cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Management of thoracic insufficiency syndrome in patients with Jarcho-Levin syndrome using VEPTRs (vertical expandable prosthetic titanium ribs).

Background: Jarcho-Levin syndrome represents a spectrum of clinical and radiographic irregularities including abnormal vertebral segmentation or formation defects, rib deformities, and short-trunk dwarfism. These abnormalities cause reduced thoracic capacity for lung development, resulting in thoracic insufficiency syndrome. In the present study, we reviewed outcome measures related to scoliotic curve correction, thoracic growth, and respiratory function following VEPTR treatment in patients with Jarcho-Levin syndrome. Methods: Twenty-nine patients with Jarcho-Levin syndrome, subclassified as spondylocostal dysostosis (SCD) or spondylothoracic dysplasia (STD), were treated with VEPTR expansion thoracoplasty and followed for at least two years since the initial implantation. Spinal and respiratory measures were collected prior to the initial VEPTR implantation, immediately after implantation, and at the most recent follow-up. Results: VEPTR treatment was associated with improved clinical respiratory function and with increases in thoracic height (by 50% in the SCD group and 42% in the STD group) and thoracic width (by 37% in the SCD group and 28% in the STD group). VEPTR treatment resulted in scoliosis curve correction (improvement in the Cobb angle of 41% [22°] in the SCD group and 26% [3.7°] in the STD group) and in improved thoracic symmetry in patients with SCD. Patients with SCD displayed increased lumbar lordosis, and both groups of patients developed increased thoracic kyphosis approaching normal. Conclusions: VEPTR treatment improved thoracic symmetry, controlled spinal deformity, and was associated with improved clinical respiratory function. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
A note on Wyner's wiretap channel (Corresp.)

Wyner recently introduced the concept of a wiretap channel and showed that by transmitting at a rate less than capacity on the main link it was possible to keep the wiretapper's information about the entire message equal to zero. It is shown that it is possible to send at capacity on the main link and still keep the wiretapper's information equal to zero on many, large, arbitrary portions of the message.
Toxicity of anticholinesterase insecticides to birds: Technical grade versus granular formulations

Abstract The acute toxicities of 13 granular anticholinesterase insecticides were compared with their technical grade active ingredients by administering single oral doses of chemical to adult Northern bobwhites ( Colinus virginianus ) and evaluating resultant LD 50 values and doseresponse curves. Similar tests with ringed turtledoves ( Streptopelia risoria ) were conducted with five of the granular formulations to check for interspecific differences. The test chemicals were Amaze 15G (isofenphos), Counter 15G (terbufos), Dasanit 15G (fensulfothion), Diazinon 14G (diazinon), Di-Syston 15G (disulfoton), Dyfonate 20G (fonofos), Furadan 10G (carbofuran), Lorsban 15G (chlorpyrifos), Nemacur 15G (fenamiphos), Parathion 10G (parathion), Tattoo 10G (bendiocarb), Temik 15G (aldicarb), and Thimet 15G (phorate). Information is also presented on dose-response relations and their use in hazard assessment, granule size and hazard, response patterns, and toxic signs. The general conclusions were: (1) The organophosphates (fenamiphos and fensulfothion) and the carbamate (aldicarb) were the most toxic of the insecticides tested. (2) The granular formulation and its technical grade active ingredient were of equivalent toxicity, or the granular was significantly less toxic. (3) The dose-response curve enhances hazard assessment. (4) Ingestion of a single granule of Temik 15G was shown to be life threatening to bobwhite-sized birds, and ingestion of fewer than five granules could be lethal to sparrow-sized birds for Dasanit 15G, Diazinon 14G, Dyfonate 20G, Furadan 15G, and Nemacur 15G. (5) It is therefore suggested that the hazard associated with granular insecticides may be more dependent on which species (cf. size and feeding behavior) inhabit a treated area than on the actual application rate.
Observation of multiple resonance frequencies in stripe geometry InGaAs/InGaAsP/InP quantum-well lasers

Intensity fluctuation noise in strained InGaAsP/InP multi-quantum-well lasers is analyzed for both ridge-guided and broad-area gain-guided structures. A single resonance peak is observed in the noise spectrum for the ridge-guided laser, as expected. However, the noise spectrum for the broad-area lasers shows multiple ( approximately 2-5) resonance peaks, distinctly spaced, from approximately 2 to approximately 5 GHz. Combined with near-field measurements, the experiments show that these peaks originate from lasing filaments having significantly nonuniform optical power. The authors also determined the resonance frequency of the single-mode laser from both small-signal modulation and turn-on relaxation oscillation measurements and found the results to be consistent with the measured peak noise frequency. >
Influence of crystal dimensions on the interfacial temperature gradient

