cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of ocean wave heights with a satellite radar altimeter

The launch of Geos 3 on April 9, 1975, by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) represented the first step toward the goal of ocean surface remote sensing from space. Microwave radars and radiometers orbiting aboard a network of unmanned satellites are expected ultimately to offer an all-weather capability for routinely monitoring sea state, ocean surface topography, temperature, currents, and (indirectly) surface winds on a global scale. The availability of such data in real time should produce a quantum increase in the quality of long-term weather forecasts, as well as provide needed information for the efficient and safe conduct of burgeoning maritime operations. Geos 3 is the first unmanned satellite to carry a radar system for observations of the sea. In particular, it carries a microwave short-pulse altimeter capable of measuring rms ocean wave height along its nadir track. Although the instrument can measure other quantities of geodetic and oceanographic interest (such as the instantaneous mean sea level from which currents and geoidal features can be extracted), we consider here only the measurement of sea wave height; this is without a doubt the most important single parameter characterizing that general but often used term, ‘sea state.’ The mathematical model and physical principles describing the sea echo have been understood for years. This paper, however, presents some of the first wave height plots made from a spacecraft radar. These wave height plots are shown versus distance along the satellite track; they agree reasonably well with ocean wave hindcasts and laser profilometer measurements of wave height, the errors being consistent with system resolution and internal and tracking loop noise.
Bhabha first-order wave equations. iv. causality with minimal electromagnetic coupling

It is demonstrated that the arbitrary-spin Bhabha fields with minimal electromagnetic coupling are causal in both the c-number and q-number theories. The Klein-Gordon (KG) divisors in closed form are first obtained in terms of the elementary symmetric functions. c-number causality is easily demonstrated for half-integer spin with the Velo-Zwanziger method and integer spin by using Wightman's suggestion involving the KG divisors. For the q-number demonstration, an indefinite-metric second-quantized formalism is set up, and the above KG divisors are used to show causality in closed form for arbitrary spin. In both the c-number and q-number theories a special handling of the integer-spin subsidiary components is necessary. Discussion focuses on the Bhabha indefinite metric and on the connection between the number of derivatives in a theory and the occurrence or nonoccurence of causality. (AIP)
Deep gray matter atrophy in multiple sclerosis: A tensor based morphometry

Tensor based morphometry (TBM) was applied to determine the atrophy of deep gray matter (DGM) structures in 88 relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. For group analysis of atrophy, an unbiased atlas was constructed from 20 normal brains. The MS brain images were co-registered with the unbiased atlas using a symmetric inverse consistent nonlinear registration. These studies demonstrate significant atrophy of thalamus, caudate nucleus, and putamen even at a modest clinical disability, as assessed by the expanded disability status score (EDSS). A significant correlation between atrophy and EDSS was observed for different DGM structures: (thalamus: r=-0.51, p=3.85 x 10(-7); caudate nucleus: r=-0.43, p=2.35 x 10(-5); putamen: r=-0.36, p=6.12 x 10(-6)). Atrophy of these structures also correlated with 1) T2 hyperintense lesion volumes (thalamus: r=-0.56, p=9.96 x 10(-9); caudate nucleus: r=-0.31, p=3.10 x 10(-3); putamen: r=-0.50, p=6.06 x 10(-7)), 2) T1 hypointense lesion volumes (thalamus: r=-0.61, p=2.29 x 10(-10); caudate nucleus: r=-0.35, p=9.51 x 10(-4); putamen: r=-0.43, p=3.51 x 10(-5)), and 3) normalized CSF volume (thalamus: r=-0.66, p=3.55 x 10(-12); caudate nucleus: r=-0.52, p=2.31 x 10(-7), and putamen: r=-0.66, r=2.13 x 10(-12)). More severe atrophy was observed mainly in thalamus at higher EDSS. These studies appear to suggest a link between the white matter damage and DGM atrophy in MS.
Using Oral Ziprasidone Effectively: the Food Effect and Dose-Response

Ziprasidone is a newer “atypical” or “secondgeneration” antipsychotic. Oral ziprasidone (zipras idone hydrochlor ide) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of schizophrenia, and acute manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar disorder (with or without psychotic features). Comparisons with other second-generation antipsychotics in meta-analyses reveal similar efficacy to that observed for quetiapine or aripiprazole, but inferior efficacy to that of olanzapine or risperidone in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, the rate of dose titration and the dose achieved may have an important bearing on ziprasidone’s efficacy profile, with a target dose range of 120-160 mg/day being associated with optimal symptom control and greater persistence with treatment. In addition, enhancing ziprasidone’s effectiveness requires ensuring that ziprasidone is administered with a 500 kcal meal; otherwise, absorption of oral ziprasidone is substantially reduced and cannot be compensated for by increasing the prescribed dose. Regarding tolerability, ziprasidone has important advantages in that it is not associated with clinically significant weight gain or adverse changes in cholesterol, triglycerides, or glycemic control, and patients may experience moderate improvement in these measures when switching to ziprasidone from a different antipsychotic. Ziprasidone also lacks significant persistent effects on prolactin levels, is not anticholinergic, and only infrequently causes extrapyramidal side effects or postural hypotension; however, it can be associated with somnolence. Ziprasidone may prolong the electrocardiogram (ECG) QT interval but this does not appear to pose a substantial clinical problem. Provided that an adequate dose of ziprasidone is prescribed, and administered with a 500 kcal meal, ziprasidone can be effectively used to control symptoms without the long-term liabilities of metabolic side effects.
Endocrine function in patients with large pituitary tumors treated with operative decompression and radiation therapy

