cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Highlights of PET studies on chiral radiotracers and drugs at Brookhaven

We review several PET studies of chiral molecules which have been carried out in our laboratory. In many cases the enantiomers behave differently, reflecting factors such as differential specificity for enzymes and transporters and binding to plasma proteins, as well as selective binding to receptors. These studies demonstrate that PET imaging is a suitable method to investigate the behavior of a chiral drug in the human body and is a powerful tool in drug development. It is important to emphasize the essential and pivotal role that organic synthesis has played in the development of PET during the last quarter century. PET is now an important tool in the neurosciences, cardiology, and oncology and is available in hundreds of institutions worldwide. However, PET is by no means mature in terms of the study of chiral drugs; hundreds of racemic drugs have been developed but only a few have been labeled with positron emitters to study their stereoselectivity. One reason is the complexity of rapid synthesis, including chiral synthesis and chiral purification. New developments in these areas are needed. Although PET is a challenging and expensive technology, it is exquisitely suited to functional and neurochemical studies of the human brain and other organs. Its use in drug research and development holds promise in understanding duration of action and stereoselectivity of drugs and in facilitating drug discovery and the introduction of new drugs into the practice of medicine. Drug Dev. Res. 59:227–239, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Testing of Brushite (CaHPO4·2H2O) in Synthetic Biomineralization Solutions and In Situ Crystallization of Brushite Micro‐Granules

Conventional flat plate-shaped brushite, dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, CaHPO4·2H2O), produced by reacting Ca-chloride and alkali phosphate salt solutions, were found to undergo a maturation process (changing their Ca/P molar ratio from 0.8 to the theoretical value of 1) similar to those seen in biological apatites. Water lily (WL)-shaped brushite crystals were produced in nonstirred aqueous solutions at room temperature in 24 h, by using precipitated calcite and NH4H2PO4 as the starting chemicals. The hydrothermal transformation of WL-type brushite into octacalcium phosphate (OCP) or Ca-deficient hydroxyapatite (CDHA) was tested at 37°C by using four different biomineralization solutions, including Tris-buffered SBF (synthetic body fluid) and sodium lactate-buffered SBF solutions. All four solutions used in this study consumed the starting brushite in 1 week and caused transformation into a biphasic mixture of nanocrystalline OCP and CDHA of high surface area. WL-type brushite crystals when synthesized in the presence of small amounts of Zn2+ ions resulted in the formation of, for the first time, spherical micro-granules of brushite. Synthesis of brushite in spherical form was difficult prior to this study.
Asymptomatic Peripheral Arterial Disease Is Independently Associated With Impaired Lower Extremity Functioning The Women’s Health and Aging Study

Background—We report the implications of asymptomatic lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) for lower extremity functioning among participants in the Women’s Health and Aging Study, an observational study of disabled women ≥65 years of age living in and around Baltimore. Methods and Results—The ankle brachial index (ABI) and measures of upper and lower extremity functioning were measured among study participants. Of 933 women with ABI ≤1.50, 328 (35%) had an ABI <0.90, consistent with PAD. Sixty-three percent of PAD participants had no exertional leg pain. Among participants without exertional leg pain, lower ABI levels were associated with slower walking velocity, poorer standing balance score, slower time to arise 5 times consecutively from a seated position, and fewer blocks walked per week, adjusting for age, sex, race, cigarette smoking, and comorbidities. ABI was not associated independently with measures of upper extremity functioning. Conclusions—Asymptomatic PAD is common and is indep...
National Trends and Outcomes for the Surgical Therapy of Ileocolonic Crohn’s Disease: A Population-Based Analysis of Laparoscopic vs. Open Approaches

Purpose The laparoscopic approach to Crohn’s disease has demonstrated benefits in several small series. We sought to examine its use and outcomes on a national level.
The activity of single trochlear nerve fibers during eye movements in the alert monkey.

1. The firing frequency of 31 single fibers in the trochlear nerve of alert monkeys was related to eye movement. Monkeys were conditioned to finger press lighted buttons in order to produce a calibrated sequence of eye movements in the horizontal and vertical directions. 2. About 3 msec prior to and during a downward saccade, all units exhibited an intense burst in firing frequency. The average maximum burst frequency was about 400 spikes/sec. 3. Prior to and during an upward saccade, all units exhibited a marked decrease in firing rate. 4. If the downward deviation of the eye exceeded a certain minimum position (the threshold), all units exhibited a very regular tonic rate during the fixation pauses between saccades. The tonic firing frequency was linearly related to vertical eye position. Maximum tonic rates reached 200–300 spikes/sec. 5. The activity of simian trochlear fibers is very similar to the activity of neurons in the abducens and oculomotor nuclei. Therefore, one functional type of motoneuron which subserves saccadic, smooth pursuit and fixation eye movements exists in all of the oculomotor nuclei. Vergence movements were not investigated.
Congenital nystagmus: In search of simplicity on the other sideof complexity