Abstract The influence of the length and radius of a crystal on the interfacial temperature gradient was estimated by use of a one-dimensional heat transfer calculation. It was found that the temperature gradient is substantially independent of crystal length only when the Biot number hR/k is large (where h is the heat transfer coefficient from the crystal surface, R is crystal radius, and k is thermal conductivity).
Ask and You Shall Find Out: Some Multicultural Dynamics in Catholic Theological Education

The theological classroom is a place where dynamics of diversity and multiculturalism enter not only the understanding and interpretation of the course material, but also the very processes of teaching and learning. But how is one to learn and assess what students and professors are experiencing as cultural differences, and how is one to sort out the personal characteristics from the cultural? This essay, underscoring the importance of asking students about cultural issues, discusses a few such issues via some anecdotal data.
Effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor-α (TGFα), and 2,3,7,8- tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on fusion of embryonic palates in serum-free organ culture using wild-type, EGF knockout, and TGFα knockout mouse strains

BACKGROUND 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is teratogenic in mice, producing cleft palate (CP). TCDD exposure disrupts expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, EGF, and transforming growth factor-α (TGFα) in the palate and affects proliferation and differentiation of medial epithelial cells. EGF knockout embryos are less susceptible to the induction of CP by TCDD. This study used palate organ culture to examine the hypothesis that EGF enables a response to TCDD. METHODS The midfacial tissues from wild-type (WT), EGF knockout, C57BL/6J, and TGFα knockout embryos were placed in organ culture on gestational day (GD) 12. Palatal explants were cultured for 4 days in serum-free Bigger's (BGJ) medium with 0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or 1 × 10−8 M TCDD with or without 2 ng of EGF/ml, 1 or 2 ng of TGFα/ml. Effects on palatal fusion were evaluated on day 4 of culture. EGF levels in explants and medium were determined using Luminex technology. RESULTS In serum-free, control medium, palates from all of the strains fused. EGF knockout palates cultured with TCDD (no EGF) fused, but those cultured with TCDD + 2 ng of EGF/ml failed to fuse (p < 0.05 vs. control or TCDD without EGF). TGFα knockout palates failed to fuse when cultured with TCDD + 2 ng of TGFα/ml. EGF levels increased in tissue and accumulated in the medium after 24 hr of culture. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that providing EGF to the palates of EGF knockout mice restored the response to TCDD. These studies support the hypothesis that the mechanism for induction of CP by TCDD is mediated via the EGFR pathway. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2005. Published 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The influence of temperature and pressure factors in supercritical fluid extraction for optimizing nonpolar lipid extraction from buttermilk powder

The milk fat globule membrane, readily available in buttermilk, contains complex lipids claimed to be beneficial to humans. Phospholipids, including sphingolipids, exhibit antioxidative, anticarcinogenic, and antiatherogenic properties and have essential roles in numerous cell functions. Microfiltration coupled with supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) may provide a method for removing triacylglycerols while concentrating these nutritionally valuable lipids into a novel ingredient. Therefore, SFE as a method for phospholipid concentration needs to be optimized for triacylglycerol removal in buttermilk. The SFE conditions were assessed using a general full factorial design; the experimental factors were pressure (15, 25, and 35 MPa) and temperature (40, 50, and 60 degrees C). Particularly interesting is that only triacylglycerols were removed from buttermilk powder. Little to no protein loss or aggregation was observed compared with the untreated buttermilk powder. Calculated theoretical values showed a linear increase for lipid solubility as pressure, temperature, or both were increased; however, experimental values showed nonlinearity, as an effect of temperature. In addition, the particular SFE parameters of 35 MPa and 50 degrees C displayed enhanced extraction efficiency (70% total lipid reduction).
Citation Managers as Gateways to Academic Integrity

J. P. Huffman is the new editor of JBFL's Information Literacy column. Currently a Business and Information Science Liaison Librarian at Penn State University, she received her MLIS from the Univer...
Molecular cloning and characterization of a cDNA encoding soybean nodule IMP dehydrogenase.

Abstract Inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in de novo purine biosynthesis and is a postulated key enzyme in nitrogen assimilation in ureide-exporting nodules. A 2016 bp cDNA for IMPDH, designated as IMPDH , was cloned from a soybean nodule cDNA library. IMPDH encodes a polypeptide of 502 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 53 000 and a p I of 5.54. The deduced IMPDH is 70.5% identical to that in Arabidopsis , with a 100% homology in the putative active-site region. Expressing the cloned cDNA in Escherichia coli mutant strain KLC381 ( ΔguaB ) restored IMPDH activity, permitting bacterial growth on minimal medium. Southern blot analysis suggested a single copy of IMPDH gene in the soybean genome. Northern blot analysis showed that the expression of IMPDH gene is apparently nodule-specific.
Improved resolving time in n - γ coincidence measurements with high pressure 3He ionization chambers

