cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integration of Northern spotted owl habitat and fuels treatments in the eastern Cascades, Washington, USA

The restoration of natural fire regimes has emerged as a primary management objective within fire-prone forests in the interior western US. However, this objective becomes contentious when perceived to be in conflict with the conservation of rare wildlife species. For example, the integration of fire ecology in disturbance-prone forests of eastern Washington with the recovery of the Northern spotted owl has been described as a management dilemma. We intersected modeled spotted owl habitat with mapped priority fuels treatment areas in order to determine the magnitude of the potential conflict between fuels management and owl conservation. Our results show that there is considerable overlap within dry forests between high suitability spotted owl habitat and moderate-high priority fuels treatment areas (34% overlap). However, there is also considerable overlap of lower suitability spotted owl habitat with moderate-high priority fuels treatment areas (35% overlap) providing opportunities to accomplish multiple management objectives if one considers a landscape perspective. We propose that a conservation strategy for the Northern spotted owl in the eastern Cascades consider the following: emphasize landscape restoration of dry forests within which spotted owl habitat is embedded; landscapes considered for restoration need to be large enough to accomodate the effects of fire disturbances and still retain sufficient habitat to support spotted owl populations; and include adaptive management allowing for adequate monitoring and feedback for managers to make needed adjustments.
Backgroud and introduction

The proceedings of the 1974 conference, “Child Care Training for a Changing World,” sponsored by the Department of Child Development and Child Care, School of Health Related Professions, University of Pittsburgh, will be presented in three parts. The first part will delineate the background of the conference, by describing the events that led to its implementation and presenting results of a preliminary study done to assess the structure and status of current educational programs. The second part will summarize the key speeches presented at the Conference. The third part will present a summary of the proceedings, highlighting signposts for the future as articulated by a review of the overall transactions of the conference.
Identification, modeling and ligand affinity of early deuterostome CYP51s, and functional characterization of recombinant zebrafish sterol 14α-demethylase

Abstract Background Sterol 14α-demethylase (cytochrome P450 51, CYP51, P45014DM) is a microsomal enzyme that in eukaryotes catalyzes formation of sterols essential for cell membrane function and as precursors in biosynthesis of steroid hormones. Functional properties of CYP51s are unknown in non-mammalian deuterostomes. Methods PCR-cloning and sequencing and computational analyses (homology modeling and docking) addressed CYP51 in zebrafish Danio rerio, the reef fish sergeant major Abudefduf saxatilis, and the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Following N-terminal amino acid modification, zebrafish CYP51 was expressed in Escherichia coli, and lanosterol 14α-demethylase activity and azole inhibition of CYP51 activity were characterized using GC-MS. Results Molecular phylogeny positioned S. purpuratus CYP51 at the base of the deuterostome clade. In zebrafish, CYP51 is expressed in all organs examined, most strongly in intestine. The recombinant protein bound lanosterol and catalyzed 14α-demethylase activity, at 3.2 nmol/min/nmol CYP51. The binding of azoles to zebrafish CYP51 gave KS (dissociation constant) values of 0.26 μM for ketoconazole and 0.64 μM for propiconazole. Displacement of carbon monoxide also indicated zebrafish CYP51 has greater affinity for ketoconazole. Docking to homology models showed that lanosterol docks in fish and sea urchin CYP51s with an orientation essentially the same as in mammalian CYP51s. Docking of ketoconazole indicates it would inhibit fish and sea urchin CYP51s. Conclusions Biochemical and computational analyses are consistent with lanosterol being a substrate for early deuterostome CYP51s. General significance The results expand the phylogenetic view of animal CYP51, with evolutionary, environmental and therapeutic implications.
Continuous lumbar plexus block for postoperative pain control after total hip arthroplasty. A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Continuous femoral or lumbar plexus blocks have been demonstrated to provide effective postoperative analgesia of the lower extremity following total joint arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to compare these two techniques when used with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia and the use of patient-controlled analgesia alone for postoperative pain management following unilateral primary hip arthroplasty. Methods: Two hundred and twenty-five patients undergoing unilateral total hip arthroplasty for a diagnosis of osteoarthritis were randomly allocated into one of three postoperative treatment groups: continuous lumbar plexus block with patient-controlled analgesia, continuous femoral block with patient-controlled analgesia, and patient-controlled analgesia alone. Scores on a visual analog pain scale administered during physiotherapy twenty-four hours postoperatively were used as the primary outcome measured. Secondary outcomes included scores on a visual analog pain scale at rest, hydromorphone consumption, opioid-related side effects, complications, sensory and motor blockade, and patient satisfaction. Results: Continuous lumbar plexus block significantly reduced pain scores during physiotherapy on postoperative day 1 (p < 0.0001) and day 2 (p < 0.0001) compared with either continuous femoral block or patient-controlled analgesia alone. There were no significant differences for pain at rest between the two regional analgesic techniques. Both regional anesthesia techniques significantly reduced total hydromorphone consumption (p < 0.05) and delirium (disorientation to time and/or place) compared with patient-controlled analgesia alone (p < 0.023). In addition, the use of continuous lumbar plexus block was associated with fewer patients with opioid-related side effects (p < 0.05), greater distances walked (p < 0.05), and enhanced patient satisfaction (p < 0.05) compared with the use of a continuous femoral nerve block with patient-controlled analgesia or with patient-controlled analgesia alone. Conclusions: Continuous lumbar plexus and femoral blocks significantly reduce the need for opioids and decrease related side effects. Continuous lumbar plexus block is a more effective analgesic modality than is a continuous femoral block or patient-controlled intravenous administration of hydromorphone alone during physical therapy following primary unilateral total hip arthroplasty. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Disruption theory as a predictor of innovation success/failure

