cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Peeling Back the Layers: Controlled Erosion and Triggered Disassembly of Multilayered Polyelectrolyte Thin Films

Methods for the layer-by-layer deposition of oppositely charged polymers on surfaces can be used to assemble thin multilayered films using a broad range of natural, synthetic, and biologically relevant materials. These methods also permit precise, nanometer-scale control over the compositions and internal structures of multicomponent assemblies. Provided that the individual components of these materials are selected or designed appropriately, these methods provide tantalizing new opportunities to design thin films and coatings that provide spatial, temporal, or active control over the release of one or several different agents from surfaces. The last two years have seen a significant increase in reports describing the development of new chemical, physical, and biomolecular approaches to the controlled erosion, triggered disassembly, or general deconstruction of multilayered polymer films. In this Progress Report, we highlight recent work from our laboratory and several other groups toward the design of ultrathin multilayered assemblies that i) permit broad, tunable, and sophisticated control over film erosion, and ii) provide new opportunities for the localized release of macromolecular therapeutics, such as DNA and proteins, from surfaces.
Effect of Culture Media on the Antifungal Activity of Miconazole and Amphotericin B Methyl Ester

The capacity of four culture media to obfuscate the antifungal activity of miconazole and amphotericin B methyl ester was evaluated qualitatively by examination of five isolates each of Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, Torulopsis glabrata, and Cryptococcus neoformans, and quantitatively by determination of the absolute minimal inhibitory concentrations for a strain of C. albicans. Miconazole, like the predecessor imidazole (clotrimazole), was antagonized by two complex, undefined media (Sabouraud's glucose and brain-heart infusion agars) but not by either of two synthetic formulations (synthetic amino acid medium, fungal and modified yeast-nitrogen base). The antifungal activity of amphotericin B methyl ester, like that of the parent compound amphotericin B, was not materially affected by the culture medium used for testing. When added separately to synthetic amino acid medium (fungal), neither purines nor pyrimidines antagonized miconazole. Ether extraction of Sabouraud's glucose agar failed to diminish the antagonism of this medium for miconazole. Miconazole [1] and amphotericin B methyl ester [2] are new antifungal agents that may be useful in the treatment of systemic mycoses [3-13]. Because these drugs appear to have clinical promise, qualitative and quantitative assessment of the capacity of four culture media to antagonize their activity was performed. For comparison, the chemically related, predecessor antifungal agents, clotrimazole [14] and amphotericin B [15], were examined at the same time. Measurement of zones of inhibition after exposure of five isolates each of five kinds of fungi (Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, Torulopsis glabrata, and Cryptococcus neoformans) to the four drugs in four culture media allowed qualitative assessment. The method of quantitative evaluation was essentially the approach used in similar earlier work [16]. The absolute MICs of the antifungal agents against a strain of C. albicans were determined in two commercially available, complex, undefined media (Sabouraud's glucose [SAB] and brain-heart infusion [BHI] agars) and in two synthetic, defined media (synthetic amino acid medium, fungal [SAAMF] and modified yeast-nitrogen base [NB]). (SAAMF is available from Dr. Ladduada, Grand Island Biological Diagnostics, P.O. Box 4385, Madison, Wis. 53711.)
Concomitant proliferation and formation of a stratified epithelial sheet by explant outgrowth of epidermal keratinocytes from adult mice

A chemically defined medium containing 1.2 mM Ca2+ has been developed for the culture of primary epidermal keratinocytes from untreated adult mice such that proliferation is accompanied by the formation of desmosomes and stratification. Cultured cutaneous explants of 1 mm2 from the backs of untreated, control, and carcinogen-exposed mice all demonstrated epithelial outgrowth within 1 wk, and by 5 wk approached confluence with characteristics of terminal differentiation such as desmosomes and stratification. Addition of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) to the medium in concentrations of 0.001, 0.01, and 0.1 µg/ml resulted in a delay of approximately 1 wk in the outgrowth of the explants compared with the acetone controls and in a 30% decrease in the diameter of the epithelial outgrowth at 3 wk. The inhibition in outgrowth was overcome at higher concentrations (0.5, 1.0, and 10 µg/ml TPA). No obvious differences in morphology or in the rate of epidermal outgrowth within a 5-wk interval among explants from normal untreated epidermis, epidermis from mice treated with acetone, or epidermis from mice treated with an initiating application of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene were observed. The defined composition of this medium and its ability to support reproducibly and conveniently both proliferation and differentiation of normal as well as treated primary adult murine epidermal cells suggest that it should be useful for a number of studies not previously possible that are relevent to the biology of the skin, to toxicology, and to carcinogenesis in the murine model system.
Development and deployment of a precision underwater positioning system for in situ laser Raman spectroscopy in the deep ocean

