cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence for regulatory control of canine platelet phosphodiesterase.

Forskolin, epinephrine, and protaglandin I2 were used to examine the adenylate cyclase-phosphodiesterase system of intact thrombopathic and normal canine platelets. The results provide indirect support for the hypothesis that the elevation of intraplatelet c-AMP in this unique hereditary defect is due to impaired phosphodiesterase activity. The inhibitory (Nj) and stimulatory (Ns) components of adenylate cyclase appeared functionally intact. Cytosolic fractions of normal and thrombopathic platelets had similar cAMP hydrolytic activities. The failure of intact forskolin-stimulated thrombopathic platelets to return elevated cAMP to non-stimulated levels after 15 min, despite significant phosphodiesterase activity in cytosolic fractions, implies that the platelet isoenzymes are under regulatory control.
The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Action plan: Facing the challenges of an ocean gateway

The paper outlines the peculiarities and importance of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Region as an ocean gateway between the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean domain through the Mediterranean Sea. It reviews the Region's major environmental problems that were recognized by the governments of the Region and hence led to the adoption of the Action Plan in 1982. For some years, the implementation of the Action Plan was hampered by various economic and political difficulties, the lack of financial and human resources and weak political will in some countries of the Region. However, clear progress was recently achieved in furthering cooperative efforts in the region that culminated in the launching of the Region's Strategic Action Programme, and the preparation of the Regional Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities. In order to meet the present and future challenges facing the Region, concerted action is imperative. The paper proposes a multi-track approach with concrete actions suggested, revolving around four main axes of management, mitigation, cooperation/coordination and facilitation. The suggested actions clearly require two major imperatives, namely government commitment and public awareness.
On the completeness of the multigroup eigenfunctions set of a reactor system Boltzmann operator

Abstract In this paper, we show, in a heuristic way, that the completeness of a set of the multigroup Boltzmann operator eigenfunctions, generated via the power method, can be restored coupling in energy the fission neutrons and the incident ones. An example is given, which illustrates how the set of the eigenfunctions shifts from incompleteness to completeness when a coupling relationship is established between the spectrum of the neutrons produced by fission and the energy of the neutrons which generate the fissions. The proposed method allows one to complete, in a very simple but systematic way, the set of eigenfunctions of the Boltzmann operator in the multigroup case. That, in principle, enlarges the possibility to apply the SM, Standard Method, and the GSM, Generalized Standard Method, to any problem in reactor physics, regardless of the number of energy groups.
Note on the hominid molar from the Abri des Merveilles at Castel-Merle (Dordogne)

Abstract During excavations in 1926 at the Abri des Merveilles at Castel-Merle (Dordogne) a hominid first or second lower molar was discovered associated with a Mousterian industry and a cold climate macrofauna. The molar suffered extensive antemorten wear, but it is otherwise largely intact. With respect to its size, proportions, occlusal morphology, patterns of wear and moderate taurodontism, the tooth is within the ranges of variation of Neandertal lower first and second molars.
Effects of hyperoxia on growth of experimental lung metastasis

Mice were given i.v. injections of various tumor cell lines and, beginning 24 h later exposed for 3 weeks to 70% oxygen. Hyperoxia reduced the number of lung colonies derived from MT-7 cells (originally a mammary carcinoma) and of the lung-tumor derived cell lines 498 and Line-1 early passage. Lung colonies derived from Line-1 late passage, lines M109, B16-F10 and Lewis lung carcinoma were oxygen resistant. Lung metastases following i.m. injection of MT-7 cells were oxygen-sensitive and metastases derived from B16-F10 cells or Lewis lung carcinoma were oxygen resistant. Pre-exposure of mice for 48 h to 100% oxygen enhanced colony formation for all cell lines examined whereas exposure to 100% oxygen after i.v. injection only curtailed the growth of the cell lines previously shown to be sensitive to 70% oxygen. There was no correlation between oxygen sensitivity or resistance and the levels of total glutathione or activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase or peroxidase or glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the cell lines. However, upon injection in mice a resistant cell line increased its anti-oxidant defense mechanisms while growing in vivo whereas a sensitive cell line failed to show such adaptation.
Using the EZ-Diffusion Model to Score a Single-Category Implicit Association Test of Physical Activity.

Objective The Single-Category Implicit Association Test (SC-IAT) has been used as a method for assessing automatic evaluations of physical activity, but measurement artifact or consciously-held attitudes could be confounding the outcome scores of these measures. The objective of these two studies was to address these measurement concerns by testing the validity of a novel SC-IAT scoring technique.
Decidualization in the rat: role of leukotrienes and prostaglandins.

