cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adaptive internal model control: H/sub /spl infin// optimization for stable plants

This paper considers the design of a robust adaptive H/sub /spl infin// optimal controller based on the IMC structure. Specific attention is focused on the practically important class of stable plants with one open right half-plane zero. The certainty equivalence principle of adaptive control is used to combine a robust adaptive law with a robust H/sub /spl infin// internal model controller to obtain an adaptive H/sub /spl infin// internal model control scheme with provable guarantees of stability and robustness. The approach used earlier for designing and analyzing adaptive H/sub 2/ optimal control schemes is seen to carry over in a natural fashion to the adaptive H/sub /spl infin// optimal control case. This attests to the generality of that approach, which not only provides a theoretical basis for analytically justifying some of the reported industrial successes of existing adaptive internal model control schemes, but also opens up the possibility of synthesizing new ones by simply combining a robust adaptive law with a robust internal model controller structure.
Advanced neuroimaging studies in a patient with brain metastases from transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The differential diagnosis in single or oligo-brain lesions in metastatic cancer patients remains broad. Advanced imaging studies can be employed to help refine the differential and potentially guide treatment. METHODS Case report of a 52-year-old male patient with known transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder presented with headaches, cognitive symptoms, and episodic presyncope. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and octreotide scans were performed to evaluate the underlying etiology of his symptoms. RESULTS MRI revealed two enhancing mass lesions in left temporal and left cerebellar locations. Both lesions were octreotide avid and MRS of the temporal lesion showed a single large lipid peak at 1.3 ppm, a small NAA peak, and a markedly increased choline:creatine ratio that was relatively characteristic for metastases. Pathology from surgical resection revealed transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. CONCLUSIONS Resection of both lesions revealed metastatic transitional cell carcinoma. This is the first report of octreotide scan characteristics in a patient with transitional cell carcinoma with central nervous system (CNS) metastases. The octreotide avidity of these transitional cell CNS metastases suggests the presence of somatostatin receptors that may be considered as a potential therapeutic target.
Work in progress — Preparing high school teachers to teach design

We are developing and implementing a comprehensive professional development program for in-service high school teachers to prepare them to teach engineering design and problem solving, and to use design-based teaching approaches in their science curriculum. The program uses a constructionist, immersion pedagogy as part of an unconventional three-phase learning cycle. Pre- and post-test results for the first summer workshop indicate significant gains in understanding the engineering design process among the teachers.
Protein deprivation and food-related risk-taking preferences of rhesus monkeys

The relative preferences of four rhesus monkeys for reward probability versus reward amount when they were maintained on a low-protein (3.35%) diet were compared with those demonstrated when they were fed an adequate (13.4%) protein diet. Four stimulus objects, each signifying a different combination of reward frequency and amount (100%-one piece, 50%-2 pieces, 33%-three pieces, or 25%-four pieces), were presented in pairs, one pair per daily session, with trial schedules providing the same amount of reward within each set of 12 trials. Selections of the more frequently rewarded objects, but with lesser amounts per trial, were significantly higher during the low-protein phase than during either the preceding or the following normal-diet phases. Protein deprivation produces a changed motivational state making these animals less tolerant of infrequent or postponed reinforcement.
The Indirect Impact of Price Deals on Households - Purchase Decisions Through the Formation of Expected Future Prices

We examine the indirect impact of price deals, which occurs through the formation of expected future prices, on households’ purchase decisions. Two competing learning processes of households’ formation of expected future deals that lead to opposite predictions are proposed. Under a deal-probability learning process, a current deal on a brand raises households’ expectations of a deal on the same brand in the immediate future, while under a deal-timing learning process, a current deal on a brand lowers households’ expectations of a deal on the same brand. We embed each learning specification within a comprehensive econometric framework that simultaneously examines three purchase decisions – incidence, brand choice and quantity – at the household level, while explicitly correcting for two sources of selectivity bias in discrete quantity outcomes. We estimate the proposed model using scanner panel data on paper towels, and find that (1) the deal-probability learning process better describes how households incorporate the deal information into the formation of future price expectations compared to the deal-timing learning process; (2) the indirect impact of price deals is greater for brand-loyals than for brand-switchers; and (3) the indirect impact of price deals is greater for larger families, heavy users, less educated and less employed households, and infrequent shoppers. We also show that ignoring the indirect impact of price deals severely overstates the sales effects.
Microstructure of bulk and electroformed Ni implanted with Ti and C

The microstructure of high-purity Ni implanted with overlapping concentration profiles of Ti and C was examined with transmission electron microscopy. An amorphous phase forms at concentrations of 15-18 at.% Ti and 22 at.% C. while a two-phase alloy (amorphous + f.c.c. Ni) forms for <16 at.% C. Electroformed layers with sub-micron f.c.c. grains of Ni or Ni 80 Fe 20 were also found to be amorphized by Ti+C implantation, a key requirement for applying this treatment to Ni-based micro-electromechanical systems to reduce their friction and wear.
α-Bungarotoxin binding sites in the CNS

