cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cerebellum and Gravity: Altered Earth’s Gravity Perception Under Pathological Conditions and Response to Altered Gravity in Space

Life on Earth has developed under the influence of gravity and remains adapted to unit gravity. As different organisms evolved to survive optimally in water, ground, and air habitats, special adaptive mechanisms developed to deal with gravity. In humans and most land mammals, maintaining postural equilibrium requires constant integration of visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems to compensate for gravity. The gravity sensors located in the inner ear make connections to the eyes, vestibulocerebellum, and postural muscles. The vestibulocerebellum, due to direct connections with the vestibular gravity receptors, is the primary gravity response center. It is involved in spatial orientation and regulation of gait and, together with the spinocerebellum and pontocerebellum, plays an important role in motor control. Several cerebellar pathologies, including ataxias and dystonia in humans and animals, are characterized by altered gravity perception and affect posture, gait, and small motor coordination and timing. In space, where the gravitational sense of up and down diminishes, the vestibulocerebellar system must adapt and establish a new way to interpret the altered gravitational environment. This chapter explores cerebellar disorders in the context of altered interactions with Earth’s gravity in humans and animal models and the reaction of astronauts to altered gravity in space (microgravity). This chapter also considers the effects of microgravity and E.M. Sajdel-Sulkowska Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Institute of Medicine, Rm. 921, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, 02115 Boston, MA, USA e-mail: esulkowska@rics.bwh.harvard.edu M. Manto, D.L. Gruol, J.D. Schmahmann, N. Koibuchi, F. Rossi (eds.), Handbook of the Cerebellum and Cerebellar Disorders, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-1333-8_54, # Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013 1241 hypergravity on the development of cerebellar structure and function in experimental animals. Understanding how the cerebellum responds to altered gravity should provide insight into the nature of altered gravity perception in various neurological disorders and accelerate the development of therapeutic tools. In memory of Zachary L. Sulkowski, BS, son, brother, budding neuroscientist.
Short- and intermediate-term clinical outcome comparison between laparoscopic and robotic-assisted median arcuate ligament release

While laparoscopic median arcuate ligament (MAL) release remains the most common approach, robotic-assisted MAL release has been increasingly performed by several institutions. This study aims to compare surgical outcomes between laparoscopic and robotic-assisted MAL release. This is a retrospective study of patients undergoing laparoscopic and robotic-assisted MAL release in a teaching hospital from January 1999 to December 2018. Intraoperative and postoperative outcomes as well as short- and intermediate-term clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups. A total of 16 laparoscopic and 18 robotic cases were included. Demographics and baseline characteristics were similar between the two comparison groups. Median operative time was shorter in the robotic group [179.5 (IQR 127.3–225) vs. 106 (IQR 80.8–122.8) minutes; p < 0.001]. The rates of conversion to open operation were similar in both groups (6.3% vs. 5.6%, p = 0.99). Conversions to laparotomy were performed due to bleeding and extensive adhesions in one laparoscopic case and due to technical difficulties in a patient with narrow body habitus in the robotic group. Postoperative complication rates were similar (12.5% vs. 16.7%, p = 0.99), all in grade I and II. Complete pain resolution rates (37.5% vs. 44.4%, p = 0.93), symptom recurrence rates (37.5% vs. 27.8%, p = 0.93), and overall clinical improvement at last follow-up (87.5% vs. 77.8%, p = 0.66) were not statistically different. Both laparoscopic and robotic-assisted MAL release offer similar short- and intermediate-term clinical outcomes. A shortened operative time may be achieved by incorporating the robot platform.
Partial Dissipativity Theory and Partial Stability of Feedback Interconnections for Nonlinear Dynamical Systems

In this paper, we develop partial dissipativity theory for nonlinear dynamical systems using basic input-output and state properties. Specifically, partial dissipativity is characterized using both an input-output as well as a state dissipation inequality involving a partial storage function that is nonnegative definite with respect to part of the system state. The results are then used to derive Kalman-Yakubovich-Popov conditions for characterizing necessary and sufficient conditions for partial dissipativity of nonlinear dynamical systems using continuously differentiable partial storage functions that are nonnegative definite with respect to part of the systems state. In addition, feedback interconnection partial stability results for nonlinear dynamical systems are developed thereby providing a generalization of the small gain and positivity theorems for guaranteeing partial stability of feedback systems.
Influence of surface roughness on tribological and mechanical properties of micro-milled and laser ablated poly (methyl methacrylate) PMMA organic glass