Abstract The role of prostaglandins (PGs) and leukotrienes (LTs) in the induction of decidualization in the rat uterus was investigated. In the hypophysectomized progesterone (P4) primed rat, intraluminal infusion for four days by osmotic minipump, of PGE2 (lug/h), LTC4 (long/h) or 0.15M saline (1u1/h) significantly elevated uterine weight when compared to the noninfused horn: all were equally effective. In contrast, simultaneous infusion of PGE2 and LTC4 produced an increase in uterine weight which was markedly higher than any other conditions and the reaction was elicited along the entire length of the uterine horn. Infusion of PGE2, LTC4, a combination of the two or vehicle, into one uterine horn of day-5 pseudopregnant rats elicited a huge decidual response. Infusion of indomethacin, an inhibitor of PG synthesis, FPL 55712 (FPL), an antagonist of LTs, or a combination of these inhibitors evoked a minimal decidual response. In addition, FPL infused along with PGE2 or LTC4 markedly reduced the response that could be induced by these arachidonate metabolites alone. Furthermore, infusion of indomethacin along with LTC4 resulted in a far smaller response than that obtained with LTC4 alone. These results are interpreted to indicate that there is an interaction between LTs and PGs in the induction of the uterine decidual response.
A Critique of Information Ethics

Luciano Floridi presents Information Ethics (IE) as an alternative to traditional moral theories. IE consists of two tenets. First, reality can be interpreted at numerous, mutually consistent levels of abstraction, the highest of which is information. This level, unlike the others, applies to all of reality. Second, everything, insofar as it is an information object, has some degree of intrinsic value and hence moral dignity. I criticize IE, arguing that Floridi fails to show that the moral community should be expanded beyond beings capable of suffering or having preferences. Next, I look at Floridi’s extended case against consequentialism generally and utilitarianism in particular. I try to show that his criticisms are flawed. Third, I argue that, for the most part, it is not clear what IE’s practical implications are. I conclude with a critical discussion of the one area of information ethics, traditionally conceived, that Floridi has written about at length, privacy.
Endoscopic and transscleral cyclophotocoagulation for the treatment of refractory glaucoma.

Purpose Cyclophotocoagulation (CPC) is traditionally used in cases of glaucoma that are refractory to medical and surgical therapy. The goal of this review is to provide an update on the methods, efficacy, complications, indications, and histopathology of transscleral and endoscopic CPC. Methods A literature review was conducted for transscleral and endoscopic CPC. Relevant studies were included for evaluation of the procedures. Results For transscleral CPC (TCP), there is a wide range of success rates reported in the literature, depending on energy settings, follow-up period, and definitions of success. Repeat TCP is often required. Serious complications have included significant vision loss, hypotony, and phthisis. TCP has mostly been performed in very severe forms of glaucoma, in eyes with limited visual potential, or after filtration surgery has failed, although more recently TCP has been used as a primary surgery in eyes with good visual potential. There are more limited published results on endoscopic CPC (ECP), which have demonstrated overall good success. Complication rates are relatively low with ECP, however, large studies with long-term follow-up are lacking. ECP has also been used in difficult, refractory cases, but often used earlier when combined with cataract surgery. Conclusions Both TCP and ECP are effective surgeries with potential for serious complications. Recent studies suggest they may be used increasingly as the primary surgery for various stages of glaucoma.
Cavernous Angioma: A Review of 126 Collected and 12 New Clinical Cases

The histopathological, clinical, and radiological features of the intracranial cavernous angioma are reviewed, based on an analysis of 138 symptomatic, histologically verified cases. Twelve of the cases are from our own series and 126 were collected from appropriately documented reports in the modern literature. The analysis indicated that, at the time of diagnosis, one-third of the patients (49 cases) were being evaluated for seizures, one-third (40 cases) for clinical evidence of hemorrhage, and one-third (49 cases) for mass lesions. Unlike the other two groups, the group presenting with clinical evidence of hemorrhage was distinguished by a dominant age at the time of diagnosis (41% were diagnosed during the 4th decade of life), by a high incidence of prior neurological evaluation (43%), by a higher rate of diagnosis at autopsy (28%) than at operation, and by the absence of microscopic calcification within the lesion.
Case Materials: Research and Practice.

According to relevant research and descriptions of case study use, these materials are particularly useful in teaching (a) higher-order objectives, (b) procedures for problem-solving, (c) evaluation protocols, and (d) judging data within a context. Case materials, in a wide range of content areas, provide problem-oriented descriptions of real or believable events by providing sufficient detail on an event to permit a reader to analyze a problem and its possible solutions. These materials complement traditional methods and serve as a bridge between theory and practice. Case materials may also teach how to identify problems, evaluate or judge data, and solve problems. As a procedure for documenting past decisions (e.g., performance technology practices), case studies can provide new professionals with guidelines for designing or implementing their trade.
Miniature eye movements of fixation in rhesus monkey.

