cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CILIARY BODY DEGENERATION IN THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS DYSTROPHIC RAT

We have studied the pathological changes of the ciliary body in Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats with an inherited retinal degeneration. Morphometric analyses were performed on sectioned ciliary bodies by a computerized morphometry system. Age-matched non-pigmented Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used as the control animals. The ciliary body of 26-day-old RCS dystrophic rats showed normal structure. However, the length and height of the pars plicata of the ciliary body became shorter and the area became smaller with increased age. Significant decreases in the values of these three parameters were observed between 26-day-old and 3-month-old RCS dystrophic rats. These parameters also showed significant differences when values of 3-month-old RCS dystrophic rats were compared to those of 3-month-old control SD rats. The same trends were observed in the ciliary body measurements in RCS dystrophic rats up to 1 year of age. Scanning electron microscopic examination demonstrated the progressive thinning of the pars plicata of the ciliary body with age in the RCS dystrophic rats. The total volume of the ciliary process of 6-month-old RCS dystrophic rats appeared to be one-half that of 26-day-old RCS dystrophic rats. Transmission electron microscopy revealed progressive cellular degenerative changes in the non-pigmented and pigmented ciliary epithelium of the RCS dystrophic rats. It was apparent that the pigmented ciliary epithelium had more severe degenerative changes than the non-pigmented ciliary epithelium. Immunostaining for Na+ + K+ ATPase of the ciliary epithelium was found to be less in the RCS dystrophic rats than in age-matched controls. This result suggests a possible dysfunction of ion transport in the ciliary body of the RCS dystrophic rats, which may account for their increased incidence of cataract formation. Although the mechanisms for the ciliary body degeneration in RCS dystrophic rats remain speculative, these findings add a new area of interest in this model of inherited retinal dystrophy.
Qubit coherence control in a nuclear spin bath

Coherent dynamics of localized spins in semiconductors is limited by spectral diffusion arising from dipolar fluctuation of lattice nuclear spins. Here we extend the semiclassical theory of spectral diffusion for nuclear spins $I=1∕2$ to the high nuclear spins relevant to the III-V materials and show that applying successive qubit $\ensuremath{\pi}$ rotations at a rate approximately proportional to the nuclear spin quantum number squared $({I}^{2})$ provides an efficient method for coherence enhancement. Hence robust coherent manipulation in the large spin environments characteristic of the III-V compounds is possible without resorting to nuclear spin polarization, provided that the $\ensuremath{\pi}$ pulses can be generated at intervals scaling as ${I}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$.
EMS@CNR: An Energy monitoring sensor network infrastructure for in-building location-based services

The increasing demand for building services and comfort levels, together with the rise in time spent inside buildings, assure an upward trend in energy demand for the future. In this paper we present a long term energy monitoring system called EMS@CNR that is able to measure the energy consumed by end users in office environments. The system has been tested monitoring the power consumption of a testbed room of the CNR research area in Pisa. The proposed infrastructure stands as an enabling technology for future in-building location-based services. As preliminary results we showed the potentiality of EMS@CNR in long term monitoring of the user working behaviors.
Influence of physical and chemical environments on the decay rates of 7Be and 40K

We measured the electron-capture decay rate of 7Be implanted into hosts of graphite, boron nitride, tantalum, and gold. We have found that this decay rate varies by as much as 0.38% from one host to another. We also measured the electron-capture decay rate of 40K in four different chemical compounds and as both a solid and dissolved in solution. To within our measurement precision of ±1%, we have found no influence of the environment on the 40K decay rate. The implications of these results for the solar neutrino problem and for potassium/argon dating are discussed.
D1 and D2 receptor regulation of preproenkephalin and preprodynorphin mRNA in rat striatum following acute injection of amphetamine or methamphetamine.

Our previous work has demonstrated a dose-dependent induction of striatal preprodynorphin (PPD) in response to a single injection of the psychostimulants amphetamine (AMPH) or methamphetamine (METH). In the present study, dose-response effects of acute administration of these stimulants on preproenkephalin (PPE) mRNA expression in the rat striatum were investigated with quantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry 3 h after injection. Acute AMPH or METH at equimolar doses (3.75, 7.5, 15, and 30 mumol/kg) significantly increased PPE mRNA expression in dorsal (caudoputamen), but not ventral (nucleus accumbens), striatum in a dose-dependent fashion. In addition, the role of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in mediating AMPH- and METH-stimulated PPE and PPD expression was also evaluated by using subtype-specific antagonists. Pretreatment of rats with SCH 23390 (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.), a selective D1 receptor antagonist, completely blocked acute AMPH (21 mumol/kg, i.p.)- or METH (21 mumol/kg, i.p.)-induced PPE as well as PPD mRNA expression in the caudoputamen. Pretreatment with eticlopride (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.), a selective D2 receptor antagonist, also blocked PPD induction by the two stimulants, but PPE induction was unaffected. Furthermore, SCH 23390 decreased, and eticlopride elevated, constitutive PPE mRNA levels in the caudoputamen. Neither antagonist had a significant effect on the basal level of PPE or PPD mRNA in the nucleus accumbens. These results demonstrate a clear dose-related responsiveness of PPE gene expression in striatal neurons in response to acute administration of amphetamines, although the intensity of the response is far less than that for striatal PPD. Furthermore, both D1 and D2 subtypes of dopamine receptors mediate AMPH- and METH-stimulated striatal PPD mRNA expression, whereas D1 receptor activation alone mediates amphetamine-stimulated PPE mRNA expression in the rat striatum.
Eremantholides and a guaianolide from Lychnophora rupestris