Purpose – Executives and managers are in need of research that will elevate the pursuit of successful innovations from a gut‐level, intuition‐driven art to something more closely resembling a science based on repeatable processes with predictable results. this paper aims to address this issue.Design/methodology/approach – Using Intel Corporation's proprietary data the author conducted a number of experiments designed to test disruption theory's impact on predictive accuracy.Findings – After training in the rules of disruptive theory MBA students were up to 50 percent more accurate in correctly identifying the survivors and failures, constructing, collectively, a portfolio with a survival rate of up to 15 percent.Research limitations/implications – Intel's New Business Initiatives (NBI) division provided data on a portfolio of 48 new business ventures that were granted seed financing, a sum that ranged between $250,000 and $2 million, between approximately 1995 and 2005.Practical implications – Disruption ...
Moire Technique For Overlay Metrology

Overlay performance is usually determined by exposing wafers twice, processing the wafer, and then using vernier or electrical probe techniques to measure the overlay error. In this paper, we describe a very different technique where the overlay error is evaluated in situ on the lithographic exposure tool. The basis of this approach is the examination of moire fringes between the projected image of a grating test mask and a grating test wafer. This is a particularly attractive approach to lithographic metrology because the moire fringes contain information about both resolution and overlay error. A measurement instrument has been constructed which attaches to a MicralignTM projection printer. The fringe intensity is measured by a solid state detector array positioned on an image of the illuminated arc-shaped field. Since the overlay measurement can be done many times per second, we can directly observe vibrations between mask and wafer.
Adaptive Neural Network Flight Control Using both Current and Recorded Data

Modern aerospace vehicles are expected to perform beyond their conventional flight envelopes and exhibit the robustness and adaptability to operate in uncertain environments. Augmenting proven lower level control algorithms with adaptive elements that exhibit long term learning could help in achieving better adaptation performance while performing aggressive maneuvers. The current adaptive methodologies which use Neural Network based control methods use only the instantaneous states to tune the adaptive gains. This results in a rank one limitation on the adaptive law. In this paper we propose a novel approach to adaptive control, which uses the current or the online information as well as stored or background information for adaptation. We show that using a combined online and background learning approach it is possible to overcome the rank one limitation on the adaptive law resulting in faster adaptation to the unknown dynamics. Furthermore, we show that using combined online and background learning methods it is possible to guarantee long term learning in the adaptive flight controller, which enhances performance of the controller when it encounters a maneuver that has been performed in the past. We use Lyapunov based methods for showing boundedness of all signals for a proposed method. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated in the high fidelity simulation environment for the GTMAX UAS maintained by the Georgia Tech UAV lab. The simulation results show that the proposed method exhibits long term learning and faster adaptation leading to better performance of the UAS flight controller.
Teaching Science in U.S. Secondary Schools: A Survey

Abstract This investigation was conducted to determine the use of outdoor resources in the teaching of natural science in secondary schools and to obtain suggestions from biology, earth science, and environmental science teachers for increasing and improving the use of outdoor resources. A random sample of teachers in these fields was surveyed. The study showed that about 16 percent of the classes do not study science outdoors and the majority of the classes use outdoor resources fewer than three times during the school year. Financing travel and large class size are the main impediments to outdoor natural science.
Sovereignty and statelessness in the border enclaves of India and Bangladesh

This article investigates the 198 political enclaves along the northern section of the border between India and Bangladesh. The enclaves are a remnant of the partition of British India in 1947 and are effectively stateless spaces because most are small and located several kilometers within their host country, which has prevented any administrative contact with their home country. Drawing on interviews with current enclave residents, this article describes the creation of the enclaves and analyzes the disputes that prevented their normalization over the past 60 years. The enclaves provide an important site for scrutinizing the connections between bordering practices and sovereignty claims. They also demonstrate both the social benefits the sovereign state system has brought through the establishment of law and order and the devastating consequences it has caused by territorializing those basic social protections. The article concludes that the failure to exchange the enclaves displays the powerful role nationalist homeland narratives play in institutionalizing the concepts of sovereignty and territorial integrity, often at the expense of human rights.
Biomarkers in the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer’s disease