Abstract Two-dimensional eye movements were recorded from four rhesus monkeys during training on two tasks aimed at showing they were capable of as accurate fixation control as man. Extensive training on a difficult acuity/vigilance problem caused only three monkeys to occasionally fixate the display for periods over 10 sec with stability of eye position comparable to man. Changing the task to directly reward monkeys for keeping targets within a criterion distance of the fovea increased numbers of long fixations and produced human-like fixation stability in all four monkeys. Monkeys, like man, used slow control to maintain fixation.
Applied Stochastic Hydrogeology

Stochastic hydrogeology is an area of research that developed considerably over the last 20 years. A large body of knowledge has been accumulated, and many of the ideas, tools, and concepts in this area have reached the stage at which they are ready for use in applications. Stochastic hydrogeology has matured into a distinct branch or discipline within hydrogeology. Although several books have been published on this and related topics, Applied Stochastic Hydrogeology is a general reference book that allows newcomers to the field an easy introduction. Practitioners, researchers, professors, and graduate students in hydrogeology and engineering will find that this book is intuitive, valuable, and applicable.
Inclusion complex and substrate recognition by C-clamp porphyrins containing kemp's triacid

Abstract A porphyrin macrocycle connected through a 1,8-naphthalene or 1,8-anthracene spacer to a convergent acid function forms a unique receptor site showing high affinity for appropriate substrates, such as water, methanol, imidazole, purine, and triazole.
The DC-module of doublecortin: Dynamics, domain boundaries, and functional implications

The doublecortin-like (DC) domains, which usually occur in tandem, constitute novel microtubule-binding modules. They were first identified in doublecortin (DCX), a protein expressed in migrating neurons, and in the doublecortin-like kinase (DCLK). They are also found in other proteins, including the RP1 gene product which-when mutated-causes a form of inherited blindness. We previously reported an X-ray structure of the N-terminal DC domain of DCLK (N-DCLK), and a solution structure of an analogous module of human doublecortin (N-DCX). These studies showed that the DC domain has a tertiary fold closely reminiscent of ubiquitin and similar to several GTPase-binding domains. We now report an X-ray structure of a mutant of N-DCX, in which the C-terminal fragment (residues 139-147) unexpectedly shows an altered, 'open' conformation. However, heteronuclear NMR data show that this C-terminal fragment is only transiently open in solution, and assumes a predominantly 'closed' conformation. While the 'open' conformation may be artificially stabilized by crystal packing interactions, the observed switching between the 'open' and 'closed' conformations, which shortens the linker between the two DC-domains by {approx}20 A, is likely to be of functional importance in the control of tubulin polymerization and microtubule bundling by doublecortin.
Control Bifurcations of a Magneto-Rheological Fluid Based Active Suspension System

Design of active suspension systems is well known, however the notion of control bifurcations for the design of such systems has been introduced recently. A nonlinear active suspension system consisting of a magneto-rheological damper is analyzed in this work. It is well known that a parameterized nonlinear differential equation can have multiple equilibria as the parameter is varied. A local bifurcation of a parameterized nonlinear system typically happens because some eigenvalues of the parameterized linear approximating differential equation cross the imaginary axis and there is a change in stability of the equilibrium. The qualitative change in the equilibrium point can be characterized by investigating the projection of the flow on the center manifold. A control bifurcation of a nonlinear system typically occurs when its linear approximation loses stabilizability. In this work the control bifurcations of a magneto-rheological fluid based active suspension system is analyzed. Some parametric results are presented with suggestions on how to design nonlinear control based on the parametric control bifurcation analysis as applied to the design of an active suspension system.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Use of Vessel Freight Data to Forecast Heavy Truck Movements at Seaports

Ports are primary generators of truck traffic in the United States. Seaport operations will require operational and infrastructure changes to maintain the growth of international cargo operations. Truck trip generation models will provide transportation planners and public agencies with valuable information necessary for prioritizing funds for roadway upgrade projects and port infrastructure modifications. A new methodology is presented that combines backpropagation neural networks (BPN) and time series to forecast inbound and outbound heavy truck movements at seaports. The new method uses vessel freight data to identify which parameters are relevant for use as model input in predicting truck traffic at seaports. The method is successfully applied to five ports in FloridA—Miami, Tampa, Palm Beach, Jacksonville, and Everglades—thus demonstrating its transferability. Details are provided for the Port of Everglades. The commodities at this port are classified into tons, barrels, and containers. It was found ...
Diagrammatic theories of anharmonic molecular vibrations

In this review, we summarise recent developments in our laboratory in the field of many-body quantum-mechanical calculations of the anharmonic vibrational structure of molecules. Our size-extensive vibrational self-consistent field (XVSCF) and size-extensive second-order many-body perturbation (XVMP2) methods are, unlike their parent methods (VSCF and VMP2), defined in diagrammatic formulations of the energies and Dyson self-energies, leading to manifestly size-consistent expressions for zero-point energies and anharmonic vibrational frequencies calculable with much greater efficiency. The effective one-mode potentials of XVSCF are quadratic and hence the Schrodinger equation for each mode can be solved analytically, unlike VSCF, where a basis-set expansion of wave functions on more complex one-mode potentials need to be performed; VSCF potentials and their minima (anharmonic geometry) are shown to reduce to the quadratic potentials and their minima (also given analytically) of XVSCF in the thermodynamic ...
Myocardial imaging in a patient with reproducible variant angina.

