cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sleep Characteristics in Hospitalized Antepartum Patients

ABSTRACT Objective To describe sleep characteristics in high-risk antepartum inpatients. Design Prospective descriptive design. Setting Tertiary hospital in southern California. Participants A convenience sample of 39 antepartum women. Methods Data were collected from participants' medical records, questionnaires (General Sleep Disturbance Scale), actigraphy on days 3 to 4 after admission, and a sleep diary that included reasons for awakening and morning and evening fatigue ratings. Results Week gestation ranged from 24 to 35 weeks. Sleep time varied from 310 to 492 minutes and averaged 6.7 hours/night. The women were awakened 9 to 32 times/night and averaged 18 awakenings. They napped an average of 124 minutes throughout the day. Women averaged 3.9 on the General Sleep Disturbance Scale when retrospectively considering 7 days before hospitalization and scored 4.1 when considering the current 3 days of hospitalization. In the diary, most rated their sleep quality as Fairly Good or Very Good (62%-71%), but 29% said Very Bad on night 2, and 38% said Very Bad on night 3. Conclusion Frequent interruptions during the night do not allow for mothers to receive the restorative sleep they need.
A genetic comparison of behavioral actions of ethanol and nicotine in the mirrored chamber

Human alcoholics are almost invariably heavy users of tobacco, perhaps because both ethanol and nicotine may have anxiolytic activity. However, studies in humans have not uniformly detected anxiolytic effects because significant individual differences in tolerance anxiolytic actions of these agents seem to exist. One factor that seems to contribute to these individual difference is tolerance to ethanol. Individuals who are more sensitive to depressant actions of alcohol seem to show anxiolytic actions more readily. Consequently, we examined the relative sensitivities of the ethanol-sensitive (to the anesthetic actions of ethanol) long-sleep (LS) and ethanol-resistant short-sleep (SS) mouse lines to diazepam, ethanol, nicotine, and ethanol-nicotine combinations in the mirrored chamber test. This test measures approach-conflict behavior. Ethanol and nicotine evoked changes in mirrored chamber activities that resembled those elicited by diazepam. These effects were seen at doses that did not markedly affect locomotor activity, thereby suggesting that these changes in behavior represent anxiolytic actions. The LS-SS mice did not differ in sensitivity to diazepam, but the SS were more uniformly responsive to the other drugs. Only the SS showed clear evidence for interactions between ethanol and nicotine. If the changes in mirrored chamber behavior elicited by ethanol, nicotine, and combinations of the two drugs occur because of anxiety reduction, it seems that the SS mouse line is more responsive to anxiolytic actions of these drugs.
An FGF-WNT gene regulatory network controls lung mesenchyme development

Lung mesenchyme is a critical determinant of the shape and size of the lung, the extent and patterning of epithelial branching, and the formation of the pulmonary vasculature and interstitial mesenchymal components of the adult lung. Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) is a critical regulator of lung mesenchymal growth; however, upstream mechanisms that modulate the FGF mesenchymal signal and the downstream targets of mesenchymal FGF signaling are poorly understood. Here we have identified a robust regulatory network in which mesenchymal FGF signaling regulates β-Catenin mediated WNT signaling in lung mesenchyme. By conditionally inactivating β-Catenin in lung mesenchyme, we show that mesenchymal WNT-β-Catenin signaling is essential for lung development and acts to regulate the cell cycle G1 to S transition and the FGF responsiveness of mesenchyme. Together, both FGF and WNT signaling pathways function to sustain mesenchymal growth and coordinate epithelial morphogenesis during the pseudoglandular stage of lung development.
Kinetic phase transitions and bistability in a model surface reaction I. Monte Carlo simulations

We have performed Monte Carlo simulations for a model of the surface-catalyzed 2A + B2 → 2AB reaction in which the surface reaction rate and the A surface diffusion rate are finite. The kinetic phase diagram for this model contains two poisoned phases and a reactive phase, separated by a continuous and a discontinuous kinetic phase transition. Above the discontinuous transition there is a region of near bistability in which the poisoned phase is stable and the reactive phase is strongly metastable. This regime exists in a very narrow band of impingement rates when there is no diffusion but becomes much broader when surface diffusion is fast. We present MC measurements of the range of the bistability when the diffusion and reaction rates are similar. The A diffusion rate is found to affect the bistable regime dramatically. The physical origin of this effect and its relation to experiments is analyzed. We further quantify the effects of diffusion on this reaction by measuring the surface lifetime and mobility of adsorbed A particles.
Multiple Exposure Holographic Display Of CT Medical Data