Large pituitary tumors are still a common problem. Thirty consecutive patients underwent operative decompression and radiation therapy for large sellar and suprasellar tumors. They were studied prospectively in terms of their endocrine outcome. Ten of the patients had panhypopituitarism both before and after treatment. The other 20 patients had partial hormonal deficits prior to treatment. Ten (50%) of the 20 patients who had partial preoperative deficits went on to develop delayed onset of worsening in their endocrine function; 9 of the 10 developed panhypopituitarism, and 1 patient developed decreased thyroid function. The mean time from surgery until the onset of delayed worsening in endocrine function was 26.1 months. The mean age of those patients who developed delayed onset of worsening in pituitary function was significantly higher than that of those who did not develop further hormonal loss (40.5 +/- 3.1 years versus 52.0 +/- 4.1 years, P less than 0.05). None of the 10 patients with delayed onset of worsening in pituitary function had anatomical evidence by computed tomographic scan of tumor recurrence. Delayed onset radiation effect is the most likely cause of the late onset of worsening in endocrine function.
Determination of inflationary observables by cosmic microwave background anisotropy experiments.

Inflation produces nearly scale-invariant scalar and tensor perturbation spectra which lead to anisotropy in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The amplitudes and shapes of these spectra can be parametrized by ${\mathit{Q}}_{\mathit{S}}^{2}$, r\ensuremath{\equiv}${\mathit{Q}}_{\mathit{T}}^{2}$/${\mathit{Q}}_{\mathit{S}}^{2}$, ${\mathit{n}}_{\mathit{S}}$, and ${\mathit{n}}_{\mathit{T}}$ where ${\mathit{Q}}_{\mathit{S}}^{2}$ and ${\mathit{Q}}_{\mathit{T}}^{2}$ are the scalar and tensor contributions to the square of the CMB quadrupole and ${\mathit{n}}_{\mathit{S}}$ and ${\mathit{n}}_{\mathit{T}}$ are the power-law spectral indices. Even if we restrict ourselves to information from angles greater than one-third of a degree, three of these observables can be measured with some precision. The combination ${105}_{\mathit{S}}^{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{n}}$${\mathit{Q}}_{\mathit{S}}^{2}$ can be known to better than \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3%. The scalar index ${\mathit{n}}_{\mathit{S}}$ can be determined to better than \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02. The ratio r can be known to about \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1 for ${\mathit{n}}_{\mathit{S}}$\ensuremath{\simeq}1 and slightly better for smaller ${\mathit{n}}_{\mathit{S}}$. The precision with which ${\mathit{n}}_{\mathit{T}}$ can be measured depends weakly on ${\mathit{n}}_{\mathit{S}}$ and strongly on r. For ${\mathit{n}}_{\mathit{S}}$\ensuremath{\simeq}1, ${\mathit{n}}_{\mathit{T}}$ can be determined with a precision of about \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.056(1.5+r)/r. A full-sky experiment with a 20 arc min beam using technology available today, similar to those being planned by several groups, can achieve the above precision. Good angular resolution is more important than high signal-to-noise ratio; for a given detector sensitivity and observing time a smaller beam provides more information than a larger beam. The uncertainties in ${\mathit{n}}_{\mathit{S}}$ and r are roughly proportional to the beam size. We briefly discuss the effects of uncertainty in the Hubble constant, baryon density, cosmological constant, and ionization history.
Collagen and platelet interaction in experimental vegetative cardiac valvular lesions

Abstract Miniature (nonbacterial) platelet thrombi of the cardiac valve were produced by either a single injection of SHU (Chinese Red) or by a direct needle puncture in the rat. The early sequential changes in the formation of miniature platelet thrombi on the valve, as described, indicate an in vivo interaction of collagen to platelet, with resultant platelet clumping.
Optical waveguide theory (Invited Paper)

As optical fiber technology matures, complexity of optical waveguides and waveguide components also grows. Traditional techniques which may be used to analyze simple step-index circular fibers are no longer adequate. An assessment of several modern analytical/numerical techniques which have been used successfully to treat problems of practical interests is given, Illustrative numerical examples are also presented.
Stereotactic radiosurgery for anterior foramen magnum meningiomas.