Abstract Resolving times in n - γ coincidence measurements with high-pressure, gridded 3 He ionization chambers are shown to be reduced from about 5 us to less than 0.4 us when grid signals are utilized for timing of neutron events. Compared to that found in the normal case when anode signals are utilized, the coincidence efficiency is reduced to about 70%. Lack of compensation for variable pulse amplitude and rise time is a major factor limiting further improvement in the resolving time.
WHOSE WOODS ARE THESE? COUNTER‐MAPPING FOREST TERRITORIES IN KALIMANTAN, INDONESIA

This paper examines the politics of land and forest rights in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). Forest mapping by government forestry planners allocates rights of resource use and land access according to forest types and economic objectives, only rarely recognizing indigenous occupancy rights or forest territories customarily claimed or managed by local people. As maps and official plans based on them ignore, and in some cases criminalize, traditional rights to forest, forest products, and forest land for temporary conversion to swidden agriculture, indigenous activists are using sketch maps to re-claim territories - a process that requires re-defining many traditional forest rights. The paper considers the political implications of mapping and the implications of a focus on land use rather than forest use.
Resolving ideological conflicts by affirming opponents' status: The Tea Party, Obamacare and the 2013 government shutdown

Abstract Ideological conflicts, like those over the Affordable Care Act (ACA), are highly intractable, as demonstrated by the October 2013 partial U.S. government shutdown. The current research offers a potential resolution of ideological conflicts by affirming an opponent's status. Results of one experiment collected during the 2013 government shutdown and a second conducted shortly after the implementation of the health insurance marketplaces in early 2014 indicate that status affirmation induces conciliatory attitudes and a willingness to sacrifice one's own outcomes in favor of ideological opponents' by decreasing adversarial perceptions. These studies demonstrate that status is an important social dimension whose affirmation by an ideological opponent buffers the integrity of one's identity, thereby reducing defensiveness and resistance to compromising in political conflicts.
On the inversion of linear systems

For a known linear system, we show how to parametrize the set of all possible inputs and initial states that could produce a given output, and how to compute any member of this set without differentiating the output. The structural similarity between minimum-norm system inversion and fixod-interval smoothing is examined.
Thermal denaturation of DNA in situ as studied by acridine orange staining and automated cytofluorometry.

Abstract Thermal denaturation of nuclear DNA is studied in situ in individual cells or isolated cell nuclei by employing the property of the fluorochrome acridine orange (AO) to differentially stain native and denatured DNA and by using an automated flow-through cytofluorimeter for measurement of cell fluorescence. RNAse-treated cells, or cell nuclei, are heated, stained and measured while in suspension and AO-DNA interaction is studied under equilibrium conditions. Measurements are made rapidly (200 cells/sec); subpopulations of cells from a measured sample can be chosen on the basis of differences in their staining or light-scattering properties and analysed separately. DNA denaturation in situ is rapid; it approaches maximum during the first 5 min of cell heating. Divalent cations stabilize DNA against denaturation. At low pH the transition occurs at lower temperature and the width of the transition curves (‘melting profiles’) is increased. Decrease in ionic strength lowers the DNA melting temperature. This effect is much more pronounced in cells pretreated with acids under conditions known to remove histones. Histones thus appear to stabilize DNA in situ by providing counterions. At least four separate phases can be distinguished in melting profiles of DNA in situ; they are believed to indicate different melting points of DNA in complexes with particular histones. A decrease in cell (nuclear) ability to scatter light coincides with DNA melting in situ, possibly representing altered refractive and/or reflective properties of cell nuclei. Formaldehyde, commonly used to prevent DNA renaturation, is not used in the present method. The heat-induced alterations in nuclear chromatin are adequately stabilized after cell cooling in the absence of this agent. Cells heated at 60–85 °C exhibit increased total fluorescence after AO-staining, which is believed to be due to unmasking of new sites on DNA. This increase is neither correlated with DNA melting, nor with the presence of histones. Possibly, it reflects destruction of DNA superstructure maintained at lower temperatures by DNA associations with other than histone macromolecules (nuclear membrane).
Equilibrium and kinetics of the unfolding of lysozyme (muramidase) by guanidine hydrochloride

