cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid loss of sensitivity to tetrodotoxin by chick ventricular myocardial cells after separation from the heart.

Abstract We reported previously that chick myocardial cells placed into monolayer cell culture lost tetrodotoxin (TTX) sensitivity when tested at 72 h. To further characterize the change, ventricular myocardial cells were dispersed from chick embryos 14–16 days old; these hearts are TTX-sensitive before dispersal. Intracellular microelectrode penetrations were made into spontaneously beating cells at 9–72 h after culturing. No TTX-sensitive cells were found. Spontaneous action potentials with concomitant contractions continued in the presence of TTX (8 μg/ml), and the maximum rate of rise of the action potentials (+Vmax) (control of 2–20 V/sec) was not reduced. Since the cells did not adhere to the vessel before 9 h, suspensions of cells were studied 1–8 h after dispersal to determine the rapidity of the loss of TTX sensitivity; all cells which contracted spontaneously or responded to electrical stimulation continued to beat in TTX. Addition of cycloheximide or actinomycin D did not prevent the loss of TTX sensitivity. The loss is not due to the use of trypsin (0.01 %) because dispersal by collagenase also resulted in loss of TTX sensitivity. Furthermore, cells separated mechanically (from 8-day-old hearts) also lost TTX sensitivity. In addition, loss of TTX sensitivity did not occur in frog sartorius muscles organ cultured for several days in 0.01 % trypsin. The loss of TTX sensitivity occurred even in multilayered cell cultures. Chronic exposure to carbachol or isoproterenol did not prevent the loss. However, elevation of K+ in the medium (12–60 mM) prevented or reversed the loss of TTX sensitivity in some cells (~50 %), although +Vmax remained low. Hence, the loss of TTX-sensitive fast Na+ channels upon cell dispersal (a) occurs very rapidly (less than 60 min), (b) is not due to the use of trypsin, (c) is independent of protein synthesis, (d) is not solely a function of cell association, (e) is not influenced by neurotransmitters, and (f) is prevented or reversed by culturing in elevated [K+]0. The mechanism of the changes in characteristics of the cation channels remains to be elucidated.
Site-directed mutagenesis shows that tyrosine 248 of carboxypeptidase A does not play a crucial role in catalysis

The residue Tyr 248 of carboxypeptidase A (CPA) is thought to play a role in catalysis by contributing a proton to the incipient amine anion generated during cleavage of peptide substrates. To test this hypothesis we have modified the rat CPA cDNA by site-directed mutagenesis so that the codon for Tyr 248 is replaced by that for Phe. Here, we report the expression of the cDNAs for proCPA and its Tyr-to-Phe variant in yeast via the alpha-factor system. Following zymogen activation by trypsin, wild-type CPA (CPA-WT) and variant CPA (CPA-Phe 248) were purified to homogeneity and characterized enzymatically. CPA-Phe 248 displays essentially undiminished values for the catalytic constant (kcat) towards various peptide and ester substrates. However, the Michaelis constants (Km values) of peptide substrates and the inhibition constant (Ki) of the potato carboxypeptidase inhibitor are increased 6-fold and 70-fold, respectively. These data suggest that the phenolic hydroxyl of Tyr 248 does not act as the requisite general acid catalyst but participates in ligand binding.
Estrogen effects on neuronal morphology

This review focuses on the effects of estrogen on neuronal morphology. Over the last decade neuroscientists have accumulated a wealth of information confirming the trophic effects of 17β-estradiol on a variety of brain regions, including changes of hippocampal spine density and axonal outgrowth and retraction in hypothalamic nuclei, as well as other measures of structural reorganization that could underlie some of the cognitive benefits attributed to this hormone. Overall, results from a variety of investigators suggest that 17β-estradiol is a potent structural signal that can drive developmental as well as adult plastic events in a variety of brain regions, not only those implicated in reproduction, but also in a diversity of functions. Most notably, these structural modifications that subserve cyclic physiological processes, can also be activated in other brain regions to protect and even reverse structural neurodegenerative processes. The data presented here are not exhaustive, but rather meant to provide a few examples of these structural effects of 17β-estradiol that could have important implications for clinical practice.
An Assessment Battery for Identifying Language Impairments in African American Children

This investigation compares the performances of 24 African American children, diagnosed as language impaired (LI) and receiving school-based language therapy, to 2 groups of typically developing peers (N = 48) on 5 traditional types of language assessment measures. Three of the measures were derived from child-centered free play language sample analyses and included average length of communication units (MLCU), frequencies of complex syntax, and numbers of different words. Two of the measures examined language comprehension and included responses to requests for information in the form of Wh-questions and responses to probes of active and passive sentence constructions. The performances of the group of children with language impairments were significantly lower on each measure than that of chronological age matched African American children who were typically developing. Sensitivity and specificity of the battery appeared excellent. The findings are discussed in terms of the potential of these informal language measures to contribute to a culturally fair assessment protocol for young African American children.
First-passage-time transfer functions for groundwater tracer tests conducted in radially convergent flow

