cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New Insights into the Function of the Matricellular CCN1: an Emerging Target in Proliferative Retinopathies.

The eye contains highly vascularized and completely avascular cell layers in apposition to one another. Such tissue disposition/organization involves tight coordination of vascular growth and vascular arrest. In particular, retinal vascularization, which occurs during the final embryonic stages of development in humans, emerges as a result of coordinated interactions/ cross talks among astrocytes, endothelial cells and pericytes through balanced production of guidance, chemotactic, and pro- and anti- angiogenic regulatory factors. However, the entire repertoire of the key factors involved and their precise role in the process is not fully known. During postnatal life, damage to blood vessels as a result of trauma, hyperoxia, diabetes, aging, dyslipidemia, or a number of other diseases can result in arrest of vascular development, vaso-obliteration and/or vascular occlusion as in retinopathy of prematurity, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, as well as a large number of other eye conditions. The resulting ischemia, which rapidly impairs oxygen levels within surrounding tissue, leads to excessive aberrant compensatory blood vessel growth invading the normally avascular vitreous, eventually causing retinal detachment and blindness. The expression or lack of multiple blood-borne and/or stroma-derived cytokines and chemokines, including those of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and angiopoietin systems, has been implicated in dysregulation of growth, migration, adhesion and differentiation of retinal cells in retinal vascular diseases.1,2 Interestingly, a novel signaling system with profound effects on retinal vascular development and disease has emerged from the study of a subset of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins known as Cysteine-rich protein 61/connective tissue growth factor/Novel overexpressed (CCN).3
Simulation-based planning and control: From shop floor to top floor

Abstract This paper illustrates how simulation-based shop-floor planning and control can be extended to enterprise-level activities (top floor). First, the general planning and control concept are discussed, followed by an overview of simulation-based shop-floor planning and control. Analogies between the shop floor and top floor are discussed in terms of the components required to construct simulation-based planning and control systems. Analogies are developed for resource models, coordination models, physical entities, and simulation models. Differences between the shop floor and top floor are also discussed in order to identify new challenges faced for top-floor planning and control. A major difference between the top floor and the shop floor is the way a simulation model is constructed for use in planning, depending on whether time synchronization among member simulations becomes an issue or not. Another difference is in the distributed communication/computing platform. This work uses a distributed computing platform using Web services technology to integrate heterogeneous simulations and systems in a distributed top-floor control environment. The research results reveal that simulation-based planning and control is extensible to the top-floor environment’s evolving new research challenges.
The role of trace elements, thiamin (e) and transketolase in autism and autistic spectrum disorder

Although there has been much research into autism or autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), there is room for considerable conjecture regarding the etiology of these developmental brain disorders. ASD is marked by a complex interaction between environmental factors and genetic predisposition, including epistasis. This manuscript argues that changes in oxidative metabolism, thiamine homeostasis, heavy metal deposition and cellular immunity have a role in the etiopathogenesis of autism and ASD. Recent findings from our group and others provide evidence for abnormal thiol metabolism, marked by significant alteration in the deposition of several trace heavy metal species. Together with these, we find differences in thiamine homeostasis in ASD patients, which can be corrected by supplementation. We hypothesize that altered thiol metabolism from heavy metal toxicity, one of the key mechanisms for oxidative stress production, may be responsible for the biochemical alterations in transketolase, dysautonomia and abnormal thiamine homeostasis. Although it is unknown why these particular metals accumulate, we suspect that children with ASD and forms of autism may have particular trouble excreting thiol-toxic heavy metal species, many of which exist as divalent cations. We maintain mercury accumulation is evidence of altered clearance. Together with concomitant oxidative stress, these findings may offer an intriguing component or possible mechanism for oxidative stress-mediated neurodegeneration in ASD patients. Regardless of the exact cause, these factors may be more important to the etiology of this symptomatically diverse disease spectrum. Here, we offer insight into new avenues of exploration as well as the development of novel treatment approaches for these growing and devastating diseases.
External normal pressure prevents preferential wetting of PS/PMMA blend thin films

Abstract Substrate wetting of the component(s) of thin polymer blend films strongly dictates their phase evolution during thermal annealing. In the case of wetting by one component being preferential than the other, a continuous wetting layer at the substrate will form. Here, we report that the preferential wetting of PMMA within a PS/PMMA thin film can be prevented under normal pressure. Moreover, the external pressure drives the PMMA wetting layer at the substrate (or a PMMA cushion layer intentionally placed between the blend film and the superstrate) into the isolated PMMA domains within the blend film. This results in a film morphology normally observed on neutral surfaces, revealing that normal pressure can potentially be used to effectively control the blend film morphology by preventing the hydrodynamic wetting.
ICA-based fusion for colour display of hyperspectral images

