cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and tolerability of pregabalin in essential tremor: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial

We performed a double-blind, crossover-design study to assess the tolerability and efficacy of pregabalin (PGB) in patients with essential tremor (ET). Twenty patients (11 women; mean age of 62.2+/-12.7 years, mean ET duration of 25.5+/-14.9 years) with ET were randomized for treatment with PGB (150-600 mg/day) or placebo, titrated over 6 weeks. Identical assessments of the Fahn-Tolosa-Marin Tremor Rating Scale (TRS) (primary endpoint), Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGI-C), Quality of Life in Essential Tremor Questionnaire (QUEST), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A), and a sleep hygiene questionnaire (HD-16) were made at the baseline, at the end of treatment periods for both drug and placebo, and following the 2-week washout period preceding crossover. We found no improvement in any of the TRS measures and a statistically significant worsening of QUEST scores while patients were taking PGB. Adverse events were similar in frequency to previously published studies of PGB, the most common being drowsiness and dizziness.
Text-dependent speaker verification using data fusion and channel detection

A new system is presented for text-dependent speaker verification. The system uses data fusion concepts to combine the results of distortion-based and discriminant-based classifiers. Hence, both intraspeaker and interspeaker information are utilized in the final decision. The distortion and discriminant-based classifiers used are dynamic time warping and the neural tree network, respectively. The system is evaluated with several hundred one word utterances collected over a telephone channel. All handsets considered in this experiment use electret microphones. The new system is found to perform exceptionally well for this task. A second experiment uses handsets having both electret and carbon button microphones. Here, a channel detection scheme is proposed that improves performance under these conditions.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Uveal melanoma: A pathologist's perspective and review of translational developments

The eye and periorbital soft tissue are derived from the neuroectodermal neural crest, leading to a wide range of tumor types that arise at this site. The uveal tract (iris, ciliary body, and choroid) normally contains melanocytes, and thus both benign nevi and malignant melanoma can arise there, the choroid being the most frequent site. Uveal melanoma (UM) in adults and retinoblastoma (in young children) are the 2 most common primary intraocular malignancies. Retinoblastoma is the most common eye cancer worldwide, but the most common ocular cancer in the United States and Europe is UM. This review will focus on UM and will include the epidemiology, pathologic findings, prognosis and treatment, and review of ongoing molecular discoveries aimed at elucidating the pathways that could lead to adjuvant therapy. These tumors are not uncommon to dedicated ocular pathologists and may occasionally be encountered by general pathologists as well. First, a short word about metastases to the uveal tract is in order, because of its importance in the differential diagnosis. Although the most common primary malignancy in the adult eye is UM, the most frequent adult intraocular malignancy identified in autopsy studies is metastatic carcinoma to the uveal tract. Metastases usually occur late, and the eye is thus rarely enucleated in this setting. However it is important to be aware of this as sometimes, the ophthalmologist cannot determine clinically if an amelanotic tumor represents melanoma or metastasis, possibly from an unknown primary. Shields and colleagues reported on their experience and found that the most common primary sites for uveal metastasis are breast, followed by lung, and then the gastrointestinal tract. Immunohistochemical stains for cytokeratin or more specific markers such as CK7, CK20, TTF-1, BRST-2, CDX2, and PSA may be helpful if there is no known primary. Metastases to the eye also occur in the orbit, eyelid, and rarely to the retina.
Response to Brian K. Smith: Re-envisioning Hinduism

Dans la seconde moitie du XX e siecle, il semble que l'hindouisme de Gandhi ait ete erode par des forces politiques telles que le mouvement Hindutva qui reprend quelques uns de ses themes, mais combat ostensiblement son esprit pluraliste. Il faut garder a l'esprit que le christianisme evangelique des Anglais a attaque le polytheisme hindou. Les reformateurs utilitariens ont critique le systeme des castes, le mariage des enfants. L'enseignement superieur mis en place par les Anglais n'a pas hesite a remettre en question l'heritage sanskrit
ISOLATED CONGENITAL MITRAL INSUFFICIENCY.

Reports of isolated congenital mitral insufficiency have been sparse. We have had theunusual opportunity of studying 16 cases. This congenital lesion as noted in these sixteen patients has presented with a clinical finding hitherto unreported which we think is presumptively diagnostic. The murmurs noted in these patients differ from those of mitral insufficiency of other etiologies. The regurgitant murmur has a marked distribution and intensity over the left posterior thorax which is most likely due to a congenitally widely dilated mitral valve ring. The pulmonary artery wedge pressure or left atrial pulse contours have been found to be of value in the diagnosis. The single most important diagnostic test has been selective left ventricular angiography.
Leukocyte mobilization in leukemic reticuloendotheliosis.

