cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Racial differences in cerebral vasospasm: a systematic review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: Despite a significant body of clinical research and the widespread use of early intervention with aggressive postoperative management, cerebral vasospasm (CV) continues to contribute significantly to the morbidity and mortality of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Many studies have evaluated predictive factors, although none to date has investigated a possible difference in the incidence of CV between Asian and white patients. We present a review of the modern aSAH literature to examine the incidence of CV in Japan and Europe, two highly researched populations. METHODS: A literature search was performed using the Medline and PubMed databases. Studies conducted in Japan or Europe published between 1990 and 2004 that reported an incidence of CV after aSAH were subjected to a thorough review. Data from included studies were categorized by origin (Japan or Europe) and method of CV diagnosis (angiography, delayed ischemic neurological deficit, or new infarct attributable to CV), and then were combined. Recorded incidences then were compared using a Χ 2 test, and estimates of the relative risk of vasospasm were computed. RESULTS: The initial literature search identified 102 studies, and 32 studies met all inclusion criteria. The incidence of vasospasm diagnosed by angiography, delayed ischemic neurological deficit, and computed tomography was significantly greater in Japanese studies (all P < 0.001). The relative risks for Japanese patients as compared with European patients were 2.04, 2.07, and 1.53 for angiographic CV, delayed ischemic neurological deficit, and new infarct, respectively. CONCLUSION: Patients in Japanese studies were more likely to experience CV after aSAH across diagnostic methods. This may be a manifestation of genetic differences between Japanese and European populations. Clinicians should consider possible patient differences when interpreting CV research conducted in these populations.
The Development and Implementation of a One-Dimensional Sn Method in the 2D-1D Integral Transport Solution

During the last several years, a class of algorithms has been developed based on two-dimensional–one-dimensional (2D-1D) decomposition of the reactor transport problem. The current 2D-1D algorithm ...
Thermal and Inertia Effects in Turulent-Flow Thrust Bearings:

This paper presents a semi-analytical study of the influence of inertia terms on the thermohydrodynamic analysis of infinitely-wide thrust bearings operating under conditions of laminar and turbulent flow. The momentum and energy equations are not seriously affected by the presence of inertia forces. Results show that the inclusion of inertia terms causes an increase in the fluid film pressure and load-carrying capacity. Thermal effects exert a pronounced influence on bearing performance.
The force exerted by the ground in walking

A method is described by means of which the resultant force exerted by the ground on the body during walking is recorded in three components and the point of application of this force is determined. The path of the point of application in a step is illustrated and discussed in relation to the variations in the three components of the force. The data obtained may also be used in a study of the movements of the body as a whole.
X and Y ganglion cells inform the cat's brain about contrast in the retinal image

It has been suggested for a number of years that ganglion cells inform the rest of the brain about contrast in the retinal image. The purpose of the work undertaken here was to demonstrate this fact explicitly. Extracellular recordings were made from X- and Y-cell axons of the optic tracts of anesthetized cats. Responses of these cells to gratings that were near optimal in spatial and temporal frequency were measured for a range of contrasts. For each cell, similar measurements were made at a number of light levels, spanning the photopic to high scotopic (inclusive) ranges. A monotonie relationship between response and contrast was found at all light levels studied, and the same relationship was retained to a good approximation across all light levels. A similar result was also found when nonoptimal spatial frequencies were used as stimuli. These results indicate strongly that X and Y cells inform the cat's brain about contrast in the retinal image. It was also observed that the mean discharge rate of X and Y cells did not change with light level, indicating that no information is relayed to the brain by these cells on the mean light level.
Regulation of Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase by Synergistic Action of Aspartate and 2-Oxoglutarate

In accordance with the regulation by aspartate of phosphoenolpyrubate (PEP*) carboxy-lase, glutamate formation in Brevibacterium flavum, a glutamate-producing bacterium, was inhibited by the addition of aspartate. Furthermore, an increase in aspartate formation caused by a mutational decrease in citrate synthase specific activity was accompanied by a decrease in the total amount of glutamate and aspartate formed. However, a mutational decrease in glutamate dehydrogenase activity caused a decrease in the total amount without increasing the asparate formation but with accumulation of 2-oxoglutarate, suggesting that the feedback inhibition by the aspartate of PEP carboxylase was enhanced by 2-oxoglutarate. In fact, partially purified PEP carboxylase from this organism was found to be synergistically inhibited by aspartate and 2-oxoglutarate, citrate, cis-aconitase, or isocitrate. Among them, the effects of tricarboxylic acids were attributed to their non-specific chelating action with Mns+, an activator of the enzyme. The synergistic action of 2-oxoglutarate was accompanied by a decrease in Hill coefficient for the aspartate of the enzyme.
On a theorem of Baernstein

In the paper [B2] Baernstein constructs a simply connected domain Θ in the plane for which the conformal mappingf of Θ into the unit disc Δ satisfies $$\int_{R \cap \Omega } {|f'(z)|} ^p |dz| = \infty $$ for somep∈(1 2) where R is the real line
STOCHASTIC DOMINANCE AS A RISK ANALYSIS CRITERION

