cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-contact optical measurement of lens capsule thickness during simulated accommodation

Purpose: To non-invasively measure the thickness of the anterior and posterior lens capsule, and to determine if it significantly changes during accommodation. Methods: Anterior and posterior capsule thickness was measured on post-mortem lenses using a non-contact optical system using a focus-detection technique. The optical system uses a 670nm laser beam delivered to a single-mode fiber coupler. The output of the fiber coupler is focused on the tissue surface using an aspheric lens (NA=0.68) mounted on a translation stage with a motorized actuator. Light reflected from the sample surface is collected by the fiber coupler and sent to a photoreceiver connected to a computer-controlled data acquisition system. Optical intensity peaks are detected when the aspheric lens is focused on the capsule boundaries. The capsule thickness is equal to the distance traveled between two peaks multiplied by the capsule refractive index. Anterior and posterior lens capsule thickness measurements were performed on 18 cynomolgus (age average: 6±1 years, range: 4-7 years) eyes, 1 rhesus (age: 2 years) eye, and 12 human (age average: 65±16, range: 47-92) eyes during simulated accommodation. The mounted sample was placed under the focusing objective of the optical system so that the light was incident on the center pole. Measurements were taken of the anterior lens capsule in the unstretched and the stretched 5mm states. The lens was flipped, and the same procedure was performed for the posterior lens capsule. Results: The precision of the optical system was determined to be ±0.5um. The resolution is 4um and the sensitivity is 52dB. The human anterior lens capsule thickness was 6.0±1.2um unstretched and 4.9±0.9um stretched (p=0.008). The human posterior lens capsule was 5.7±1.2um unstretched and 5.7±1.4um stretched (p=0.974). The monkey anterior lens capsule thickness was 5.9±1.9um unstretched and 4.8±1.0um stretched (p=0.002). The monkey posterior lens capsule was 5.9±2.0um unstretched and 5.1±1.3um stretched (p=0.128). Conclusions: The results indicate that the primate anterior lens capsule thickness changes during accommodation.
Statins—Treatment option for central nervous system autoimmune disease?

Statins, inhibitors of the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, are well-established agents to lower cholesterol levels and prevent cardiovascular morbidity. Independent of their lipid-lowering properties, statins have been shown to exert pleiotropic immunomodulatory effects in various animal models of human autoimmune disease. In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a murine model for multiple sclerosis, statins prevented disease onset and even reversed paralysis when treatment was initiated after experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis was fully established. Furthermore, well-tolerated oral statins were recently shown to exert synergistic benefit in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in combination with existing agents for multiple sclerosis therapy. Based primarily on these encouraging results, statins are now being tested in clinical trials as a mono-therapy for multiple sclerosis, as well as in combination with approved disease-modifying therapies.
Roughness scaling for Edwards-Wilkinson relaxation in small-world networks.

Motivated by a fundamental synchronization problem in scalable parallel computing and by a recent criterion for ``mean-field'' synchronizability in interacting systems, we study the Edwards-Wilkinson model on two variations of a small-world network. In the first version each site has exactly one random link of strength $p$, while in the second one each site on average has $p$ links of unit strength. We construct a perturbative description for the width of the stationary-state surface (a measure of synchronization), in the weak- and sparse-coupling limits, respectively, and verify the results by performing exact numerical diagonalization. The width remains finite in the limit of infinite system size for both cases, but exhibits anomalous scaling with $p$ in the latter for $d\ensuremath{\le}2$.
Gas-Liquid Chromatography of Niacin and Niacinamide

A procedure has been developed for the qualitative and quantitative determination of niacin and niacinamide by gas-liquid chromatography. Niacin was determined as its ethyl ester (ethyl nicotinate) or as N -ethylnicotinamide. Niacinamide was determined as niacinamide or converted to either ethyl nicotinate or N -ethylnicotinamide. An immobile biphase of 2.5 percent NPGS–10 percent SE-30 was the most satisfactory immobile phase evaluated. The results revealed that, in general, this sensitive gas-liquid chromatographic method could detect 5, 8, and 10 ng. of ethyl nicotinate, N -ethylnicotinamide, and niacinamide, respectively, using the hydrogen flame-ionization detector. The β -argon ionization detector (Ra 226 ) detected 15, 20, and 25 ng. of each compound, respectively. It was found that increasing quantities of ethyl nicotinate, N -ethylniacinamide, and niacinamide gave linear responses.
Assuming a body: Transgender and rhetorics of materiality, by Gayle Salamon

Assuming a body: Transgender and rhetorics of materiality, by Gayle Salamon, New York, Columbia University Press, 2010, 176 pp., US$24.50. ISBN 9780231149594 Assuming a body, Gayle Salamon's philos...
The origin and maintenance of nuclear endosperms: viewing development through a phylogenetic lens.

