cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cochlear implant codes and speech perception in the profoundly deaf

Cochlear implants are coming into widespread use as prostheses for profoundly deaf patients suffering from sensorineural deafness. Such patients can detect sounds when the implant electrically stimulates their remaining peripheral auditory nervous system. But useful speech recognition has not yet been achieved with either single- or multiple-channel cochlear implants. Because cochlear implants are essentially artificial receptors, the prosthetic signal provided by such implants must be coded in a form that contains the essential attributes of the sensory codes used by natural receptors. Sensory coding studies of natural receptors have indicated that the sensory code is task dependent. In particular, these studies have indicated that the sensory code for pattern recognition is the integral of the temporally dispersed receptor signal. These natural receptor data suggest that speech recognition in the profoundly deaf may be improved by incorporating an appropriate degree of temporal dispersion into the design of cochlear prostheses.
ICD programming to reduce shocks and improve outcomes.

Despite the clinical benefit of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), there is a high frequency of inappropriate ICD therapy associated with impaired quality of life, unwanted health care resource utilization, and adverse clinical outcome. Alternative strategies of ICD programming are needed to reduce the risk of inappropriate and “unnecessary” ICD therapies and to improve patient outcome. In this review, we provide an overview of the rate of inappropriate and appropriate ICD therapies in clinical trials and large registries as well as a review of current trials evaluating novel ICD programming to reduce inappropriate ICD therapy to avoid unnecessary ICD therapy. Based on recent studies including a large randomized trial, we recommend a simple programming approach involving high-rate device therapy beginning at 200 bpm with a 2.5 sec delay for it reduces inappropriate therapy, unnecessary therapy, and all-cause mortality in patients receiving ICD or CRT-D devices for primary prevention indications.
Three dimensional self-assembly at the nanoscale

At the nanoscale, three dimensional manipulation and assembly becomes extremely challenging and also cost prohibitive. Self-assembly provides an attractive and possibly the only highly parallel methodology to structure truly three dimensional patterned materials and devices at this size scale for applications in electronics, optics, robotics and medicine. This is a concise review along with a perspective of an important and exciting field in nanotechnology and is related to a Nanoengineering Pioneer Award that I received at this SPIE symposium for my contributions to the 3D selfassembly of nanostructures. I detail a historical account of 3D self-assembly and outline important developments in this area which is put into context with the larger research areas of 3D nanofabrication, assembly and nanomanufacturing. A focus in this review is on our work as it relates to the self-assembly with lithographically patterned units; this approach provides a means for heterogeneous integration of periodic, curved and angled nanostructures with precisely defined three dimensional patterns.
Extracellular space of brain as determined by diffusion of inulin from the ventricular system

Abstract Perfusion of the ventriculo-cisternal system of the live dog with artificial spinal fluid containing radioactive inulin, sulfate or dextran resulted in the entry of these compounds into the brain tissue adjacent to the ventricles. The concentration of these compounds in the tissue decreased as a function of the distance from the ventricular surface in a manner consistent with diffusion. These data are consistent with an extracellular space of 7–14% in the areas of brain that were studied.
Nuclear data sheets for A = 152*

Abstract Experimental data available prior to September 1979 for decays of or reactions leading to A=152 nuclei have been evaluated and summarized. This evaluation was edited for computer reproduction by M. J. Martin from the more complete evaluation prepared by C. M. Baglin and available from the latter as Internal Report #66, Wright Nuclear Structure Laboratory, Yale University.
Management's Effects on Worker Organizations in a Developing Country

The purpose of this paper is to examine certain processes of social change in a developing country. In general, the study asks how and why do independent worker organizations originate within business enterprise? More specifically, how are such organizations related to patterns of paternal interest, the separation of spheres of activity, and the growth of impersonality?
Naturalistic Observation of Adjustable VDT Stand Usage

Ergonomists have long recommended user adjustable furniture for office workers. A majority of the recommendations have been based upon anthropometric models of economically “correct” postures. Research validation of these proposals is sparse, and those that have been conducted are predominantly laboratory oriented. This research observed the use of adjustable furniture in a field setting. Three questions were addressed: 1) what are the preferred settings when the equipment has been used for a length of time?; 2) do people change the settings?; and 3) how do these measures relate to anthropometric data? The offices of 91 workers were measured covertly. Twenty one offices were measured once, 41 twice, and 29 three times. All the offices had an adjustable VDT stand with independent height and angle adjustments for both the keyboard and display. Seat height had a mean and standard deviation of 20.0 and 0.85 inches. The height of the home row of the keyboard had a mean of 29.1 and a standard deviation of 1.2 i...
β-Defensin Inhibits Influenza Virus Replication by Cell-Mediated Mechanism(s)