Abstract Poly (methyl methacrylate) organic glass is used in aircraft windshield application; these structures should have better fatigue and fracture resistance to yield good service life. The tendency towards achieving these properties is lost during manufacturing process. This study aims to determine the effect of grooving on PMMA Organic glass. The grooves are manufactured using two different processes namely Micro-Milling (MM) and Laser Ablation (LA). The tribological properties of laser ablated PMMA (LA-PMMA) and micro-milled PMMA (MM-PMMA) were studied using Pin-on-disc tribometer. The grooved surface roughness of both MM-PMMA and LA-PMMA samples has decreased with increase in wear time, whereas after reaching minimum roughness the coefficient of friction has increased; due to higher adhesion between polymer and sliding metal. The tensile properties of differently machined samples have not shown significant difference; whereas the fracture toughness values were higher with LA-PMMA samples. This effect indicated LA-PMMA had greater capacity to resist crack propagation compare to MM-PMMA samples. Similarly the fatigue endurance limit was found higher with LA-PMMA compared to MM-PMMA, due to better finish of LA-PMMA. Further, the microscopic analysis of laser grooved sample before and after fracture have also shown smoother surface and less conic shapes (fracture point) compare to MM-PMMA.
Effect of Electrocautery Settings on Particulate Concentrations in Surgical Plume during Tonsillectomy.

ObjectivesTo describe the effect of monopolar electrocautery (EC) settings on surgical plume particulate concentration during pediatric tonsillectomy.Study DesignCross-sectional study.SettingTertia...
Review of the ${\mathbf \Lambda}$(1405): A curious case of a strange-ness resonance

During its long-lasting history, the $\Lambda(1405)$ has become a benchmark for our understanding of the $\rm SU(3)$ hadron dynamics. Starting with its theoretical prediction and later experimental verification, until the most recent debates on the existence of the second broad pole, it emerged as a fruitful research area sparking many theoretical and experimental developments. This review intends to provide the reader with the current status of research on the $\Lambda(1405)$-resonance, reflecting on historical, experimental and theoretical developments. A common database for experimental results and a comparison of most recent theoretical approaches will be provided in the last two parts of this manuscript.
Remote Monitoring in Tele-Neurology (Sleep Apnea Case)

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) uses digital technologies to collect medical and other forms of health data from individuals in one location and electronically transmit that information securely to healthcare providers in a different location for providing care including assessment and recommendations. This type of service allows a provider to continue to track healthcare data remotely and diagnose, treat, and monitor treatment adherence and titrate medications with the goal of providing patient care locally and reducing hospital readmission rates and complications. This chapter discusses application of remote patient monitoring in neurology, with the focus on sleep medicine.
Punctate Anetoderma After Colony-Stimulating Factor 1 Receptor and Programmed Cell Death 1 Blockade With Irradiation: Clinicopathologic Characterization of a Novel Eruption.

This case series observes 5 patients treated with nivolumab and cabiralizumab with stereotactic radiotherapy who developed punctate, atrophic depressions with histologic findings of elastolysis.
Proteome of the Luminal Surface of the Blood-Brain Barrier.

Interrogation of the molecular makeup of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) using proteomic techniques has contributed to the cataloguing and functional understanding of the proteins uniquely organized at this specialized interface. The majority of proteomic studies have focused on cellular components of the BBB, including cultured brain endothelial cells (BEC). Detailed proteome mapping of polarized BEC membranes and their intracellular endosomal compartments has led to an improved understanding of the processes leading to internalization and transport of various classes of molecules across the BBB. Quantitative proteomic methods have further enabled absolute and comparative quantification of key BBB transporters and receptors in isolated BEC and microvessels from various species. However, translational studies further require in vivo/in situ analyses of the proteins exposed on the luminal surface of BEC in vessels under various disease and treatment conditions. In vivo proteomics approaches, both profiling and quantitative, usually rely on ‘capturing’ luminally-exposed proteins after perfusion with chemical labeling reagents, followed by analysis with various mass spectrometry-based approaches. This manuscript reviews recent advances in proteomic analyses of luminal membranes of BEC in vitro and in vivo and their applications in translational studies focused on developing novel delivery methods across the BBB.
Large-scale complementary DNA sequencing methods.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the large-scale complementary DNA sequencing methods. Sequence analysis of cDNA clones is a useful means for characterizing genes in Caenorhabditis elegans and investigating gene expression at specific stages of development. To provide high efficiency when cloning cDNAs, bacteriophage lambda vectors are typically used. This chapter describes methods for PCR amplification and single-pass fluorescent sequencing of C. elegans cDNAs. To produce the highest-quality data while maintaining throughput at a maximum, the PCR templates are purified by polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation. Cycle sequencing with dye-labeled primers is the method of choice for sequencing. The chapter also describes the methods for complete sequencing of C. elegans cDNAs. The exonuclease III deletion method of Henikoff is especially useful for cDNAs in the size range 2 to 6 kb, and the multiple cloning sites of some of the newer lambda vectors typically provide an adequate choice of restriction enzymes for unidirectional deletion. A second method for complete sequencing of cloned cDNAs is the random of “shotgun” strategy. Although this may be generally preferred for cDNAs larger than 5 kb, it is possible to stitch several small cDNAs together prior to shotgun subcloning.
High Energy Electron Beam Irradiation of Water, Wastewater and Sludge