Abstract Forced-gradient groundwater tracer tests may be conducted using a variety of hydraulic schemes, so it is useful to have simple semi-analytic models available that can examine various injection/withdrawal scenarios. Models for radially convergent tracer tests are formulated here as transfer functions, which allow complex tracer test designs to be simulated by a series of simple mathematical expressions. These mathematical expressions are given in Laplace space, so that transfer functions may be placed in series by simple multiplication. Predicted breakthrough is found by numerically inverting the composite transfer function to the time-domain, using traditional computer programs or commercial mathematical software. Transport is assumed to be dictated by a radially convergent or uniform flow field, and is based upon an exact first-passage-time solution of the backward Fokker–Planck equation. These methods are demonstrated by simulating a weak-dipole tracer test conducted in a fractured granite formation, where mixing in the injection borehole is non-ideal.
Role of physical examination in detection of abdominal aortic aneurysms

Background. Early detection of asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) has been advocated to decrease the high mortality rate of ruptured AAAs. The purpose of this study was to document how AAAs were detected, whether AAAs not detected on physical examination (PE) were palpable, and what factors precluded detection by PE. Methods. Two hundred forty-three patients undergoing elective infrarenal AAA repair at a Veterans Affairs, county, or university hospital during a 10-year period were analyzed retrospectively. The method of initial detection of the AAA, size of the AAA at initial detection and before repair, and whether the AAA was palpable on preoperative PE were recorded, and the body mass index [BMI; weight in kg/(height in meters) 2 ] was calculated. Obese patients were defined with MBI of greater than 85th percentile. Results. Only 93 (38%) patients had their AAAs initially detected by PE; the remainder (62%) were found incidentally on radiologic examinations performed for other indications. Patients with p Conclusions. AAAs are underdiagnosed by PE, especially in obese persons. More widespread abdominal examination to detect a widened aortic pulse would improve detection of AAAs.
Termination of parental rights proceedings: legal considerations and practical strategies for parents with psychiatric disabilities and the practitioners who serve them.

TOPIC This article examines the issue of parenting with a psychiatric disability and the risk of custody loss for these parents. PURPOSE The purpose of this article is to examine the parental rights of parents with psychiatric disabilities and the use of the Americans with Disabilities Act as a legal defense. The current status of the law on terminating parental rights for people with mental illnesses is reviewed and the use of the ADA as a defense is described. Other defense strategies for parents and practitioners are also addressed. SOURCES USED Sources for this paper include published literature and research on issues related to parenting with mental illnesses. Pertinent American case law and federal statutes were also examined. CONCLUSION While using the Americans with Disabilities Act as a defense has had limited success in state termination of parental rights proceedings, some courts have declared it applicable in certain instances. Legal strategies such as raising this issue early in the termination process and practical strategies such as having a child care emergency plan are crucial to parents and practitioners who are navigating the child welfare system.
Six Sigma for services: a service quality framework

Six Sigma is an effective quality improvement methodology that has been applied numerous times in the service industry. Alas, most of the successful applications reported in the literature focus on manufacturing-like settings, i.e. highly repetitive services with low behaviour and psychological components. This suggests that either Six Sigma is not effective in many service settings, or that other methodologies provide better results. This paper reviews the literature on Six Sigma service applications and analyses the research findings on service quality. Services have specific characteristics which warrant a differentiated approach; applying the Six Sigma tools used in manufacturing to services will not produce optimal results. We propose a Six Sigma methodology that is based on a broad understanding of customer satisfaction and on the five gaps of the service quality model. The quality function deployment model and the define measure analyse improve control process are adapted to better suit the specific nature of services.
Primary structure of immunoglobulins through evolution

Abstract The analysis of sequences of immunoglobulin heavy and light chains from a variety of lower vertebrates provides insight into the structural requirements for antigen binding and effector functions. Sequence comparisons also serve as a basis for speculation about the history of gene duplications during the evolution of this multigene system.
High throughput docking for library design and library prioritization

The prioritization of the screening of combinatorial libraries is an extremely important task for the rapid identification of tight binding ligands and ultimately pharmaceutical compounds. When structural information for the target is available, molecular docking is an approach that can be used for prioritization. Here, we present the initial validation of a new rapid approach to molecular docking developed for prioritizing combinatorial libraries. The algorithm is tested on 103 individual cases from the protein data bank and in nearly 90% of these cases docks the ligand to within 2.0 A of the observed binding mode. Because the mean CPU time is <5 s/mol, this approach can process hundreds of thousands of compounds per week. Furthermore, if a somewhat less thorough search is performed, the search time drops to 1 s/mol, thus allowing millions of compounds to be docked per week and tested for potential activity. Proteins 2001;43:113-124.
Exosomes Mediate the Cytoprotective Action of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells on Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension

Background—Hypoxia induces an inflammatory response in the lung manifested by alternative activation of macrophages with elevation of proinflammatory mediators that are critical for the later development of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. Mesenchymal stromal cell transplantation inhibits lung inflammation, vascular remodeling, and right heart failure and reverses hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in experimental models of disease. In this study, we aimed to investigate the paracrine mechanisms by which mesenchymal stromal cells are protective in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. Methods and Results—We fractionated mouse mesenchymal stromal cell–conditioned media to identify the biologically active component affecting in vivo hypoxic signaling and determined that exosomes, secreted membrane microvesicles, suppressed the hypoxic pulmonary influx of macrophages and the induction of proinflammatory and proproliferative mediators, including monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and hypoxia-inducible mitogenic factor, ...
Physical therapy Internet resources for consumers

Abstract Physical therapy is both a profession and a practice of medical care, which provides guided exercise therapy for rehabilitation and repair of muscles and joints. Physical therapy is used to treat certain congenital conditions, traumatic injuries, and following surgery to improve and sustain the mobility of joints and muscles. The increasing emphasis on recreational sports, the growing awareness of the effects of ergonomic stress in our workday environments, and a concern for the healthy aging of our increasing numbers of older people have brought increased focus on the benefits of physical therapists' interventions. This paper describes Internet sites offering assistance to consumers seeking more information about the various muscular and orthopedic conditions benefited by physical therapy, as well as guidance in specific exercises and additional resources for those needing further information.
The American Economic Association Dues Structure

Because consumers have an incentive to misrepresent their incomes and accurate information about consumers' incomes is costly for sellers to obtain, income-based pricing of goods or services seems unlikely to survive for long. Indeed, income-based pricing is extremely rare. However, the American Economic Association's dues structure in which members voluntarily pay dues according to income has survived for twenty years. The authors' survey results reveal that while some 'cheating' does occur, there is substantial compliance with the income-based dues structure. They offer several explanations for their findings.
Bearings-Only Initial Relative Orbit Determination

A method for performing bearings-only initial relative orbit determination of a nearby space object in the absence of any information regarding the space object’s geometry and relative orbit is presented. To resolve the range ambiguity characteristic of a single optical sensor system, a second optical sensor is included at a known baseline distance on the observing spacecraft. To formulate an initial estimate of the space object’s relative orbit and its associated uncertainty, the angle measurements from both sensors are used to bound a region for all possible relative positions of the space object. A parameterized probability distribution in relative position that reflects uniform relative range uncertainty across the bounded region is constructed at two unique times. Linkage of the positional distributions is performed using a second-order relative Lambert solver to formulate a full-state probability density function in relative position and velocity, which can be further refined through processing subs...
A functional chimeric membrane subunit of an ion-translocating ATPase.

A chimeric transport protein was made by expression of a fusion of thearsB genes fromEscherichia coli plasmid R773 andStaphylococcus aureus plasmid pI258. The two genes were fused to encode a functional protein with first eight membrane spanning α-helices of theS. aureus and the last four helices of theE. coli protein. The hybrid protein provided arsenite resistance and transport. When anarsA gene was expressed in trans with the ArsB proteins encoded by the R773, pI258 and fusion genes, arsenite efflux was dependent on chemical but not electrochemical energy. The Ars system is hypothesized to be a novel transport system that functions as a primary ATP-driven pump or a secondary carrier, depending on the subunit composition of the complex.
Initializing Markerless Tracking Using a Simple Hand Gesture

We introduce a technique to establish a coordinate system for augmented reality (AR) on tabletop environments. A user's hand is tracked and the fingertips on the outstretched hand are detected, providing a camera pose estimation relative to the hand. As a user places the hand on the surface of a tabletop environment, the hand's coordinate system is propagated to the environment, detecting distinctive image features in the scene. The features are tracked fast and robustly using optical flow. In this way, a new tabletop AR environment is set up without having to carry a marker or a sophisticated tracking system to the environment itself. We also demonstrate a proof-of-concept application for establishing a tabletop AR environment and recognizing a scene when detecting its features.
Searching for expertise in social networks: a simulation of potential strategies

People search for people with suitable expertise all of the time in their social networks - to answer questions or provide help. Recently, efforts have been made to augment this searching. However, relatively little is known about the social characteristics of various algorithms that might be useful. In this paper, we examine three families of searching strategies that we believe may be useful in expertise location. We do so through a simulation, based on the Enron email data set. (We would be unable to suitably experiment in a real organization, thus our need for a simulation.) Our emphasis is not on graph theoretical concerns, but on the social characteristics involved. The goal is to understand the tradeoffs involved in the design of social network based searching engines.
Splicer: a heuristic approach to connectivity binding