The unfolding of hen-egg lysozyme by guanidine hydrochloride has been studied at 20 and 30°C, primarily by means of optical rotation. It was found possible to measure independently the equilibrium extent of reaction, the kinetics of unfolding and the kinetics of refolding to the native protein. The three sets of experiments are self-consistent and show that the principal part of the unfolding process, representing the entire observable change in optical rotation, is a simple reversible reaction, strictly first-order in both directions with respect to the protein concentration. The equilibrium constant for the reaction varies as the 16th power, the rate of unfolding as the 5th power and the rate of refolding inversely as the 11th power of the concentration of guanidine hydrochloride. The most interesting aspect of the results is the strong dependence of the refolding reaction on the concentration of guanidine hydrochloride. It suggests that guanidinium ions must be removed from the vicinity of the protein molecule in the formation of the activated state for refolding. The activated state must be quite highly ordered, the unitary entropy change for its formation from the unfolded protein being −77 e.u.
Northern Adriatic Sea surface circulation and temperature/pigment fields in September and October 1997

Satellite images of surface chlorophyll-a concentration measured by the sea-viewing wide field-of-view sensor (SeaWiFS) and of sea surface temperature derived from advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) measurements, combined with in-situ drifter measurements of surface currents, and ancillary wind, Po River discharge and surface salinity data, are used to describe the surface dynamics in the northern Adriatic during the period September–October 1997. The satellite observations revealed very complex mesoscale dynamics, with time scales of a day or two and length scales of about 10 km, including the meandering and instability of basin-scale currents (e.g., the western coastal layer), jets/filaments and eddies. In addition, the two typical patterns of the Po River plume are observed and qualitatively explained in terms of wind forcing. A basin-wide double gyre pattern spreads the rich runoff water across most of the northern Adriatic from mid-September to early October, following Bora wind events and under stratified sea conditions. In contrast, in late October the Po plume is confined to the coast due to weaker winds and de-stratified conditions. This variability in the Po River plume extension is also confirmed by in-situ salinity measurements.
Linear future semantics and its implementation

Abstract We describe linear future semantics, an extension of linear history semantics as introduced by Francez, Lehmann, and Pnueli, and show how it can be used to add multiprocessing to languages given by standard continuation semantics. We then demonstrate how the resulting semantics can be implemented. The implementation uses functional abstractions and non-determinacy to represent the sets of answers in the semantics. We give an example, using a semantic prototyping system based on the language Scheme.
Mapping international education: A historical survey (1893-1944)

The term ‘international education’ has been in continuous use since the 1860s. This article seeks to provide an examination of the extensive descriptions and definitions of international education ...
Volunteered Volunteers: Role Expectations and Performance of the US University President and Chancellor’s Partner

The paper reports on a study of partners of USA university president/chancellors, a rarely researched population in scholarly literature. Interviews with 24 male and female presidential partners of state supported colleges and universities provided insight into a privileged yet perplexing position, rarely seen by the public. The study draws on the theoretical framework of social role theory and the response of presidential partners to the university’s role expectations. Findings reveal often intensely demanding roles, some clear and others more ambiguous suggest that while some of the presidential partners are able to adapt to these role expectations, others find themselves in a struggle.
Noble gases in the diamond-free ureilite, ALHA 78019: The roles of shock and nebular processes

The noble gases for unshocked ureilite ALHA 78019 and moderately shocked ureilite Kenna are measured. The preparation of the samples and the analysis procedures are described. The analyses reveal that for ALHA 78019 the residue yield equals 2.5 percent of the original mass of the meteorite and 25 percent of the gas is contained in the fine-grained amorphous carbon, and for Kenna the residue yield equals 2.9 percent and 60 percent of the noble gas is contained in the carbon. It is noted that the gases and carbon are present in the ureilites prior ot the shock that produced the diamond, and the shock has no effect on the origin of the carbon in these meteorites. The source of the gas-rich carbon in the ureilite ALHA 78019 is investigated; the Xe-130/C ratio, which equals 4.2 x 10 to the -10th, implies that the gases were acquired while the ureilite was exposed to the solar nebula.
High-performance size-exclusion chromatography of recombinant derived proteins and aggregated species.

Abstract The chromatographic behavior of some recombinant derived proteins and aggregated species was studied using high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC). At neutral pH values, monomeric proteins exhibited non-ideal behavior while aggregated species were not eluted. As the pH was lowered below 5, both aggregated and monomeric species were eluted, with the amount of aggregated species increasing with the decrease in pH. Final elution conditions selected for the simultaneous chromatography of monomeric and aggregated proteins were 0.1 M orthophosphoric acid, pH 2.5. The utility of the system was evaluated by determining the rates of protein degradation at elevated temperatures and comparing the results with those obtained using standard bioassay procedures. The rate of formation of aggregated species was also determined by HPSEC and correspond to the rate of degradation of monomeric protein. The use of HPSEC with low pH eluent provides a rapid means for estimating protein stability under accelarated temperature conditions as well as for determining the existence and formation of aggregated species.
New adaptive image contrast enhancement method

