cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cytogenetic effects of phosphine inhalation by rodents. I: Acute 6-hour exposure of mice

Phosphine (PH3) is a highly toxic grain fumigant that can be produced from the reaction of metal phosphides with water. To determine the in vivo cytogenetic effects of inhalation of PH3, male CD-1 mice were exposed to either 0, 5, 10, or 15 ppm target concentrations of PH3 for 6 hr. Twenty hours after the termination of exposure, the spleens of the mice were removed, macerated, and the splenocytes cultured for analyses of sister chromatid exchanges, chromosome aberrations, and micronuclei in cytochalasin B-induced binucleated cells. In addition, bone marrow smears were made for the analysis of micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes. No increase in any of the cytogenetic endpoints was found at any of the concentrations examined. The only statistically significant response was a concentration-related slowing of the cell cycle in the splenocytes.
Distributed deformation in the lower crust and upper mantle beneath a continental strike-slip fault zone: Marlborough fault system, South Island, New Zealand

Converted phases from teleseisms recorded by a seismic array spanning the northern half of the Marlborough fault system, South Island, New Zealand, show a continuous unbroken Moho underlying a seismically anisotropic lower crust beneath the two north- ernmost faults of the fault system. These observations suggest that distributed deforma- tion, not slip on a narrow vertical fault, accommodates displacement in the lower crust below the 120-480 km of right-lateral slip across the Wairau fault, one splay of the Marl- borough fault system, and the northward continuation of the Alpine fault. Beneath the Wairau fault, the Moho dips 258-308 southeast from a depth of ;26 km northwest of the fault to a depth of ;34 km southeast of the fault. Farther to the southeast, Ps conversions from the Moho continue under the Awatere fault (34 6 10 km of slip) with a constant amplitude and depth of ;34 km. Across the two faults, converted energy from 16-20 km depth varies with back-azimuth in a manner suggesting the presence of anisotropy in the lower crust. These observations imply that one of the tenets of plate tectonics, that faults defining plate boundaries pass through both crust and upper mantle, does not apply to New Zealand, or to continents in general.
Influences of alkyl group chain length and polar head group on chemical skin permeation enhancement

Previous investigations in our laboratory on the influence of the n-alkanols and the 1-alkyl-2-pyrrolidones as skin permeation enhancers for steroid molecules as permeants demonstrated that the enhancer potencies (based on aqueous concentration values) of these two homologous series were the same when compared at the same alkyl chain length; that is, the contribution of the hydroxyl group and that of the pyrrolidone group to enhancer potency were the same. The purpose of the present study was to further investigate what was believed to be a somewhat surprising finding, and two additional homologous series, the 1,2-alkanediols and N,N-dimethylalkanamides, were selected for study as enhancers. Corticosterone (CS) flux enhancement along the lipoidal pathway of hairless mouse skin stratum corneum was determined with 1,2-hexane-, 1,2-octane-, and 1,2-decanediol and with N,N-dimethylhexanamide, N,N- dimethylheptanamide, N,N-dimethyloctanamide, and N,N-dimethylnonanamide as enhancers. The enhancement factor (E) for the lipoidal pathway was calculated from the CS permeability coefficient and the CS solubility data over a 4 to 100 range of E values. Comparisons of the enhancer potencies of all four homologous series revealed that the enhancer potencies of all were very nearly the same when compared at equal alkyl group chain length. Moreover, the contribution of each of the polar head groups toward the enhancer potency was essentially constant, independent of the alkyl group chain length. It was reasoned that this outcome was either the result of the random selection of four polar head groups making the same contribution to enhancer potency or the result of these particular polar head groups not contributing to enhancer potency. To test the hypothesis that the former was more likely than the latter and that a suitable semipolar organic phase may mimic the microenvironment of the polar head group at the site of enhancer action, n-octanol-phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and n-hexane-PBS partition coefficients were determined for all the enhancers. The n-octanol-PBS partition coefficients for the enhancers, but not the n-hexane-PBS partition coefficients, were very nearly the same when compared at equal alkyl group chain lengths; this result supports the hypothesis that each of the four polar head groups likely contributes the same toward the enhancer potency and locates in the semipolar region of the hairless mouse skin stratum corneum lipid bilayers, which is well-approximated by water-saturated n-octanol.
Penetration and Breakup of Liquids in Subsonic Airstreams

An experimental study of the penetration and breakup of liquid jets injected normal to high subsonic speed (A/=0.45 and 0.75) airstreams through injection ports of various geometries and sizes is reported. The measurement techniques were primarily optical, employing 2.5 x 10 ~3-sec photos to produce "streak" pictures for penetration measurements and 10 6 and 10 ~8-sec spark photos to show the details of the breakup process and some droplet size measurements. The penetration data were successfully correlated using groupings of the variables and parameters suggested by a simple analysis.
Evidence for the involvement of β-adrenergic receptors in conditioned immunomodulation