A unique case is presented of variant angina pectoris with reproducible chest pain and S–T segment elevation in the immediate postexercise period and with normal coronary arteries. Coronary arterial spasm was demonstrated with arteriography after intravenous administration of ergonovine maleate. Thallium-201 imaging during the pain reproducibly demonstrated malperfusion in the region supplied by the artery with documented spasm.
A Coarse-Grained Model for Polyglutamine Aggregation Modulated by Amphipathic Flanking Sequences

The aggregation of proteins with expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tracts is directly relevant to the formation of neuronal intranuclear inclusions in Huntington’s disease. In vitro studies have uncovered the effects of flanking sequences as modulators of the driving forces and mechanisms of polyQ aggregation in sequence segments associated with HD. Specifically, a seventeen-residue amphipathic stretch (N17) that is directly N-terminal to the polyQ tract in huntingtin decreases the overall solubility, destabilizes nonfibrillar aggregates, and accelerates fibril formation. Published results from atomistic simulations showed that the N17 module reduces the frequency of intermolecular association. Our reanalysis of these simulation results demonstrates that the N17 module also reduces interchain entanglements between polyQ domains. These two effects, which are observed on the smallest lengthscales, are incorporated into phenomenological pair potentials and used in coarse-grained Brownian dynamics simulations to investigate their impact on large-scale aggregation. We analyze the results from Brownian dynamics simulations using the framework of diffusion-limited cluster aggregation. When entanglements prevail, which is true in the absence of N17, small spherical clusters and large linear aggregates form on distinct timescales, in accord with in vitro experiments. Conversely, when entanglements are quenched and a barrier to intermolecular associations is introduced, both of which are attributable to N17, the timescales for forming small species and large linear aggregates become similar. Therefore, the combination of a reduction of interchain entanglements through homopolymeric polyQ and barriers to intermolecular associations appears to be sufficient for providing a minimalist phenomenological rationalization of in vitro observations regarding the effects of N17 on polyQ aggregation.
Triplet state sublevel kinetics of tryptophan 54 in the complex of Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA binding protein with single-stranded poly(deoxythymidylic) acid

The individual sublevel kinetics of the lowest triplet state of tryptophan 54 (Trp 54) which is highly perturbed in the complex of Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA binding protein (Eco SSB) with poly(deoxythymidylic) acid (poly[dT]) have been studied by optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) spectroscopy. The triplet sublevel decay constants of Trp 54, kx, ky, kz, are 0.99, 0.072, and 0.045 s-1, respectively, in the poly(dT) complex of a point-mutated Eco SSB in which Trp 88 is substituted by phenylalanine. Tx is the only radiative triplet sublevel. Negative polarity of the Tx----Tz and Tx----Ty phosphorescence-detected ODMR signals results from the steady state population pattern, nx greater than ny, nz, and implies that the relations, px greater than or equal to 14py, and px greater than or equal to 22pz exist for the relative populating rates. Spin-orbit coupling between radiative singlet states and the Tx sublevel of the lowest triplet state of Trp 54 is enhanced selectively upon complexing of Eco SSB with poly(dT).
Intracellular localization of messenger RNAs for cytoskeletal proteins

We have analyzed intracellular distributions of mRNAs for the cytoskeletal proteins actin, vimentin, and tubulin by in situ hybridization. Although polyadenylated RNA was homogeneously distributed throughout the cell, actin mRNA demonstrated a nonhomogeneous distribution in 95% of randomly selected chicken embryonic myoblasts and fibroblasts, as detected by isotopic and nonisotopic techniques. Actin mRNA concentrations were highest at cell extremities, generally in lamellipodia, where grain densities were up to 16-fold higher than in areas near the nucleus. Vimentin mRNA, unlike actin mRNA, was distributed near the nucleus. Tubulin mRNA appeared most concentrated in the peripheral cytoplasm. These results demonstrate that cytoplasmic mRNAs are localized in specific, nonrandom cellular patterns and that localized concentrations of specific proteins may result from corresponding localization of their respective mRNAs. Hence, actin mRNA distribution may result in increased concentration of actin filaments in lamellipodia of motile cells.
3D Hallway Modeling Using a Single Image

