cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Facile synthesis of a novel genetically encodable fluorescent α-amino acid emitting greenish blue light

We report the facile synthesis and characterization of a novel fluorescent α-amino acid 4-phenanthracen-9-yl-l-phenylalanine (Phen-AA) (5) that emits greenish blue light in the visible region. This genetically encodable l-α-amino acid has excellent photostability with a 75% quantum yield. It readily gets into human cells, being clearly imaged upon 405 nm laser excitation. The synthetic procedure is resistant to racemization and only involves three simple steps which use mild conditions and generate the Phen-AA in reasonably good yield. It may find broad applications in research, biotechnology, and the pharmaceutical industry.
Essay #19: Is There a Set of All Truths?

Patrick Grim has argued, as the title of his article indicates that “There Is No Set of All Truths.” If one were to try to argue that there is no set of all dogs, one might take that as likewise an argument that there is no such property as the property of being a dog. Grim does not draw such a conclusion, but it would seem to follow that if there is no set of all truths, then there is no such property as the property of being true. Grim calls T the set of all truths, and calls P the power set of T, i.e. P is the set of all subsets of T. Grim appeals to Cantor’s power set theorem to establish that P is larger than T, and thus concludes that there will be more truth than there are members of T, and from this result infers that there is no set of all truths. So, Grim’s argument has the form of a reductio ad absurdum. As with any reductio argument, to escape the contradiction there are usually a variety of assumptions that can be questioned. My claim is that this is also the case with Grim’s argument. One such assumption is that the original set T is not “dense”. Also, there is the assumption that the members of the power set of T are not already members of T. But if T is really the set of all truths, then any truth in PU must already be members of T. I conclude that Grim has not shown that there is no such property as being true.
Unbecoming Nationalism: From Commemoration to Redress in Canada: by Helene Vosters, Winnipeg, University of Manitoba Press, 2019, 262 pp., CAN $27.95 (paper), ISBN 978-0-88755-841-2

The question of Canadian national identity has long vexed both scholars of Canada and the nation’s broader public. From the refrains of loyalism and imperialism during the nineteenth century to the...
Case report: The use of netarsudil to improve corneal edema after laser peripheral iridotomy and Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty.

Abstract Purpose To report a case in which netarsudil ophthalmic solution 0.02% improved refractory corneal edema after laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) and Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK). Observations A 63-year-old female presented with decreased vision due to corneal edema secondary to iatrogenic endothelial cell loss from previous YAG and argon laser peripheral iridotomy. Initial treatment with topical sodium chloride 5% solution was unsuccessful in resolving the edema. As a result, topical netarsudil was initiated off-label. Improvement in corneal thickness and visual acuity was noted, but after a few months, the left eye decompensated with worsening edema. Cataract surgery with DMEK was performed. Surgery was prolonged and intraoperative floppy iris was encountered. Post-operatively, the patient's best-corrected visual acuity (VA) fluctuated between 20/30 to 20/70 with persistent corneal edema. The central corneal thickness (CCT) ranged from 758 to 779 three months after surgery. Topical netarsudil was started again off-label for cornea edema once nightly. Over the next two months, visual acuity and CCT improved to 20/25 and 650, respectively. Stabilization of visual acuity and cornea edema has been maintained for eight months after initiation of topical netarsudil. Conclusions Netarsudil, a commercially available rho-kinase inhibitor, may be an effective, non-invasive adjunctive therapy for refractory corneal edema. Our case demonstrates improvement in BCVA and CCT using topical netarsudil, which has been maintained without any vision threatening side effects.
Combined modality approach in treatment of inflammatory carcinoma of the breast MD Anderson Cancer Center experience

Inflammatory carcinoma of the breast is the most lethal form of breast cancer and has a dismal prognosis. Most of the patients die of distant metastases with or without locoregional control within the first 2 years after diagnosis. At MD Anderson Hospital, since 1973, all patients with inflammatory carcinoma of the breast were prospectively treated with a combined modality approach in three sequential studies. All patients received 3 cycles of Fluorouracil, Doxorubicin, and Cyclophosphamide (FAC) before local therapy. In the first protocol (from 1973–1977), primary radiotherapy was the local treatment modality, and chemotherapy was continued for a total of 2 years. From 1978–1981 (Protocol II), mastectomy became the primary local treatment and FAC was reinstituted within 10–14 days after surgery. After completion of the FAC, consolidative radiotherapy was given. From 1982–1986 (Protocol III), Vincristine and Prednisone were added to the FAC regimen and doxorubicin was given by a continuous infusion (Table 1).
Evidence for a Multistep Pathogenesis of a Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Somatic cell genetic approaches utilizing the cellular mosaicism present in women heterozygous for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) have provided information relevant to the pathogenesis of some neoplastic disorders. With these techniques, we studied a 61-year-old woman with a myelodysplastic syndrome. GdB/GdA heterozygosity was demonstrated in skin and cultured T lymphocytes, which exhibited both A and B type G6PD. In contrast, erythrocytes, platelets, granulocytes, and marrow nucleated cells displayed almost exclusively G6PD type B. In addition, 21 of 24 Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B lymphoblastoid lines that expressed a single immunoglobulin light chain showed only type B G6PD, suggesting that the stem cells involved by this disease were clonal and could differentiate to B lymphocytes as well as to mature granulocytes, erythrocytes , and platelets. Cultured skin fibroblasts and phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes were karyotypically normal, but two independent abnormalities were found in marrow--47,XX, +8 and 46,XX,del(11)(q23). None of 14 type B G6PD lymphoblastoid lines analyzed in detail contained these karyotypic abnormalities, which strongly suggests that a visible chromosomal alteration is not the sole step in the development of this disease. We hypothesize that at least two events are involved in the pathogenesis of this patient's myelodysplasia: one causing proliferation of a clone of genetically unstable pluripotent stem cells and another inducing chromosomal abnormalities in its descendants.
Survival of rhizobia on arrowleaf clover seeds under stresses of seed-coat toxins, heat and desiccation