Although the process of computed axial tomography (CAT) yields data from a sample volume, the possibility of fully three-dimensional imaging is not yet exploited by present tomographic systems, which produce a set of planar images. Data from contiguous cross-sectional scans can be combined to provide simultaneous direct three-dimensional visualization of the volume. CT data can be used as an input to several holographic display techniques. We present results of one such technique, the incoherent superposition hologram made from individual planar CT cross-sections. The holographic images are arranged in order corresponding to the method in which they were recorded by the x-ray scanner. Incoherent superposition holography is an additive three-dimensional display, the eye views a volume of data as the sum of light sources from each image. Structure in one plane is less obscured by structure in other planes as compared to coherent holography, of nonholographic displays where light reaching the eye has been attenuated in a multiplicative manner. This type of hologram provides fully three-dimensional depth cues and the ability to focus onto individual cross-sectional images. The recording medium for the incoherent super-position hologram is a silver halide emulsion. The experimental procedure for synthesizing large format holograms is discussed, in particular the method for superimposing holograms that reconstruct images of equal brightness. A method for optimizing this procedure is presented along with the actual incoherent superposition holograms of CT data.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Transcending the Negative: Spiritual Struggles and Resilience in Older Female Trauma Survivors

Qualitative data were gathered during a spiritually focused intervention with older women. Participants (n = 36) had experienced some combination of childhood sexual or physical abuse, emotional abuse, domestic violence, and/or sexual assault over their life span. The women described an array of positive spiritual coping strategies, including their persistent action to find God by transcending negative or “man-made” images of God given to them by their religious traditions. They reported persistence in their faith journeys despite spiritual struggles with God, clergy, and their church communities. These findings have implications for mental health practitioners and clergy who work with older women.
Variably damped servomechanisms

VARIABLE DAMPING allows more efficient use of the inherent capabilities of the components making up a servomechanism. It becomes possible to obtain a considerable improvement over the dynamic performance of a linear servomechanism using the same components. It permits the designer to use lower amplifier gains and smaller servo motors, thereby saving space, weight, and electrical power. The stability of the servomechanism can be made less dependent on backlash because a lower gain error transducer can be used. The variation of the characteristics with amplifier gain is also quite small. The servomechanism will follow high velocity inputs almost as accurately as it follows low velocity inputs, and in addition, “ideal” transient response is possible with no overshoot and low settling time.
Economic Benefits of Improved Water Quality: Public Perceptions of Option and Preservation Values

The primary objective of this book is to report the authors′ research approach to the estimation of benefits of water quality improvements in the South Platte River of northeastern Colorado. Benefits included a “consumer surplus” from enhanced enjoyment of water-based recreation, an “option value” of assured choice of future recreation use, and a “preservation value” of the ecosystem and its bequest to future generations. Concepts such as preservation and option value benefits have been often mentioned but seldom estimated in natural resources research. The authors have met their objective by providing the reader with a detailed description of their research without being tedious.
Development of a Drosophila Cell-Based Error Correction Assay

Accurate transmission of the genome through cell division requires microtubules from opposing spindle poles to interact with protein super-structures called kinetochores that assemble on each sister chromatid. Most kinetochores establish erroneous attachments that are destabilized through a process called error correction. Failure to correct improper kinetochore-microtubule (kt-MT) interactions before anaphase onset results in chromosomal instability (CIN), which has been implicated in tumorigenesis and tumor adaptation. Thus, it is important to characterize the molecular basis of error correction to better comprehend how CIN occurs and how it can be modulated. An error correction assay has been previously developed in cultured mammalian cells in which incorrect kt-MT attachments are created through the induction of monopolar spindle assembly via chemical inhibition of kinesin-5. Error correction is then monitored following inhibitor wash out. Implementing the error correction assay in Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells would be valuable because kt-MT attachments are easily visualized and the cells are highly amenable to RNAi and high-throughput screening. However, Drosophila kinesin-5 (Klp61F) is unaffected by available small molecule inhibitors. To overcome this limitation, we have rendered S2 cells susceptible to kinesin-5 inhibitors by functionally replacing Klp61F with human kinesin-5 (Eg5). Eg5 expression rescued the assembly of monopolar spindles typically caused by Klp61F depletion. Eg5-mediated bipoles collapsed into monopoles due, in part, to kinesin-14 (Ncd) activity when treated with the kinesin-5 inhibitor S-trityl-L-cysteine (STLC). Furthermore, bipolar spindles reassembled and error correction was observed after STLC wash out. Importantly, error correction in Eg5-expressing S2 cells was dependent on the well-established error correction kinase Aurora B. This system provides a powerful new cell-based platform for studying error correction and CIN.
Ionic mechanism of shock-induced arrhythmias: Role of intracellular calcium