In direct methods of contrast enhancement, a contrast measure is first defined, which is then modified by a mapping function to generate the pixel value of the enhanced image. Various mapping functions such as the square root function, the exponential function, etc., have been introduced for the contrast measure modification. However, these functions do not produce satisfactory contrast enhancement results and are usually sensitive to noise and digitization effects. In addition, they are computationally complex from the point of view of implementation. In this paper, we propose a simple polynomial mapping function for the contrast measure modification. The polynomial function is ready to implement on digital computers and provides very satisfactory contrast enhancement. We also introduce an adaptive clipping technique to control the dynamic range of the output image.
Clinical Experience with the Kock Continent Ileal Reservoir for Urinary Diversion

The continent ileal reservoir, as introduced by Dr. Nils Kock, presents an intriguing but challenging option in the field of urinary diversion. From August 1982 through December 1984, 157 patients underwent this type of surgery at our institution. Of these patients, 103 underwent simultaneous radical cystectomy for cancer, 42 had a previous urinary diversion of another type, and 12 had neurogenic bladders. Our experience represents a series of expected complications and ongoing modifications to the surgical technique. A total of 24 patients experienced early complications requiring 6 reoperations, and 32 patients were noted to have 41 late complications necessitating 33 further revisional surgeries. There were 3 operative mortalities and 12 late deaths due to nonoperative causes. Three patients required conversion of their Kock pouch to an ileal conduit. The end result leaves 139 patients for chronic follow-up, of whom 134 are doing extremely well and fit all of the criteria for a successful continent diversion. They catheterize every 5–6 h with a mean reservoir capacity of 800–1000 cc and wear only a small pad over their stoma. The long-term results continue to be encouraging and suggest that the continent ileal reservoir is a definite alternative for the patient who requires a cutaneous urinary diversion and who is seeking an improved quality of life.
Usenet as a reference tool

Usenet is one of the most widely used services on the Internet. Recently, a handful of articles dealing with the mechanics and personal use of Usenet have appeared in the library literature, but little attention has focused on Usenet as a reference tool. This is unfortunate, since Usenet has the potential to serve as a valuable reference source to answer questions. With Usenet we have the ability to query the knowledge of a large well‐educated population on just about any subject from computers to popular culture. A question posted to the proper group on Usenet will often receive responses within hours. This article provides a brief introduction to Usenet and how it can be used for reference work, plus a guide to some of the issues involved with posting reference questions to Usenet. But first, I offer two examples of reference questions that I have answered using Usenet as a source.
The kinematics and kinetics of turning: limb asymmetries associated with walking a circular path

The biomechanics of changing direction while walking has been largely neglected despite its obvious relevancy to functional mobility. The world is filled with turns that must be negotiated. These turns carry an increased risk of injury due to a decrease in stability. A VICON 612 system measured joint kinematics and kinetics on 10 normal subjects for straight line walking (ST); turning, inside foot strike (IN); and turning, outside foot strike (OUT). All trials were completed at a self-selected walking speed and across a range of speeds from 0.6 to 1.3 m/s; the turn radius was 1 m. Significant differences between the conditions were detected using a mixed effects repeated measures ANCOVA with walking speed as a covariate. The most pronounced differences were demonstrated in the mediolateral ground reaction force impulse: in straight walking the impulses tended to shift the body toward the contralateral limb. In turning, the IN and OUT impulses shifted the body toward the ipsilateral and contralateral limbs, respectively. Knee flexion during stance was increased on the IN limb, while ankle plantarflexion increased on the OUT limb consistent with body lean during turning; differences in joint kinetics during turning were negligible. Self-selected turning was significantly slower than walking straight ahead (0.96+/-0.12 m/s versus 1.61+/-0.22 m/s) and turning at very slow speeds showed a non-uniform center of mass trajectory. Understanding the mechanisms of turning will provide insights driving design, therapy and intervention to increase functional navigation in amputees, the elderly and individuals with neuromuscular pathologies.
CT of obstructive lobar collapse

The varied computed tomographic (CT) appearance of obstructive lobar collapse is described in 25 cases. CT is helpful in understanding the morphology and mechanisms of lobar collapse and in diagnosis., atypical cases. The final shape of the collapsed lobe is dependent on the size and location of the obstructing tumor and on the amount of retained lung fluid. Focal bulging of the fissure (S-sign) is the most helpful sign in identifying the obstructing tumor. Differential enhancement could not separate the tumor from collapsed lung in six of eight (75%) of the cases studied with intravenous contrast, a finding at variance with previous reports. The limitations of CT in evaluating mediastinal or pleural invasion in the presence of lobar collapse are discussed.
Phase equilibria and the Landau—Ginzburg functional