This paper describes a tool for constructing the connectivity between hardware components given a stategraph that the components are to be mapped into. Examples taken from previous papers in the field are used to demonstrate this connectivity binder. The important results of this paper point to heuristics that are used to generate solutions to the problem. Questions addressed include: how much of the state-graph must be considered at one time to give reasonable results and how the search space can be pruned to achieve good solutions quicker. The code for this project is written in C and runs under 4.2 BSD UNIX.
Schools Under Surveillance: Cultures of Control in Public Education edited by T. Monahan and R. D. Torres

In K–12 education, issues of freedom and responsibility are extremely complex. Children don't have enough experience to understand why they need to learn particular topics in school, and many left ...
Endoscopic Injection of Dextranomer/Hyaluronic Acid Copolymer to Correct Vesicoureteral Reflux Following Failed Ureteroneocystostomy

Purpose: The efficacy of endoscopic injection of dextranomer/hyaluronic acid to correct primary vesicoureteral reflux is well documented. We present experience at 2 institutions with endoscopic treatment for vesicoureteral reflux after failed ureteroneocystostomy.Materials and Methods: A retrospective review was performed of the records of all patients who underwent endoscopic dextranomer/hyaluronic acid injection to correct vesicoureteral reflux following ureteral reimplantation between April 2002 and July 2005. De novo ipsilateral vesicoureteral reflux was noted after repair of primary nonrefluxing megaureters or renal transplantation and persistent vesicoureteral reflux was noted following attempted vesicoureteral reflux repair. Injection was performed using the standard technique if the ureteral orifice was easily accessible, and percutaneously if access was difficult.Results: Nine male and 9 female patients were identified. Median age was 1.9 years at reimplantation and 6.5 years at injection, and me...
Carbonyl Imines from Oxaziridines: Generation and Cycloaddition of NOC Dipoles

Cycloaddition reactions of nitrones,i azides,ii and related 1,3-dipolar species iii have become recognized as powerful tools for the construction of compounds with great utility in organic synthesis, chemical biology, and materials science. The conceptual model that underpins our understanding of this broad class of reactions was first formalized by Huisgen in 1963. iv This seminal contribution to organic chemistry provided chemists with a unified framework for understanding the structure and reactivity of 1,3-dipolar compounds, and also predicted the structures of several elementary 1,3-dipoles that were unknown at the time. Subsequent research has identified cycloaddition reactions of many of these predicted 1,3-dipolar species.v However, carbonyl imines (e.g., 3, Scheme 1) have remained elusive in the half-century since Huisgen’s initial prediction. Although these unusual dipoles have been postulated to be intermediates in the photochemical decomposition of nitroarenes,vi no compounds resulting from dipolar cycloadditions of carbonyl imines have previously been reported. In this communication, we demonstrate that carbonyl imines can be efficiently generated by Lewis acid-catalyzed rearrangement of N-sulfonyl oxaziridines and trapped by cycloaddition with a variety of dipolarophiles.
Application of the time-domain differential solver to 2-D electromagnetic penetration problems

Time-dependent Maxwell's equations in differential and conservation form are solved numerically, and field components are computed for scattering and penetration involving arbitrary 2-D objects using upwind computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based techniques. The Lax-Wendroff explicit scheme, which is second-order accurate in time and space, is used. The object and surrounding space are divided into a number of zones, and the Cartesian coordinate system is converted to local body-fitted coordinate systems in those zones, to handle more conveniently arbitrary geometry cross sections as well as to facilitate implementation of the boundary conditions. The method of characteristic subpath integration, better known as the Riemann solver in CFD, is then applied to the transformed Maxwell's equations, yielding the solution for the field components in the time domain. Both steady-state and transient fields can be computed. A fast Fourier transform is used to obtain frequency-domain information. Both radar cross sections and near field distributions are presented for some canonical geometries. >
Interference-aware broadcasting in multi-radio multi-channel mesh networks

A vast number of broadcasting protocols have been developed for wireless networks. To the best of our knowledge, however, most of these protocols assume a single-radio single channel network model and/or a generalized physical model, which does not take into account the impact of interference. In this paper, we present a Distributed Interference-aware Broadcasting (DIB) protocol for multi-radio multi-channel mesh networks. The protocol has two phases. In the first phase, each node constructs a local structure by removing bad links and channels. In the second phase, a high-performance broadcasting tree is built by using message passing procedures. Our research distinguishes itself in a number of ways. First, a multi-radio multi-channel mesh network model is used. Second, comprehensive link and channel quality metrics are defined to fully take into account interferences. Third, four design principles have been identified in the tree building process to combat inter-node and intra-node interferences. Finally, a comprehensive performance metric, called power, is defined which includes reliability, receiving redundancy, latency, and goodput. Analytical and simulation studies verify that the DIB protocol is able to achieve 100% reliability, less broadcasting redundancy, low broadcasting latency, and high goodput.
Coding Schemes for User Cooperation in Low-Power Regimes