Abstract This study investigates the role of β-adrenergic receptors in the immunomodulatory effects of a conditioned aversive stimulus (CS). A CS is an environmental event that is not inherently aversive, but acquires aversive properties through pairings with a stimulus such as electric shock. This study evaluated the effects of administration of the β1-receptor selective antagonist atenolol, and the β2-receptor antagonist ICI 118,551 on conditioned immune alterations. Administration of either antagonist prior to presentation of the CS resulted in a dose-dependent attenuation of the CS-induced suppression of splenic T-cell proliferative response to concanavalin. A, phytohemagglutinin, and the combination of ionomycin/phorbol-myristate-acetate. Furthermore, both antagonists dose-dependently attenuated the CS-induced suppression of γ-interferon production by concanavalin-A (ConA)-stimulated splenocytes. In contrast, neither antagonist significantly attenuated the CS-induced suppression of the B-cell mitogenic response to LPS, interleukin-2 production, natural killer cell activity, or mitogenic responsiveness of blood lymphocytes. Thus it is likely that multiple mechanisms are involved in CS-induced immune alterations and these results clearly implicate β1 and β2-adrenergic receptors in a subset of immunomodulatory effects.
Sepsis Presenting As Bowel Obstruction: A Case Report

Mesenteric lymphatic malformations are rare, benign tumors of unknown etiology, most commonly found in children. There are fewer than 200 cases of intraabdominal mesenteric lymphatic malformations reported in the literature. Management of these lesions can include observation, medical management, or surgical resection. Sepsis is a common cause of admission to the pediatric intensive care unit with Escherichia coli being a common causative gram-negative organism. This case discusses a patient with a left-sided abdominal mesenteric lymphatic malformation who was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit with septic shock and eventual multisystem organ failure secondary to E coli .
Latinos, Immigration, and the 2006 Midterm Elections

The 2006 election will best be remembered for returning Democrats to power in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. By almost any metric, November 7 was a bad day for the Republicans. After 12 years of Republican majorities, the Democrats picked up 31 seats in the House and six in the Senate. While significant GOP losses were expected, the results on Election Day were essentially the best case scenario for the Democrats.
RESIDETIAL ELECTRIC APPLIANCES: DETERMINANTS OF OWNERSHIP

The Appliance Stock Index, a composite index based on average wattages, was devised to represent the total number of appliances owned by a household. Eight indices for different categories of appliances were also developed. The effects of selected household characteristics on the ownership of appliances in terms of the developed indices were examined. Recommendations for future research were stated.
Histological evaluation of the equine larynx after unilateral laser-assisted ventriculocordectomy.

Summary Reasons for performing study: Trans-endoscopic laser surgery, such as unilateral laser-assisted ventriculocordectomy (LVC), has gained popularity in the treatment of RLN because a laryngotomy incision or general anaesthesia are not required. However, removal of the vocal fold and ventricle takes considerable laser energy and could cause collateral tissue damage, including injury to the adjacent laryngeal cartilages. Objectives: To document the histological effects of laser surgery on laryngeal tissues in horses that have undergone LVC for the treatment of laryngeal hemiplegia (LH). Methods: Six horses were used: 4 with experimentally induced LH that had subsequently undergone LVC 6 months prior to euthanasia; and, 2 horses were used as controls. One of the control horses with naturally occurring LH was used to study the effect of neuropathy alone, whereas the other was subjected to euthanasia immediately following LVC to evaluate the acute effect of laser surgery. Using a band saw, each larynx was sectioned transversely at 5 mm intervals and evaluated histologically. Results: Acutely, LVC caused thermal damage to adjacent soft tissues but did not affect the histology of the laryngeal cartilages. Six months after LVC, laryngeal cartilages were histologically normal and there was squamous metaplasia of the repaired laryngeal mucosa, resulting in restitution of the mucosal integrity. Conclusions: Using a diode laser in contact fashion at 20 W, LVC can be used to remove the laryngeal vocal fold and ventricle without causing laryngeal cartilage damage. Potential relevance: Laryngeal chondritis is an unlikely consequence of LVC.
Importance of small isolated wetlands for herpetofaunal diversity in managed, young growth forests in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina

Abstract Freshwater wetlands support diverse and unique species assemblages, but the contribution of the smallest of these habitats to regional biodiversity continues to be underestimated, particularly within managed forests. We assessed and compared the richness, abundance, and diversity of herpetofauna at five small isolated wetlands (0.38–1.06 ha) imbedded within a commercial forest landscape in the South Carolina Coastal Plain. Continuous drift fences with pitfall traps that completely encircled the wetlands were used to sample entering and exiting herpetofauna. We also deployed coverboards to sample herpetofauna in the adjacent uplands. We captured 9186 individuals of 56 species (20 amphibians, 36 reptiles) from the five wetlands combined between 1996 and 1998. Although species richness and community composition were similar at the five sites, we found significant differences in herpetofaunal abundance and diversity among wetlands. These differences did not vary with wetland size but were related to environmental and habitat attributes of the surrounding upland stands. Amphibian abundance was positively correlated with basal area of upland conifers but negatively correlated with presence and size of hardwoods, relationships that appeared to be partially influenced by previous stand management. Amphibian diversity (H′) increased with conifer diameter but decreased with increasing distance to nearest wetland. Reptile diversity was negatively correlated with upland canopy closure. Our data indicate that small isolated wetlands are focal points of herpetofaunal richness and abundance in managed coastal plain forests and contribute more to regional biodiversity than is implied by their small size or ephemeral hydrology. By incorporating small wetland values and functions into planning objectives, forest managers can significantly enhance the contribution of extensive young-growth forests to regional conservation of biodiversity.
Transient electroluminescence spikes in small molecular organic light-emitting diodes

We present a comprehensive study of transient nanosecond electroluminescence (EL) spikes that exceed the dc level and microseconds-long EL tails following a bias pulse in guest-host small molecular organic light-emitting diodes (SMOLEDs), including relatively efficient devices, which elucidates carrier and exciton dynamics in such devices. The transient EL is strongly dependent, among other parameters, on device materials and structure. At low temperatures, all measured devices, with the exception of Pt octaethylporphyrin (PtOEP)-doped tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) Al (Alq${}_{3}$) SMOLEDs, exhibit the spikes at \ensuremath{\sim}70--300 ns. At room temperature (RT), however, only those with a hole injection barrier, carrier-trapping guest-host emitting layer, and no strong electron-transporting and hole-blocking layer [such as 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BPhen)] exhibit strong spikes. These narrow and appear earlier under postpulse reverse bias. To further elucidate the origin of the spikes, we monitored their dependence on the pulsed bias width and voltage, the doped layer thickness, and its location within the OLED structure. The characteristics of the microseconds-long tails were also evaluated through the effect of the postpulse voltage. A model based on the recombination of correlated charge pairs (CCPs) and on charge detrapping is presented; the model agrees well with the experimental data. The results suggest that reduced electric-field-induced dissociative quenching of singlet excitons is responsible for the spikes' amplitude exceeding the on-pulse dc EL level. The long tails are attributed to recombination of charges detrapped from a distribution of shallow, mostly host, sites, reminiscent of the detrapping and recombination processes that yield the thermally stimulated luminescence of such materials. The comprehensive transient EL measurements in guest-host devices demonstrate the generality of the strong spike phenomenon in devices with charge trapping in the emitting guest molecules. Hence the transient EL can serve as an important tool to identify the dominant emitting mechanisms in the guest-host systems.
Ultralow-Fouling, Functionalizable, and Hydrolyzable Zwitterionic Materials and Their Derivatives for Biological Applications

In recent years, zwitterionic materials such as poly(carboxybetaine) (pCB) and poly(sulfobetaine) (pSB) have been applied to a broad range of biomedical and engineering materials. Due to electrostatically induced hydration, surfaces coated with zwitterionic groups are highly resistant to nonspecific protein adsorption, bacterial adhesion, and biofilm formation. Among zwitterionic materials, pCB is unique due to its abundant functional groups for the convenient immobilization of biomolecules. pCB can also be prepared in a hydrolyzable form as cationic pCB esters, which can kill bacteria or condense DNA. The hydrolysis of cationic pCB esters into nonfouling zwitterionic groups will lead to the release of killed microbes or the irreversible unpackaging of DNA. Furthermore, mixed-charge materials have been shown to be equivalent to zwitterionic materials in resisting nonspecific protein adsorption when they are uniformly mixed at the molecular scale.
The Patient Flow Beeper: A System to Decrease PACU Transfer Delays

O THE PHRASE “PATIENT FLOW” is used when discussing how to move patients smoothly and efficiently though a hospital system, particularly through perioperative areas. Today’s hospital functions at a consistently high patient census, and patient acuity is more complex than ever. Maintaining patient flow is critical to the function of the entire hospital. Elements of patient flow are movement from admitting into the preoperative area, next into the OR, then to the PACU, and out to the general surgical floors.
Teaching medical professionals online: A cross-discipline experience

Background: Teaching online and cross-discipline teaching are new experiences for many instructors.Aim: Our aim was to solicit the experiences of a group of College of Education faculty about teaching medical professionals in an online master's degree in education program.Method: We used a focus group approach (eight instructors) to explore and gain a deeper understanding about teaching medical professionals by instructors who are in cross disciplines (e.g., nonmedical backgrounds).Results: The data were analyzed using a qualitative thematic analysis approach. Six themes emerged from the instructors’ comments about online teaching to medical professionals compared with other students they have taught in a classroom setting.Conclusion: This study has implications for online teachers and for those who are planning cross-discipline teaching programs.
Working with biological parents: Important procedural ingredients

Abstract Important procedural ingredients in working with biological parents are identified. These include: (a) pursuit of clientselected goals; (b) use of written service agreements; (c) confining attention to problems critically related to an overall goal; (d) identification of clear objectives; (e) use of effective social influence processes, such as offering timely service and encouraging positive expectations; (f) selection of sensitive, feasible, relevant assessment information; (g) use of effective intervention methods; and (h) arranging opportunities for feedback concerning progress. Objections to use of some of these components are identified and discussed.
The Evaluation of a Mind/Body Intervention To Reduce Psychological Distress and Perceived Stress in College Students.