Abstract BACKGROUND Total microsurgical resection is the procedure of choice for growing and symptomatic foramen magnum meningiomas. We hypothesized that for patients with advanced age, complicating medical conditions, or residual or recurrent meningiomas at the foramen magnum, stereotactic radiosurgery would be a useful adjunctive ( n = 2) or alternative ( n = 3) treatment. METHODS We report our experience in five elderly patients (73–84 years) who underwent gamma knife radiosurgery. The median tumor volume was 10.5 ml and the tumor margin dose varied from 10 to 16 Gy. Because of the irregular tumor volumes along the inferior clivus, multiple isocenters of irradiation were required (range, 2–8; mean 4.4). RESULTS During the follow-up interval of 1–5 years (median, 3 years), one patient died of an intercurrent illness, and all remaining patients were stable without any further deterioration in their clinical condition. Follow-up imaging studies revealed a reduction in tumor volume in one patient and no further growth in the remaining four. CONCLUSION We believe that stereotactic radiosurgery provides safe and effective management for patients who are poor candidates for resection of their foramen magnum meningiomas.
Cerebral laterality and reading comprehension.

Abstract The cerebral laterality of good readers and two classifications of poor readers were inferred with an objective measure of lateral preference. As hypothesized,children who demonstrated adequate vocabulary skills but failed to comprehend textual material (difference readers) were significantly more bilateral in their preference patterns than children in either of the other reading classifications. Difference readers also had a significantly greater number of other right-handed fathers. The results were interpreted as lending support to the notion of bilateralization of verbal functions and thus hemispheric competition.
Hormone Signaling Pathways: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles...

Abstract Hormones and Signaling, Volume 1 Edited by Bert O'Malley. San Diego, Academic Press, 1998, $69.95 (xv+364 pages), ISBN 0-23-312411-5
Clinical Perspective and Recent Development of PET Radioligands for Imaging Cerebral Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors.

Cerebral nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) are linked to various brain functions and disorders. There is a critical necessity for PET imaging of nAChR to study the role of the nicotinic system in the central nervous system. Currently, only two PET radioligands (2-[ 18 F]FA and 6-[ 18 F]FA) for the nAChR imaging are available, but they exhibit substantial drawbacks in imaging quality and potential for quantification. This article summarizes recent progress in the PET imaging of nAChR human subjects and surveys the studies of several research groups whose aim is the development of nAChR PET radioligands with improved imaging properties.
The Functional Theory of Stratification: a Test of Some Structural Hypotheses*

A review of previous attempts to test hypotheses derived from the functional theory of stratification suggests that to test the theory as formulated by Davis and Moore, the unit of analysis must be...
Okanin 4′-O-diglucoside from Coreopsis petrophiloides and comments on anthochlors and evolution in Coreopsis

Abstract A new chalcone glycoside, okanin 4′- O -diglucoside, is identified from the ray florets of Coreopsis petrophiloides . The known distribution of anthochlors in Coreopsis indicates that two of the most primitive sections produce in their floral parts complex glucosides of butein (and sulfuretin). The more advanced sections synthesize the monoglucosides of okanin (marein), butein (coreospin) and lanceoletin (lanceolin) and their corresponding aurones. The co-occurrence of marein and lanceolin is thus far restricted to members of sect. Coreopsis .
The patient with Parkinson's disease: part I-treating the motor symptoms; part II-treating the nonmotor symptoms.

Purpose: This two-part article provides the nurse practitioner (NP) with information on the developments in the pathophysiology and expanded treatment options in the motor and nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The discussion provides treatment strategies that may offer improved ability to manage the disabling symptoms of this neurodegenerative disorder. Data sources: Review of scientific literature from PubMed search for English language articles on PD from 1998 to 2005 and books or chapters in textbooks published on the disease in the same time frame provided the data source for this article. The content reflects our clinical judgments and experience from clinical practice in the Movement Disorder Clinic at Mayo Clinic Arizona. Conclusions: The high prevalence of the disease and important advances in its management means that the NP needs to have knowledge of the disorder and the combination of multiple treatment options available for both the motor and the nonmotor symptoms. Implications for practice: PD is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting 1% of persons over the age of 60 in the United States. As prevalence increases with age, so does the need for early accurate diagnosis and proper treatment of the PD by the clinician. Advances in the treatment for the motor and nonmotor symptoms of PD provide the clinician with increased options to improve the patient’s quality of life.
Terrorism and peace studies

Where was peace studies when we needed it? As terrorism came to dominate the headlines between the mid‐1960s and the mid‐1980s, peace researchers were conspicuously silent, save a rare journal article, about this kind of violence. This occurred even though a major intellectual industry in international relations—complete with conferences, scholarly journals, and major research projects— arose to study terrorism, and to give governments advice about it. How can we explain this curious gap, during the Cold War era and beyond, between the study of peace and the study of the political violence of terrorism? Many theories abound. Perhaps peace analysts simply ranked terrorism so much less serious than war or the armed superpower stalemate that it drew little attention. Possibly terrorism was considered only a military tactic in ongoing bloody conflicts. In this case, terrorism would be examined only as a secondary factor, related to background causes of these conflicts or to the potential for conflict resoluti...
Myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia: targeted therapy

In this issue of Blood, Wagner-Ballon and colleagues provide new insights into the pathogenesis of myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM) and a targeted therapeutic approach of NF-κB inhibition with the proteosome inhibitor bortezomib.
Towards proteome-wide production of monoclonal antibody by phage display.