Research on the use of high energy electrons for treating water, wastewater and wastewater sludge has been under way for approximately twenty years. Much of this work has been supported by the National Science Foundation and an overview of that support has been reported on by Bryan.(1) The results of recent work, especially the most recent project at the Miami Electron Beam Research Facility (EBRF), has stimulated great interest in the area of utilizing this technology for treating environmental problems. This facility is located at the Miami Dade Central District (Virginia Key) Wastewater Treatment Plant in Miami, Florida, and is unique in that it is the only electron beam system set up for large scale treatment of wastewater.
Single channel characterization of multiple types of potassium channels in demyelinated Xenopus axons

Single channel currents in internodes of demyelinated Xenopus axons were measured with the gigaseal patch-clamp technique. Demyelination induced by injected lysolecithin allows the entire internodal axolemma to be accessible to a patch electrode. Four classes of K+ channels in this region were characterized. A Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel [K(Ca)] with a single channel conductance of 235 pS was found. In the presence of 10(-3), 10(-4), 10(-5), and 10(-6) M intracellular free [Ca2+]i, the half-activation voltages are -24.1, -20.8, 30.2, and 111 mV, and the voltage sensitivities are 18.3, 17.2, 23.7, and 21 mV per e-fold change in open probability, respectively. The half-activation Ca2+ concentration at 40 mV is 10(-5) M and the Hill coefficient of Ca2+ binding is 1.7. The K(Ca) channels were sometimes found in clusters, three to six channels in a patch. A 125 pS ATP-sensitive K+ channel was inhibited by the internal application of 2 mM ATP. Its activation was voltage independent. This channel may be important in the regulation of resting potential. A background K+ channel exhibited outwardly rectifying unitary current (176 pS) in symmetrical 115 mM KCl solutions but the ensemble-averaged I-V curve was ohmic. The voltage dependence is very weak, 220 mV per e-fold change in open probability. The nearly symmetrical macroscopic I-V curve of the background channel suggests a role in maintaining the axonal resting potential. A 28 pS delayed-rectifier K+ channel is found to be blocked internally by 2 mM 4-aminopyridine and by 10 mM tetraethylammonium. The half-activation voltage is -41 mV and the voltage sensitivity is 8 mV per e-fold change in open probability.
Similar and distinct roles of NADPH oxidase components in the tangerine pathotype of Alternaria alternata

Summary The fungal nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase (Nox) complex, which has been implicated in the production of low-level reactive oxygen species (ROS), contains mainly NoxA, NoxB (gp91phox homologues) and NoxR (p67phox homologue). Here, we report the developmental and pathological functions of NoxB and NoxR in the tangerine pathotype of Alternaria alternata. Loss-of-function genetics revealed that all three Nox components are required for the accumulation of cellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Alternaria alternata strains lacking NoxA, NoxB or NoxR also displayed an increased sensitivity to H2O2 and many ROS-generating oxidants. These phenotypes are highly similar to those previously seen for the Δyap1 mutant lacking a YAP1 transcriptional regulator and for the Δhog1 mutant lacking a HOG1 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, implicating a possible link among them. A fungal strain carrying a NoxA NoxB or NoxA NoxR double mutation was more sensitive to the test compounds than the strain mutated at a single gene, implicating a synergistic function among Nox components. The ΔnoxB mutant strain failed to produce any conidia; both ΔnoxA and ΔnoxR mutant strains showed a severe reduction in sporulation. Mutant strains carrying defective NoxB had higher chitin content than the wild-type and were insensitive to calcofluor white, Congo red and the fungicides vinclozolin and fludioxonil. Virulence assays revealed that all three Nox components are required for the elaboration of the penetration process. The inability to penetrate the citrus host, observed for Δnox mutants, could be overcome by wounding and by reacquiring a dominant Nox gene. The A. alternata NoxR did not influence the expression of NoxB, but negatively regulated NoxA. Importantly, the expression of both YAP1 and HOG1 genes, whose products are involved in resistance to ROS, was down-regulated in fungi carrying defective NoxA, NoxB or NoxR. Our results highlight the requirement of Nox in ROS resistance and provide insights into its critical role in regulating both YAP1 and HOG1 in A. alternata.
Vultures or Vanguards?: The Role of Litigation in Sovereign Debt Restructuring