This paper discusses the Stochastic Dominance (SD) approach to the evaluation of risky assets. Given a set of portfolios, the familiar EV procedure chooses a set of EV-efficient portfolios while the SD procedures choose SD-efficient sets that usually are quite similar to (but not identical with) the EV-efficient set. The SD approach can be employed as a refinement of the EV model or as an alternative method of evaluating portfolios. The SD view has certain conceptual advantages in the screening of a set of portfolios, but the EV model has the important advantage of an optimizing algorithm that builds efficient portfolios. Also, the SD approach requires more data than the EV approach.
Advanced FPAs for multiple applications

The advantages and uses of infrared (IR) imaging continue to grow. As such, a new generation of requirements for IR focal plane arrays (IRFPAs) has emerged that affects the development of both the detectors and readout integrated circuits (ROICs). Because these applications have varying requirements, a universal set of FPAs cannot be made to satisfy all needs, and custom designs are needed. However, the desired capabilities follow a common theme. The industry is receiving more demands in the areas of larger formats, increased sensitivity, smaller pixels, and higher functionality. These must be met in addition to achieving production quantities at a low cost. This paper focuses on two main facets of the complex FPA, the detector and readout integrated circuit (ROIC), to address the evolving requirements. For detectors, we explore both the cooled and uncooled technologies, where HgCdTe grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and vanadium oxide (VOx) microbolometers are discussed, respectively, for the two areas. Development in ROICs expands in terms of smart features, on-chip signal processing, and on-chip analog-to-digital conversion.
Near-interfacial crack trajectories in metal-ceramic layered structures

Experimental and theoretical analyses have been developed to analyze the path of a near-interfacial crack running nearly parallel to a ceramic/metal interface in a bimaterial layered structure. In the present study, the trajectories of cracks, initiated in the ceramic at varying distances from such interfaces, are investigated both experimentally and numerically. General trends in expected behavior, specifically that cracks propagate along a path defined by K π=0, and that cracks are attracted to or repelled from a layer if it is relatively more or less compliant, respectively, are confirmed.
PRELIMINARY CLINICAL USE OF COMBINED BLOOD POOL AND BONE PHASE RADIONUCLIDE IMAGING IN DOGS

The case reports of three dogs, in which combined blood pool and bone phase radionuclide imaging was done, are presented. The procedure is accomplished by injecting 99mTc-MDP and imaging at 3–5 min and 2 hours postinjection. These three cases suggest that a greater number of animals with varied etiologies should be scanned in this manner to determine the usefulness of the procedure.
Structural Constraints on Community Action: The Case of Infant Mortality Rates

The range in infant mortality rates among U.S. communities involves factors communities can influence, including the availability of medical resources. New programs, such as Social Security funded Maternal and Infant Care Projects, will reduce the range in area rates only if they go to communities with high rates. Past research, however, shows that local organizational resources are important to the distribution of various Federal funds; such resources may or may not be related to communities' need. A distinction between specialized and general resources is proposed. Analysis of data for the 109 largest metropolitan areas shows: (1) the distribution of basic medical resources is unrelated to population characteristics reflecting health needs, (2) infant mortality rates, especially nonwhite rates, are inverse to such medical resources, and (3) organizational resources, especially specialized resources such as a medical school, are important to Project distribution.
Neighboring in an urban environment

Neighbors are an informal resource who may act individually to provide socioemotional support to each other as well as collectively to ameliorate problems in their residential environment. To explore when neighbors are likely to interact and provide aid and emotional support for each other, 702 residents living in a neighborhood in Nashville, Tennessee, were interviewed during 1978. Factor analysis was used to cluster several variables of individual characteristics of residents related to neighboring. Other indices assessed the block environment. Neighboring activities were found to be associated with an individual's psychological investment in his neighborhood as well as his rootedness and integration on his block, a positive sense of well-being, sex, and life stage. At the neighborhood block level, homogeneity of socioeconomic status (SES) contributed to neighbor relations along with indices of an individual's similarity to block residents. Implications are discussed for the development of neighboring activities and neighborhood organizations.
Retrospective Review of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor-Induced Libido Disturbance in Women

The purpose of this retrospective review was to estimate the incidence of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-induced sexual dysfunction in female psychiatric patients. 444 outpatient charts were reviewed for inclusion. 95 patients with birth years between 1945 and 1977, with a record of SSRI pharmacotherapy while under psychiatric care, and with records documenting drug utilisation and ongoing libido disturbances, were identified. Data collected included gender, age, medications, primary diagnosis, libido disturbance at initial visit (if any), and ongoing incidence of dysfunction after initiation of SSRI therapy. The primary outcome measure was a symptom assessment sheet, which was completed by each outpatient at every clinic visit to survey symptoms that the patient might be experiencing. Results included a population ranging in birth year from 1946 to 1977 (1959 ± 8.3). Medications surveyed included paroxetine, fluoxetine, sertraline and fluvoxamine. 40 of 95 patients had no initial dysfunction present. 18 of these 40 (45%) experienced libido disturbance after less than 1 year of therapy with an SSRI. These data suggest that SSRI-induced libido disturbance occurs frequently in women, and can assist the clinician in providing quality care to female patients in order to improve outcomes management.
Negative modal constructions in Russian

