cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Asthma in Cystic Fibrosis: Definitions and Implications of This Overlap Syndrome

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multisystem, autosomal recessive disease that leads to progressive loss of lung function. Respiratory symptoms for both CF and asthma include cough, wheezing, and dyspnea. There is debate within the CF community on how to best define and distinguish CF-asthma overlap syndrome (CFAOS) from asthma-like features, though CFAOS is well-recognized. We aim to review the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of asthma in CF and explore areas where further research is needed. There has been considerable improvement in the understanding and treatment of asthma over the past two decades leading to novel therapies such as biologic agents that target the airway inflammation in asthmatics based on their asthma phenotype. These therapies are being studied in CFAOS and are promising treatments. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the definition, epidemiology, diagnosis, and current treatment of CFAOS.
Emotion Words in Early Childhood: A Language Transcript Analysis.

Abstract Children learn the abstract, challenging categories of emotions from young ages, and it has recently been suggested that language (and more specifically emotion words) may aid this learning. To examine the language that young children hear and produce as they’re learning emotion categories, the present study examined nearly 2000 transcripts from 179 children ranging from 15- to 47-months from the Child Language Data Exchange System (CHILDES). Results provide key descriptive, developmental, and predictive information regarding child emotion language production, including the finding that child emotion word production was predicted by mothers’ emotion word production (β = 0.21, p
The cognitive tutor authoring tools (CTAT): preliminary evaluation of efficiency gains

Intelligent Tutoring Systems have been shown to be effective in a number of domains, but they remain hard to build, with estimates of 200-300 hours of development per hour of instruction. Two goals of the Cognitive Tutor Authoring Tools (CTAT) project are to (a) make tutor development more efficient for both programmers and non-programmers and (b) produce scientific evidence indicating which tool features lead to improved efficiency. CTAT supports development of two types of tutors, Cognitive Tutors and Example-Tracing Tutors, which represent different trade-offs in terms of ease of authoring and generality. In preliminary small-scale controlled experiments involving basic Cognitive Tutor development tasks, we found efficiency gains due to CTAT of 1.4 to 2 times faster. We expect that continued development of CTAT, informed by repeated evaluations involving increasingly complex authoring tasks, will lead to further efficiency gains.
An object-oriented language for constructing simulations

Simulation represents a powerful tool for reasoning about possible worlds, and, more generally, can be regarded as an important design aid. The design of physical systems is often accomplished by a cycle of activities, including phases that construct models, test the model's behavioral consequences by simulation, diagnose the causes for poor behavior in terms of design weaknesses, and propose model changes. In this paper we present an overview of ROSS, a domain-independent language for writing simulations in a wide variety of domains. ROSS has two distinct components. First ROSS embeds a kernel that is sufficiently powerful to create procedural models of complex systems. Second, ROSS includes important tools that assist the user at several other stages of the design cycle; specifically, in diagnosing system performance problems, and in proposing intelligent model changes. We show specific examples of how ROSS's meta-description capabilities enable it to provide a friendly design environment.
Plasma Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL) in Cholesterol-Fed Rabbits: Chylomicron Remnants or Liver Lipoproteins?

When iodinated hypercholesterolemic plasma very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), chylomicrons or chylomicron remnants were injected intravenously, the apoB of chylomicrons and chylomicron remnants was removed more rapidly than apoB of hypercholesterolemic VLDL. In perfused livers from normal or cholesterol-fed rabbits, chylomicron remnants were removed 69% and 125% more rapidly, respectively, than hypercholesterolemic VLDL. Chylomicron remnants were removed equally well by perfused livers from normal and cholesterol-fed rabbits, but hypercholesterolemic plasma VLDL was removed more slowly by perfused livers of cholesterol-fed than by those of normal rabbits. Chylomicron remnant removal by livers from normal and cholesterol-fed rabbits was inhibited by high levels of hypercholesterolemic plasma VLDL in the perfusate. Twenty-four hours after a single dose of retinyl ester was fed to cholesterol-fed rabbits, less than 1% of the absorbed retinol remained in the plasma as retinyl ester. Thus, increases in plasma VLDL cholesterol levels in cholesterol-fed rabbits cannot be accounted for by the accumulation of chylomicron remnants. Apparently, a cholesterol-rich VLDL, probably of hepatic origin, accumulates in the postabsorptive plasma of the cholesterol-fed rabbit.
Chapter 49 Anesthesia effects and evoked potentials

Publisher Summary During electrophysiological monitoring, anesthesia and physiological changes can alter the responses. Anesthesia management involves the choice of a favorable drug combination and maintenance of a steady state. Physiological effects can simulate neural dysfunction if they hamper the stimulated tracts. Anesthetic effects can be divided based on whether the responses recorded are sensitive or insensitive to anesthesia and whether they are helped or hindered by muscle relaxants. In Group I responses, synaptic participation in the response generation likely explains the reason these anesthetics reduce the amplitude, because these agents affect synaptic function. Thus, anesthetic effects are prominent with increased latency and decreased amplitude. As anesthetic agents differ in their mode of action and potency, agents differ in their specific effects on the evoked responses and neural location. Group I responses are less affected by intravenous anesthetic agents. Muscle relaxants may improve response amplitude. Group II responses are characterized by pathways that are less dependent on synaptic function such that the anesthetic effects of inhalational agents are less marked. Stimulation and recording from the spinal cord or recording of the peripheral nerve, from spinal stimulation, appears to be a group II type. Stimulation with multipulse spinal stimulation is employed to overcome the anesthetic effects. Group III responses are unable to use muscle relaxation and inhalational agents, and so requires total intravenous anesthesia. Group IV responses are easily recorded, because, although muscle relaxation is limited, the freedom to use inhalational agents makes anesthesia less challenging. Typical responses here are stimulation of the cranial or the peripheral nerves and recording of the peripheral muscle responses.
Quicker Q-Learning in Multi-Agent Systems