Background Strong electrical shocks can cause focal arrhythmias, the mechanism of which is not well known. Strong shocks have been shown to produce diastolic Ca i 2+ increase, which may initiate focal arrhythmias via spontaneous Ca i 2+ rise (SCR), activation of inward Na + /Ca 2+ exchange current (I NCX ), and rise in membrane potential (V m ). It can be hypothesized that this mechanism is responsible for generation of shock-induced arrhythmias. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the roles of SCRs and I NCX in shock-induced arrhythmias. Methods The occurrence of SCRs during shock-induced arrhythmias was assessed in neonatal rat myocyte cultures. Results Simultaneous V m -Ca i 2+ optical mapping at arrhythmia source demonstrated that V m upstrokes always preceded Ca i 2+ transients, and V m -Ca i 2+ delays were not different between arrhythmic and paced beats (5.5 ± 0.9 and 5.7 ± 0.4 ms, respectively, P = .5). Shocks caused gradual rise of diastolic Ca i 2+ consistent with membrane electroporation but no significant Ca i 2+ rises immediately before V m upstrokes. Application of the Ca i 2+ chelator BAPTA-AM (10 μmol/L) decreased the duration of shock-induced arrhythmias whereas application of the I NCX inhibitor KB-R7943 (2 μmol/L) increased it, indicating that, despite the absence of SCRs, changes in Ca i 2+ affected arrhythmias. It is hypothesized that this effect is mediated by Ca i 2+ inhibition of outward I K1 current and destabilization of resting V m . The possible role of I K1 was supported by application of the I K1 inhibitor BaCl 2 (0.2 mmol/L), which increased the arrhythmia duration. Conclusion Shock-induced arrhythmias in neonatal rat myocyte monolayers are not caused by SCRs and inward I NCX . However, these arrhythmias depend on Ca i 2+ changes, possibly via Ca i 2+ -dependent modulation of outward I K1 current.
Isolation and partial characterization of a polymorphic swine whey protein

Abstract 1. 1. Two polymorphic forms of a swine whey protein have been isolated, purified, and crystallized. 2. 2. The polymorphs show differences of electrophoretic mobility in alkaline gels despite the finding that the only compositional difference is in alanine and valine content. 3. 3. The proteins have a molecular weight of ∼ 18,000, isoionic point of 4.78–4.80, no sulphydryls, and C - and N -terminal valine. 4. 4. A case can be made that the proteins are homologous to ruminant β-lactoglobulin but not to α-lactalbumin.
Freely braided elements in Coxeter groups, II

We continue the study of freely braided elements of simply laced Coxeter groups, which we introduced in a previous work. A known upper bound for the number of commutation classes of reduced expressions for an element of a simply laced Coxeter group is shown to be achieved only when the element is freely braided; this establishes the converse direction of a previous result. It is also shown that a simply laced Coxeter group has finitely many freely braided elements if and only if it has finitely many fully commutative elements.
Some Potential Benefits and Costs of Cable Television

A REVIEW OF PREVIOUS STUDIES of the potential costs and benefits of cable television and the wired city indicates that the array of such potential benefits and costs is extensive and produced by complex economic circumstances and hence-at this stage of our knowledge, at least-not easily predictable. On this account I am persuaded that a cautionary and experimental approach to these aspects of cable television development is the best way to safeguard the interest of the general public.
Public Incentives, Market Motivations, and Contaminated Properties: New Public Management and Brownfield Liability Reform

Brownfields pose challenges to both communities and policy makers. Public funds are insufficient to remediate these contaminated sites, but, given the uncertainty of contamination and the complexity of liability, private interests are reluctant to become involved for fear of future litigation. From a New Public Management perspective, market incentives can be used to encourage private sector remediation of sites. However, this change implies a shift in administrative function from regulation to “getting the incentives right.” In this research, the authors investigate whether state and federal reforms aimed at increasing private sector involvement have actually done so, and they consider the implications for other goals of brownfield remediation, such as providing economic development assistance in communities where such change is needed. Findings show that developers respond to insurance and tax incentives, but the authors question whether public incentives are making unattractive redevelopment opportunities worth investing in or simply making profitable redevelopment opportunities more profitable.
Response to comment on Shore et al. Association between hyperglycemia at admission during hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction and subsequent diabetes: insights from the Veterans Administration Cardiac Care Follow-up Clinical Study. Diabetes Care 2014;37:409-418.

We thank Meloni et al. (1) for sharing their observations with us. As their study closely agrees with ours (2) in a different patient population, it reinforces the importance of identifying admission hyperglycemia as a possible marker of previously unrecognized or incident diabetes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Prior studies have shown the high …
Systemic lupus erythematosus: Recognition and management by the primary care physician