Abstract The field of ocean geochemistry has recently been expanded to include in situ laser Raman spectroscopic measurements in the deep ocean. While this technique has proved to be successful for transparent targets, such as fluids and gases, difficulty exists in using deep submergence vehicle manipulators to position and control the very small laser spot with respect to opaque samples of interest, such as many rocks, minerals, bacterial mats, and seafloor gas hydrates. We have developed, tested, and successfully deployed by remotely operated vehicle (ROV) a precision underwater positioner (PUP) which provides the stability and precision movement required to perform spectroscopic measurements using the Deep Ocean Raman In situ Spectrometer (DORISS) instrument on opaque targets in the deep ocean for geochemical research. The positioner is also adaptable to other sensors, such as electrodes, which require precise control and positioning on the seafloor. PUP is capable of translating the DORISS optical head with a precision of 0.1 mm in three dimensions over a range of at least 15 cm, at depths up to 4000 m, and under the normal range of oceanic conditions (T, P, current velocity). The positioner is controlled, and spectra are obtained, in real time via Ethernet by scientists aboard the surface vessel. This capability has allowed us to acquire high quality Raman spectra of targets such as rocks, shells, and gas hydrates on the seafloor, including the ability to scan the laser spot across a rock surface in sub-millimeter increments to identify the constituent mineral grains. These developments have greatly enhanced the ability to obtain in situ Raman spectra on the seafloor from an enormous range of specimens.
Changes in mouse circulating leukocyte numbers in C57BL/6 mice immunosuppressed with dexamethasone for Cryptosporidium parvum oocyst production

Abstract The Iowa strain of Cryptosporidium parvum will not propagate in immunocompetent mice, but will successfully infect genetically immunocompromised nude or SCID mice as well as immunocompetent mice which have been immunosuppressed with glucocorticoids. Using dexamethasone–tetracycline is one published method for immunosuppressing mice for the production of C. parvum oocysts. However, dexamethasone-induced immunosuppression is variable, because it is dependent on the total daily water consumption of each individual mouse. The changes in circulating leukocytes and other immune system associated organs before, during and after dexamethasone suppression were analyzed for comparison with a new single injection methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) suppression model. The dexamethasone-induced immunocompromised state was associated with a greater than 90% sustained drop in circulating T-lymphocytes, a greater than 700% increase in circulating mature segmented neutrophils and a severe depletion of circulating monocytes. The thymus and spleen decreased in size by over 80%. Oocyst shedding in suppressed mice started within 4 days of oocyst inoculation and persisted for 6 days post-dexamethasone treatment. Seven days after dexamethasone withdrawal, circulating neutrophils still were 549% higher than controls. Circulating CD3 and CD4 lymphocytes remained depressed by 85–90% while on dexamethasone and for 7 days after discontinuing dexamethasone. CD8 lymphocyte numbers initially decreased by 90%, but rose even while on dexamethasone and even with severe thymic involution. At day 7 post-dexamethasone treatment, the spleen was 119 mm3, approximating the same size as controls. Fourteen days post-dexamethasone treatment, which was 8 days after oocyst shedding had ceased, the CD8 counts per 5000 events were only 1.6% below controls, while the CD3 and CD4 counts were still depressed by 66%. The thymus now was about one quarter smaller than the controls. The rise in circulating CD8 lymphocytes, when oocyst production stopped, suggests that CD8 positive lymphocytes may play a significant role in vivo in clearing the parasite. The overall pattern of immunosuppression was nearly identical to that observed with the methylprednisolone acetate immunosuppression model.
Patents: the public interest versus the private privilege.

(2002). Patents: The Public Interest versus the Private Privilege. The American Journal of Bioethics: Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 45-46.
Influence of pavement macrotexture on PM10 emissions from paved roads: A controlled study

Abstract This paper investigates influence of pavement macrotexture on paved road PM10 emissions. This study was conducted on different paved roadway types (local, collector and minor arterial) in the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada. Pavement macrotexture was measured using the ASTM E 965 sand patch method and the Digital Surface Roughness Meter™ (DSRM™). A controlled constant soil loading with known PM10 fraction was applied to cleaned road surfaces. The Desert Research Institute's (DRI) Mini-PI-SWERL™ (Portable In-Situ Wind ERosion Lab) was used to estimate PM10 mass emissions and cumulative mass emitted from pavement surfaces. PM10 mass emissions using controlled applied soil loadings generally declined with increasing pavement macrotexture at all applied shear levels. The relationships were statistically significant, and indicate that pavement macrotexture may need to be included in future development of revised paved road PM10 emissions factors. A change in the slope of emitted PM10 mass and pavement macrotexture occurred between 0.8 and 0.9 mm mean texture depth (MTD). Anomalies in PM10 mass emissions were observed at MTDs exceeding 1.2 mm. Two-way frequency distributions of pavement surface features obtained from DSRM measurements were analyzed to explain the observed anomalies. Results showed that pavement surface feature size distributions may influence on PM10 emissions from paved roads at similar MTDs. PM10 mass emissions were found to linearly depend on adjusted mode size of the pavement surface aggregate. A sharp decrease in friction velocities, computed from wind erosion theory, at MTDs above 0.9 mm matched an observed sharp decrease in PM10 emissions rates at MTDs above 0.9 mm, indicating that classical wind erosion theory could be adapted for non-erodible pavement surfaces and linearly relate PM10 emissions rates to applied shear stress at an aerodynamic roughness height of 0.075 mm.
A spectral algorithm for learning mixture models