We consider the design of cooperation coding schemes for a two-user multiaccess channel (MAC). In particular, we consider two block Markov coding schemes, namely, the multiplexed coding and the superposition coding. Although the fully multiplexed (FMP) coding outperforms the superposition coding in theory, it is difficult to implement with practical error-correction codes. We, therefore, introduce a partially multiplexed (PMP) coding scheme for code rate R < 0.5, and propose a simplified superposition coding scheme. The outage analysis shows that these cooperation schemes provide significant gains over the non- cooperative MAC in the low-power regime when the bandwidth W rarr infin. We then propose a PMP code design using irregular repeat accumulate (IRA) codes. The design method can be extended to build the low-rate PMP codes using irregular repeat zigzag Hadamard (IRZH) codes, a new class of capacity achieving low-rate codes. Simulation results demonstrate that the block Markov multiplexed coding using PMP-IRA codes outperforms the practical superposition coding by 2 dB at 10-2 FER, and it provides a 10-dB gain over the noncooperative MAC. The multiplex coding using PMP-IRZH codes offers 1-dB gain over the superposition coding, and a 9.5-dB gain over noncooperative MAC at 10-2 FER. Moreover, the PMP-IRZH coding performs only 0.5 dB away from the outage capacity of multiplexed coding in the low-power regime.
The Fear-Affiliation Relationship A Sociocultural Revisitation

The relative saliency of social comparison and anxiety reduction as motives for affiliation under conditions of fear was examined within a cross-cultural context. Forty-eight Chicano and forty-eight Anglo adolescents, equally divided by sex, were randomly assigned to condition high or low fear. While the analyses based on manipulated fear failed to replicate the classic findings of Darley and Aronson (1966) supporting the social comparison explanation, an internal analysis, based on reported fear, provided evidence that this lack of replication was probably due to- lack of functional equivalence across sociocultural groups. Indeed, the sociocultural consideration proved to be a potent qualifier of the fear-affiliation relationship. There was considerable variation across sex and ethnicity in the relative importance of social comparison and anxiety reduction as motives for affiliation under conditions of fear. The results of the present study make clearly evident the importance of taking a sociocultural pe...
Airport surface area propagation path loss in the VHF band

The wireless channel in the very high frequency (VHF) band at airport surface areas has not been quantitatively characterized in several ways. As new communication services are introduced, and as the band's spectral efficiency must be increased, a quantitative characterization of this channel will become critical for advanced wireless networking [1]. This paper describes a first step in this direction: measurement and modeling of propagation path loss in the VHF band [2]. Narrowband measurements were made in the aeronautical VHF band at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW). A continuous wave (sinusoidal) signal was transmitted from existing VHF radio transmitter-receiver (RTR) sites, and a mobile receiver moved about the airport surface area in a prescribed path. Propagation path loss was computed using basic link budget analyses. Results for both line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions are provided using the log-distance path loss model. The mean propagation path loss exponents are found to be approximately 5.6 and 4 for NLOS and LOS regions, respectively. Results for LOS regions also correspond to the well-known “2-ray,” or “plane-earth” model.
Analysis of the operation of GaAlAs/GaAs HBTs

Drift-diffusion modeling in two dimensions has been used to characterize and analyze storage, transport and recombination effects in GaAlAs/GaAs heterostructure bipolar transistors. Both intrinsic and parasitic effects have been studied, and their relationship to the design of the device is discussed. For conventional dopings and high current densities, the heterojunction grading potential causes a barrier in the base-emitter junction, which results in a large increase in the dynamic resistance. In heterojunction collectors, a similar barrier leads to a large increase in base charge storage and to spreading of the collector current. It is shown that increased doping levels can successfully suppress these barrier effects. The capacitance and transport phenomena at the base-emitter junction are also analyzed under conditions of large forward bias, where the junction space-charge region is shorter than the alloy grading length. Recombination is analyzed in the limit of high surface recombination velocities using Shockley-Read-Hall theory in the presence of Fermi-level pinning due to surface states. The pinning results in a potential energy saddle point at the edge of the base-emitter junction, which largely determines the surface recombination behavior of the transistor when the recombination velocity is high. >
Performance of the Translational Apparatus Varies with the Ecological Strategies of Bacteria