Abstract New, more restrictive conditions are derived for the minimization of free energy in binary liquid systems. These conditions are an extension of chemical potential theory as developed by Gibbs to systems involving gradient energy. The new conditions eliminate nonphysical and pseudoequilibrium solutions found in previous treatments. They also give the surprising result that the bifurcation from single-phase to two-phase behavior occurs at a finite value of the gradient energy parameter. There is a minimum possible size below which a system cannot separate into two phases. This minimum size is a function of average composition. It ranges from infinity at the binodal composition to an absolute minimum at some point within the spinodal. Within the spinodal region, the minimum size of a two-phase system approaches the minimum size for growth as predicted by Cahn's linearized theory of spinodal decomposition. The non-linear Cahn—Hilliard diffusion equation requires a subtle modification to be consistent with the present theory. However, this modification does not affect the linearized theory or the long-time predictions of the full equation.
Collection of Electrochemical Impedance and Noise Data for Polymer-Coated Steel from Remote Test Sites

Abstract Degradation of 13 polymer coating systems on steel exposed to natural (NS) and artificial seawater (AS) was monitored using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and electrochemical noise analysis (ENA). Marine test sites were Port Hueneme, California, and Key West, Florida. An approach was developed to obtain electrochemical impedance and noise data from test sites via modem from the laboratory. A multiplexer was used to collect data at the test sites for the different systems. Impedance data were collected once a week, while noise data were measured twice a week. Potential and current noise data were determined simultaneously. Representative data from exposure to NS and AS for 7 months are presented for four coating systems. The long-term objective of this project is to determine the impact of microorganisms on degradation of protective properties of polymer coatings on steel during exposure to NS.
Lifetime-resolved fluorescence-detected circular dichroism: a new technique for probing macromolecular structures

Theory and instrumentation of lifetime-resolved fluorescence-detected circular dichroism spectroscopy (LRFDCD) are described. Advantages of LRFDCD over the individual techniques of fluorescence lifetime determinations and circular dichroism spectroscopy are discussed. LRFDCD is implemented on a frequency-domain fluorescence lifetime instrument that is modified for fluorescence-detected circular dichroism measurements.
Mechanisms of sympathoadrenal failure and hypoglycemia in diabetes

A reduced sympathoadrenal response, induced by recent antecedent hypoglycemia, is the key feature of hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure (HAAF) and, thus, the pathogenesis of iatrogenic hypoglycemia in diabetes. Understanding of the mechanism(s) of that reduced response awaits new insight into its basic molecular, cellular, organ, and whole-body physiology and pathophysiology in experimental models. In this issue of the JCI, McCrimmon and colleagues report that application of urocortin I (a corticotrophin-releasing factor receptor–2 agonist) to the ventromedial hypothalamus reduces the glucose counterregulatory response to hypoglycemia in rats (see the related article beginning on page 1723). Thus, hypothalamic urocortin I release during antecedent hypoglycemia is, among other possibilities, a potential mechanism of HAAF.
Buttress formation and directional stress experienced during critical phases of tree development

Patterns of buttress formation in tropical trees vary greatly within and among species. In Kibale National Park, Uganda, some form of a buttress was found on 23% of the 78 species (1785 trees) sampled from a variety of distantly related families. Large differences in buttress formation were documented within a single family and even within the same genus. Previous studies have suggested that buttresses are mechanical adaptations to counter asymmetric loads experi- enced during brief critical phases in a tree's development and these persist after the need for a mechanical support has disappeared. As a tree grows from the understorey, up to the canopy, or emerges from the canopy, the potential number of occasions that a tree will experience directional stress increases. Many canopy level trees will probably have been in the vicinity of a treefall gap during their development, while emergent trees may experience gap exposure in addition to wind stresses associated with canopy emergence. Therefore, it is predicted that understorey trees should have fewer and less developed buttresses (after cor- recting for overall tree size) than canopy trees, which should have fewer and less developed buttresses than emergent trees. Detailed measurements of buttresses from 194 trees of eight species support this prediction. There was no evidence that trees thought to have experienced directional stress associated with selective logging almost 30 y ago had increased the number or size of existing buttresses. The pattern of buttressing in Kibale generally supports the idea that buttresses are mechanical adaptations to counter episodic asymmetric loads, and that but- tresses persist after the need for a mechanical support has disappeared.
Valproic Acid Toxicity: Overview and Management

Acute valproic acid intoxication is an increasing problem, accounting for more than 5000 calls to the American Association of Poison Control Centers in 2000. The purpose of this paper is to review ...
Transplantation: recognizing self versus non-self: new territory for monocytes.