Abstract The investigation of the aerial parts of Lychnophora rupestris afforded, in addition to known sesquiterpene lactones and triterpenes, a new guaianolide closely related to eremanthin and a new eremantholide. Structures were determined by spectrometric methods.
Precision Lifetime Measurements on Positive and Negative Muons

An experiment to measure and compare the free decay rates of positive and negative muons is described. Muons from the Nevis synchrocyclotron were stopped in a liquid-hydrogen target containing less than 1 ppm ${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$ and less than 1 part in ${10}^{9}$ of other impurities. In this situation, the rate of ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ capture in ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ was the only significant correction to the free decay rate of ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and was measured in a separate experiment. The lifetimes were monitored by measuring the time intervals between muon stops and decay electrons using a transistorized digitron of 30-nsec channel width. Electronic circuitry of the "interference remover" type was employed to eliminate time-dependent background. ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{+}$ lifetimes were measured with the same apparatus and under essentially the same conditions of rate and geometry. The ratio of the lifetimes is expected to be particularly insensitive to any systematic errors. We have obtained: ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}}=2.198\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.002$ \ensuremath{\mu}sec (hydrogen correction made), ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{+}}=2.197\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.002$ \ensuremath{\mu}sec, $R=\frac{{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}}}{{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{+}}}=1.000\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.001$.
DO CULTURED FIBROBLASTS |[lpar]|CFB|[rpar]| FROM YOUNGSTERS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS |[lpar]|DM|[rpar]| DEMONSTRATE PRECOCIOUS AGING |[lpar]|PA|[rpar]||[quest]|

The donor's inherent program of biologic aging is performed in vitro by CFB. Goldstein et al. demonstrated PA of CFB from persons thought to have genetic prediabetes, as decreased numbers of cells able to establish colonies at low density inoculation (plating efficiency). We studied CFB from 10 controls (N) age 10-52 with normal OGTT and no known family history of diabetes and from 4 pts. age 12-20 with duration of insulin dependent DM of 2 wks, 4, 6 and 12 yrs. Two had the syndrome of joint contracture, tough skin and growth failure. In N, days-to-confluency correlated significantly with donor age at 20, 30 and 40 in vitro generations (G) and cell density at confluence was donor-age correlated at 30 and 40 G (r=.81,.71). Plating efficiency was significantly age correlated only at 30 G (r=.84 p<.001) but not when performed at 20 (r=.49) or 40 G (r=.35). Compared to 5 N 10-20 yrs old, DM had normal time to confluency and confluent cell density at 20, 30 and 40 G. Plating efficiency did not differ between N (10.2%±.8/20G, 9.5±.2/30G, 6.2 ± .7/40G) and DM (11±.6, 9.8±.4, 6.5±.5). Failure to demonstrate in vitro PA despite inclusion of subjects with in vivo growth failure indicates either more subtle genetic factors in the expression of long-term complications of DM or that genetic factors play a relatively minor role compared to the non-insulin dependent population previously studied by Goldstein et al.
Phasor-based single-molecule fluorescence lifetime imaging using a wide-field photon-counting detector

Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) is a powerful approach to studying the immediate environment of molecules. For example, it is used in biology to study changes in the chemical environment, or to study binding processes, aggregation, and conformational changes by measuring Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between donor and acceptor fluorophores. FLIM can be acquired by time-domain measurements (time-correlated single-photon counting) or frequency-domain measurements (with PMT modulation or digital frequency domain acquisition) in a confocal setup, or with wide-field systems (using time-gated cameras). In the best cases, the resulting data is analyzed in terms of multicomponent fluorescence lifetime decays with demanding requirements in terms of signal level (and therefore limited frame rate). Recently, the phasor approach has been proposed as a powerful alternative for fluorescence lifetime analysis of FLIM, ensemble, and single-molecule experiments. Here we discuss the advantages of combining phasor analysis with a new type of FLIM acquisition hardware presented previously, consisting of a high temporal and spatial resolution wide-field single-photon counting device (the H33D detector). Experimental data with live cells and quantum dots will be presented as an illustration of this new approach.
The Matrix Transform Processor