Abstract The neurotoxin α-bungarotoxin (BuTX) has been extensively used as a specific and irreversible ligand to study the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) in skeletal muscle and electric fish. More recently it has been utilized to investigate the possibility of nAChRs in the CNS. The BuTX binding sites in the CNS have biochemical properties similar to muscle, have a distribution similar to other cholinergic markers, and have been histologically demonstrated to bind to post-synaptic membranes. But studies of ganglionic neurons, cultured sympathetic ganglion cells, and the PC 12 cell culture line have raised questions regarding the use of BuTX as a nicotinic receptor ligand in the CNS. The evidence for and against BuTX as a nicotinic receptor ligand is reviewed and discussed.
Recent Results with a Nitrous Oxide—Acetylene Burner in Atomic-Absorption Flame Photometry:

Performance data are presented for several elements determined by atomic-absorption flame photometry with the use of a high sensitivity nitrous oxide–acetylene burner. Utilizing the specific advantages of this flame, the effect of gas mixtures, feeding rate, and the height of reaction zone on the sensitivities achieved are presented. Flame profiles of several elements studied will be discussed with emphasis on using multiple-pass optics for increased sensitivities. Information will be presented on the problems of this type of flame. Results are presented in terms of the precision and accuracy of routine determinations under selected optimum system conditions and will be discussed.
Dealing with environmental challenges: Mechanisms of adaptation in Trypanosoma cruzi

Protozoan parasites have a significant impact upon global health, infecting millions of people around the world. With limited therapeutic options and no vaccines available, research efforts are focused upon unraveling cellular mechanisms essential for parasite survival. During its life cycle, Trypanosoma cruzi, the causal agent of Chagas disease, is exposed to multiple external conditions and different hosts. Environmental cues are linked to the differentiation process allowing the parasite to complete its life cycle. Successful transmission depends on the ability of the cells to trigger adaptive responses and cope with stressors while regulating proliferation and transition to different life stages. This review focuses upon different aspects of the stress response in T. cruzi, proposing new hypotheses regarding cross-talk and cross-tolerance with respect to environmental changes and discussing open questions and future directions.
A Case of Cushing's Syndrome Treated with Testosterone Propionate1

CUSHING'S syndrome occurs rather infrequently in children. Of the cases reported, as reviewed by Farber, Gustina and Postoloff (1), only ten were those of boys, and in three the diagnoses were questionable. Medical management of these cases up to recent years has been very unsatisfactory. Albright and his colleagues (2) in 1940 presented their hypothesis on the use of testosterone propionate in the management of Cushing's syndrome. This was based on the ability of the androgen to maintain the patient in a positive nitrogen balance by stimulating tissue synthesis. All of the patients treated at their clinic, however, were females. So far as can be determined there have been no cases reported in the young adult male in which testosterone propionate has been used. CASE REPORT This case is that of a white boy, P. P., age 17, admitted to the Charles S. Wilson Memorial Hospital on January 7, 1944 complaining of severe pain in the back, of three months' duration, which came on suddenly while he was lifting a cas...
Image recovery in PET scanners with partial detector rings using compressive sensing

Most PET scanners consist of tightly packed discrete detector rings to improve scanner efficiency. Our aim in this paper was to investigate the possibility of reducing the number of detector elements per ring (introduce gaps) while maintaining image quality by employing compressed sensing (CS) techniques. A uniform Ge-68 phantom (20 cm diameter and length) was imaged on a D-RX PET/CT scanner twice; once with all detectors operational (gold standard) and once with 4 detector blocks at each of 0, 90, 180 and 270 degrees turned off (partially sampled, 11 % off). Image recovery of the partially observed data was performed by minimizing the Total Variation (TV) of the derivatives of adjacent pixels in the image domain, while imposing a linear constraint of equity the product of system matrix and recovered image to the partially observed data. This minimization was repeated iteratively for a total of 100 iterations. The resultant corrected Image was then multiplied by the system matrix and the resultant sinogram was compared to the measured sinogram. In addition, the mean and maximum activity concentration in a ROI placed centrally over the phantom was computed between the resultant CS image, fully observed image (no gap- gold standard), and the partially sampled (with detector gap) image. The results of the CS recovery showed that the mean and maximum activity concentration difference in the recovered image was -0.74% and 2.27% respectively when compared to the gold standard while those for the partially observed images were 4.25% and 20%. Compressed sensing using TV approaches seems to be capable of generating accurate quantification of activity concentration from a partially sampled data set.
Monitoring for potential effects of climate change on the vegetation of two alpine meadows in the White Mountains of California, USA