Eighteen strains of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii that had been found to be heat- and desiccation-stress tolerant in soil were tested for their resistance to Trifolium vesiculosum, Savi (arrowleaf clover) coat toxins using an agar plate technique and for survival on seed. They were further tested for their tolerance to seed coat toxins in combination with heat and desiccation stresses. The zone of inhibition in agar ranged from no inhibition to 21 mm diameter of growth inhibition around seed. Inoculation on seed under conditions of 28 °C and 100% relative humidity for 7 days resulted in a range of survival from nearly 100% to less than 1%. The correlation between zone of growth inhibition and survival on seed was not statistically significant. Strains that were desiccation or heat tolerant in soil were not necessarily desiccation or heat tolerant on seed but strains that were heat tolerant in soil were better able to survive on glass beads at 37 °C than strains that were not heat tolerant in soil. The zone of rhizobial inhibition on an agar medium was not a valid method to screen for isolates better able to survive on seed and the ability of rhizobia to withstand heat or drought stress on seed was not related to their ability to survive in soil.
Intercellular Effects on Development of Competence in Bacillus subtilis

The intercellular transfer of competence during growth under the conditions specified by the transformation procedure of Spizizen was investigated with Bacillus subtilis 168. The rate of competence development as assayed uniformly in medium B was not affected by variations in the cell concentration, although the first appearance of transformants occurred earlier with high cell densities in medium A, approximately in proportion to the onset of the stationary phase in the culture. Growth in the presence of Pronase enhanced the frequency of transformation, but did not detectably alter the kinetics of competence development. The rate of competence increase in physiologically noncompetent cultures was not changed by mixing with competent cultures either in medium A or in medium B; however, an early appearance of transformants was noted in mixed cultures in which the proportion of competent to noncompetent cells prevented exponential growth of the noncompetent strain. These experiments indicate that the normal development of competence in B. subtilis is not mediated by a soluble or loosely bound protein factor capable of transmitting competence directly via cell contact. The onset of competence is thus a function of internal physiological changes which are induced by the overall metabolic state of the culture.
Thermal Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus in Milk, Whey, and Phosphate Buffer

The thermal resistance of four strains of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus was determined in phosphate buffer, whole milk, skim milk, and Cheddar cheese whey. The logarithmic order of death prevailed until about 99.99 to 99.999% of the organisms were destroyed, after which there was a decline in the rate of destruction. The organisms were more resistant in skim milk and Cheddar cheese whey than in phosphate buffer and whole milk. Thermal resistance varied among strains of S. aureus but was consistent with individual strains. As the age of cultures of strain B-120 increased from 12 to 228 hr, the D(55) values increased from 0.95 to 3.0. The thermal resistance of cultures obtained from survivors to partial thermal destruction was similar to that of the parent cultures.
Dealing with Uncertainties in Computing: From Probabilistic and Interval Uncertainty to Combination of Different Types of Uncertainty

To predict values of future quantities, we apply algorithms to the current and past measurement results. Because of the measurement errors and model inaccuracy, the resulting estimates are, in general, different from the desired values of the corresponding quantities. There exist methods for estimating this difference, but these methods have been mainly developed for the two extreme cases: the case when we know the exact probability distributions of all the measurement errors and the interval case, when we only know the bounds on the measurement errors. In practice, we often have some partial information about the probability distributions which goes beyond these bounds. In this chapter, we show how the existing methods of estimating uncertainty can be extended to this generic case.
A model of mixed lubrication with capillary effects

When sufficiently smooth surfaces slide in the presence of a small quantity of liquid, there is a tendency for adhesive forces to develop in the interface because of highly curved menisci within the contact. In the present work, a model is developed to account for the effect of an intervening capillary film on the friction force between a rigid, nominally flat, rough surface and an elastic flat. A simple contact analysis is employed to account for the elastic deformation of the surfaces, and an average Reynolds equation is solved to determine the hydrodynamic load and viscous friction forces. For the operating conditions under consideration, it is found that the adhesive load increases with decreasing surface roughness and increasing sliding speed. The adhesive load is also found to increase with increasing external load, but the dependence is weak. In addition, it is found that the viscous contribution to the friction force is small.
Under Treatment of Pain: A Prescription for Opioid Misuse Among the Elderly?