To the Editor: This letter is in response to a recent editorial, “Congenital Nystagmus: In Search of Simplicity on the Other Side of Complexity,“1 written about the paper, “Clinical and Ocular Motor Analysis of Congenital Nystagmus in Infancy.“2 The paper in question (1) is the first prospective study of the waveforms of congenital nystagmus (CN) in infants; (2) contains the largest population so studied; (3) is the first such study to use accurate and sensitive ocular motor recording techniques; and (4) provides the first demonstration that infants do exhibit the same CN waveforms as adults, with breaking saccades, foveating saccades, and foveation periods (ie, they are not all pendular, as others have suggested). We recognize the connection in those CN patients with sensory disorders and also provide an explanation of the mechanism by which afferent disorders can facilitate the disorder of the smooth pursuit system to properly calibrate and thereby result in CN. This was done in the text and in Figure 11. Also, despite the adequate functioning of the smooth pursuit in CN subjects (ie, the velocity gain is normal), the readers of our paper can arrive at the conclusion that CN may be directly caused by the normally damped oscillations of the smooth pursuit system. We are well aware of, and largely responsible for, the overwhelming evidence that smooth pursuit is “intact” in CN (see references 19 and 20 in our paper). We were also careful to differentiate between those conditions that mightfacilitate the development of CN and what current evidence suggests is the direct cause. We would not presume to coerce any clinicians into altering their decisions to continue to use the terms sensory CN and motor CN. We welcome Dr Hamed’s wish to “bridge the gap between basic scientists and pediatric ophthalmologists” (although that was not an issue for us-one of the authors of our paper is a pediatric ophthalmologist). For the record, (1) CN is a single motor sign reflecting the primary oscillations of smooth pursuit and the secondary attempts by the saccadic and fixation subsystems to acquire the target of interest and prolong its capture by the fovea; (2) afferent deficits are neither necessary nor sufficient for the development of CN; (3) CN can only be reliably and repeatedly diagnosed and differentiated from other forms of nystagmus with the aid of ocular motor recordings; and (4) the diagnosis of CN should always prompt the ophthalmologist to assess the afferent visual system, despite the absence of direct causality. We will continue to investigate in the hope of clarifying and to report in the hope of converting the existing confusion on this side to the simplicity of understanding on the other.
Thermal pertubation techniques in characterizing ligand-macromolecule interactions: Theory and application to the proflavins-alpha-chymotrypsin system.

A thermal perturbation curve (TPC) is defined to be the derivative of the fractional degree of saturation, f, with respect to temperature, considered as a function of the natural logarithm of free ligand concentration, y. The theoretical framework for the use of such curves in the thermodynamic analysis of ligand binding to macromolecules is presented. The thermal perturbation curve either provides or complements the information obtained from the derivative binding isotherm ∂f/∂y. For a single set of identical and independent sites the TPC is identical to the derivative binding isotherm. Analysis of such a curve directly yield ΔH0 and ΔG0 for the binding reaction. In actual experimental work, however, the TPC can only be approximated because of “self-buffering” effects relations between the parameter of the approximate curve and the thermodynamic quantities have been developed. This technique is applied to the proflavin-α-chymotryspin system to demonstrate its usefulness. The general features of thermal perturbation curves for cases of multiple sets of independent sites and cooperatively interacting sites have also been developed. The analysis of thermal perturbation curves in combination with other methods should provide a more powerful approach to the characterization of ligand-macromolecule interactions.
Can the transitions to and from running and the metabolic cost of running be determined from the kinetic energy of running

An experiment was conducted in which volume of used oxygen per stride time and the total segmental changes in kinetic energy generated per stride time, gE(k)>s(-1), of 11 participants were determined on Day 1 for 7 treadmill running speeds. Gait transition speeds were determined on Day 2. Running metabolism and transition speed were predicted from the Day 1 mechanics of running expressed in Speed x gE(k)>s(-1) coordinates. Predictions followed from the relation between 2 generalized quality ratios Q(metab), and Q(mech), with numerator gE(k)>s(-1). In Q(metab), the denominator was the volume of used oxygen per stride time; in Q(mech), the denominator was the absolute regression constant from the linear dependency of gE(k)>s(-1) on speed.
Early working memory and maternal communication in toddlers born very low birth weight.

Aim Early working memory is emerging as an important indicator of developmental outcome predicting later cognitive, behavioural and academic competencies. The current study compared early working memory in a sample of toddlers (18–22 months) born very low birth weight (VLBW; n = 40) and full term (n = 51) and the relationship between early working memory, mental developmental index (MDI), and maternal communication in both samples.
Bureaucratic Legitimation: Marihuana and the Drug Enforcement Administration

This paper considers how organizations use mixtures of “fact” and “value” statements in order to legitimate policy and policy changes. We argue that this does not require intellectual or moral cand...
Contextualizing instruction: Leveraging students' prior knowledge and experiences to foster understanding of middle school science