A matrix transform processor (MTP) for an Evans and Sutherland LDS-2 graphics system has been designed and built at the University of North Carolina. The MTP performs all the important functions of a matrix multiplier, clipper, and perspective divider. Because of fast division logic in the MTP, the clipping and perspective division algorithms are straightforward and the machine is quite simple. One processor handles all the functions; it is not necessary to pipeline the processes. The worst-case line processing time is about 10 μs.
Energy resolution studies of liquid argon ionization detectors

Abstract A gridded ionization chamber was used to study the energy resolution in liquid argon with electrons from a 207Bi radioactive source. Argon was purified in the gas phase with a simple and reliable system, capable of reducing the impurity level below 1 ppb O2 equivalent, as inferred by a pulse shape analysis of the ionization signals. The electron spectrum was measured at different drift fields, up to 10.9 kV/cm. At this maximum field, a total energy resolution of 32 keV (fwhm), corresponding to a noise-subtracted energy resolution of 26 keV (fwhm), was obtained for the 976 keV conversion electron line. This value is the best reported so far in liquid argon but is still a factor of seven worse than the theoretical limit set by the Fano factor. The reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.
Single-cell technologies for monitoring immune systems

The complex heterogeneity of cells, and their interconnectedness with each other, are major challenges to identifying clinically relevant measurements that reflect the state and capability of the immune system. Highly multiplexed, single-cell technologies may be critical for identifying correlates of disease or immunological interventions as well as for elucidating the underlying mechanisms of immunity. Here we review limitations of bulk measurements and explore advances in single-cell technologies that overcome these problems by expanding the depth and breadth of functional and phenotypic analysis in space and time. The geometric increases in complexity of data make formidable hurdles for exploring, analyzing and presenting results. We summarize recent approaches to making such computations tractable and discuss challenges for integrating heterogeneous data obtained using these single-cell technologies.
Effect of Light on Growth and Thiophene Accumulation in Transformed Roots of Tagetes patula

Summary Transformed root cultures of Tagetes patula accumulate three main thiophenes. They are bithienylbutinen, acetoxybutinylbithiophene, and hydroxybutinylbithiophene. Light had a profound effect on the growth and accumulation of these thiophenes in the transformed roots. When grown in the presence of light, acetoxybutinylbithiophene was the dominant thiophene accumulated in the roots, whereas in dark-grown cultures bithienylbutinen represented the dominant thiophene. The biomass yield was less in the presence of light. Thiophene accumulation increased during the first 16 days of growth and then fell until day 40.
Ab initio calculation of molecule-surface binding: methyl halides on GaAs(110) surfaces

Abstract Large scale ab initio cluster calculations are used to examine the binding of methyl halides to the (110) surface of GaAs. The results of the calculations are compared with recent experimental measurements of the binding energies. Three approaches to electron correlation are examined: density functional methods utilizing the generalized gradient approximations (specifically, the BLYP functional) or adiabatic connection formulas (B3LYP), and local MP2 methods which intrinsically eliminate basis set superposition errors. The BLYP calculations are found to underestimate the binding substantially; the B3LYP and LMP2 results are closer to experiment but are still underestimates. Structures optimized at the B3LYP level are in good agreement with experimental geometries. The results are encouraging with regard to the ability of suitable quantum chemical methods to accurately treat the dative bonding important for a reliable description of molecule-surface interactions.
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia—More Dogma Bites the Dust

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) has fascinated physicians and sociologists at least since 1865, when de Crecchio published his famous autopsy and social report of a person whose sex of rearing was ambivalent in early childhood and who lived as a man, died in an apparent Addisonian crisis, and was found to have hyperplastic adrenals, a uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries at autopsy (described in Ref. 1). The hormonal basis of CAH was elucidated in the 1950s, illustrating the transition of endocrinology from descriptive clinical phenomenology to a biochemically based understanding of physiology and disease (reviewed by Ref. 1). This era employed the available crude tools and analytical chemistry to separate, isolate, and characterize steroids from blood and urine. Until recently, much confusion pervaded the literature on adrenal steroidogenesis and its disorders because only a limited number of circulating steroids could be measured by immunoassays.With theadventof radiolabeled steroids in pure form, isotope-tracing technology provided a glimpse of steroid pathways and metabolic flux (2), but the array of steroid biosynthetic and degradative enzymes was unknown, and the substantial differences in steroidogenesis among different mammals were not appreciated. Cytochrome P450 was described in 1962, and the first activity ascribed to P450 enzymes was steroid 21-hydroxylation (3), but it took another decade before it became clear that there were many distinct P450 enzymes participating in steroidogenesis. The advent of molecular cloning technologies in the 1980s rapidly permitted the identification of thevarious steroidogenic genesand their encodedenzymes (4). Today, we have a very detailed understanding of the molecular biology, biochemistry, and physiology of human steroidogenesis and its disorders (5), yet the discovery of new diseases and pathways of steroidogenesis constantly forces us to revise our ideas and to scrap some long-standing dogma. Now, with parallel advances in mass spectrometrometric methods for comprehensive steroid analysis (6), we have come full circle, and steroid chemistry has regained center stage. In this issue of the JCEM, Kamrath et al. (7) show how advanced technologies applied to urinary steroid analysis—coupled with a broader understanding of the pathways of androgen synthesis—are revising how we conceptualize the origin of androgen excess in CAH. The methodologies employed in this work and the insight gained from the data provide new analytes (biomarkers) that should improve the diagnosis of CAH and the management of this complex disorder.
EMBER: a global perspective on extreme malicious behavior