Objective To examine the demographic, physical, and mental health characteristics; current drug use patterns; motivations for use; and diversion sources among elderly prescription opioid misusers. Design Mixed methods design. Setting Research field offices, or senior or community center offices in South Florida. Subjects Individuals aged 60 and over reporting past 90-day prescription medication misuse; only prescription opioid misusers (N = 88) were included in the final analysis. Methods The Global Appraisal of Individual Needs was the main survey instrument. A subsample of elderly reporting substantial prescription drug misuse were chosen for the in-depth interview (N = 30). Results The mean age was 63.3. Fifty percent reported ever being admitted to a drug treatment program; several endorsed recent illicit drug use: powder cocaine and/or crack (35.2%), marijuana (30.7%), heroin (14.8%). The majority reported past year severe physical pain and discomfort (86.4%), and misuse of their primary opioid for pain (80.7%); over half (52.3%) obtained their primary opioid from their regular doctor. Qualitative data highlight the misuse of prescription opioids due to untreated or undertreated pain. Participants with primary opioid misuse for pain had over 12 times higher odds of obtaining the medication from their regular doctor (odds ratio [OR] = 12.22, P = 0.002) and had lower odds of using a dealer (OR = 0.20, P = 0.005). Conclusions Findings suggest that this group of elderly participants often misuse their own prescriptions for pain management. This study highlights the need to educate prescribing professionals on appropriate pain management for older adults while still being sensitive to issues of substance abuse and dependence.
Biomarkers for predicting cognitive decline in those with normal cognition.

Most studies evaluating Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers longitudinally have studied patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who progress to AD; data on normal subjects are scarce. We studied which biomarkers best predict cognitive decline on the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) among those with normal cognition at baseline, and derived cut points to predict decline. We studied 191 subjects in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) who had normal cognition at baseline, 2 + visits (mean follow-up 3.1 years), and data on neuropsychological tests, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, and structural MRI. We used repeated measures linear regression of log ADAS-Cog on age, race, gender, education, APOE4 status, baseline biomarker values, and follow-up time; an interaction between biomarker and time assessed predictive power. Neuropsychological tests did not significantly predict ADAS-Cog decline, while both MRI variables and CSF biomarkers did; CSF markers were the strongest predictors. Optimal cut points for baseline CSF markers to distinguish decliners were < 220 pg/ml (A42), ≥61 pg/ml (t-tau), ≥21 pg/ml (p-tau), ≥0.31 (t-tau/A42), and ≥0.10 (p- tau/A42). For progression to MCI/AD (n = 28), the best markers were t-tau, t-tau/A42, and p-tau/A42, with optimal cut points of 58, 0.31, and 0.08, respectively. The optimal cut points across all markers and cut points predicted decline in ADAS-Cog, as well as transition to MCI, with a 65% accuracy. Our findings support current models of AD progression and suggest it is feasible to establish biomarker criteria to predict cognitive decline in individuals with normal cognition. Larger studies will be needed to more accurately characterize optimal cut points.
Impact of pulsed currents and self induced magnetic fields on the development of metallic corrosion

As the US Navy continues to field ships with an increasing number of electrical generators and loads, it is unclear how the high magnetic fields being carried throughout the ship will impact the corrosion rate of structural and high current conducting alloys. Given the high pulsed current carried by high pulsed power systems, it is of increased interest to understand what impact their deployment will have on metallic corrosion. To investigate the impact of pulsed currents and the induced magnetic fields, a novel test stand has been designed and constructed to carry high pulsed currents, with amplitudes as high as a few kA, through material samples of interest. Two different metallic alloys have been tested, 1018 steel and 8620 steel respectively, and the results obtained will be presented here. Linear polarization resistance measurements and SEM imaging are used to characterize the samples' corrosion rate, in an exposure of 3.5% NaCl for three hours. Baseline experiments, in which the sample are only exposed to the 3.5% NaCl, are also performed to identify the effect of high pulsed current carry.
Ensemble Dynamics with Orientational NMR Restraints in Solution and Membrane Environments

We have recently developed various restraint potentials for residual dipolar coupling in solution NMR [1] as well as dipolar coupling and chemical shift in solid-state NMR [2]. In principle, NMR observables are time- and ensemble-averaged, thus the structure determination needs to be based on the average property of an ensemble rather than the collection of multiple independent structure determination. In this work, we have further formulated and implemented the ensemble-average orientational restraint potentials, such as residual dipolar coupling (RDC), dipolar coupling, and peptide plane chemical shift, to explore the flexible nature of proteins embedded in such experimental observables. We will present the numerical accuracy of our implementation as a function of number of replicas during ensemble dynamics and illustrate the efficacy of ensemble dynamics in exploring protein structure and dynamics in solution and membrane environments.
The effect of chronic treatment with typical and atypical antipsychotics on working memory and jaw movements in three- and eighteen-month-old rats