Hyperspectral images contain data from a large number of contiguous bands and, therefore, cannot be displayed directly using a colour display system. In this paper, an independent component analysis-based (ICA-based) approach for the problem of fusing hyperspectral images to three-band images for colour display purposes is proposed. Correlation coefficient and mutual information (ICA-CCMI) are used as criteria for selecting three suitable independent components for colour representation. In addition, statistical evaluation metrics for the colour display results of hyperspectral images are provided and discussed in light of different visualization goals. A new quality metric motivated by the quality index is developed to evaluate the structural information of the colour display images. The performance of our approach is validated by applying it to three hyperspectral image datasets. The experimental results demonstrate promising performance for the ICA-CCMI algorithm, compared with existing principal component analysis-based (PCA-based) methods for visualization of hyperspectral images.
Decay of 97Ru, 97Zr and 97Nb

Abstract The decay of 97 Ru, 97 zr and 97 Nb to levels in 97 Tc, 97 Nb and 97 Mo has been studied with Ge(Li), NaI(Tl), plastic scintillation, and Si (Li) detectors in singles and coincidence experiments. Level schemes were constructed with states in 97 Te at 96.5, 215.2, 324.4, (560), 785.5, 856 and 971 keV; in 97 Nb at 743.5, 1148.6, 1251.4, 1276.6, 1549.2, 1751.2, 1764.0, 1852.0, 2106.9 and 2247 keV; and in 97 Mo at 656.0, 1022.0, 1274.5 and 1514 keV. From β-endpoint energies, disintegration energies of 97 Zr and 97 Nb were determined to be 2580 ± 50 keV and 1830 ± 50 keV, respectively. Decay scheme considerations and an upper limit to the β + /ec ratio established the disintegration energy of 97 Ru to be about 1100 keV. Neither the effective-interaction method nor the pairing-correlation model accounts for the experimentally determined levels in mass-97 nuclei.
Observations on the gel chromatography of collagen-like peptides and use of a simple calibration method for molecular weight determination.

Abstract Elution characteristics of collagen-derived polypeptides and of globular proteins were compared under identical experimental conditions with agarose gels. This comparison permitted calculation of the hydrodynamic radii of collagen polypeptide chains of different molecular weight, and these radii were shown to be in reasonable agreement with estimates made from intrinsic viscosity data. Two distinet linear relationships were observed for collagen polypeptide chains, relating logarithm of molecular weight to elution parameters. Peptide chains of MW 3300 and lower fell on a line of a steeper slope than did larger polypeptide chains. A simple procedure for molecular weight estimation of an unknown polypeptide chain of the collagen class is described, using only three commercially available standards for calibration: reduced, carboxymethylated Ascaris cuticle collagen, and the synthetic peptides ( l -Pro- l -Pro-Gly) 10 and ( l -Pro-L-Pro-Gly) 5 .
Is There Coherence among the Cognitive Components of Gender Acquisition

This study examined the relationships among five measures that assess various cognitive components of the child's acquisition of gender. At around 2 years of age, children were given a task assessing their ability to accurately label as “a boy” or “a girl” some head-and-shoulders pictures of boys and girls. At 4 years of age, these children were given tasks measuring (1) the degree to which they found gender a salient parameter of categorization, (2) the amount of gender-related knowledge they could display (SERLI-SRD), (3) the degree to which their preferences were gender-typed (SERLI-SRP) and (4) the accuracy of their memory for gender-typed information. There was no consistent pattern of relationship among the children's scores on these five tools for measuring gender acquisition. Our findings suggest that gender is a multidimensional construct in children's development, and thus these results challenge the undimensional manner in which gender is repeatedly addressed in developmental theory and research.
Ready, Set, Plan, Implement: Executing The Expansion Of Medicaid

Federal and state governments must soon begin planning and developing systems to implement the expansion of Medicaid for low-income adults, as prescribed in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. States will have to establish enrollment and coordination procedures, determine benefit packages, and update arrangements with providers. Federal estimates indicate that states will bear relatively little of the new cost, but some states disagree. State planning efforts will be challenged by current budget shortfalls and, in many states, political opposition. Paradoxically, many of the states opposing expansions are those whose Medicaid-eligible patient populations have the most to gain from health reform.
Diagnostic wrist arthroscopy

Abstract Wrist arthroscopy has become an essential tool for the hand and upper extremity surgeon. It is useful in diagnosing and/or staging a wide range of conditions of the wrist, including cartilage injury, early arthritis, ligament injury, and triangular fibrocartilage complex tears. It can be of great benefit in evaluating wrist pain of unclear cause when imaging studies fail to elucidate the disease. In the hands of an experienced arthroscopist, it can be a more accurate diagnostic tool than studies such as magnetic resonance imaging or arthrography. The rate of complications is very low if proper attention is paid to details. Familiarity with the equipment, thorough knowledge of the anatomy, and development of a systematic approach are all critically essential for a surgeon performing arthroscopy of the wrist. The surgeon must also know when arthroscopy does not provide sufficient access to the wrist and an arthrotomy should be performed.
Analysis of binding elements in the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 genomic RNA and nucleocapsid protein.