The authors examined the effect of a 6-week mind/body intervention on college students' psychological distress, anxiety, and perception of stress. One hundred twenty-eight students were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 63) or a waitlist control group (n = 65). The experimental group received 6 90-minute group-training sessions in the relaxation response and cognitive behavioral skills. The Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Perceived Stress Scale were used to assess the students' psychological state before and after the intervention. Ninety students (70% of the initial sample) completed the postassessment measure. Significantly greater reductions in psychological distress, state anxiety, and perceived stress were found in the experimental group. This brief mind/body training may be useful as a preventive intervention for college students, according to the authors, who called for further research to determine whether the observed treatment effect can be sustained over a longer period of time.
Measurement of lactose repressor-mediated loop formation and breakdown in single DNA molecules

In gene regulatory systems in which proteins bind to multiple sites on a DNA molecule, the characterization of chemical mechanisms and single-step reaction rates is difficult because many chemical species may exist simultaneously in a molecular ensemble. This problem was circumvented by detecting DNA looping by the lactose repressor protein of Escherichia coli in single DNA molecules. The looping was detected by monitoring the nanometer-scale Brownian motion of microscopic particles linked to the ends of individual DNA molecules. This allowed the determination of the rates of formation and breakdown of a protein-mediated DNA loop in vitro. The measurements reveal that mechanical strain stored in the loop does not substantially accelerate loop breakdown, and the measurements also show that subunit dissociation of tetrameric repressor is not the predominant loop breakdown pathway.
Integrative Technologies in Support of GIS-Based Postdisaster Response

Innovations in interoperability and internet map server (IMS) technology allow for the rapid creation of a targeted, portable, and low-cost solution for postdisaster response and recovery using remotely sensed imagery and other data. This paper will highlight the development of a low-cost and rapidly developed IMS application as a single portal using integrative technologies to access very large data stores, including nationwide geocoding databases, large image Web servers storing multigigabyte remotely sensed imagery, dynamically changing data stored in warehouse databases, and other large IMS applications maintained by federal, state, and local organizations. The system is, therefore, an assembly of existing data through a central portal, with only limited (yet mission critical) data collected at the disaster site, enabling rapid assembly of an overall command and control center for emergency responders and managers, and an information portal to citizens.
Cardiac cushions modulate action potential phenotype during heart development

The extracellular matrix plays an important role in cardiac function. Its role in the generation and modulation of electrical activity in the early stages of heart development has not been studied extensively. Our study demonstrates that the extracellular matrix in cardiac cushions can alter the action potential phenotype by direct contact with cardiomyocytes from different regions of the heart. We also demonstrate that fibronectin, an important and abundant component of the cardiac extracellular matrix, partially mimics the effects of the cushion tissue in altering the changes in action potential. Fibronectin increases ICa2+ and acutely increases cytosolic calcium. These findings suggest that the composition of the cardiac extracellular matrix during development plays an important role in defining patterns of electrical activity in the developing heart. Developmental Dynamics 238:611–623, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Increased Metastasis of Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma in Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Abstract OBJECTIVE To further understand the characteristics and behavior of malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) in the clinical setting of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). PATIENTS AND METHODS The patient database of MHF diagnosed at our institution from January 1, 1976, to December 31, 2008, was reviewed. For each MFH case with prior NHL or CLL, 3 matched controls from the same cohort without prior CLL or NHL were randomly selected. A retrospective chart review collected patient data, including sex; age; pathologic confirmation of MFH; tumor grade, size, and location; time since MFH diagnosis; history of chemotherapy or irradiation; treatment of MFH; recurrence; metastasis; and death. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate overall survival, survival free of recurrence, and survival free of metastasis. Cox proportional hazards models were fit to evaluate associations between case status and outcomes. RESULTS Fifteen MFH cases with prior NHL or CLL were identified. Cases had frequent bone (n=7 [47%]) and cutaneous (n=5 [33%]) involvement. Five cases (33%) had previous irradiation, 6 (40%) had metastases, and 4 (27%) had recurrence. Overall survival and survival free of recurrence were not significantly different between the cases and controls (5-year overall survival, 49.9% and 58.7%; 12-month survival free of recurrence, 79.4% and 90.3%). However, cases were significantly more likely than controls to have metastasis (hazard ratio, 3.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-11.79; P=.02). In addition, survival free of metastasis at 12 months was 65.2% and 90.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION In the presence of CLL or NHL, MFH seems to behave more aggressively, suggested by the increased likelihood of metastases compared with controls without prior CLL or NHL. However, overall survival does not appear to be worse in cases of MFH and CLL or NHL than in MFH alone.
Open and Closed Adoption: A Developmental Conceptualization