Abstract The effects of chronic treatment with typical and atypical antipsychotics on acquisition, working memory, motor activity, and rat tardive dyskinesia (TD) were studied in 3- and 18-month-old Sprague–Dawley rats. Acquisition and working memory were studied in eight-arm radial mazes. TD liability of antipsychotic drugs (APD) was evaluated in rat model of TD in which spontaneous repetitive jaw movements (RJM) occur during withdrawal from neuroleptic treatment. Motor behavior was assessed using the traverse beam test. D1 and D2 receptor occupancy was determined in the rat brain during treatment with typical and atypical antipsychotics. Chronic administration of clozapine, haloperidol, and risperidone impaired acquisition of the eight-arm radial maze in both young and aging rats while olanzapine had no effect. Retention tests showed that aging rats made more errors than the adults and that the antipsychotics haloperidol and risperidone significantly impaired retention in both age groups. Evaluation of motor behavior revealed that typical and atypical antipsychotics used in comparable doses in young rats had no effect on motor behavior, whereas in aging rats performance was impaired by clozapine, haloperidol, and risperidone but not by olanzapine. RJM responses were increased during washout from haloperidol treatment in young and aging rats whereas olanzapine, clozapine, and risperidone had no effect. D2 receptor occupancy in haloperidol- and risperidone-treated rats was above 70% while olanzapine and clozapine receptor occupancy was below 70%, which is the threshold for the appearance of extrapyramidal syndrome (EPS) and TD.
Developing empirical lightning cessation forecast guidance for the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Kennedy Space Center

This research addresses the 45th Weather Squadron's (45WS) need for improved guidance regarding lightning cessation at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Kennedy Space Center (KSC). KSC's Lightning Detection and Ranging (LDAR) network was the primary observational tool to investigate both cloud-to-ground and intracloud lightning. Five statistical and empirical schemes were created from LDAR, sounding, and radar parameters derived from 116 storms. Four of the five schemes were unsuitable for operational use since lightning advisories would be canceled prematurely, leading to safety risks to personnel. These include a correlation and regression tree analysis, three variants of multiple linear regression, event time trending, and the time delay between the greatest height of the maximum dBZ value to the last flash. These schemes failed to adequately forecast the maximum interval, the greatest time between any two flashes in the storm. The majority of storms had a maximum interval less than 10 min, which biased the schemes toward small values. Success was achieved with the percentile method (PM) by separating the maximum interval into percentiles for the 100 dependent storms.
Analysis of p53 mutations in cells taken from paraffin-embedded tissue sections of ductal carcinoma in situ and atypical ductal hyperplasia of the breast

Mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene are frequent in breast tumors but the implication of p53 mutations in breast cancer development remains poorly understood. In this study, we applied laser capture microdissection (LCM) microscope to histologically review and sample cells from paraffin-embedded breast tissue sections obtained from six cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and ten cases of atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH). p53 mutations were detected, using single stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and sequencing, in cell samples of three cases with DCIS and five cases with ADH. p53 mutations are therefore present in DCIS and ADH of the breast, considered as pre-malignant precursors to breast cancer, and some of them may represent early events in breast cancer development.
Effects of intrahypothalamic 6-hydroxydopamine on central thermoregulatory responses to (+)- and (-)-norepinephrine and dopamine

Abstract Tntracerebral injection of 0.01 or 0.015 to 0.1 μmol of both the (+)- and (-)- cnantiomers of norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) into the preoptic-anterior hypothalamic region (PO/AH) of awake cats caused dose-related depressions of rectal temperature. After local denervation of the preoptic-anterior hypothalamic region (PO/AH) with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), hypothermie receptor sensitivity to (-)-NE increased (supersensitivity) whereas sensitivity to (+)-NE remained virtually unchanged and that to DA decreased (subsensitivity). These demonstrations of central pharmacologie (hypothermie) receptor supersensitivity and stereoselectivity are qualitatively similar to pharmacological drug-receptor interactions observed in peripheral adrenergic neuroeffector tissues. Drug-induced reductions in rectal temperature were accompanied by physiologically and temporally related reductions in heart rate, in shivering and. less regularly, by peripheral vasodilation. The differential responses to DA. (+)- and (-)-NE are discussed in relationship to their possible modes of hypothermie receptor interaction.
One-step protection of the nucleoside base in thymidine and uridine

Abstract Unprotected thymidine and uridine react with 4-nitrophenylsulfonyl ethene ( 3 ) in a base catalyzed Michael type addition to give O4-(4-nitrophenylsulfonylethyl)thymidine-( 6 ) and -uridine ( 7 ), respectively. The 4-nitrophenylsulfonylethyl group is cleaved within 2.5 hours at 50–55°C by concentrated aqueous ammonia, via β-elimination.
The influence of shell structure on isobaric spin splitting