Excerpt To the editor: Yam, Chaudry, and Janckila (1) have recently described impaired leukocyte mobilization in leukemic reticuloendotheliosis (hairy cell leukemia). Using the skin window techniqu...
Development of new multi-band equatorially orbiting POLinSAR satellite sensors system configurations for varying latitudinal coverage within the tropical belt

With the relentless increase in population density, the anthropogenic expansion into natural terrestrial hazard zones has become irreversible resulting in ever more catastrophic disasters within the entire tropical belt engulfing Mother Earth. Thus not only the Indonesian-Pacific Islands, so also South America, Africa and back via the Indian Ocean Islands to Asia-Pacific, these natural events like volcano eruptions, earthquakes with emerging tsunami, cyclones and severe down pours have caused havoc, loss of lives, destruction of infrastructure and above all intentional manmade interference resulting in the deterioration of pristine tropical jungle forests. What is required is around-the-clock local and wide-area surveillance and remote sensing of the vegetative cover for which first well designed optical equatorially orbiting satellite sensors had been developed but their successful implementation failed because of the ever increasing cloud, precipitation, humidity and aerosol cover within the entire equatorial belt of +/− 12∗ per one-day revisitation, within Tropics-belt of ∼ +/− 23.7∗ latitude rendering penetration at optical wavelength mostly ineffective. Hence, we must take recourse to microwave sensing, and implement radar and synthetic aperture sensors from air and space operational at day & night independent of weather; and the sensors especially suited are the fully polarimetric POL-SAR sensors developed for satellite remote sensing by the major SAR technology development centers worldwide.
Axillary node dissection for early breast cancer: some is good, but all is better.

Optimal management of the axillary lymphatics in breast cancer patients remains a contentious subject. Axillary recurrence, while infrequent, may have very significant clinical consequences in the affected patient. Axillary sampling, partial and total axillary lymphadenectomy, radiotherapy, and surgery plus radiotherapy are discussed with attention to efficacy in prevention of axillary recurrence, accuracy of nodal staging, and morbidity. The incidence of axillary recurrence decreases and accuracy of staging increases with the number of lymph nodes resected. There is little difference in incidence of morbidity between partial and total axillary lymphadenectomy. Radiotherapy is not as effective as lymphadenectomy for regional disease control and, when administered following a surgical staging procedure, increases the risk of lymphedema of the ipsilateral upper extremity and, in patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery, the ipsilateral breast. We believe that total axillary lymphadenectomy provides optimal regional disease control and axillary staging with morbidity comparable to that of partial lymphadenectomy. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Reducing S3-S4 Linker Length in Shaker K+ Channels Stabilizes the Relaxed State

The voltage sensing domain (VSD) of voltage-gated channels contains four transmembrane segments (S1 through S4), where the S4 segment is the main voltage sensor. It has been shown that upon prolonged depolarization the VSD enters a third conformational state, the relaxed state, resulting in a dramatic slowing of gating current kinetics upon a repolarization. The length of the linker between the third and fourth transmembrane domains (the S3-S4 linker) is highly variable between different voltage-gated potassium channels. Here we investigated whether the S3-S4 linker length affects the relaxation transition. We generated mutant clones of the Shaker K+ (ShK) IR-H4, W434F background (wild type) with S3-S4 linkers progressively shortened by, typically, three residues. We found that upon prolonged depolarization, the kinetics of repolarizing gating currents going from the relaxed state to the resting state slow down with a linear correlation with the length of the S3-S4 linker (R2>0.9). In addition, the entry to the relaxed state for short linker constructs was generally faster than that for wild type. These results show that shortening the S3-S4 linker favors the relaxed conformation. In addition, we recorded gating currents from oocytes expressing two fragments of ShK, one from the N terminus through part of the S3-S4 linker, and the other comprised of the remainder of the S3-S4 linker to the C terminus. This “split linker” construct and our short linker constructs suggest that shorter S3-S4 linkers impose greater constraints on the voltage sensor, stabilizing the relaxed state. Supported by NIH-GM030376.
Covalent linkage of the type- and group-specific antigens to the peptide moiety of the peptidoglycan of serotype III group BStreptococcus

The attachment sites for the two major cell wall polysaccharides, the type-and group-specific antigens of a serotype III group B streptococcus (GBS) were investigated with [14C]lysine to label the peptide portion of the peptidoglycan and [3H]acetate to label both polysaccharide antigens as well as the glycan backbone of the peptidoglycan. Mutanolysin-treated cell walls were subjected to trypsin digestion, followed by exhaustive beta-elimination with 6N ammonium hydroxide at 37°C. The resulting products were purified by column chromatography prior to chemical, immunological, and high-voltage electrophoresis analyses. Data from these studies indicated that both cell wall polymers are covalently attached to the peptidoglycan via the peptide unit. Additionally, during synthesis and assembly both antigens attached only to nascent peptidoglycan.
Contrast-detail analysis of image degradation due to lossy compression