L'auteur concentre sa recherche sur les facteurs determinant le choix aspectuel en russe. Ces facteurs sont identifies aux niveaux grammatical, semantique et pragmatique. Des regles regissant l'usage aspectuel sont fomulees puis ensuite verifiees. Les principes utilises dans cette theorie pourraient s'appliquer a d'autres types de constructions verbales
AIRWAY RESPONSE TO EXERCISE IN INTRINSIC AND EXTRINSIC ASTHMA

Although intrinsic, non-allergic asthma has a poor prognosis and requires a different treatment rationale than extrinsic asthma, there is no simple means of differentiating them at present. This study was designed to evaluate exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) as a differential test. Fifteen subjects with extrinsic asthma and six with intrinsic asthma were studied. Five minutes of treadmill exercise adequate to raise heart rate to 90-95% of maximum predicted was performed several times at 2-3 day intervals by each subject. VC, FEV1 and MMEFR were measured prior to exercise and at 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes after exercise. The percent fall in spirometry following 49 exercise periods in extrinsic asthmatics and 22 exercise periods in intrinsic asthmatics is seen below. Intrinsic asthmatics often responded to exercise with bronchodilation. Extrinsic asthmatics had greater exercise-induced bronchospasm during a significant pollen season. We concluded that EIB is more pronounced in extrinsic than in intrinsic asthma and may serve to differentiate the two entities.
EFFICIENCY OF A CYCLIC DESIGN AND A MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALING SENSORY ANALYSIS TECHNIQUE IN THE STUDY OF SALT TASTE

Multidimensional scaling (MDS) procedures produce maps of stimulus points, the dimensions of which may be sensory and/or physicochemical attributes. Our objective was to test the efficiencies of a cyclic design and a MDS method in the study of saltiness perception. Two levels of NaCl (0.1% and 0.2%, w/v) were added to two nonionic and two ionic gum solutions prepared to two concentrations. Subjects scaled dissimilarities between pairs of solutions and rated each sample for flavor attributes. Solution pairs were selected using cyclic designs. Repeated measures ANOVA determined that added NaCl was the only significant factor affecting saltiness perception. In contrast, from KYST-2A MDS maps, we concluded that saltiness perception was influenced by gum property, gum concentration, presence of calcium andpotassium, and related to binding of the sodium ion Na + ) as determined by 23 Na nuclear magnetic resonance NMR) spectroscopy. The MDS cyclic design successfully reduced the number of samples and subjects when using experienced subjects
A Risk Prediction Model for Smoking Experimentation in Mexican American Youth

Background: Smoking experimentation in Mexican American youth is problematic. In light of the research showing that preventing smoking experimentation is a valid strategy for smoking prevention, there is a need to identify Mexican American youth at high risk for experimentation. Methods: A prospective population-based cohort of 1,179 adolescents of Mexican descent was followed for 5 years starting in 2005–06. Participants completed a baseline interview at a home visit followed by three telephone interviews at intervals of approximately 6 months and additional interviews at two home visits in 2008–09 and 2010–11. The primary endpoint of interest in this study was smoking experimentation. Information about social, cultural, and behavioral factors (e.g., acculturation, susceptibility to experimentation, home characteristics, and household influences) was collected at baseline using validated questionnaires. Results: Age, sex, cognitive susceptibility, household smoking behavior, peer influence, neighborhood influence, acculturation, work characteristics, positive outcome expectations, family cohesion, degree of tension, ability to concentrate, and school discipline were found to be associated with smoking experimentation. In a validation dataset, the proposed risk prediction model had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.719 (95% confidence interval, 0.637–0.801) for predicting absolute risk for smoking experimentation within 1 year. Conclusions: The proposed risk prediction model is able to quantify the risk of smoking experimentation in Mexican American adolescents. Impact: Accurately identifying Mexican American adolescents who are at higher risk for smoking experimentation who can be intervened will substantially reduce the incidence of smoking and thereby subsequent health risks. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(10); 2165–74. ©2014 AACR .
PARENTAL EFFICACY AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR: DO CONTROL AND SUPPORT MATTER?

Recently, the concept of “collective efficacy” has been advanced to understand how communities exert control and provide support to reduce crime. In a similar way, we use the concept of “parental efficacy” to highlight the crime reducing effects associated with parents who support and control their youth. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), we examine the inter-relationship between parental controls and supports and their joint influence on youthful misbehavior. The results show that (1) support and control are intertwined, and (2) that parental efficacy exerts substantive effects on adolescent delinquency for the sample as a whole and across varying age groups.
Serum peak sulfamethoxazole concentrations demonstrate difficulty in achieving a target range: a retrospective cohort study.