Real-time, low-resource corridor reconstruction using a single consumer grade RGB camera is a powerful tool for allowing a fast, inexpensive solution to indoor mobility of a visually impaired person or a robot. The perspective and known geometry of a corridor is used to extract the important features of the image and create a 3D model from a single image. Multiple 3D models can be combined to increase confidence and provide a global 3D model. This paper presents our results on 3D corridor modeling using single images. First a simple but effective 3D corridor modeling approach is introduced which makes very few assumptions of the camera information. Second, a perspective based Hough transform algorithm is proposed to detect vertical lines in order to determine the edges of the corridor. Finally, issues in real-time implementation on a smartphone are discussed. Experimental results are provided to validate the proposed approach. This work has the potential to also function in environments with properties analogous to corridors such as highways, sidewalks, city blocks, etc.
Path integrals and Liapunov functionals

Liapunov functionals for time delay systems by path integrals in state space, using convolution equations involving distributions with compact support
Model Programmes and Practice Issues in Orientation and Mobility.

Abstract This article discusses the diversity of the population of persons with visual impairments, the changing role of the orientation and mobility (O&M) specialist, and the broadened definition of O&M. An overview is provided of best practices and model demonstration programmes with which to provide O&M services to a diverse population of persons with visual impairments.
Enhanced reducibility of ceria–YSZ composites in solid oxide electrodes

Composites prepared by infiltration of 50- wt% ceria into porous YSZ were investigated for use as H2–H2O electrodes for solid oxide electrolyzers (SOE) or fuel cells (SOFC). Cells prepared from these composites showed excellent performance, with SOFC power densities as high as 1.1 W cm−2 at 1073 K. Further investigations into the electrodes showed that they had significantly higher conductivities than would be expect for a material that was only 35 vol% ceria, as high as 0.25 S cm−1 at 1073 in 3% H2O–97% H2 mixtures. An investigation into the thermodynamic redox properties of the composite using coulometric titration at 973 K indicated that the ceria in the composite remained significantly reduced to higher P(O2) compared to pure ceria, probably due to interactions at the ceria–YSZ interface.
An SNF2 factor involved in mammalian development and cellular proliferation

Members of the SNF2 (Sucrose Non-Fermenter) family of chromatin-remodeling proteins function in processes ranging from DNA repair to transcription to methylation. Using differential display, we recently identified a novel member of the SNF2 family that is highly expressed at the mRNA level in proliferating cells and is down-regulated during apoptosis. We have named this gene PASG (Proliferation-Associated SNF2-like Gene). Northern blot analysis of adult mouse tissues shows PASG to be highly expressed in proliferating organs such as thymus, bone marrow, and testis and absent from nonproliferative tissues such as brain and heart. In situ hybridization analysis of mouse embryos shows that PASG is differentially expressed during development, with highest expression in developing face, limbs, skeletal muscle, heart, and tail. In vitro, PASG expression correlates with a shift from a quiescent to a proliferative state. Mice null for PASG (also known as LSH or Hells) are reported to die perinatally, although the mechanism for lethality is unclear (Geiman and Muegge, 2000). To test the hypothesis that PASG functions in cell proliferation, we compared 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation in C33A cells transiently transfected with PASG versus empty vector and found that PASG transfected cells showed a significant decrease in the amount of BrdU incorporation. These findings suggest that PASG plays a role in cell proliferation and may function in the development of multiple cell lineages during murine embryogenesis. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Food Safety Information Processing and Teaching Behavior of Dietitians: A Mental Model Approach

Health professionals play an important role in educating the public about food safety risks. However, the ways this important group of educators remains up-to-date on these topics are not well defined. In this study, a national sample of dietitians employed in direct teaching of patients (n = 327) were recruited to complete a web-delivered survey designed to develop a model of factors that promote information processing and teaching in practice about food safety related to fresh vegetables. The resulting mental model demonstrates that dietitians teach fresh vegetable safety using systematic information processing to intellectually understand new information, but this is also associated with a gap in the dietitian’s knowledge of food safety. The juxtaposition of an information processing model with a behavioral model provides valuable new insights about how dietitians seek, acquire and translate/transfer important information to move patients toward a higher goal of food safety. The study also informs food safety educators as they formulate teaching strategies that are more effective than other approaches at promoting behavior change.
Analysis of Interactions Between Categorical Variables

Abstract : The principle of minimum discrimination information estimation and associated procedures are applied to data from a survey of hospitals to determine the relationship of innovativeness on certain hospital characteristics.
Measurement of smoothed Wigner phase space distributions for low-coherence light in multiple scattering media