Abstract East Shield (3658 m) and Barcroft Gate (3697 m) Meadows in the White Mountains of California on the Inyo National Forest were selected for a pilot baseline monitoring study over five-year intervals to determine potential effects of future climate change on the meadows. Stated as a hypothesis: given the natural range of temporal variability of meadow vegetation, a significant portion of that variability is attributed to the effects of climatic variation. The study is associated with the Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments Project (GLORIA) hosted by the University of California White Mountain Research Station. Both meadows are sedge–rush–grass wet meadows, or fens, which are sustained by surface water in the form of streams and springs. A comprehensive plant list was compiled and the plant species of each meadow were sampled by a point intercept method along two randomly placed transects. The occurrence of all species at predetermined one-meter interval sample points along the transects were recorded, percent occurrence was calculated, and descriptive statistics were done. The monitoring objective is to detect a 20% biologically meaningful change in the vegetation over time with 90% confidence, and accept a 10% chance of a false change error (Type 1 error). Monitoring is planned to be done in conjunction with tracking change in precipitation and temperature. Three indicators of possible climate change were chosen. One indicator is increase in the abundance of those species whose upper range is at or below meadow elevations. The rationale for this indicator is based the 2007 IPCC report estimation that a doubling of atmospheric CO2 will increase global temperature with a best estimate of +3.0 °C. Assuming that the present general lapse rate of −6.32 °C per kilometer for the White Mountains will persist, a 3.0 °C increase may result in an equivalent elevation of the meadows of about +475 m. Published elevation ranges indicate that most recorded species are not likely to be affected by the estimated temperature increase. Second and third indicators are a shift in cover from wet meadow to dry meadow species, and the presence and increase of shrub species resulting from postulated reduced precipitation with drying of meadows and encroachment by surrounding shrubs (sagebrush and rabbitbrush). This monitoring study has the potential to detect long-term responses of vegetation to climate change, and reduce uncertainties and confirm or correct the expected consequences of temperature change.
Adaptive incremental-redundancy transmission for tactical packet radio systems

A low-complexity protocol for the adaptation of incremental-redundancy transmission is described and evaluated for use in tactical packet radio systems that must communicate over channels with fading and other time-varying propagation losses. The protocol responds to variations in channel attenuation by adjusting the number of binary code symbols that are punctured in the first transmission for a packet and saved for subsequent transmissions if they are needed. The protocol relies on simple statistics from the receiver to provide the necessary control information for adapting the amount of puncturing or the rate of the code that is employed from one packet to the next. No channel measurements, parameter estimates, pilot symbols, or training are needed. The protocol's throughput performance is evaluated for dynamic channels that are modeled by finite-state Markov chains. Performance benchmarks are obtained from hypothetical ideal protocols that are given perfect channel-state information and are told all the parameters of the channel model. We demonstrate that the new adaptive protocol performs nearly as well as the hypothetical ideal protocols even though the adaptive protocol is given no channel-state information and no information about the channel model or its parameters.
Grayanotoxin I Occurrence in additional Ericaceae species

The title compound was identified in five of seven ericaceous species not previously investigated but listed as being poisonous. Thin-layer chromatography and spectral analyses established the presence of grayanotoxin (acetylandromedol) in Rhododendron macrophyllum. Comparative chromatography and U.V. spectral analysis indicated that the compound was present in four additional species.
A user-friendly metadata quality control tool for the internet public library

The Internet Public Library (IPL) is crosswalking its metadata to Dublin Core. The quality of the crosswalked metadata will be unknown. The IPL is therefore developing a tool for metadata quality control suitable for use by LIS students who have little previous metadata quality control experience.
Neotropical poison frogs: evolution’s guide to parenting, fashion and communication in a dynamic world

Few groups of amphibians invoke such an abiding fascination as the Neotropical poison frogs (Dendrobatidae). For many people, these tiny, often brightly-colored frogs serve as ambassadors to the Neotropical rainforests. For some, they may conjure up images of Choco Indians clothed in loin cloths, armed with blowgun darts coated in highly toxic alkaloids secreted by poison frogs, hunting in misty rainforests. Though slightly romanticized, these caricatures get to the core of why these frogs have been the focus of over 350 scientific studies: poison frogs are toxic and many alert predators of their toxicity through bright warning coloration (aposematism). The evolutionary history of Neotropical poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) is the result of a dynamic interaction between ecology and evolution—their evolutionary ecology. Each species’ history was shaped by their local ecology (i.e., toxicity and abundance of prey, population structures and sizes, predation, larval and adult competition) and varying intensities of natural and sexual selection (including sexual conflict). Each diverging lineage, constrained by their own genetic inheritance and phylogenetic inertia, traveled a unique path that led to the astonishing diversity we observe today. This Special Issue of Evolutionary Ecology summarizes multiple avenues of research related to the Second Symposium on ‘‘Poison Frog Ecology, Evolution and Behavior’’ at the 7th World Congress of Herpetology. This issue focuses on two key research foci in evolutionary ecology: (1) Understanding the interplay between the ecology and the evolution of parental care and (2) Elucidating the ecological factors contributing to the evolution of toxicity, aposematism and color pattern diversity.
Amplification of radiation by relativistic electrons in spatially periodic optical waveguides