Contextualizing science instruction involves utilizing students' prior knowledge and everyday experiences as a catalyst for understanding challenging science concepts. This study of two middle school science classrooms examined how students utilized the contextualizing aspects of project- based instruction and its relationship to their science learning. Observations of focus students' participation during instruction were described in terms of a contextualizing score for their use of the project features to support their learning. Pre/posttests were administered and students' final artifacts were collected and evaluated. The results of these assessments were compared with students' contextualizing scores, demonstrating a strong positive correlation between them. These findings provide evidence to support claims of contextualizing instruction as a means to facilitate student learning, and point toward future consideration of this instructional method in broader research studies and the design of science learning
High Runx1 Levels Promote a Reversible, More-Differentiated Cell State in Hair-Follicle Stem Cells during Quiescence

Quiescent hair follicle (HF) bulge stem cells (SCs) differentiate to early progenitor (EP) hair germ (HG) cells, which divide to produce transit-amplifying matrix cells. EPs can revert to SCs upon injury, but whether this dedifferentiation occurs in normal HF homeostasis (hair cycle) and the mechanisms regulating both differentiation and dedifferentiation are unclear. Here, we use lineage tracing, gain of function, transcriptional profiling, and functional assays to examine the role of observed endogenous Runx1 level changes in the hair cycle. We find that forced Runx1 expression induces hair degeneration (catagen) and simultaneously promotes changes in the quiescent bulge SC transcriptome toward a cell state resembling the EP HG fate. This cell-state transition is functionally reversible. We propose that SC differentiation and dedifferentiation are likely to occur during normal HF degeneration and niche restructuring in response to changes in endogenous Runx1 levels associated with SC location with respect to the niche.
Effects of Establishing Cell Cultures and Cell Culture Conditions on the Proliferative Life Span of Human Fibroblasts Isolated from Different Tissues and Donors of Different Ages

It is well known that normal human cells placed in a culture environment exhibit a limited proliferative capacity. The extent to which the culture environment influences proliferative life span is not understood. This study evaluated the effects of the standard procedures used to establish and maintain cultures on the proliferative life spans of different types of human fibroblast cells established from fetal and adult skin and lung. The results of this study demonstrate that procedures to establish cell cultures use only one of several subpopulations of cells present in biopsy pieces and that the culture conditions routinely employed by most laboratories can exert significant effects on proliferative life-span determinations. The maximum proliferative life span differed significantly when obtained by growing the cells in two commonly used commercial media. Proliferative life span was inversely related to ambient oxygen tension and directly related to seeding density in all of the lines examined although lines established from adult skin were much more resistant to toxicity. Enzymatic antioxidant defense levels of fetal skin fibroblasts were much lower than those observed in adult skin fibroblasts, but the effects of oxygen on their life spans were similar. Hyperoxia induced larger increases in glutathione concentration in cell lines with low antioxidant enzyme levels.
In Vivo Oxidation of [13C]Galactose in Patients with Galactose-1-Phosphate Uridyltransferase Deficiency

We developed an intravenous and oral [13C]galactose breath test for the in vivo study of galactose metabolism. Following an intravenous bolus of 7 mg/kg of [1-13C]galactose in the fasting state, normal children and adults eliminated 3-6% and 21-47% of the bolus as 13CO2 in expired air collected over 1 and 5 h, respectively. Comparable fractional elimination was seen when the dose was given orally. Patients with galactosemia who have barely detectable or absent galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (GALT) activity in erythrocytes and are homoallelic for the Q188R gene mutation, when given a 7 mg/kg intravenous bolus had barely detectable 13CO2 in air samples in the first hour, but eventually eliminated as much as 3.6% of the dose in 5 h. A galactosemia/Duarte (Q188R/N314D) compound heterozygote and a homozygous Duarte subject, as well as a subject with one normal allele and one Q188R allele, showed normal in vivo oxidation. An assessment of whole body galactose metabolism can be made with this procedure. Further use of this in vivo modality in patients with different genetic backgrounds should increase our understanding of genotype-phenotype relationships in hereditary galactosemia.
The Role of Panicum virgatum (Switch Grass) in the Revegetation of Iron‐Mine Tailings in Northern New York

We investigated the role of artificially introduced Panicum virgatum (switch grass) on the sequential natural revegetation of 15- and 35-year-old tailings in the Adirondack region of northern New York. Switch grass covered approximately 48% of the 15-year-old Chaumont Tailings. Establishment of switch-grass stands improved the fertility of the site by adding organic matter, raising pH, and elevating cation exchange capacity and concentrations of major nutrients (N, P, and K). Switch-grass stands also aided the initial recruitment of such pioneer species as Populus spp. (aspens), Salix spp. (willows), and Betula spp. (birches). This facilitation of recruitment of woody species is explained as follows: (1) robust switch-grass stands physically captured the wind-disseminated seeds of these species; (2) switch grass acted as a “nurse crop” for these species, thus these species were able to increase their density vigorously through root or stem sprouting; (3) a combination of both. Switch grass decreased its cover (14%), however, as observed in the 35-year-old South Tailings. As switch grass declined, such vigorous “root-suckering” species as aspens increased in dominance, followed by the invasion of Prunus pensylvanica (pin cherry).
Mechanism of Starch Gelatinization in Neutral Salt Solutions