Sequencing of the human genome reveals that there are approximately 30,000 genes that encode an even greater number of proteins which comprise the human proteome. Characterization of gene products at the genome-wide scale requires the development of high throughput methods to generate temporo-spatial information on each and every protein in the cell under normal and pathological conditions. Monoclonal antibodies are important reagents for these studies. We have developed a method to generate human monoclonal antibodies by selecting phage antibody libraries directly on antigen blotted onto poly(vinylidene fluoride) membranes. Cellular proteins are first separated by two dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis, Western blotted onto poly(vinylidene fluoride) membranes, and used to select phage antibody libraries. Monoclonal antibodies can be generated against individual protein spots on a 2D gel. The antibodies are functional in Western blotting, ELISA, and immunohistochemistry. Automation of this process should allow high throughput production of monoclonal phage antibodies against cellular proteins as well as proteins that are uniquely expressed under pathological conditions.
Interpolations for temperature distributions: a method for all non-concave polygons

Abstract An approximation to a distribution governed by temperature readings taken at the edge of a polygonal domain can be constructed using interpolation functions which––in linear combination––satisfy first order, constancy and linearity conditions. The values prescribed by the normed interpolation function should be bounded between zero and one. This restriction is especially necessary when representing temperature, since negative values for temperature in Kelvin are physically unacceptable. Compliant interpolation functions can be constructed on all convex polygonal domains including those bounded by vertex and side-nodes.
Asthma risk factor assessment: what are the needs of inner-city families?

Background A complex array of risk factors contributes to sustained high levels of asthma morbidity in inner-city children. Objective To describe risk factors for asthma morbidity in a national sample of inner-city children with persistent asthma. Methods This study examined baseline questionnaire results from 1,772 children ages 5 to 11 years old with moderate to severe persistent asthma who enrolled in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded Inner-City Asthma Intervention between April 2001 and March 2004. Risk for asthma morbidity was assessed in 9 domains using the Child Asthma Risk Assessment Tool. The domains included environmental exposures, parental stress, medication adherence, pessimistic asthma beliefs, smoke exposure, aeroallergen exposure, child psychological well-being, responsibility for medication administration, and medical care. Results A total of 51% of families demonstrated high risk of asthma morbidity in 3 or more domains. High risk of asthma morbidity was suggested based on household environmental exposures (47.7%), high parental stress (38.5%), poor medication adherence (38.3%), pessimistic asthma beliefs (31.8%), environmental tobacco smoke (24.4%), sensitization to aeroallergens in the home (24.8%), child behavioral or emotional concerns (22.9%), child assigned responsibility for medication administration (21.2%), and poor medical care (20.7%). Allergy testing was completed for 40% of the participating children. Of these children, 61% were exposed to aeroallergens in their home to which they were sensitized. Conclusions In this national sample of inner-city children, multiple risk factors for asthma morbidity were identified. Asthma programs that provide multilevel support and intervention are needed to reduce the burden of asthma on inner-city families.
Measurement of restricted rotational diffusion of fluorescent lipids in supported planar phospholipid monolayers using angle‐dependent polarized fluorescence photobleaching recovery

A theory describing the shapes of polarized fluorescence photobleaching recovery (PFPR) curves for a population of fluorophores undergoing restricted rotational diffusion in two-dimensional systems such as planar membranes has been developed. In this model, restricted rotational diffusion of the fluorophores is described by using reflective boundary conditions, in which the fluorophores are assumed to diffuse freely but only within an angular space of width 2 omega. The magnitude and apparent rate of the PFPR postbleach fluorescence curves are a function of both omega and the angle between the bleaching and observation beam polarizations psi. It is shown that estimates of the degree of rotational restriction omega may be obtained from changes in the psi-dependent postbleach fluorescence intensities. Using angle-dependent PFPR, slow rotational reorientations of the fluorescent lipid analogue 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine in distearoylphosphatidylcholine Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers deposited on octadecyltrichlorosilane-treated fused quartz were measured. As theoretically predicted for a rotationally restricted fluorophore population, both the initial F psi (0) and final F psi (infinity) postbleach fluorescence intensities varied as a function of psi, and no measurable change in the postbleach fluorescence intensities was observed for psi = 45 degrees. Using the theory for restricted rotational motion, the psi-dependent variations of the final fluorescence intensities F psi (infinity) obtained at two bleaching intensities gave an average apparent omega approximately 52 degrees. However, to adequately fit the F psi (0) data, inclusion of the theoretical effects of rapid (faster than the duration of the photobleaching pulse) fluorophore dynamics was also required. Best fits of the F psi (0) and F psi (infinity) data were obtained when the fluorophores were assumed to rapidly wobble within a cone of semiangle delta approximately 30 degrees-50 degrees while slowly rotating within an angular space defined by semiangle omega approximately 35 degrees-60 degrees. Subsequent analysis of the time- and psi-dependent changes in the post-bleach fluorescence curves F psi (t) gave apparent diffusion coefficients ranging from D approximately 10(-3) s-1 to 4 x 10(-2) s-1.
Photo-sputtering of ice and hydrogen around Saturn's rings