Abstract The nature of the isobaric spin splitting of spectroscopic strength is discussed with the aid of some simple calculations within a shell-model framework. Detailed comparison of observed splittings with model predictions will eventually provide additional clues to the form of the residual interaction.
Divine Anonymities: On Transascendence and Transdescendence in the Works of Levinas, Celan, and Lispector

Those points at which Emmanuel Levinas's later work touches on the question of God express a profound ambiguity. Here it is often the case that theism becomes indistinguishable from atheism, ethics is shown to be indistinguishable from religion and, to cite two important concepts invented by Levinas, il y a (lit., “there is;” denotes bare, senseless material existence) becomes indistinguishable from illeite (lit., “it-ness;” denotes the absolute distance or anonymity of God). While Levinas insists upon a measure of ambiguity or enigma in all truthful religious discourse, these series of ambiguities are often covered over by Levinas's ethical project as soon as they appear. With the aid of two deeply philosophical writers in whose work we find literary analogues of the ambiguities thematized in Levinas—the poet Paul Celan and the novelist Clarice Lispector—this paper offers a critique of Levinas's thin, often moralistic, concepts of alterity and transcendence. The critique proceeds by showing how Celan and Lispector demonstrate the consequences of thinking the anonymity of God and the corresponding undecidability of the most-high and the most-low (i.e., transascendence and transdescendence) to its logical conclusion. In the process, Celan and Lispector emerge as original religious thinkers in their own right, not merely as counterweights to Levinas.
Contextual control of the extinction of conditioned fear

Abstract Rats received 15 pairings of a CS and shock in one context, and then a series of CS-alone trials in a second context. Even though this extinction procedure produced a complete loss of conditioned suppression, when the animals were returned to the site of original conditioning, suppression was renewed to a level comparable to that of animals that had not undergone extinction. Controls indicated that the renewed suppression was not due solely to pseudoconditioning, suggesting that the CS-US association had survived extinction. Renewed suppression was also demonstrated in a third context that was never associated with shock. Loss of suppression did not necessarily depend upon inhibitory conditioning of the extinction context. The data suggest that extinction of conditioned fear is specific to the context in which it occurs. They also suggest the possibility that animals might discriminate episodes in which a CS is reinforced and nonreinforced independently of the excitatory or inhibitory status of cues, like contextual stimuli, that are coincidentally present during those episodes.
Manipulating presence influences the magnitude of virtual reality analgesia

Excessive pain during medical procedures performed in unanesthetized patients is frequently reported, but can be reduced with virtual reality (VR) distraction. Increasing the person's illusion of going into the virtual world may increase how effectively VR distracts pain. Healthy volunteers aged 18–20 years participated in a double-blind between-groups design. Each subject received a brief baseline thermal pain stimulus, and the same stimulus again minutes later with either a Low Tech or a High Tech VR distraction. Each subject provided subjective 0–10 ratings of cognitive, sensory and affective components of pain, and rated their illusion of going inside the virtual world. Subjects in the High Tech VR group reported a stronger illusion of going into the virtual world (VR presence) than subjects in the Low Tech VR group, (4.2 vs. 2.5, respectively, P=0.009) and more pain reduction (reduction of worst pain is 3.1 for High Tech VR vs. 0.7 for Low Tech VR, P<0.001). Across groups, the amount of pain reduction was positively and significantly correlated with VR presence levels reported by subjects (r=0.48 for ‘worst pain’, P<0.005).
Overbuilding, real estate lending decisions, and the regional economic base

The primary purpose of this paper is to evaluate the causes of overbuilding in the context of economic base theory. A second and closely related purpose is to determine if the economic base multiplier effect is stronger in the long run. Construction decisions depend on the strength of the local economy. Since basic activity is highly cyclical, if there are significant lags in the multiplier process running from basic to nonbasic sectors, then growth in non-basic employment will continue when the basic sector slows or declines. Hence, overbuilding may be, in part, a result of false signals about future growth in the local economy to builders, developers and lenders at the time a project is conceived. In addition, one of the important sources of the lags in the multiplier process is the construction sector. Potential solutions to overbuilding are discussed in an economic base context. The implications for bank regulation, bank lending and feasibility analysis are discussed.
Structural requirements for the inhibition of human monocyte carboxylesterase by organophosphorus compounds