DSC thermograms showed that salt affected the onset temperature (T0) and enthalpy change (AH) of starch gelatinization and that the effect differed by type of salt and concentration. Anion effects seemed to parallel the structure-making and structure-breaking effects of water. At all concentrations, sulfate ions increased T0 and AH, but thiocyanate suppressed them. T0 and AH were affected by cations in a complex mode. In CaCl2 (3molal) or LiCl (7–10m) solution, starch gelatinized at room temperature but did not gelatinize in NaCl or KCI solutions at any concentration. Light micrographs taken at room temperature showed that in KSCN and KI solutions (>2m) starch gelatinization began at the hilum but in CaCl2 (3m) and LiCl solutions (7–10m) starch gelatinization started at the periphery. It was concluded that the mechanism of starch gelatinization in salt solutions can be attributed to: (1) structure-making and structure-breaking effects on water and (2) electrostatic interactions between salts and hydroxyl groups of starch.
Glutathione S-Transferase and S-Crystallins of Cephalopods: Evolution from Active Enzyme to Lens-Refractive Proteins

Our previous studies have shown that the S-crystallins of cephalopod (Ommastrephes sloani pacificus) eye lenses comprise a family of at least ten members which are evolutionarily related to glutathione S-transferase (GST, EC 2.5.1.18). Here we show by cDNA cloning that there are at least 24 different S-crystallins that are 46–99% identical to each other by amino acid sequence in the squid Loligo opalescens. In each species, all but one S-crystallin (SL11 in O. pacificus and Lops4 in L. opalescens) examined has an inserted central peptide of variable length and sequence. cDNA expression studies conducted in Escherichia coli showed that squid GST (which is expressed little in the lens) has very high enzymatic activity using 1-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) as a substrate; by contrast, SL20-1 of O. pacificus and Lops 12 of L. opalescens (which are encoded by abundant lens mRNAs) have no GST activity. Interestingly, SL11 and Lops4 have some enzymatic activity with the CDNB substrate. Site-specific mutations at Y7 or W38, both residues essential for activity of vertebrate GSTs, or insertion of the central peptide present in the inactive SL20-1, reduced the specific activity of squid GST by 30- to 100-fold. These data indicate that the S-crystallins consist of a family of enzymatically inactive proteins (when using CDNB as a substrate) which is considerably larger than previously believed and that GST activity was lost by gradual drift in sequence as well as by insertion of an extra peptide by exon shuffling. The results are also consistent with the idea that SL11 and Lops4 are orthologous crystallins representing the first descendants of the ancestral GST gene in the pathway which gave rise to the extensive S-crystallin family of lens proteins.
The Origin and Development of Financial Markets and Institutions: From the Seventeenth Century to the Present

The Origin and Development of Financial Markets and Institutions: From the Seventeenth Century to the Present Jeremy Attack & Larry Neal (Eds) Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2009, 472 pp., ...
Splitting: The development of a measure

Described the development of a scale that measueres splitting as a psychological structure. The scale's construction is described, and evidence of acceptable relability is presented. One major factor, as well as two minor factors that represent grandiosity, and splitting evoked in intimate relationships, were, identified. There were two S samples: N = 75 and N = 188. There was no relationship between scale scores and sex or age. The construct validity of the splitting scale is suggested by the positive relationship between splitting scores and a diagnostic measure of the narcissistic personality disorder, as well as a negative relationship between splitting scores and levels of self-esteem.
Dancing Fools: Politics of Culture and Place in a “Traditional Nationality Festival”

In 1987, the Nationalities Commission of Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province, established a "traditional festival" in an outlying district and dubbed it, awkwardly, the Clothing Competition Festival (saizhuangjie). Two years later, the event having proved a success, the commission celebrated it in a magazine article as an exuberant, aesthetically exciting, and politically innocent revival of "minority nationality customs":
Two-dimensional current source density analysis of propagation delays for components of epileptiform bursts in rat hippocampal slices.

Abstract Recordings of epileptiform burst activity in the CA1 region of the transverse rat hippocampal slices were made with a 32-channel surface electrode array. The 200 μm interelectrode resolution, the simultaneity of the data, and the use of a two-dimensional current source density analysis allowed accurate measurement of population spike peak times. Differences were found in the apparent propagation delays among 3 burst components: the compound action potential (CAP) along the Schaffer collaterals, the first population spike directly driven by the CAP, and the second (and succeeding) population spikes representing the bursting, epileptiform component. Delay measurements were applied to epileptiform bursts recorded in slices treated with picrotoxin (PTX), pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), and 0-Mg 2+ medium. In 0-Mg 2+ medium all components propagate at nearly the same velocity. In the PTZ and PTX media the second population spike propagated more slowly than the CAP. The first population spike propagated at the same velocity as the CAP for orthodromic Schaffer collateral stimulation. The first population spike propagated at the same, slower velocity as the second spike for antidromic Schaffer collateral stimulation.
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry/Attenuated Total Reflectance Study of the Reaction of Pentanal and Propanal with 2-(Hydroxymethyl)Piperidine