Geographical displays are commonly used for visualizing wide-spread malicious behavior of Internet hosts. Placing dots on a world map or coloring regions by the magnitude of activity often results in cluttered maps that invariably emphasize population-dense metropolitan areas in developed countries where Internet connectivity is highest. To uncover atypical regions, it is necessary to normalize activity by the local computer population. This paper presents EMBER (Extreme Malicious Behavior viewER), an analysis and display of malicious activity at the city level. EMBER uses a metric called Standardized Incidence Rate (SIR) that is the number of hosts exhibiting malicious behavior per 100,000 available hosts. This metric relies on available data that (1) Maps IP addresses to geographic locations, (2) Provides current city populations, and (3) Provides computer usage penetration rates. Analysis of several months of suspicious source IP addresses from DShield identifies cities with extremely high and low malicious activity rates on a day-by-day basis. In general, cities in a few Eastern European countries have the highest SIRs whereas cities in Japan and South Korea have the lowest. Many of these results are consistent with news reports describing local cyber security policies. A simulation that models how malware spreads preferentially within cities to local IP addresses replicates the long-tailed distribution of city SIRs that was found in the data. This simulation result agrees with past analyses in suggesting that malware often preferentially spreads to local regions with already high levels of malicious activity.
Telemetry of human cerebral temperature.

Cerebral temperature can be monitored unobtrusively on free-ranging human subjects. We describe here a pulse-modulated radio frequency transmitter that is worn behind the ear and transmits information on temperature in the ear canal. The information can be decoded by a portable monitor or recorded for later analysis. Preliminary findings suggest the equipment can be used in a variety of studies.
John the Baptist, Isaiah 40, and the Ingathering of the Exiles

Many who argue that Jesus was a herald of Israel’s eschatological restoration have also suggested that he expected the ingathering of the exiles. Studies of John the Baptist have typically focused on his warnings of the coming judgment and his predictions of ‘the coming one’, thus leaving aside the possibility that John’s baptism and message also signaled the ingathering of the exiles. Further, scholars have largely ignored the import of Isa. 40 in the ministry of John, which was frequently read in the Second Temple period as a prophecy of the return of the exiles at the end of time. It is the contention of this article that Isa. 40 provides an interpretive framework for John’s activities, indicating that his baptism was not just a symbol of the coming judgment but also of Israel’s restoration.
Epidural anesthesia and the thermoregulatory responses to hyperthermia ‐ preliminary observations in volunteer subjects

Background Clinical reports associate the use of epidural anesthesia with an increase in core temperature in women in labor. We tested the hypothesis that epidural anesthesia alters thermoregulatory responses to hyperthermia in human volunteers. Methods Each of four volunteers were studied on two days: Control and Anesthesia. On the Control day, the subject was warmed via the skin, and the core (esophageal) temperature threshold for sweating (detected on the forehead) was determined. The subject was then cooled until sweating stopped. The subject was warmed again, and a second sweating threshold was determined. The difference between the first and second sweating thresholds was noted. On the Anesthesia day, two sequential sweating threshold measurements were obtained in a similar fashion; however, a mid-thoracic level of epidural anesthesia was established before the second sweating threshold measurement. The first and second sweating threshold differences were compared between the two study days. The presence or absence of sweating on the thigh was noted during all four warming periods. Results Average skin temperatures were similar (about 37 degrees C) during all four sweating threshold measurements. On the Control day, the second sweating threshold value was always slightly less than the first (average difference (mean+/-SD): -0.18+/-0.14 degrees C). In contrast, on the Anesthesia day, the second sweating threshold value (determined with an epidural block) was always greater than the first (average difference: +0.37+/-0.16 degrees C). Epidural anesthesia, therefore, increased the sweating threshold by 0.55+/-0.27 degrees C. Epidural anesthesia blocked sweating in the thigh in two of the subjects. Conclusions An epidural block alters the thermoregulatory responses to warming by increasing the threshold for thermoregulatory sweating and, in some cases, preventing leg sweating.
Physical activity and physique anxiety in older adults: Fitness, and efficacy influences