ABSTRACT We use heterodyne detection to characterize the Wigner phase space distribution W(x, p) ofan optical field in position x and momentum p. This method yields smoothed Wigner phase space distributions directly as contour plots and can be applied with either coherent or low coherence light sources. The measured phase space distributions are used to characterize the light sources and to study light propagation in multiple scattering media. These techniques may find important applications in understanding and enhancing images obtained in coherence tomography. Keywords: Multiple scattering, turbid media, coherence, Wigner distributions, heterodyne detection 1. INTRODUCTION Measurement of optical phase space distributions provides new methods of studying the propagation of opticalcoherence in multiple scattering media. By examining the joint position and momentum distribution of an opticalfield, one obtains the maximum information on the spatial coherence. The propagation of optical coherence in
Anti-Representationalism and Mystical Empiricism

An anti-representationalist account of the relationship between experience and belief is preferable to that of empiricism because empiricism appears incapable of sustaining its characteristic theses without degenerating into an unpalatable idealism. Anti-representationalism directs the scholar's attention to the language and inferences presupposed by experience, mystical or otherwise. Consideration of a common mystical movement of thought bears out the need for a belated "linguistic turn" in the study of mysticism.
Theoretical analysis of numerical aperture increasing lens microscopy

We present a detailed theoretical analysis and experimental results on a subsurface microscopy technique that significantly improves the light-gathering, resolving, and magnifying power of a conventional optical microscope. The numerical aperture increasing lens (NAIL) is a plano-convex lens placed on the planar surface of an object to enhance the amount of light coupled from subsurface structures within the object. In particular, a NAIL allows for the collection of otherwise inaccessible light at angles beyond the critical angle of the planar surface of the object. Therefore, the limit on numerical aperture increases from unity for conventional subsurface microscopy to the refractive index of the object for NAIL microscopy. Spherical aberration associated with conventional subsurface microscopy is also eliminated by the NAIL. Consequently, both the amount of light collected and diffraction-limited spatial resolution are improved beyond the limits of conventional subsurface microscopy. A theoretical optic...
Time-Resolved Imaging of Translucent Droplets in Highly Scattering Turbid Media

The spatial distribution of small translucent droplets inside a 50-millimeter-thick Intralipid solution was imaged with a picosecond time and spatial-gated Kerr-Fourier imaging system at a signal level of about 10–10 of the incident illumination intensity.
On the moisture-related buckling of marine composite panels using approximate analysis

Abstract A discussion is presented that highlights the growing utilization of composite structures for marine applications. Important to this trend is an understanding of the buckling response of marine panels under hygroscopic loads. Consideration are presented for the use of eigensensitivity analysis as a means of developing an approximate closed-form expression for computing the critical buckling response in the absense of an exact solutions
Successful treatment of POEMS syndrome with autologous hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation

POEMS syndrome (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes) is a plasma cell dyscrasia that differs substantially from classic multiple myeloma. It is often associated with disabling polyneuropathy in younger patients. Current therapeutic approaches are frequently inadequate and leave many patients wheelchair-bound with significant deterioration in quality and length of life. We present the case of a young man with progressive disease despite conventional therapeutic approaches. We describe a novel approach to treatment with a bone-seeking radiopharmaceutical, samarium-153 ethylene diamine tetramethylene phosphonate (153Sm-EDTMP), followed by myeloablative chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic progenitor cell reconstitution. This approach resulted in regression of the organomegaly and skin changes and in neurologic improvement both clinically and electrophysiologically. The patient progressed from being wheelchair-bound to independent ambulation. An aggressive approach should be considered in patients with POEMS syndrome in whom standard therapeutic measures fail. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2001) 28, 305–309.
Electrocatalytic properties of Au@Pt nanoparticles: effects of Pt shell packing density and Au core size

A detailed study of electrocatalytic properties of Au@Pt nanoparticles (NPs) as functions of Pt shell packing density and Au core size in terms of CO/methanol oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions is reported here. While most samples studied showed inferior catalytic activities to those of the commercial Pt black that fall reasonably well in a d-band-center up-shift (i.e., stronger surface bonding) regime, the steepest activity recovery trend as manifested by the smallest Au-core samples suggests a plausible transition to a d-band-center down-shift (i.e., weaker surface bonding) regime as the Au core becomes smaller.
Racial differences in breast cancer screening among women from 65 to 74 years of age: trends from 1987-1993 and barriers to screening.