The market for sovereign debt differs from the market for corporate debt in several important ways including the risk of opportunistic default by sovereign debtors, the importance of political pressures, and the presence of international development organizations. Moreover, countries are subject to neither liquidation nor standardized processes of debt reorganization. Instead, negotiations between a sovereign debtor and its creditors lead to a voluntary restructuring of the sovereign's debt. One of the greatest difficulties in restructuring claims against sovereign debtors is balancing the interests of the majority of the creditors with those of minority creditors. Holdout creditors serve as a check on opportunistic defaults and unreasonable restructuring terms, yet their presence can interfere with the restructuring process. In this Article, we examine the role of holdout creditors within the context of the international capital markets. In particular, we consider the effect of a litigation remedy on the power of holdout creditors to influence current restructurings of sovereign debt. Recent commentators have criticized holdout creditors and proposed mechanisms designed to reduce their power - particularly their power to enforce contractual claims against sovereign debtors through litigation. We argue that these proposals may undervalue the role of holdout creditors in facilitating the restructuring process and in promoting the functioning of the international capital markets. Accordingly, we suggest that, prior to the implementation of broad reforms, the value of holdouts be tested through a market-based approach. We propose several modifications to the terms of agreements governing sovereign bonds that can be tested in the market as a mechanism for assessing the value of holdout litigation in the international financial architecture.
Disorders of Sex Determination and Differentiation

Sex determination and differentiation are distinct, consecutive processes that follow the establishment of chromosomal sex at the time of fertilization. The term “sex determination” refers to the development of gonadal sex—a process that occurs at approximately 6–7 weeks’ gestation in the human male fetus, and around 10–11 weeks’ gestation in the female fetus. Male sex determination is synonymous with testis determination. This process (alternatively called primary sex differentiation) results from a coordinated series of exquisitely regulated, but as yet incompletely understood, events. As generally used, the term “sex differentiation,” refers to the processes downstream of gonadal development—the processes that are regulated by gonadal secretions or lack thereof (also called secondary sex differentiation). In essence, the sex chromosome complement endowed at fertilization determines gonad type and the latter determines the pattern of differentiation seen in the genital ducts and external genitalia.
Simulation of parafoil reconnaissance imagery

Reconnaissance from unmanned platforms is currently of interest to DoD and civil sectors concerned with drug trafficking and illegal immigration. Platforms employed vary from motorized aircraft to tethered balloons. One appraoch currently under evaluation deploys a TV camera suspended from a parafoil delivered to the area of interest by a cannon launched projectile. Imagery is then transmitted to a remote monitor for processing and interpretation. This paper presents results of imagery obtained from simulated parafoil flights in which software techniques were developed to process-in image degradation caused by atmospheric obscurants and perturbations in the normal parafoil flight trajectory induced by wind gusts. The approach to capturing continuous motion imagery from captive flight test recordings, the introduction of simulated effects, and the transfer of the processed imagery back to video tape is described.
A Journey Called Aging: Challenges and Opportunities in Older Adulthood, by James C. Fisher and Henry C. Simmons

Noting possible paths in development, the book A Journey Called Aging: Challenges and Opportunities in Older Adulthood by James C. Fisher and Henry C. Simmons offers a theoretical framework along w...
Development of a high brightness, ohmically generated thin film lithium ion source

Summary form only given. A pure lithium ion source with low source divergence capable of generating high current density beams (/spl ap/1000 A/cm/sup 2/) is required for pursuing the goal of light ion inertial confinement fusion using pulsed power. It is believed that a uniform fully ionized lithium plasma at the anode surface (/spl ap/100 cm/sup 2/) created just before arrival of the main power pulse (5-30 MV, 0.1-1 MA, 40-60 ns) will be superior to flashover or field-threshold lithium sources. One method being pursued at Sandia is the development of an ohmically driven thin film lithium source, often termed EMFAPS. The EMFAPS process consists of an electrical pulse driven through a thin film coated with or bearing lithium in alloy or compound. The high current flowing through the film increases its temperature and resistivity until the lithium is driven off as vapor. The resistive voltage drop across the film generates a plasma by a gas discharge. Low impedance, fast risetime pulsers provided by NRL (D.D. Hinshelwood) and Pulse Sciences Inc. are being assembled and evaluated as film current drivers for full scale anodes (/spl ap/70 cm/sup 2/). Smaller scale (/spl ap/1 cm/sup 2/) tests are underway to optimize film composition, current contact engineering, anode construction, impedance dynamics, and energy disposition. Plasma discharge cleaning, bakeouts, film design and material selection issues are also being characterized to improve ion purity.
Song Variation in a Recently Founded Population of the Dark-Eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)

During natural colonization events, songs are expected to change as a result of both selection and drift-like processes. We studied song variation within a small isolated population of dark-eyed juncos, Junco hyemalis, which became established in an unusual environment on the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) campus in the early 1980’s, and compared this variation with the native range. At UCSD, the average repertoire size is 4.2 song types/male, which is similar to that in the native range. There is a low level of song-type sharing across the population. Typically a male shares at least one song type with on average 40% of his neighbors, and song-type sharing decreases rapidly with distance. Thus song-type diversity is high, and in this respect appears similar to that in ancestral mountain populations. These results suggest a moderate to large number of males founded and/or subsequently immigrated into the UCSD population, but several selection mechanisms, if coupled with a high cultural mutation rate, may also favor high song-type diversity. When combined with results from a previous study, songs are significantly shorter at UCSD than in the mountain population we studied. It appears that founder effects have not influenced the evolution of songs in this population. More generally, if song-type diversity and other features of song result from various social and natural selection pressures, many of these pressures may have remained similar between the native and the recently established population.
Development of a rating scale to measure social skills in children: The matson evaluation of social skills with youngsters (MESSY)