Protein synthesis is the predominant activity of growing bacteria; the protein synthesis system accounts for more than one-half the cell's dry mass and consumes most of the cell's energy during rapid growth. Translation has been studied extensively using model organisms, and the translational apparatus is qualitatively similar in terms of structure and function across all known forms of life. However, little is known about variation between organisms in translational performance. Using measurements of macromolecular content in a phylogenetically diverse collection of bacteria with contrasting ecological strategies, we found that the translational power (the rate of protein synthesis normalized to the mass of the protein synthesis system) is three- to fourfold higher among bacteria that respond rapidly to nutrient availability than among bacteria that respond slowly. An analysis of codon use in completely sequenced bacterial genomes confirmed that the selective forces acting on translation vary with the ecological strategy. We propose that differences in translational power result from ecologically based variation among microbes in the relative importance of two competing benefits: reducing the biomass invested in the protein synthesis system and reducing the energetic expense of protein synthesis.
Natural capital and the growth economy

It is argued that the term ‘natural capital’ contains two contradictory ideas. The word ‘natural’ refers to a world governed by ecological relationships while ‘capital’ refers to a world governed by the laws of the market. Current efforts to place economic values on environmental goods are discussed. The inadequacy of using either standard economic approaches or approaches suggested by ecological economists to place market values on biodiversity is examined. Possible paths to environmental sustainability are discussed.
A Quasi-Vortex-Lattice Method in Thin Wing Theory

A quasi-continuous method is developed for solving thin-wing problems. For the purpose of satisfying the wing boundary conditions, the spanwise vortex distribution is assumed to be stepwise-constant, while the chordwise vortex integral is reduced to a finite sum through a modified trapezoidal rule and the theory of Chebyshev polynomials. Wing-edge and Cauchy singularities are acounted for. The total aerodynamic characteristics are obtained by an appropriate quadrature integration. The two-dimensional results for airfoils without flap deflection reproduce the exact solutions in lift and pitching moment coefficients, the leading edge suction, and the pressure difference at a finite number of points. For a flapped airfoil, the present results are more accurate than those given by the vortex-lattice method. The three-dimensional results also show an improvement over the results of the vortex-lattice method. Extension to nonplanar applications is discussed.
eSENSE: energy efficient stochastic sensing framework scheme for wireless sensor platforms

Energy is a precious resource in wireless sensor networks as sensor nodes are typically powered by batteries with high replacement cost. This paper presents eSENSE: an energy-efficient stochastic sensing framework for wireless sensor platforms. eSENSE is a node-level framework that utilizes knowledge of the underlying data streams as well as application data quality requirements to conserve energy on a sensor node. eSENSE employs a stochastic scheduling algorithm to dynamically control the operating modes of the sensor node components. This scheduling algorithm enables an adaptive sampling strategy that aggressively conserves power by adjusting sensing activity to the application requirements. Using experimental results obtained on Power-TOSSIM with a real-world data trace, we demonstrate that our approach reduces energy consumption by 29-36% while providing strong statistical guarantees on data quality.
Vulnerability of Cerebellar Granule Cells to Alcohol-Induced Cell Death Diminishes with Time in Culture

This study examined the effects of alcohol exposure on the viability of cerebellar granule cells in culture. Continuous alcohol exposure, starting 1 day after the cultures were established, significantly reduced granule cell numbers, even with a single day of exposure to an alcohol concentration as low as 100 mg/dl. The depletion of cerebellar granule cells by alcohol was concentration-dependent (greater loss of cells at higher alcohol concentrations) and duration-dependent (greater loss of cells at longer exposure durations). The loss of granule cells also depended on the number of days the granule cells were in culture before alcohol exposure. Alcohol was significantly more effective in reducing the cell numbers of newly established granule cell cultures (1 day in vitro) compared with older cultures (4 or 7 days in vitro). Cell cycle analysis established that the cerebellar granule cells did not proliferate in culture, indicating that alcohol exposure did not reduce cell numbers by interfering with cell proliferation in this system. Instead, alcohol-induced killing of the granule cells was the most likely mechanism to account for the depletion of granule cells in vitro. Granule cell cultures are a useful in vitro model system to study the cellular and molecular aspects of neuronal cell depletion associated with fetal alcohol exposure. The potential role of the JV-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in this alcohol-induced neuronal cell death is discussed.
Encephalitis in Aborted Bovine Fetuses Associated with Bovine Herpesvirus 1 Infection

Brain tissue from 12 aborted bovine fetuses submitted to the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory revealed histologic lesions that consisted of glial nodules and variable degrees of mononuclear inflammation, microhemorrhage, neuronal necrosis, and cerebral cortical cavitation. A diagnosis of Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) abortion had been made in all of these cases through multiple testing modalities. Brain tissue from 8 of the 12 fetuses was immunohistochemically stained with a monoclonal antibody specific to BHV-1, and, in 5 fetuses, there was positive intralesional staining of neurons, glial cells, and endothelial cells. This preliminary data suggested that herpesviral infection of brain tissue led to the described neurologic lesions. BHV-1 was then amplified from brain tissue in all 12 of the fetuses and was confirmed by partial sequencing of the thymidine kinase and glycoprotein C genes. To the authors' knowledge, neurologic lesions have not previously been described in BHV-1-infected fetuses, nor has BHV-1 previously been identified in bovine fetal brain tissue. The neurologic histopathology attributed to BHV-1 infection in these cases overlaps with the neurologic lesions produced by Neospora caninum, a common etiologic agent of bovine abortion. Therefore, when bovine fetal neurologic lesions are found, both etiologies should be considered and then distinguished by using additional diagnostic tools.
Information Competencies Checklist: a resource for inter‐segmental collaboration