Abstract Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a disorder that primarily affects young to middle-aged women. It is a complex multisystem disease that can have very varied presentations. Typical manifestations of SLE include rash, oral ulcers, arthritis, Raynaud's phenomenon, alopecia, pleuropericarditis, and renal and central nervous system disease. However, the entire constellation of symptoms often is not present, and definitive diagnosis in early or atypical SLE can sometimes be difficult. Although the diagnosis of SLE is primarily clinical, it is often supported by the presence of specific autoantibodies. Recognition of the various signs and symptoms of SLE will allow the primary care physician to order appropriate screening tests and more specific serologies to help confirm the diagnosis. The antinuclear antibody is a useful screening test as it is found in more than 95 percent of patients with SLE, but its use is limited by its lack of specificity. Anti-double stranded DNA and anti-Smith antibodies are highly specific for SLE but are not found in all patients. Treatment and prognosis depend on the specific manifestations of the disease, with renal and central nervous system involvement generally being the most severe manifestations and requiring aggressive therapy.
Cerebellar morphology as a predictor of symptom and psychosocial outcome in schizophrenia

Abstract Background: In this study, we examined whether brain morphology assessed early in the course of schizophrenia predicted psychosocial or symptomatic outcome. Methods: We acquired magnetic resonance images on 63 subjects with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and manually traced regions of interest, including the cerebrum, temporal lobes, ventricles, and cerebellum. Subjects were then prospectively assessed every 6 months for an average of 7 years. Outcome symptom measures were longitudinal rather than cross-sectional, and included average number of weeks per year spent in a psychotic, negative, or disorganized symptom syndrome, and average number of weeks of inpatient treatment per year. A psychosocial outcome measure summed ratings of impairment in employment, recreation, sexual activity, and interpersonal relationships. Results: Negative associations were found between cerebellar volume and three outcome measures: negative and psychotic symptom duration, and psychosocial impairment. Conclusions: These results underscore the potential role of cerebellar abnormalities in the etiology and pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
Pastoralism on the margins: the decline and dispersal of herding on the Umba Nyika from 1800 to 1919

L'A. decrit dans cet article la region d'Afrique de l'Est, Umba Nyika, connue au 19eme siecle comme deserte, et caracterisee depuis comme vide et desolee. Mais ce vide etait partiel et temporaire : l'examen attentif de la dynamique de l'elevage pastoral revele les changements sociaux et eclaire les tensions et complexites du 20eme siecle
Sequence and analysis of the murine Hmgiy (Hmga1) gene locus.

Abstract The HMGIY non-histone proteins play important roles as architectural transcription factors that regulate gene transcription in mammalian cells and also act as host-supplied cofactors necessary for retroviral integration. The genes coding for the HMGIY proteins are proto-oncogenes, and their aberrant or over-expression is correlated with both neoplastic transformation and metastatic progression in a wide variety of tumors. Here, we report the first complete sequence of the murine Hmgiy (a.k.a. Hmga1) gene and provide a detailed comparison of this with the sequence and organization of the human HMGIY gene, including an analysis of its promoter region with the previously unreported 5′ upstream region of the human gene. These analyses reveal a remarkable degree of overall sequence conservation in both the protein coding and promoter regions of the murine and human genes, including conservation of the c-Myc binding site that has been demonstrated to regulate murine Hmgiy transcription ( Wood et al., 2000 . Mol. Cell. Biol. 20, 5490–5502). The promoters of both genes contain other conserved transcription factor binding sites that may also represent important cis-regulatory elements. Two exons present in the 5′ untranslated region of the human gene, however, are missing from the murine gene, suggesting that these two closely related mammalian species regulate transcription of their Hmgiy genes in an individualistic manner.
Altered serum α-D-mannosidase activity in mucolipidosis II and mucolipidosis III

Abstract Normal human serum contains at least three forms of α-D-mannosidase: an acidic form which has a pH optimum of 4.25, is inhibited by Co2+ and is thermostable; an intermediate form, which has a pH optimum of 5.6–5.7, is stimulated by Co2+ and is heat labile at 50°C; and a neutral form with a pH optimum of 6.0–6.5. In Mucolipidosis II and III sera, the acidic α-mannosidase activity persists while the intermediate activity is absent or altered. Heating the serum does not affect the pH activity curve, the electrofocusing profile or the response to Co2+ of α-mannosidase. During heat inactivation at 55°, 90–100% of the pH 5.6 α-mannosidase activity is lost in normal sera while less than 40% is lost from ML sera. The effect on sera from ML obligate heterozygotes is intermediate. The absent or altered intermediate mannosidase may be responsible for aberrant biochemical properties reported for other glycosidases in Mucolipidosis II and Mucolipidosis III.
The Dilemma of the Gifted Woman

The abilities of highly capable women have rarely received serious recognition, support, or guidance. Although there is increasing interest in attracting women to positions of social, political, ed...
Choosing suitable intercrops prior to pruning Sesbania hedgerows in an alley configuration

In the northern Rwandan Highlands, farming is intensive due to unavailability of land. A study was conducted to choose suitable intercrops with Sesbania for alley cropping prior to cutback of the shrub, a practice that would enable farmers to continuously crop their fields. Potato, pole bean, dwarf bean and maize were tested in 4-m alleys. The study concludes that pole bean is most appropriate while maize is the least preferred intercrop for a 6-month-old Sesbania. Yield losses of intercrops were attributed principally to shading by Sesbania hedges, but competition for nutrients and soil space as well as disease incidence are also possible.
Fiber-optic sensors for biomedical diagnostics

New forms of a biomedical sensor are under development in many commercial and academic research laboratories around the world. The use of fiber-optic sensors to solve medical problems is based on the unique advantages of optical fibers: small size, flexibility, and immunity to electromagnetic interference.
Chronic illness: trauma, language, and writing: breaking the silence.