Multi-agent learning in Markov Decisions Problems is challenging because of the presence ot two credit assignment problems: 1) How to credit an action taken at time step t for rewards received at t' greater than t; and 2) How to credit an action taken by agent i considering the system reward is a function of the actions of all the agents. The first credit assignment problem is typically addressed with temporal difference methods such as Q-learning OK TD(lambda) The second credit assi,onment problem is typically addressed either by hand-crafting reward functions that assign proper credit to an agent, or by making certain independence assumptions about an agent's state-space and reward function. To address both credit assignment problems simultaneously, we propose the Q Updates with Immediate Counterfactual Rewards-learning (QUICR-learning) designed to improve both the convergence properties and performance of Q-learning in large multi-agent problems. Instead of assuming that an agent s value function can be made independent of other agents, this method suppresses the impact of other agents using counterfactual rewards. Results on multi-agent grid-world problems over multiple topologies show that QUICR-learning can achieve up to thirty fold improvements in performance over both conventional and local Q-learning in the largest tested systems.
Have Foreign Banks Contributed to the Spreadof the Global Financial Crisis to Saudi Arabia

The authors analyzed the role of domestic and foreign banks in Saudi Arabia during the financial crisis that has ravaged the world since 2007. The study is based on the growth rate in market share of the credit extended by each bank and investors’ perceptions about the risk exposure of this financial institution, distinguishing between purely domestic banks and institutions with joint ownership (local and foreign shareholders). Although there is a suspicion that partly owned foreign banks are more risk exposed than their purely domestic counterparts, these findings suggest otherwise. Specifically, the authors do not find evidence that foreign shareholders of Saudi banks, who suffered losses and liquidity problems in their home countries, cut credit in Saudi Arabia or acted in a manner inconsistent with their domestic counterparts. As such, the evidence does not support recommendations for a double standard in banking regulation.
Zoonoses-With Friends Like This, Who Needs Enemies?

Zoonoses are infections that are spread from animals to humans. Most often, humans are “dead-end” hosts, meaning that there is no subsequent human-to-human transmission. If one considers most of the emerging infections that were recognized at the end of the last century and the beginning of this century, they would fall into the category of zoonoses. One of the most important common traits exhibited by infections that have been or can be eliminated from the face of the earth (e.g. smallpox, measles, polio) is the absence of any host other than humans. Therefore, zoonses represent infections that can never be eliminated and must be considered as permanent and recurrent factors to be dealt with in protecting human health.
Countertransference in Supervision

Education, as Professor Whitehead (1929, p. 6) wrote, is the acquisition of the art of utilizing knowledge. He added that this is an art that is very difficult to impart. Most psychoanalysts are engaged in some educational pursuit, whether in classrooms, hospitals, or liaison work with other professionals. Most of us also educate through supervision—that is, teaching the art of utilizing technical knowledge and the utilization of the self as an “analytic instrument” as defined by Isakower (Balter, Lothane, & Spencer, 1980).
Batterien aus galvanischen Brennstoffzellen für elektrolytlösliche Brennstoffe

Die Methanol-Zelle besteht aus der Sauerstoff- oder Luft-Elektrode (Kathode), der immergierten Brennstoff-Elektrode (Anode) und dem Elektrolyten (Kaliumhydroxid), in dem der Brennstoff (Methanol) gelost ist. Die Batterie kann nach dem Prinzip der Filterpresse oder mit austauschbaren Doppelzellen aufgebaut werden, wobei die Zellen derart aneinandergereiht werden, das entweder ungleiche Pole oder gleiche Pole (jede zweite Zelle um 180° gedreht) nebeneinander liegen. Es werden die verschiedenen Bauprinzipien aufgezeigt.
Bis(tricyclohexyltin) Sulfide–Boron Trichloride