It is noted that rocketborne UV spectroscopic measurements have shown that a dense cloud on atomic hydrogen surrounds Saturn which has been interpreted as being associated with the Saturn ring system. Several ring sources of atomic hydrogen have been proposed, but abundance and lifetime estimates require a source which is much more potent than those previously considered. An alternate mechanism is proposed which satisfies this source requirement and involves photodissociation of surface water molecules on the icy ring material. The source rate for this mechanism is within a factor of two of the required value and is within the experimental error of the measurement.
Network intervention, existential depression, and the relocated Appalachian family

The authors use the concept of existential depression as the basis for a set of treatment interventions that are often useful to the relocated Appalachian family and describe the use of a number of different network intervention strategies for use with such families and the existential reasons for their use.
Radioactivities in meteorites and cosmic-ray variations

Abstract The Na22:Al26 ratio in six recently fallen meteorites, including Přibram, and the Ar37: Ar39 ratio in three recently fallen meteorites were measured. The Na22:Al26 and Ar37: Ar39 ratios are indicators of variations in the cosmic-ray bombardment of meteorites. The Na22:Al26 ratios, which are produced by cosmic rays integrated over the meteoroid orbit, show that the 11-yr cosmic-ray variation is smaller at the average solar distance of most meteoroids than at 1 a.u. The Ar37: Ar39 ratios, which compare cosmic rays in the neighborhood of 1 a.u. with those at the average solar distance of the meteoroid, give a high-energy cosmic-ray heliocentric radial gradient of 20 ± 8 per cent/a.u. at solar maximum and at solar minimum.
First Exit Times for Ordinary and Compound Poisson Processes with Non-linear Boundaries

Distributions of the first-exit times from a region with concave upper boundary are discussed for ordinary and compound Poisson processes. Explicit formulae are developed for the case of ordinary Poisson processes. Recursive formulae are given for the compound Poisson case, where the jumps are positive, having discrete or continuous distributions with finite means. Applications to sequential point estimation and insurance are illustrated.
Induced waveguiding effects in a two-dimensional nonlinear medium

I compute the invariant spatial configurations and their spatial Fourier transforms for a weak probe propagating in a two-dimensional χ(3) medium in the presence of a spatial optical soliton pump. The number of these configurations increases in an enhanced induced-phase-modulation medium.
Aggregation of marine sponge cells induced by Ca pulses, Ca ionophores, and phorbol esters proceeds in the absence of external Ca

Cells of the sponge Microciona prolifera dissociated in Ca,Mg-free sea water reaggregate upon addition of Ca, an observation classically attributed to the requirement for Ca of a species-specific aggregation factor. We now report that, unexpectedly, extracellular Ca is not required during aggregation; brief Ca pulses (1-3 sec) terminated by excess EDTA suffice to prepare the cells for aggregation by Ca ionophores (e.g. A23187). We also show that phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) promotes aggregation of pulse-prepared cells. Since PMA and A23187 act synergistically in Microciona, the "twin signal" hypothesis, signalling by Ca and protein kinase C in parallel, is validated in this primitive animal.
Dispersion Relations for Pion-Nucleon Scattering. I. The Spin-Flip Amplitude

Dispersion relations are derived for the derivative with respect to $sin\ensuremath{\vartheta}$, taken at zero angle, of the spin-flip amplitude for pion-nucleon scattering. The derivation of these relations is based on general field-theoretical concepts. It is shown that the condition of microscopic causality is sufficient and essentially also necessary for the existence of these equations. The special form of the dispersion relations depends on the assumptions about the high-frequency behavior of the spin-flip amplitude.The exact dispersion formulas, which are derived under the more stringent boundedness condition for the amplitude, can be reduced to the spin-flip part of Low's equations for $P$-wave scattering. This reduction involves approximations which correspond to those underlying the direct derivation of Low's equations.Under certain conditions the dispersion relations may hold approximately at low energies even if the causality condition is not valid in small but finite regions. This possibility is discussed briefly.
Further characterization of the effects of BMY 14802 on dopamine neuronal activity.

Further evaluation of the effects of BMY 14802 on dopamine (DA) neuronal activity in the rat substantia nigra pars compacta (A9) was conducted with single-unit recording and microiontophoresis in anesthetized rats. Microiontophoretic administration of BMY 14802 (sigma, serotonin (5-HT)-1A and α-1 adrenoceptor ligand) had no effect on DA neurons. Microiontophoretic administration of (+)-3-PPP (weak D2 agonist with high affinity for sigma receptors) and quinpirole (D2/D3 agonist) inhibited A9 DA neuronal activity. Coiontophoresis or i.v. pretreatment with BMY 14802 had no effect on the current-response curves for the effects of microiontophoretic (+)-3-PPP or quinpirole on A9 DA neurons. Coiontophoretic administration of (−)-sulpiride, a selective D2 antagonist, blocked the inhibitory effects of microiontophoretic (+)-3-PPP. The effects of BMY 14802 (0.25-8 mg/kg, i.v.) on DA neurons (increased firing rate, increased burst-firing, reduced regularity of firing pattern) were not altered by acute brain hemitransection, but were blocked by pretreatment with NAN-190, an antagonist of 5-HT-1A and α-1 receptors. The α-1 receptor antagonist, prazosin, did not block these effects of BMY 14802. In conclusion, the effects of BMY 14802 on DA neuronal firing rate and firing pattern are indirect, perhaps due in part to the occupation of 5-HT-1A receptors. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Lessons From The Clinton Plan : Incremental Market Reform, Not Sweeping Government Control

The Clinton health reform attempt in the mid-1990s and the U.S. experience since then suggest some clear lessons for the next U.S. president. Public confidence in a major reform proposal must be won, and congressional support must be garnered, even if the election is a landslide. Insisting on universal coverage as a precondition may undercut the ability to enact other policies needed to improve the health system. Excessive regulation and price controls are likely to exacerbate underlying problems. The next president should take full advantage of market incentives to promote a high-value health system.
Highly sensitive disposable nucleic acid biosensors for direct bioelectronic detection in raw biological samples.