A contrast‐detail (CD) experiment was performed to study the effect of lossy compression on computed radiographic(CR)images. Digital CRimages of a phantom were compressed by quantizing the full‐frame discrete cosine transform and Huffman encoding the result. Since low‐contrast detectability is directly linked to an important radiological task, namely, the detection of noncalcified pulmonary nodules in adult chest radiographs, the goal of the study was to quantify any loss in low‐contrast detectability due to compression. Compression ratios varied significantly among compressed images, despite the use of fixed compression parameters; detectability could be specified by a single parameter of a CD curve; there was no significant reduction in detectability for an average compression ratio of 11:1; and, there was a statistically significant degradation in detectability for an average compression ratio of 125:1.
Evolution of size distribution of nascent soot in n- and i-butanol flames

Abstract The impact of fuel bound oxygen on the sooting behavior of butanol fuels was examined by following the evolution of the particle size distribution function (PSDF) of nascent soot produced in atmospheric pressure burner stabilized stagnation (BSS) flames of n -butanol and i -butanol. Similar experiments were carried out for i -butane and n -butane flames to better understand the influence of fuel structure and the presence of the alcohol group on detailed processes of soot nucleation and growth. In terms of fuel structure, the branched chain functionality has the most observable effect on soot formation. The onset of soot nucleation is faster in the branched fuels in comparison to the straight-chain counterparts. Under the same C/O ratio, however, the butanol flames were found to nucleate soot earlier and have higher soot volume fraction than the butane flames. A combustion reaction model for i -butanol and n -butanol was used to explore the precursor chemistry. Similar to the measured PSDF, benzene is computed to rise earlier in flames of the branched fuels than the straight-chain fuels.
Fractional vortices as evidence of time-reversal symmetry breaking in high-temperature superconductors.

We argue that recent experiments by Kirtley et al. may show evidence of time-reversal symmetry breaking in ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{O}_{7}$ at crystal grain boundaries. We illustrate this through a Ginzburg-Landau model calculation. Further experimental tests are proposed.
Doping of wide-bandgap titanium-dioxide nanotubes: optical, electronic and magnetic properties

Doping semiconductors is an important step for their technological application. While doping bulk semiconductors can be easily achieved, incorporating dopants in semiconductor nanostructures has proven difficult. Here, we report a facile synthesis method for doping titanium-dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes that was enabled by a new electrochemical cell design. A variety of optical, electronic and magnetic dopants were incorporated into the hollow nanotubes, and from detailed studies it is shown that the doping level can be easily tuned from low to heavily-doped semiconductors. Using desired dopants – electronic (p- or n-doped), optical (ultraviolet bandgap to infrared absorption in co-doped nanotubes), and magnetic (from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic) properties can be tailored, and these technologically important nanotubes can be useful for a variety of applications in photovoltaics, display technologies, photocatalysis, and spintronic applications.
Postemergence directed application of bentazon + metribuzin for broadleaf weed control in Russet Burbank potatoes

Field studies were conducted to evaluate potato (cv. Russet Burbank) injury and weed control with mid- or late-postemergence directed applications of bentazon at 0.56, 0.84, or 1.12 kg ha−1 + metribuzin at 0.28 kg ha−1 + petroleum oil concentrate (POC) at 2.3 L ha−1. Potato injury was 5% or less when bentazon + metribuzin + POC was applied as a postemergence directed spray. Hairy nightshade, redroot pigweed, and common lambsquarters control were excellent with all rates of the bentazon + metribuzin + POC mixture tested at either application time. In weed-free trials, neither U.S. No. 1 nor total tuber yield was reduced compared to the untreated control by any rate of the bentazon + metribuzin + POC mixture applied as a directed spray. Thus, postemergence directed applications of bentazon + metribuzin + POC show excellent potential for broadleaf weed control in Russet Burbank potatoes.
Economic theory of the constitutional separation of powers

The central element of a formal political structure is the state or government. States are here understood as micro-decision units (i.e., firms) or perhaps as sets of micro decision units (i.e., industries) producing primarily public goods for a given society or jurisdiction. Order is, of course, the primal output of states. The rulers of a society are the controllers (decision makers) of the state.1 Like private sector goods those produced by government are multioperational-that is, require several operations each with its own cost curve. Thus, for example, two operations involved in the final production of order (the prevailing system of ownership resources) are punishing internal criminals and defending against foreign aggressors. Coase's classic question of the firm vs. the market is obviously relevant. At one extreme all operations are discharged by a single vertically integrated firm (state), at the other each is carried out by an independent firm (sovereign substate). Somewhere between the extremes the cost of final output is minimized.
An ergodic theorem for semigroups of nonexpansive mappings in a Hilbert space