Traditionally Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been diagnosed and its course followed based on clinical observations and cognitive testing, and confirmed postmortem by demonstrating amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. But the growing recognition that the disease process is ongoing, damaging the brain long before clinical findings appear, has intensified a search for biomarkers that might allow its very early diagnosis and the objective assessment of its responses to putative treatments. At present at least eight biochemical measurements or scanning procedures are used as biomarkers, usually in panels, by neurologists and others. The biochemical measurements are principally of amyloid proteins and their A-beta precursors, or of tau proteins. Brain atrophy can be assessed by means of structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI), and decreased blood flow and metabolism can be estimated by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is used to measure the brain's energy utilization and to infer synaptic number. Impaired connectivity between brain regions is indicated by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), while magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) provides metabolic markers of diminished cell number. Additional proposed biomarkers utilize electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) for quantifying impairments in connectivity. Genetic analyses illustrate the heterogeneity of disease processes that can cause cognitive impairment syndromes. Recent observations awaiting confirmation suggest that levels of some plasma phospholipids can also be biomarkers of AD and that reductions in these levels can enable the accurate prediction that a cognitively normal individual will go on to develop MCI or AD within 2 years.
The chest and the skeleton: radiological correlations.

A series of cases are herein presented with positive findings in the chest coexisting with abnormalities of the skeleton and/or soft tissues observed in the radiographs of the chest. Considerable material is available in the literature to show the usefulness of CT and MR in such disorders, but since Ben's contributions and his entire professional life were spent primarily with plain films, this article will concern itself with the imaging inherent in plain films
Pharmacokinetics of the Aminoglycoside Antibiotic Tobramycin in Humans

The pharmacokinetics, distribution, and plasma and renal clearance of a new aminoglycoside antibiotic, tobramycin, was studied in the treatment of 18 elderly male patients (average age, 69 years) with urinary tract infections. Ten of these patients had normal renal function and eight had impaired renal function of various degrees. After administration of 1 mg of tobramycin/kg of body weight every 6 to 8 h (two to three times the half-life), urine concentrations were found to be sufficient in the treatment of urinary tract infections caused by susceptible organisms. The renal clearance of tobramycin during constant intravenous infusion was also studied in eight patients. Good correlation was found between the patients serum creatinine and the half-life of tobramycin. The half-life of tobramycin in patients with normal renal function (serum creatine [Formula: see text] to 1.5 mg/100) was on the average 3 h. For practical purposes, therefore, the dosage of tobramycin in the treatment of urinary tract infections should be 1 mg/kg of body weight every 6 to 8 h in patients with normal renal function. For patients with impaired renal function, the dosage interval is calculated by multiplying the patients' serum creatinine by six. If the dosage intervals are kept unchanged, the dosage must be divided by the patients' serum creatinine. The initial loading dose should always be 1 mg/kg. The total renal clearance of tobramycin (92% of the glomerular filtration rate) was not influenced by the administration of probenecid, which indicates that tobramycin is excreted only by glomerular filtration.
Beta-Adrenergic Agonists Stimulate Lung Epithelial Sodium Transport Via a cAMP-Mediated Activation of Amiloride-Sensitive Cation Channels † 1682

Beta-Adrenergic Agonists Stimulate Lung Epithelial Sodium Transport Via a cAMP-Mediated Activation of Amiloride-Sensitive Cation Channels † 1682
Protein synthesis of isolated rat adipose tissue cells: Effects of insulin, insulin antibody, glucose concentration, duration of incubation, rat age, and puromycin

Abstract Incorporation of C14-amino acids by isolated epididymal adipose tissue into cell protein was determined. Rate of incorporation was proportional to duration of incubation. Fat cells demonstrated statistically significant increased incorporation of amino acids into protein at physiological levels of insulin, 10–50 μU/ml. The dose response curve was in the range 10–800 μU/ml. Variations in glucose or protein concentration did not affect insulin sensitivity. Fat-cell preparations from older rats were unresponsive to insulin. Puromycin inhibited incorporation of amino acid into protein indicating that this technique measures actual protein synthesis. Baseline levels of protein synthesis were increased in response to addition of glucose to the medium.
An integrated approach to taphonomy and faunal change in the Shungura formation (Ethiopia) and its implication for hominid evolution.