The development of rapid, low-cost and reliable diagnostic methods is crucial for the identification and treatment of many diseases. Screen-printed gold electrodes (Au/SPEs), coated with a ternary monolayer interface, involving hexanedithiol (HDT), a specific thiolated capture probe (SHCP), and 6-mercapto-1 hexanol (MCH) (SHCP/HDT/MCH) are shown here to offer direct and sensitive detection of nucleic acid hybridization events in untreated raw biological samples (serum, urine and crude bacterial lysate solutions). The composition of the ternary monolayer was modified and tailored to the surface of the Au/SPE. The resulting SHCP/HDT/MCH monolayer has demonstrated to be extremely useful for enhancing the performance of disposable nucleic acid sensors based on screen-printed electrodes. Compared to common SHCP/MCH binary interfaces, the new ternary self-assembled monolayer (SAM) resulted in a 10-fold improvement in the signal (S)-to-noise (N) ratio (S/N) for 1 nM target DNA. The SHCP/HDT/MCH-modified Au/SPEs allowed the direct quantification of the target DNA down to 25 pM (0.25 fmol) and 100 pM (1 fmol) in undiluted/untreated serum and urine samples, respectively, and of 16S rRNA Escherichia coli (E. coli) corresponding to 3000 CFU μL−1 in raw cell lysate samples. The new SAM-coated screen-printed electrodes also displayed favorable non-fouling properties after a 24 h exposure to raw human serum and urine samples, offering great promise as cost-effective nucleic acid sensors for a wide range of decentralized genetic tests.
An investigation of two interventions for micrographia in individuals with Parkinson’s disease:

Objective: This pilot study was designed to compare a change in micrographia between using grid lines and parallel horizontal lines as visual cues in individuals with Parkinson’s disease.Design: Single group pre- and post-test.Setting: Research lab.Participants: Eleven males with Parkinson’s disease.Interventions: Practice writing words with parallel and grid lines. The sequence of practising was randomized.Main outcome measures: Length of words.Results: The length of the words after practising with parallel lines was longer than in the initial free writing condition (17.83 ± 3.93 cm vs. 23.36 ± 5.82 cm, P =0.008). The length of the words after practising with grid lines was also longer than during free writing (17.83 ± 3.93 cm vs. 22.65 ± 4.04 cm, P =0.003). The length of the words after practising with parallel lines was not different from that after practising with grid lines.Conclusion: Improvements in letter size after practising with horizontal parallel lines and grid lines were not different. The a...
The Role of Secondary School and Community College Collaborations to Increase Latinas in Engineering in a Rural Community.

This chapter introduces effective strategies and practices for working with secondary and postsecondary schools to advance rural Latinas into engineering and other STEM-related fields.
The discrete moment problem and linear programming

Abstract Moment problems, with finite, preassigned support, regarding the probability distribution, are formulated and used to obtain sharp lower and upper bounds for unknown probabilities and expectations of convex functions of discrete random variables. The bounds are optimum values of special linear programming problems. Simple derivations, based on Lagrange polynomials, are presented for the dual feasible basis structure theorems in case of the power and binomial moment problems. The sharp bounds are obtained by dual type algorithms and formulas. They are analoguous to the Chebyshev-Markov inequalities.
Competition and Financial Accounting Misreporting

We show that, on average, product market competition acts as a disciplining force constraining managers from misreporting accounting information. Further, in a quasi-natural experiment that uses shifts in import tariffs to identify intensification of competition, difference-in-difference estimations support the disciplining effect of competition on misreporting. Our findings are robust across alternate measures of misreporting including restatements and accounting irregularities as well as to measures of product market competition including those based on the U.S. Census data.
Variability of mechanical properties of basalt fiber reinforced polymer bars manufactured by wet-layup method

Abstract Basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars were produced with basalt fiber that was made from igneous basalt rock. These bars were produced by adopting a new type of automated wet lay-up process for potential use as internal reinforcement of concrete. While the determination of mechanical properties of BFRP is an important first step, statistical investigation of the variability of mechanical properties is critical both for determining guaranteed properties and the quality control of production. The objective of this study was to determine the variability of mechanical properties of BFRP bars in order to verify the usefulness of the new process. Statistical analysis techniques were applied to investigate the variation and distribution of the data set obtained from tensile tests of BFRP bars. The results of Kolmogorov–Smirnov (K–S) tests revealed the data to be normally distributed meeting a confidence level of 99.875%. This would make it possible to determine the guaranteed properties based on the American Concrete Institute (ACI 440.1R) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA S806) approaches. The study revealed that the BFRP bars manufactured by using the new automated wet-layup process had variation similar to that of FRP bars manufactured by other methods. However, this process has economic benefit relative to the traditional pultrusion method due its simplicity and cost effectiveness resulting from less stringent production controls.
COX-2 induction by unconjugated bile acids involves reactive oxygen species-mediated signalling pathways in Barrett’s oesophagus and oesophageal adenocarcinoma