The endosperm develops in fertilized ovules of angiosperms following fertilization of the central cell and nuclei in the female gametophyte. Endosperms differ in whether, and which, nuclear divisions are followed by cellular divisions; the variants are classified as cellular, nuclear or helobial. Functional correlates of this variation are little understood. Phylogenetic methods provide a powerful means of exploring taxonomic variation and phylogenetic patterns, to frame questions regarding biological processes. Data on endosperms across angiosperms were analysed in a phylogenetic context in order to determine homologies and detect biases in the direction of evolutionary transitions. Analyses confirm that neither all nuclear nor all helobial endosperms are homologous, raise the possibility that cellular development is a reversal in some derived angiosperms (e.g. asterids) and show that a statistically significant bias towards evolution of nuclear endosperms (and against reversals) prevails in angiosperms as a whole. This bias suggests strong selective advantages to having nuclear endosperm, developmental constraints to reversals or both. Homologies suggest that the microtubular cycle and cellularization pattern characteristic of reproductive cells across land plants may have been independently co-opted during multiple origins of nuclear endosperms, but information on cellular endosperms is essential to investigate further.
Differences in Factor Structures of Cognitive Functioning of Learning Disabled (LD) and Emotionally Handicapped (EH) Children

Previous empirical studies have been inconsistent in the identification of cognitive differences between learning disabled (LD) and emotionally handicapped (EH) children on psychoeducational assessment batteries. Furthermore, studies using multivariate procedures such as discriminant analysis have failed to verify the basic underlying assumption of homogeneity of variance-covariance matrices of the groups. Homogeneity of covariance can be assessed by comparing factor structures of the groups. This study investigated the cognitive differences between LD and EH children on a psychoeducational assessment battery including the WISC-R, WRAT Arithmetic, and PIAT Reading Recognition, Comprehension, and Mathematics subtests, typically used to identify the two exceptionalities. Differences in factor structures were investigated in an effort to clarify group differences in cognitive functioning and to investigate the utility of multivariate analyses such as discriminant analysis with these two groups of children. T...
Relationships among macerals, minerals, miospores and paleoecology in a column of Redstone coal (Upper Pennsylvanian) from north-central West Virginia (U.S.A.)

Abstract Two distinct paleoenvironments are represented in vertical succession in a column of Redstone coal in north-central West Virginia as indicated by a study of 37 consecutive 3-cm (0.1 ft) increments analyzed for ash yield, petrographic composition, low-temperature ash mineralogy and palynomorph abundances. Abundance profiles were constructed for ash, 12 petrographic components, 3 minerals and 5 miospore assemblages. The profiles and calculated correlation coefficients show close relationships between several constituents. Components that increased in abundance upward in the coal bed were a collinite type > 50 microns in thickness, cutinite, and miospores affiliated with calamites, herbaceous lycopods, cordaites and herbaceous ferns. Components that decreased in abundance upward were a collinite type 50 μm in thickness, cutinite, calamite and cordaite miospores and kaolinite. Significant correlations occurred between ash yield and the collinite types > 50 and
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Cybotactic Region in Gas-Expanded Methanol−Carbon Dioxide and Acetone−Carbon Dioxide Mixtures

Local solvation and transport effects in gas-expanded liquids (GXLs) are reported based on molecular simulation. GXLs were found to exhibit local density enhancements similar to those seen in supercritical fluids, although less dramatic. This approach was used as an alternative to a multiphase atomistic model for these mixtures by utlilizing experimental results to describe the necessary fixed conditions for a locally (quasi-) stable molecular dynamics model of the (single) GXL phase. The local anisotropic pair correlation function, orientational correlation functions, and diffusion rates are reported for two systems: CO2-expanded methanol and CO2-expanded acetone at 298 K and pressures up to 6 MPa.
Epithelial myosin light chain kinase expression and activity are upregulated in inflammatory bowel disease