Human blood monocyte carboxylesterase (CBE) is inhibited by a variety of organophosphorus compounds including arylphosphates and arylphosphites and some alkylphosphites. Triphenyl phosphate and triphenyl phosphite with Ki values of 8 x 10(-9) M and 4.8 x 10(-8) M, respectively, are the most potent inhibitors of this enzyme evaluated by this study. The arylphosphates vary in their capacity to inhibit carboxylesterase activity. Diphenyl phosphate with its strong negative charge is not a potent inhibitor (Ki = 1 x 10(-4) M), whereas if its negative charge is neutralized, as in diphenyl methyl phosphate, its capacity to inhibit carboxylesterase is significantly increased. Compounds with increased bulk, such as trinaphthyl phosphate, only inhibit the enzyme at concentrations of 10(-5) M or greater. Arylphosphites have inhibitory capacities similar to the arylphosphates. Alkylphosphites (tributyl phosphite/triethyl phosphite) inhibit carboxylesterase activity, whereas alkylphosphates (tributyl phosphate/triethyl phosphate) have no inhibitory effect. Arylphosphines and arylphosphine oxides do not inhibit carboxylesterase activity. This study demonstrates that organophosphates and organophosphites are relatively effective inhibitors of human monocyte CBE activity with the exception of the alkylphosphates which have no inhibitory activity. We conclude that molecular bulk and charge have a significant role in determining the potency of organophosphorus inhibitors of monocyte CBE. The observed variations in the degree of esterase inhibition by organophosphorus compounds as well as the differences in the pathological expression of neuropathic disorders associated with such chemicals suggest that different esterase enzymes derived from the family of esterase genes may mediate the different neuropathies observed with organophosphorus exposures. Such data also provide the rationale for the kinetic analyses of esterases and the design of non-toxic organophosphorus compounds with low or no monocyte CBE inhibitory capacity to reduce the potential of these commonly used chemicals for human toxicity.
A parallel, scalable, microprocessor-based database computer for performance gains and capacity growth

A multiback-end database supercomputer, or MDBS, that embodies the architecture and performance of an experimental database computer and a number of database processors and their corresponding database stores, is discussed. Two studies are described. One focused on the design and architecture of the microprocessor-based MDBS, and the other on the performance and benchmark results for various loads and configurations. >
Effect of altering pump flow rate on cerebral blood flow and metabolism in infants and children

Abstract The effects of reduced pump flow rate (PFR) on cerebral blood flow, cerebral oxygen consumption (CMRO 2 ), oxygen extraction, cerebral vascular resistance, and total body vascular resistance were examined in 27 pediatric patients during hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (hCPB). During steady state hCPF the extracorporeal flows were randomly adjusted to a conventional PFR and a reduced PFR for each patient. The reduced pump flow rates were dictated by surgical needs. Cerebral blood flow measured using Xenon 133 clearance, and CMRO 2 and oxygen extraction were calculated. Our results demonstrated that cerebral blood flow and CMRO 2 are unchanged if pump flow rates are reduced by 35% to 45% of conventional PFRs at moderate and deep hypothermic temperatures. Reductions in PFR of 45%–70% from conventional PFRs affect the brain differently during either moderate or deep hCPB. At moderate hCPB (26 ° to 29 °C), reductions in PFRs of 45% to 70% resulted in a significant decrease in cerebral blood flow and CMRO 2 , whereas oxygen extraction increased in a compensatory manner. During deep hCPB (18 ° to 22 °C), PFR reductions of 45% to 70% of conventional PFR significantly reduced cerebral blood flow and CMRO 2 but did not increase oxygen extraction, suggesting that at deep hypothermic temperatures, cerebral blood flow and CMRO 2 exceed cerebral metabolic needs. Cerebral vascular resistance increased significantly with decreasing temperature but was not affected by pump flow reductions. We have derived indices for minimal acceptable low-flow cardiopulmonary bypass based on the known effects of temperature on cerebral metabolism and have speculated on its utility based on our limited data and a literature review.
A critical response to Michael Fullan’s “The future of educational change: system thinkers in action”

Michael Fullan has been one of the leading thinkers in school reform and educational leadership for several years. His prominence in the field is well deserved: through numerous books and articles Fullan has presented a complex yet compelling set of arguments and recommendations for addressing the broad array of problems confronting schools and school systems. The clearest evidence of the value of Fullan’s work lies in the fact that his ideas have transcended national boundaries and been embraced in Canada, the US, England and a number of other nations. The insights and wisdom contained in ‘‘The Future of Educational Change: System Thinkers in Action,’’ build upon the impressive intellectual contributions that Fullan has made in the past. In making the case for ‘‘... a fundamentally new kind of leadership in action,’’ Fullan suggests that the accomplishments of educational leaders should not be based upon gains in student achievement, but rather on how many effective leaders they have groomed, mentored and cultivated who can move the system to produce even greater progress. Sustainability is the key for Fullan, and he calls for leaders to become more adept at learning how to ‘‘identify and take into account system context.’’ He then goes on to expound upon eight elements of sustainability that he regards as the central adaptive challenge for leaders who are system thinkers. Despite the potency and profundity of Fullan’s main points, I am forced to recognize that they are almost completely irrelevant to urban and rural school systems in the US and elsewhere that serve large numbers of poor children. This is not because the question of sustainability is not pertinent to such school systems. Rather, the charge of irrelevance lies in the fact that the set of arguments contained in this analysis overlooks the central problems confronting schools in impoverished areas. To claim that these ideas have little relevance to such systems is clearly a significant charge for the institutions where poor children are concentrated are typically the most
The in vitro metabolism of phospho-sulindac amide, a novel potential anticancer agent