ABSTRACT Breast cancer mortality is decreasing for elderly white women but increasing for elderly black women. National surveys were used to study racial differences in breast cancer screening and effects of Medicare funding for mammography and to examine explanatory factors. A total of 13,545 women, aged 65–74, from the Health Care Finance Administration's Master Beneficiary File participated. After Medicare funding for screening mammography, the percent reporting a mammogram increased for white women, but not for black women. Clinical breast examination and breast self-examination decreased. Physician's recommendation, geographic area, education level and health status were the variables significantly affecting mammography usage for both races. Physicians recommended mammography more often if women were white, married, educated beyond high school and had an annual income greater than $20,000. These results support the need to design and test strategies specifically for black women and interventions to e...
Superluminality and parelectricity: The ammonia maser revisited

It is well known that the inversion of populations in the ammonia maser leads to stimulated emission, and hence amplification, of microwaves. However, it is not well known that an inverted medium also leads to the superluminal propagation of off-resonance, finite-band-width wave packets, whose phase, group, energy, and “signal” velocities, as defined by Sommerfeld and Brillouin, all exceed the vacuum speed of lightc. Einstein causality is not violated, since the front velocity isc. The inversion of populations also implies a parelectric medium with negative electric susceptibility. (Parelectric media should not be confused withparaelectric media, which are ferroelectrics just above their Curie points.) The existence of a parelectric medium implies the possibility of the levitation of an electrical charge in the vacuum above this medium, as well as stable electrostatic configurations of charges placed inside an evacuated cavity surrounded by this medium. The apparent violation of Earn-shaw's theorem will be discussed. Numerical estimates for a proposed experiment to observe parelectricity will be given.
A parallel computing approach to genetic sequence comparison: the master-worker paradigm with interworker communication

Abstract We have implemented a parallel version of a dynamic programming biological sequence comparison algorithm to study the potential applicability of using parallel computers for genetic sequence comparisons. Our parallel program is built using C-Linda, a machine-independent parallel programming language, and was tested on both a 10 CPU Sequent Symmetry and a 64 CPU Intel Hypercube. C-Linda implements a shared associative memory model, “tuple space,” through which multiple processes can communicate and coordinate control. In our master-worker (MW) parallel implementation, a master process creates several worker processes, extracts a test sequence and multiple library sequences from a database and stores them in tuple space. Each worker reads the test sequence and then repeatedly extracts library strings from tuple space, performs pairwise sequence comparisons using a local comparison algorithm to generate a similarity score, and returns the similarity scores to tuple space. The master collects the scores from tuple space and identifies the best match over all library sequences. We also implemented a method of global interworker communication to reduce the total search time by stopping those string comparisons that had no chance of improving on the current best match. Comparisons of the total run time, speedup, and efficiency were made for parallel and sequential versions of a basic MW implementation as well as versions with the global abort threshold.
The Oregon experiment.

In this issue, we open a series of papers on rationing of health care, specifically, commentaries on what has come to be known as The Oregon Experiment. The first paper describes the actions of the State of Oregon. In the second paper, Daniel Callahan expresses his analysis of these events. In later issues, we expect to publish other viewpoints on The Oregon Experiment.
Illness characteristics and psychosocial and demographic correlates of illness severity at onset of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus among school-age children

To verify empirically the most prevalent physical signs and symptoms of diabetes at onset among school-age children, document the distribution of illness-severity, and examine psychosocial and demographic correlates of initial illness severity, the authors analyzed data on 95 school-age children whose diabetes had been newly diagnosed. The most common presenting symptoms were generally consistent with descriptions in the clinical literature. Only 22% of the children presented with severe illness on admission. Children who lived in single-parent households tended to be more ill on admission than children who lived in two-parent households.
ATTENTION TRAINING: THE USE OF OVERCORRECTION AVOIDANCE TO INCREASE THE EYE CONTACT OF AUTISTIC AND RETARDED CHILDREN

A crucial first step in teaching and training the retarded and autistic is to develop and maintain eye contact with the therapist. Functional movement training (an overcorrection procedure) plus edibles and praise were compared with edibles and praise alone as a method of developing eye contact in three such children. In both conditions, the child was given food and praise when eye contact occurred within 5 sec of the therapist's verbal prompt: "Look at me." Functional movement training avoidance plus edibles and praise produced about 90% attention for the three children, while edibles and praise alone were less effective (eye contact never exceeded 55%). Functional movement training avoidance combined with edibles and praise appears to be an effective method of teaching eye contact and possibly other forms of instruction-following to behaviorally disordered children who are not always responsive to positive consequences.
Situation wanted: using workforce characteristics to understand the cultural landscape of New Orleans.