Abstract J. B. Baillon [C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris Ser. A.280 (1975), 1511–1514] proved an ergodic theorem for a single nonexpansive mapping in a Hilbert space, which is a nonlinear version of von Neumann's mean ergodic theorem. In this paper, we study the ergodic behavior of a semigroup of nonexpansive mappings. We try to find a sequence of means on the semigroup, generalizing the Cesaro means on N , such that the corresponding sequence of nonexpansive mappings converges to a projection onto the set of common fixed-points. Our method of proof is an appropriate modification of A. Pazy's proof [Israel J. Math.26 (1977), 197–204] of Baillon's theorem.
Coping as a mediator between interparental conflict and adolescents' romantic attachment

This study examined the association between interparental conflict and late adolescents' attachment in romantic relationships through analyses of the mediating and moderating effects of adolescents' coping. Adolescents (n = 96, age 18—19 years, 81% female) reported on dimensions of interparental conflict, romantic attachment, and strategies for coping with parents' conflicts. As expected, higher levels of conflict were associated with significantly higher levels of anxious attachment in romantic relationships. This association was mediated by involuntary disengagement coping, but not by other coping responses (involuntary engagement, voluntary engagement, or voluntary disengagement). Hypotheses regarding moderation were not supported. These results suggest that coping may be influenced by the nature of the parental conflict, which, in turn, shapes the impact of conflict on later romantic relationships.
The Importance of Corrosion Research

Abstract The advent of stainless steels marks a symbolic advance in man's struggle against rust. Their availability through research has been an important factor in industrial and architectural progress. Cathodic protection, which began as a fundamental research project in electrochemistry, now makes possible the transportation of oil and gas in pipelines, contributes longer life to hot-water tanks, and provides potentially large savings in many other areas. The national economy benefits in the order of hundreds of millions of dollars annually through this and additional corrosion control measures adopted by the automotive, oil and chemical industries. Protection of boilers through water treatment and improvement in the corrosion resistance of steel used for tin-coated containers for food and beverages are further examples of economic advantages gained through corrosion research. The over-all savings, however, have been not only in dollars, but also in the conservation of natural resources, and in the red...
A plant to plate pilot: a cold-climate high school garden increased vegetable selection but also waste.

Aim Can high school gardens in cold climates influence vegetable intake in the absence of nutrition education? Methods This study followed a before/after design where student tray-waste data were collected using the quarter-waste method. The study took place March–April 2012 in a high school in upstate New York. The subjects were 370 enrolled high school students that purchased lunch from the school cafeteria. Prior to the introduction of garden greens in the salad, salads were served as usual. On April 24, harvested greens were included in the salad, and changes in selection and plate waste were measured. Results When the salad bar contained garden produce, the percentage of students selecting salad rose from 2% to 10% (p < 0.001), and on average, students ate two-thirds of the serving they took. Although waste increased relative to the control (from 5.56% to 33.33% per serving; p = 0.007), more students were consuming at least some salad. Conclusion This preliminary investigation suggests that school gardens increased selection and intake of school-raised produce. Although a third was not eaten, it is promising to see that still more produce was consumed compared to the past.
Detecting change in landscape greenness over large areas: An example for New Mexico, USA

Abstract Monitoring and quantifying changes in vegetation cover over large areas using remote sensing can potentially detect broad-scale, slow changes (e.g., climate change over decades), as well as more local and rapid changes (e.g., fire, land development over weeks and years). A widely used indicator for detecting change in land cover is a measure of greenness, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), derived from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). Detecting change in the NDVI, however, can be confounded by time-dependent patterns (e.g., seasonal effects) and variation associated with climate factors. In the present study we provide a method to address these confounding factors by evaluating the NDVI change using autoregression techniques that compare results from univariate (i.e., the NDVI vs. time) and multivariate analyses (the NDVI vs. time and climate variables) for ~ 314,000 1-km2 pixels comprising the state of New Mexico over an 18-year period (1989–2006). The ability to detect NDVI trend was greatly improved by including climate variables in the multivariate analyses of the NDVI over time. Specifically, the fraction of pixels with a significant NDVI trend (mostly increasing) doubled from 5.2% of the pixels for the univariate autoregression analyses to 11.9% for the multivariate autoregression analyses. The comparisons of univariate and multivariate analyses also revealed that for most of the pixels with a significant NDVI trend in either analysis, the trend was consistent with changes in local factors rather than to broad-scale, slow changes (e.g., climate change); only 0.8% of the pixels had a significant NDVI trend associated with change in the climate variables. This latter finding is somewhat surprising given that several climate variables changed significantly over much of the state during the 18-year period, and the NDVI was significantly related to these variables in the multivariate autoregressions for much of the area. Close examination of several areas suggested that NDVI change in these areas was attributable to wildfires, agriculture, habitat restoration, and tree mortality associated with insect infestation.
Effect of a Combination of Lactogenic, Growth, Thyroid, and Parathyroid Hormones on Lactation in Rats.∗:

SummaryThe effect of 30 USP units of PTH/100 g BW in conjunction with 1 mg LGH/animal, 1 mg GH/animal and 3 μg T4/100 g BW on the milk yield of normal rats was determined by daily administration of the hormones from day 7 to 20 post-partum with determination of milk yield after 10 hr separation period on days 14, 16, 18 and 20. One USP unit of OXT was injected at each period to aid in complete milk removal. Administration of the hormones increased milk yield 99% and litter weight 26% over the control group on day 20. The DNA content of mammary glands of experimental animals at day 20 was significantly greater than that of controls, suggesting that treatment either stimulated increased growth of the gland or prevented involution.
An experimental estimation of mean reaction rate and flame structure during combustion instability in a lean premixed gas turbine combustor

The interactions between the local flame structure produced by a premixed swirl-stabilized injector with combustion instabilities were experimentally studied for a model gas turbine combustor operating at high pressure and temperature. The model gas turbine combustor studied utilizes a sudden-expansion dump combustor with a single swirler and bluff body for enhancing mixing rate and flame stabilization, respectively. Laser-based measurements were made for both stable and unstable operating conditions. The local flame front structure was visualized using planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) from the OH⊙, and the global heat release zone was interpreted from flame emission measurements. For stable combustion conditions, the mean reaction rate estimated independently from both OH-PLIF and OH * chemiluminescence measurements showed good agreement, thereby indicating confidence in the use of OH-PLIF measurements for extracting the local mean reaction rate. For unstable combustion conditions, the flamefront characteristics, including flame surface density and mean reaction rate, were evaluated together with the information from the OH * chemiluminescence measurements to identify the boundary of the heat release region at discrete phases of the unstable flame. Analysis of the flame structures during combustion instability indicated significant variations during different phases of the instability. The heat release flow field, particularly in the recirculation regions appearing at the corner and inner face of the dump plane, varied substantially. Rayleigh index information indicated that the recirculation zones play an important part in driving the instability. In contrast, the high shear layer formed along the interface between reactants and hot products produced a region where the instability was damped due to a lowering of the heat release.
3D segmentation and reconstruction of endobronchial ultrasound

State-of-the-art practice for lung-cancer staging bronchoscopy often draws upon a combination of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) and multidetector computed-tomography (MDCT) imaging. While EBUS offers real-time in vivo imaging of suspicious lesions and lymph nodes, its low signal-to-noise ratio and tendency to exhibit missing region-of-interest (ROI) boundaries complicate diagnostic tasks. Furthermore, past efforts did not incorporate automated analysis of EBUS images and a subsequent fusion of the EBUS and MDCT data. To address these issues, we propose near real-time automated methods for three-dimensional (3D) EBUS segmentation and reconstruction that generate a 3D ROI model along with ROI measurements. Results derived from phantom data and lung-cancer patients show the promise of the methods. In addition, we present a preliminary image-guided intervention (IGI) system example, whereby EBUS imagery is registered to a patient’s MDCT chest scan.
Optical diagnostics of combustion processes

New measurement techniques for the study of combustion processes are currently receiving widespread attention because of their potential utility for combustion modeling. Such modeling promises to offer many benefits for the design of advanced power sources with high efficiency and low pollutant emissions. Here, we very briefly discuss several classes of optical methods for the measurement of combustion system properties. We then describe in more detail the measurement of temperature, density, and composition by Raman scattering, and velocity by laser Doppler velocimetry, as examples of non-perturbing optical diagnostic probes currently under development for combustion measurements purposes.© (1976) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Potential for molecular therapeutic targets in Ewing’s sarcoma

Ewing’s sarcoma is an uncompromising tumor of children and young adults. Before the introduction of chemotherapy for Ewing’s sarcoma, nearly all patients succumbed to their disease, even with highly aggressive approaches to local control. The realization that most patients have micrometastatic disease at presentation, and the identification of active chemotherapeutic agents for this tumor, have resulted in significant improvements in patient survival. Modern therapy for Ewing’s sarcoma combines highdose chemotherapy for systemic control of disease, with advanced surgical and/or radiation therapeutic approaches for local control. Current therapy remains imperfect. Despite optimal management, the cure rate for localized disease is only approximately 70%, whereas the cure rate for metastatic disease at presentation is less than 30%. Patients who experience long-term disease-free survival are at risk for significant side effects of therapy, including infertility, limb dysfunction, and an increased risk for second malignancies. More effective and less toxic therapies are needed. This report presents an overview of dysregulated molecular pathways in Ewing’s sarcoma and highlights the possibility that they may serve as therapeutic targets for the disease. Although a great deal of additional investigation is required before most of these approaches can be assessed in the clinic, we think that these potential new targets offer a great deal of hope for patients with Ewing’s sarcoma.
Affinity Labeling of Anti-Lactose Antibodies with Bromoacetylaminolac Dye in Dark