Abstract Environmental and faunal changes through time have been recorded for many African Plio-Pleistocene sites. Fossil evidence suggests that there is a continuous, if not uniform, transformation of the fauna and flora from the Pliocene through the end of Pleistocene. However, discerning major biotic turnovers and linking them to global and regional climatic changes have been complicated by many factors, notably taphonomy and discontinuity of the fossil evidence, notwithstanding the considerable work of some researchers (e.g., Vrba, E.S., 1988. Late Pliocene climatic events and hominid evolution, in: Grine, F. (Ed.), Evolutionary History of the “Robust” Australopithecines. De Gruyter, New York, pp. 405–426, Vrba, E.S., 1995. The fossil record of African (Mammalia, Bovidae) in relation to human evolution and paleoclimate, in: Vrba, E.S., Denton, G.H., Partridge, T.C., Burkle, L.H. (Eds.), Paleoclimate and Evolution, with Emphasis on Human Origins. Yale University Press, New Haven, pp. 385–424). A sample of over 22,000 fossils collected by the French Omo Expedition, from the Shungura Formation of Ethiopia, was analyzed using an integrated approach to investigate taphonomic and faunal change patterns. The following results are obtained: (1) Univariate and multivariate studies support continuous faunal change from Member A through Member G of the Shungura sequence; (2) Correspondence analysis (CA) on extant bovids in African game parks shows that bovid tribes and genera are generally characterized by habitat specificity; (3) Taphonomic studies demonstrate that the relative abundance of different skeletal elements varies according to depositional environment; (4) CA on 73 localities of the Shungura Formation and 19 mammalian taxa points to a major faunal change around the base of Member G dated to ca. 2.3 Ma. This transformation is characterized by a change to open and edaphic grassland as a dominant type of environment; (5) This major faunal change correlates in time with the appearance of A. boisei . It is tentatively suggested that this major biome change is associated with an anagenetic speciation from A. aethiopicus to A. boisei .
A neural model of how the brain represents and compares multi-digit numbers: spatial and categorical processes

Both animals and humans represent and compare numerical quantities, but only humans have evolved multi-digit place-value number systems. This article develops a Spatial Number Network, or SpaN, model to explain how these shared numerical capabilities are computed using a spatial representation of number quantities in the Where cortical processing stream, notably the inferior parietal cortex. Multidigit numerical representations that obey a place-value principle are proposed to arise through learned interactions between categorical language representations in the What cortical processing stream and the Where spatial representation. Learned semantic categories that symbolize separate digits, as well as place markers like 'ty,' 'hundred,' and 'thousand,' are associated through learning with the corresponding spatial locations of the Where representation. Such What-to-Where auditory-to-visual learning generates place-value numbers as an emergent property, and may be compared with other examples of multi-modal cross-modality learning, including synesthesia. The model quantitatively simulates error rates in quantification and numerical comparison tasks, and reaction times for number priming and numerical assessment and comparison tasks. In the Where cortical process, transient responses to inputs are integrated before they activate an ordered spatial map that selectively responds to the number of events in a sequence and exhibits Weber law properties. Numerical comparison arises from activity pattern changes across the spatial map that define a 'directional comparison wave.' Variants of these model mechanisms have elsewhere been used to explain data about other Where stream phenomena, such as motion perception, spatial attention, and target tracking. The model is compared with other models of numerical representation.
Emotional reactivity and eating in binge eating and obesity.

The present study investigated daily mood fluctuations and moods during eating in normal and overweight binge and nonbinge eaters (N=56) and moods during binge and nonbinge episodes of individuals who binge eat (N=29). For 2 weeks, subjects completed the Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist each morning and continuously recorded the mood during eating and the type and quantity of food eaten during each eating episode. The results indicated thai bingers experience greater fluctuations of anxiety and depression than nonbingers and overweight individuals experience greater fluctuations in anxiety, hostility, and depression than normal-weight individuals. In addition, for bingers, negative mood states are experienced during a significantly greater proportion of binge episodes than nonbinge episodes, although the intensity of the negative mood state was not related to the severity of the binge-eating episode. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Effect of verapamil on insulin-stimulated choleresis

Abstract Insulin is one of several neurohumoral substances known to have a choleretic effect in vivo and in the isolated perfused rat liver. Infusion of insulin in the perfused rat liver preparation results in stimulation of bile acid-independent bile flow evidenced by increased bile flow, decreased bile acid concentration, and stable bile acid output. The mechanism of insulin-stimulated choleresis is unknown but may involve calcium as an intracellular second messenger. The present studies were performed to assess the role of membrane calcium channels in mediating choleresis and insulin-stimulated bile acid-independent bile flow in the in situ perfused rat liver. We have shown that verapamil, a specific calcium channel blocker, has no effect on bile flow, bile acid concentration, or bile acid output during bile acid-stimulated choleresis at a taurocholate infusion rate of 40 or 80 nmole/g liver/min. Insulin caused a significant increase in bile flow (18–30%) and a decrease in bile acid concentration (13–21%) without affecting bile acid output at a taurocholate infusion rate of 40 or 80 nmole/g liver/min. Verapamil failed to inhibit insulin-stimulated choleresis at a taurocholate infusion rate of 80 nmole/g liver/min. Although we observed an insulin-stimulated increase in bile flow and a decrease in bile acid concentration in the presence of verapamil at a taurocholate infusion rate of 40 nmole/g liver/min, these changes failed to reach statistical significance. We conclude that verapamil has no effect on choleresis or insulin-stimulated bile flow in the perfused rat liver and that the mechanism by which insulin promotes bile acid-independent bile flow is not mediated by verapamil-sensitive calcium channels.
Theoretical basis of the time-of-flight aerosol spectrometer: a method for monitoring the size distribution of submicron aerosol particles