The intestinal epithelial barrier is frequently disrupted in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and this has been proposed to play a role in disease pathogenesis and reactivation. In vitro studies show that cytokine-induced epithelial barrier dysfunction can be mediated by increased myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) expression and subsequent myosin II regulatory light chain (MLC) phosphorylation. However, this has never been examined in human disease. The aim of these studies, therefore, was to determine whether MLCK is upregulated in the intestinal epithelium of IBD patients. MLCK expression and MLC phosphorylation in human intestinal resection and biopsy specimens were determined by quantitative immunofluorescence microscopy and correlated with clinical and histopathological data. The data show that ileal epithelial MLCK expression was mildly upregulated in inactive IBD. Expression increased further in active disease, with progressive increases in MLCK expression correlating positively with histological disease activity. This correlation between activity and MLCK expression was also seen in individual patients where areas of differing disease activity were analyzed. Colonic epithelial MLCK expression was similarly increased in active IBD and these increases also correlated positively with disease activity, both in individual patients and the overall study group. To evaluate MLCK enzymatic activity, MLC phosphorylation was assessed in snap-frozen colon biopsies. MLC phosphorylation was significantly increased in biopsies with active, but not inactive, IBD. Therefore, these data show that MLCK expression and enzymatic activity are increased in IBD. Moreover, the correlation with disease activity suggests that MLCK upregulation may contribute to barrier dysfunction and IBD pathogenesis.
Early verbal disability in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

SUMMARY The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) was administered to 53 young, ambulatory boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Early verbal disability, as reflected by low verbal IQ, was identified as a common characteristic. However, there appeared to be two patterns of intellectual performance among these young children. For one group only verbal ability was impaired, while both verbal and non-verbal skills were impaired in the second group. These different patterns of performance could not be accounted for on the basis of age or degree of physical disability. Methodological considerations for the study of neuropsychological characteristics of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients are discussed. RESUME Deficience verbale precoce dans la myopathie de Duchenne Le test de Wechsler pour enfants (WISC) a ete administre a 53 garcons atteints de myopathie de Duchenne, pouvant encore se deplacer. La deficience verbale precoce traduite par un QI verbal bas est apparue une caracteristique commune. Cependant, deux groupements de performances intellectuelles chez les jeunes enfants atteints de myopathie sont apparus. Dans un premier groupe, seule l'efficience verbale etait diminuee alors que dans un second groupe, les efficiences verbales et non verbales etaient toutes les deux basses. Ces differents schemas de performance intellectuelle ne sont influences ni par l'âge, ni par le degre de handicap moteur. Des considerations methodologiques pour l'etude des caracteristiques neuropsychologiques chez les myopathes type Duchenne sont discutees. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Sprachschwierigkeiten in den Fruhstadien der Duchenne Muskeldystrophie Verbal (VIQ) and Handlungs-Intelligenzquotient von 53 Knaben mit Duchenne Muskeldystrophie wurden bestimmt. Der VIQ war bis auf drei Ausnahmen stets unter 100. Hinsichtlich Handlungs IQ liess sich das Krankengut in zwei Kategorien einteilen. In einer Kategorie war nur der VIQ erniedrigt, in der andern Kategorie waren VIQ and HIQ erniedrigt. Alter und Schweregrad der Muskeldystrophie waren in beiden Kategorien gleich. Die Methodologie zur Erforschung neuropsychologischer Symptome bei der Duchenne Muskedystrophie wird kurz eroertert. RESUMEN Disabilidad verbal precoz en la distrofia muscular de Duchenne Se administro la escala de inteligencia de Wechsler para ninos a 53 muchachos ambulatorios con distrofia muscular de Duchenne. Se identifico como una caracteristica comun la disabilidad verbal precoz, reflejada en un CI verbal bajo. Sin embargo aparecieron dos esquemas de comportamiento intelectual en ninos jovenes con distrofia muscular de Duchenne. En un grupo de ninos solamente estaba disminuida la habilidad verbal, mientras que en un segundo grupo estaban disminuidas la habilidad verbal y la no-verbal. Estos esquemas diferentes de realizacion podrian no estar en relacion con la edad o la minusvalia fisica. Se discuten unas consideraciones metodologicas para el estudio de las caracteristicas neuropsicologicas de los pacientes con distrofia muscular de Duchenne.
A PRECONDITIONED CONJUGATE GRADIENT METHOD FOR NONSELFADJOINT OR INDEFINITE ORTHOGONAL SPLINE COLLOCATION PROBLEMS