Abstract Objectives Trimethoprim (TMP)/sulfamethoxazole (SMX) has consistently demonstrated great interindividual variability. Therapeutic drug monitoring may be used to optimize dosing. Optimal peak SMX concentration has been proposed as 100 to 150 μg/mL. The objective of our work was to determine the success rate of a TMP/SMX dosing guideline in achieving a targeted serum peak SMX concentration range. Methods Our retrospective cohort study enrolled 305 adult hospitalized patients who received treatment with TMP/SMX and underwent serum peak SMX concentration monitoring from January 2003 to November 2011. Patients receiving low-dose TMP/SMX therapy (TMP 15 mg/kg/d). Results Patients were classified into peak and modified peak SMX concentration cohorts based on time between TMP/SMX dose and SMX quantification. The association between dosing group and the outcome of the SMX level within the goal range was measured using logistic regression models. The primary outcome measured was serum peak SMX concentration 100 to 150 μg/mL. Serum peak SMX concentrations were attained within range for the peak and modified peak cohort 29% and 26% of the time, respectively. The median peak SMX concentration was 144 μg/mL (range 25–471 μg/mL). The low daily dose cohort demonstrated a trend toward improvement in the odds of target peak concentration range attainment. The results were similar regardless of the method used to adjust for baseline characteristics. The pure peak and modified peak cohorts had 44% and 46% of patients with above-target SMX peak concentrations, respectively. Conclusions Attainment of the intended target concentration range was low with no difference in attainment between the low-dose and high-dose cohorts. Higher proportions of patients had an above-target SMX peak, which may indicate that the dosing algorithm is overly aggressive in obtaining the therapeutic goal.
A UML-Based Framework for Design and Analysis of Dependable Software

A formal method for software development often introduces a gap between rigidity of the method and informal nature of system requirements. This paper presents a UML-based framework for design and analysis of dependable software while narrowing such a gap. We model the intended functions of a software application with UML statecharts and security threats, i.e., potential attacks, with sequence diagrams. The statechart diagrams are converted into a graph transformation system, which is a well-studied formal method. This allows security threats to be verified against intended functions.
Alternative splicing of mouse transcription factors affects their DNA-binding domain architecture and is tissue specific

Analyzing proteins in the context of all available genome and transcript sequence data has the potential to reveal functional properties not accessible through protein sequence analysis alone. To analyze the impact of alternative splicing on transcription factor (TF) protein structure, we constructed a comprehensive database of splice variants in the mouse transcriptome, called MouSDB3 containing 461 TF loci. Our analysis revealed that 62% of these loci in MouSDB3 have variant exons, compared to 29% of all loci. These variant TF loci contain a total of 324 alternative exons, of which 23% are in-frame. When excluded, 80% of in-frame alternative exons alter the domain architecture of the protein as computed by SMART (simple modular architecture research tool). Sixty-eight % of these exons directly affect the coding regions of domains important for TF function. Seventy-five % of the domains affected are DNA-binding domains. Tissue distribution analyses of variant mouse TFs reveal that they have more alternatively spliced forms in 14 of the 18 tissues analyzed when compared to all the loci in MouSDB3. Further, TF isoforms are homogenous within a given single tissue and are heterogeneous across different tissues, indicating their tissue specificity. Our study provides quantitative evidence that alternative splicing preferentially adds or deletes domains important to the DNA-binding function of the TFs. Analyses described here reveal the presence of tissue-specific alternative splicing throughout the mouse transcriptome. Our findings provide significant biological insights into control of transcription and regulation of tissue-specific gene expression by alternative splicing via creation of tissue-specific TF isoforms.
Progressive appearance of pigmentation in amelanotic melanoma lesions.

We previously described a transgenic mouse line (TG-3) that spontaneously develops pigmented cutaneous melanoma. The generation of several albino mice that developed amelanotic melanoma has also been reported. In this report, we describe an unanticipated result with crosses between C57BL/6-c 2 j and TG-3 mice. C57BL/6-c 2 j has the same genetic background as TG-3 (C57BL/6), except for a single base mutation (nucleotide 291) in the tyrosinase locus, resulting in albino coat colour. Only albino F 2 mice generated from (TG-3 x C57BL/6-c 2 j ) F 1 s were selected for further studies. Mice that contained the transgene showed a very high incidence of tumor development as early as 4-6 weeks of age. Raised amelanotic tumors developed on the ear pinnae and perianal region in young F 2 albino mice, similar phenotypes as those described earlier for the other albino inbred strains. However, with time, these amelanotic tumors not only increased in size, but unexpectedly developed foci of dark pigmentation. DNA sequence analysis on reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCRs) of tyrosinase mRNA showed that the original tyrosinase mutation was still present in the tumors, indicating that no reversion at this nucleotide had occurred in the tumors. Two different tyrosinase activity assays were used and tyrosinase activity was detected in most tumor samples. Furthermore, Western blot analysis demonstrated various levels of tyrosinase protein in ear tumor samples. These results suggest that tyrosinase and/or melanin are not directly involved in the establishment of melanoma, but that late events occurring within the tumors may generate some tyrosinase activity and production of melanin.
Degradation of cell wall material of apple and wheat bran by human faecal bacteria in vitro