Abstract A technique is described which shows promise as a method for continuous size analysis of airborne particulates in the size range of a few Angstroms to a micron in a diameter. The aerosol is simply expanded through a nozzle into a vacuum. If the conditions of the expansion are properly chosen, the particle velocity distribution in the resulting flow reflects the particle size distribution in the aerosol and permits size fractionation. A theoretical model for the operation of such a Time-of-Flight Aerosol Spectrometer (TOFAS) is developed, and its resolution characteristics are discussed. Experimental results with Angstrom size particles are also presented and compared with the theoretical predictions of the model.
Empirical modeling and calibration of Fourier transform spectrometers

The development of sensors based on no-moving-parts two-beam interferometers has been progressing for many years. These sensors can produce an interferogram sampled simultaneously rather than sequentially, as is done in Michelson-type interferometers in more common use. While similar to Michelson-type interferometers, the rectification of interferograms from digital array scanned interferometers (DASIs) requires somewhat different methods to achieve optimal results. We consider the problem of calibrating a DASI-like sensor using known optical sources. A simple model for a two-beam interferometer is proposed that illustrates the dominant sensor effects that can be present in more complex devices. These effects are (1) the nonlinear relationship between the spatial sampling in the instrument and the temporal sampling of the optical autocorrelation function and (2) the apodization or nonuniform gain, which is applied across the autocorrelation function. The resulting measurement, the interferogram, is a windowed, time-warped version of the true optical autocorrelation function. A method quantifying the time-warping effect using a narrowband optical source is developed. This method treats the interferogram as a sinusoid subject to phase modulation, and uses quadrature demodulation to recover the nonlinear phase that characterizes the time warping. The apodization curve is estimated using simple polynomial curve-fitting. Methods for correcting the interferogram, thus enabling the power spectral density to be computed via standard Fourier transform techniques, are presented.
Upper body exercise increases lower extremity venous blood flow in deep venous thrombosis.

Objective Sequential compression devices or ambulation prevent deep venous thrombosis (DVT) by enhancing venous blood flow in the lower extremity. However, compression therapy or ambulation may not be possible in patients with lower extremity surgery or trauma. We therefore determined whether upper body exercise increases venous blood flow in the lower extremities as a potential means for preventing DVT. Methods We determined blood volume flow and velocity responses in the common femoral veins to low-intensity (5 W, 75 rpm) upper body cycle ergometry in healthy individuals. Six protocols of single and intermittent bouts of exercise were tested. Upon determination of the most efficacious protocol in these participants, we verified the effects of upper body exercise in patients with acute DVT. Measurements were made before, during, and after exercise using duplex ultrasound imaging. Results The study enrolled 15 healthy volunteers (10 men, 5 women; aged 20-40 years) with no history of DVT and 10 patients (aged 31-86 years) with acute DVT. In healthy participants, a single 30-second bout of upper body exercise increased volume flow up to 39% for up to 10 minutes after exercise (P 13 minutes. Conclusions We report the novel finding that upper body exercise increases lower extremity venous blood flow in healthy volunteers and in acute DVT patients. Three intermittent 30-second bouts of low-intensity upper body exercise elicited the highest response for the least amount of effort and may represent an alternative or adjunct for prophylaxis of DVT in patients with restricted ambulation.
Incorporation of diffractive structures on side-polished fiber arrays

This paper investigates methods to launch high modes propagating along helix paths into a graded index fiber. These techniques may be particularly useful to avoid the central dip problem due to defects located in the center of the index profile of multimode fibers. Light was coupled into a graded index multimode fiber using the flat surface of side-polished or D-shaped fiber. The fibers were polished down to a few microns close to the core on a distance of about 3mm. The first method, active, is based on coupling the light from a D-shaped single mode fiber to a D-shaped graded index fiber. The two fibers are in contact through a film of index matching fluid and the coupling may be thought as the leakage from a fiber to a slab waveguide. The launching angle of the skew rays in the multimode fiber is controlled by the tilt between the fibers. Simulations using beam propagation method are presented. Analytical equations for the path of the skew rays in graded index fiber are also used for a parabolic index profile. The second method, passive, consists of etching a tilted grating on a side polished multimode fiber by means of focused-ion beam (FIB) technology. We discuss the fabrication of such a grating and the possibility of using FIB technology to etch diffractive elements on fused silica waveguides.
Cationic Nanoparticles Induce Nanoscale Disruption in Living Cell Plasma Membranes