Given the annual increase in the multiple forms of adoptive practices within contemporary American society, research aimed at assessing the effects on the adoptees, their families, and the community of "open" versus "closed" adoption (communication versus no communication between biologic and adoptive parents) of healthy infants is sorely needed. Before this can be done, researchers and mental health professionals need to make sense of the myriad of findings in the adoption literature. With the goal of stimulating such research, the present article is comprised of: (a) a review of the contemporary, social scientific literature on adoption, which has focused for the most part on traditional, closed adoption; and (b) a description of a program of research on adoption that is generated from a theoretical orientation, which has already proven valuable in the examination of other developmental life transitions. Based on a holistic, developmental, systems orientation to person-in-environment functioning, this approach provides a developmental conceptualization of both open and closed adoption. Hopefully, the literature review and the research program described here will stimulate other investigators to conduct research on this important problem from their own perspective or from variations of research described in this article.
A Study of the Importance of Generalized Attributes in Shopping Choice Behaviour

The research reported in this paper focuses upon the qualitative characteristics associated with a traveler's shopping activity, and examines the role which these factors have in determining destination choice behaviour. By exploiting factor analytic methods to generate a set of qualitative or generalized attribute indices, interest is centred not only upon the significance of these indices, but also upon the components of each index. With data obtained from a San Francisco Bay Area Travel Survey, multinomial logit analysis is employed to estimate the model. Moreover, to identify the differential influence of generalized attributes, the model is separately estimated for suburban and central city subsamples and, in the latter case, a simultaneous destination–mode choice model is developed. The results demonstrate that generalized attributes derived from attitudinal information are significant inputs into an individual's choice of shopping area. In addition, policies which focus upon the time, safety, and p...
Influence of temperature on larval development of four co-occurring species of the brachyuran genus Cancer

Effects of temperature on zoeal development of Cancer productus, C. oregonensis, and C. gracilis collected from Puget Sound, Washington, USA, were determined and compared with published data on C. magister. Survival through zoeal development, mortality per individual zoeal instar, instar duration, and megalopa weight were determined for zoeae of each species raised in the laboratory at 10, 15, and 20°C. In contrast to larvae of C. magister, the larvae of both C. productus and C. gracilis survived to the megalopa at 20°C. Larvae of C. oregonensis, however, died by Zoeal Stage 3 at 20°C. Individual instar mortality rates varied as a function of temperature among species, reflecting different patterns of thermal tolerance through ontogeny. Zoeal duration varied inversely with temperature, although differences between 10 and 15°C were far greater than those between 15 and 20°C in each species. Duration of individual zoeal instars varied as a function of temperature and species. Megalopa weight was significantly reduced at 20°C in C. productus and C. gracilis, although no differences were measured between 10 and 15°C in any of the four species. Although literature reports indicate that reproductive output varies directly with adult size in these Cancer species, the larval traits measured here varied independent of body size.
Genetics of Ribosomal Proteins: ''Curiouser and Curiouser''

Lewis Carroll wrote about Alice, buthe might just as well have been referringto Calvin Bridges. As a student in T.H.Morgan’s lab, Bridges described some ofthe earliest Drosophila mutations, includingso-called Minutes, in which heterozygotesexhibited small body size and develop-mental abnormalities in tissues undergoingrapid cell division, and homozygotes werelethal [1]. At the time, it was curious howdozens of different loci could yield thesame phenotype, and even curiouser howflies multiply heterozygous at differentMinute loci were no more severely affectedthan a single Minute mutant. This mys-tery—how dozens of genes could encodesimilar but separate proliferative functionsin all cells—was solved more than 50 yearslater with the realization that mutations ofribosomal protein genes occur in almost allMinute loci [2].In this issue of PLOS Genetics, Watkins-Chow et al. [1] add to a more recentcuriosity: even though ribosomes (andribosomal protein [RP] genes) have re-mained nearly identical across more thana billion years of evolution, mutations ofRP genes in mice and in humans give riseto a surprising diversity of phenotypes.This work adds a new piece to a very oldpuzzle, and suggests the possibility that RPgenes do more than just contribute toribosomes.
Volume labeling with Alexa Fluor dyes and surface functionalization of highly sensitive fluorescent silica (SiO2) nanoparticles.