Abstract The development of a scale for assessing social skills with children is reported. The Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY) was completed on 744 children between 4 and 18 years of age. A self-report form was completed on 422 children while 322 children were rated on a teacher-report measure using a 5-point Likert-type scale. Analyses included test-retest reliability conducted at a 2-week interval using Pearson correlations, factor-analytic procedures and selected analyses of variance and appropriate post-hoc tests. Implications of present findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Catalysis of Transbilayer Lipid Migration by Hydrophobically Modified N-Isopropylacrylamide Polymers

Transverse lipid migration (flip-flop) of 2-F, a head-group-labeled dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), in surface-differentiated 1:7 coliposomes with unlabeled DPPC (2-NF), is facilitated by added N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) polymers at temperatures above the extended → contracted transition temperatures of the polymers (30−33 °C). The effectiveness of the polymers is sensitive to the identity of the substituents on their amide nitrogens; an octadecyl residue is particularly potent, whereas a butylpyrenyl substituent is ineffective. Evidence is also presented for interliposomal polymer transfer above the liposomes' gel → liquid crystal transition temperature.
The surgical treatment of pulmonary cystic disorders in infancy and childhood

Abstract Thirty-four cases of pulmonary cystic lesions and six cases of lobar emphysema have been reviewed and their clinical features described. A classification has been proposed suggesting the term "indeterminant" to identify cysts which do not have specific histological bases for an etiologic terminology. Surgical resection is the safest and most effective treatment in cystic lung disease, lobar emphysema, and bronchogenic cysts.
Effects of polar solvents on the fracture resistance of dentin: role of water hydration.

Abstract Although healthy dentin is invariably hydrated in vivo, from a perspective of examining the mechanisms of fracture in dentin, it is interesting to consider the role of water hydration. Furthermore, it is feasible that exposure to certain polar solvents, e.g., those found in clinical adhesives, can induce dehydration. In the present study, in vitro deformation and fracture experiments, the latter involving a resistance-curve (R-curve) approach (i.e., toughness evolution with crack extension), were conducted in order to assess changes in the constitutive and fracture behavior induced by three common solvents—acetone, ethanol and methanol. In addition, nanoindentation-based experiments were performed to evaluate the deformation behavior at the level of individual collagen fibers and ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy to evaluate changes in bonding. The results indicate a reversible effect of chemical dehydration, with increased fracture resistance, strength, and stiffness associated with lower hydrogen bonding ability of the solvent. These results are analyzed both in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic toughening phenomena to further understand the micromechanisms of fracture in dentin and the specific role of water hydration.
Switching cyclin D-Cdk4 kinase activity on and off.

The cyclin-cdks are master regulators of cell proliferation. These serine/threonine kinases are the motors that both start and stop the cell cycle in response to proliferative or antiproliferative signals. They phosphorylate substrates required to trigger orderly cell cycle progression, and thus their activity is tightly regulated in order to prevent inappropriate activation. One of the main interfaces between the extraceullar environment and the cell cycle machinery is the interaction of the cyclin-cdks with two families of stoichiometric cyclin kinase inhibitors (CKIs), the Ink4s and the Cip/Kips. As their name suggests, the CKIs have historically been considered negative regulators of the cyclin-cdks, responsible for rapidly and effectively turning off cyclin-cdk activity. However, the interaction of cyclin D-cdk4 with the Cip/Kip family, and with p27Kip1 in particular, appeared complex. In addition to its ability to inhibit cyclin D-cdk4, p27 appeared to be a required assembly factor for the complex, ...
Precise determination of protein antigenic structures has unravelled the molecular immune recognition of proteins and provided a prototype for synthetic mimicking of other protein binding sites

Intensive research in the author's laboratory had culminated in the determination and synthesis of all the antigenic sites of myoglobin in 1975 and of lysozyme in 1978. Very recently most of the antigenic sites of serum albumin were also localized and synthesized. These investigations provided the first unique insight into the molecular features responsible for the immune recognition of protein antigens and of the factors which determine and regulate the antigenicity of the sites. But moreover, these studies have charted a multi-approach chemical strategy for investigation and synthetic duplication of protein binding sites. Furthermore, the concept of ‘surface-simulation’ synthesis, which we introduced and developed during our determination of the antigenic structure of lysozyme, has provided a remarkable dimension of unlimited versatility for the synthetic mimicking of any type of protein binding sites. In this concept, the spatially adjacent residues of a protein binding site are linked directly via peptide bonds with appropriate spacers into a single peptide which does not exist in the protein but mimicks a surface region of it. This has proved to be a powerful concept in protein molecular recognition and has opened up many untapped avenues in investigation, duplication and perhaps manipulation of a variety of protein activities. In fact, binding sites representing other protein activities (including antibody combining sites) have or are now being mimicked synthetically in our laboratory by the concept of surface-simulation synthesis.
A heuristic method based on genetic algorithm for the baseline-product design