Affinity labeling of rabbit IgG anti-lactose antibodies of restricted heterogeneity by bromoacetylaminolac dye was carried out in dark and the label on the isolated chains determined by SDS gel electrophoresis. The pattern of labeling was compared with that obtained when the reaction was carried out in light using the same reagent. Differences were observed in the mode of labeling of chains. Possible use of mapping the active site of the antibody by the same labeling reagent which can exist in two geometrical forms under dark and light conditions is discussed.
Dispersion and Absorption Line Width in the Alkali Vapors

Measurements were made photographically at various vapor densities of the widths in absorption of the sodium $D$ lines, and of rubidium 4201 and 4215. Stewart's line width equation was again verified, indicating that scattering produces the opacity at the edges of absorption lines, at low vapor densities. This equation has not previously been directly tested for higher series members. Photographic measurements of the refractivity of sodium vapor near the $D$ lines were made, and increased precision obtained over the visual measurements previously reported. The dispersion is found to conform to the classical curve, within an experimental error of 1 percent. The form of the dispersion to line width relation is shown to remain unchanged for higher series members. A theoretical treatment of the line width equation is given, indicating the modifications which quantum theory introduces. The form of the equations remains unchanged, but the number of molecules active in scattering is made explicit. "Negative line width" is introduced, corresponding to the negative term in the dispersion formula, but the correction would be small except at high temperatures.
Measuring biological shape using geometry-based shape transformations

Abstract This paper presents a methodology for shape analysis of anatomical structures. A template shape is used as a unit, and a shape transformation mapping the template to a particular structure is used to quantify the shape of the structure with respect to the template. The geometric characteristics of the boundaries of the template and the individual structure are used to define point correspondences between the template and the structure. These correspondences are then used to determine the shape transformation, which is based on an elastic adaptation of the template. Regional inter-subject and inter-population shape differences are then identified by comparing the corresponding shape transformations point-wise. Validation using simulation experiments is also presented.
Validity of the TAS-45 as a measure of toddler–parent attachment: preliminary evidence from Early Head Start families

A new observational measure of attachment strategies in the home, the Toddler Attachment Sort-45 (TAS-45) was completed for 59 18- to 36-month-old recipients of EHS. Mothers completed the Brief Infant Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA); children were tested on the Preschool Language Scale (PLS-4); and a mother-child snack was videotaped and coded for dyadic mutuality. The TAS-45 Security score was associated with more dyadic mutuality, higher language and competence scores, and lower problem scores. Discriminant validity was evidenced by a lack of associations with the TAS-45 Dependence score. The TAS-45 Disorganized “hotspot” (cluster) score also showed expected associations with these outcomes. Results are discussed in terms of next steps for use of the TAS-45 in research and practice.
Zirconia–Silica–Carbon Coatings on Ceramic Fibers

Precursors for zircon–carbon mixtures were made to coat fibers for ceramic-matrix composites. Precursors were characterized using XRD, TGA, and DTA. Zircon formed from vanadium- or lithium-doped precursors after heat treatments at ≥900°C in air, but it did not form at 1200°–1400°C in argon when large amounts of carbon were added. Some precursors were used to coat Nextel™ 720 and Hi-Nicalon™ fibers. The coatings were characterized using SEM and TEM, and coated-fiber tensile strengths were measured. Although zircon formed in powders, only tetragonal-zirconia–silica mixed phases formed in fiber coatings at 1200°C in air. Loss of vanadium oxide flux to the fibers may have caused the lack of conversion to zircon. The strengths of the coated fibers were severely degraded after heat treatment at ≥1000°C in air, but not in argon. The coated fibers were compared with zirconia–carbon-coated fibers made using similar methods. Mechanisms for fiber strength degradation are discussed.
Molecular basis of α-KTx specificity

Potassium channel inhibitor peptides from scorpion venom, alpha-KTx, have greatly advanced our understanding of potassium channel structure and function, Because of their high affinity interaction with the outer pore, alpha-KTx's have aided, in identification of amino acids lining the pore and of proteins constituting functional channels. The alpha-KTx's display a large range of affinities for different potassium channels with differences in binding free energy exceeding approximately 8 kcal/mol. These differences in affinities are the foundation of alpha-KTx specificity and have aided in revealing the physiological and patho-physiological roles of potassium channels. The alpha-KTx subfamilies 1-3, display gross differences in specificity for maxi-K vs. KV channels. However, many potassium channels are largely untouched by alpha-KTx's. Differences in toxin binding free energy provide a quantitative framework for defining specificity. As a practical criterion for specificity a minimum binding free energy difference of 2.72 kcal/mol is proposed. Binding free energy differences for wild-type and mutant toxins and channels can point to amino acids underlying specificity and to unique features of potassium channel outer pores. Known 3D structures of potassium channels in combination with CLUSTALW sequence alignment of over 60 potassium channels reveal significant variation in alpha-KTx binding domains. Structure-based homology models of potassium channels complexed with alpha-KTxs, in combination with measurements of toxin binding free energy, will further our understanding of the molecular basis of alpha-KTx specificity.
Phenylglucosides and the Na+/glucose cotransporter (SGLT1): analysis of interactions.