Abstract A theoretical study of longitudinal relativistic free electron laser is presented using a single electron model. The homogeneous and inhomogeneous gains are derived. In the specific case of a beam traveling inside a periodic waveguide it is found that gains high enough to sustain laser oscillation in the optical region are predicted.
Additivity of risk in portfolios

A collection of gambles constituting a portfolio may itself be represented as a single gamble played once. A portfolio may be constructed by requiring each component gamble to be played once, and there is a theory of additive risk which requires that the perceived risk of the portfolio be an additive function of the perceived riskiness of the component gambles. Alternatively, a portfolio may be constructed as a probability mixture of the component gambles, and there is a theory of expected risk which requires that the perceived risk of the portfolio be the average of the riskiness of the component gambles. Existing evidence suggests that both of these theories cannot be true. A test of additivity of portfolios under both kinds of composition functions was made under two forms of display, the components displayed separately and fused as a single gamble. This experiment supports expected risk and rejects additive risk, especially under fused display.
Predictors of Condom Use in Latino Migrant Day Laborers

This article reports on predictors of condom use with casual female sex partners on the part of Latino migrant day laborers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Results come from a secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling to interview 290 sexually active adult, male, migrant Latino day laborers. Regression analysis of sociodemographic background, behavioral, and psychosocial predictor factors revealed a number of significant findings. Men with wives or partners currently living in Mexico were almost 4.5 times more likely to use condoms with casual female sex partners compared to men accompanied by wives or partners in California. It was also found that men at high sexual risk for HIV with casual female partners were more than 5.5 times more likely to use condoms than men at low risk. Interpretations of findings and implications for HIV prevention with this unique and especially marginalized population of Latinos are discussed.
Synthesis of a functionalized D-glucose: A synthon for the carbomycins (magnamycins)

Abstract D-Glucose has been converted into its functionalized derivative 7b a synthon (C1–C6) of the carbomycin macrolide antibiotics.
Oral compression activity on a surrogate nipple in the newborn rat: Nutritive and nonnutritive sucking

Newborn rats, 3 hr after birth and before any experience in suckling, were exposed for 10 min to a surrogate nipple providing milk. One hour later, they were exposed to an empty nipple for another 10-min period. The basic characteristics of oral behavior (oral compression activity, OCA) were assessed by recording intranipple pressure during the pups' first attachment to a nipple. The peculiarities of milk-induced changes of OCA were examined with three modes of milk delivery (milk infusions, and intermittent and continuous milk deliveries). The pattern of OCA exerted by the newborn pups on a surrogate nipple consisted of rhythmic oscillations within a frequency range of 0.4 to 1.0 Hz, superimposed on slow (frequency < 0.2 Hz), irregular intranipple pressure fluctuations. Oral behavior during the first minute after oral capture of the nipple differed significantly from that during any subsequent 1-min interval in terms of frequency content of OCA. The pattern of OCA changes induced by milk infusions or intermittent milk delivery included an abrupt rise in intranipple pressure, accompanied or followed by a burst of fast nipple compressions (bites). Our data suggest that newborn rats attached to a surrogate nipple demonstrate patterns of oral behavior that simulate, in terms of basic frequency characteristics, patterns of nutritive and nonnutritive suckling observed in more mature pups on the maternal nipple. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 43: 290–303, 2003.
Positron two-dimensional angular-correlation-of-annihilation-radiation study of untwinned YBa2Cu3O6.9 in the a-axis projection.

We present a two-dimensional (2D)-ACAR positron annihilation study of an untwinned ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{6.9}$ metallic sample in the a-axis projection; all existing data from untwinned samples have employed the c projection. The data show a clear presence of the Cu-O chain related ridge Fermi surface extending along the \ensuremath{\Gamma}Z direction and two associated umklapp images at higher momenta. These results are consistent with the previously investigated c projection of the momentum density in ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{6.9}$ and do not appear to indicate a strong localization of these electron states along the c direction. We compare and contrast the structures in 2D-ACAR's in the a and c projections, delineating similarities and differences between the results for the two projections.
The Financial Performance Of Community Health Centers, 1996–1999

This paper presents recent financial health trends of community health centers (CHCs) between 1996 and 1999, a time characterized by fiscal and operating challenges. Results show that many individual CHCs have been subject to large changes in payer-mix among uninsured and Medicaid users. Troubling is the finding that more than half of all CHCs reported operating deficits in 1997, 1998 and 1999. CHCs experiencing large increases in the share of uninsured users and those participating in Medicaid managed care appear to have been disproportionately affected. The analyses presented support recommendations for enhanced data collection and for further monitoring of CHCs’ financial health.
Sensitivity of phage precursor nucleic acid, synthesized in the presence of chloramphenicol, to ultraviolet irradiation.