The effect of the structures of plant cell walls and their component polymers on the degradability of dietary fibre by bacteria of the human colon was investigated by inoculating culture media containing cell wall materials of apple and wheat bran with slurries of human faeces which were then incubated for periods of up to 72 h. In the apple substrates the amounts of pectic polysaccharides were extensively depleted after 12 h, and after 24 h over 90% of the initial carbohydrate had been degraded. Material which remained after incubation was probably comprised of highly branched fragments of rhamnogalacturonans, cross-linked by phenolics and proteins, highly branched fragments of cross-linked xyloglucans, and degraded cellulose. In wheat bran the aleurone layer was preferentially degraded, but the glucuronoarabinoxylans, which were cross-linked by phenolic groups, and the lignified outer layers of the bran were very resistant to attack. Bacteria adhered mainly to the broken or damaged surfaces of the plant cell walls, and in the more resistant tissues only penetrated the intercellular regions.
Elastic-plastic-creep analyses of brazed carbon-carbon/OFHC divertor tile concepts for TPX

The 7.5 MW/m/sup 2/ heat flux requirements for the TPX divertor necessitate the use of high conductivity carbon-carbon (C-C) tiles that are brazed to annealed copper (OFHC) coolant tubes. Significant residual stresses are developed in the C-C tiles during the braze process due to large differences in the thermal expansion coefficients between these materials. Analyses which account for only the elastic-plastic strains developed in the OFHC tube may not accurately characterize the behavior of the tube during brazing. The elevated temperature creep behavior of the copper coolant tubes intuitively should reduce the calculated residual stresses in the C-C tiles. Two divertor tile concepts, the monoblock and the archblock, were analyzed for residual stress using 2-D finite element analysis for elastic-plastic-creep behavior of the OFHC tube during an assumed blaze cooldown cycle. The results show that the inclusion of elevated temperature creep effects decrease the calculated residual stresses by only about ten percent when compared to those analyses in which only elastic-plastic behavior of the OFHC is accounted for. The primary reason that creep effects at higher temperatures are not more significant is due to the low yield stress and nearly flat-top stress-strain curve of annealed OFHC. Since high temperature creep plays less of a role in the residual stress levels than previously thought, future scoping studies can be done in an elastic-plastic analysis with confidence that the stresses will be within approximately ten percent of an elastic-plastic-creep analysis.
True Aneurysm of the Superficial Temporal Artery

Abstract True aneurysms of the superficial temporal artery are rare in contrast to false aneurysms of the superficial temporal artery. We report a case of a true aneurysm that developed spontaneously in an HIV patient. The patient was treated with surgical excision of the aneurysm with an uneventful recovery. Histology revealed a true aneurysm. Clinical presentation and treatment as well as a review of the literature are presented.
Asymptotically efficient multi-channel estimation for opportunistic spectrum access

The problem of estimating the parameters of multiple independent continuous-time Markov on-off processes is considered. The objective is to minimize the total mean square error (MSE) under a constraint on the total sensing time. The Fisher information matrix for the primary traffic model and the maximum likelihood estimator are obtained in closed form. Given that the optimal allocation of the total sensing time to multiple channels depends on the unknown parameters, a sequential estimation strategy is proposed which operates under an epoch structure with exponentially growing epoch length. It is shown that this sequential estimation strategy is asymptotically efficient as the total sensing time increases. This result finds application in opportunistic spectrum access where secondary users need to estimate the channel occupancy model of the primary system for efficient exploitation of spectrum opportunities.
Determination of tritium or deuterium in the methyl group of labeled organic compounds

The determination of the isotopic content of C-methyl groups in selected tritium and deuterium labeled compounds by modification of the Kuhn-Roth method is presented. Oxidation of the deuterated or tritiated compound using a solution of sodium dichromate and sulfuric acid at 50–85°C allows isotopic assay of the C-methyl group as acetic acid.
Development and Functional Anatomy of the Spine

The vertebral column is composed of alternating vertebrae and intervertebral (IV) discs supported by robust spinal ligaments and muscles. All of these elements, bony, cartilaginous, ligamentous, and muscular, are essential to the structural integrity of the spine. The spine serves three vital functions: protecting the spinal cord and spinal nerves, transmitting the weight of the body, and providing a flexible axis for movements of the head and the torso. The vertebral column is capable of extension, flexion, lateral flexion (side to side), and rotation. However, the degree to which the spine is capable of these movements varies by region. These regions, including the cervical, the thoracic, the lumbar, and the sacrococcygeal spine, form four curvatures (Fig. 2.1). The thoracic and the sacrococcygeal curvatures are established in fetal development, while the cervical and the thoracic curvatures develop during infancy. The cervical curvature arises in response to holding the head upright, while the lumbar curvature develops as an infant begins to sit upright and walk. Congenital defects and degenerative diseases can result in exaggerated, abnormal curvatures. The most common of these include a thoracic kyphosis (or hunchback deformity), a lumbar lordosis (or swayback deformity), and scoliosis. Scoliosis involves a lateral curvature of greater than 10°, often accompanied by a rotational defect. To appreciate the potential underlying causes of scoliosis, we need to understand the cellular and genetic basis of vertebral column and skeletal muscle development from somites. In this chapter, we will review the embryonic development of the spine and associated muscles and link them to the functional anatomy of these structures in the adult.
Observing System Simulations for Small Satellite Formations Estimating Bidirectional Reflectance

The bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) gives the reflectance of a target as a function of illumination geometry and viewing geometry, hence carries information about the anisotropy of the surface. BRDF is needed in remote sensing for the correction of view and illumination angle effects (for example in image standardization and mosaicing), for deriving albedo, for land cover classification, for cloud detection, for atmospheric correction, and other applications. However, current spaceborne instruments provide sparse angular sampling of BRDF and airborne instruments are limited in the spatial and temporal coverage. To fill the gaps in angular coverage within spatial, spectral and temporal requirements, we propose a new measurement technique: Use of small satellites in formation flight, each satellite with a VNIR (visible and near infrared) imaging spectrometer, to make multi-spectral, near-simultaneous measurements of every ground spot in the swath at multiple angles. This paper describes an observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) to evaluate the proposed concept and select the optimal formation architecture that minimizes BRDF uncertainties. The variables of the OSSE are identified; number of satellites, measurement spread in the view zenith and relative azimuth with respect to solar plane, solar zenith angle, BRDF models and wavelength of reflection. Analyzing the sensitivity of BRDF estimation errors to the variables allow simplification of the OSSE, to enable its use to rapidly evaluate formation architectures. A 6-satellite formation is shown to produce lower BRDF estimation errors, purely in terms of angular sampling as evaluated by the OSSE, than a single spacecraft with 9 forward-aft sensors. We demonstrate the ability to use OSSEs to design small satellite formations as complements to flagship mission data. The formations can fill angular sampling gaps and enable better BRDF products than currently possible.
Survival and pyrimidine dimers in cultured fish cells exposed to concurrent sun lamp ultraviolet and photoreactivating radiations

— Cultured fishcells(RBCF–1 line) were irradiated with filtered sun lamp ultraviolet (SL-UV; > 280 nm) together with or followed by illumination with daylight(DL) radiation (> 350 nm). The colony forming ability of the cells decreased with increasing fluence of SL-UV. Concurrent exposure of cells to SL-UV and DL, however, increased survival relative to exposure to SL-UV alone. The photoreactivable fraction reached 0.52 at22–25‡C. By using a constant fluence modification factor of 86, the shape of dose-survival curve was found to be almost the same for 254 nm and SL-UV. In parallel with photoreactivation of cell survival, changes in the numbers of pyrimidine dimers in permeabilized cell DNA and in extracted total DNA were determined by measurements of endonuclease-sensitive sites (ESS). The yield of ESS in both DNA's increased almost linearly with increasing SL-UV fluence, although the yield in extracted DNA was about double of that in permeabilized cell DNA. The yield of ESS per unit fluence by 254 nm was about 70-fold greater than SL-UV. The fraction of cells inactivated per ESS was almost the same for 254 UV and SL-UV. In SL-UV-irradiated cells, the photoreactivable fractions in terms of ESS were ‡ 10% higher in extracted DNA than in the DNA of permeabilized cells and also were higher when DL was administered separately after SL-UV-irradiation. When irradiated cells were exposed to DL at 0‡C, the photoreactivable fractions of both DNAs were appreciably less, indicating that the photoreactivation of ESS was enzymatic. These results support the suggestion that the mechanism for cell killing, mainly formation of pyrimidine dimers, by SL-UV is the same as that by 254 UV.
Singularity structure analysis for nonlinear dynamic systems

The aim of this work is to develop an explicit system model which can characterize the system behavior in both the linear and nonlinear range. Fractal concepts and system theory are applied to develop the system model and the analytical methodology necessary to study the nonlinear behavior. The singularity structure model, which is a rational function with densely distributed singularities following a geometric sequence in the S-plane, has been developed for the analysis of relaxation processes in the linear range. The perturbation-dependent singularity structure is then used to model the nonlinear system in the time and frequency domain. An extended convolution method is proposed for analyzing the nonlinear behavior using the proposed system model. The physical system studied in this work is the electrode-electrolyte interface, and a high-precision measurement instrument has been used for observation. computational software has been developed to generate the simulated data. Both the model and the analysis method have been tested using experimental data collected in the linear and nonlinear ranges. >
Moguls: a model to explore the memory hierarchy for bandwidth improvements

In recent years, the increasing number of processor cores and limited increases in main memory bandwidth have led to the problem of the bandwidth wall, where memory bandwidth is becoming a performance bottleneck. This is especially true for emerging latency-insensitive, bandwidth-sensitive applications. Designing the memory hierarchy for a platform with an emphasis on maximizing bandwidth within a fixed power budget becomes one of the key challenges. To facilitate architects to quickly explore the design space of memory hierarchies, we propose an analytical performance model called Moguls. The Moguls model estimates the performance of an application on a system, using the bandwidth demand of the application for a range of cache capacities and the bandwidth provided by the system with those capacities. We show how to extend this model with appropriate approximations to optimize a cache hierarchy under a power constraint. The results show how many levels of cache should be designed, and what the capacity, bandwidth, and technology of each level should be. In addition, we study memory hierarchy design with hybrid memory technologies, which shows the benefits of using multiple technologies for future computing systems.
Compact multibeam dual-frequency (24 and 77 GHz) imaging antenna for automotive radars