We show that a simple spectral algorithm for learning a mixture of k spherical Gaussians in Rn works remarkably well--it succeeds in identifying the Gaussians assuming essentially the minimum possible separation between their centers that keeps them unique (solving an open problem of Arora and Kannan (Proceedings of the 33rd ACM STOC, 2001). The sample complexity and running time are polynomial in both n and k. The algorithm can be applied to the more general problem of learning a mixture of "weakly isotropic" distributions (e.g. a mixture of uniform distributions on cubes).
Partial purification and reconstitution of the aspartate transport system from Halobacterium halobium

Abstract Membrane vesicles of Halobacterium halobium R 1 W rm bind to an aspartic acid-agarose affinity column. After disruption of the bound vesicles by low ionic strength, a protein fraction is eluted from the column with 2.5% cholate in 3 m NaCl. When this fraction is reconstituted with soybean lipids to form proteoliposomes, the proteoliposomes exhibit active aspartate accumulation. Aspartate transport in the reconstituted system is driven by a chemical sodium gradient (out>in), exhibits sensitivity to an electrical potential, and is specific for l -aspartate. These characteristics are consistent with observations on aspartate transport in intact membrane vesicles of H. halobium . Initial aspartate transport rates in the reconstituted system are about ninefold enhanced over the native system. The system developed should be useful in future purification schemes and studies of the molecular details of membrane transport.
A PROACTIVE RESPONSE TO FAMILY VIOLENCE: THE RESULTS OF A RANDOMIZED EXPERIMENT

Recent British work has focused attention on preventing repeat victimization as part of an overall crime prevention strategy. Because domestic violence victims are among those most likely to suffer multiple victimizations, they are logical candidates for programs targeted at reducing repeat victimization. This article reports on a joint law enforcement-social services approach to reduce the incidence of repeat domestic violence. The research design randomly assigned households reporting domestic incidents within two public housing police service areas in New York to receive or not receive a follow-up to the initial patrol response. (The follow-up visit was conducted by a police officer and a social worker.) In addition, housing projects in the same area were randomly assigned to receive or not receive public education about domestic violence. Neither treatment produced a reduction in violence. However, households in projects that had received public education and households that received the follow-up visits were both more likely to report new violence to the police than households that did not receive the treatments. Moreover, the effect of the follow-up visit was most pronounced among households with more serious histories of violence. The results suggest that the interventions increased citizens’ confidence in the ability of the police to handle domestic situations.
Finite Element Analysis of Foundation Settlement of 220kV Transmission Tower with Independent Foundation

The uneven subsidence of the independent foundation of the transmission tower often happens in the coal mining area, which causes serious threat to the safe operation of transmission lines. In this paper, the finite element analysis is carried out for a certain 220kV tower-ling coupling system, and the effects of the different kinds of earth deformations on the structure responses are studied. The results show that the contribution of the vertical displacement of the foundation to the variations of the internal forces of the tower is quite small and the resultant stress does not exceed its critical value. However, in the same load conditions, when the distance of root span changed or asymmetry settlement is overexertion, the truss member stress of the cross braces exceeds the yield strength of the materials and occurs yield deformation.
Catastrophic flooding and the response of the real estate market

Abstract In February 1986, the levee of the Yuba River broke, flooding the towns of Linda and Olivehurst in northern California. Besides the personal tragedies, were economic disasters. Property values of the houses plummeted. While theories of natural hazards predict that the market will capitalize the risk of flooding into the value of residential property, in areas where the probability is low the risk may be ignored. Factors are the history of past floods, socioeconomic conditions, and the real estate market. Housing prices in Linda and Olivehurst did drop (effectively to zero) immediately after the flood, then recovered relatively quickly to a level significantly lower than before the catastrophe. This suggests that the previous prices did not fully capitalize the risk of this intermittent hazard.
Diode-pumped regenerative Nd:YAG ring amplifier for space application

The study reviews the research and development of a prototype laser used to study one possible method of short-pulse production and amplification, in particular, a pulsed Nd:YAG ring laser pumped by laser diode arrays and injected seeded by a 100-ps source. The diode array pumped, regenerative amplifier consists of only five optical elements, two mirrors, one thin film polarizer, one Nd:YAG crystal, and one pockels cell. The pockels cell performed both as a Q-switch and a cavity dumper for amplified pulse ejection through the thin film polarizer. The total optical efficiency was low principally due to the low gain provided by the 2-bar pumped laser head. After comparison with a computer model, a real seed threshold of about 10 exp -15 J was achieved because only about 0.1 percent of the injected energy mode-matched with the ring.
Assessing student performance during experiential rotations.

Have you ever found it difficult to grade a student’s performance on rotation assignments, such as a SOAP note, a patient counseling session, or a presentation to medical staff? Many preceptors have questions and concerns related to grading, providing feedback, and student understanding of
Effect of histamine and an antihistaminic drug on the haemolytic action of guinea pig complement.