Abstract We previously used RNA gel mobility shift assays to demonstrate specific binding of the HIV-1 gag precursor polyprotein and nucleocapsid (NC) protein to HIV-1 RNA and to map the binding elements in each species by mutagenesis. Here we report finer mapping of binding elements in the HIV-1 genomic RNA and NC protein, performed by analyzing the binding behavior of fragments of each species in the gel shift assay. With regard to the RNA, the strongest binding activity resided in a 120-nucleotide segment flanking the gag start codon, containing three potential stem-loop structures. Binding analysis of various combinations of these three potential stem-loop structures and their flanking sequences revealed that no one element could bind to the gag polyprotein or NC protein as well as the entire 120-nucleotide segment. Mutational analysis of the NC protein showed that two nonoverlapping regions exhibited specific binding for HIV-1 RNA. Each region includes a Cys-His box, though each box could not bind to HIV-1 RNA on its own. In contrast, a construct lacking both boxes exhibited primarily nonspecific RNA-binding activity.
The effect of curvature on Stoneley waves

Abstract The effect of curvature is investigated for plane waves propagating in the circumferential direction along concave and convex cylindrical surfaces, and at the interface of a circular cylindrical inclusion in smooth or bonded contact with an unlike infinite medium. The waves propagate with an arbitrary, but generally large number of circumferential modes. These problems reduce to Rayleigh and Stoneley waves in the limit as the curvature vanishes. Dispersion relationships are presented for each case.
Intercellular pathways in the heart: direct evidence for low resistance channels.

In einzelne Zellen von Kaninchen-und Rattenherzen wurde Natriumfluoreszin injiziert, wobei der Farbstoff direkt von Zelle zu Zelle diffundierte, aber nicht merklich auf den Extrazellularraum ubertritt. Daraus wird gefolgert, dass zwischen den Myocardzellen Verbindungswege existieren, von wo aus Impulse weitergeleitet werden konnen.
The optimal management of renewable resources under the risk of potential regime shift

Abstract Complex dynamic systems can undergo changes in feedbacks between system components causing a rapid and persistent shift in system behavior (“regime shifts”), and potentially reduce welfare from declining provision of important ecosystem services. In this paper, we provide an analytical condition that determinfilefs whether the threat of a potential regime shift causes management to be more aggressive or more precautionary. In numerical simulations we find that aggressive management can occur for reasonable parameter values, which is counter prior results that the potential for harmful regime shift always leads to precautionary management.
Regulation of epileptiform discharges in rat neocortex by HCN channels.

Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated, nonspecific cation (HCN) channels have a well-characterized role in regulation of cellular excitability and network activity. The role of these...
Interactions between drops of a molten aluminum-lithium alloy and liquid water

In certain hypothesized nuclear reactor accident scenarios, 1- to 10-g drops of molten aluminum-lithium alloys might contact liquid water. Because vigorous steam explosions have occurred when large amounts of molten aluminum-lithium alloys were released into water or other coolants, it becomes important to know whether there will be explosions if smaller amounts of these molten alloys similarly come into contact with water. Therefore, the authors released drops of molten Al-3.1 wt pct Li alloy into deionized water at room temperature. The experiments were performed at local atmospheric pressure (0.085 MPa) without pressure transient triggers applied to the water. The absence of these triggers allowed them to (a) investigate whether spontaneous initiation of steam explosions would occur with these drops and (b) study the alloy-water chemical reactions. The drop sizes and melt temperatures were chosen to simulate melt globules that might form during the hypothesized melting of the aluminum-lithium alloy components.
Specification testing in Markov-switching time-series models

This paper develops a series of specification tests of Markov-switching time-series models. Tests for omitted autocorrelation, omitted ARCH, misspecification of the Markovian dynamics, and omitted explanatory variables are proposed. All of the tests can be constructed as a natural byproduct of the routine used to calculate the ‘smoothed’ probability that a given observation came from a particular regime, and do not require estimation of additional parameters. The paper performs Monte Carlo analysis of the tests and briefly illustrates their use with an empirical application.
Correlation of Soil pH and Mehlich-3 Phosphorus with Postflood Rice Phosphorus Concentrations in Arkansas

Abstract Plant‐available phosphorus (P) measured by routine soil‐test methods is poorly correlated with rice grain yield in Arkansas. Our objective was to determine whether soil water pH (pHw) and Mehlich‐3 P were correlated with growth and yield of rice grown on silt loam soils. Data from 35 field studies were used to correlate Mehlich‐3 P and pHw with relative yield, dry matter accumulation, and P concentration at the midtillering stage. Significant linear or nonlinear relationships between pHw or Mehlich‐3 P with rice growth parameters were delineated but explained less than 27% of the variability in dry matter and P concentrations at the midtillering stage and grain yield at maturity. Mehlich‐3 P and pHw together explained 61% of the variability in midtillering P concentrations. Midtillering whole‐plant P concentrations were positively related to relative grain yield and dry matter production and will be used to identify soils with limited P availability for rice in Arkansas.
Salt intake by normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats: two-bottle and lick rate analyses.