The innate immune system mounts the first host response to pathogens. Because alpha-defensins, which are cationic antimicrobial peptides of polymorphonuclear neutrophils and other leukocytes, are important effectors of the innate immune system, we studied the antiviral activity of human alpha-defensin-1 (also known as "human neutrophil peptide-1" [HNP-1]) against influenza virus in vitro. Treatment of cell cultures with HNP-1 soon after infection resulted in marked inhibition of influenza virus replication and viral protein synthesis. This effect was not due to cytotoxicity or to a direct effect on the virus. Treatment of cells with HNP-1 followed by its removal before infection also inhibited viral replication, suggesting that the inhibition was due to the modulation of cellular pathways. HNP-1 treatment inhibited protein kinase C (PKC) activation in infected cells, suggesting the involvement of the PKC pathway. Our data expand the previously known activity of alpha -defensins against influenza virus. Characterizing the mechanism of action of alpha -defensins may lead to the identification of new strategies for prevention and therapy.
Intact Histological Characterization of Brain-implanted Microdevices and Surrounding Tissue

Research into the design and utilization of brain-implanted microdevices, such as microelectrode arrays, aims to produce clinically relevant devices that interface chronically with surrounding brain tissue. Tissue surrounding these implants is thought to react to the presence of the devices over time, which includes the formation of an insulating "glial scar" around the devices. However, histological analysis of these tissue changes is typically performed after explanting the device, in a process that can disrupt the morphology of the tissue of interest. Here we demonstrate a protocol in which cortical-implanted devices are collected intact in surrounding rodent brain tissue. We describe how, once perfused with fixative, brains are removed and sliced in such a way as to avoid explanting devices. We outline fluorescent antibody labeling and optical clearing methods useful for producing an informative, yet thick tissue section. Finally, we demonstrate the mounting and imaging of these tissue sections in order to investigate the biological interface around brain-implanted devices.
Synthesis and Spectral Characterization of 5′-Phosphopyridoxyl-D,L-7-azatryptophan, a Photophysical Probe of Protein Structure and Dynamics

Abstract We report the first isolation of a unique adduct of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate, 5′-phosphopyridoxyl-D,L-7-azatryptophan, and suggest a new and easier route for synthesis and purification of 5′-phosphopyridoxyl-L-(or -D-)tryptophan. The absorbance and emission spectra of the 7-azatryptophan aciduct are distinctly different than those of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate or the tryptophan adduct. We propose that 5′-phosphopyridoxyl-D,L-7-azatryptophan has great potential as an intrinsic probe in optical studies of protein dynamics.
Thermal conduction between a heated microcantilever and a surrounding air environment

Abstract This paper investigates transient heat conduction between a heated microcantilever and its air environment. Continuum finite element simulations allow detailed analysis of heat flow within and from the resistively heated microcantilever. Heat generation of 8 mW excites the cantilever with heating that is either steady, pulse, sinusoidal, or pulse duty cycle. The time-averaged heat conduction from the cantilever leg to the nearby air is typically two to six times greater than the heat conduction from the heater to the air. The cooling time constant increases as the pulse heating time increases; for heating times of 1–1000 μs, the cooling time ranges 4.6–70 μs. The effective heat transfer coefficients around the heater and around the leg are considerably large; on the order of 1 kW/m 2 K. This study of heat transfer between a microcantilever and its surrounding air environment will aid the design and operation of microcantilever heaters.
Cohesion, equivalence, and similarity of behavior: a theoretical and empirical assessment

Abstract Network analysts have debated the extent to which cohesion versus structural equivalence serves as a source of similar behavior among actors. More recently, role equivalence has emerged as an alternative to structural equivalence. Using data on the contribution patterns of corporate political action committees, I examine the effect of various indicators of cohesion, structural equivalence, and role equivalence on the extent to which firms behave similarly. Although various operationalizations of all three concepts are correlated with similar behavior, the most consistent predictor is the joint prominence of two firms in the network. I argue that this common location in central positions is a form of role equivalence, but one that is distinct from conventional definitions of the concept. I then suggest a distinction between what I term ‘central’ and ‘peripheral’ role equivalence.
Gelsolin inhibition of fast axonal transport indicates a requirement for actin microfilaments

The actions of actin-based microfilaments in cell motility suggest a possible role in the mechanism of fast axonal transport, but the pharmacological data evaluating their role in this process are equivocal. Moreover, microfilaments are difficult to preserve and identify in ultrastructural studies, so the organization and function of axonal actin has remained uncertain. We have now evaluated the role of actin microfilaments in intracellular transport of membranous organelles using video-enhanced contrast microscopy and gelsolin to analyse fast axonal transport directly in isolated axoplasm from the squid giant axon. With this preparation it is possible to perfuse axoplasm with large molecules that do not cross the plasmalemma, while controlling cation levels. The 90,000-molecular weight protein gelsolin depolymerizes actin microfilaments in micromolar Ca2+, but not in the absence of Ca2+. Axonal transport of membranous organelles has previously been shown to be unaffected by levels of Ca2+ up to 10 microM. In the presence of EGTA, gelsolin has no effect on the movement of membranous organelles, but in the presence of 10 microM Ca2+ it completely blocks transport of all membranous organelles. No changes in the organization of the axoplasm were detected. These results and results using other probes for actin are consistent with the hypothesis that actin-based microfilaments are involved in the movement of membranous organelles in the axon.
Color scene analysis