We study the computation of the orthogonal spline collocation solution of a linear Dirichlet boundary value problem with a nonselfadjoint or an indefinite operator of the form $Lu=\sum a_{ij}(x)u_{x_ix_j}+\sum b_i(x) u_{x_i}+c(x)u$. We apply a preconditioned conjugate gradient method to the normal system of collocation equations with a preconditioner associated with a separable operator, and prove that the resulting algorithm has a convergence rate independent of the partition step size. We solve a problem with the preconditioner using an efficient direct matrix decomposition algorithm. On a uniform N × N partition, the cost of the algorithm for computing the collocation solution within a tolerance $\epsilon$ is O$(N^{2}\ln N |\ln \epsilon|)$.
Isolation and characterization of plasma and smooth membranes of the marine diatom Nitzschia alba.

Abstract A procedure is described for isolating plasma, smooth and other cellular membranes from hypotonically lysed protoplasts of the marine diatom, Nitzschia alba . From starting material of approximately 10 g wet weight (10 10 cells), about 168 mg (organic weight) of a membrane-enriched fraction, exclusive of mitochondria, is obtained by differential centrifugation. From this, six membrane fractions are separated on a discontinuous sucrose gradient by isopycnic centrifugation. The plasma membranes, from the density region 1.23-1.29 g/cc, consist of small vesicles and sheets. They are purified approximately 20-fold, based on the increase in specific activity of a (Na + -K + -Mg 2+ )-ATPase, an enzyme found predominantly in these membranes. They also contain the highest specific and total activity of a (Mg 2+ )-ATPase and, in addition, are distinguished chemically by their high sterol specific content and high molar ratio of sterol/phospholipid (0.792-0.854). The carbohydrate/ protein ratio (0.070-0.072) is appreciably lower than that of the smooth membranes. The smooth membranes separate into two distinct fractions, a light and heavy component, which occur at the top of the sucrose gradient in densities of 1.13 and 1.18 g/cc, respectively. Both fractions are composed of relatively large membrane vesicles and membrane sheets and are distinguished from other membrane fractions by an exceptionally high carbohydrate/protein ratio (0.194-0.294). The light component shows the highest specific content of lipid, phospholipid, neutral lipid, carbohydrate, sialic acid, and RNA, and the highest specific activity of NADPH cytochrome c reductase, 5′-nucleotidase and phosphodiesterase compared to the other five fractions. It shows the lowest Na + plus K + stimulation of the (Mg 2+ )-ATPase. This fraction is probably enriched in endoplasmic reticulum. The heavy component contains some Golgi-like vesicles, sacs and tubules. It is characterized by the highest total content of chemical constituents analyzed, with the exception of RNA, and by the highest specific activity of thiamine pyrophosphatase, uridine diphosphatase, acid and alkaline phosphatase, and glucose-6-phosphatase, suggesting that this component is enriched in Golgi membranes approximately 13-fold. A most striking feature of these diatom membranes is the presence in all fractions of (Mg 2+ )-ATPase activity which is stimulated 5- to 10-fold by the presence of equimolar Na 2+ plus K + . The data clearly differentiate these membrane fractions from each other as well as from membranes prepared from animal cells.
Bifurcation phenomena in FitzHugh's nerve conduction equations

Abstract We consider the second order nonlinear ordinary differential equations developed by FitzHugh to simplify the fourth order current clamped Hodgkin-Huxley nerve conduction equations. We demonstrate the bifurcation, direction, and stability of a family of small periodic solutions as the current parameter I passes through a critical value. Arguments are given which suggest that this family grows to become a large periodic solution, then shrinks, collapsing onto the steady state as I passes through a second critical value. The usefulness of these results in studying the Hodgkin-Huxley equations is discussed.
Notes on the Anatomy of Rhytidoponera Convexa Mayr (“Violacea” Forel) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