Phospho-sulindac amide (PSA) is a novel potential anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agent. Here we report the metabolism of PSA in vitro. PSA was rapidly hydroxylated at its butane-phosphate moiety to form two di-hydroxyl-PSA and four mono-hydroxyl-PSA metabolites in mouse and human liver microsomes. PSA also can be oxidized or reduced at its sulindac moiety to form PSA sulfone and PSA sulfide, respectively. PSA was mono-hydroxylated and cleared more rapidly in mouse liver microsomes than in human liver microsomes. Of eight major human cytochrome P450s (CYPs), CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 exclusively catalyzed the hydroxylation and sulfoxidation reactions of PSA, respectively. We also examined the metabolism of PSA by three major human flavin monooxygenases (FMOs). FMO1, FMO3 and FMO5 were all capable of catalyzing the sulfoxidation (but not hydroxylation) of PSA, with FMO1 being by far the most active isoform. PSA was predominantly sulfoxidized in human kidney microsomes because FMO1 is the dominant isoform in human kidney. PSA (versus sulindac) is a preferred substrate of both CYPs and FMOs, likely because of its greater lipophilicity and masked-COOH group. Ketoconazole (a CYP3A4 inhibitor) and alkaline pH strongly inhibited the hydroxylation of PSA, but moderately suppressed its sulfoxidation in liver microsomes. Together, our results establish the metabolic pathways of PSA, identify the major enzymes mediating its biotransformations and reveal significant inter-species and inter-tissue differences in its metabolism.
Preliminary report: Treatment of type 3 hyperlipoproteinemia with mevinolin

Type 3 hyperlipoproteinemia (HLP) results from the accumulation in plasma of remnants of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) due to a defect in apolipoprotein E. Current data suggest that VLDL remnants can be removed by the same receptors that remove low density lipoproteins (LDL). Mevinolin has been shown to enhance clearance of LDL by LDL receptors. In this study, mevinolin markedly lowered both VLDL remnants and LDL in a patient with type 3 HLP, presumably by increasing the activity of LDL receptors.
Extraction of internal emission characteristics from printed OLEDs

Accurate optical modeling of OLED device performance is beneficial to OLED manufacturing because as materials and architectures are modified, experimental effort and resources are saved in the search for optimal structures. The success of such modeling depends crucially on model inputs, which include, along with layer thicknesses and optical constants, internal emission characteristics such as the internal emission spectrum (IES) of the emitter and the location and profile of emission in the emissive layer (EML). This presentation will describe two methods we have used to extract the internal emission characteristics of our printed bottom emitting OLEDs. The first method, which we devised and implemented with assumptions specific to our devices, is a simpler one for both modeling and data collection: we collected spectra at normal viewing angle for a series of devices with different architectures, and extracted a normalized IES common to all these devices. We will show how an emission location was obtained from this method with some simple model assumptions. In the more rigorous second method - one presented by van Mensfoort et al 1 - internal emission characteristics were extracted independently for each device: spectra at multiple angles were collected, which allowed the extraction of an individual IES and emission profile. We will compare the findings of the two methods and assess the validity of the assumptions used in the first method.
Scheduling: The Blueprint for Educational Success.

Building the master schedule for the school has always been a major administrative function. It is also an impor tant instructional tool, and one that's too often over looked, say these writers.
Hypnotic techniques for smoking control and psychogenic impotence.

Abstract In the past 35 years I have used a variety of hypnotic techniques to help patients stop smoking. The most successful method has been to see the patient for 3 consecutive days with a follow-up session about 3 weeks later. With this technique, about 81% of patients stopped smoking. Psychogenic impotence has many possible causes and must be approached with an understanding of the dynamics involved. However, hypnotic suggestions can be helpful in restoring erectile function. I have used the technique described here with almost 3000 patients with a success rate of 88%.
SU-D-211-01: Effect of Immobilization/support Devices and Air Gap on Skin Doses for Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy with Abdominal Compression Device.

Purpose To evaluate the effects of the couch, the immobilization/support devices, and air gap on the skindose for SBRTtreatment with abdominal compression device and to investigate strategies to minimize skindose by phantom measurementMaterial and methodsSkin‐sparing comes from lower dose in buildup region, anything added between tissue and air may change buildup PDD curve hence skindose increases. To investigate such effects due to different buildup materials and air gap between the buildup material and the surface, we employed EBT2 film in slab and water phantoms to measure doses at depths varying from surface to dmax, field sizes (4×4 to 10×10 cm2), and air gaps from 5 to 15 cm for 6 MV photons. Measured dose was normalized to dose at dmax for a 10×10 cm2 field. The buildup materials included table tops (tennis net, Exact Couch and Indexed Immobilization table tops), vacuum bags (Civco Vac‐Lok and Med‐Tec cushions), and body frames (Elekta stereotactic body frame and Civco Body Pro‐Loc). ResultsThe relative doses at depth of 1.00 mm were 0.63 with no buildup, 0.90 with couch+6cm bag, 0.91 with bodyframe+bag, and 0.96 with couch+bodyframe+bag for a 4×4 cm2 field. With a 10×10 cm2 field, the above values changed to 0.67, 0.94, 1.01, and 0.97, respectively. Thick bag (6.0cm) increased skindose by 10% comparing to the thinner bag (1.5cm). For a buildup (couch + body frame) plus air gap, the relative doses were 0.73, 0.84, and 0.91 for air gap of 15.0, 10.0, and 5.0 cm, respectively, for a 10×10 cm2 field. Conclusions: The skindose increases by up to 40% if patient was treated through the immobilization device or couch. Skindose also increased with increasing field size. Introduction of large air gap may recover much of the lost buildup effect.
Structure and function of the giant motorneuron ofDrosophila melanogaster