Employing a randomized controlled trial, this study documents the effects of six months of physical activity and six month follow-up on reduction in social physique anxiety (SPA) in older adults. In addition, the role played by changes in behavioral, physiological, and psychological predictors of changes in SPA were examined. Participants ( n = 174, mean age = 65 yrs) were randomly assigned to one of two activity groups and engaged in a six-month structured exercise program. Measures of physique anxiety were taken at baseline, six and twelve months. Latent growth curve analyses revealed significant reductions in SPA over the course of the 12-month period. Structural analyses controlling for treatment condition indicated that improvements in self-efficacy and fitness were significant predictors of changes in SPA but that changes in body fat and exercise frequency did not contribute to variation in SPA. Overall this model accounted for 19% of the variation in SPA changes. The extent to which changes in SPA ...
A Good Woman Is Hard to Find: Conversion and the Power of Feminine Desire in Bevis of Hampton

AbstractJosian, the Saracen princess who converts to Christianity for love of the hero in Bevis of Hampton, is simultaneously idealized and unsettling. Her conversion highlights the vital importance of feminine desire in validating and sustaining Christian chivalric masculinity, as well as the political systems buttressed by this masculine ideal. Drawing upon postcolonial theory, this article illuminates how Josian's conversion allows her to pursue her desires and enhance her personal power by assimilating a Christian identity. At the same time, Josian's alterity — her outsider status as a woman and as a former non-Christian — allows her to challenge the patriarchal regulation of the Christian community even as she ostensibly conforms to that community's ideals for feminine behavior. Ultimately, Josian's conflicted position as both admirable and threatening reveals fourteenth-century concerns about women's desire and the regulation of community.
Polarotaxis in Copepods, Iii. a Light Contrast Reaction in Diaptomus Shoshone Forbes

The ability to perceive linearly polarized light has been demonstrated behavior ally in numerous species of Crustacea (Waterman, 1966a). In general, one peak (90? or 0?), two peaks (90? and 0?) or four peaks (0?, 45?, 90? and 135?) will occur in the orientation of Crustacea to the plane of polarization (Waterman, 1966b). However, polarotactic responses can often be more complex. For example, the copepod Cyclops vernalis Fischer showed an endogenous rhythm in polarotaxis (Umminger, 1968a). In addition, the cladoceran Daphnia pulex (L.) changed from a four-peaked polarotaxis at low intensities of light or with less sharply directional light patterns to a single-peaked polarotaxis (90? to the plane of polarization) when a high intensity of unidirectional illumination was present. This latter response has been termed a light contrast reaction and has been reported only in Daphnia pulex by Jander & Waterman (I960). Using methods described previously (Umminger, 1968a), six specimens of the copepod Diaptomus shoshone Forbes were exposed to a vertical beam of linearly polarized light and their polarotactic behavior was observed. The copepods were placed in a shallow cylindrical cell, 26 mm deep and 108 mm in diameter, and the vertical outer walls of the cell were covered with either black or white con
The distribution of S IV and Ne II in NGC 7027

Results are reported for measurements of the S IV 10.5-micron and Ne II 12.8-micron IR emission lines at four positions in NGC 7027 and of the Ar III 9.0-micron line at one position in the same planetary nebula. Ionic abundances are calculated using the data obtained at one position and are combined with published optical data for other ionization states to obtain total elemental abundances. The S IV and Ne II line-intensity distributions are compared with an 8.1-GHz radio map of the nebula. The S IV distribution indicates a density of about 500,000 per cu cm, and the Ne II is found to be contained in low-ionization regions distributed inhomogeneously throughout the nebula. The total abundances relative to hydrogen are determined to be 0.000015 for S, 0.000053 for Ne, and 0.000007 for Ar; these abundances are shown to be within the range of published average values for planetary nebulae.
The electrical analog for determining temperature distribution in electrical components

SPACE and weight limitations in present-day aircraft necessitate miniaturization of air-borne electric equipment. Such miniaturization generally results in high heat dissipation per unit volume which may lead to local temperatures which exceed the material limitations, causing failure of the component. To avoid such failure, electrical engineers must examine the heat-transfer problem when designing compact electric apparatus. It is the purpose of this paper to present a method of heat-transfer analysis which is relatively simple and straightforward and which utilizes concepts and equipment familiar to electrical engineers. The proposed method is based on the fact that the differential equations describing the flow of heat are identical to those for the flow of electric current; consequently, an electrical analog of the heat-flow problem can be readily constructed and the electrical measurements of current and voltage can be directly translated to the equivalent thermal quantities, heat flow and temperature.
Wave Functions in a Periodic Potential