[13121-76-1] C36H66SSn2 (MW 768.36) InChI = 1S/6C6H11.S.2Sn/c6*1-2-4-6-5-3-1;;;/h6*1H,2-6H2;;; InChIKey = NBTHYJWPOYZDHL-UHFFFAOYSA-N [10294-34-5] BCl3 (MW 117.17) InChI = 1S/BCl3/c2-1(3)4 InChIKey = FAQYAMRNWDIXMY-UHFFFAOYSA-N (functions as a conveniently prepared in situ form of boron trisulfide; a powerful sulfurating agent for the conversion of carbonyl units into their corresponding thiono carbonyl analogs e.g. thioaldehydes, thioketones, β-thiolactams, thiolactams;1 thiophenes;2 the analogous bis(tricyclohexyltin) selenide–boron trichloride reagent is useful for selenation of carbonyl compounds to selenoaldehydes and selenoketones1) Physical Data: bis(tricyclohexyltin) sulfide: mp 130–132 °C; BCl3: mp −107 °C; bp 12.5 °C. Solubility: bis(tricyclohexyltin) sulfide: insol water; highly sol nonpolar organic liquids; less sol alcohol. Boron trichloride: Lewis acid, partially dissolves in aprotic organic liquids. Form Supplied in: bis(tricyclohexyltin) sulfide: solid >97% pure; boron trichloride: gas (lecture bottle) 99.95% pure; more conveniently as a 1.0 M solution in dichloromethane, heptane, hexanes, or p-xylene. Preparative Method: bis(tricyclohexyltin) sulfide: prepared in quantitative yield by treating tricyclohexyltin chloride with Na2S·9H2O in refluxing ethanol (95%) for 2 h; recrystallization from CH2Cl2/MeOH affords pure material, mp 130–132 °C.1 Purification: bis(tricyclohexyltin) sulfide: by recrystallization. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: bis(tricyclohexyltin) sulfide: irritant; stable solid. Boron trichloride (dichloromethane solution): corrosive; moisture sensitive; stored in nitrogen-filled pressure bottles kept cold in a refrigerator.
On the asymptotic number of non-equivalent q -ary linear codes

Let Mn,q ⊂ GL(n, Fq) be the group of monomial matrices, i.e., the group generated by all permutation matrices and diagonal matrices in GL(n, Fq). The group Mn,q acts on the set V(Fqn) of all subspaces of Fqn. The number of orbits of this action, denoted by Nn,q, is the number of nonequivalent linear codes in Fqn. It was conjectured by Lax that Nn,q ∼ |V(Fqn)|/n!(q-1)n-1 as n → ∞. We confirm this conjecture in this paper.
Group work with adolescent immigrants

The writer argues that group work is an efficient modality for helping adolescent immigrants. These youngsters experience special needs because they are caught in a unique situation of simultaneous developmental and socio-cultural transitions. The advantages of group work in addrressing these needs and guiding principles for useful group interventions are discussed. A program designed to provide group work services to immigrant adolescents from the former Soviet Union is described to illustrate the effectiveness of the group work modality with this population. The article is based on the experience of the writer as a group supervisor in the program.
Immunohistochemical localization of somatostatin-containing cells in the intestinal tract: a comparative study.

Abstract Using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase immunocytochemical technique, intestinal tissues of the rat, Japanese quail, lizard, mudsucker, and Pacific hagfish were examined to evaluate the phylogenetic distribution of somatostatin-like immunoreactive cells. Somatostatinpositive cells were observed in the intestinal tract of the rat, quail, and lizard, whereas positive staining was not observed in the gut of the mudsucker or Pacific hagfish. Since somatostatin may play a role in digestive physiology of mammals, these results suggest that this polypeptide might also affect the intestinal function of birds and reptiles. The absence of somatostatin-containing cells in the intestinal tract of teleost and cyclostomes may indicate that this hormone does not have a role in digestive physiology of these forms.
A point mutation in the maxi-K clone dSlo forms a high affinity site for charybdotoxin.

Abstract This work investigated the interaction of CTX with two cloned analogues of the maxi-K channel, dSlo and hSlo. dSlo has been reported to be CTX insensitive. Single channel analysis revealed that dSlo was weakly blocked by the toxin, with a very high K D of 5.8 μM. The hSlo channels bound wild-type, recombinant CTX with high affinity and in a bimolecular fashion, and displayed a half-blocking concentration ( K D ) of 36 nM. A glutamate residue was substituted for the wild-type threonine at position 290 in dSlo . The mutant channel was expressed in COS-7 cells and reconstituted into lipid bilayers for single channel analysis. The mutant channel bound wild-type, recombinant CTX with high affinity and in a bimolecular fashion, and displayed a half-blocking concentration ( K D ) of 23 nM. Changing just one residue from threonine to glutamate at position 290 in dSlo changed the affinity of the channel’s CTX-receptor over 100-fold. Kinetic analysis revealed that this large increase in affinity was due to decreasing the dissociation rate of the toxin. These results suggest that a CTX receptor does exist in the dSlo channel mouth and that the threonine at position 290 destabilizes the toxin on the binding site.
Ending disruptive behavior: Staff nurse recommendations to nurse educators

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to identify educational strategies that can prepare new graduates to manage disruptive behavior (DB) in the workplace. DB is any inappropriate behavior, confrontation, or conflict - ranging from verbal abuse to sexual harassment - that harms or intimidates others to the extent that quality of care or patient safety could be compromised. Individual interviews were conducted with nine staff nurses currently in practice in acute care settings in the United States. Staff nurses recommended educational strategies that focused on communication skills for professional practice. These included learning how to communicate with hostile individuals, and giving and receiving constructive criticism. Descriptions that participants provided about their work culture were an unexpected finding that has relevance for nurse educators as they prepare students for transition to practice Nurses described lack of management support and intervention for DB situations, personality clashes with coworkers, and devaluation of nursing work as affecting professional practice.
Thermodynamic properties of carbon up to the critical point