In our work with families that struggle with a chronic illness, we have relied on three ideas. First, we regard illness as a relationally traumatizing experience, not just for the person with the illness, but for other members of the family as well. We use the phrase “relational trauma” because of its effects on members of a wider system who also show signs of physical stress, isolation, and helplessness (Sheinberg & Fraenkel, 2000). Our second concern is how the conversation that leads to new stories is expanded through the development of voice and the use of writing. Looking at language, we are particularly attentive to the social prevalence of negative metaphors that surround and engulf the ill person and her family: dependence, poor genes, repressed personalities, weak constitutions, et cetera (Sontag, 1984). These negative metaphors, or outside voices, join with the inner voices of the ill person and result in a silence that disconnects people at a time when connections must be relied on and above question. Our third emphasis is on the use of writing as the means to create new voices, metaphors, and multiple descriptions that can reinvigorate the conversations silenced by the illness. Once the family's voices are reconstituted through writing, the emotions that have been displaced by the illness are restored to their conversation. I have included new research from JAMA detailing the treatment of patients with chronic illness through their use of writing. I was 43 years old, a practicing, licensed psychologist for over 25 years, and happily married to the man with whom I was raising a 14-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter. I had just finished one year of treatment for cancer, a treatment the noted surgeon, Dr. Susan Love [citation omitted] refers to as “slash, cut, and burn.” My life was bleak and lonely because I lived in silence: certain that no one could bear to hear the feelings and thoughts I had following my year of treatment; unwilling to find out if I was right; certain that I needed to protect people from my experiences; and failing in those few times that I tried to put into words the chaos of my emotions and the terror that lived in my flesh. —Kaethe Weingarten (2000, p. 390)
Unexplained immunodeficiency in children: a surveillance report.

From Oct 1, 1982, to Oct 1, 1983, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) received reports of 35 children whose illness met the CDC definition of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). All of the children had serious opportunistic infections without a known underlying illness to explain susceptibility to the infections. The 35 children were residents of ten different states; cases clustered in five major metropolitan areas. Three of the children had a parent with AIDS, and one child who had been previously reported had received a blood transfusion from a person in whom AIDS later developed. Most of the children had at least one parent in a population group in which adult AIDS cases have occurred. Many of the children had histories of prodromal symptoms, including pneumonitis, lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, and oral thrush. The mean age at onset of illness was 5 months, and the mean age at diagnosis was 12 months. To determine whether opportunistic infection in children without underlying immunodeficiency was truly a new phenomenon, a review of requests to the CDC for the drug pentamidine isethionate was undertaken. This revealed an apparent increase from 1979 to 1983 inPneumocystis cariniipneumonia in children without known underlying immunodeficiency. (JAMA1984;252:639-644)
Transcoronary ethanol ventricular tachycardia ablation in the modern electrophysiology era.

Background Radiofrequency catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia (VT) may be unsuccessful when critical portions of the circuit cannot be interrupted with either endocardial or epicardial radiofrequency application. Objective We sought to investigate whether transcoronary ethanol ablation (TCEA) can be used as a therapy for patients with VT who have failed medications and radiofrequency ablation in the modern era. Methods Nine patients (7 men, 55 ± 9 years old, left ventricular ejection fraction 23% ± 8%, 2.2 ± 0.8 failed VT ablations) with at least 1 unsuccessful attempt at radiofrequency catheter ablation for symptomatic VT at our institution between 2000 and May 2007 underwent TCEA. The majority of patients had an ischemic cardiomyopathy (67%), and all patients had VT due to scar-related reentry. In the 7 patients with VT involving a septal scar, a septal perforator artery was a suitable target in 5 patients, whereas in the remaining patients, a distal branch of the circumflex and the conus branch of the right coronary artery were targeted. In the 2 patients in whom VT involved an inferior scar, a branch of the posterior descending artery was targeted. Results Acute success was obtained in 56% of patients (89% for clinical targeted VT). During a mean follow-up of 29 ± 23 months, 3 deaths occurred and 67% of the patients were free of recurrence. Conclusion TCEA may represent an option in patients with refractory VT in whom radiofrequency ablation fails, especially in cases of septal scar in which failure is thought to be caused by inability to provide adequate lesion depth.
Using the yeast gene deletion collection to customize gene expression