Abstract Infected bacteria, in which phage precursor nucleic acid (DNA) has been allowed to accumulate in the presence of chloramphenicol, can be irradiated with multiple phage-lethal doses of ultraviolet light (UV) without preventing formation of phage particles after subsequent removal of chloramphenicol. Considerable numbers of such particles prove to be noninfective. With a small dose of UV, phage particles and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) are produced more or less normally after resumption of protein synthesis, but more than half of the particles lack infectivity. The number of noninfective particles produced is roughly proportional to the amount of precursor DNA present at the time of irradiation. Irradiation of bacteria before infection does not cause the production of noninfective particles. Large doses of irradiation permit synthesis of protein and maturation of phage particles with little concomitant DNA synthesis, after removal of chloramphenicol. About 99% of the particles produced under these conditions are noninfective. With such preparations, photoreactivation, cross reactivation, and multiplicity reactivation can be demonstrated with an efficiency appropriate to the dose of UV actually used. These results mean that phage precursor DNA formed in the presence of chloramphenicol presents a characteristic UV-sensitive target equivalent in all respects to that contained in finished phage particles. Since this target is presumed to be the phage chromosome, its formation in the presence of chloramphenicol seems to show that multiplying phage chromosomes are composed of DNA to the exclusion of all other known phage constituents. Irradiation of such chromosomes under the conditions described produces persistent lesions which do not prevent the subsequent formation of normal chromosomes; the lesions themselves are neither repaired nor replicated. Other experiments show that DNA synthesized at different times is incorporated into single phage particles and therefore that the phage precursor DNA destined for a given particle does not consist of a unitary structure finished in advance. Moreover, both irradiated and unirradiated DNA is found in both live and dead particles after maturation. Preliminary analysis of the manner of mixing shows that the bulk of the phage precursor DNA, like that of parental origin, consists of roughly equal parts of DNA that is (in a formal sense) resistant or sensitive, respectively, to UV damage.
Chemical Probes of Amino Acid Residues Affect the Active Sites of the Glucocorticoid Receptor

Chemical reagents, such as pyridoxal 5′-phosphate, 1,2-cyclohexanedione, ethoxyformic anhydride, and rose bengal, which have been shown to serve as probes for specific amino acid residues in polypeptides may modify the actives sites of the hepatic glucocorticoid receptor. Reactivity of pyridoxal 5′- phosphate demonstrated that lysine residues participate at the DNA-binding site and possibly at another site on the receptor. At elevated temperatures, this chemical probe can affect the dissociation of ligand. At a concentration of 100 mM, 1,2-cyclohexanedione, a probe for arginyl residues, inhibited ligand binding to receptor by 82%. The ligand-binding site could be protected by a saturating concentration of steroid. Under this condition, 1,2-cyclohexanedione markedly inhibited the binding of the activated receptor complex to DNA-cellulose. The chemical reagent, ethoxyformic anhydride, has been shown to preferentially ethoxyformylate histidyl residues. At a concentration of 34 mM, ethoxyformic anhydride virt...
Intrapulmonary shunts in cyanotic congenital heart disease after surgical correction.

Abstract Six children with surgically corrected cyanotic congenital heart disease were studied six months to four years after definitive repair. Five had tetralogy of Fallot, and 1 had severe valvular pulmonic stenosis with an atrial septal defect. The bronchial arteries were enlarged and tortuous in all, and intrapulmonary right to left shunts were demonstrated in 4 of the 6 cases. These shunts appear to reflect venous admixture rather than true anatomic connections between the bronchial and pulmonary circulations.
Lysophosphatidic acid-induced arterial wall remodeling: Requirement of PPARγ but not LPA1 or LPA2 GPCR

Abstract Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and its ether analog alkyl-glycerophosphate (AGP) elicit arterial wall remodeling when applied intralumenally into the uninjured carotid artery. LPA is the ligand of eight GPCRs and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ). We pursued a gene knockout strategy to identify the LPA receptor subtypes necessary for the neointimal response in a non-injury model of carotid remodeling and also compared the effects of AGP and the PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone (ROSI) on balloon injury-elicited neointima development. In the balloon injury model AGP significantly increased neointima; however, rosiglitazone application attenuated it. AGP and ROSI were also applied intralumenally for 1 h without injury into the carotid arteries of LPA 1 , LPA 2 , LPA 1&2 double knockout, and Mx1Cre-inducible conditional PPARγ knockout mice targeted to vascular smooth muscle cells, macrophages, and endothelial cells. The neointima was quantified and also stained for CD31, CD68, CD11b, and α-smooth muscle actin markers. In LPA 1 , LPA 2 , LPA 1&2 GPCR knockout, Mx1Cre transgenic, PPARγ fl/− , and uninduced Mx1Cre × PPARγ fl/− mice AGP- and ROSI-elicited neointima was indistinguishable in its progression and cytological features from that of WT C57BL/6 mice. In PPARγ −/− knockout mice, generated by activation of Mx1Cre-mediated recombination, AGP and ROSI failed to elicit neointima and vascular wall remodeling. Our findings point to a difference in the effects of AGP and ROSI between the balloon injury- and the non-injury chemically-induced neointima. The present data provide genetic evidence for the requirement of PPARγ in AGP- and ROSI-elicited neointimal thickening in the non-injury model and reveal that the overwhelming majority of the cells in the neointimal layer express α-smooth muscle actin.
Overview of acutely decompensated congestive heart failure (ADHF): a report from the ADHERE registry.

Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) has emerged as a major public health problem, and HF has become the leading cause of hospitalization in persons over 65 years of age. It is estimated that there are 6.5 million hospital days attributed to ADHF each year. Patients hospitalized with ADHF face a substantial risk of readmission, as high as 50% by 6 months after discharge. Despite the large number of patients hospitalized and this substantial risk, data on these patients have been limited and there has been little effort to improve the quality of care for patients hospitalized with ADHF. The Acute Decompensated Heart Failure National Registry (ADHERE®) was designed to bridge this gap in knowledge and care by prospectively studying the characteristics, management, and outcomes of a broad spectrum of patients hospitalized with ADHF. Participating community and university hospitals identified patients with a primary or secondary discharge diagnosis of HF and collected medical history, management, treatments, and health outcomes via secure Web browser technology. As of October 2004, more than 160,000 patients from 281 hospitals have been enrolled. These patients differ substantially from those typically enrolled in randomized clinical trials. Initial data from the ADHERE registry have provided important insights into the clinical characteristics, patterns of care, and outcomes of patients with ADHF. ADHERE has documented significant delays in diagnosis and initiation of ADHF therapies as well as a substantial under-use of evidenced-based, guideline-recommended chronic HF therapies at hospital discharge. As such, there are substantial opportunities to improve the quality of care for ADHF patients in the nation’s hospitals.
Calcium transport in dispersed acinar cells from rat pancreas.

Abstract The present studies were performed to attempt to elucidate the basis for the discrepancy between results of Kondo and Schulz (1976, Biochim. Biophys Acta 419, 76–92), who found that cholecystokinin and cholinergic agents increase uptake of 45 Ca by dispersed acinar cells from rat pancreas, and results of others (Matthews, E.K., Petersen, O.H. and Williams, J.A. (1973) J. Physiol. 234, 689–701; Chandler, D.E. and Williams, J.A. (1974) J. Physiol. 243, 831–846; Case, R.M. and Clausen, T. (1973) J. Physiol. 235, 75–102; Gardner, J.D., Conlon, T.P., Klaeveman, H.L., Adams, T.D. and Ondetti, M.A. (1975) J. Clin. Invest. 56, 366–375; Christophe, J.P., Frandsen, E.K., Conlon, T.P., Krishna, G. and Gardner, J.D. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 4640–4645; Shelby, H.T., Gross, L.P., Lichty, P. and Gardner, J.D. (1976) J. Clin. Invest. 58, 1482–1493 and Deschodt-Lanckman, M., Robberecht, P., de Neef, P., Lammens, M. and Christophe, J. (1976) J. Clin. Invest. 58, 891–898). They have reported that cholecystokinin and cholinergic agents do not alter or cause a slight decrease in uptake of 45 Ca by pancreatic acinar cells. Our present results indicate that increased uptake of 45 Ca by acinar cells incubated with cholecystokinin occurs only in cells washed with iced, 160 mM choline chloride and reflects increased cellular uptake of radioactivity from the wash solution but not from the incubation medium. We detected no effect of cholecystokinin on uptake of 45 Ca by cells washed with 160 mM choline chloride containing 5 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetate or by cells washed with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate. Furthermore, cells washed with 160 mM choline chloride accumulated a substantial amount of 45 Ca from the wash solution and this accumulation was increased in cells that had been preincubated with cholecystokinin. Cells washed with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate did not take up 45 Ca from the wash solution.
A new approach to the overturning stability of floating structures

Abstract The increasingly widespread use of floating offshore production facilities has led to a need for a better understanding and accurate prediction of dynamic behavior. The approach described in this paper uses an approximate criterion for safe, forced, roll oscillations of a typical semi-submersible based on a stability margin. This stability margin is developed from a comparison between the total energy of the steady-state oscillating system and the total energy required to cause instability in the corresponding unforced, undamped system. The accuracy and utility of the new approach is assessed by comparing the loss of stability of numerical simulations with the approximate criterion.
An analysis of carbon deposition kinetics in isothermal flow systems