Abstract Thermodynamic data on solid, liquid, and gaseous carbon have been carefully selected from the literature or estimated, and vapor pressure have been calculated up to the critical point. Using certain assumptions about the properties of liquid carbon and nonideal gas corrections for carbon vapor, our calculations show the triple point and critical point to be 4765 and 6810°K, respectively, with critical density 0·64 g/cm 3 , and critical pressure 2200 atm. The dominant vapor species above ∼ 2000°K is C 3 , while C 7 is also of importance from 4500 to 6810°K. Coexistence curves which summarize the densities and enthalpies of solid, liquid, and vapor carbon are plotted. The density of liquid carbon is assumed to be 20% less than that of graphite at the triple point. The enthalpy of fusion is given as 30 kcal/g-atom C. Sublimation enthalpies are found to be 50–66 kcal/g-atom C at 3000–4765°K, and vaporization enthalpies about 20 kcal/g-atom C at 4765–6000°K.
The Interval Between the CS and the UCS as a Determiner of Generalization Performance

Rats were trained in a conditioned taste aversion paradigm in order to determine whether a trace interval between the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) would result in the forgetting of stimulus attributes. Accordingly, subjects were conditioned with milk (CS), given either an immediate or a delayed injection of lithium chloride (UCS), and tested 48 h later with either milk or chocolate milk, a generalized flavor. The rats conditioned immediately following the presentation of the CS avoided milk more than chocolate milk, indicating discrimination between the two flavors. Those conditioned after a trace interval avoided both flavors equally, suggesting a loss of stimulus attributes of the original CS. Delay rats, however, still exhibited substantial learning when compared with controls not experiencing the UCS. These results allege a role for the forgetting of stimulus attributes during a trace interval in addition to following a complete learning episode.
A continuous time stochastic model for the utilization of health services

Abstract In this paper a stochastic model for health services utilization is analyzed. The basic idea is that at any point in time the population can be subdivided into mutually exclusive subpopulations depending on the type of medical care received. Individuals move between components of care according to certain probabilistic rules. Since the model is stochastic, the quantities of interest, like the number of individuals receiving hospital care and the number of physician hours required on a certain day or over a certain period of time, are random. The distributions and their parameters are derived. Basically, the model allows the prediction of the ultimate effects of changes in health policy. Several examples are given to illustrate this point.
A Neonate with Left Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia and Transient Retrograde Flow in the Aortic Arch

Retrograde flow in the aortic arch identifies inadequate cardiac output in neonates with congenital heart disease. We present a left congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) infant with retrograde flow in the arch that normalized after CDH repair. We hypothesize transient inadequacy of the left heart; prostaglandins might play a pivotal role.
Sunscreens Prevent Sunburn Cell Formation in Human Skin

Sunscreens with different sun protection factors were examined for their ability to prevent sunburn cell formation in human skin exposed to ultraviolet radiation from a xenon solar simulator. There was either complete or partial protection against the cytotoxic effects of ultraviolet radiation. Protection was related to the sun protection factor of the sunscreen and to the dose of radiation administered.
1,10-Phenanthroline mediated hemolysis--evidence that 1,10-phenanthroline does not substitute specifically for C9.

Abstract We have re-examined the interaction of 1,10 phenanthroline with E, EAC1–8 and various other red cell intermediates. Two major findings emerged from this study: (1) 1,10-phenanthroline could mediate lysis of E, EAC4, EAC1–7 or EAC1–8. Under identical conditions of dose, pH and temperature, the rate (though not the extent) of lysis varied for different red cell intermediates, with EAC1–8 being lysed the most rapidly, followed by EAC1–7, EAC4 and E. (2) An intermediate could be isolated following the interaction of E and 1,10-phenanthroline that would lyse in the absence of fluid phase factors. This intermediate could be prevented from releasing its hemoglobin by addition of high molarity EDTA or EGTA. This cell was functionally similar to the E* state isolated during the lysis of E by anti-Forssman antibody and GPC.
Oxygen stoichiometry of common reagents by fast-neutron activation

Abstract Oxygen is determined by fast-neutron activation with high accuracy in reagent grade compounds: H 2 O (distilled), Li 2 CO 3 , BeO, (COOH) 2 · 2H 2 O, Na 2 CO 3 , NaHCO 3 , Na 2 C 2 O 4 , C 6 H 5 (COOH), (NH 4 ) 2 C 2 O 4 · H 2 O, MgO, Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , Fe(SO 4 ) · 7H 2 O, Fe(NH 4 ) 2 (SO 4 ) 2 · 6H 2 O, BaCl 2 · 2H 2 O, K 2 CO 3 , KMnO 4 , K 2 Cr 2 O 7 , CaCO 3 , TiO 2 , V 2 O 5 , Cr 2 O 3 , MnO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , CuO, NiO, Co 2 O 3 , ZnO, GeO 2 , As 2 O 5 , RbHCO 3 , SrCO 3 , Y 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , Nb 2 O 5 , Na 2 MoO 4 · 2H 2 O, CdCO 3 , SnO, Sb 2 O 3 , CsHCO 3 , La 2 O 3 , PrO 1.818 ∗3 , Ta 2 O 5 , WO 2 , WO 3 , HgO (yellow), HgO (red), Tl 2 O 3 , Pb 3 O 4 , PbO, and Bi 2 O 3 . Standard deviation in the range of 0.1–0.3% is achieved. Data are plotted vs. theoretical oxygen percentages and a linear curve is obtained for compounds ranging from hydrogen to bismuth and for oxygen concentrations from 7.17% (PbO) to 88.81% (H 2 O). This work demonstrates the high precision and accuracy of the method and suggests numerous applications not previously considered.
Somatotopic organization of the medial wall of the cerebral hemispheres: a 3 Tesla fMRI study.