A new synthesis approach is described that allows the direct incorporation of fluorescent labels into the volume or body of SiO2 nanoparticles. In this process, fluorescent Alexa Fluor dyes with different emission wavelengths were covalently incorporated into the SiO2 nanoparticles during their formation by the hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane. The dye molecules were homogeneously distributed throughout the SiO2 nanoparticles. The quantum yields of the Alexa Fluor volume-labeled SiO2 nanoparticles were much higher than nanoparticles labeled using conventional organic dyes. The size of the resulting nanoparticles was controlled using microemulsion reaction media with sizes in the range of 20–100 nm and a polydispersity of <15%. In comparison with conventional surface tagged particles created by post-synthesis modification, this process maintains the physical and surface chemical properties that have the most pronounced effect on colloidal stability and interactions with their surroundings. These volume-labeled nanoparticles have proven to be extremely robust, showing excellent signal strength, negligible photobleaching, and minimal loss of functional organic components. The native or “free” surface of the volume-labeled particles can be altered to achieve a specific surface functionality without altering fluorescence. Their utility was demonstrated for visualizing the association of surface-modified fluorescent particles with cultured macrophages. Differences in particle agglomeration and cell association were clearly associated with differences in observed nanoparticle toxicity. The capacity to maintain particle fluorescence while making significant changes to surface chemistry makes these particles extremely versatile and useful for studies of particle agglomeration, uptake, and transport in environmental and biological systems.
The Epistemic Regress Problem, the Problem of the Criterion, and the Value of Reasons

There are important similarities between the epistemic regress problem and the problem of the criterion. Each turns on plausible principles stating that epistemic reasons must be supported by epistemic reasons but that having reasons is impossible if that requires having endless regresses of reasons. These principles are incompatible with the possibility of reasons, so each problem is a paradox. Whether there can be an antiskeptical solution to these paradoxes depends upon the kinds of reasons that we need in order to attain our epistemic goals. This article explains the problems and considers the ways in which two different conceptions of human flourishing support the value of different kinds of reasons. One conception requires reasons that allow an easy solution to these paradoxes. The other—rational autonomy—requires reasons that depend upon endless regresses. So we cannot have the kinds of fully transparent reasons required for rational autonomy.
Table construction: do's and don'ts

The use of a table as a tool to arrange technical data in a meaningful way is examined. A good table is identified as one that avoids the unnecessary repetition of unit symbols, test conditions, or other data compressible into stub, column, or spanner heads. Characteristics of good tables and pitfalls in constructing them are discussed. >
Use of Verapamil as a Potential P-Glycoprotein Inhibitor in a Patient with Refractory Epilepsy

OBJECTIVETo describe a patient in whom we used adjunctive verapamil therapy was used for its P-glycoprotein inhibitory effects.CASE SUMMARYVerapamil was added to the antiepileptic drug regimen of a 24-year-old woman with intractable epilepsy. The average time interval between hospitalizations for complex partial status doubled. The addition of verapamil greatly improved overall seizure control and subjective quality of life in this pharmacoresistant patient.DISCUSSIONThe overexpression of P-glycoprotein in the central nervous system may be one mechanism of pharmacoresistance in patients with epilepsy. The calcium-channel blocker verapamil is a known inhibitor of P-glycoprotein and may function to block P-glycoprotein—modulated efflux of antiepileptic drugs in the brain, thereby raising the intracellular concentration of antiepileptic drugs and ultimately decreasing seizure burden in patients with refractory epilepsy.CONCLUSIONSVerapamil may offer pharmacoresistant patients hope of improved seizure control...
25 Best Internet Sources for Teaching Reading

Reading instruction and reading outcomes have become a top priority in the United States, partly because of the emphasis placed on them by the federal government. Of paramount concern is poor reading achievement among large numbers of children. This article article encourages teachers to use technology to accomplish the goals of effective reading instruction. It is a compilation of websites that introduce practical activities aligned with the “five pillars” of effective instruction identified by the U.S. National Reading Panel (NRP). Each website description includes an explanation of how the activities featured on the site fit with the principles of the NRP report.
Downlink synchronization for the lunar laser communications demonstration

The Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD) is an ongoing project to demonstrate a high-rate, bidirectional optical communications link between a lunar satellite and an Earth-based ground terminal. The optical downlink operates at data rates up to 622 Mbps and employs photon counting array receiver technology. While the use of a 16-PPM modulation format with narrow (200 ps) slots gives rise to challenging time-alignment requirements between the transmit and receive oscillators that are in constant orbital motion with respect to one another, the additional signaling bandwidth also offers the unique opportunity to provide high-resolution, centimeter-class ranging data between the satellite and the ground terminal. We discuss some of the link challenges that necessitated the creation of novel clock recovery techniques, outline the design and analysis of the header detection algorithms used to perform synchronization on the LLCD high-speed optical downlink, and present the hardware implementation and photon-counting communication testbed used to validate the design.
A Microlongitudinal Study of the Linkages Among Personality Traits, Self-Regulation, and Stress in Older Adults