It has long been recognized that cationic nanoparticles induce cell membrane permeability. Recently, it has been found that cationic nanoparticles induce the formation and/or growth of nanoscale holes in supported lipid bilayers. In this paper, we show that noncytotoxic concentrations of cationic nanoparticles induce 30-2000 pA currents in 293A (human embryonic kidney) and KB (human epidermoid carcinoma) cells, consistent with a nanoscale defect such as a single hole or group of holes in the cell membrane ranging from 1 to 350 nm(2) in total area. Other forms of nanoscale defects, including the nanoparticle porating agents adsorbing onto or intercalating into the lipid bilayer, are also consistent; although the size of the defect must increase to account for any reduction in ion conduction, as compared to a water channel. An individual defect forming event takes 1-100 ms, while membrane resealing may occur over tens of seconds. Patch-clamp data provide direct evidence for the formation of nanoscale defects in living cell membranes. The cationic polymer data are compared and contrasted with patch-clamp data obtained for an amphiphilic phenylene ethynylene antimicrobial oligomer (AMO-3), a small molecule that is proposed to make well-defined 3.4 nm holes in lipid bilayers. Here, we observe data that are consistent with AMO-3 making approximately 3 nm holes in living cell membranes.
Platelet monoamine oxidase and plasma dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activities in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) and plasma dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH) activities were determined in a large group of multiple sclerose patients in relapse (49 patients) and in remission (28 patients), and compared with an age- and sex-matched control group (52 normal subjects). The activities of both enzymes did not differ from normal in both patient groups. Women had higher MAO activities both in normal and in patient groups. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed an association of low platelet MAO to the score in the mental subscale in the Kurtzke Disability Status Scale
An α-Lactam as an Alkilating Agent

Abstract The ‘normal’ reaction of α-lactams (aziridinones) is mcleophilic ring ening,1 which can occur with fission of either one of the three bonds (a-b-c), depending on the reagent, to yield and acyclic addition prodnct (I,II,III).2
Pulmonary Stenosis with Left-to-Right Shunt: A Physiological Variant of Fallot's Tetralogy

SUMMARY 1. Eight adult cases with pulmonary stenosis, ventricular septal defect, and predominant left-to-right shunt have been studied clinically and physiologically. 2. In only one instance was there cyanosis at rest. This occurred in a man, age 53, who presented clinically as a straight-forward tetralogy of Fallot. The fact that the shunt is still bidirectional may in part account for his unusual longevity. 3. This combination of lesions seems to be relatively benign and to be accompanied by a good prognosis both for functional capacity and longterm survival. 4. This lesion is theoretically and actually completely correctible with surgical techniques now at hand. The risk, however, seems to be excessive at the present time in view of the relatively small degree of functional impairment present in this syndrome. 5. The proper term for designating such cases would seem to be the descriptive one of pulmonary stenosis, ventricular septal defect, and preponderant left-to-right shunt. However, in view of the cumbersomeness of this descriptive title it would seem preferable and permissable to refer to such cases as “acyanotic tetralogy of Fallot.”
Evidence for a cholinergic influence on pineal hydroxyindole O-methyltransferase activity with changes in environmental lighting

Abstract Hydroxyindole O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) activity of pineals of rats kept in constant light for one week was significantly lower than HIOMT in pineals of rats kept in constant darkness for one week. These inhibitory effects of light on pineal HIOMT have been shown by others to be mediated by the sympathetic nervous system. What factors mediate the facilitatory effects of the absence of light? In order to answer this question we studied the role of the parasympathetic system by giving female rats on constant light, constant dark or normal lighting schedules daily injections of atropine sulfate, atropine methyl bromide or the cholinomimetic, oxotremorine oxalate, with atropine methyl bromide. The peripherally acting parasympathetic effector blocker, atropine methyl bromide, inhibited the high levels of HIOMT in constant darkness, while the cholinomimetic restored HIOMT activity in darkness. Rats on a normal lighting schedule also had significantly higher levels of HIOMT after oxotremorine than after atropine sulfate. These results indicate that cholinergic mechanisms are involved peripherally, perhaps also centrally, in mediating the response of pineal HIOMT in darkness.
Selecting conservation reserves using species‐covering models: Adapting the ARC/INFO GIS

Conflicts between human development of the landscape and conservation of biodiversiry will continue to grow. Given this reality, there have been a number of attempts to model the optimal selection of conservation reserve sites such that maximum biodiversity protection can be attained within a limited budget for land acquisition. Here we adapt the Location-Allocation module of ARC/INFO to solve the problem of representing, or covering, as many species as possible in a fixed number of selected reserve sites. Resident ARC/INFO solution routines are applied to an innovative ‘logical’ network that converts the problem of optimal reserve selection into a problem of optimal facility placement, which the Location-Allocation module can recognize and solve. Use of this unique logical network structure as input to ARC/INFO's internal solvers makes possible, compared to previous methods, a much tighter integration of spatial optimization tools with mapping and database tools, all of which are internal to the GIS and accessed via a menu-driven interface. The main advantage is that users of public domain data (such as the US Gap Analysis data) can conduct their own explorations of possible reserve systems without having to acquire and master optimization packages and reformat model output data for GIS display and post-analysis of solutions. Our sample application uses species data from south-western California. We also present a second major form of species-covering model grounded in the same logical network. This enhanced modcl accommodates weighting of species by their conservation importance, thus allowing reserve systems to be designed around the protection of the most threatened or vulnerable biota.
Science Signaling Podcast: 27 January 2009