Abstract Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) overconsume NaCl compared to the normotensive Wistar Kyoto rat (WKY) rat. In the present experiment, two-bottle preference for NaCl (0.01, 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 1.0, 3.0 M) and lick rate analyses were used to identify the possible mechanisms that underlie the intake of NaCl by male SHR. Two-bottle preference and absolute NaCl intake by SHR were greater than that of WKY rats. When NaCl intake was calculated on the basis of body weight, SHR consumed more NaCl per 100 g body weight than did WKY. Also, during the one-bottle test, SHR consumed more 0.1 and 0.3 M NaCl per 100 g body weight than did WKY. The increased intake of NaCl by SHR was most evident for 0.3 M NaCl. Intake is determined by the initial rate of licking and the decline in lick rate over time. Nonlinear regression analysis of lick rate showed that the initial lick rates (licks/min) were similar for male WKY and SHR. Lick rate declined more rapidly when WKY rats drank 0.3 M than when they drank 0.1 M NaCl, a result consistent with the role of negative feedback in controlling the decay in lick rate. This concentration-dependent change in lick rate was not seen in SHR. Also, SHR lick rate for 0.1 and 0.3 M NaCl decelerated more slowly than that of WKY rats. The increased intake of hypertonic NaCl by SHR was due to a decrease in the decline in lick rate, suggesting that SHR are less responsive to ingestion–contingent negative feedback.
Optimal moisture for rapid compaction of coal logs for freight pipelines

The cost of producing coal logs and thus the economic competitiveness of coal log pipelines is directly related to the compaction time necessary to make the coal logs. Previous research has demonstrated the ability to make laboratory scale coal logs with a 5-s compaction time. It was also observed that for rapidly compacted coal logs, coal log circulation performance (resistance to abrasion in a commercial pipeline) is maximized, if the logs are compacted from a coal mixture at optimal moisture content. For the bituminous Mettiki coal that has been studied, this optimal moisture content is about 9%, if the compaction time is 5 s. The practical application of this is that if stockpiled coal is wetter than optimum, it would require drying of the coal to compact it at the optimum moisture content. Obviously, this would effect the cost of coal log fabrication. The authors hypothesize that an alternative to drying coal exists. If the coal logs are to be made at mix moisture contents that are above the optimum value, then it is hypothesized that coal log quality can be maintained if the compaction time is increased. In fact, we believe that if compaction time is increased such that the bulk density and moisture content of the compacted coal logs are the same, then the circulation performance of the coal logs will be the same. In this paper, the results of experiments designed to test this hypothesis are presented. The experimental data show that there is a range of mix moisture contents over which rapidly compacted quality coal logs can be formed. This range could be determined experimentally for any coal. For the Mettiki coal studied here, the range is 6% to 9%. For mix moisture contents above the optimum (high end of the range or 9% for the Mettiki coal), logs can be made with optimal dry bulk densities and log moisture contents if the compaction time is sufficiently slow. Logs with the same dry bulk density will have the same circulation performance. These results indicate that the hypothesis is valid.
Characterization of a Bacteriocinogenic Plasmid in Clostridium perfringens CW55

A bacteriocinogenic strain of Clostridium perfringens was exposed to various curing agents known to accelerate the elimination of extrachromosomal DNA, and 20 independently derived mutants that had lost both the ability to produce bacteriocin and their immunity to it were isolated and characterized. All of the mutants were missing at least two specific plasmid bands seen in the agarose gel plasmid profile of the parent strain. Evidence that the two missing bands represented the open circular and closed circular forms of the same plasmid was obtained by X-ray nicking and restriction endonuclease digestion. The data indicated that bacteriocin production and immunity are controlled by a single plasmid, pCW4, with a molecular weight of 5.6 × 10 6 in this strain. Attempts to transfer the bacteriocinogenic plasmid were unsuccessful. Images
De la Conquista a la Independencia: Mariano Picón-Salas y el lenguaje americano del ensayo

Este articulo examina los vinculos entre la teoria de los generos literarios manejada por Mariano Picon-Salas y la concepcion del mestizaje que postula uno de sus libros mas importantes, De la Conquista a la Independencia.
Electronic Reverse Auctions: Integrating an E-Sourcing Tool into a Sales and Purchasing Cross-Course Negotiation Project

Electronic reverse auctions are increasingly being used by firms to improve firm financial and operational performance. The described teaching innovation serves as a model for introducing electronic reverse auctions as a central element in a comprehensive negotiation exercise involving sales management and purchasing management students. Results of this exercise indicate a high level of student engagement and interest in additional exposure to sales/sourcing technologies.
Analysis of student evaluation of teaching scores using bootstrap and permutation methods