Substitute Teacher Despite the relative ease of genome manipulation in S. cerevisiae, researchers are always looking to learn still more convenient and rapid methods for substituting yeast promoter...
Sequencing formally defined reactions for robotic activity: integrating RAPS and GAPPS

Construction of robots which operate in unstructured environments has of late produced a number of approaches for transforming sensor readings into activity in the world. Most of these approaches provide no formal semantics for discussing the way in which the internal state of the robot maps to the desired state of the world. We have been investigating the use of the GAPPS programming language as a mechanism for defining robotic reactions. This work has resulted in the creation of reactive modules which mediate between discrete statements about world states to achieve or maintain and the required continuous activity. While relatively complex goals have been achieved with this approach, the syntax and semantics of the GAPPS language is inappropriate for complicated dynamically changing goals. As a result, we have begun investigating the use of Reactive Action Packages (RAPs) as a mechanism for sequencing the activation of GAPPS-based reactive skills. The motivation for using RAPs is twofold. First, the syntax and semantics of the RAPs language integrates smoothly with a traditional non-linear planning system, allowing the construction and execution of plans for increasingly complex tasks. Second, GAPPS-based reactions fulfill a missing component of a RAPs-based controller system, namely the transformation of discrete RAP primitives (e.g., (maintain grasp ?thing)) into continuous physical activity. This paper presents the approach we are taking and discusses some of the issues involved in integrating these two systems.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Infrared absorption by surface modes of an ionic crystal slab

Abstract A method for direct optical detection of the surface modes of an ionic crystal slab is suggested.
Gender differences in the dendritic tree of granule neurons in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of weaning age rats

Abstract The dendritic tree was quantified in granule cells from the dentate gyrus in rats at weaning age. While the number of dendritic branch segments was at adult levels, the length of dendritic segments was shorter than in adults. There were sex differences in the number of dendritic segments (female > male) but not in the length of individual segments or in the total length of the dendritic tree. Comparisons to adult sex differences indicate that the sex differences in the dendritic tree of weaning age rats are not permanent.
Deprotonation of the horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase-NAD+ complex controls formation of the ternary complexes.

Binding of NAD+ to wild-type horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase is strongly pH-dependent and is limited by a unimolecular step, which may be related to a conformational change of the enzyme−NAD+ complex. Deprotonation during binding of NAD+ and inhibitors that trap the enzyme−NAD+ complex was examined by transient kinetics with pH indicators, and formation of complexes was monitored by absorbance and protein fluorescence. Reactions with pyrazole and trifluoroethanol had biphasic proton release, whereas reaction with caprate showed proton release followed by proton uptake. Proton release (200−550 s-1) is a common step that precedes binding of all inhibitors. At all pH values studied, the rate constants for proton release or uptake matched those for formation of ternary complexes, and the most significant quenching of protein fluorescence (or perturbation of adenine absorbance at 280 nm) was observed for enzyme species involved in deprotonation steps. Kinetic simulations of the combined transient data for th...
Self-concept clarity and preferred coping styles.

This study examined the relation between self-concept clarity and (a) preferred general coping styles, (b) coping with a specific event, and (c) coping with a specific ongoing situation in 175 undergraduate students. The results of the regression analyses for general coping styles indicated that self-concept clarity made a reliable but weak positive contribution to active coping styles (e.g., planning and taking action) and a strong negative contribution to passive coping styles (e.g, denial). The unique negative contribution of self-concept clarity to passive coping was replicated with respect to coping with a specific event and to coping with a specific ongoing situation. However, the weaker positive contribution of self-concept clarity to active coping was not replicated with respect to coping with specific events or specific ongoing situations.
Effect of Hypoinsulinemia on Growth in the Fetal Rabbit

Insulin is an important regulatory hormone in the control of fetal growth. In a fetal rabbit model, a non-ruminant species, the effects of insulin deprivation on glucose, growth and protein metabolism
Age structuring and the lives of abandoned children.

The article analyzes age structuring in foundling homes in Italian cities, and shows how the authorities who founded and ran the homes applied age criteria differently in different places. The age of the child was an important criterion for determining how long authorities rendered payments to foster parents, as well as when children were judged to have become economically independent. Variation was considerable. Payments to foster parents differed in size and timing throughout the areas examined. Boys were judged to have become independent earlier than girls. Those who never married often extended their foundling status into old age. The existence of such differing thresholds was linked to relative wealth of institutions and to their location—urban or rural, North or South—and had dramatic consequences for people involved.
Volatilization and sorption of dissolved mercury by metallic iron of different particle sizes: implications for treatment of mercury contaminated water effluents.

