enough, other techniques, using laser range finders or cameras have been developed that offer better performance. For 2D localization,lLaser range finders are far more precise and easier to work with than cameras. We report here on the performance of several implementations of the main class of localization algorithms that use a laser, Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) on the RAWSEEDS benchmark. SRI International's SLAM system has an RMS error in XY of 0.32m (0.22%). This is the best reported performance on this benchmark.
GatirCam: Gemini mid-infrared imager

The University of Florida is developing the mid-IR imager, called GatirCam, to be used primarily, but not solely, at the southern hemisphere Gemini telescope at Cerro Pachon, Chile. Key features of GatirCam are its fully reflective optics, its very high mechanical rigidity, and the fact that the associated electronics are very similar to those is in use successfully on similar instrumentation. Design studies for GatirCam indicate that it will meet or exceed all critical requirements of image quality and performance. A low-resolution spectroscopic mode is also currently under consideration for implementation in GatirCam.
Effect of processing on protein–protein and protein–lipid interactions and mineral distribution in infant formula

The effect of pasteurisation, homogenisation, concentration and spray-drying on the properties of infant formula was studied. Pasteurisation and homogenisation had the most pronounced effects.
Relations Between Field-surveyed Channel Networks and Map-based Geomorphometric Measures, Inez, Kentucky

ABSTRACT Channel networks near Inez, Kentucky, were surveyed in the field within 29 small drainage basins that appeared on 1:24,000-scale maps to be unbranched (first order). The basins contained from 0 to 5 channel sources, with an average of 2.15 per basin. Many channel characteristics measured in the field are well correlated with morphometric variables measured from maps, but a substantial proportion of the variance remains unexplained. Although simple correlations are fairly strong for geometric characteristics, they are relatively weak (yet statistically significant) for topological measures. The spatial and temporal persistence of the empirical predictive relations is as yet unknown.
Migration of neocortical neurons in the absence of functional NMDA receptors

A variety of factors, from cell adhesion to changes in intracellular calcium, are thought to influence neuronal migration. Here we examine the possibility that calcium influx mediated via NMDA receptors regulates migration of neocortical neurons. We have examined the cytoarchitecture of the cortex in transgenic mice lacking functional NMDA receptors. Using cell birthdating techniques we found that cells in the developing neocortex of NMDAR-1 mutant mice have a distribution indistinguishable from that in animals with functional NMDA receptors, implying normal rates and routes of migration. These observations contrast with previous in vitro pharmacological studies of cerebellar granule cell migration, in which a role for NMDA receptors has been demonstrated. Thus, either different mechanisms are responsible for controlling neuronal migration in neocortex versus cerebellum or, more likely, neocortical neurons in NMDAR-1 mutant mice have acquired compensatory mechanisms for cell migration.
Remarks on the inverse scattering problem for low frequency acoustic waves

In a recent series of papers [2-4] the author has investigated the low frequency inverse scattering problem for “hard” and “soft” infinite cylinders and “soft” obstacles in space. It is the purpose of this paper to complete the story and consider the inverse scattering problem in space where the obstacle is “hard”; i.e., the boundary condition is of Neumann type. A basic result of the analysis to date is that the low frequency inverse scattering problem can be stabilized. In the case of domains in the plane this is accomplished by transmitting two plane waves from different directions, where the second plane wave is used to deter- mine the transfinite diameter of the obstacle [2,3]. Due to the lack of the availa- bility of conformal mapping techniques, this approach does not extend to the three dimensional inverse scattering problem and alternate methods must be developed. In the case of a “soft” obstacle (i.e., Dirichlet boundary data) stability was obtained by assuming an “a priori” knowledge of the radius of a ball containing the unknown scattering obstacle in its interior and using the fact that the boundary of the scattering obstacle is a level surface of the limiting static potential problem [4]. Since the static solution is simply the conductor potential of the obstacle regardless of which direction the incoming wave impinges upon the obstacle, no new information is gathered by sending in plane waves from different directions (however, see Section IV of this paper). In the present paper we shall be considering the inverse scattering problem for a “hard” obstacle in space and as will be seen the situation is considerably altered. In particular, in order to achieve stability it is necessary to assume not only an “a priori” knowl- edge of the radius of a ball containing the scattering obstacle in its interior, but also an “a priori” bound on the gradient of the velocity potential of the total * This research was supported in part by NSF Grant MCS 78-02452 and AFOSR Grant 76-2879. 374