This paper describes a color scene analysis method for the object surfaces appearing in the noisy and imperfect images of natural scenes. It is developed based on the spatial and spectral grouping property of the human visual system. The uniformly colored surfaces are recognized by their monomodal 3-D color distributions and extracted in the spatial domain using the lightness and chromaticity network of the Munsell system. The textured image regions are identified by their irregular histogram distributions and isolated in the image plane using the Julesz connectivity detection rules. The method is applied to various color images corrupted by noise and degraded heavily by under-sampling and low color-contrast imperfections. The method was able to detect all the uniformly colored and heavily textured object areas in these images.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Promoting Accident Prevention by Combating Fatigue

Employees are increasingly working the nightshift or increased overtime. Many employees are operating systems while fatigued. Fatigue is induced by a number of factors, but most often it is caused by lack of sleep. Individuals who work late at night, longer than normal shifts, or random shift times may be prone to errors in attention, decision-making, and response to pertinent information. These errors lead to accidents. There are several simple methods to dramatically reduce the effect abnormal working hours has on the body. Fatigue is beginning to be recognized as a contributing factor in accidents, however more can be accomplished. Methods can be applied by both the employee and employer to prevent accidents from occurring as a result of fatigue. This paper will focus on methods of reducing the risk of human error in the workplace and address countermeasures used to reduce fatigue thus promoting a safer working environment.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Two-dimensional relayed coherence transfer experiments as a means of subgrouping protonated carbon resonances of complex polynuclear heteroaromatics on the basis of vicinal proton-proton connectivities

Application of autocorrelated homonuclear (COSY) and proton-carbon chemical shift correlation two-dimensional nmr experiments to the problem of assigning the 1H- and 13C-nmr spectra of phenanthro[4,3-a]dibenzothiophene fails despite their considerable utility in the assignment of the spectra of the smaller phenanthro[b]thiophenes. The failure of these techniques in the case of phenanthro[4,3-a]dibenzothiophene is predominantly due to the inability of the COSY spectrum to provide the means of subgrouping the proton resonances into their component spin subsystems. Two-dimensional relayed coherence transfer nmr experiments which first established coherence between vicinally coupled protons which is then transferred to the carbon spins which are ultimately observed circumvent these problems. The application of two-dimensional relayed coherence transfer to phenanthro[4,3-a]dibenzothiophene is described, the technique leading to the sub-grouping of all five of the proton spin subsystems and thus providing a means of beginning the total assignment.
Masking mediated print defect visibility predictor

Banding is a well-known artifact produced by printing systems. It usually appears as lines perpendicular to the process direction of the print. Therefore, banding is an important print quality issue which has been analyzed and assessed by many researchers. However, little literature has focused on the study of the masking effect of content for this kind of print quality issue. Compared with other image and print quality research, our work is focused on the print quality of typical documents printed on a digital commercial printing press. In this paper, we propose a Masking Mediated Print Defect Visibility Predictor (MMPDVP) to predict the visibility of defects in the presence of customer content. The parameters of the algorithm are trained from ground-truth images that have been marked by subjects. The MMPDVP could help the press operator decide whether the print quality is acceptable for specific customer requirements. Ultimately, this model can be used to optimize the print-shop workflow.
Avoiding Dangerous Missense: Thermophiles Display Especially Low Mutation Rates

Rates of spontaneous mutation have been estimated under optimal growth conditions for a variety of DNA-based microbes, including viruses, bacteria, and eukaryotes. When expressed as genomic mutation rates, most of the values were in the vicinity of 0.003–0.004 with a range of less than two-fold. Because the genome sizes varied by roughly 104-fold, the mutation rates per average base pair varied inversely by a similar factor. Even though the commonality of the observed genomic rates remains unexplained, it implies that mutation rates in unstressed microbes reach values that can be finely tuned by evolution. An insight originating in the 1920s and maturing in the 1960s proposed that the genomic mutation rate would reflect a balance between the deleterious effect of the average mutation and the cost of further reducing the mutation rate. If this view is correct, then increasing the deleterious impact of the average mutation should be countered by reducing the genomic mutation rate. It is a common observation that many neutral or nearly neutral mutations become strongly deleterious at higher temperatures, in which case they are called temperature-sensitive mutations. Recently, the kinds and rates of spontaneous mutations were described for two microbial thermophiles, a bacterium and an archaeon. Using an updated method to extrapolate from mutation-reporter genes to whole genomes reveals that the rate of base substitutions is substantially lower in these two thermophiles than in mesophiles. This result provides the first experimental support for the concept of an evolved balance between the total genomic impact of mutations and the cost of further reducing the basal mutation rate.
INDUCED INNOVATION, EVOLUTIONARY THEORY AND PATH DEPENDENCE: SOURCES OF TECHNICAL CHANGE*