The role of the innate immune system in mediating allograft rejection is unclear. A new study demonstrates for the first time the ability of allografts to stimulate the differentiation of monocytes into inflammatory dendritic cells, which produce IL-12 and stimulate T cells, leading to graft rejection.
Training Responding Behaviors in Students with Autism: Using Videotaped Self-Modeling

Videotaped self-modeling (VSM) has been developed as a means to allow participants to view themselves in situations where they are performing at a more advanced level than they typically function. ...
On some properties of bivariate weighted distributions

Let Xw and Yw be weighted random variables arising from the distribution of (X,Y). We explore implications of independence of X and Y on the dependence structure of (Xw, Yw). We also show that when X and Y are independent and the weight function is symmetric, identical distribution of Xw and Yw implies that of X and Y. We discuss application of these results to the study of a renewal process.
Fast atom bombardment positive-ion mass spectra of 1,2,2-tris(sulfonyl)hydrazines

Several 1,2,2-tris(sulfonyl)hydrazines, conceived as prodrugs of 1,2-bis(sulfonyl)hydrazines and synthesized as potential antineoplastic and trypanocidal drugs, were analyzed by mass Spectrometry as part of the confirmation of the structure of these compounds. Since these compounds showed activity against several transplanted animal tumors, an understanding of the mass spectral behavior of these agents is important to gain information should clinical trials and metabolic studies be undertaken. In all spectra, protonated molecular ions were observed. Collision activation resulted in considerable fragmentation in the fast atom bombardment spectra. Rearrangement ions formed by elimination of substituted diimides from the middle of the molecule were observed. Other rearrangements involving the alkyl substituent and sulfonyl oxygen also occurred.
Mandatory human participation: a new authentication scheme for building secure systems

Mandatory human participation (MHP) is a novel authentication scheme that asks the question "are you human?" (Instead of "who are you?"), and upon the correct answer to this question, can prove a principal to be a human being instead of a computer program. MHP helps solve old and new problems in computer security that existing security measures cannot address properly, including password (or PIN number) guessing attacks and application-level denial of service. A key component of this "are you human?" authentication process is a character morphing algorithm that transforms a character string into its graphical form in such a way that a human being won't have any problem recognizing the original string, while a computer program (e.g., an optical character recognition program), will not be able to decipher it or make a correct guess with nonnegligible probability. The basic idea of the MHP scheme is to ask an agent to recognize the string before its login attempts or transaction requests can be honored. Here a protocol is needed to send a puzzle to an agent, check if the answer supplied by the agent is correct, and most importantly make sure that the agent cannot cheat in the process. A number of system and security issues that relate to the protocol need to be addressed for the protocol to be secure, efficient, robust, and user-friendly. The MHP scheme contributes to the foundation of the computer security by faithfully implementing novel security semantics, "human," which existing cryptographic measures cannot express accurately. As many real-world security applications involve the interaction between a human and a computer, which naturally contains "human" as a part of its protocol semantics, we believe that the MHP scheme will find many new applications in the future.
Dynamic object management for distributed data structures

In distributed-memory multiprocessors, remote memory accesses incur larger delays than local accesses. Hence, insightful allocation and access of distributed data can yield substantial performance gains. The authors argue for the use of dynamic data management policies encapsulated within individual distributed data structures. Distributed data structures offer performance, flexibility, abstraction, and system independence. This approach is supported by data from a trace-driven simulation study of parallel scientific benchmarks. Experimental data on memory locality, message count, message volume, and communication delay, suggest that data-structure-specific data management is superior to a single, system-imposed policy. >
Nuclear war as a source of adolescent worry: relationships with age, gender, trait emotionality, and drug use.

Abstract The present study compared the extent to which adolescents worry about nuclear war to their frequency of worry about other issues that are salient in their everyday lives. In addition, we examined empirical relationships between worry about nuclear war and the following variables: grade level, gender, trait emotionality, and drug use. Subjects were 1,043 eighth graders and 739 twelfth graders who completed an 11-item worry inventory embedded in a multidimensional drug-use survey. Results revealed that young people worry more often about such issues as school performance and negative social interactions than they do about nuclear war and that early adolescents and older female adolescents reported higher overall worry levels than late adolescent males. Moreover, whereas worry about nuclear war was significantly associated with death-related rumination, nuclear worries were negligibly related to general negative affect and level of drug use. Results are discussed with respect to sex role socializat...
Scattering from cultural grass canopies: measured and modeled data

The validity of a coherent grassland scattering model is determined by comparing the model predictions with direct measurements of a representative grass canopy. A wheat field was selected as this test target, and polarimetric, multi-frequency backscattering data was collected over an entire growing season, along with a complete set of ground-truth data. The L-band measured data demonstrated a strong dependence on azimuthal look direction, in relation to the row direction of the wheat. The C-band measurements likewise resulted in interesting backscattering data, with /spl sigma//sub vv//sup 0/ actually increasing with incidence angle for many cases. The coherent scattering model provides backscattering data which match and predict these measured data, and most of the other measured data quite well. The model shows that at L-band, the incoherent scattering power alone is insufficient for predicting the measured results, as the coherent terms can dominate the total scattered energy. Additionally, the model, which accounts for this non-uniform illumination of the wheat elements, likewise demonstrates the peculiar data observed for C-band.
Depression and cancer treatment outcomes in African American and Caucasian cancer patients: A chart review study