Abstract An analysis is presented of the steady-state deposition of carbon from a pyrolyzing gas in an isothermal flow system. It is assumed that the parent material is decomposing in the gas phase by first-order kinetics. Three system geometries are examined : an infinite slit, an annulus, and a cylindrical tube. A convenient kinetic criterion for each case is found to be the ratio of a characteristic diffusion time to the first-order rate constant. When this ratio is much less than unity, when carbon deposition from the parent molecules is much less efficient than deposition from decomposition products, and when deposition from products occurs at moderate-to-large efficiencies, it is predicted that the deposition rate will be approximately equal to the rate of gas-phase decomposition of the parent species times some geometric factors.
The design and synthesis of mimetics of peptide β-turns

The synthesis of an 11 membered ring bis-lactam, a system which is designed as a conformationally restricted mimetic of type I and type II beta-turns is described. Computer assisted molecular modeling was used to compare the predicted low energy conformers of the turn mimetic with idealized type I and type II turn structures. Initial computational analysis indicates that the basic ring structure will provide an excellent foundation for the development of a varieity of beta-turn mimetics.
Synthetic N-dimethyl β-endorphin, a stabilized opioid peptide

Abstract A procedure for the dimethylation of the amino groups of human β-endorphin by reductive methylation is described. A single product with the theoretical maximum degree of methylation was produced and the consequences of dimethylation on proteolytic attack are reported. The derivative was shown to be resistant to tryptic digestion and to attack by leucine aminopeptidase. The nonmethylated β-endorphin was rapidly degraded by incubation with pituitary homogenate; under these conditions methylated β-endorphin was degraded at a slower rate. In the presence of bacitracin, the methylated peptide was essentially resistant to degradation by the pituitary homogenate. The methylated peptide may be expected to have a longer in vivo half-life.
Product distribution goes digital

Like most technology revolutions, the Internet is sweeping across the world in waves. The first wave revolutionized how we get information and communicate, changing the way we live, work, and learn. Now we're set to ride a second wave, one that will have as much impact on the world of physical products as the first wave had on the world of information. Because as bandwidth soars and the PC is augmented by everything from handheld wireless devices and e-books to auto PCs and interactive television, we will see a massive transformation of products and services from physical to digital form. The author goes on to look at the transformation of: recorded music, software, electronic books, and pricing models.
Effective medium analysis on the optical properties of silicon nanowire arrays

In search of next-generation solar cells, silicon nanowire arrays have attracted great attention since they are costeffective and may absorb more light compared to thin-film silicon solar cells. Theoretical studies using finite-different time-domain and transfer matrix methods have been performed to investigate the optical properties of silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays, however, they are computationally intensive and require periodic condition, which may not be satisfied with most fabricated samples. In the present study, an effective medium analysis is performed to study the optical properties of vertically-aligned SiNWs on Si substrate in the wavelength range from 310 nm to 1100 nm, which is of the most important interest for solar cells. The effective dielectric function of the SiNW layer is obtained from the Bruggeman approximation. Thin-film optics formulae are employed to calculate the reflectance, transmittance and absorptance of the SiNWs on silicon substrate at normal incidence. The effect of geometric parameters such as filling ratio and wire length will be investigated to understand the light absorption and to facilitate the optimal design of highperformance SiNW solar cells.
Partners in Excellence: Development of the Temple College Clinical Simulation Center

Temple College (TC) is a comprehensive community college located in Temple, Texas. Temple also is home to Scott & White Hospital, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, King's Daughters Hospita...
Exercise and risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome in older adults

Background Older people with elevated blood pressure (BP) often have metabolic syndrome, a clustering of central obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Exercise reduces many of these risk factors. This study examined whether the benefits of exercise on cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk factors are mediated by exercise-induced changes in fitness or body composition. Methods Randomized controlled trial, comprising 6 months of exercise training, conducted between July 1999 and November 2003. Participants included men and women (n =115) aged 55 to 75 years with untreated systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 130 to 159 or diastolic blood pressure of (DPB) 85 to 99 mm Hg. Fitness measures included BP, lipids, lipoproteins, insulin, and glucose; peak oxygen uptake and muscle strength; and body composition measured by anthropometry, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and magnetic resonance imaging. Results A total of 51 men and 53 women completed the trial. Exercise significantly increased aerobic and muscle fitness, lean mass, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and reduced total and abdominal fat. DBP was reduced more among exercisers. There were no associations among changes in fitness with risk factors. Reductions in total body and abdominal fat and increases in leanness, largely independent of weight loss, were associated with improved SBP, DBP, total cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a), and insulin sensitivity. At baseline, 42.3% of participants had metabolic syndrome. At 6 months, nine exercisers (17.7%) and eight controls (15.1%) no longer had metabolic syndrome, whereas four controls (7.6%) and no exercisers developed it (p =0.06). Conclusions Although exercise improved fitness, the reductions in total and abdominal fatness and increase in leanness were more strongly associated with favorable changes in risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, including those that constitute metabolic syndrome.
Roderick K. Clayton: a life, and some personal recollections