The I960s to the I98os were very productive of new theory and empirical insights into the sources of technical change. In the I96os and I970S major attention focused on the implications of changes in demand and relative factor prices on the rate and direction of technical change. In the late I 970S and early I980s attention shifted to evolutionary models inspired by a revival of interest in Schumpeter's insights into the process of economic development. Since the early I98os these have been complemented by the development of historically grounded 'path dependent' models of technical change. Each of these models has contributed substantial insight into the sources of technical change. This paper was motivated by a perception that each of the three research agendas is approaching a dead end.' The three models induced, evolutionary, and path dependent represent elements of a more general theory that has not yet been invented (Ruttan, 1996 a). In a closing comment I suggest some steps toward the development of a more general theory of the sources of technical change.
Afferent diversity and the organization of central vestibular pathways

This review considers whether the vestibular system includes separate populations of sensory axons innervating individual organs and giving rise to distinct central pathways. There is a variability in the discharge properties of afferents supplying each organ. Discharge regularity provides a marker for this diversity since fibers which differ in this way also differ in many other properties. Postspike recovery of excitability determines the discharge regularity of an afferent and its sensitivity to depolarizing inputs. Sensitivity is small in regularly discharging afferents and large in irregularly discharging afferents. The enhanced sensitivity of irregular fibers explains their larger responses to sensory inputs, to efferent activation, and to externally applied galvanic currents, but not their distinctive response dynamics. Morphophysiological studies show that regular and irregular afferents innervate overlapping regions of the vestibular nuclei. Intracellular recordings of EPSPs reveal that some secondary vestibular neurons receive a restricted input from regular or irregular afferents, but that most such neurons receive a mixed input from both kinds of afferents. Anodal currents delivered to the labyrinth can result in a selective and reversible silencing of irregular afferents. Such a functional ablation can provide estimates of the relative contributions of regular and irregular inputs to a central neuron’s discharge. From such estimates it is concluded that secondary neurons need not resemble their afferent inputs in discharge regularity or response dynamics. Several suggestions are made as to the potentially distinctive contributions made by regular and irregular afferents: (1) Reflecting their response dynamics, regular and irregular afferents could compensate for differences in the dynamic loads of various reflexes or of individual reflexes in different parts of their frequency range; (2) The gating of irregular inputs to secondary VOR neurons could modify the operation of reflexes under varying behavioral circumstances; (3) Two-dimensional sensitivity can arise from the convergence onto secondary neurons of otolith inputs differing in their directional properties and response dynamics; (4) Calyx afferents have relatively low gains when compared with irregular dimorphic afferents. This could serve to expand the stimulus range over which the response of calyx afferents remains linear, while at the same time preserving the other features peculiar to irregular afferents. Among those features are phasic response dynamics and large responses to efferent activation; (5) Because of the convergence of several afferents onto each secondary neuron, information transmission to the latter depends on the gain of individual afferents, but not on their discharge regularity.
FMR1 protein: conserved RNP family domains and selective RNA binding

Fragile X syndrome is the result of transcriptional suppression of the gene FMR1 as a result of a trinucleotide repeat expansion mutation. The normal function of the FMR1 protein (FMRP) and the mechanism by which its absence leads to mental retardation are unknown. Ribonucleoprotein particle (RNP) domains were identified within FMRP, and RNA was shown to bind in stoichiometric ratios, which suggests that there are two RNA binding sites per FMRP molecule. FMRP was able to bind to its own message with high affinity (dissociation constant = 5.7 nM) and interacted with approximately 4 percent of human fetal brain messages. The absence of the normal interaction of FMRP with a subset of RNA molecules might result in the pleiotropic phenotype associated with fragile X syndrome.
The effect of resident participation on short-term outcomes after orthopaedic surgery.