2 versions of a compact multi-beam dual-frequency antenna for 24 and 77 GHz have been developed for automotive applications. The antenna consists of a spherical Teflon lens with a frequency selective surface (FSS), which is fed by two sets of endfire tapered slot antennas (TSAs). The FSS is built on a 127 /spl mu/m-thick Duroid substrate and is placed between two Teflon hemispheres, and is reflective at 24 GHz and transparent at 77 GHz in the first design, and is transparent at 24 GHz and reflective at 77 GHz in the second design. The TSAs for the 24 GHz and 77 GHz systems are built on a single piece of 254 /spl mu/m-thick Duroid substrate. The measured patterns result in E and H-plane patterns with a -3-dB beamwidth of 19/spl deg/ at 24 GHz and 5.5/spl deg/ at 77 GHz. The sidelobe level is better than -17 to -20 dB when the FSS is transparent and is better than -14 dB when the FSS reflective. The calculated efficiency of this antenna system is around 50%. The current designs provide 33/spl deg/ coverage at 24 GHz (3 beams) and 55/spl deg/ coverage at 77 GHz (11 beams) in the first design, and 99/spl deg/ coverage at 24 GHz (7 beams) and 33/spl deg/ coverage at 77 GHz (7 beams) in the second design, but the angles can be changed to suit different coverage angles.
History, Policy and Nursing Practice Implications of the Plan B® Emergency Contraceptive

Numerous policy changes have expanded access to emergency contraception, such as Plan B®, in recent years. Plan B® is a progesterone-based medication that prevents pregnancy from occurring up to 120 hours after unprotected intercourse by preventing ovulation and tubal transport. Increased access to Plan B® allows women to make independent decisions regarding reproductive health. Nurses play an important role in providing education as well as comprehensive, compassionate and holistic care.
Cytogenetic damage in buccal epithelia and peripheral lymphocytes of young healthy individuals exposed to ozone

Ozone (O(3)) is an important component of air pollution and a potent oxidant of biomolecules. To address the hypothesis that elevated ambient O(3) can induce cytogenetic damage in healthy people, we collected buccal cells from two groups of students (N = 126) from University of California, Berkeley, in the spring and again in the fall. One group spent their summer in the Los Angeles (LA) area where summer O(3) concentrations are significantly higher than in the San Francisco Bay (SF) area, and another remained in SF. During the school year, all students were exposed to low O(3) levels in SF. The micronucleus assay in a total of 611,000 buccal cells demonstrated that, in the fall, micronuclei (MN) in normal cells for the LA group had increased 39% relative to levels in the spring (1.52 and 0.87 MN/1,000 cells, respectively, P = 0.001). Students who spent the summer in SF had a 12.7% increase (P = 0.48). A similar effect of season was seen in degenerated buccal cells for the LA group (3.23 versus 1.88 MN/1,000 cells, P = 0.003). LA but not SF subjects also had more degenerated cells in the fall sample (P = 0.003). These findings were paralleled by an increase in MN and nucleoplasmic bridges in lymphocytes and MN in buccal cells in a sub-group of 15 students who underwent a 4-h controlled exposure to 200 p.p.b. O(3). This cytogenetic evidence, along with recent studies linking O(3) exposure to elevated lung cancer risk and mortality, suggest potential public health implications from exposures to high oxidant environments.
Pills Gone Wild Medium Specificity and the Regulation of Prescription Drug Advertising on Television

In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) significantly altered the landscape of commercial media. Because of a clarification of rules regarding advertising, various media would now be able t...
Focal plane position detection with a diffractive optic for Shack–Hartmann wave-front sensor fabrication

During construction of a Shack–Hartmann wave-front sensor it is critical that the spacing between the lens array and the detector array be equal to the lens array focal length to obtain accurate and precise measurements of a wave front. This separation is often difficult to determine with large f/# lenses, because their focal spot diameter does not change substantially for small displacements on either side of the focal plane. We describe a method with an array of off-axis lens segments for determining the location of the focal plane. Because the lenses are off axis, changes in the distance from the optic to the detector array result in transverse focal spot position variations as a function of their separation from the lenses. By analyzing the focal spot pattern on a CCD, we achieved 12-µm rms error in the axial position measurement while moving a 4-mm-focal-length optic over 1 mm.
Project-Level Discretion

Rule implementation encountered difficulties at the project level as well as at the central office. According to the procedures, project managers were required to accept all applicants sent to them by the Tenant Selection Department. However, unlike central office staff, managers were in a position that called for sustained interaction with the same tenants, and therefore they resisted central office policies that negated their power personally to select applicants whom they considered “good” tenants.
Effects of myosin-II antibody on actin-dependent vesicle transport in extracts of clam oocytes.