Somatotopic organization of the human medial wall of the cerebral hemispheres was studied using functional MRI conducted at high field strength (3 T) with fine spatial resolution (2 mm). Healthy subjects performed paced, repetitive movements of the fingers and toes. Within the supplementary motor area (SMA), two regions were identified: finger movements activated a region rostral and superior to that for toe movements. Two activation foci were also identified in the cingulate motor area: toe movements activated a region rostral and ventral to that activated by finger movements. All foci were located between the anterior and posterior commissures. Our results confirm previous human and non-human primate studies regarding the rostral‐caudal organization of the SMA and CMA. The dorsal‐ventral organization of the CMA, however, appears to be divergent from results derived from cortical stimulation studies conducted in non-human primates. NeuroReport 12:3811‐3814 & 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Linear maps on matrices: the invariance of symmetric polynomials

Abstract Let L be a linear map on the space M n of all n by n complex matrices. Let h ( x 1 ,…, x n ) be a symmetric polynomial. If X is a matrix in M n with eigenvalues λ 1 ,…,λ n , denote h (λ 1 ,…,λ n ) by h ( X ). For a large class of polynomials h , we determine the structure of the linear maps L for which h ( X )= h ( L ( X )), for all X in M n .
Laboratory characterization of non-aqueous phase liquid/tracer interaction in support of a vadose zone partitioning interwell tracer test

Abstract Contaminant characterization is important for successful remediation of non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) in the unsaturated zone. A partitioning interwell tracer test (PITT) can provide a good estimate of average subsurface NAPL saturations. Screening experiments were completed in the laboratory to evaluate several gas tracers for a PITT study to be completed in the vadose zone at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM. Four perfluorocarbon tracers were found to be suitable for this PITT. Further laboratory column studies were completed using contaminated field soil to measure the partition coefficients between the tracers and the NAPL. The results from the column studies showed that the air/NAPL tracer partition coefficients ranged from 8.8±0.6 to 71±3. This range of partition coefficients is suitable for detection of NAPL saturations in the field of 0.002 to 0.14.
L1 cell adhesion molecule is essential for the maintenance of hyperalgesia after spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in a loss of normal motor and sensory function, leading to severe disability and reduced quality of life. A large proportion of individuals with SCI also suffer from neuropathic pain symptoms. The causes of abnormal pain sensations are not well understood, but can include aberrant sprouting and reorganization of injured or spared sensory afferent fibers. L1 is a cell adhesion molecule that contributes to axonal outgrowth, guidance and fasciculation in development as well as synapse formation and plasticity throughout life. In the present study, we used L1 knockout (KO) mice to determine whether this adhesion molecule contributes to sensory dysfunction after SCI. Both wild-type (WT) and KO mice developed heat hyperalgesia following contusion injury, but the KO mice recovered normal response latencies beginning at 4 weeks post-injury. Histological analyses confirmed increased sprouting of sensory fibers containing calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP) in the deep dorsal horn of the lumbar spinal cord and increased numbers of interneurons expressing protein kinase C gamma (PKCgamma) in WT mice 6 weeks after injury. In contrast, L1 KO mice had less CGRP(+) fiber sprouting, but even greater numbers of PKCgamma(+) interneurons at the 6 week time point. These data demonstrate that L1 plays a role in maintenance of thermal hyperalgesia after SCI in mice, and implicate CGRP(+) fiber sprouting and the upregulation of PKCgamma expression as potential contributors to this response.
Phosphorylation protects neurofilaments against proteolysis.

Abstract During incubation with phosphatase, the 200 kDa neurofilament protein in cytoskeletal preparations is degraded extensively. Degradation, which is divalent cation-independent, does not occur when inhibitors of phosphatase are added. The 160 kDa chymotryptic fragment of neurofilaments or affinity-purified 200 kDa protein are not degraded by phosphatase. The results suggest that (1) phosphorylated neurofilaments are protected against proteolysis, and (2) dephosphorylated neurofilaments are degraded by a calcium-independent, endogenous proteinase which is associated with assembled neurofilaments or with other cytoskeletal components, and not with the phosphatase used.
DECAY OF CORRELATIONS. III. RELAXATION OF SPIN CORRELATIONS AND DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS IN THE ONE-DIMENSIONAL ISING LATTICE.