Product family planning is important for mass customization. All the products in a product family are actually transformed from a common product, which is referred to as baseline-product in this study. In this paper, we propose a heuristic method for the baseline-product design within a product family. The proposed heuristic method is based on the genetic algorithm (GA). In contrast to the existing methods for product family planning that need users to specify baseline-product prior to optimize it, the new GA-based method proposed by this paper focuses on searching a proper balance between the commonality of baseline-product and the performance of product family derived from the baseline-product. The method improves as more commonality of the baseline-product as possible, within the satisfactory of the diverse customer needs, and then determines the variable product attributes and their variation ranges, and the common parameters of the baseline-product and their optimal values. This method of baseline-product design is validated by a case study of the small-size induction motor design. At last we compare the results from our GA-based method with the benchmark products that are individually designed to the optimal performance.
Generalized Pairing in Light Nuclei. I. Solutions of Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov Equations in N = Z Even-Even Nuclei

The Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) equations are solved for the $N=Z$ even-even nuclei in the $s\ensuremath{-}d$ shell. The possibility of generalized pairing correlations (e.g. both $T=0$ and $T=1$ pairing) is studied in detail. It is found that the two kinds of pairing are mutually exclusive and that the lowest HFB solution for the even-even $N=Z$ nuclei has $T=0$ independent pairs. The validity and the extent of these correlations is further examined by projecting the solutions onto eigenstates of the total number operator. These $T=0$ pairing correlations occur for the axially symmetric prolate ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{24}$, oblate ${\mathrm{S}}^{32}$, and prolate ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{36}$ HFB solutions. In studying the relevance of these HFB solutions to the experimental spectra, it is found that the HFB field gives a more consistent description of the structure of $N=Z$ even-even nuclei and that it can resolve the discrepancies and also the failures of the HF field in the upper half of the $s\ensuremath{-}d$ shell.
Pulsed Writing of Solid State Holograms

The pulsed writing of volume holograms in lithium niobate is reported, both with 200-nsec and 20-nsec duration pulses. This information is of particular interest in high capacity information storage applications since it indicates that writing times at least as short as 20-nsec are readily possible. A series of pulses was used in each case, and the diffraction efficiency was monitored using a He-Ne laser operating at 6328 A and aligned to its corresponding Bragg angle.
Review of the in vitro spectrum of activity of imipenem

Imipenem (N-formimidoyl thienamycin, MK0787), a new carbapenem was found to have the widest antimicrobial activity of currently available beta-lactam drugs. Enterobacteriaceae had minimal inhibitory concentrations of imipenem of 8.0 micrograms/ml or less for 99.8 percent of clinical isolates. Only rare strains of Enterobacter species and Proteus mirabilis have higher imipenem minimal inhibitory concentration results. Hemophilus and Neisseria species were inhibited, but minimal inhibitory concentrations of imipenem were higher than those reported for third-generation cephalosporins. Only Pseudomonas maltophilia and Pseudomonas cepacia strains were imipenem resistant (MIC50 greater than 32 micrograms/ml) among the commonly isolated non-enteric gram-negative bacilli. All anaerobes were found susceptible to imipenem with the exception of some strains of Clostridium difficile. Staphylococcus species and non-enterococcal streptococci were very susceptible to imipenem. Streptococcus faecalis had higher minimal inhibitory concentrations of imipenem (MIC90 3.1 micrograms/ml) and S. faecium strains were frankly resistant. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates had a MIC90 of 27.2 micrograms imipenem/ml. Imipenem was generally bactericidal except for marked minimal inhibitory and minimal bactericidal concentration differences with enterococci, Listeria, methicillin-resistant staphylococci, and some P. aeruginosa strains. The minimal inhibitory and minimal bactericidal concentrations of imipenem were not significantly influenced by organism inoculum size, probably because of its beta-lactamase stability to nearly all commonly encountered bacterial enzymes. Imipenem was found to be an excellent inhibitor of beta-lactamases and a potent enzyme inducer. The induction characteristic seems responsible for the antagonistic interactions of imipenem with some enzyme-labile beta-lactams in combination. Imipenem had limited stability in some in vitro susceptibility test systems. The 10 micrograms disk test or dry-form broth micro-dilution systems were preferred, applying the interpretive criteria from the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (M2-A3). Imipenem-resistant strains were rarely found in clinical practice and bacteria resistant to newer beta-lactams and aminoglycosides were generally very susceptible to this new carbapenem.
Not for Novices: More Stocking Stuffers

One really nice feature of DOS batch files is that they accept “command‐line parameters”. For example, consider a batch file called COPYTOA.BAT, which might be used to copy a file or group of files to drive A. COPYTOA.BAT would consist of the following line:
Structural analysis of the specific capsular polysaccharide of Rhodococcus equi serotype 2.