The reactions of propanal and pentanal with 2-(hydroxymethyl)piperidine were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry attenuated total reflectance in both the solution phase and at the gas/solid interface. The reactions were studied with the use of a flow-through cylindrical internal reflection ("circle") cell. Reaction intermediates were tentatively identified by their characteristic infrared absorption frequencies. At the gas/solid interface the reaction is thought to yield a hemiaminal intermediate. In the solution phase a hemiaminal intermediate is believed to form initially, followed by loss of water to generate an enamine product. In both gas-phase and solution-phase studies, an oxazolidine product is prepared only after an ultrasound treatment. The FT-IR/ATR technique reveals detailed mechanistic information concerning reactions between aldehydes and ethanol amines.
A Probabilistic Approach to Adaptive Covariance Localization for Serial Ensemble Square Root Filters

This study proposes a variational approach to adaptively determine the optimum radius of influence for ensemble covariance localization when uncorrelated observations are assimilated sequentially. The covariance localization is commonly used by various ensemble Kalman filters to limit the impact of covariance sampling errors when the ensemble size is small relative to the dimension of the state. The probabilistic approach is based on the premise of finding an optimum localization radius that minimizes the distance between the Kalman update using the localized sampling covariance versus using the true covariance, when the sequential ensemble Kalman square rootfilter method is used. The authorsfirst examine the effectiveness of the proposed method for the cases when the true covariance is known or can be approximated by a sufficiently large ensemble size. Not surprisingly, it is found that the smaller the true covariance distance or the smaller the ensemble, the smaller the localization radius that is needed. The authors further generalize the method to the more usual scenario that the true covariance is unknown but can be represented or estimated probabilistically based on the ensemble sampling covariance. The mathematical formula for this probabilistic and adaptive approach with the use of the Jeffreys prior is derived. Promising results and limitations of this new method are discussed through experiments using the Lorenz-96 system.
SU-E-T-532: Validation and Implementation of Model-Based Patient Specific Quality Assurance Using Mobius3D and MobiusFX in a Clinical Setting

Purpose: This work carries out the commissioning and validation of the Mobius3D and MobiusFX software tools, which can replace the time-consuming measurement-based patient specific quality assurance (PSQA). Methods: The beam model supplied by Mobius3D was validated against a 21EX linac's beam measured data. Complex patient (VMAT) plans using Eclipse treatment planning system (TPS) was used to test the consistency between Mobius3D (calculates dose using patient image and field data) and MobiusFx (calculates dose using treatment dynalog files). Dose difference and gamma analysis (3%/3mm) between Mobius3D and MobiusFx were used to assess treatment plan and treatment delivery consistency. An end-to-end test was performed to validate Mobius3D and MobiusFx against ion chamber measurements. Effect of the dosimetric leaf gap (DLG) on Mobius3D dose calculation was additionally investigated. Results: Mobius3D beam model parameters matched within 1%-3% with our beam measured data. A comparison of Mobius3D and MobiusFx dose matrices for VMAT planned prostate cases showed (0.33±0.07)% mean dose difference with gamma values above 95%. The end-to-end test showed dose differences of 1% between Mobius3D and MobiusFx. Dependence of Mobius3D dose calculation upon DLG was explored by introducing a ±0.5 mm change in the default value for DLG. This change resulted in agreement differences above 2% Conclusion: Use of reference beam data would appear to speed up commissioning process for the clinical implementation of Mobius3D. However, careful consideration is required when comparing the information provided by the software, since large dose variations can be seen when the proper parameters are not optimized. The plan and delivered dose were in good agreement; hence MobiusFx has the potential to significantly speed up the PSQA process and at the same time helps to verify treatment parameters that are not possible with measurement-based PSQA.
Blaschke products and singular functions with prescribed boundary values

Abstract This paper shows that there exists a Blaschke product having a prescribed radial limit at each point of a prescribed finite subset of the unit circle. In addition, an analogue for singular inner functions is proved; and an extension dealing with tangential limits is established.
A study of the instantaneous centers of velocity for the 3-dof planar six-bar linkage

This paper is a detailed study of the instantaneous centers of velocity (henceforth referred to simply as instant centers) for the three-degree-of-freedom (henceforth abbreviated as 3-dof) planar six-bar linkage. The paper focuses on graphical techniques, which only require a knowledge of elementary and analytic geometry, to locate the unknown (or secondary) instant centers. In addition, analytical techniques are provided to interpret the graphical concepts and confirm the new results. Several important theorems are proposed which relate to special cases where the secondary instant centers are either single points or infinite lines. The paper investigates points and lines at infinity and presents theorems to explain how secondary instant centers relate to each other when one, or more, are at infinity. There is an in-depth discussion of double points and double lines, that is, points and lines that map onto themselves, and several lemmas and theorems show how to obtain the number of double points and double lines for the 3-dof six-bar linkage. The results presented in this paper will prove useful in the kinematic analysis and synthesis of multi-degree-of-freedom planar linkages.
Reversible low-loss fiber optic hydrazine sensor