Abstract Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the interactions between metallic iron particles and mercury (Hg) dissolved in aqueous solutions. The effect of bulk zero valent iron (ZVI) particles was tested by use of (i) granular iron and (ii) iron particles with diameters in the nano-size range and referred to herein as nZVI. The results show that the interactions between Hg n + and Fe 0 are dominated by Hg volatilization and Hg adsorption; with Hg adsorption being the main pathway for Hg removal from solution. Hg adsorption kinetic studies using ZVI and nZVI resulted in higher rate constants ( k ) for nZVI when k values were expressed as a function of mass of iron used (day −1 g −1 ). In contrast, ZVI showed higher rates of Hg removal from solution when k values were expressed as a function iron particles’ specific surface area (g m −2 day −1 ). Overall, nZVI particles had a higher maximum sorption capacity for Hg than ZVI, and appeared to be an efficient adsorbent for Hg dissolved in aqueous solutions.
N+2 and CO+ in Comets 122P/1995 S1 (deVico) and C/1995 O1 (Hale–Bopp)

We observed Comets 122P/1995 S1 (deVico) and C/1995 O1 (Hale–Bopp) with high spectral resolving power in order to determine the ratio of N+2/CO+ in their comae. While we clearly detected the CO+ in both of these comets, no N+2 was detected in either comet. From these spectra, we derive sensitive upper limits for N+2/CO+. These upper limits are substantially below other reported detections of N+2/CO+ in other comets. We discuss the prior N+2 detections and compare them with our observations. The abundance of N2 in comets is important to our understanding of the condensation of ices in the solar nebula. In addition, N2 is a tracer of Ar so the study of N2 allows an understanding of the role of comets for delivering volatiles to the terrestrial planets. It appears that many, if not most, comets are depleted in N2 and it will be necessary to search for a mechanism for depleting this molecule in order to be consistent with current models of the solar nebula.
Low-bit-rate generalized quad-tree motion compensation algorithm and its optimal encoding schemes

Quad-tree structured motion-compensation technique effectively utilizes the motion content of a frame as opposed to fixed size block motion compensation technique. In this paper, we propose a novel quad-tree-structured region-wise motion compensation technique that divides a frame into equivalent triangle blocks using the quad-tree structure. Arbitrary partition shapes are achieved by allowing 4-to-1, 3-to-1 and 2-1 merge/combine of sibling blocks having the same motion vector. We propose an optimal code scheme and a temporal predictive coding for the quad- tree. Simulation results show that our techniques reduce the bit rate by 40% as compared to other methods.
Effects of annotations on student readers and writers

Recent research on annotations has focused on how readers annotate texts, ignoring the question of how reading annotations might affect subsequent readers of a text. This paper reports on a study of persuasive essays written by 123 undergraduates receiving primary source materials annotated in various ways. Findings indicate that annotations improve Findings indicate that annotations improve recall of emphasized items, influence how specific arguments in the source materials are perceived, decrease students' tendencies to unnecessarily summarize. Of particular interest is that students' perceptions of the annotator appeared to greatly influence how they responded to the annotated material. Using this study as a basis, I discuss implications for the design and implementation of digitally annotated materials.
Pregnancy-Induced Changes in Renin Gene Expression in Mice

A puzzling feature of the renin-angiotensin system during pregnancy is the appearance in the maternal circulation of a large increase in the concentration of prorenin and renin. The physiologic role of these changes is not understood. We determined that high levels of renin protein occur in the circulation of pregnant mice, thereby establishing the mouse as a valuable model for understanding gestation-induced changes in the renin-angiotensin system. We used the murine model to show that high levels of renin gene expression occur at the mother-fetus interface, first in maternal decidua and subsequently in placentas. These results were obtained using ICR mice that have 2 related renin genes, Ren1 and Ren2. We also examined renin gene expression in C57Bl/6 mice that have only the Ren1 gene. In these mice, very little renin gene expression was observed in placentas but instead was upregulated in kidneys during pregnancy. In both ICR and C57Bl/6 mice, there is an increase in renin protein in the maternal circulation during pregnancy. However, these mice differ with regard to gestation-induced sites of increased renin gene expression. These studies suggest that mice are a convenient and valuable model for studying renin gene expression during pregnancy.
Generation and enrichment of C4d in whole serum

A comparison of two methods of generation of C4d (the degradation product of complement component C4) and a method for the preparation of an enriched serum fraction of this fragment are presented.
Aggregation of diatom bloom in a mesocosm: Bulk and individual particle optical measurements