Background The influence of resident involvement on short-term outcomes after orthopaedic surgery is mostly unknown.
The effects of postweaning rearing conditions on the response to stressful tasks in the rat

The effects of individual- and group-housing conditions were examined in three experiments. In Experiment 1, individually housed rats were more susceptible to sudden death by drowning than were group-housed rats, and daily handling increased this susceptibility. In Experiment 2, the test was one typically used in “learned helplessness” experiments, escape from shock. Individually housed animals took longer to escape from shock than did animals housed in groups. In Experiment 3, individually housed and group-housed rats were handled and given either no further treatment or electroconvulsive shock (ECS) or a change in housing conditions before being tested for escape from shock. Animals individually housed throughout were slower to escape shock than were each of the other five groups. These findings suggest that there are both behavioral and physiological similarities between the operations of individual housing and exposure to inescapable shock. Explanations in terms of learned helplessness and noradrenergic depletion are discussed.
Derrida's Responsibility

Mesurant la contribution de Levinas et Heidegger a la definition de la notion de responsabilite chez Derrida, l'A. etudie les implications de la pensee derridienne de la responsabilite du point de vue de la problematique historique de la deconstruction, d'une part, et du point de vue de la problematique politique de la justice, d'autre part. Soulevant la question de l'origine et de la differance, l'A. analyse le rapport asymetrique entre l'injonction et l'obligation ethique de faire face a autrui
Female gametophyte and early seed development in Peperomia (Piperaceae)

The evolution of female gametophyte development provides an example of how minor ontogenetic modifications can impact the functional biology of seeds. Mature Peperomia-type female gametophytes are normally depicted as 16-nucleate, nine-celled structures. However, recent ultrastructural data have demonstrated that many previous reports were incorrect, suggesting that our understanding of the Peperomia-type ontogeny is incomplete. In this investigation, female gametophyte and early seed development is described in Peperomia dolabriformis, P. jamesoniana, and P. hispidula. Nuclear positioning, nuclear division, and vacuole morphology are documented during the syncytial stages of development, and two mature female gametophyte cellular configurations are described. Endosperm ploidy is measured in each species using microspectrofluorometry. We conclude that a 10-celled construction is likely the most common cellular configuration in Peperomia and that a three-celled female gametophyte exists in P. hispidula. We also describe how developmental modifications of wall formation could produce the diverse cellular configurations observed throughout Peperomia. Interestingly, the onset of female gametophyte diversification within Piperales correlates with the origin of the perisperm in the common ancestor of Piperaceae + Saururaceae. We posit that the origin of the perisperm may have relaxed selection on endosperm genetic constructs, thereby promoting diversification of female gametophyte ontogeny.
Development and economic evaluation of spatial sampling plans for corn rootworm Diabrotica spp. (Col., Chrysomelidae) adults

Abstract To develop spatial sampling plans for corn rootworm (Diabrotica spp.) adults, their spatial distributions were characterized and economics of sampling plans were evaluated by comparing sampling costs between spatial and conventional (non-spatial) sampling plans. Semivariogram modelling and spatial by with distance indices showed that corn rootworm adults were significantly (P < 0.05) aggregated at peak population densities and any two samples were spatially correlated within approximately 45 m, with 39–90% of the variability explained by spatial dependence. Sampling costs for spatial sampling plans linearly increased as the sampling distance decreased and exponentially increased as the field size increased. Although sampling costs for non-spatial sampling plans were generally lower, spatial sampling plans could be more economical when the mean insect density became lower and the field size became smaller. This study demonstrated that spatial sampling plans could be optimized to minimize the sampling costs and maximize the spatial resolution.
Reversal of charge of lyophobic colloids by hydrolyzed metal ions. I. Aluminum nitrate

Abstract Depending upon its concentration and the pH of the medium, aluminum nitrate may either coagulate or stabilize a lyophobic colloid consisting of negatively charged particles. The stabilization is caused by reversal of charge due to adsorption of positive ions on the colloidal particle and takes place only if a sufficient amount of hydrolyzed species are present in solution. In this paper, the entire [Al(NO 3 ) 3 ]-pH domain of stabilization due to such reversal of charge has been determined for silver bromide and silver iodide sols. No differences were observed between aged sols and sols in statu nascendi . The ligand composition of the hydrolyzed aluminum species can be determined from these data and agrees with the formulation Al 3 (OH) 20 4+ determined earlier. Upon aging solutions of AI(NO 3 ) 3 by heating at 90°C. for 24 hours, hydrolyzed Al species are formed which remain stable even at low pH. Accordingly, there is a considerable shift of the stability limit towards lower pH's for solutions treated in this manner.
Learning from the New Deal