Cushman, Becker and Wirtz1 have shown that the antihistaminic drug theophorin is a potent inhibitor of the haemolytic action of complement. It is therefore of interest to study the effect of another antihistaminic drug and of histamine. Thenfadil (N : N-dimethyl-N′-2-pyridyl-N′-(3-thenyl)-ethylene-diamine) was chosen for study2. In a preliminary experiment 0.012 M thenfadil inhibited haemolysis by 56 per cent, while 0.010 M histamine inhibited it by 44 per cent. Inhibition in the presence of both compounds at these concentrations was 94 per cent. This suggested that both histamine and thenfadil can inhibit haemolysis in a similar way. This inhibition was not due to increased concentration of salt3, which, under the conditions of these experiments, had very much smaller effects. Further experiments were undertaken to determine the mechanism of inhibition by histamine and thenfadil, and thioglycollate, a known C′-inhibitor1, was also tested. (Complement and its four components are designated C′, C′1, C′2, C′3, C′4, respectively.)
Importance of isotopic composition of iron in cosmic rays

Measurement of the isotopic composition of iron in primary cosmic rays will yield valuable information about the site (or sites) of its production. A solar-like composition could have several explanations but even a very crude concurrent measurement of the isotopes of nickel could clarify the situation. Enhancements of54Fe or58Fe relative to56Fe would be indicative of acceleration of material from regions typically more neutron-rich than those responsible for solar abundances. Slight enhancements of54Fe could be explained by taking as a cosmic-ray source supernovae of a different typical mass or higher initial metallicity than those responsible for solar nucleosynthesis.Dominance of54Fe or58Fe would be indicative of very neutron-rich matter such as can only occur in the deep interior of a highly evolved star and would be strong evidence for the acceleration of relatively unmixed material from deep inside a supernova.
Products of elements of even order

Abstract The product of two non-conjugate elements of order two in a finite group must have even order. In this paper, we generalize this result for the product of two suitable elements of even order.
Facilitating Appropriate Referrals for Related Services in Schools

Change in the proportion of appropriate referrals received across four school years were investigated for a large, urban school district. Three interventions were introduced across these four school years: (1) a referral form designed to guide campus personnel through an education-based decision-making process, (2) training on an education-based decision-making process, and (3) a classroom-based support service. Eighty-five occupational therapy and physical therapy practitioners working in school settings in Texas each rated one of two randomized sets of 69 referrals. A referral was categorized as appropriate when a survey respondent, based on his or her working knowledge of practice in school settings under this state's regulations, deemed the information provided by the referring party appeared to indicate an appropriate referral. The probability of therapists identifying a referral as appropriate significantly differed across the four years (X2[3, n = 4,896] = 241.107, p < .001). The 2008–2009 referral...
Pregnancy-associated lymphomas. A clinicopathologic study.

BACKGROUND The natural histories of Hodgkin's disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) during pregnancy are not well understood. METHODS All cases of HD and NHL diagnosed during pregnancy at Stanford University Medical Center since 1987 were reviewed and clinical follow-up was obtained. Various immunohistochemical studies and in situ hybridization for Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) encoded RNA were performed in a subset of cases. RESULTS Seventeen cases of HD and 12 cases of NHL were accessioned (median age; 27 yrs). The HD cases were classified as 13 nodular sclerosis type, 3 mixed cellularity type, and 1 unclassified. Clinical follow-up revealed most of the patients had Stage II to III disease and were diagnosed on average at 22 weeks gestation. Most of the patients deferred therapy until after delivery and had no evidence of disease at the last follow-up except for one death with disease but not from it. NHL were classified according to the working formulation as high or intermediate grade lymphomas of various types, including both nodal and extranodal sites. Clinical follow-up revealed most had Stage II to IV disease and were diagnosed on average at 23 weeks gestation. Patients with HD tended to survive longer than those with NHL (raw mortality, P = 0.04). In situ hybridization failed to provide support for the presence of EBV in a subset of patients with NHL. CONCLUSIONS The clinical behavior of these neoplasms during pregnancy does not appear to be significantly different from that outside of the setting of pregnancy. Treatment of selected HD patients apparently may be safely deferred until after delivery. Patients with NHL present with higher stage disease and have a poorer prognosis than those with HD. Cancer 1996;78:304-10.
Developmental changes in memory: The effects of processing time and rehearsal instructions☆

Abstract An overt rehearsal procedure was used to investigate the relationship between children's rehearsal strategies and free recall performance. Previous work has shown that developmental differences in rehearsal content, rather than rehearsal frequency, affect recall performance. This experiment investigated the effects of increased processing time and rehearsal training upon recall. Third-grade girls (age 8) were able to use additional processing time to increase the activity of their rehearsal, and they showed corresponding improvement in recall. In contrast, third-grade boys (age 8) and sixth-grade boys and girls (age 12) did not take advantage of a slower presentation rate to rehearse more actively, and their recall did not change. Further, even without additional processing time, both the third-grade boys and girls were able to use an instructed active rehearsal strategy to facilitate their recall. The direct manipulation of rehearsal activity and the resulting improvement in recall provide experimental support for the proposed relationship between rehearsal content and recall from long-term memory store.
Trains Across Borders; Comparative Studies on International Cooperation in Railway Development

Schiefelbusch's Trains across borders reviews in depth the multidimensional development and ongoing management of international railway infrastructure. At a minimum, purely domestic railway service...
Immunogenicity of macrophage-bound antigens: the requirement for hapten and carrier determinants to be on the same molecule for T and B lymphocyte collaboration.