This paper reports the development of a hydrazine fiber optic reversible sensor that operates, for the first time to our knowledge, in the lowest attenuation wavelength range of commercial silica fibers. A pentacenediquinone (PDQ) and polymer mix, with an index of refraction adjusted to closely match that of silica, was used as an active sensing material replacing the cladding of a silica core optical fiber. The optical signal passing through this modified cladding type fiber sensor exhibited a reversible intensity change in the presence hydrazine at different concentrations.
Ion probe mass spectrometry: Overview☆

Abstract The bombardment of a surface by 1–25 keV primary ions causes the upper atomic layers to be “sputtered” or stripped off. Most of the material leaves as neutral atoms or molecules, but a small fraction is ejected as positive or negative ions. These secondary ions can then be characterized by a mass spectrometer to provide an analysis of that portion of the material sampled by the primary ion beam. At any one instant, the excitation volume is bounded by the primary ion beam periphery (1–300 μm) and extends to a depth of 5–50 A depending on experimental conditions. By mass spectrometrically monitoring one or several masses, the analyst can obtain isotopic and concentration in-depth profiles of the sample constituents. Alternatively he can obtain a complete mass spectrum as the primary beam erodes the sample. Control and localization of the primary ion beam erosion permits chemical analysis with lateral x, y resolutions of approximately 1 μm, the examination of fractional surface monolayers, an in-depth analysis with better than 100 A resolution, and the acquisition of secondary ion images. The mass spectrometer provides elemental coverage from hydrogen to uranium, isotopic characterization and detection limits of 10-15−10-19g, depending on the element under consideration. This paper will discuss the production of secondary ions, the various types of instrumentation used, and applications of the ion probe technique.
Distribution of late potentials within infarct scars assessed by ultra high-density mapping

Background Late potential (LP) electrograms represent areas of slow conduction and are often sites critical to reentrant tachycardia circuits. The distribution of LPs within infarct scar is not known. Objective The purpose of this study was to delineate infarct heterogeneity using ultra high-density mapping and to determine the location of LPs with respect to scar architecture. Methods Detailed endocardial (n = 21) and epicardial (n = 8) ultra high-density mapping was performed to delineate the substrate for ventricular tachycardia (VT) in 21 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. LP was defined as a low-voltage electrogram ( 100 ms after the QRS. Results A mean of 787 ± 391 and 810 ± 375 points in the LV endocardium and epicardium were sampled. Multipolar mapping identified heterogeneous islets (HIs) with relatively preserved electrogram amplitudes (≥0.51 mv) within dense scar (8.5 ± 4.9/4.5 ± 2.6 HIs per endocardium/epicardium) in all patients. In maps on which putative VT isthmuses were identified (25/29), 57% of vLP were recorded in or adjacent to HI. An LP-targeted ablation strategy combined with pace mapping achieved acute success in all patients (complete success in 52% and partial success in 48%). After 15 ± 7 months, 65% of patients remained free of VT episodes. Conclusion Ultra high-density mapping with a multipolar catheter facilitates the delineation of heterogeneous scar architecture at higher resolution. Electrograms within and adjacent to HIs have a higher incidence of vLP, and these sites are frequently critical to reentry. These findings have important implications for substrate-based ablation strategies.
Impingement Cooling in Rotating Two-Pass Rectangular Channels

Impingement cooling was studied on smooth target walls in rotating two-pass rectangular channels with a sharp 180-deg turn. Jets impinged opposite to the direction of rotation in one channel, and in the same direction of rotation in the other channeL Spent air moved in the radially outward direction in the first impingement channel and radially inward in the second impingement channel, Jet Reynolds numbers and rotation numbers varied from 4 × 10 3 to 1 × 10 4 and 0 to 0.0133, respectively. Rotation changed the pressure level and distribution, but did not significantly alter the jet velocity distribution in the two-pass impingement channel. However, rotation-induced Coriolis and centrifugal forces decreased the Nusselt number values 20 and 25% in the impingement channels and turn region, respectively. Nusselt number values in the turn region were 60% higher when compared with those in the impingement channels for higher jet-flow rates and over the range of rotation speeds tested
Increased cardiovascular responses to prostaglandin F2α in spontaneously hypertensive rats: Evidence for neural mediation