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a model checklist of information competencies for two‐ and four‐year colleges and universities.Design/methodology/approach – The Checklist was a collaborative project developed by a team of two‐ and four‐year librarians from the California State University and California Community Colleges.Findings – The Checklist demonstrates that it is possible for two‐ and four‐year librarians to develop a common understanding of student information competencies and use the process to facilitate inter‐segmental cooperation.Practical implications – The Checklist is useful for planning information competency programs, designing effective library assignments in courses, and developing student learning outcomes throughout the curriculum.Originality/value – The originality of the project is its collaborative nature and its success in advancing inter‐segmental cooperation in California public higher education, the largest system in the nation.
CLINICAL UTILITY OF IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY FOR THE DETECTION OF THE BRAF V600E MUTATION IN PAPILLARY THYROID CARCINOMA

Background BRAF V600E mutation is the most common genetic alteration in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). We used a mutation-specific antibody for immunohistochemical (IHC) detection of the BRAF V600E mutation and correlated expression with clinicopathologic features. The study was designed to validate the accuracy and determine the clinical importance of IHC detection of the BRAF V600E mutation in PTC. Methods Direct sequencing and IHC for BRAF V600E mutation was performed in 37 consecutive patients with PTCs. IHC was scored on an intensity proportion scale. IHC positive tumors were stratified into intensity categories. The categories were assessed for clinicopathologic variables, including age, extrathyroidal extension, lymphovascular invasion, and lymph node metastases. Results A total of 25 PTCs were BRAF V600E-positive and 12 were BRAF mutation-negative on IHC. The BRAF V600E mutation-specific antibody had a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 100% for detecting the mutation. Tumors with high-intensity staining were more likely to have extrathyroidal extension. Conclusion IHC is an accurate method for the detection of the BRAF V600E mutation in PTC, and its ability to quantify the mutation expression may serve as a better predictor of tumor behavior than molecular sequencing. It provides a potentially rapid, easily applicable, and economic alternative to current techniques.
Clinical Approach to Non-Cardiac Chest Pain

What is the likelihood that recurring substernal chest pain might be related to an esophageal abnormality? There are a number of potential mechanisms for what I prefer to call unexplained chest pain because I respect the concept of an entity such as microvascular angina that may be a source of unrecognized heart disease, although not fixed coronary artery disease, in some of these patients. Esophageal etiologies such as GERD or spastic type abnormal contractions must be considered. Finally, we must not forget the interaction of the nervous system, particularly with syndromes such as visceral hyperalgesia.
In vivo photoacoustic tomography of myoglobin oxygen saturation

Myoglobin is an essential oxygen-binding hemoprotein in skeletal and cardiac muscles that buffers intracellular oxygen (O_2) concentration in response to hypoxia or elevated muscle activities. We present a method that uses photoacoustic computed tomography to measure the distribution of myoglobin in tissue and the oxygen saturation of myoglobin (sO_2-Mb). From photoacoustic measurements of mice in different oxygenation states, we performed calibration-free quantification of the sO_2 –Mb change in the backbone muscle in vivo.
Do Banks Benefit When Their Clients Merge? Evidence from Japanese Mergers

This paper conjectures that when a bank’s borrowing clients merge, the merger reduces the bank’s risk. Because banks that reduce their risk can better comply with capital adequacy requirements and avoid hefty regulatory costs, this paper hypothesizes that banks benefit from client mergers. Using data from Japan in 1990-2004, when Japan’s banking sector suffered from severe capital loss and was under huge pressure to report capital adequacy, this paper documents two findings consistent with this hypothesis. First, banks of the merger firms on average gained positive abnormal returns upon announcements of mergers between their clients. Second, wealth gain to banks partially stemmed from the acquirers’ pre-merger slack, which was used post merger to restructure the merged firms’ capital structure.
AESTHETIC DESIRE AND IMPERIALIST DISAPPOINTMENT IN TROLLOPE’S THE BERTRAMS AND THE MURRAY HANDBOOK FOR TRAVELLERS IN SYRIA AND PALESTINE