Personality traits, goals, and perceived stress were examined in 99 older adults assessed via web-based surveys over 100 days to explore how traits influence self-regulation. Participants high in neuroticism made less social goal progress and those high in conscientiousness and extraversion made more health and social goal progress over the 100-day period. Stress interacted with traits, uncovering relationships between goal progress and stressful days not evident when examining just direct effects. This study provides empirical evidence for linkages in the six-foci model of personality that are consistent with the idea that trait structures can shape processes.
Sequential Organization of Speech in Reverberant Environments by Integrating Monaural Grouping and Binaural Localization

Existing binaural approaches to speech segregation place an exclusive burden on cues related to the location of sound sources in space. These approaches can achieve excellent performance in anechoic conditions but degrade rapidly in realistic environments where room reverberation corrupts localization cues. In this paper, we propose to integrate monaural and binaural processing to achieve segregation and localization of voiced speech in reverberant environments. The proposed approach builds on monaural analysis for simultaneous organization, and combines it with a novel method for generation of location-based cues in a probabilistic framework that jointly achieves localization and sequential organization. We compare localization performance to two existing methods, sequential organization performance to a model-based system that uses only monaural cues, and segregation performance to an exclusively binaural system. Results suggest that the proposed framework allows for improved source localization and robust segregation of voiced speech in environments with considerable reverberation.
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma: poised for progress

Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) are amongst the most challenging tumors to treat. Surgery is not an option, the effects of radiation therapy are temporary, and no chemotherapeutic agent has demonstrated significant efficacy. Numerous clinical trials of new agents and novel therapeutic approaches have been performed over the course of several decades in efforts to improve the outcome of children with DIPG, yet without success. The diagnosis of DIPG is based on radiographic findings in the setting of a typical clinical presentation, and tissue is not routinely obtained as the standard of care. The paradigm for treating children with these tumors has been based on that for supratentorial high-grade gliomas in adults as the biology of these lesions were presumed to be similar. However, recent pivotal studies demonstrate that DIPGs appear to be their own entity. Simply identifying this fact releases a number of constraints and opens opportunities for biologic investigation of these lesions, setting the stage to move forward in identifying DIPG-specific treatments. This review will summarize the current state of knowledge of DIPG, discuss obstacles to therapy, and summarize results of recent biologic studies.
Image-Space Caustics and Curvatures

Caustics are important visual phenomena, as well as challenging global illumination effects in computer graphics. Physically caustics can be interpreted from one of two perspectives: in terms of photons gathered on scene geometry, or in terms of a pair of caustic surfaces. These caustic surfaces are swept by the foci of light rays. In this paper, we develop a novel algorithm to approximate caustic surfaces of sampled rays. Our approach locally parameterizes rays by their intersections with a pair of parallel planes. We show neighboring ray triplets are constrained to pass simultaneously through two slits, which rule the caustic surfaces. We derive a ray characteristic equation to compute the two slits, and hence, the caustic surfaces. Using the characteristic equation, we develop a GPU-based algorithm to render the caustics. Our approach produces sharp and clear caustics using much fewer ray samples than the photon mapping method and it also maintains high spatial and temporal coherency. Finally, we present a normal-ray surface representation that locally parameterizes the normals about a surface point as rays. Computing the normal ray caustic surfaces leads to a novel real-time discrete shape operator.
Advances in Career Assessment and the 1994 Strong Interest Inventory

Changes in the 1994 Strong Interest Inventory (SII; Harmon, Hansen, Borgen, & Hammer, 1994) are reviewed and evaluated according to a set of criteria originally proposed by John Holland (1975) and revised for this paper by the authors. Data from over 50,000 people in 50 occupational groups representing new and resampled occupations were involved in the 1994 revision. New General Reference Samples (GRS) containing over 18,000 people were used in scale construction. Every item and scale was reconsidered. Nearly every scale has been revised. A case study illustrating the use of the revision is presented. It also serves to introduce the 1994 score report profile.
Unique non-boundary equilibria in the Morishima system

Abstract In the extensive literature on the Morishima system, the issue of the uniqueness and positiveness of equilibria has been neglected. It is shown that three conditions known to be sufficient for local stability also imply unique, non-boundary equilibria. Other implications of these three conditions such as numeraire independence and global stability are also discussed.
Cumulant matrix subspace algorithms for blind single FIR channel identification

Blind identification of discrete non-minimum phase FIR channels is studied here. Exploiting higher order statistics of the unknown channel output, a closed-form solution to the FIR channel impulse response is presented. The algorithm is simple and relies only on nullspace decomposition. It does not involve global minimization of non-unimodal cost functions nor does it use overparametrization. Its application is broad. It can be used either as the final channel estimate or as a good initial point in nonlinear cumulant matching techniques.
Improved musical pitch tracking using principal decomposition analysis