This paper argues that the direct job-creation strategy adopted by the New Deal administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt in programs like the WPA (the “New Deal strategy”) is best understood as an effort to secure what the New Dealers came to regard as a human rights entitlement—the right to work—rather than as an economic policy designed to promote the economy’s recovery from the Great Depression. The paper goes on to argue, though, that in fashioning a policy to secure the right to work, the New Dealers unknowingly developed a strategy for delivering a Keynesian fiscal stimulus that is markedly superior to other anti-recession strategies. Unfortunately, neither the New Dealers themselves nor the generation of progressive policy makers that followed them understood the multiple strengths of the New Deal strategy. Consequently, the strategy was permitted to languish, and its potential contribution to public policy in the post World War II era was lost. In an effort to rekindle interest in the New Deal strategy, the paper concludes by pointing out how much more effective the New Deal strategy would have been in combating the so-called Great Recession than the more conventional spending and tax-cut policies the Federal Government actually has deployed. For a fraction of the sum the Federal Government has allocated to stimulate the American economy since the fall of 2008, the New Deal strategy could have immediately reduced the nation’s unemployment rate to pre-recession levels while simultaneously promoting a more rapid recovery in private-sector hiring.
The logomotor behavior of the nurse shark,ginglymostoma cirratum; a time series analysis

In an approach to quantify the locomotor response to environmental stimuli in fishes and its central control mechanisms, initially stochastic models of spontaneous locomotor behavior are being formulated. In the present paper, the locomotor patterns of three active nurse shark,Ginglymostoma cirratum, in six experiments are converted into 17 locomotor variables (e.g., frequency, direction and magnitude of turns, velocity, etc.) and found to have definite time series structure. Sixty-seven of the 102 first order serial correlation coefficients are statistically significant, the incidence rate of which differs between experiments and between locomotor variables. The percent residual variation about an autoregressive equation is transformed by a Fisher's z statistic and the means are found to differ significantly among experiments and among variables. The experiment by variable interaction is very low implying a consistency in the ranks of the variables despite the wide differences in their absolute levels over the experiments. This suggests the existence of a relatively rigid albeit occasionally latent locomotor control mechanism in the central nervous system.
Distribution of substance P-like immunoreactivity in the enteric neurons of the large colon of normal and amitraz-treated ponies: an immunocytochemical study.

Summary The distribution of the putative motor excitatory neurotransmitter, substance P, was studied immunocytochemically in the left dorsal colon of four normal control ponies and three ponies with amitraz-induced impaction colic. Substance P-like immunoreactivity in the control ponies was observed in nerve fibres in all layers of the bowel wall and in the nerve cell bodies of the enteric ganglia. The substance P-like immunoreactivity was clearly more intense in the cell bodies of submucosal ganglia than in those of the myenteric ganglia. The internodal nerve strands of the myenteric plexus were very rich in substance P-like immunoreactivity and within the ganglia they formed dense varicose networks around the neuronal cell bodies. Nerve bundles rich in substance P-like immunoreactivity diverged inward from the myenteric plexus to contribute an abundance of varicose immunoreactive fibres to the circular muscle of the tunica muscularis. Nerve fascicles with substance P-like immunoreactivity were sparse in the longitudinal muscle except in the thickened taenial band. In the submucosa many of the nerve fibres with substance P-like immunoreactivity appeared to arise from ganglionic cell bodies. Immunoreactive fibres commonly condensed around arterial vessels in the submucosa. Fine immunoreactive nerve fascicles from the submucosal plexus also projected internally to supply the muscularis mucosae and form periglandular arrays in the lamina propria. The distribution of substance P-like immunoreactivity in the normal equine colon differed in some respects from patterns observed in large intestines of other mammals. When the colons of normal and amitraztreated ponies were compared no differences were discerned in the distribution or intensity of substance P-like reactivity.
Interfacial creep in multi-component material systems

Large shear stresses may develop at interfaces between dissimilar materials during thermo-mechanical excursions when there is a significant difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion between them. Most typically, these shear stresses are confined to the extremities of one of the components, such as fiber ends in a composite or the edges of a thin film on a substrate. However, when the dimensions of the components are small, these shear stresses may prevail over a large area fraction of the total interface. Under appropriate thermal-mechanical conditions, the interface may slide via diffusional processes, thereby accommodating relative dimensional changes between the phases. This article presents experiments to determine the kinetics and mechanism of interfacial creep, along with evidence of this phenomenon in metal-matrix composites, thin films on substrates, and interconnect structures in microelectronic devices.
The role of regression and range effects in determination of the power function for electric shock

A scale for the apparent intensity of electric shock applied to the forearm was derived from cross-modality matching functions relating noise level, number, and force of handgrip to both line length and shock. For each response mode, the effects of psychophysical regression were estimated from the line judgments and used to make adjustments in the corresponding shock judgments. For shocks ranging from (1.0 to 5.5 mA, combined estimates of subjective magnitude were found to grow as the 2.26 power of the stimulating current.
Telephone Group Work: Challenges for Practice

ABSTRACT The telephone conference call group is growing in popularity. The convenience, the anonymity, and the increased accessibility offered by this type of group enlarges the scope of group work practice. Along with its advantages, the telephone conference call group can present the worker and the members with challenges not encountered in a face-to-face situation. This paper looks at a telephone conference call group with four homebound elderly women and discusses five areas of difficulty identified during that experience. Illustrations depicting these difficulties are provided. Anticipating and preparing for the challenges can help the social worker to maximize the benefits of a telephone conference call group and to facilitate a rewarding experience for all of the participants.
An Orthosteric Inhibitor of the Ras-Sos Interaction