This is a conversation about research highlighted in the Editors’ Choice summary titled “The Long Way Around.” The highlighted article is E. Hinoi, N. Gao, D. Y. Jung, V. Yadav, T. Yoshizawa, M. G. Myers Jr., S. C. Chua Jr., J. K. Kim, K. H. Kaestner, G. Karsenty, The sympathetic tone mediates leptin’s inhibition of insulin secretion by modulating osteocalcin bioactivity. J. Cell Biol. 183 , 1235–1242 (2008).
Exchange Rate Policies for Developing Countries

The I98os saw major changes in exchange rate regimes in many developing countries, the significance of which can now be assessed. In addition, there have been, since I978, some fascinating experiments in the use of exchange rate policy for inflation stabilisation. These experiences raise important issues. This paper draws on a World Bank-supported project which examined in depth the macroeconomic experience of eighteen developing countries since I965 and especially during the period I 980-go. Table I lists the countries and gives some relevant information about them.' All examples come from these countries, and generalisations are based on their experiences. The focus here is on the contrast or competition between the real targets approach to exchange rate policy and the nominal anchor approach.2 The real targets approach might be described as 'orthodox', but the nominal anchor approach has been frequently advocated, especially by Europeans. The issues are somewhat similar to those debated in Europe in connection with membership of the Exchange Rate Mechanism of the EMS and the proposed moves towards monetary union. But, as noted in Section VI below, in ,developing countries the balance of considerations is probably different, and experiences certainly are. First, I shall deal with the choice of exchange rate regime for countries starting with low or moderate inflation. The role of exchange rate policy in the stabilisation programmes of high-inflation countries will be discussed in Section V.
The Work of the Orchestra in Haydn's Creation

Abstract Crucial to the spectacular effects of Joseph Haydn9s Creation (1798) are his precise manipulations of his orchestra. From the brilliant moment of light to the colorful depictions of animals, these moments depended upon the new status of the orchestra in the late eighteenth century. Haydn9s ability to control his instrumental forces so diversely reflected the consolidation of the modern orchestra as a concept, institution, and musical body. This article uses the Creation as a starting point to explore dramatic changes to late Enlightenment music and musical discourse from a material perspective of instrumentation. The transformation of the orchestra created the possibility for new styles of orchestration that engaged in precise and nuanced ways with instrumental sonority; no longer was the orchestra a blunt force, but rather an autonomous community of ““envoiced”” instruments capable of a variety of expressive nuances. Looked at more broadly, this consolidation also allowed for the increased circulation of large orchestral compositions around Europe, which in turn contributed to the idea of the modern musical work. Approaching the music of this period from the perspective of orchestration also invites a reconsideration of Haydn9s ““Vorstellung des Chaos””: rather than transgressing the boundaries of form, melody, or harmony, Haydn undoes the fabric of the orchestra, creating chaos out of the inchoate gestures of the instruments. His representation of chaos is a process by which disparate instruments coalesce to become a unified ensemble; the creation of light is at once the creation of an orchestra.
Vinorelbine, paclitaxel, etoposide, cisplatin, and cytarabine (VTEPA) is an effective second salvage therapy for relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma.

Abstract Background For Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients with refractory or relapsed (R/R) disease after primary therapy, the standard of care is a salvage regimen followed by autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). However, patients who fail to respond to a salvage regimen have limited options. Our phase I study of cytarabine combined with fixed doses of vinorelbine, paclitaxel, etoposide, and cisplatin (VTEPA) for patients with R/R lymphoma showed an overall response rate (ORR) of 33%. Patients and Methods To further examine the effectiveness of VTEPA, we conducted a retrospective review of 30 cases of R/R HL who received a salvage combination of VTEPA. Results This population included 15 men (50%), 18 stage III/IV (60%), and 14 with an International Prognostic Score ≥3 (47%). The median number of previous regimens was 2 (range, 1-4), 19 patients (63%) received previous salvage therapy with ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide. Twenty-seven patients were evaluable for response. The most common Grade 3/4 toxicities were pancytopenia (19 patients, 97%), nausea/vomiting (17, 57%), fatigue (14, 47%), and infection (6, 20%). Of the 27 patients evaluable for response, the ORR was 70% (7 complete response and 12 partial response). Twenty patients (66%) went on to ASCT and 1 patient underwent allogeneic transplant. With a median follow-up of 32 months, the median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients who received transplantation after VTEPA were 28 and 38 months, respectively. Conclusion Treatment with VTEPA for R/R HL is feasible with manageable side effects. With a high ORR, the PFS and OS for this group of patients suggest that VTEPA is a promising regimen for HL patients in whom previous lines of therapy have failed.
Security Risk Management in Computing Systems with Constraints on Service Disruption