1. Physiological and anatomical evidence presented here reinforces previous anatomical indications that there is one pair of bilaterally symmetric giant neurons inDrosophila and that these giant neurons are motorneurons. 2. Each giant motorneuron is presynaptic to the ipsilateral tergal depressor of the trochanter muscle, to all contralateral dorsal longitudinal muscle fibers, and to neurons that eventually lead to excitation of dorsoventral muscle motorneurons. 3. Reflexly elicited giant neuron activity is one of at least two reflexes that may be active during the start of flight.
Finger pebbles: a common finding in diabetes mellitus.

Several authors have now described the relatively common occurrence of thickening of the skin on the dorsum of the fingers and hands in persons with diabetes mellitus, and skin thickening in these patients has been documented histologically for other body locations. To date, the presence of finger and hand skin thickening has been determined by an examination difficult to objectify—palpation and attempted tenting of the affected area. In a survey of sixty subjects with diabetes, it was found that forty-five patients (75%) have a visual marker for skin thickening, that is, a pebbly appearance of the knuckle and distal finger skin. Similar changes were present in eleven of fiftytwo control subjects (21%). A limited histologic study indicates that the epidermis and papillary dermis are primarily responsible for this thickening. A pebbly appearance of volar finger skin may be a more easily recognized marker of diabetic skin thickening.
Schleiermacher as an Anselmian theologian : Aesthetics, dogmatics, apologetics and proof

About ten years ago, just before his death, Hans Frei added a new section, ‘Convergence’, to essay bearing the main title ‘Barth and Schleiermacher’, which has appeared in print more recently. In the proposal that gave its name to Types of Christian Thought, Frei stated the convergence in another way. Barth and Schleiermacher represented theologies of adjoining rather than opposing types in Frei's array.
Turbulent mixing in a strongly forced salt wedge estuary

up to about 400 m 3 s −1 above which a majority of the mixing occurs offshore. Observed buoyancy fluxes were more consistent with the k‐" turbulence closure than the Mellor‐Yamada closure, and more total mixing occurred in the estuary with k‐". Calculated buoyancy fluxes were sensitive to horizontal grid resolution, as a lower resolution grid yielded less integrated buoyancy flux in the estuary and exported lower salinity water but likely had greater numerical mixing.
Knots as dynamical systems

Buck, G. and J. Simon, Knots as dynamical systems, Topology and its Applications 51 (1993) 2299246. A knot is considered as an n-gon in Iw”. Two potential energies for these PL knot conformations are found, mapping iws” + Iw (the configuration space to energy). These functions have the property that they “blow up” if the edges approach crossing, that is, as the knot changes type. Therefore the configuration space is divided into manifolds for each knot type by infinitely high potential walls. Therefore we have energy surfaces associated with each knot type. Descriptions of these surfaces are invariants of the knot type. For example the locations of and connections between the critical points are invariants of the knot type. In particular, the global minimum energy position for the knot could be said to be a canonical conformation of the knot. The existence and achievement of the global minimum is proved. It is shown that the energy surface for any knot of N vertices has a finite number of components. Also several topological properties of the configuration space of polygonal knots in [w3 are established. These invariants are in some sense computable. In a sequel paper, G. Buck and J. Orloff discuss computer simulations of the gradient flow of one of the energy functions.
What Is Neurofeedback

ABSTRACT EEG biofeedback (neurofeedback) originated in the late 1960s as a method for retraining brainwave patterns through operant conditioning. Since that time a sizable body of research has accumulated on the effectiveness of neurofeedback in the treatment of uncontrolled epilepsy, ADD/ADHD, anxiety, alcoholism, posttraumatic stress disorder, and mild head injuries. Studies also provide encouraging indications that neurofeedback offers a treatment alternative for use with learning disabilities, stroke, depression, fibromyalgia, autism, insomnia, tinnitus, headaches, problems with physical balance, and for the enhancement of peak performance. At a time when an increasing number of people are concerned with negative effects from relying solely on medication treatments, neurofeedback may offer an additional treatment alternative for many conditions. This article assists the reader to understand how neurofeedback works, how assessment allows neurofeedback to be individualized, and briefly reviews evidence ...