Mimics of α-helices on protein surfaces have emerged as powerful reagents for antagonizing protein-protein interactions, which are difficult to target with small molecules. Here we describe the design of a cell-permeable synthetic α-helix, based on the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Sos, that interferes with Ras-Sos interaction and downregulates Ras signaling in response to receptor tyrosine kinase activation.
Boundary Layers and KPP Fronts in a Cellular Flow

We study an eigenvalue problem associated with a reaction-diffusion-advection equation of the KPP type in a cellular flow. We obtain upper and lower bounds on the eigenvalues in the regime of a large flow amplitude A ≪ 1. It follows that the minimal pulsating traveling front speed c*(A) satisfies the upper and lower bounds C1A1/4≦ c*(A)≦ C2A1/4. Physically, the speed enhancement is related to the boundary layer structure of the associated eigenfunction – accordingly, we establish an “averaging along the streamlines” principle for the unique positive eigenfunction.
Early physician experience with laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy and rates of surgical complications and conversion to laparotomy

Objective: Our purpose was to determine whether the rates of conversion to laparotomy and surgical complication rate decrease with increasing physician experience with laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomies (LAVH) in a large population-based administrative database. Study Design: We queried the North Carolina Medical Commission Database for all LAVHs performed in the state from January 1, 1988, through September 30, 1994. Conversion to laparotomy and the surgical complication rate were analyzed by use of logistic regression controlling for patient age, socioeconomic level, academic setting, and indication for surgery. Physician experience was assessed by sequentially assigning case numbers for each LAVH by attending physician. A surgical complication was defined as any International Classification of Disease, 9th Revision, code for intraoperative organ injury, excessive blood loss, blood transfusion, or wound infection. Results: Six hundred two attending physicians performed 3,728 LAVHs during the observation period. The median number of LAVHs performed by each attending physician was 2, range 1-107, mean 6.2 ± 10.1. The mean age of the patients was 39.4 ± 9.2 years. The mean number of days hospitalized was 2.8 ± 1.6. A concurrent bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed in 46.4% of the LAVHs. Only 1% were performed for malignancy. There was one reported death. A total of 10.3% of the patients were from a low socioeconomic level. Nine percent were performed at an academic center. Overall, there was a 21.5% rate of conversion to laparotomy and a 12.1% surgical complication rate. The rate of conversion to laparotomy significantly decreased with increasing physician experience (P <.0001) and retained its significance even after patient age, socioeconomic level, indication for surgery, academic setting, and surgical complication were controlled. However, no decrease in the surgical complication rate was observed with increasing physician experience. Conclusion: As the number of LAVHs performed by an individual physician increases, the rate of conversion to laparotomy decreases. However, no significant increase or decrease in the complication rate was observed with increasing operator experience. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;187:1008-12.)
Ferriprotoporphyrin IX binding substances and the mode of action of chloroquine against malaria.

Abstract Bovine serum albumin and preparations of cell sap from malaria parasites and normal erythrocytes were tested for ability to protect cellular membranes against the toxicity of ferriprotoporphyrin IX (FP) and a chloroquine-FP complex. Suspensions of Plasmodium berghei (approximately 7 × 106 parasites per ml, isolated from saponin-lysed, infected erythrocytes) were used as a test system. Toxicity was monitored by measuring changes in turbidity of these suspensions at 700 nm. Parasite cell sap (0.56 mg protein per ml) and albumin (1 mg per ml) completely prevented the toxicity of 40 μM FP. Erythrocyte cell sap (8.6 mg of hemoglobin per ml) provided only partial protection from 40 μM FP. Neither the cell sap preparations nor albumin eliminated the toxicity of a chloroquine-FP complex formed from 20 μM chloroquine and 40 μM FP. These observations suggest that the cell sap preparations contain FP binding substances and that the mode of action of chloroquine may be to shunt FP away from a nontoxic complex with these substances and into a toxic chloroquine-FP complex.
Types of elderly residential mobility and their determinants.