We present a technique for improving the performance of a method for estimating the time-varying fundamental frequency (pitch) of a musical signal corrupted by interference components. The original method, developed by M. Piszczalski and B.A. Galler (1979), involves the calculation and comparison of frequency-pair ratios from each spectrum within a time-frequency transform of the corrupted signal. As the strength of the interference components is increased, the frequency estimates from this method become more unreliable. To obtain improved performance we developed a transform conditioning procedure that enhances the harmonic signal's spectral components in a constant-Q transform prior to the calculation of frequency-pair ratios. This transform conditioning technique is based on a method we have previously developed for principal decomposition analysis of time-frequency transforms. >
Symmetry properties of graphs of interest in chemistry. II. Desargues–Levi graph

The Desargues--Levi graph represents important chemical transformations: (1) isomerization routes for some carbonium ion rearrangements, (2) isomerization of trigonal bipyramidal structures, and (3) some pseudorotations of octahedral complexes. Using the concept of the smallest binary code, all permutations which form the symmetry operations in the graph are registered. The resulting symmetry group can be represented as the direct product of S/sub 5/ ( the full symmetric permutation group on five objects) and C/sub i/ (the inversion in the center). There are 14 classes belonging to the following partitionings: 1/sup 20/(1), 1/sup 8/2/sup 6/(1), 1/sup 4/2/sup 8/(1), 1/sup 2/3/sup 6/(1), 1/sup 2/3/sup 2/6/sup 2/(1), 2 6/sup 3/(2), 2/sup 2/4/sup 4/(2), 2/sup 10/(3),5/sup 4/(1), and 10/sup 2/(1). The total of 240 symmetry operations are distributed among the above 14 classes as follows: 1, 10, 15, 20, 20, 20, 20, 30, 30, 15, 10, 1, 24, and 24, respectively. Since partitioning cannot uniquely characterize a class, it is suggested that the distance between vertices in a cycle be introduced as an additional parameter to discriminate among classes having identical partioning. Also, a suggestion to a generalization of the Mulliken notation for irreducible representations of the point molecular groups valid for more versatile symmetrymore » groups of graphs is indicated.« less
Workholding-analysis and planning

With an increasing interest in manufacturing towards computer-assisted production in small batch sizes, researchers have begun to focus on the design, analysis and planning algorithms for workholding (also called fixturing), calibration and tool-path generation. The author focuses on the problem of workholding and reviews how various qualitative and quantative approaches of grasping theory can be applied to this problem mutatis mutandis. However, the problems in workholding differ from robot-hand grasping problems in two fundamental ways; the accuracy and ambient force (resulting from fluctuating cutting loads) requirements are rather stringent, and the available fixtures are geometrically more specialized as compared to robot-hands. These differences lead to further interesting questions. >
Calcium-dependent and independent mechanisms of contraction in canine lingual artery to U-46619.

The thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 (TXA2/PGH2) mimetic, U-46619, is a potent platelet aggregating agent and constrictor of vascular smooth muscle. Aggregation and contraction to U-46619, and other TXA2/PGH2 mimetics, such as U-44069 and carbocyclic TXA2, are associated with both an influx of extracellular Ca2+ and a release of Ca2+ from binding and sequestration sites within the platelet and arterial smooth muscle (Greenberg, 1981; Loutzenhiser and van Breemen, 1981; Dorn et al., 1987; Santoian et al., 1987). These mechanisms were shown by the ability of both calcium channel blocking agents and intracellular calcium antagonists, such as dantrolene sodium and TMB-8, to inhibit contraction of vascular smooth muscle to TXA2/PGH2 receptor mimetics and by the ability of these mimetics to increase 45Ca efflux without affecting 45Ca uptake (Ally et al., 1978; Greenberg, 1981; Loutzenhiser and Van Breemen, 1981; Angerio et al., 1982; Dorn et al., 1987; Santoian et al., 1987). The pool of Ca2+ utilized for the physiologic and pharmacologic actions of U-46619 appears to depend on the site and species from which the arteries and platelets are obtained (Greenberg, 1981; Loutzenhiser and Van Breemen, 1981; Angerio et al., 1982; Dorn et al, 1987; Santoian et al., 1987; Verheyen et al., 1989).
Chronic Riboflavin Deficiency in the Rat. I. Ossification in the Proximal Tibial Epiphysis.

SummaryThe tibias of 6 male rats of the Long-Evans strain born from riboflavin deficient mothers and maintained on riboflavin deficient diets for 3 to 9 months were studied histologically and compared with an equal number of controls reared upon the same diet but with riboflavin added.In the deficient rats the growth of the tibia was retarded and endochondral ossification was gravely impaired, Marked reduction in chondrogenesis and in capillary erosion and ossification were characteristic for all degrees of the deficiency. The formation of a thin calcified plate on the diaphyseal side of the epiphyseal cartilage is a finding in consonance with the early arrest of growth. Hematopoietic tissue was replaced by fat in all animals after 144 days on the deficient diet.
3D Microfluidic microscopy

Using sample flow as an extra degree of freedom for imaging, we present several marker-free methods of 3D surface profiling and tomography. Examples are given on live flowing yeast cells and freely swimming C. elegans.