The hapten-protein conjugate, 2,4-dinitrophenyl-hemocyanin [DNP-KLH], is highly immunogenic when bound to macrophages of normal mice. Indeed, such macrophages effectively stimulate a strong anti-hapten response if presented to lymphocytes from mice previously immunized to the same hapten protein conjugate. On the other hand, the lymphocytes will not respond if the macrophage contains the hapten bound to an unrelated carrier, such as bovine IgG. In these experiments we tested whether such lymphocytes would respond immunologically to the hapten and carrier determinants, if these were in different molecules, but presented on the same macrophage. We have found that lymphocytes from DNP-KLH immune mice respond weakly to macrophages that contain both the hapten DNP on bovine IgG plus hemocyanin. Hence, the optimal T and B lymphocyte collaboration via macrophages demands that both the haptenic and carrier determinants be on the same molecule.
COMPLIANCE WITH THE ITEM LIMIT OF THE FOOD SUPERMARKET EXPRESS CHECKOUT LANE: ANOTHER LOOK

A total of 68 15-min. observations of customers' behavior at a food supermarket suggests that only about 7% of shoppers observe the item limit of the express lane. The averages tended to be about four pieces.
Finite element formulation including interlaminar stress calculations

Abstract A quadrilateral plate element is developed on the basis of utilizing the compatibility equations to obtain the in-plane stresses, and the equilibrium equations to obtain both transverse shear and normal stresses. A plate as opposed to shell or solid formulation serves to provide efficient solutions for thin to moderately thick laminated composite configurations. The element formulation involves relaxation of the Kirchhoff hypothesis via superposition of a shear rotation upon a midplane rotation. The displacement field is carefully selected to obtain the desired transverse stress variation. Results are compared to both closed form and numerical solutions.
Thin layer chromatography of dithiocarbamate fungicides.

During the course of studies on the transformation of dithiocarbamate fungicides on leaf surfaces, it became necessary to develop a procedure which would distinguish the residue of the applied substance from its transformation products. Thin layer chromatography proved to be the most effective method for this separation and the following procedure was developed.
Triangulations and the Hajós conjecture

In his recent work Thomassen [J Combin Theory Ser B 93 (2005), 95–105] discussed various refinements of Hajos conjecture. Shortly after Mohar [Electr J Combin 12 (2005), N15] provided an answer to Thomassen's Conjecture 6.5, and proposed a possible extension. The aim of this article is to address Mohar's suggestion. In particular, we prove that, for infinitely many integers m, there exists a graph on m vertices forming a triangulation of an orientable surface so that it does not contain a subdivision of a clique of size $O(m^{1/2})$ , and its chromatic number is at least $m^{{2/3} + o(1)}$. The main part of the proof is to show that the random graph can be almost covered by oriented triangles which do not contain certain forbidden configurations. We use a technique similar to the ones of Archdeacon and Grable [Discrete Math 142(1–3)(1995), 21–37] and Thomas and the first author [Random Struct Algorithms 6(1) (1995), 1–12]. We obtain a strengthening by replacing the “nibble” method by “random bites” used by Alon et al. [Israel J Math 100 (1997), 171–187]. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 59: 293–325, 2008
Differential role of PTK, ERK and p38 MAPK in superoxide impairment of NMDA cerebrovasodilation.

Abstract Previous studies in piglets have shown that the generation of oxygen free radicals (O−2) following traumatic brain injury and hypoxia/ischemia contribute to the reversal of N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA)-induced pial artery dilation to vasoconstriction. This study determined the contribution of protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) and mitogen-activated protein (MAPK) activation to impairment of NMDA cerebrovasodilation by O−2 in piglets equipped with a closed window. Exposure of the cerebral cortex to a xanthine oxidase O−2 generating system (OX) reversed NMDA (10−8, 10−6 M) dilation to vasoconstriction but such impairment was partially prevented by the PTK inhibitor, genistein, the MAPK (ERK isoform) inhibitor, U0126, and the MAPK (p38 isoform) inhibitor, SB203580 (9±1 and 15±1 vs. −1±1 and −1±1 vs. 5±1 and 9±1% for sham control, OX and OX in the presence of genistein, respectively). However, the p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, prevented NMDA dilator impairment significantly less than the ERK MAPK inhibitor, U0126. Similar results were obtained for glutamate. These data show that PTK and MAPK activation by the presence of O−2 contributes to the impairment of NMDA dilation. Furthermore, these data indicate a differential role for ERK and p38 MAPK activation in impairment of NMDA dilation by O−2 in the brain.
The Effect of High Versus Low Teacher Affect and Passive Versus Active Student Activity During Music Listening on Preschool Children's Attention, Piece Preference, Time Spent Listening, and Piece Recognition