We present a model for keeping track of vulnerabilities in a networked computing system and study the tradeoff between risk mitigation and keeping disruption at an acceptable level. The tradeoff is such that one can either choose to perform maintenance of the computing system very frequently and experience low risk, or disrupt the system with less frequency, but bear more risk. Formally, we suppose there are n types of vulnerabilities, where each type is jointly characterized by (i) maliciousness, as measured by risk per time slot due to its presence and (ii) probability of occurrence. At each time step, at most one new vulnerability appears in the system, a property that follows if we take the discretized time step size to be small compared to the rate of arrivals for vulnerabilities. We consider a finite-horizon framework of duration N in which the number of times the network may be patched is M < N. This limitation captures the fact that in many engineering systems we would like to limit the number of times processes are interrupted for maintenance. Indeed, service providers may wish to promise clients that service will be disrupted no more than M times so that a certain level of operational continuity can be guaranteed. We develop an optimal policy for mitigating the risk due to exposure from vulnerabilities while obeying the patching constraint.
Contingency Contacting: Combining Positive Reinforcement and Escape Extinction Procedures to Treat Persistent Food Refusal

Chronic food refusal has traditionally been treated with forced feeding and other physical prompting-based procedures when positive reinforcement procedures prove inadequate. Potential problems with such procedures, however, include exacerbation of feeding difficulties and health risks, as well as low parental approval and probability of implementation. Contingency contacting maximizes contact between oral acceptance and positive reinforcement, prevents escape functions of inappropriate behaviors, and requires minimal physical contact between feeder and child. Performances of two children exhibiting chronic food refusal were observed under baseline, positive reinforcement, and contingency contacting conditions. Positive reinforcement increased acceptance only slightly and did not change negative vocalization or interruption for one child. Contingency contacting rapidly increased acceptance and grams of food consumed, and decreased negative vocalization and interruption for both children. Withdrawal to positive reinforcement decreased acceptance for both children and grams consumed for one. Reinstituting contingency contacting rapidly increased acceptance and recovery of grams consumed for one child. Parental approval ratings and treatment and research implications are discussed.
Iron Transporters Are Differentially Regulated by Dietary Iron, and Modifications Are Associated with Changes in Manganese Metabolism in Young Pigs

To investigate the effects of dietary iron (Fe) on manganese (Mn) metabolism, 24 weaned pigs (21 d old) were blocked by litter and weight and randomly assigned to the following treatments: 1) no supplemental Fe [low Fe (L-Fe)]; 2) 100 mg supplemental Fe/kg [adequate Fe (A-Fe)]; and 3) 500 mg supplemental Fe/kg [high Fe (H-Fe)]. The basal diet was analyzed to contain 20 mg Fe/kg. Tissues were harvested after 32 d of feeding. Daily gain (least square means 6 SEM) was greater in A-Fe pigs (328.3 6 29.9 g/d) than in L-Fe pigs (224.0 6 11.2 g/d). Hemoglobin concentrations on d 32 were lower in L-Fe pigs (62 6 3.5 g/L) than in A-Fe pigs (128 6 5.6 g/L) and did not differ between pigs fed A-Fe and H-Fe (133 6 12.0 g/L). Liver Fe increased with increasing dietary Fe. Relative hepatic hepcidin expression was greater in pigs fed A-Fe and H-Fe than in those fed L-Fe. Relative expressions of duodenal divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) and solute carrier family 39 member 14 (ZIP14) were increased in L-Fe pigs compared with H-Fe pigs. Liver copper (Cu) was higher in L-Fe (0.56 6 0.04 mmol/kg) and H-Fe (0.58 6 0.04 mmol/kg) pigs than in A-Fe pigs (0.40 6 0.04 mmol/kg). Liver Mn was lower in H-Fe pigs (0.15 6 0.01 mmol/kg) than in A-Fe (0.23 6 0.02 mmol/kg) or L-Fe pigs (0.20 6 0.02 mmol/kg). Duodenal Mn concentrations were greater in L-Fe pigs than in A-Fe or H-Fe pigs. Fe deficiency in pigs increased gene expression of duodenal metal transporters (DMT1 and ZIP14) and supplementation with H-Fe reduced expression of DMT1 and ZIP14, which may have decreased absorption of Mn. J. Nutr. 139: 1474‐1479, 2009.
An Efficient Synthesis of Racemic and Optically Active Telluromethionine

Abstract A direct and efficient route for the construction of racemic and optically active L-telluromethionine (L-Te-Met) starting from the readily available hydrochloride salt of α-amino-γ-butyrolactone and lithium methyltellurolate is described. The reaction has been successfully scaled up to afford gram quantities of L-Te-Met in 75–80% yield.