We have studied the relaxation of then-spin correlation function <σ (n)> and distribution functionP n(σ (n);t) for the Glauber model of the one-dimensional Ising lattice. We find that new combinations of correlation functions (C-functions) and distribution functions (Q-functions) are more useful in discussing the relaxation of this system from initial nonequilibrium states than the usual cumulants and Ursell functions used in our papers I and II. The asymptotic behavior of theP, C, andQ functions are:P n(σ (n);t) —P n (o) ∼P 1(σ;t) —P 1 (o) (σ);C n(σ (n); t) —C n (o) (σ (n)) ∼ ;Q n(σ (n)); —Q n (o) (σ (n)) ∼ [P 1(σ;t) —P 1 (o) (σ)]n; where the superscript zero denotes the equilibrium function. These results imply thatP n(σ (n);),n> 2, decays to a functional of lower-order distribution functions as [P 1(σ;) —P 1 (o) (σ)]n and that then-spin correlation function withn > 2 decays to a functional of lower-order correlation functions as n. This result for the distribution functionP n(σ (n);),n> 2, is identical with the results obtained in papers I and II for initially correlated, noninteracting many-particle systems in contact with a heat bath and for an infinite chain of coupled harmonic oscillators. As a special example, we study the relaxation of the spin system when the heat-bath temperature is changed suddenly from an initial temperatureT o to a final temperatureT. We obtain the interesting result that the spin system is not canonically invariant, i.e., it cannot be characterized by a time-dependent “spin temperature.”
Effects of SCN− substitution for Cl− on tension, [Ca2+]i, and ionic currents in vascular smooth muscle

Substitution of thiocyanate ions (SCN-) for chloride ions (Cl-) in the extracellular medium of aortic rings and strips causes a biphasic contractile response; initial relaxation followed by sustained contraction. Alterations in these responses are sex-specific, and may elucidate fundamental differences in vascular function between males and females. In order to investigate the role of changes in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in these changes in tension, we investigated effects of SCN- on [Ca2+]i and ionic currents in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Extracellular substitution of SCN- for Cl- caused a biphasic change in [Ca2+]i. Initially, [Ca2+]i decreased, reaching a minimum within 1-2 min, subsequently returned to original levels within 4-5 min, and then increased to a higher plateau over the next 10 minutes. This pattern of change in [Ca2+]i is identical to the pattern of tension changes in aortic rings, but it occurs somewhat faster. Partial substitution of SCN- for Cl- elicited increased, but no preceding decrease in [Ca2+]i. In the absence of external Ca2+, anion substitution elicited the decrease in [Ca2+]i but not the subsequent increase. Verapamil (1 microM) blocked the increased [Ca2+]i phase but not the decreased [Ca2+]i phase; whereas, R+ verapamil (up to 5 microM for 20 min), an inactive enantiomer, caused no change. Ionic current measurements obtained using whole cell patch and current clamp techniques revealed two responses to anion substitution: (a) a rapid, transient outward shift in holding current, and (b) a sustained increase in peak current and a hyperpolarizing shift in voltage sensitivity of Ca2+ channels. The calcium channel blocker PN200-110 blocked SCN(-)-enhanced current but had no effect on the changes in holding current. S- verapamil, but not R+ verapamil, reduced SCN(-)-enhanced current. In current clamp mode, SCN- caused an initial hyperpolarization followed by a slow depolarization punctuated by spikes. Thus, SCN- causes changes in vascular smooth muscle [Ca2+]i that could underlie both phases of its effects on tension in isolated aortas and may be explained by the following model: an initial outward shift in current causes hyperpolarization with a consequent decrease in cell excitability, and the somewhat slower increase in Ca2+ channel excitability eventually leads to enhanced calcium influx and tension. These data shed light on possible mechanisms underlying gender-related differences in VSMC physiology.
High Speed Fibre Optic Backbone LAN

Our firm has developed the SUMINET-4100 series, a fibre optic local area network (LAN), to serve the communications system trunk line needs for facilities, such as steel refineries, automobile plants and university campuses, that require large transmission capacity, and for the backbone networks used in intelligent building systems. The SUMINET-4100 series is already in service in various fields of application. Of the networks available in this series, the SUMINET-4150 has a trunk line speed of 128 Mbps and the multiplexer used for time division multiplexing (TDM) was enabled by designing an ECL-TTL gate array (3000 gates) based custom LSI. The synchronous, full-duplex V.24 and V.3.5 interfaces (SUMINET-2100) are provided for use with general purpose lines. And the IBM token ring network, the SUMINET-3200, designed for heterogeneous PCs and the Ethernet can all be connected to sub loops. Further, the IBM 3270 TCA and 5080 CADAM can be connected in the local mode. Interfaces are also provided for the NTT high-speed digital service, the digital PBX systems, and the Video CODEC system. The built-in loop monitor (LM) and network supervisory processor (NSP) provide management of loop utilization and send loop status signals to the host CPU's network configuration and control facility (NCCF). These built-in functions allow both the computer system and LAN to be managed from a single source at the host. This paper outlines features of the SUMINET-4150 and provides an example of its installation.
Excitonic Dark States in Single Atomic Layer of Transition Metal Dichalcogenide

We experimentally discover a series excitonic dark states in two-photon excitation spectra of single-layer WS2. The findings quantitatively agree with the calculated excitonic state and suggest a large exciton binding energy of 0.7 eV.
Cyclic versus linear isomers produced by reaction of the methylidyne radical (CH) with small unsaturated hydrocarbons