This study was designed to examine the effects of high versus low non-verbal teacher affect and active versus passive student activities during music listening on preschool children's attention, paired-comparison piece preference, time spent listening, and piece recognition. Three-through five-year-old subjects (N = 94) participated in four small-group listening lessons and subsequent individual posttests. Through the use of a modified multiple baseline design, each of four treatment conditions, representing different sequences of instructional events, was replicated three times. All lessons were videotaped on a split screen showing both teacher and students. Data obtained through observation of the videotaped lessons indicated that high teacher affect was associated with higher levels of group attending behavior than was low affect, and active listening activities elicited similar or higher on-task behavior than passive activities. No significant effects concerning teacher affect during listening or piec...
Functional characterization of tlmK unveiling unstable carbinolamide intermediates in the tallysomycin biosynthetic pathway.

Tallysomycins (TLMs) belong to the bleomycin family of anticancer antibiotics. TLMs differ from bleomycins primarily by the presence of a 4-amino-4,6-dideoxy-l-talose sugar attached to C-41 as part of a glycosylcarbinolamide. We previously proposed, on the basis of bioinformatics analysis of the tlm biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptoalloteichus hindustanus E465-94 ATCC 31158, that the tlmK gene is responsible for the attachment of this sugar moiety. We now report that inactivation of tlmK in S. hindustanus abolished TLM A and TLM B production, the resultant ΔtlmK mutant instead accumulated five new metabolites, and introduction of a functional copy of tlmK to the ΔtlmK mutant restored TLM A and TLM B production. Two major metabolites, TLM K-1 and TLM K-2, together with three minor metabolites, TLM K-3, TLM K-4, and TLM K-5, were isolated from the ΔtlmK mutant, and their structures were elucidated. These findings provide experimental evidence supporting the previous functional assignment of tlmK to encode a glycosyltransferase and unveil two carbinolamide pseudoaglycones as key intermediates in the TLM biosynthetic pathway. TlmK stabilizes the carbinolamide intermediates by glycosylating their hemiaminal hydroxyl groups, thereby protecting them from hydrolysis during TLM biosynthesis. In the absence of TlmK, the carbinolamide intermediates fragment to produce an amide TLM K-1 and aldehyde intermediates, which undergo further oxidative fragmentation to afford carboxylic acids TLM K-2, TLM K-3, TLM K-4, and TLM K-5.
The effects of select neurotoxic chemicals on synaptosomal monoamine uptake and K+-dependent phosphatase

Abstract The in vitro inhibition of norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5-HT) uptake into rat brain synaptosomes by a diverse group of neurotoxic chemicals was studied. The test chemicals included CH 3 HgCl, Hg(NO 3 ) 2 , CdCl 2 , diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP), paraxon, acrylamide and Kepone while chlorpromazine and ouabain were used as reference chemicals. Methylmercuric chloride, Hg(NO 3 ) 2 and Kepone inhibited the NE and 5-HT uptake with IC 50 's (concentration of chemical inhibiting 50% of uptake) between 10 −4 to 10 −3 M for both amines. Maximal inhibition was 60–100% M. Cadmium chloride, paraoxon, DFP and acrylamide were not inhibitory. The influence of the test chemicals on synaptosomal K + -dependent phosphatase was studied. Methylmercuric chloride, Hg(NO 3 ) 2 , CdCl 2 and Kepone were inhibitors of the phosphatase with 50% inhibition (I 50 ) at micromolar concentrations. The phosphatase was most sensitive to Hg(NO 3 ) 2 inhibition with an I 50 of 0.03 μM. The inhibitory concentrations for these chemicals ranged from 10 −7 to 10 −3 M. A correlation of the phosphatase and monoamine uptake inhibitions was not suggested from the data. The low affinity inhibition (IC 50 greater than 10 −5 M) of the NE and 5-HT uptake by CH 3 HgCl, Hg(NO 3 ) 2 and Kepone suggested that this is not a biologically important phenomena. The apparent high affinity inhibition (I 50 less than 10 −5 M) of the phosphatase demonstrated the specific influences the test compounds can have on enzymatic processes. Such enzymatic inhibition would be of critical importance if these neurotoxicants were able to penetrate the synaptic or neuronal membrane.
SLAM for Flight through Urban Environments using Dimensionality Reduction

Robotic mapping is an enabling technology for the navigation of autonomous vehicles. The problem of estimating both a vehicle’s state and a map of its environment is referred to as Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). This paper presents a SLAM framework suitable of a Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) equipped only with a monocular camera. Structure from Motion (SFM) is employed to infer three-dimensional environment information from a stream of digital images. A dimensionality reduction step generates a geometric model of the vehicle’s surroundings by exploiting the structure inherent in urban settings. The focus of this paper is to formulate a vision-only SLAM framework for building maps that are amenable to motion planning algorithms to enable autonomous navigation. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the SLAM algorithm.
Isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography separation of phosphoglycerides and lysophosphoglycerides