The specific capsular polysaccharide produced by Rhodococcus equi serotype 2 is a high-molecular-weight acidic polymer composed of D-glucose, D-mannose, D-glucuronic acid and 3-O-[(S)-1-carboxyethyl]-L-rhamnose in equimolar proportions. Structural analysis, employing a combination of chemical and n.m.r. techniques, established that the polysaccharide is composed of linear repeating tetrasaccharide units. (formula; see text) in which the beta-D-mannose residues carry O-acetyl groups at O-2 and O-3 to the extent of 1.7 mol equivalents. Unequivocal determination of the absolute chirality of the 3-O-[(S)-1-carboxyethyl]-alpha-L-rhamnose residues was achieved by chemical correlation with an authentic synthetic sample. The 1H and 13C-n.m.r. resonances of the native and O-deacetylated serotype 2 polysaccharides were fully assigned by homo- and heteronuclear chemical-shift correlation methods.
Modeling Looped Ratings in Muskingum-Cunge Routing

The Muskingum-Cunge flood routing model is extended to the realm of looped ratings. This is accomplished by reformulating the conventional four-point model to use the local water surface slope and the Vedernikov number in the expression for hydraulic diffusivity. The developed model was successful in generating looped ratings under a wide range of kinematic/diffusive unsteady flow conditions. Numerical experiments were used to test the looped-rating Muskingum-Cunge model. Resolution level, flood wave period, baseflow, and peak-inflow/baseflow ratio were varied to determine loop thickness and percentage mass conservation. Comparison of the looped-rating Muskingum-Cunge model with a dynamic wave model (a complete solution of the St. Venant equations) showed that both models are capable of generating looped ratings and outflow hydrographs of comparable accuracy.
A Summer Internship in Psychological Research: Preparation of Minority Undergraduates for Graduate Study

Graduate departments of psychology often confront the issue of how best to recruit and retain qualified minority students. Because undergraduate students seeking graduate appointments are frequently advised to gain research experience, we use this article to describe an intensive summer internship intended to strengthen the research skills of minority students. The 6-week program served honor students from a Minority Access to Research Careers program sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health. Based on a research apprenticeship model, the internship juxtaposed didactic and experiential research components to provide a breadth of exposure to researchers and topics while achieving in-depth training in research methodology. Interns initially participated in faculty-sponsored research but later developed and implemented their own studies. We concluded that the research internship would prove valuable to all undergraduates considering advanced study in psychology.
Apert syndrome and fetal hydrocephaly.

Apert (1906) was the first to identify a syndrome characterized by the association of acrocephaly with syndactyly, acrocephalosyndactylism. Since then Apert syndrome has been recognized as a clinical entity. Although hydrocephalus was rarely reported as an associated malformation, it was suggested that hydrocephalus might be responsible for mental retardation in some cases of Apert syndrome. We report a case of Apert syndrome presenting as fetal hydrocephaly at 28 weeks gestational age, and we review the literature. We suggest that hydrocephalus should be considered as a major associated malformation, and a complete evaluation with sonogram and computed tomography scan is recommended in any newborn suspected of having Apert syndrome alter routine cephalometric measurement.
Phylogenetic relationships among megabats, microbats, and primates

Abstract We present 744 nucleotide base positions from the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene and 236 base positions from the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene for a microbat, Brachyphylla cavernarum, and a megabat, Pteropus capestratus, in phylogenetic analyses with homologous DNA sequences from Homo sapiens, Mus musculus (house mouse), and Gallus gallus (chicken). We use information on evolutionary rate differences for different types of sequence change to establish phylogenetic character weights, and we consider alternative rRNA alignment strategies in finding that this mtDNA data set clearly supports bat monophyly. This result is found despite variations in outgroup used, gap coding scheme, and order of input for DNA sequences in multiple alignment bouts. These findings are congruent with morphological characters including details of wing structure as well as cladistic analyses of amino acid sequences for three globin genes and indicate that neurological similarities between megabats and primates are due to either retention of primitive characters or to convergent evolution rather than to inheritance from a common ancestor. This finding also indicates a single origin for flight among mammals.
The use of allograft or autograft and expandable titanium cages for the treatment of vertebral osteomyelitis.