The reactions of the methylidyne radical (CH) with ethylene, acetylene, allene, and methylacetylene are studied at room temperature using tunable vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization and time-resolved mass spectrometry. The CH radicals are prepared by 248 nm multiphoton photolysis of CHBr3 at 298 K and react with the selected hydrocarbon in a helium gas flow. Analysis of photoionization efficiency versus VUV photon wavelength permits isomer-specific detection of the reaction products and allows estimation of the reaction product branching ratios. The reactions proceed by either CH insertion or addition followed by H atom elimination from the intermediate adduct. In the CH + C2H4 reaction the C3H5 intermediate decays by H atom loss to yield 70(+-8)percent allene, 30(+-8)percent methylacetylene and less than 10percent cyclopropene, in agreement with previous RRKM results. In the CH + acetylene reaction, detection of mainly the cyclic C3H2 isomer is contrary to a previous RRKM calculation that predicted linear triplet propargylene to be 90percent of the total H-atom co-products. High-level CBS-APNO quantum calculations and RRKM calculation for the CH + C2H2 reaction presented in this manuscript predict a higher contribution of the cyclic C3H2 (27.0percent) versus triplet propargylene (63.5percent) than these earlier predictions. Extensive calculations on the C3H3 and C3H2D system combined with experimental isotope ratios for the CD + C2H2 reaction indicate that H-atom assisted isomerization in the present experiments is responsible for the discrepancy between the RRKM calculations and the experimental results. Cyclic isomers are also found to represent 30(+-6)percent of the detected products in the case of CH + methylacetylene, together with 33(+-6)percent 1,2,3-butatriene and 37(+-6)percent vinylacetylene. The CH + allene reaction gives 23(+-5)percent 1,2,3-butatriene and 77(+-5)percent vinylacetylene, whereas cyclic isomers are produced below the detection limit in this reaction. The reaction exit channels deduced by comparing the product distributions for the aforementioned reactions are discussed in detail.
PHYTOESTROGENS AS A CAUSE OF CHILDHOOD GYNECOMASTIA

A 5 and 2/12 y.o. male presented with bilateral breast tissue (4.5cm), areolar pigmentation, slight non-velous pubic hair, prepubertal (2cc) testes, and growth acceleration. Height was 120cm (HT-SDS for CA = +1.9), bone age was 10 yrs (HT-SDS for BA = −2.8), predicted final HT 160.6cm (mid-parental HT 172cm). Laboratory studies revealed sex-chromatin negative buccal smear, non-detectable serum and urine estrone, 24-hour urine estrogens 19 ug/gmCr, LH 0.1 mIU/L, FSH 0.7 mIU/L, prolactin 5.9ng/ml, beta-HCG <5mIU/ml. A testicular ultrasound and adrenal steroidogenic profile were normal. On-site environmental evaluation revealed that this child habitually fed calves fresh wet alfalfa mixed with Rumensin, a monocarboxylic, highly lipophilic cation chelating agent. The skin of both arms and hands were exposed repeatedly to the mixture over a 12 month period. Repeated analysis of the alfalfa revealed significant quantities (50 and 35 ppm) of the phytoestrogen coumesterol. Cessation of this activity resulted in gradual reduction in breast size and slowing of skeletal maturation. However, growth velocity of 7.7cm/year, plasma T of 0.36ng/ml, and peak LHRH-stimulated gonadotropins (LH 5.5mIU/L, FSH 3.8mIU/L) suggest probable impending precocious puberty. We propose that gynecomastia and accelerated growth and maturation in this child resulted from topical absorption of the phytoestrogen coumesterol, enhanced by hand-mixing of the wet coumesterol-containing alfalfa with a lipophilic, monocarboxylic ionophore.
Food Safety Education Using an Interactive Multimedia Kiosk in a WIC Setting: Correlates of Client Satisfaction and Practical Issues.

Abstract Objective To assess acceptability of food safety education delivered by interactive multimedia (IMM) in a Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC) clinic. Methods Female clients or caregivers (n=176) completed the food-handling survey; then an IMM food safety education program on a computer kiosk. Satisfaction with program, participant demographics, and change in food-handling behavior were assessed by univariate analyses. Results Over 90% of the participants enjoyed the kiosk, and most (87.5%) reported using computers a lot. Compared with participants with education beyond high school, participants with less education were more likely to report enjoying the kiosk (98.2% vs 88.1%, P = .007), preferred learning with the kiosk (91.7% vs 79.1%, P = .02), and would like to learn about other topics using IMM (95.4% vs 86.6%, P = .04). Conclusions and Implications Food safety education delivered by IMM was well accepted by inner-city WIC clinic clients, including those with less education.
A Bioassay for Determining the Nutritional Adequacy of Protein Supplements for Chick Growth

Abstract IN GENERAL, the nutritional quality of proteins depends on the proportion and availability of the amino acids which they contain. Although present analytical methods approximate the amino acid content of proteins, they reveal very little information concerning their availability. Consequently, any true assessment of the nutritional value of proteins must rely on biological evaluation. St. John et al. (1932, 1934, 1944); Almquist (1935); and Heiman et al. (1939) have employed the chick to evaluate the nutritional quality of proteins. However, it should be pointed out that the chick assays cited above measured the extent to which the test protein supplemented other sources of protein in the test diet. If proteins are to be improved by processing or other means it seems necessary to use the test protein as a sole source of protein. Otherwise, its true value is masked by the supplemental effect. A study was undertaken to develop an…
S-potentials in the skate retina. Intracellular recordings during light and dark adaptation.