In the preface to publisher John Murray's 1858 two-volume Handbook for Travellers in Syria and Palestine, one of the first guidebooks specifically for British tourists to the Holy Land, author J. L. Porter claims that his objective is not just to provide a geographical summary or to outline travelers’ routes, but, more importantly, to link his descriptions with the “sacred dramas” of the Bible so that the tourist “may see with his ‘mind's eye’ each scene played over and over again” (xi). In such a spirit, this Murray guidebook tells both the well-known stories of the Bible and the more mundane particulars of finding interesting places and dealing with local middle-eastern people. The Handbook weaves together traditions of pilgrimage, the journey to a spiritual center, with tourism. In other words, it seeks to balance the pilgrim's desire for divine revelation with the tourist's interest in physical comfort and gentle visual stimulation. It incongruously pairs a conviction of the value of Christian self-sacrifice and hardship with a desire for bourgeois leisure. With a sly humility, Porter notes in his Preface: “The Bible is the best Handbook for Palestine; the present work is only intended to be a companion to it” (xi). As second to the Bible, this travel guide aspired to bring the English traveler's spiritual journey to the Holy Land into harmony with the secular pleasure of sightseeing.
VEGF stimulates intramembranous bone formation during craniofacial skeletal development

Deficiency of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF) has been associated with severe craniofacial anomalies in both humans and mice. Cranial neural crest cell (NCC)-derived VEGF regulates proliferation, vascularization and ossification of cartilage and membranous bone. However, the function of VEGF derived from specific subpopulations of NCCs in controlling unique aspects of craniofacial morphogenesis is not clear. In this study a conditional knockdown strategy was used to genetically delete Vegfa expression in Osterix (Osx) and collagen II (Col2)-expressing NCC descendants. No major defects in calvaria and mandibular morphogenesis were observed upon knockdown of VEGF in the Col2(+) cell population. In contrast, loss of VEGF in Osx(+) osteoblast progenitor cells led to reduced ossification of calvarial and mandibular bones without affecting the formation of cartilage templates in newborn mice. The early stages of ossification in the developing jaw revealed decreased initial mineralization levels and a reduced thickness of the collagen I (Col1)-positive bone template upon loss of VEGF in Osx(+) precursors. Increased numbers of proliferating cells were detected within the jaw mesenchyme of mutant embryos. Explant culture assays revealed that mandibular osteogenesis occurred independently of paracrine VEGF action and vascular development. Reduced VEGF expression in mandibles coincided with increased phospho-Smad1/5 (P-Smad1/5) levels and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (Bmp2) expression in the jaw mesenchyme. We conclude that VEGF derived from Osx(+) osteoblast progenitor cells is required for optimal ossification of developing mandibular bones and modulates mechanisms controlling BMP-dependent specification and expansion of the jaw mesenchyme.
Comparative assessment of techniques for initial pose estimation using monocular vision

Abstract This work addresses the comparative assessment of initial pose estimation techniques for monocular navigation to enable formation-flying and on-orbit servicing missions. Monocular navigation relies on finding an initial pose, i.e., a coarse estimate of the attitude and position of the space resident object with respect to the camera, based on a minimum number of features from a three dimensional computer model and a single two dimensional image. The initial pose is estimated without the use of fiducial markers, without any range measurements or any apriori relative motion information. Prior work has been done to compare different pose estimators for terrestrial applications, but there is a lack of functional and performance characterization of such algorithms in the context of missions involving rendezvous operations in the space environment. Use of state-of-the-art pose estimation algorithms designed for terrestrial applications is challenging in space due to factors such as limited on-board processing power, low carrier to noise ratio, and high image contrasts. This paper focuses on performance characterization of three initial pose estimation algorithms in the context of such missions and suggests improvements.
Blackhorse: A Trojan Horse for Trademark Restrictions?

This paper explores the limits of the commercial speech doctrine and applies it to the controversy over the Washington Redskins team name. It advocates that a trademark is a time-manner-place restriction on speech and deserves intermediate scrutiny protection, rather than rational basis or strict scrutiny protection. It then argues that, under this doctrine, revocation of the team's trademarks is unconstitutional.
Mechanical Reinforcement of Polymer Nanocomposites from Percolation of a Nanoparticle Network

Nanometer-sized particles that are well dispersed in a polymer melt, presumably due to strongly favorable particle–polymer interactions, can form fractal structures via polymer bridging, leading ultimately to a nanoparticle (NP) network analogous to a colloidal gel. The linear viscoelastic response of polymer nanocomposites can be quantitatively predicted by a parameter-free model in which the stress is a simple sum of contributions from the polymer matrix and the fractal NP structure linked by bridging polymer chains. The NP contribution is modeled using critical percolation, while the polymer part is enhanced by the presence of particles, owing to hydrodynamic interactions. The phase diagram at the right shows that small NPs are needed to achieve the stronger reinforcement from glassy bridges at reasonable particle loadings.