Abstract Most assume New Orleans is defined by the tourist industry's French Creole cultural icons, but underneath this veneer, the city's landscape history is far more complex. Using research methodologies of cultural geographers, this paper looks at seemingly unremarkable information about eighteenth- and nineteenth-century life in order to gain a better understanding of the evolution of this city's cultural landscape. Investigating immigrant and local garden workers reveals strata about the community's landscape heritage heretofore ignored: French settlers encountered an unfamiliar landscape but envisioned ornate gardens; Native Americans, Germans and Africans provided horticultural expertise the French lacked; Irish immigrants built urban infrastructure; Italians supplied fruits and vegetables, and Germans provided horticultural expertise through commercial nurseries. Horticultural commerce provided vehicles through which local residents participated in cross-cultural associations, thereby creating di...
DSOS and SDSOS optimization: LP and SOCP-based alternatives to sum of squares optimization

Sum of squares (SOS) optimization has been a powerful and influential addition to the theory of optimization in the past decade. Its reliance on relatively large-scale semidefinite programming, however, has seriously challenged its ability to scale in many practical applications. In this paper, we introduce DSOS and SDSOS optimization1 as more tractable alternatives to sum of squares optimization that rely instead on linear programming and second order cone programming. These are optimization problems over certain subsets of sum of squares polynomials and positive semidefinite matrices and can be of potential interest in general applications of semidefinite programming where scalability is a limitation.
Switching light on a silicon chip

Abstract Optics on a silicon chip—provides a new platform for monolithic integration of optics and microelectronics and can open the door to a new technology that is free from conventional microelectronics. However, the difficulty in controlling light and diverting its path on silicon need to be addressed before this technology can successfully be used to resolve current microelectronics bottlenecks. Here we use highly confined photonic structures for enhancing the electro-optical and nonlinearities properties of silicon and achieving optical switching on-chip with very low powers. We demonstrate for the first time optical bistability in a highly integrated silicon device using a 5-μm radius ring resonator. The strong confinement nature of the resonator induces nonlinear optical response with low pump powers. We show that the optical bistability enables all-optical switching with microsecond time response and modulation depth of 10 dB, driven by pump power as low as 45 μW. We also present the first experimental demonstration of fast all-optical switching on silicon. The transmission of the structure is modulated by more than 97% in less than 500 ps using light pulses with energies as low as 40 pJ. Finally, we propose and analyze an electrically modulated silicon-on-insulator (SOI) submicron-size high index-contrast waveguide. The geometry of the waveguide provides high lateral optical confinement and defines a lateral p-i-n diode. Our calculations indicate that this scheme can be used to implement submicron high index-contrast waveguide active devices on SOI. As an example of application, a one-dimensional microcavity intensity-modulator is predicted to exhibit a modulation depth as high as 80% by employing a dc power consumption as low as ∼11 μW.
Isomerization of n-Hexane Catalyzed by Supported Monodisperse PtRh Bimetallic Nanoparticles

Composition and size of Pt x Rh1−x bimetallic nanoparticles were varied in order to study the effects in the catalytic reforming of n-hexane. Hexane isomerization, an analogue to the important industrial process of hydrocarbon reforming is a reaction in which we aim to investigate the molecular level details of catalysis. It is known, that in hydrocarbon isomerization, Pt atoms act to isomerize the reactants, while small amounts of “promoter metal” atoms (such as Rh, Ir, Re and Sn) provide C–C and C–H bond breaking activity. Herein, we report on the effect of composition and size in model bimetallic Pt x Rh1−x nanoparticle catalysts utilized in n-hexane reforming. Both nanoparticle composition and size were shown to influence catalytic turnover frequency and product selectivity. It was found, through ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, that the surface of these nanoparticles is both dynamic, and Rh rich under relevant reaction conditions. The findings suggest that an ensemble effect exists, in which the highest isomer production occurs when Rh atoms are surrounded by Pt atoms on the metal surface.
The LYL-1 oncoprotein is ubiquitously expressed in the mouse

Abstract The lyl-1 gene encodes a protein that belongs to the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family of transcription factors. In humans lyl- 1 was first identified as a fusion gene due to a chromosomal translocation found in a subset of T-ALL. Expression of lyl- 1 in humans is restricted to hematopoietic cells where it parallels the expression of two related bHLH proteins: SCL/tal-1 and tal-2, both involved in leukemogenesis as well. Expression of lyl- 1 in mice and humans is similar. To investigate the role of lyl-1 in mice we first performed a refined analysis of lyl- 1 expression by RT-PCR. We examined the following cell lines: two embryonic (NIH-3T3, ES) and one adult (MEL), and the following tissues: lung, kidney, liver, spleen, brain, muscle, heart, ovary, and testis, normal whole embryo and peripheral blood lymphocytes. A 192-bp lyl- 1 fragment was amplified in all analyzed samples, suggesting that lyl- 1 is ubiquitously expressed in mice. Northern blot analysis confirmed this pattern of expression and evidenced a larger amount of lyl- 1 mRNA in the embryo. Furthermore, we performed an antisense oligomer treatment against the starting codon of the translation region of lyl- 1 mRNA in MEL cells and embryonic fibroblasts. After 35/48 hours of treatment the cells underwent growth arrest in a dose dependent manner. Taken together these findings show for the first time that lyl- 1 is ubiquitously expressed in the mouse, and participates in the control of cell proliferation, suggesting a new role for this transcription factor.