Optical measurements were acquired during a controlled, diatom-dominated, phytoplankton bloom and aggregation event engineered in a 1200 liter laboratory mesocosm. Observations included beam attenuation (c) at 660 nm and particle absorption spectra for phytoplankton and detritus. Despite intense bloom conditions in the mesocosm (chlorophyll a concentrations exceeding 165 mg/l and c exceeding 9 m-1), most optical parameters covaried linearly with biochemical parameters. There were significant positive correlations for dry mass versus the particle attenuation coefficient (cp) at 660 nm, particulate organic carbon versus the computed particle scattering coefficient (bp) at 660 nm, and chlorophyll a versus the measured particulate absorption coefficient (ap) at 660 nm, and chlorophyll a versus the measured absorption coefficient for phytoplankton (a.) at 673 run. Multiple-component model simulations of optical and biochemical measurements accurately predicted particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate organic nitrogen (PON), and chlorophyll a concentrations using cp and ap measurements. Similar equations for cp and ap estimates using the biochemical measurements are also presented. New commercially available instruments to measure c(λ) and a(λ) should make remote PON, POC, and Chl a estimates practical upon measurements of site-specific relationships similar to those presented here.
TWO DIASTEREOISOMERIC α, β-DIAMINOBUTYRIC ACIDS FROM AMPHOMYCIN

Acid hydrolysis of the peptide antibiotic amphomycinliberates a group of five basic amino acids. The major components of this mixture were isolated in pure form and identified as L, -threo-α, β-diaminobutyric acid and D-erythro-α, β-diaminobutyric acid. Both occur in the parent molecule. The basic amino acids present in minor amounts are also discussed.
Knockout of the Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 Gene Results in Neonatal Death and Supersensitivity to Cocaine and Amphetamine

Vesicular monoamine transporters are known to transport monoamines from the cytoplasm into secretory vesicles. We have used homologous recombination to generate mutant mice lacking the vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), the predominant form expressed in the brain. Newborn homozygotes die within a few days after birth, manifesting severely impaired monoamine storage and vesicular release. In heterozygous adult mice, extracellular striatal dopamine levels, as well as K+- and amphetamine-evoked dopamine release, are diminished. The observed changes in presynaptic homeostasis are accompanied by a pronounced supersensitivity of the mice to the locomotor effects of the dopamine agonist apomorphine, the psychostimulants cocaine and amphetamine, and ethanol. Importantly, VMAT2 heterozygous mice do not develop further sensitization to repeated cocaine administration. These observations stress the importance of VMAT2 in the maintenance of presynaptic function and suggest that these mice may provide an animal model for delineating the mechanisms of vesicular release, monoamine function, and postsynaptic sensitization associated with drug abuse.
Analysis of the Rydberg character of the 5 d 7 d D 2 1 state of barium

The $5d7d^{1}D_{2}$ state of barium is configuration mixed with the 6snd Rydberg series. This work examines the larger-$r$ behavior of the Rydberg character of the mixed-state wave function by projecting it experimentally onto a series of known Rydberg states, $6{P}_{\frac{1}{2}}\mathrm{nd}$, $J=3$. Results agree with calculations based on the quantum-defect characterization of the wave function. This work also presents an analytical approximation to the radial-wave-function overlap integral between Rydberg states of arbitrary energy.
A tribute to George F. Vande Woude, a man of character: 2006 Scientific Symposium Winning the War against Cancer: from Genomics to Bedside and Back.

In April 2006, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences announced the election of new Fellows and Foreign Honorary Members to its illustrious roster. Included among the honored were former Presidents of the United States George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts,
Worsening Central Sarcopenia and Increasing Intra-Abdominal Fat Correlate with Decreased Survival in Patients with Adrenocortical Carcinoma

Accurate prediction of survival from adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is difficult and current staging models are unreliable. Central sarcopenia as part of the cachexia syndrome is a marker of frailty and predicts mortality. This study seeks to confirm that psoas muscle density (PMD), lean psoas muscle area (LPMA), lumbar skeletal muscle index (LSMI), and intra-abdominal (IA) or subcutaneous fat (SC) can be used in combination to more accurately predict survival in ACC patients. PMD, LPMA, IA, and SC fat were measured on serial CT scans of patients with ACC. Clinical outcome was correlated with quantitative data from patients with ACC and analyzed. A linear regression model was used to describe the relationship between PMD, LPMA, LSMI, IA, and SC fat, time to recurrence, and length of survival according to tumor stage. One hundred twenty-five ACC patients (94 females) were treated from 2005 to 2011. Significant morphometric predictors of survival include PMD, LPMA, and IA fat (p ≤ 0.0001, ≤0.0024, <0.0001, respectively) and improve prediction of survival compared to using stage alone. A 100-mm2 increase in LPMA confers an 8 % lower hazard of death. LSMI does not change significantly between stages (p = 0.3196). Decreased PMD, LPMA, and increased IA fat suggest decreased survival in ACC patients and correlate with traditional staging systems. A more precise prediction of survival may be achieved when staging systems and morphometric measures are used in combination. Serial measurements of morphometric data are possible. The rate of change of these variables over time may be more important than the absolute value.