A new method for approximating the solutions of the problem of the motion of an electron in a periodic potential, as a crystal lattice, is suggested. The potential is supposed to be spherically symmetrical within spheres surrounding the atoms, constant outside. The wave function is expanded in spherical harmonics and radial solutions of the wave equation within the spheres, and in plane waves outside the spheres, joining continuously at the surface. A single unperturbed function consists of a single plane wave outside the spheres, together with the necessary spherical functions within the spheres. The matrix components of energy are set up between these unperturbed functions, and the secular equation set up. This equation involves the energy explicitly, and also implicitly through the ratio of the slope of the various radial functions to the functions themselves at the surfaces of the spheres, and must be solved numerically. It is hoped that the method will be useful for comparatively low energy excited electrons, for which the usual method of expansion in plane waves converges too slowly.
Algebraic cycles and infinite loop spaces

In this paper we use recent results about the topology of Chow varieties to answer an open question in infinite loop space theory. That is, we construct an infinite loop space structure on a certain product of Eilenberg-MacLane spaces so that the total Chern map is an infinite loop map. An analogous result for the total Stiefel-Whitney map is also proved. Further results on the structure of stabilized spaces of alebraic cycles are obtained and computational consequences are also outlined.
Twist and untwist mechanics of the left ventricle

The counterdirectional rotation of the left ventricle apex with respect to the base is referred to as left ventricular twist or torsion. This review provides a theoretic basis for understanding the physiologic sequence of left ventricular twist during a cardiac cycle. Variations in left ventricular twist encountered in different experimental and clinical situations are discussed.
Morale-Affecting Stressors An Analysis of Black, White, and Hispanic Elementary Schools

Teachers report stress from several sources related to the composition of the student body where they teach and together substantially impeding instruction.
Cigarette smoke-induced depression in LCAT activity.

Abstract The effect of acute inhalation of cigarette smoke on plasma cholesterol esterification by lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) in atherosclerosis-susceptible White Carneau pigeons was examined. Pigeons were assigned to four treatment groups: (1) Shelf Control fed a chow diet and not exposed to smoke products; (2) Sham pigeons fed a cholesterol-saturated fat diet and exposed to fresh air by the Lorillard smoking machine; (3) low nicotine-low carbon monoxide (LoLo) animals also fed the cholesterol diet and exposed to low concentrations of these cigarette smoke products; and (4) high nicotine-high carbon monoxide (HiHi) birds fed the cholesterol diet and subjected to high concentrations of these inhalants. Both Control and Sham birds had significantly higher LCAT activity (percentage esterification per minute) than HiHi pigeons. Experiments designed to determine whether altered enzyme and/or substrate were responsible for depressed activity revealed no smoke-related modification in substrate efficiency. In addition, Sham and HiHi pigeons had similar concentrations of plasma-free cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, cholesteryl ester and phospholipid, and similar HDL phospholipid and cholesteryl ester fatty acid profiles. However, reduced LCAT activity in HiHi pigeons can be explained by (1) impairment of enzyme efficiency as estimated by in vitro analysis; and (2) in vivo reduction in levels of LCAT cofactor, HDL apoprotein A-I.
Asthma and social anxiety in adolescents.

Objective To examine the relationship between self-reported social anxiety and asthma in a non-clinical sample of adolescents. Study design High school students (n = 765) completed the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A), the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C), and questions on asthma diagnosis, asthma symptoms, and asthma-related limitations and medical care. Relationships were examined between social anxiety symptoms and asthma, including history of diagnosis, diagnosis plus current symptoms, and severity. Results Compared with students without an asthma diagnosis and no symptoms, students with a diagnosis and current symptoms reported heightened social anxiety symptoms related to fear of negative evaluations and generalized discomfort in social settings as measured by the SAS-A. Additionally, a greater proportion of students with an asthma diagnosis and current symptoms were in the clinical range of social anxiety on the SAS-A. Differences on the SAS-A by history of asthma diagnosis and by severity were not supported. No differences were found on the SPAI-C for history of asthma diagnosis, diagnosis plus current symptoms or severity. Conclusions Students with current asthma symptoms were more likely to report social anxiety, perhaps related to concerns about exhibiting symptoms or taking medication in front of peers. These findings may suggest advantages for medical providers to identify and treat social anxiety in patients with asthma.
Pharmaceutical Applications of the Polarizable Amoeba Potential, Including Protein-Ligand Binding Affinity and Drug Solubility, using the Force Field X Software