Objective: Depression is a significant predictor of cancer death, but its impact on African Americans’ cancer treatment and treatment outcomes has not been well studied. This study examines the relationship between depression treatment, completion of cancer treatment, and treatment outcomes among African American cancer patients in comparison with Caucasian cancer patients in Northeast Ohio. Methods: Medical records for 34 depressed breast and prostate cancer patients (18 African Americans and 16 Caucasians) with duration of 5 to 8 years were reviewed. Data on the variables of baseline distress level, depression treatment status, completion of prescribed cancer treatment, and treatment outcome (i.e., cancer recurrence, metastasis, and death) were abstracted. Simple statistics (frequency) was performed on these variables for the African American and Caucasian patients that received depression treatment and those who did not, respectively. Results: In the study group, 30% of the African Americans with elevated baseline distress (≥4 on a 10-point Distress Thermometer) were treated for depression, as compared to 60% of the Caucasians. Three of five African Americans that reduced or discontinued chemotherapy or hormonal therapy did not receive depression treatment. At 5 to 8 years after an initial cancer diagnosis, two of the African Americans, one treated and the other untreated for depression, both had cancer recurrence. Another untreated African American in the study developed metastasis and then died. By contrast, none of the African Americans treated for depression developed metastasis or died. Conclusions: The findings suggest that under treatment of depression was associated with poor cancer treatment completion and treatment outcomes, especially in the African American group. Improving depression treatment of these patients deserves serious attention in future research.
Supercritical water oxidation—Current status of full-scale commercial activity for waste destruction

Abstract After more than three decades since its potential was first recognized, supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) remains an innovative and viable treatment technology for destruction of aqueous based organic wastes. An extensive data base of destruction efficiencies, corrosion data, and salt phase behavior has been developed over the years through the combined efforts of many investigators at both the fundamental research and commercial level. As a result, SCWO technology has been increasingly utilized in a variety of full-scale designs and applications, handling feeds as diverse as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), sewage sludge, spent catalysts, and chemical weapons. This paper reviews the status of current full-scale commercial SCWO facilities around the world, focusing on the unique challenges and design strategies employed by different companies for corrosion and salt precipitation control in each application. A summary of past commercial SCWO activity as well as future plans among the current active SCWO companies is also included.
Examining the need for visual feedback during gesture interaction on mobile touchscreen devices for kids

Surface gesture interaction styles used on modern mobile touchscreen devices are often dependent on the platform and application. Some applications show a visual trace of gesture input as it is made by the user, whereas others do not. Little work has been done examining the usability of visual feedback for surface gestures, especially for children. In this paper, we present results from an empirical study conducted with children, teens, and adults to explore characteristics of gesture interaction with and without visual feedback. We find that the gestures generated with and without visual feedback by users of different ages diverge significantly in ways that make them difficult to interpret. In addition, users prefer to see visual feedback. Based on these findings, we present several design recommendations for new surface gesture interfaces for children, teens, and adults on mobile touchscreen devices. In general, we recommend providing visual feedback, especially for children, wherever possible.
Tailored edge-ray reflectors for illumination

The edge-ray principle can be used to tailor a reflector. However, one set of edge rays already fully determines the reflector profile. We present a design method for tailoring compact compound elliptical concentrator (CEC)-type reflectors to a given source and a desired angular power distribution. Two reflected images of the source, one on each side of the source, contribute together with the direct radiation from the source to produce the desired power distribution. We determine the reflector profile by numerically solving a differential equation. No optimization is required. Beyond the angular region in which the power distribution can be strictly controlled, the power drops to zero in a finite decay range. This decay range becomes narrower as the reflector increases in size. We show a reflector for producing a strictly constant irradiance from −43 to 43 deg from a cylindrical source of constant brightness. The reflector extends to a maximum distance of 8 source diameters. No power is radiated beyond ± 50 deg.
Quantum Distribution Functions in Non-Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics

Quantum distribution functions provide a means of expressing quantum mechanical averages in a form which is very similar to that for classical averages. Also, the Bloch equation for the density matrix for a canonical ensemble is replaced by a classical equation and, turning to dynamics, the von Neumann equation describing the time development of the density matrix is replaced by a classical equation which is similar in form to the Liouville equation but contains exactly the same information as the quantum von Neumann equation.