An isocratic, rapid method for separation of phospho- and lysophospholipids by high-performance liquid chromatography employing acetonitrile, methanol and water as the mobile phase is described. Separation is achieved on a silica based cation-exchange column with individual components monitored directly by UV absorbance at 203 nm. In solutions of phospho- and lysophospholipid standards and in extracts of rabbit myocardium, recovery of individual components exceeds 95%. With the exception of phosphatidyl serine and phosphatidyl ethanolamine that could not be resolved other major phospho- and lysophospholipid constituents found in extracts of cell membranes are separated completely within 40 min. Retention time for selected moieties can be shortened even further with flow programming.
Mid-IR spectral comb with broad instantaneous bandwidth using subharmonic OPO

We implement a new approach for generating broadband mid-infrared frequency combs via degenerate optical parametric oscillation. This technique efficiently transfers the desirable properties of shorter wavelength mode-locked sources to the mid-IR. Our OPO resonator is a 3m ring cavity composed of one pair of concave mirrors with R=50mm and four flat mirrors, all but one of which are gold coated with > 99% reflection. A single dielectric mirror is used to introduce the 1560nm pump (Menlo Systems C-fiber, 100 MHz, 70 fs, 350 mW or Toptica Photonics FemtoFiber Pro, 80 MHz, 85 fs, 380 mW). The dielectric mirror is transmissive for the pump and reflective in the 2.5- 4 micron range. Broadband parametric gain around 3.1-micron subharmonic is provided by short (0.2-0.5mm) periodically poled lithium niobate (MgO:PPLN) at Brewster angle. Crystals were cut from Crystal Technology Inc. material having QPM period of 34.8 microns for type 0 (e=e+e) phase matching at t=32 deg. C. The enormous acceptance bandwidth at degeneracy, typical for OPOs with type 0 (or type I) phase-matching, gives broad bandwidth and makes temperature tuning insignificant. Broadband oscillation is achieved when signal/idler are brought into degenerate resonance by fine-tuning the cavity length with a mirror on a piezo stage. Using an 8% reflective pellicle, we outcouple a frequency comb of more than 1000nm bandwidth, centered around 3.1 microns. A 1mm or 2.5mm thick ZnSe plate at Brewster angle provides 2nd-order group velocity dispersion compensation, improving the OPO bandwidth. The OPO threshold was measured to be < 30mW. When locked, the OPO outputs 60 mW of average power centered at 3.1 microns. With proper intracavity dispersion management including chirped mirrors, we expect to extend the spectral width to an octave or more.
Cell-based models of coagulation: a paradigm in evolution.

The complex system regulating hemostasis, as well as an increasing number of inherited and acquired conditions associated with their dysregulation, must be understood fully before meaningful scientific studies to identify pharmacologic and/or cellular treatment strategies can take place. The importance of an evolving paradigm for coagulation that can be applied directly to protective hemostasis and pathologic thrombosis can not be overstated as a fundamental starting point for these important endeavors.
Nonsurgical treatment modalities for primary cutaneous malignancies.

BACKGROUND Various modalities have been available to treat primary cutaneous malignancies. Although not indicated for certain aggressive tumors, many of the newest regimens involve noninvasive techniques. It behooves both the nonsurgeon and the surgeon alike to be apprised of all treatment options, their indications, and their efficacy. OBJECTIVE The objective was to review the indications and published data on various nonsurgical treatment options for primary cutaneous malignancy. METHODS AND MATERIALS This study is a literature review. CONCLUSIONS Many nonsurgical treatment options exist for primary cutaneous malignancies. In determining which modalities to implement, consideration must be given to careful patient selection, tumor type, and appropriate expectations. Additionally, adjunctive/combination therapy may be used before or after surgery.
The mental syllabary in speech production: An integration of different approaches and domains

Background: The assumption of independently stored syllable motor programs has become an inherent part of the speech production model by Levelt and colleagues (Levelt, 1989, 1992; Levelt, Roelofs, & Meyer, 1999; Levelt & Wheeldon, 1994). In this model a mental syllabary is assumed to be located between the levels of phonological and phonetic encoding and is thought to contain the (high‐frequency) syllables of a given language as ready‐made whole gestural scores. The retrieval of precompiled syllable programs allows for rapid and fluent articulation and reduces the computational load relative to a segment‐by‐segment online assembly. A second online assembly is assumed to generate syllable programs for low‐frequency and new syllables. The author wishes to thank Karen Croot, Wolfram Ziegler, Ingrid Aichert, Ansgar Hantsch, Alissa Melinger, and Jeremiah W. Bertz for helpful comments on earlier versions of this manuscript. Aims: The aim of the current paper is to analyse and compare the findings from two diffe...
Intramedullary rodding in type III osteogenesis imperfecta:Effects on neuromotor development in 10 children

We studied retrospectively gross motor development and the impact of intramedullary rodding in 10 children with type III osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). There was a pronounced delay in motor development and the order in achieving gross motor milestones differed from the normal developmental sequence. Static milestones developed at an earlier stage than dynamic milestones. Intramedullary rodding of the lower extremities prior to the age of 3.5 years enhanced neuromotor development, especially regarding the milestones supported standing, rolling from prone to supine and crawling with abdomen on the floor. The different sequence in achieving gross motor milestones should have implications for future rehabilitation programs and for orthopedic surgery.
Heating of cryogenic targets in a light ion fusion cavity