Phenylglucosides are transported by the intestinal Na+/glucose cotransporter (SGLT1) and phlorizin, the classical competitive inhibitor of SGLT1, is also a phenylglucoside. To investigate the structural requirements for binding of substrates to SGLT1, we have studied the interactions between phenylglucosides and the cotransporter expressed in Xenopus oocytes using tracer uptake and electrophysiological methods. Some phenylglucosides inhibited the Na+-dependent uptake of 14C-α-methyl-d-glucopyranoside (αMDG) with apparent K is in the range 0.1 to 20 mm, while others had no effect. Electrophysiological experiments indicated that phenylglucosides can act either as: (1) transported substrates, e.g., arbutin; (2) nontransported inhibitors, e.g., glucosylphenyl-isothiocyanate; or (3) noninteracting sugars, e.g., salicin. The transported substrates (glucose, arbutin, phenylglucoside and helicin) induced different maximal currents, and computer simulations showed that this may be explained by a difference in the translocation rates of the sugar and Na+-loaded transporter. Computational chemistry indicated that all these β-phenylglucosides have similar 3-D structures. Analysis showed that among the side chains in the para position of the phenyl ring the -OH group (arbutin) facilitates transport, but the-NCS (glucosylphenyl-isothiocyanate) inhibits transport. In the ortho position, -CH2OH (salicin) prevents interaction, but the aldehyde (helicin) permits the molecule to be transported. Studies such as these may help to understand the geometry and nature of glucoside binding to SGLT1.
ESTIMATING PARAMETERS OF A LINEAR PROGRAMMING MODEL

Problems of estimating parameters of the objective function of LP-type models are investigated here in situations where regression-like estimates can be applied.
Effects of cell damage and glycosaminoglycan degradation on available extravascular space of different dextrans in a rat fibrosarcoma

Drug delivery to solid tumors may be enhanced through increasing the available volume fraction (K(AV)) of drugs. Therefore, two approaches were investigated that may increase K(AV) of dextrans in a rat fibrosarcoma: (a) damaging cells in tumours via ex vivo incubation of tumour tissues, and (b) degrading tumour glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) with exogenous hyaluronidase. The molecular weights of dextrans used in this study were approximately 10,000 (D10), 70,000 (D70) and 2,000,000 (D2000), respectively. It was found that GAG degradation had minimal effects on K(AV) of dextrans. Ex vivo incubation at 37 degrees C for up to 3 h caused only minor cell damage and had minimal effects on K(AV) of D10 and D70. However, the ex vivo incubation reduced K(AV) of D2000 (p < 0.05). When the incubation at 37 degrees C was maintained for 20 h, the amount of viable cells in tumours was reduced by 56% and K(AV) of all dextrans were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Ex vivo incubation at 41 degrees C for 3 h caused similar cell damage to that at 37 degrees C for 20 h, but only K(AV) of D10 and D70 were increased significantly (p < 0.05). There was no significant change in K(AV) of D2000, although it was higher than that in tumours incubated at 37 degrees C for 3 h (p < 0.05). These data suggest that cell damage is a more effective approach than GAG degradation for increasing K(AV) of macromolecules and that the amount of increase depends on the degree of cell damage and the size of molecules.
A Sparse Structured Shrinkage Estimator for Nonparametric Varying-Coefficient Model With an Application in Genomics

Many problems in genomics are related to variable selection where high-dimensional genomic data are treated as covariates. Such genomic covariates often have certain structures and can be represented as vertices of an undirected graph. Biological processes also vary as functions depending upon some biological state, such as time. High-dimensional variable selection where covariates are graph-structured and underlying model is nonparametric presents an important but largely unaddressed statistical challenge. Motivated by the problem of regression-based motif discovery, we consider the problem of variable selection for high-dimensional nonparametric varying-coefficient models and introduce a sparse structured shrinkage (SSS) estimator based on basis function expansions and a novel smoothed penalty function. We present an efficient algorithm for computing the SSS estimator. Results on model selection consistency and estimation bounds are derived. Moreover, finite-sample performances are studied via simulatio...
Design considerations for flux-trapping helical flux compression generators energized by capacitive discharge