Abstract Earlier studies have shown that autonomic nerve system integrity is necessary for the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) to demonstrate increased vasodepressor responses to depressor prostaglandins (PG). We compared normotensive rat (NR) and SHR microvascular and blood pressure responses to PGF 2α before and after ganglionic or α-adrenergic blockade to determine whether autonomic nerve integrity is necessary for SHRs to react with increased responses to the pressor prostaglandin F 2α . Before neural blockade, PGF 2α caused mean arterial pressure, pulse pressure, and cremaster muscle arterioles (⩾75 μm) of young (90–130 g), prehypertensive SHRs to react statistically significantly more than matched NR. PGF 2α had no effect on NR or SHR cremaster venule diameter. After ganglionic or α-adrenergic blockade of NRs and SHRs, PGF 2α increased SHR mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure only to NR levels and increased NR arteriole constriction to the same levels observed in SHRs. This study presents further evidence of altered prostaglandin-autonomic nervous system interaction in SHRs.
Molecular Transport Junctions: Clearing Mists

Recent progress in the measurement and modeling of transport in molecular junctions has been very significant. Tunnel transport in the Landauer–Imry regime is now broadly understood for several systems, although a detailed understanding of the role of contact geometry is still required. We overview some clear indications from recent research and note the quite reasonable agreement between measured and calculated conductance in metal–molecule–metal junctions. The next challenge lies in obtaining a microscopic understanding of charge transport that involves reduction or oxidation of molecules.
The Environmental Occurrence of Herbicides: The Importance of Degradates in Ground Water

Numerous studies are being conducted to investigate the occurrence, fate, and effects on human health and the environment from the extensive worldwide use of herbicides to control weeds. Few studies, however, are considering the degradates of these herbicides in their investigations. Our study of herbicides in aquifers across Iowa found herbicide degradates to be prevalent in ground water, being detected in about 75% of the wells sampled. With the exception of atrazine, the frequencies of detection in ground water for a given herbicide increased multifold when its degradates were considered. Furthermore, a majority of the measured concentration for a given herbicide was in the form of its degradates-even for a relatively persistent compound such as atrazine. For this study, degradates comprised from 60 to over 99% of a herbicide's measured concentration. Because herbicide degradates can have similar acute and chronic toxicity as their parent compounds, these compounds have environmental significance as well as providing a more complete understanding of the fate and transport of a given herbicide. Thus, it is essential that degradates are included in any type of herbicide investigation.
Foreign Manufacturing Investment and Regional Industrial Growth in Guangdong Province, China

In this paper, information from four major studies of Hong Kong's manufacturing investment in China, as well as published statistics concerning foreign investment in Guangdong, and data from a detailed investigation of seven manufacturing firms in Hong Kong are drawn upon in order to detail the locational and sectoral characteristics, the production and linkage attributes, and the regional economic impacts of foreign manufacturing investment in Guangdong Province, China. It is found that, geographically, foreign manufacturing investment clusters in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, with Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhuhai, and Shantou as the secondary centers of concentration. Sectorally, investment from Hong Kong is concentrated in the electronics, garment, and textiles industries, whereas investment from other countries is centered in electronics, construction materials, transport equipment, and chemical industries. Foreign manufacturing investment in Guangdong is directed at a diverse array of activities, of which a signi...
Combined petrosal approach to petroclival meningiomas.

OBJECTIVE To study the use and advantages of combining the posterior petrosal approach with the anterior petrosal approach to petroclival meningiomas.METHODS Seven cases of petroclival meningiomas operated on via the combined petrosal approach were retrospectively analyzed. The basis on which this a
Difficult socio-economic circumstances and the utilization of risk information: A study of Mexican agricultural workers in the USA

Abstract Experiences associated with challenging socio-economic conditions may impact on motivational and cognitive processes that influence risk or health information processing. Within a population living in poverty, this study explored whether differences in socio-economic circumstances, and the subjective evaluation of these conditions, were associated with the utilization of new scientific evidence when judging risks. Using an experimental design, scientific information (i.e., strength of risk evidence and chemical persistence) was systematically varied in profiles of hazardous chemicals, and presented to a sample of 437 immigrant farm labourers in the USA. Participants were measured on several socio-economic indicators including education, migrant status, expectations for stable employment and perceptions of economic options. As predicted, when compared to labourers who believed themselves to be less dependent on their employment situation, participants who felt more economically dependent utilized ...
Tectonic implications of new Appalachian Ultradeep Core Hole (ADCOH) seismic reflection data from the crystalline southern Appalachians

Summary. Some 180 km of new VIBROSEIS profiles have been acquired in the southern Appalachian Inner Piedmont, Brevard fault zone and eastern Blue Ridge as part of the ADCOH Project site investigation. These data are of the highest quality yet obtained in a crystalline terrane in the US, perhaps in the world, and reveal several conclusions that should have a direct bearing upon the world-wide nature of composite crystalline thrust sheets and their modes of interaction with the platform rocks beneath. Strong reflections previously interpreted as the base of the crystalline sheet are clearly part of the platform sedimentary (clastic rocks) sequence resting upon the autochthonous basement and early Palaeozoic rift basins. This reflection package and related transparent zones are clearly repeated beneath the crystalline sheet indicating a complex of thrusts repeating units within the platform succession. Reflectors (granitoid-amplibolite contacts) in the crystalline sheet in the Inner Piedmont represent recumbent folds of similar wavelengths and amplitudes to folds mappable on the surface. Duplexing of platform rocks beneath the crystalline sheet appears to have resulted in doming of the crystalline sheet. Similarly, duplex formation in the platform was probably controlled by both the thickness of the crystalline sheet and the rheological properties of the platform succession.
Immunity to the vacuolar ATPase complex accessory unit ATP6S1 in patients with malignant melanoma.