Abstract Survivability of cryogenic targets in single-shot and reactor cavity environments is an essential prerequisite for high gain (>25) target experimentation, target development, and power production. Heat sources in a gas-filled light ion beam cavity include radiative, convective, and viscous heating by the cavity fill gas, heating due to laser radiation used to initiate low-density plasma channels for beam propagation, and heating due to ohmic dissipation of channel currents near the target. Prior to injection of the target into the cavity, tritium decay and target acceleration are the sources of heat. In this paper the parametric dependence, time scale, and magnitude of each of these thermal sources are discussed. Potential thermal protection techniques which may be applicable to long (>0.1 s), intermediate (∼ ms), and short-duration (∼ μs) heat loads are described, and remaining concerns are noted.
Onset of size effects in lattice thermal conductivity and lifetime of low-frequency thermal phonons

The onset of size effects in phonon-mediated thermal transport along a thin film at temperatures comparable or greater than the Debye temperature is analyzed theoretically. Assuming a quadratic frequency dependence of phonon relaxation rates in the low-frequency limit, a simple closed-form formula for the reduction of the in-plane thermal conductivity of thin films is derived. The effect scales as the square root of the film thickness, which leads to the prediction of measurable size-effects even at “macroscopic” distances ~100 μm. However, this prediction needs to be corrected to account for the deviation from the ω−2 dependence of phonon lifetimes at sub-THz frequencies due to the transition from Landau-Rumer to Akhiezer mechanism of phonon dissipation.
QoS evaluation of sender-based loss-recovery techniques for VoIP

Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) is a technology that transports voice data packets across packet-switched networks using the Internet protocol (IP). Losing packets in the network is inevitable, and losing voice packets degrades audio quality. There are many loss-recovery techniques that designers can use to mitigate the undesired effects of packet loss. Some of these loss-recovery techniques use sender-based procedures, and others use receiver-based procedures. We examine several well-known sender-based loss-recovery techniques and evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of each one in real-time interactive VoIP applications. We analyze the bandwidth requirements, buffering delays, and perceptual sound qualities of these techniques. We study the effectiveness of these approaches under various packet-loss conditions, and we also compare the effectiveness of these techniques against a speech codec that has high degree of packet-loss robustness
Experimental muscle strain injury Early functional and structural deficits and the increased risk for reinjury

The structural and functional strength of a muscle immediately after an experimentally created strain injury was examined to provide clinically relevant information for the early treatment of muscle strain injuries. The extensor digitorum longus muscles of 12 adult male rabbits were studied. Contractile force and shortening, and peak load were determined for control muscles. A nondisruptive strain injury was created by stretching the experimental muscles just short of complete rupture. Contractile force generation and shortening, and peak load were determined after the experimental strain injury. Peak load was 63% and elongation to rupture was 79% for the experimental muscles relative to the controls. Statistically significant lower values for contractile force generation and shortening were also seen in the experimental muscles. Histologic and gross examinations revealed that incomplete disruptions occurred near the distal muscle-tendon junction. These experimental data suggest clinical implications, such as 1) a muscle-tendon unit is significantly more susceptible to injury following a strain injury than normal muscle, 2) early return to the uncontrolled environment of athletic competition may place the injured muscle at risk for further injury, and 3) therapeutic regimens designed to achieve an early return to competition may further increase the risk for additional injury by eliminating protective pain mechanisms. Although the decrements in peak load and elongation to failure are less than normal muscle, the values seem high enough to allow mobilization of the injured extremity and functional rehabilitation.
Food deprivation enhances both autoshaping and autoshaping impairment by a latent inhibition procedure

The influence of food deprivation on acquisition of autoshaped operant behavior was measured. In one study separate groups of young, male rats that were deprived to 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, and 95% of ad lib weight were subjected to an autoshaping procedure in which a 6 s delay was interposed between lever retraction (which occurred when rats made a lever touch, or automatically after 15 s) and food pellet delivery. In a second study, groups of rats were deprived to 80% or 90% of ad lib weight prior to testing in a latent inhibition variation of the same autoshaping procedure. This was done to determine if greater food deprivation would enhance learning which, because of the latent inhibition manipulation, is manifest as less lever-directed behavior. Greater food deprivation was associated both with fast acquisition of autoshaped lever responding and with more reliable failure to increase lever responding in the latent inhibition paradigm. Thus, increasing food deprivation was associated with enhanced acquisition regardless of whether the required performance was an increase or a failure to increase the same behavior, indicating a specific effect on learning.
Broken algebra of currents and the Cabibbo angle

Abstract Hadron currents are introduced which violate the chiral SU(3) × SU(3) algebra, but leave the subalgebra of SU(2) × SU(2) unchanged. The coefficient of the symmetry breaking current can be related to the Cabibbo angle and the meson mass splitting. Two models are considered which give explicit values for this angle.