IN THIS PAPER, we propose improved techniques for analyzing the results of student evaluations of teaching. We wish to obtain confidence intervals for the mean rating of an instructor in a given section and to evaluate whether the observed difference in ratings between a section and a reference group is significant. Standard classical methods may be used when ratings are approximately normally distributed or when the sample size is large (if normality is in question). However, ratings are discrete and typically skewed (therefore not normal), and section sizes can be small. In these situations, an alternative to classical methods is required. In this paper we propose theoretically sounder, but more computer intensive, methods based on Efron’s bootstrap and the permutation test. These do not presume any specific distribution for the data.
Fast Prediction of Temperature by FEM in Hot Strip Rolling

Finite element method (FEM) has been one of the most important numerical simulation tools with the development of computer technology. However, it is only used to simulate and analyze different process offline in many fields because of the longer computational time. The influencing factors of prediction of temperature in the strip rolling by FEM including equations, mesh and storage of matrix was investigated in the paper. The lumped heat capacity matrix was introduced to resolve the oscillation problem and improve precision. Furthermore, the refined elements layer upon layer was discussed to improve solution efficiency and precision. In addition, in order to improve the solution efficiency one dimensional compressed storage method was employed to carry out in the solution of equations. The FEM program code for the solution of temperature was embed in the online rolling control system program successfully. The predictive results are in good agreement with the measured value. The computational time and precision are satisfied in the strip rolling process.
A Bayesian network approach for selecting translocation sites for endangered island birds

Abstract Translocation has become increasingly important for conserving island species. Limited tools are available for guiding the selection of translocation sites, however, particularly when establishing rescue populations outside of historic ranges. We developed a Bayesian network model framework for translocation site selection for island birds. The model consisted of four primary components including ecological requirements for survival, anthropogenic threats at the population establishment site, effects the translocated species may have on native species, and operational support associated with the translocation process and ongoing management. We then used the model to identify potential sites for the establishment of a wild population of Guam Micronesian kingfishers ( Todiramphus cinnamominus cinnamominus ) on an island outside the bird’s historic range. Conditional probabilities that guided model evaluations were allocated using information from the literature, expert opinions, and a training set of islands outside the region under consideration for releases. The model was used to evaluate 239 islands where a translocation population of Micronesian kingfishers could be established. Five islands, all in the Federated States of Micronesia, were identified as being suitable for assisted colonization, including Kosrae, Yap, Faichuk, Weno and Fefan. Sensitivity analysis showed a correspondence between model variables and island characteristics indicated by the literature as being the most important for successful translocation. We found the Bayesian network model to be a useful tool for translocation site selection despite limited information on the natural history of the Guam Micronesian kingfisher and the factors that impact the success of translocations.
On calibration and validation of eigendeformation-based multiscale models for failure analysis of heterogeneous systems

We present a new strategy for calibration and validation of hierarchical multiscale models based on computational homogenization. The proposed strategy hinges on the concept of the experimental simulator repository (SIMEX) which provides the basis for a generic algorithmic framework in calibration and validation of multiscale models. Gradient-based and genetic algorithms are incorporated into SIMEX framework to investigate the validity of these algorithms in multiscale model calibration. The strategy is implemented using the eigendeformation-based reduced order homogenization (EHM) model and integrated into a commercial finite element package (Abaqus). Ceramic- and polymer- matrix composite problems are analyzed to study the capabilities of the proposed calibration and validation framework.
New obstacles to improving the quality of end-of-life care in ICU

Background Because of high mortality, end-of-life care is an important component of intensive care. Methods Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a quality-improvement intervention to improve intensive care unit (ICU) end-of-life care. Design Cluster-randomized trial of a multi-component educational intervention targeted at bedside ICU caregivers from 2004 to 2008. Setting 12 community hospitals in Washington State, United States. Subjects 2,318 patients dying in the ICU or within 30 hours of ICU discharge, as well as their families and the nurses participating in their care. Intervention The intervention targeted clinicians with five components: clinician education, local champions, academic detailing, clinician feedback of quality data, and system supports. Outcomes Quality of death and dying (QODD) and satisfaction surveys. Results The primary outcome, family-QODD, showed no change with the intervention (P = 0.33). There was also no change in family satisfaction (P = 0.66) or nurse-QODD (P = 0.81). There was a non-significant increase in ICU days before death after the intervention (hazard ratio = 0.9; P = 0.07). Among patients undergoing withdrawal of mechanical ventilation, there was no change in time from admission to withdrawal (hazard ratio = 1.0; P = 0.81). Conclusions A multifaceted quality improvement intervention was associated with no improvement in quality of dying among ICU decedents, as well as no reduction in resource utilization prior to the withdrawal of life sustaining measures.
Clinical Course and Long Term Outcomes in Pediatric Patients with Necrotizing Pneumonia (NP)

Clinical Course and Long Term Outcomes in Pediatric Patients with Necrotizing Pneumonia (NP)
Perspective: Kinetic and mechanical properties of adsorbed polymer layers