Accurate prediction of protein-ligand binding affinity is essential to computational drug discovery. Although virtual screening has been widely utilized, current approaches are seriously limited by the accuracy of the underlying potential energy model (i.e. force field) that describes atomic interactions. A more rigorous physical model combined with effective sampling of molecular configurations is critical for binding affinity prediction to chemical accuracy, which is defined as within one order of magnitude of the true equilibrium dissociation constant. We have demonstrated that electrostatic interactions, especially electronic polarization, are critical for protein-ligand recognition due to the significant change in electrostatic environments between bulk water and protein pockets and have achieved encouraging success in treating charged species using the polarizable Atomic Multipole Optimized Energetics for Biomolecular Applications (AMOEBA) force field. To maintain accuracy while also achieving efficiency, AMOEBA has been combined with the Orthogonal Space Random Walk enhanced alchemical free energy algorithm. Here we present applications of this strategy for the computation of protein-ligand binding affinities and, for the first time, drug solubility from alchemical simulations using the Force Field X software.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Computing Conformal Maps of Finitely Connected Domains onto Canonical Slit Domains

We continue the research initiated in Andreev et al. (Computing conformal maps onto circular domains, 2010, submitted) on the computability of conformal mappings of multiply connected domains by showing that the conformal maps of a finitely connected domain onto the canonical slit domains can be computed uniformly from the domain and its boundary. Along the way, we demonstrate the computability of finding analytic extensions of harmonic functions and solutions to Neuman problems. These results on conformal mapping then follow easily from M. Schiffer’s constructions (Dirichlet Principle, Conformal Mapping and Minimal Surfaces, Interscience, New York, 1950).
Mean and fluctuating velocity fields in the wake of a freely-vibrating cylinder

Abstract In the present work, we study the wake velocity field of an elastically mounted rigid cylinder oscillating transverse to a fluid flow, using DPIV measurements. It is shown that there are large qualitative changes in these velocity fields, depending on the mode of cylinder oscillation. In particular, the characteristic “recirculation bubble”, usually seen in the mean velocity field behind the nonoscillating cylinder, is found to be present in the case of the ‘2S’ wake formation mode, yet is completely absent for the ‘2P’ mode. For the ‘2P’ mode, we find instead the appearance of a pair of counter-rotating vortices of opposite sign to what is expected, causing a downstream-oriented jet-type flow close to the cylinder, which in turn results in a ‘double-wake’ type velocity profile. Measurements of both the total Reynolds stresses, and the periodic stresses evaluated using phase-averaged velocity data, show that more than 90% of the total stresses are due to the repeatable large-scale coherent structures in the wake, when the body is vibrating. Periodic stresses make up only about 60% of the total stresses, in the case of the stationary body. Interestingly, for the fixed body, the periodic stresses remain relatively unchanged between our experiments (Re=3900) and those of Cantwell & Coles, at Re=140 000, although the total stresses are significantly increased at the larger Re. Our experimental evaluation of Reynolds stress is stimulated by the need for such data in developing turbulence modelling of these flows, as well as to enable detailed comparison with direct numerical simulations.
African Resistance to Enslavement: The Nature and the Evidentiary Record

The enslavement of Africans in the United States was a dangerous business for the enslaver. So precarious was the situation that enslavers very early instituted a series of measures intended to ensure that Africans would neither resist nor dream of resisting the humiliation of the Great Enslavement. Yet in spite of the best efforts of the White enslavers to guarantee a perpetual servility, Africans revolted, rebelled, and resisted in diverse ways. The debate that has raged around the question of African resistance can best be focused by an appeal to the evidentiary bases of the argument. Primary sources that document resistance are narratives of enslaved Africans, European slavers' diaries, planters' letters and journals, and antebellum travel accounts, newspapers, magazines, and statutory records. All offer personal accounts, from different perspectives, which give a glimmer of what the process of enslaving human beings was about. They also all attest to the fact that resistance was not only real, but it was expected.
Self-care in children with type 1 diabetes: a survey of mothers.

Purpose To provide insight into mothers' perceptions of their children's development of diabetes-related capabilities and identify factors that influence these capabilities. Study design and method Mothers' perceptions of children's self-care practices were solicited using an 84-item fixed choice instrument authored by this investigator. Items that were based on the literature and results of a preliminary qualitative study solicited information regarding self-care practices, independence in management, parental involvement, dietary adherence, precision in skills, attitude about diabetes, and ability to manage abnormal blood glucose levels. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results Forty-six boys and 42 girls aged 6 to 18 years were represented by the 88 mothers in this study. According to the mothers, children demonstrated higher levels of self-care abilities, independence, precision, and ability to manage blood glucose levels as they aged. The mothers believed, however, that older children had more negative attitudes about diabetes than did younger children. Girls learned skills earlier and were more independent in diabetes-related self-care, yet they had more difficulty than boys in adhering to dietary requirements. Some findings indicated the children engaged in behaviors that were potentially life-threatening or at least deleterious to their future health. Clinical implications Nurses can use this study to help encourage parents to stay involved with their children's self-care practices into the adolescent years. Providing opportunities for communication with others who have type 1 diabetes should be encouraged. Knowledge of age and gender differences can help establish realistic expectations for self-care.
Effect of Polycation Complexation on Methotrexate-Liposome Cytotoxicity