Using data from the 1983 US Annual Housing Survey the authors identified 4 reasons for moving which corresponded to changes in later life and which were much more frequently mentioned by movers aged 55 and over than by younger movers. These included moves made for reasons of 1) amenity 2) kinship 3) retirement or 4) widowhood. The rates at which elderly persons engaged in these different types of mobility varied with age household composition and other characteristics. Amenity an retirement moves most often ended in destinations in the South and the West whereas kinship and widowhood moves occurred in all regions but were more common among those moving to nonmetropolitan than metropolitan areas. (authors)
Early experience in interfacing PACS to RIS

Picture Archiving and Communications Systems are sophisticated computer systems designed to store and display medical images. It has been suggested that these systems may be more cost effective than film in practicing radiology because of better access to images by multiple users, better integration of information from multiple studies, and more rapid delivery of diagnostic reports to clinical physicians. Development of these systems is in its early stages and questions have arisen as to what functions an image management system should have and how it should interact with stand alone radiology information systems (RIS) and hospital information systems (HIS). Over the past decade, computer systems have undergone gradual reorganization from highly centralized hospital (or medical center) information systems toward decentralized departmental systems. The former systems often provided global functions but did not have the flexibility to meet the needs of individual departments. Some individual departmental systems were developed to meet specific requirements, but they were often unable to communicate with other systems within a medical center. Today many RIS's have the ability to provide departmental management tools, as well as to communicate with external systems. In order to achieve a filmless environment, PACS and HIS must be integrated with RIS systems to provide the level of information currently available. An additional goal of these systems is to automate operations and reduce the workload for technologists, admission personnel, file room staff, and radiologists.
Clinical recognition of stress-related bone injury in racehorses

Abstract Stress-related bone injury (SRBI) is an important cause of lameness in racehorses, most often occurs in the absence of a specific traumatic event, and is the result of preexisting pathology from maladaptive bone disease. Under extreme or repetitive stress, the normal continuum of bone remodeling is altered and one result is the development of stress fractures. If unrecognized, continued trauma to already fatigued bone may lead to catastrophic failure. Despite the obvious need for early diagnosis, clinical recognition is often difficult because physical examination findings are inconsistent or in some horses nonexistent. In addition to complete physical and lameness examinations diagnostic modalities are often required for the correct diagnosis. Nuclear scintigraphic examination is the most sensitive modality for the detection of SRBI and is often the foundation for diagnosis and radiographs are used to confirm the presence of SRBI, stress fractures, or subtle evidence of osteoarthritis. Ultrasonographic examination is useful for diagnosis of pelvic stress fractures and for evaluation of SRBI at the origin of the suspensory ligament. Breed-specific SRBI occurs depending on the type of racing.
On the use of shift as an independent variable in absenteeism research

This research tests longitudinal data from a two-year period for differences in absenteeism rates for different shifts. The data support the importance of analysing temporal trends for the dependent variable of absenteeism. They also support interactions between shift and temporal trends even though no main effect differences were found between shifts. Qualifications of the meaning of shift as an independent variable must be made in future absenteeism research.
Keratin 15 Promoter Targets Putative Epithelial Stem Cells in the Hair Follicle Bulge

Putative epithelial stem cells in the hair follicle bulge are thought to play pivotal roles in the homeostasis, aging, and carcinogenesis of the cutaneous epithelium. Elucidating the role of bulge cells in these processes has been hampered by the lack of gene promoters that target this area with specificity. Here we describe the isolation of the mouse keratin 15 (K15) promoter and demonstrate its utility for preferentially targeting hair follicle bulge cells in adult K15/lacZ transgenic mice. We found that patterns of K15 expression and promoter activity changed with age and correlated with levels of differentiation within the cutaneous epithelium; less differentiated keratinocytes in the epidermis of the neonatal mouse and in the bulge area of the adult mouse preferentially expressed K15. These findings demonstrate the utility of the K15 promoter for targeting epithelial stem cells in the hair follicle bulge and set the stage for elucidating the role of bulge cells in skin biology.
Water and other volatile systematics of olivine-hosted melt inclusions from the Yellowstone hotspot track

Major oxide, trace element and volatile (H2O, CO2, S, F, and Cl) compositions have been analyzed for olivine-hosted melt inclusions in eight basalt samples from Yellowstone National Park and the Snake River Plain (SRP) to identify the least differentiated melt compositions and assess the volatile budget of the Yellowstone hotspot. Melt-inclusion chemistry was evaluated to understand potential overprinting effects in the shallow mantle and crust of magmas derived from deeper levels. Maximum water concentrations of 3.3 wt% and CO2 up to 1,677 ppm have been observed in olivine-hosted melt inclusions from the Gerritt Basalts at Mesa Falls, Idaho (SRP region), which is significantly higher than the maximum concentrations measured in lavas from other hotspots such as Hawaii (~0.8–0.9 wt%). Maximum water concentrations were generally observed in the least differentiated melt inclusions in terms of incompatible major oxide concentrations, indicating that high water concentrations are characteristic of the mantle or perhaps lower crust rather than resulting from differentiation enhancement within the shallow crust, even taking into account the fact that water behaves as an incompatible element during crystal fractionation. Enrichment in Ba coupled with depletion in Th in many of the melt inclusions and their host rocks is a characteristic of many arc lavas and may indicate that volatiles in Yellowstone-Snake River Plain basalts could have a subduction zone origin.