One of the ironies of polymer science is that the intense interest in the dynamics of flexible and semiflexible macromolecules in the bulk [1–3] is not yet of major enough concern regarding polymer surfaces, the preoccupation being with equilibrated conformations. The current situation is summarized in an authoritative treatise [4] and epitomized by important recent papers [5]. Drawing inspiration from the influential analogy by Guiselin between the burgeoning loops of adsorbed polymers and polydisperse polymer brushes, proposed 10 years ago [6], the interesting accompanying paper aims to explain the hysteresis of force-distance profiles in terms of the memory of an earlier state to which polymer layers were more highly compressed [7]. An even larger challenge will be to understand the time needed to lose memory of the previously adsorbed state. Polymer science does not yet have enough understanding of this question —the connection between rates, and surface-adsorbed states. Another irony is that the intense concern with bulk polymer crystallization and morphology is so restricted to what happens in the bulk. Studies of short alkanes show that confinement at or between surfaces can promote crystallization at temperatures where the bulk fluid is in the fluid state [8,9], so it is reasonable to expect the same trend for polymers. The interesting suggestion by Johner and Semenov [10] that confinement promotes local crystallization of the sample, which amounts to an alternative explanation to that proposed in the adjoining paper, should therefore be considered seriously. It is a limitation of our field that the definitive answer is still speculative. It is worthwhile to summarize some unsolved theoretical and experimental problems concerning kinetic and mechanical properties of adsorbed layers: 1) Entanglements . It is well known that long-chain flexible molecules exhibit special dynamic and elastic properties due to the fact that they cannot cut through
Large N classical dynamics of holographic matrix models

Using a numerical simulation of the classical dynamics of the plane wave and flat space matrix models of M theory, we study the thermalization, equilibrium thermodynamics, and fluctuations of these models as we vary the temperature and the size of the matrices, $N$. We present our numerical implementation in detail and several checks of its precision and consistency. We show evidence for thermalization by matching the time-averaged distributions of the matrix eigenvalues to the distributions of the appropriate traceless Gaussian unitary ensemble of random matrices. We study the autocorrelations and power spectra for various fluctuating observables and observe evidence of the expected chaotic dynamics as well as a hydrodynamic type limit at large $N$, including near-equilibrium dissipation processes. These configurations are holographically dual to black holes in the dual string theory or M theory, and we discuss how our results could be related to the corresponding supergravity black hole solutions.
Cholesterol and phospholipids in protein fractions of human lens and senile cataract

The lipid composition in protein fractions of human lens and senile cataracts was determined. Cholesterol is the only sterol found in human lens and in senile cataract by gas-liquid chromatography. The proportion of long-chain fatty acids (C > 20 carbons or longer) in human lens phospholipids is 40%; 39% of all fatty acids are unsaturated. The high cholesterol/phospholipid ratio, predominance of sphingomyelin and of long-chain and unsaturated fatty acids in lens membranes indicates tight packing of phospholipids and less fluidity in comparison to other cytomembranes. In human lens membranes (water-insoluble fraction) the cholesterol/phospholipid ratio is 3.5 in the cortex and 3.4 in the nucleus and it is slightly increased in cortex (4.2) and nucleus (4.5) of senile cataracts. 7 M urea extraction solubilizes a major fraction of lens lipids. In senile cataract cortex significant increases of cholesterol and sphingomyelin were found in the urea-soluble and urea-insoluble fraction as compared to age-matched clear lenses. In senile cataract nucleus, increased cholesterol and sphingomyelin were found in the guanidine-soluble and guanidine-insoluble fractions as compared to age-matched clear lenses. The parallel accumulation of sphingomyelin and cholesterol in human cataracts appears similar to those which occur in human arteriosclerotic plaques and Niemann-Pick disease. Two protein-lipid fractions were separated by Sephadex G-75 chromatography of the water-insoluble (membrane) fraction of cataracts which had been subjected to trypsin digestion.
Maximum Visual Efficiency of Colored Materials

Tristimulus values have been computed for hypothetical spectrophotometric curves of the type found to give the maximum visual reflectance factor (or transmission factor) for specified chromaticities. These computations have been based on the I.C.I. 1931 data for the normal observer for colorimetry, and on the I.C.I. Illuminants “A” and “C.” By plotting the results on the I.C.I. color mixture diagram, the loci of points characterized by equal maximum efficiencies have been established. Tables have been prepared showing the maximum visual efficiency as a function of excitation purity for twenty-four dominant wave-lengths.
ICLAB: a computer simulated microelectronics laboratory for computer aided instruction in microelectronics