The augmentation of high-titer antibodies to ATP6S1 is associated with favorable clinical outcomes in patients who received vaccination with autologous, irradiated tumor cells engineered to secrete GM-CSF and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Cellular immune responses to ATP6S1 are unknown. To define its role as an immune target, examination of cellular responses to ATP6S1 and immunity related to current therapies such as checkpoint blockade is needed. We used an overlapping peptide library representing the full-length ATP6S1 protein to screen for cellular responses from the peripheral blood of patients with stage III and IV melanoma. Reactive peptide pools were used to determine the individual peptide activity and epitopes. Recombinant ATP6S1 protein was used in an ELISA to assess potential correlation with humoral immune responses and changes in immunity related to CTLA-4 blockade with ipilimumab in these patients. We observed a broad array of CD4+ and CD8+ cellular responses against ATP6S1, including the identification of several MHC class I and II ATP6S1 epitopes. The generation of specific CD4+ and cytotoxic T cells revealed potent functional capability elicited by ipilimumab treatment in patients with metastatic melanoma, which revealed potent functional capability, including cytokine production, proliferation responsiveness to melanoma cell lines, and tumor-cell killing. Furthermore, the augmented humoral immune responses to ATP6S1 as a function of ipilimumab treatment were associated with beneficial clinical outcomes. These results support the continued development of ATP6S1 as a biomarker and therapeutic target. Cancer Immunol Res; 3(1); 59–67. ©2014 AACR.
Nuclear Typing of Frames vs Spatial Selectors

Nuclei which are defined over a class of frames are called nuclear typings. There is the dual notion of a spatial selector, and the relationship between nuclear typings and spatial selectors emanates from the duality between spatial frames and sober spaces. Especially interesting is the interplay between typings that are well-behaved with respect to certain frame quotients and selectors which similarly behave well in passage to closed sets.
Mass balance and area changes of four High Arctic plateau ice caps, 1959–2002

Small, stagnating ice caps at high latitudes are particularly sensitive to climatic fluctuations, especially with regard to changes in ablation season temperature. We conducted mass balance measurements and GPS area surveys on four small High Arctic plateau ice caps from 1999-2002. We compared these measurements with topographic maps and aerial photography from 1959, and with previously published data. Net mass balance (b n ) of Murray Ice Cap was -0.49 (1999), -0.29(2000), -0.47 (2001), and -0.29 (2002), all in meters of water equivalent (m w.eq.). The mass balance of nearby Simmons Ice Cap was also negative in 2000 (b n = -0.40 m w.eq.) and in 2001 (b n = -0.52 m w.eq.). All four ice caps experienced substantial marginal recession and area reductions of between 30 and 47% since 1959. Overall, these ice caps lost considerable mass since at least 1959, except for a period between the mid-1960s and mid-1970s characterized regionally by reduced summer melt, positive mass balance, and ice cap advance. The regional equilibrium line altitude (ELA) is located, on average, above the summits of the ice caps, indicating that they are remnants of past climatic conditions and out of equilibrium with present climate. The ice caps reached a Holocene maximum and were several times larger during the Little Ice Age (LIA) and their current recession reflects an adjustment to post-LIA climatic conditions. At current downwasting rates the ice masses on the Hazen Plateau will completely disappear by, or soon after, the mid-21st century.
Optimization of Arrays of Gold Nanodisks for Plasmon-Mediated Brillouin Light Scattering

Distributions of electric fields in two-dimensional arrays of gold nanodisks on a Si3N4 membrane, with light incident through the membrane, are modeled with the aim of determining array geometries ...
Robotically assisted revision of bariatric surgeries is safe and effective to achieve further weight loss.

Background As more bariatric operations are being performed in the USA every year, the number of revisions has increased. These operations are challenging and have a higher morbidity than the initial operation. We have reviewed our series of robotically assisted revisions.
AI in engineering

The papers in this special issue were compiled from responses to the announcement in the July 1984 issue of the SIGART newsletter and notices posted over the ARPAnet. The interest being shown in this area is reflected in the sixty papers received from over six countries. About half the papers were received over the computer network.
The case for Neo-Keynesianism: in defence of the welfare state

Neoliberalism is the dominant economic paradigm in the globe today. It has led to stagnant wages, high unemployment, increased income inequality and a decline in quality of life for the average citizen in the industrialised world over the past 30 years. It has also fomented a dramatic increase in economic instability, culminating in the 2007 financial crisis. In this article, I argue for Neo-Keynesian economic policy, including reregulation of the financial sector, a more progressive tax system and strategic government investment in the economy. Looking at education, I conclude that economic reform is a necessary corollary to educational reform if we are to improve the prospects of the next generation.