Roderick K. Clayton passed away on October 23, 2011, at the age of 89, shortly after the plan for this dedicatory issue of Photosynthesis Research had been hatched. I had just written a lengthy letter to him to re-establish contact after a hiatus of 2 or 3 years, and to suggest that I visit him to talk about his life. It isn’t clear whether he saw the letter or not, but it was found at his home in Santa Rosa, California. Fortunately, Rod has written two memoirs for Photosynthesis Research that not only cover much of his research on reaction centers (Photosynth Res 73:63–71, 2002) but also provide a humorous and honest look at his personal life (Photosynth Res 19:207–224, 1988). I cannot hope to improve on these and will try, instead, to fill in some of the gaps that Rod’s own writing has left, and offer some of my own personal recollections over the more recent years.
Comparison of the localization of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A δ-endotoxins and their binding proteins in larval midgut of tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta

Tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, is a model insect for studying the action of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry toxins on lepidopterans. The proteins, which bind Bt toxins to midgut epithelial cells, are key factors involved in the insecticidal functions of the toxins. Three Cry1A-binding proteins, viz., aminopeptidase N (APN), the cadherin-like Bt-R1, and membrane-type alkaline phosphatase (m-ALP), were localized, by immunohistochemistry, in sections from the anterior, middle, and posterior regions of the midgut from second instar M. sexta larvae. Both APN and m-ALP were distributed predominantly along microvilli in the posterior region and to a lesser extent on the apical tip of microvilli in the anterior and middle regions. Bt-R1 was localized at the base of microvilli in the anterior region, over the entire microvilli in the middle region, and at both the apex and base of microvilli in the posterior region. The localization of rhodamine-labeled Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, and Cry1Ac binding was determined on sections from the same midgut regions. Cry1Aa and Cry1Ab bound to the apical tip of microvilli almost equally in all midgut regions. Binding of Cry1Ac was much stronger in the posterior region than in the anterior and middle regions. Thus, binding sites for Bt proteins and Cry1A toxins are co-localized on the microvilli of M. sexta midgut epithelial cells.
Left Ventricular Function During Stable Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia: Hemodynamic and Echo-Doppler Analysis

To assess the left ventricular function during sustained stable ventricular tachycardia (VT), ten patients, aged 58 to 74, underwent simultaneous echo-Doppler and hemodynamic studies during sinus rhythm and induced sustained stable monomorphic VT. The VT cycle length was 447 ± 92 ms (mean ± SD). During VT, cardiac index fell from 2.32 ± 0.54 to 1.62 ± 0.63 L/min/m 2 (p (Chest 1989; 96:275–80)
Effect of Zeta Potential on Adhesion of Organic Coatings

Abstract The force of adhesion of an aqueous phase (pH 9.6 borate) to steel in the presence of a xylene solution of hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene increases below the potential of zero charge (−550 mV vs Ag/AgCl). Incorporation of a high molecular weight quaternary ammonium cation in the xylene phase inhibits displacement of the organic phase at cathodic potentials. These results suggest that cathodic polarization of steel below the potential of zero charge can initiate cathodic disbonding. The disbonding will then irreversibly propagate by the alkaline attack of the cathodic electrolysis product on the organic film.
African American Children in the Child Welfare System: Requiem or Reform

The sobering statistics concerning the plight of African American children have become routine excerpts found in nearly every publication concerning the child welfare system. This article examines the laws that govern the child welfare system in this country and assesses the manner in which these laws do not rectify or prevent the poor outcomes experienced by African American children. The authors discuss a reform perspective, conceptualized in an oppression framework, as a call to action to improve the status of children in the child welfare system. This reform perspective is designed for educators, as they play a critical role in preparing students and practitioners to become reformers.
Cracks in Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement

In this study, an analytical formula is introduced to predict the number of cracks and crack width in continuously reinforced concrete pavements (CRCPs). The effects of different parameters on the crack width are investigated. The analytical results show that length, thickness, reinforcement ratio and relative humidity have a considerable effect on shrinkage strain, number of cracks and crack width. Through case study using the equations, the minimum steel ratio to keep crack width below the allowable crack width in CRCP is suggested. The validity of the equations is also verified by comparing the analytical results with experimental data.
Acute inflammatory reactions to hemostatic materials mimicking post-operative intracranial abscess

Abstract Oxidized cellulose can cause acute neurologic worsening in the immediate post-operative period. MRI often shows restricted diffusion around the surgical cavity on the first post-operative MRI. When acute clinical deterioration occurs with the typical MRI findings, the material must be removed surgically.