Abstract Microcomputers have had a significant effect on almost all aspects of daily life. Interestingly, one area that has not been strongly affected is the area of teaching people how to make the chips used to build the computer. ICLAB is a software package that provides useful support for computer aided instruction in the area of microelectronics manufacturing. The program was written to provide students with a simulated manufacturing laboratory which would allow them to “manufacture” a simple chip. Students use the program to carry out all of the steps needed to produce a chip in the same manner that would be used in a real laboratory except they never have to leave the computer. Processes that are used in a working laboratory are simulated in detail so the student actually processes the chip. Operations such as mask design, oxidation, diffusion, ion implantation, lithography and etching are included in the simulation.
Integrating robotic applications using distributed solid model database

A computer integrated manufacturing software architecture based on solid modeling techniques and using an underlying distributed database is proposed. Solid modeling based applications development using a tool box concept is suggested. These tools can be used to facilitate efficient functioning in the environment of applications. A case study of mechanical assembly simulation is discussed.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Interrelationship of Phosphate Nutrition, Nitrogen Metabolism, and Accumulation of Key Secondary Metabolites in Saprophytic Cultures of Psilocybe cubensis, Psilocybe cyanescens, and Panaeolus campanulatus

The three basidiomycetes were grown on rotary shakers in four nutrient media containing various amounts of phosphate to determine the relative effect of this nutrient on the trichloroacetic acid-soluble and -insoluble nitrogen metabolites and to detect possible correlation between the fungal free amino acid pool (soluble nitrogen) and accumulation of characteristic hydroxytryptamine derivatives. The species were selected to represent different patterns of metabolism in fruiting bodies and vegetative mycelia. Vegetative mycelium of P. cubensis was characterized by a relatively high soluble nitrogen component and by the capacity to accumulate psilocybin and psilocin under selected conditions. The closely related P. cyanescens was less responsive to variations in phosphate nutrient and lacked the capacity to accumulate appreciable quantities of soluble nitrogenous compounds or detectable quantities of key tryptamines. P. campanulatus grown in phosphate-rich media appeared to have an adequate free amino acid pool and to excrete some exocellular nitrogen metabolites during longer incubation periods; no 5-hydroxytryptamine derivatives were detected in cultures of this fungus.
Neuropsychological Assessment of Seriously Delinquent Adolescents

Neuropsychological tests (the Luria-Nebraska Battery) were administered to 64 male and female offenders in residential settings. Subjects were selected according to the seriousness of their offenses and the extent of their recidivism within the juvenile justice system. Pervasive abnormalities in the delinquent population are documented. Evidence documenting neuropsychological abnormalities in delinquent adolescents is cited and reviewed. Methodological issues and questions of interpretation are explored.
Factor structure and clinical utility of BDI-II factor scores in postpartum women

Background The purpose of the current study was to examine the factorial dimensions underlying Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) in a large ethnically and economically diverse sample of postpartum women and to assess their relative contribution in differentiating clinical diagnoses in a subsample of depressed women.
Rubella vaccine myeloradiculoneuritis.

Thirty-six children with a myeloradiculoneuritic syndrome were studied following a mass rubella vaccine program. This reaction was seen with equal frequency in children given the HPV-77DK12, HPV-77DE5, and Cendehill vaccine. The highest incidence of reaction was seen in preschool children and occurred on an average of 6 weeks following the vaccination. This transient disorder differed from the arthritis of rubella in its symptom pattern, incubation period, and age predisposition. Some children had daily recurrences of nocturnal neuritic arm pain; others had morning leg pain associated with a distinctive limp which in some instances was recurrent over a prolonged period of time. The only consistent laboratory abnormality was an abnormal nerve conduction velocity.
Technology-Literate School Leaders in a 1: 1 iPad Program and Teachers' Technology Self-Efficacy

This paper reports the results of an action-research case study that investigated the efforts undertaken by technology-literate school leaders to facilitate the implementation of a school-wide 1:1 iPad program and the subsequent influence those efforts had on teachers' technology self-efficacy. The investigation highlights what the study's authors have determined to be a critical component in the implementation of a 1:1 technology program, the emergence of the organization's master practitioner of technology-based pedagogy.
Induction of process outgrowth in vertebrate and invertebrate cell lines by a 2-pyridinyl thiosemicarbazone

Abstract Regulation of differentiation in cells of disparate origin is often mediated by widely differing molecular signals and receptor mechanisms. For example, two neuron-like cell lines used extensively as models for molecular control of differentiation, the steroid-sensitive Kc line from Drosophila and the polypeptide- and cyclic neucleotide-sensitive PC12 line from rat, share no obvious growth factor or hormone receptors. However, we have found that a thio-semicarbazone, 1-pyrrolidinecarbothioic acid [1-(2-pyridinyl)ethylidene] hydrazide, one of a class of synthetic anti-neoplastic agents, induces process outgrowth - a marker of cellular differentiation - in cells of both of these lines. Moreover, the thiosemicarbazone induces process outgrowth in cells of mutant clones of these lines that are refractory to treatment with growth factors or hormones. Activity of the thiosemicarbazone is dependent upon the α-(N)-heterocyclic ring. These findings show that the 2-pyridinyl thiosemicarbazone mimics the effects of diverse epigenetic factors in inducing process outgrowth similar to that seen in cellular differentiation of these cell lines induced by natural regulators. Regulation may be by a mechanism, common to both invertebrate and vertebrate cells, which occurs downstream from the receptors that have been previously shown to mediate epigenetically induced differentiation.
Cancer in the elderly: tailoring treatment.