The movement of vesicles and organelles in cells has been shown to occur on both microtubules and actin filaments (1, 2). The transport of vesicles on microtubules permits movement over long distances in cells, while the short-range transport of vesicles on actin filaments produces the fine and precise movements required to position vesicles at membrane sites for capture, docking, or fusion (3, 4). The transport of vesicles on actin filaments requires vesicle-associated myosins, some of which have been identified. Myosin V, for example, transports endoplasmic reticulum (ER) vesicles (5-7) and synaptic vesicles (8) in neurons and is involved in the capture of melanosomes at the tips of mouse melanocytes (9). In addition, myosin V is involved in the transport of lysosomes in some cells (10), secretory vesicles in yeast (11), and melanosomes in Xenopus melanophores (12). Myosin II, also known as conventional myosin, is vesicleassociated in extracts of clam (Spisula solidissima) oocytes (4, 13). In addition, myosin II was reported to be associated with Golgi vesicles (14), but the antibody used in these studies cross-reacts with coatomer proteins on Golgi-derived vesicles (15-17). Therefore, the role of myosin II in vesicle transport remains controversial. In this study we performed antibody-inhibition experiments with extracts of clam oocytes to provide additional evidence that myosin II is a vesicle motor. Clam oocyte extracts are well characterized and have been used extensively to study cell cycle events including cyclin synthesis and degradation, as well as ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis of cyclins (18). Extracts were prepared from quiescent oocytes by the method of Rud rman et al., (18) with slight modifications. Fluorescence microscopy was used to view rhodamine-phalloidin stained actin filaments in the extracts, and AVEC-DIC microscopy was used to assay vesicle transport on actin filaments. Motile activity in extracts was determined by counting the number of vesicles moving per minute per field (v/m/f). Antibody-inhibition experiments were performed with an antibody made to oocyte yo in II. The myosin II in oocyte extracts was precipitated with ammonium sulfate, dissolved in buffer (20 mM Tris pH 7.2, 1 mM EDTA-K, 0.2 mM CaCl2, 1 mM DTT), and dialyzed overnight at 4?C. The pure fraction of the myosin II was prepared by running the solubilized fractions on SDS-gels and eluting the myosin II heavy chain band. The eluted protein was used f r antibody production in rabbit. The serum of the immunized rabbit was collected, and the polyclonal antibody (ap-205) was purified on protein A beads. The antibody (ap-205) recognized a single band at 205 kD on west n blots of oocyte extracts (Fig. 1A) and in myosin IIenr ched fractions (Fig. lB). The protein recognized by ap-205 wa also recognized by a myosin II antibody, M2.42 (Fig. 1A), produced to a peptide in the head domain of Acanthamoeba
An inter-theoretical approach to acting.

This paper examines my inter-theoretical acting process, in which I associate Konstantin Stanislavsky with aesthetic theatre, Augusto Boal with social theatre, and Bertolt Brecht with political theatre. The paper explores my acting process, by which through fusing elements of aesthetic, political, and social theatre, I achieve my goal as a theatre practitioner to change an audience from passive to active. By re-defining my relationship with the audience, I hope to use theatre as a forum to create change within my audiences. Through learning about these different theatre theories and practices in both my undergraduate and graduate study, I was able to pick and choose which elements I wanted to take from each. In my thesis role as Beth in Steven Fechter’s The Artifacts, I found which techniques from these three theorists lent themselves most towards my goal as an actor. Through using elements of aesthetic, social, and political theatre, I achieved the goal in my thesis role of changing the audience’s behavior from passive to active by being engaged in a panel discussion where issues of graduate student mental health, mentoring in academia, and gender roles were discussed.
Anion Exchange Fuel Cell Membranes Prepared from C–H Borylation and Suzuki Coupling Reactions

Of the polymer materials investigated as anion exchange membranes, trimethylbenzylammonium-containing polysulfones are the most extensively studied. They are commonly prepared by chloromethylation of the aromatic backbone or radical bromination of benzylic carbons, followed by a Menshutkin reaction between a tertiary amine and the benzyl halide. To overcome synthetic limitations involved with these two methods, we report the preparation of an anion exchange membrane by means of iridium-catalyzed C–H borylation followed by palladium-catalyzed Suzuki coupling. Owing to the use of mild reaction conditions and high efficiency of these metal-catalyzed reactions, we were able to minimize side reactions and easily control the degree of functionalization for a series of trimethylbenzylammonium-containing polysulfones. The resulting membranes exhibited lower water uptake while maintaining similar hydroxide conductivity and functional group stability as compared to the corresponding chloromethylation-prepared anion...
Resistance of Blattella germanica to six insecticides

Objective To determine resistance of Blattella germanica to six insecticides,and provide evidence for insecticides application.Methods Residual smearing method.Results The resistance index of field-collected strains of Blattella germanica to beta-cyfluthrin,propoxur,lambda-cyhalothrin and esbiothrin were 3.31,3.26,4.27 and 5.82 respectively,dichlorvosand and deltamethrin had no toxicity after three days.Conclusion The resistance detection is helpful to select reasonable insecticides and improve control effects.