The S-potentials recorded intracellularly from the all-rod retina of the skate probably arise from the large horizontal cells situated directly below the layer of receptors. These cells hyperpolarize in response to light, irrespective of stimulus wavelength, and the responses in photopic as well as scotopic conditions were found to be subserved by a single photopigment with λmax = 500 nm. The process of adaptation was studied by recording simultaneously the threshold responses and membrane potentials of S-units during both light and dark adaptation. The findings indicate that the sensitivity of S-units, whether measured upon steady background fields or in the course of dark adaptation, exhibits changes similar to those demonstrated previously for the ERG b-wave and ganglion cell discharge. However, the membrane potential level of the S-unit and its sensitivity to photic stimulation varied independently for all the adapting conditions tested. It appears, therefore, that visual adaptation in the skate retina occurs before the S-unit is reached, i.e., at the receptors themselves.
Radiation transfer in an anisotropically scattering plane-parallel medium with space-dependent albedo ω(x)

Abstract A method of analysis is presented for solving radiation-transfer problems involving space-dependent albedo ω(x) for an absorbing, emitting and anisotropically scattering plane-parallel medium with reflecting boundaries. The albedo is represented in terms of Legendre polynomials in the form ω(x) = ΣRr=0DrPr(x/L), where x is the optical variable, L is the half optical-thickness of the slab, Pr(x/L) are the Legendre polynomials and Dr are known expansion coefficients. The effects of spatial variation of albedo on the reflectivity and transmissivity of a medium having a slab geometry are examined for the cases of both forward and backward anisotropic scattering over a wide range of system variables. The effects of ω(x) on the angular distribution of radiation are also shown for some representative cases.
Segmentation of coronary arteries from CT angiography images

We present an automated method for delineation of coronary arteries from Cardiac CT Angiography (CTA) images. Coronary arteries are narrow blood vessels and when imaged using CTA, appear as thin cylindrical structures of varying curvature. This appearance is often affected by heart motion and image reconstruction artifacts. Moreover, when an artery is diseased, it may appear as a non-continuous structure of widely varying width and image intensity. Defining the boundaries of the coronary arteries is an important and necessary step for further analysis and diagnosis of coronary disease. For this purpose, we developed a method using cylindrical structure modeling. For each vessel segment a best fitting cylindrical template is found. By applying this technique sequentially along the vessel, its entire volume can be reconstructed. The algorithm is seeded with a manually specified starting point at the most distal discernible portion of an artery and then it proceeds iteratively toward the aorta. The algorithm makes necessary corrections to account for CTA image artifacts and is able to perform in diseased arteries. It stops when it identifies the vessels junction with the aorta. Five cardiac 3D CT angiography studies were used for algorithm validation. For each study, the four longest visually discernible branches of the major coronary arteries were evaluated. Central axes obtained from our automated method were compared with ground truth markings made by an experienced radiologist. In 75% of the cases, our algorithm was able to extract the entire length of the artery from single initialization.
The Midi, Buwayhid Iraq, and Japan: Some Aspects of Comparative Feudalisms, A.D. 946–1055

In the year 946, in three separate areas of the civilized world, certain changes took place which mark the beginning of a new era. In Iraq in this year a Daylamite Persian adventurer of Shiah persuasion, named Ahmad, seized control of Baghdad and the surrounding Iraqi plains and in so doing established a dynasty which was to last more than a hundred years. About a decade earlier in the French Midi two princes of the house of Toulouse and their Gascon ally and kinsman journeyed north to Auvergne to do homage for their vast holdings in Southern France to the weak Carolingian monarch, Louis IV, the last such homage scions of this house were to render to their Northern French overlords for more than two centuries. Finally, during the same year of 946, in distant Japan, an official of the central government of Kyoto, named Ono, after suppressing the dangerous pirate forces of a certain Sumitomo, issued an appeal against the use of private armies which was resulting in disorder and the inability of the central government to maintain peace and security.
Medical Futility: The Duty Not to Treat

Partly because physicians can “never say never,” partly because of the seduction of modern technology, and partly out of misplaced fear of litigation, physicians have increasingly shown a tendency to undertake treatments that have no realistic expectation of success. For this reason, we have articulated common sense criteria for medical futility. If a treatment can be shown not to have worked in the last 100 cases, we propose that it be regarded as medically futile. Also, if the treatment fails to restore consciousness or alleviate total dependence on intensive care, we propose such treatment be judged futile. This definition provides clear end points and encourages the profession to review data from the past and perform, prospective clinical studies that not only report treatments that work but also treatments that do not work. We have also argued that, in a variety of settings, physicians have no ordinary ethical obligation to offer futile interventions (Schneiderman et al. unpublished). Although physicians should inform, and discuss all decisions to withhold or withdraw medical treatments with patients, they need not obtain the patient's permission to desist from futile interventions.