The body's ability to meet the stresses of cancer therapy declines in later life. Because the decline may vary and is only weakly linked to chronologic age, a thorough functional assessment should be undertaken in all elderly cancer patients. The results can guide decisions about how to treat the cancer.
Indicating Ahead: Best Execution and the NASDAQ Preopening

Abstract Dealers enter nonbinding expressions of interest during the Nasdaq preopening to promote price discovery and ease stock inventory management when the market opens. But does this practice of “indicating ahead” constitute best execution for an individual customer? Arguments in favor of the practice rely on the notion that best execution is a general condition as opposed to a concept applicable on a trade-by-trade basis. Some customers must sacrifice in individual instances to improve the functioning of the overall market. But the practice of indicating ahead violates the dealer agent's duty of loyalty to her individual customer. Moreover, the dealer's financial self-interest is best served by indicating ahead. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: G10, G18, K22.
Patterning pallet arrays for cell selection based on high-resolution measurements of fluorescent biosensors

Pallet arrays enable cells to be separated while they remain adherent to a surface and provide a much greater range of cell selection criteria relative to that of current technologies. However there remains a need to further broaden cell selection criteria to include dynamic intracellular signaling events. To demonstrate the feasibility of measuring cellular protein behavior on the arrays using high resolution microscopy, the surfaces of individual pallets were modified to minimize the impact of scattered light at the pallet edges. The surfaces of the three-dimensional pallets on an array were patterned with a coating such as fibronectin using a customized stamping tool. Micropatterns of varying shape and size were printed in designated regions on the pallets in single or multiple steps to demonstrate the reliability and precision of patterning molecules on the pallet surface. Use of a fibronectin matrix stamped at the center of each pallet permitted the localization of H1299 and mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells to the pallet centers and away from the edges. Compared to pallet arrays with fibronectin coating the entire top surface, arrays with a central fibronectin pattern increased the percentage of cells localized to the pallet center by 3–4-fold. Localization of cells to the pallet center also enabled the physical separation of cells from optical artifacts created by the rough pallet side walls. To demonstrate the measurement of dynamic intracellular signaling on the arrays, fluorescence measurements of high spatial resolution were performed using a RhoA GTPase biosensor. This biosensor utilized fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) and yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) to measure localized RhoA activity in cellular ruffles at the cell periphery. These results demonstrated the ability to perform spatially resolved measurements of fluorescence-based sensors on the pallet arrays. Thus, the patterned pallet arrays should enable novel cell separations in which cell selection is based on complex cellular signaling properties.
The editor's roundtable: contrast agents and risk for contrast-induced nephropathy.

Dr. Friedewald has received honoraria for consulting from AstraZeneca, Wilmington, Delaware. Dr. Goldfarb has received honoraria for speaking from GE Healthcare. Dr. Vetrovec has received honoraria for speaking from Eli Lilly, Indianapolis, Indiana; Daiichi Sankyo, Parsippany, New Jersey; Gilead, Foster City, California. Dr. Vetrovec has received research funding from Cordis Corporation/Johnson & Johnson, Warren, New Jersey; Schering Plough, Kenilworth, New Jersey; and Corindus, Natick, MA. Dr. Vetrovec has Endpoint and DSMB contracts with Merck (Endpoint); Pfizer, New York, New York (DSMC); and Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Illinois (DSMC). Dr. Vetrovec owns stock in Abbott Laboratories; Merck; Boston Scientific Corporation, Natick, Massachusetts; Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, New Jersey; Cardinal Health, Dublin, Ohio; Hospira, Lake Forest, Illinois; Medco Health Solutions, Columbus, Ohio; Schering Plough; and Owens and Minor, Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Roberts has received honoraria for speaking from AstraZeneca;and Merck, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.
Finite strain analysis of crack tip fields in incompressible hyperelastic solids loaded in plane stress

Abstract A new method is developed to determine the dominant asymptotic stress and deformation fields near the tip of a Mode-I traction free plane stress crack. The analysis is based on the fully nonlinear equilibrium theory of incompressible hyperelastic solids. We show that the dominant singularity of the near tip stress field is governed by the asymptotic solution of a linear second order ordinary differential equation. Our method is applicable to any hyperelastic material with a smooth work function that depends only on the trace of the Cauchy–Green tensor and is particularly useful for materials that exhibit severe strain hardening. We apply this method to study two types of soft materials: generalized neo-Hookean solids and a solid that hardens exponentially. For the generalized neo-Hookean solids, our method is able to resolve a difficulty in the previous work by Geubelle and Knauss (1994a) . Our theoretical results are compared with finite element simulations.