AbstractMethotrexate and methotrexate-DEAE dextran complex were microencapsulated in positively charged liposomes. Their cytotoxicity was determined and compared with the cytotoxicity of control systems against L1210 mouse leukemia eel Is at 37°C In acetate buffer of pH 7.40 ± 0.05. The control systems used were acetate buffer, blank liposome, DEAE-dextran liposome and methotrexate solution. The methotrexate and methotrexate-DEAE dextran liposomes were lyophilized and the Influence of lyophilization on their cytotoxicity was also examined. The methotrexate-DEAE dextran liposomes resulted in slightly higher mean growth ratios than the free methotrexate liposomes in non lyophilized as well as lyophilized systems. The ED50 values for methotrexate and methotrexate-DEAE dextran liposomes were similar to that for the free methotrexate solution. This observation indicated that microencapsulation of methotrexate in liposomes either as a free drug or a complex has no effect on the cytotoxicity of the drug. In addi...
Multi-level operational C 2 architecture modeling via hierarchically structured semi-Markov decision processes

This paper presents a multi-level operational command and control (C2) architecture that is applicable to the Navy's maritime operations centers (MOCs) for assessing, planning and executing multiple missions and tasks across a range of military operations. The control architecture consists of three levels: strategic level control (SLC), operational level control (OLC) and tactical level control (TLC). In addition to coordination within each level, two specific coordination layers are identified at the strategic-operational level control (SLC-OLC) and at the operational-tactical level control (OLC-TLC) interfaces. We employ a semi-Markov decision process (SMDP) approach at the SLC-OLC interface layer to optimize DIME (diplomatic, information, military and economic) actions based on national resource priorities. A distributed SMDP approach is applied to action-goal attainment (AGA) graphs at the OLC-TLC interface layer to address the mission monitoring/planning issues and to optimize the courses of action based on the outcomes of asset-task allocation at the TLC. The optimization of a hierarchy of SMDPs is accomplished by exchanging performance and mission priority information through the interface layers. Specifically, the times between decision epochs at the SLC-OLC layer are determined by the mission completion times at the OLC-TLC layer, while the mission priorities (weights) to be used in mission planning at the OLC-TLC layer are determined by DIME actions at the SLC-OLC layer. In short, we model the hierarchical decision making process by exchanging the outcomes of SMDPs between the SLC-OLC and the OLC-TLC layers to find the best courses of actions for a range of military operations.
Model-Independent Test of General Relativity: An Extended post-Einsteinian Framework with Complete Polarization Content

We develop a model-independent test of general relativity that allows for the constraint of the gravitational wave (GW) polarization content with GW detections of binary compact object inspirals. We first consider three modified gravity theories (Brans-Dicke theory, Rosen's theory, and Lightman-Lee theory) and calculate the response function of ground-based detectors to gravitational waves in the inspiral phase. This allows us to see how additional polarizations predicted in these theories modify the general relativistic prediction of the response function. We then consider general power-law modifications to the Hamiltonian and radiation-reaction force and study how these modify the time-domain and Fourier response function when all polarizations are present. From these general arguments and specific modified gravity examples, we infer an improved parameterized post-Einsteinian template family with complete polarization content. This family enhances general relativity templates through the inclusion of new theory parameters, reducing to the former when these parameters acquire certain values, and recovering modified gravity predictions for other values, including all polarizations. We conclude by discussing detection strategies to constrain these new, polarization theory parameters by constructing certain null channels through the combination of output from multiple detectors.
Fluoxetine and recovery of motor function after focal ischemia in rats

Neuroprotective therapies and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) have limited application for most stroke patients and thus rehabilitation is the primary treatment option for improving recovery of function. Following brain injury, environmental enrichment, pharmacological and rehabilitative treatments can markedly alter neuronal plasticity and behavioral recovery even when delayed by several weeks after the insult. Fluoxetine has been given to stroke patients to combat depression but its effects on recovery of function are not known. Functional magnetic resonance imaging reveals that fluoxetine alters brain activity and modulates motor performance in stroke patients in a use-dependent fashion. Several antidepressants, including fluoxetine, increase growth factors and other proteins associated with plasticity, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In this study, we examined whether chronic administration of fluoxetine combined with rehabilitation affected recovery of function on 3 separate tests of forelimb reaching, preference and limb coordination after focal ischemia in rats. Ischemia was induced in male Long-Evans rats by intracortical and striatal injections of endothelin-1. Fluoxetine (10 mg/kg/day) combined with rehabilitation therapy (6 h/day) for 4 weeks did not alter the degree or rate of recovery of function compared to non-treated animals. Despite the ability of fluoxetine to alter brain activity and increase growth factors, it does not appear to be an effective pharmacological adjunct to functional recovery after ischemia in rats.