Objectives: Bile reflux contributes to oesophageal injury and neoplasia. COX-2 is involved in both inflammation and carcinogenesis; however, the precise mechanisms by which bile acids promote COX-2 expression in the oesophagus are largely unknown. We analysed the molecular mechanisms that govern bile acid-mediated expression of COX-2 in Barrett’s oesophagus and oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OA). Design: The effects of bile acids on COX-2 expression were analysed in immortalised Barrett’s oesophagus and OA cells using immunoblotting and transient transfections. Pharmacological inhibitors, phospho-specific antibodies, dominant-negative mutants and siRNA techniques were used to identify relevant signalling pathways. Flow cytometry and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers were used to examine ROS involvement. Immunohistochemistry was performed on oesophageal mucosa obtained from an established rat model of bile reflux. Results: Unconjugated bile acids potently stimulated COX-2 expression and induced AKT and ERK1/2 phosphorylation in concert with COX-2 induction. These findings were mimicked in the in vivo rat model. Dominant-negative (DN) AKT and LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor) or U0126 (MEK-1/2 inhibitor) blocked chenodeoxycholic acid (CD) and deoxycholic acid (DC) mediated COX-2 induction. CD and DC also induced CREB phosphorylation and AP-1 activity. CREB-specific siRNA and DN AP-1 blocked CD and DC-induced COX-2 induction. Finally, CD and DC increased intracellular ROS, while ROS scavengers blocked COX-2 induction and the signalling pathways involved. Conclusions: Unconjugated bile acids induce CREB and AP-1-dependent COX-2 expression in Barrett’s oesophagus and OA through ROS-mediated activation of PI3K/AKT and ERK1/2. This study enhances our understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which bile acids promote the development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma.
Impact of blood glucose self-monitoring errors on glucose variability, risk for hypoglycemia, and average glucose control in type 1 diabetes: an in silico study.

Background: Clinical trials assessing the impact of errors in self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) on the quality of glycemic control in diabetes are inherently difficult to execute. Consequently, the objectives of this study were to employ realistic computer simulation based on a validated model of the human metabolic system and to provide potentially valuable information about the relationships among SMBG errors, risk for hypoglycemia, glucose variability, and long-term glycemic control. Methods: Sixteen thousand computer simulation trials were conducted using 100 simulated adults with type 1 diabetes. Each simulated subject was used in four simulation experiments aiming to assess the impact of SMBG errors on detection of hypoglycemia (experiment 1), risk for hypoglycemia (experiment 2), glucose variability (experiment 3), and long-term average glucose control, i.e., estimated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)(experiment 4). Each experiment was repeated 10 times at each of four increasing levels of SMBG errors: 5, 10, 15, and 20% deviation from the true blood glucose value. Results: When the permitted SMBG error increased from 0 to 5–10% to 15–20%—the current level allowed by International Organization for Standardization 15197—(1) the probability for missing blood glucose readings of 60 mg/dl increased from 0 to 0–1% to 3.5–10%; (2) the incidence of hypoglycemia, defined as reference blood glucose ≤70 mg/dl, changed from 0 to 0–0% to 0.1–5.5%; (3) glucose variability increased as well, as indicated by control variability grid analysis; and (4) the incidence of hypoglycemia increased from 15.0 to 15.2–18.8% to 22–25.6%. When compensating for this increase, glycemic control deteriorated with HbA1c increasing gradually from 7.00 to 7.01–7.12% to 7.26–7.40%. Conclusions: A number of parameters of glycemic control deteriorated substantially with the increase of permitted SMBG errors, as revealed by a series of computer simulations (e.g., in silico) experiments. A threshold effect apparent between 10 and 15% permitted SMBG error for most parameters, except for HbA1c, which appeared to be increasing relatively linearly with increasing SMBG error above 10%.
The incidence of renal failure in one hundred consecutive heart-lung transplant recipients

Abstract Between March 1981 and November 1992, 100 heart-lung transplantations were performed at our institution. We report on the renal function in the 67 patients who survived a minimum of 6 months posttransplantation, and who were aged more than 10 years at the time of transplant. Renal function was determined by serial measurement of serum creatinine. Mean serum creatinine increased from 0.96 ± 0.03 mg/dL at baseline to 1.55 ± 0.07 mg/dL at 6 months posttransplantation, to 1.88 ± 0.11 mg/dL at the end of follow-up (mean follow-up, 50.0 months; range, 6 to 140 months). The decline in renal function was biphasic, with a rapid decrease in the first 6 months, followed by a much slower decline. Three patients developed end-stage renal failure. This compares with 14 of 416 cardiac transplant recipients at Stanford who developed end-stage renal failure over the same period. We conclude that in our large series at a single center the incidence of renal impairment and end-stage renal failure is low and similar between heart-lung and heart transplant patients.
Clinical significance of antimicrobial resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae

Despite increasing resistance in the pneumococcus over the past 30 years, there are few cases of treatment failure of nonmeningeal infections with high dose parenteral penicillin G, which still remains highly effective for many pneumococcal diseases. This is reflected by the new 2008 CLSI breakpoints for parenteral penicillin G of susceptible, ≤2 g/mL, intermediate, 4 g/mL, and resistant, ≥8 µg/mL for nonmeningeal infections. For meningitis and oral penicillin V use, the old penicillin breakpoints of susceptible, ≤0.06 g/mL, intermediate, 0.12-1 g/mL, and resistant, ≥2 µg/mL will remain in place. Clinically relevant susceptibility breakpoints have also been developed for virtually all relevant antimicrobial agents used to treat pneumococcal diseases, based on clinical studies and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters. Although pneumococcal resistance to -lactams, macrolides and cotrimoxazole is now common worldwide, we are still able to treat almost all pneumococcal infections adequately. An exception is the oral treatment of multidrug resistant serotype 19A strains in children in the USA as these are resistant to amoxicillin, oral cephalosporins and cotrimoxazole. While there is a need to develop new agents, judicious use of antimicrobial agents is the best long-term approach. Empiric treatment guidelines should reflect the emerging threats from increased drug resistance and the possibility of increased virulence in replacement serotypes following vaccine use. Compliance with guidelines by physicians and patients is important to prevent further development of resistance.
The protein encoded by the US3 orthologue of Marek's disease virus is required for efficient de-envelopment of perinuclear virions and involved in actin stress fiber breakdown.

Marek's disease virus (MDV) encodes a protein exhibiting high amino acid similarity to the US3 protein of herpes simplex virus type 1 and the gene 66 product of varicella-zoster virus. The MDV US3 orthologue was replaced with a kanamycin resistance gene in the infectious bacterial artificial chromosome clone BAC20. After transfection of US3-negative BAC20 DNA (20ΔUS3), the resulting recombinant 20ΔUS3 virus exhibited markedly reduced growth kinetics. Virus titers on chicken embryo cells were reduced by approximately 10-fold, and plaque sizes were significantly smaller (65% reduction) compared to parental BAC20 virus. The defect of the US3-negative MDV was completely restored in a revertant virus (20US3*) expressing a US3 protein with a carboxy-terminal FLAG tag. Electron microscopical studies revealed that the defect of the 20ΔUS3 mutant to efficiently spread from cell to cell was concomitant with an accumulation in the perinuclear space of primarily enveloped virions in characteristic vesicles containing several virus particles, which resulted in reduced numbers of particles in the cytoplasm. The formation of these vesicles was not observed in cells infected with either parental BAC20 virus or the 20US3* revertant virus. The role of the MDV US3 protein in actin stress fiber breakdown was investigated by visualizing actin with phalloidin-Alexa 488 after infection or transfection of a US3 expression plasmid. Addition of the actin-depolymerizing drug cytochalasin D to cells transfected or infected with BAC20 resulted in complete inhibition of plaque formation with as little as 50 nM of the drug, while concentrations of nocodazole as high as 50 μM only had a relatively minor effect on MDV plaque formation. The results indicated that the MDV US3 serine-threonine protein kinase is transiently involved in MDV-mediated stress fiber breakdown and that polymerization of actin, but not microtubules, plays an important role in MDV cell-to-cell spread.
Overcoming data challenges examining oral health disparities in appalachia.

Objectives. The objective of our study of oral health disparities in Appalachia was to use existing data sources to geographically analyze suspected disparities in oral health status in the 420 counties of Appalachia, and to make sub-state comparisons within Appalachia and to the rest of the nation. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the methods used to overcome challenges associated with using limited oral health data to make inferences about oral health status. Methods. Oral health data were obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Because the BRFSS was designed for state-level analysis, there were inadequate number of responses to study Appalachia by county. We set out to determine the smallest possible unit we could use, aggregating data to satisfy CDC minimum requirements for spatially identified responses. For sub-state comparisons, data were first aggregated to Appalachian and non-Appalachian regions within Appalachian states. Next, rural versus urban areas within Appalachian and non-Appalachian regions were examined. Beale codes were used to define metropolitan and non-metropolitan statistical regions for the United States. Results. Aggregating the data as described proved useful for smoothing the data used to analyze oral health disparities, while still revealing important sub-state differences. Using geographic information systems to map data throughout the process was very useful for determining an effective approach for our analysis. Discussion. Studying oral health disparities on a regional or national level is difficult given a lack of appropriate data. The BRFSS can be adapted for this purpose; however, there is a limited number of oral health questions and because they are also optional, they are not routinely asked by all states. Expanding the BRFSS to include a larger sampling frame would be very helpful for studying oral health disparities. Conclusions. Novel techniques were introduced to use BRFSS data to study oral health disparities in Appalachia, which provided informative sub-state results, useful to health planners for targeting intervention strategies.