Objective The results of the surgical treatment of osteomyelitis with expandable titanium cages and either allograft or autograft are presented. Methods Thirty-six patients with vertebral osteomyelitis are presented. There were 7 cervical, 17 thoracic, 4 thoracolumbar (involving T12-L1), 5 lumbar, and 3 lumbosacral (involving L5-S1) lesions. The most frequently identified organisms were Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Coccidioides immitis. Imaging studies included x-rays, computed tomographic scans, and magnetic resonance imaging scans. All patients were treated with corpectomies and expandable cage reconstruction. Fusion was performed with rib autograft, iliac crest autograft, or allograft. Most patients who had an anterior approach also underwent posterior instrumentation, whereas a few had anterior instrumentation only. Four patients underwent a posterior approach (transpedicular corpectomy) only. Results The median follow-up period was 21 months. There were no implant failures. Two recurrences of infection were noted: 1 case involved allograft, and the other involved autograft. At follow-up, neurological deficits improved in all patients, and 81% of patients were pain-free. Conclusion This study suggests that the treatment of vertebral column osteomyelitis can be performed with expandable titanium cages, and allograft does not appear to increase the rate of recurrence, as compared with autograft.
Sleep, Slow-Wave Sleep, and Blood Pressure

There is increasing evidence that alterations in sleep continuity due to central nervous system arousal and/or reductions in deeper stages of sleep adversely affect blood pressure and contribute to hypertension. Disturbed sleep also blunts the normal nocturnal dip in blood pressure and may lead to sustained daytime hypertension as well. Nocturnal drops in blood pressure result from increased parasympathetic and reduced sympathetic activity during sleep. Slow-wave sleep, considered to be the most “restorative,” is the specific sleep state associated with the largest decline in sympathetic activity. The time in slow-wave sleep declines with age as well as in association with other health problems. A reduction in the time in slow-wave sleep has recently been reported to predict increased incident hypertension. The mechanisms by which this occurs have not been well described but may include alterations in dipping patterns, sympathetic nervous system activity, corticotrophin pathways, and the renin–angiotensin system. This article reviews the overall association between sleep and hypertension, with a specific focus on slow-wave sleep, a possible novel target for future blood pressure interventions.
"Unbounded Enthusiasm": (1) Australian Historians and the Outbreak of the Great War

There is a growing body of European scholarship revising the traditionally held view that the peoples of Europe greeted the war with boundless patriotic enthusiasm. Niall Ferguson, Jean-Jacques Becker and Jeffery Verhey in particular have argued that the “August Days” were more myth than reality. The outbreak of the war in Australia has not yet attracted similar attention. With few exceptions, Australian scholars writing about the opening days and weeks of the war have agreed that Australian popular reaction was dominated by overwhelming enthusiasm. This paper will explore the Australian historiography, since the 1930s, and assess the extent to which the “traditional” interpretation is in need of re-investigation.
An Investigation of the Rotamers of Butadiene by High-Resolution Infrared Spectroscopy

A wide-ranging investigation of high-resolution infrared spectra of 1,3-butadiene was undertaken with the prime objective of finding subbands in the rotational structure attributable to the gauche rotamer, from which information about the molecular structure could be derived. A weak band near 750 cm−1, which had previously been assigned to the gauche rotamer, has been shown to be a difference band for the trans rotamer. In support of the analysis of this band, the rotational structure, including two hot bands, was analyzed in the C-type band for the ν12(au) mode near 525 cm−1 and in the C-type band near 162 cm−1 for the ν13(au) mode. An unsuccessful attempt was made to extend the analysis of the B-type component of the A/B-type band for ν17(bu) near 3000 cm−1. With the exception of the two weak Q branches at 463.82 and 462.16 cm−1, no new evidence for the gauche rotamer in the gas phase was found.
Robust fat suppression at 3T in high-resolution diffusion-weighted single-shot echo-planar imaging of human brain.

Single-shot EPI is the most common acquisition technique for whole-brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies in vivo. Higher field MRI systems are readily available and advantageous for acquiring DTI due to increased signal. One of the practical issues for DTI with single-shot EPI at high field is incomplete fat suppression resulting in a chemically-shifted fat artifact within the brain image. Unsuppressed fat is especially detrimental in DTI because the diffusion coefficient of fat is two orders of magnitude lower than that of parenchyma, producing brighter appearing fat artifacts with greater diffusion weighting. In this work, several fat suppression techniques were tested alone and in combination with the goal of finding a method that provides robust fat suppression and can be utilized in high-resolution single-shot EPI DTI studies. Combination of chemical shift saturation with slice-select gradient reversal within a dual-spin-echo diffusion preparation period was found to provide robust fat suppression at 3T.
Spatial Mapping of Thymic Stromal Microenvironments Reveals Unique Features Influencing T Lymphoid Differentiation

Interaction of hematopoietic progenitors with the thymic microenvironment induces them to proliferate, adopt the T lineage fate, and asymmetrically diverge into multiple functional lineages. Progenitors at various developmental stages are stratified within the thymus, implying that the corresponding microenvironments provide distinct sets of signals to progenitors migrating between them. These differences remain largely undefined. Here we used physical and computational approaches to generate a comprehensive spatial map of stromal gene expression in the thymus. Although most stromal regions were characterized by a unique gene expression signature, the central cortex lacked distinctive features. Instead, a key function of this region appears to be the sequestration of unique microenvironments found at the cortical extremities, thus modulating the relative proximity of progenitors moving between them. Our findings compel reexamination of how cell migration, lineage specification, and proliferation are controlled by thymic architecture and provide an in-depth resource for global characterization of this control.