An investigation aimed at optimizing the integration between a capacitor based prime power source and flux-trapping helical flux compression generator (FT-HFCG) is presented. An FT-HFCG simulation code, previously benchmarked with single and multi-pitch generators, was employed to study the kilo-joule class explosive system for this purpose. The details of this effort, which include the optimization of the field coil and stator coupling, as well as an examination of the effect of field coil parameters on the system performance, will be described in this document. For the simulated parameter space, the choice of field coil configuration caused the system energy gain to vary by 300%, and the optimum field coil configuration was found to be a single Litz wire conductor that had an axial length which was approximately 60% of the stator axial length.
A new ‘Cold Pocket’ hypothesis to explain local host preference shifts in Papilio canadensis

The differential importance of natural enemies, competition, phylogenetic constraints, mating sites, and chemical coevolution as explanations of observed host range in herbivores has been argued vigorously for at least 3 decades. To understand the environmentally influenced variance as well as the genetically based variation in host-use patterns of specialists or generalists, it is generally recognized that more holistic multifactor studies will be essential.
Ultrafast optical properties of gold nanoshells

We present the results of ultrafast pump–probe measurements on films of gold-coated gold sulfide nanoshells. The measured change in transmission (ΔT/T) agrees with theoretical calculations that relate the increase in the electron temperature to changes in the Drude and interband components of the gold shell dielectric function. The major contribution physically corresponds to modified screening of the d-band electrons by the conduction electrons in the gold shell. The electrons cool with a lifetime of ∼1.6 ps, indicating a slower cooling rate than is observed in bulk gold.
Spirituality measurement in African American cancer survivors: a critical literature review.

Purpose: Spirituality is a mechanism that supports coping with chronic illnesses such as cancer, and has been frequently used in the African American (AA) population. Measures of spirituality are needed, which are culturally sensitive, appropriate, and psychometrically sound. Design: A critical literature review was performed to identify instruments measuring spirituality as a response to illness. Method: Whittemore and Knafl’s method was used to search pertinent databases for instrumentation assessing spirituality and its applicability in AA cancer survivors. Findings: In all, 13 research articles detailing nine instruments were obtained and included for analysis. Of the nine instruments, only two (Perspectives of Support From God Scale and Connections to God Scale) were psychometrically tested in populations of AAs who had completed primary treatment for their cancer. Cultural validity was tested in only the Perspectives of Support From God Scale, showing a deficit in the assessment of cultural appropri...
Thermomechanical reliability for emerging device technologies: Implications for ULK integration, 3-D structures and packaging

Materials and interfaces in microelectronic device structures operate near the envelope of their mechanical and adhesive properties with remarkably high levels of film stress. Debonding and cohesive fracture are major challenges for device reliability at all levels of processing and packaging.
Changes in the pharmacokinetics and electrocardiographic pharmacodynamics of terfenadine with concomitant administration of erythromycin

Terfenadine is a nonsedating H1-antagonist that when overdosed, used with hepatic compromise, or when given with ketoconazole results in accumulation of parent terfenadine, prolongation of the QT interval, and torsades de pointes in susceptible patients. Nine subjects were given the recommended dose of terfenadine (60 mg every 12 hours) for 7 days before initiation of oral erythromycin (500 mg every 8 hours). All subjects increased metabolite concentrations after the addition of erythromycin for 1 week. The maximum concentration of metabolite increased by a mean of 107% and the mean metabolite area under the concentration-time curve increased by 170%. Three subjects accumulated unmetabolized terfenadine after administration of erythromycin for 1 week. Electrocardiographic data revealed changes in QT intervals and ST-U complexes in a subset of subjects who accumulated terfenadine. We conclude that erythromycin alters the metabolism of terfenadine, leading to accumulation of terfenadine in certain individuals that is associated with altered cardiac repolarization. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1992) 52, 231–238; doi:10.1038/clpt.1992.135
Development and testing of the social capital scale for families of children with special health care needs

The purpose of this study was to develop and psychometrically test the Social Capital Scale for families of children with special health care needs. Researchers have suggested a link between social capital and health, however, psychometrically tested measures of social capital are not described in the literature. The Social Capital Scale (SCS) demonstrated internal consistency, stability over time, and construct validity (as evaluated through factor analysis, correlation with existing measures, and hypothesis testing). Five subscales provide insight into family strengths and areas for improvement related to their investment in relationships that support health. Use of the SCS will contribute to the establishment of consensus and precision in communication about social capital's utility and measurement in the population of families of children with special health care needs.
Interview with Laurie Isenberg

This article introduces Laurie Isenberg, a former medical and special librarian, who has been involved in using, retrieving and processing grey literature, and the advantages and restrictions she has experienced in working with that form of information. She candidly shares her opinions about how grey literature supports medical research and practice and her commitments to promoting the ongoing exposure to grey literature.