The ponerine ant genus Rhytidoponera is a very interesting one in a number of respects. It comprises a large series of described forms (and probably a number as yet undescribed) primarily of Australian and Papuasian habitat, but including species distributed as far to the east as New Caledonia and westward to the southern Philippines. Since the first description of the genus by Mayr (1862) its close affinities with the New World Ectatommini have been recognized—indeed Mayr treated the group as a subgenus of Ectatomma. Like the members of that genus in the New World, Rhytidoponera is warm-temperate to tropical in its distribution, but within these limitations it occupies an exceedingly wide range of environments. Arboreal species are to be found nesting in wet masses of epiphytic ferns a hundred feet from the ground in the rain forests of northern Queensland, while other species, superficially not dissimilar, are at home in the deserts of Central Australia.
Response of the Soil Microbial Community to Changes in Precipitation in a Semiarid Ecosystem

Microbial communities regulate many belowground carbon cycling processes; thus, the impact of climate change on the structure and function of soil microbial communities could, in turn, impact the release or storage of carbon in soils. Here we used a large-scale precipitation manipulation (+18%, -50%, or ambient) in a pinon-juniper woodland (Pinus edulis-Juniperus monosperma) to investigate how changes in precipitation amounts altered soil microbial communities as well as what role seasonal variation in rainfall and plant composition played in the microbial community response. Seasonal variability in precipitation had a larger role in determining the composition of soil microbial communities in 2008 than the direct effect of the experimental precipitation treatments. Bacterial and fungal communities in the dry, relatively moisture-limited premonsoon season were compositionally distinct from communities in the monsoon season, when soil moisture levels and periodicity varied more widely across treatments. Fungal abundance in the drought plots during the dry premonsoon season was particularly low and was 4.7 times greater upon soil wet-up in the monsoon season, suggesting that soil fungi were water limited in the driest plots, which may result in a decrease in fungal degradation of carbon substrates. Additionally, we found that both bacterial and fungal communities beneath pinon pine and juniper were distinct, suggesting that microbial functions beneath these trees are different. We conclude that predicting the response of microbial communities to climate change is highly dependent on seasonal dynamics, background climatic variability, and the composition of the associated aboveground community.
Soft Tactile Sensor Arrays for Force Feedback in Micromanipulation

This paper describes the design, fabrication, and experimental validation of a soft tactile sensor array for submillimeter contact localization and contact force measurement in micromanipulation. The geometry and placement of conductive liquid microchannels embedded within the elastic sensor body are optimized to provide high sensitivity for representative micromanipulation tasks and to overcome functional limitations seen in previous soft tactile sensor research. Mechanical testing of the numerically optimized sensor prototype demonstrates sensitivity to normal contact forces of and submillimeter contact localization resolution. Tactile sensing experiments demonstrate the ability to infer the abstract geometries and motions of objects imparting force on the sensor surface by analyzing microchannel deformation patterns.
Investigation of the Effects of Hydroalcoholic Solutions on Textural and Rheological Properties of Various Controlled Release Grades of Hypromellose

Hypromellose (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, HPMC) matrices are widely used in the formulation of sustained release dosage forms. The integrity and performance of an HPMC matrix formulation depends on rapid hydration and gel formation upon ingestion. Due to the recent alert issued by the Food and Drug Administration regarding the potential negative influence of alcoholic beverages on extended release (ER) formulations, several researchers have evaluated the potential influence of hydroalcoholic media on drug release from ER dosage forms. It has been reported that HPMC matrix formulations do not show “dose dumping” in hydroalcoholic media. The purpose of this study was a fundamental investigation on the effect of hydroalcoholic solutions (0–40% v/v ethanol) on textural and rheological properties of different viscosity grades of neat HPMC, as the functional ingredient within a hydrophilic matrix. In general, hydroalcoholic solutions had little effect on gel formation and mechanical properties of hydrated compacts, while the rheological behavior of HPMC showed dependency on the ethanol content of such solutions.
Concurrent copper and iron deficiency in a gastric bypass patient: a great mimicker of MDS

![Figure][1] A 66-year-old woman with a history of obesity status post–gastric bypass presented with pancytopenia and no evidence of myeloneuropathy. A bone marrow biopsy was performed to exclude myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and showed no excess blasts and several vacuolated granulocytic
The Kyma/Platypus Computer Music Workstation

The Kyma/Platypus workstation is a graphic environment integrating sound synthesis, computeraided composition, and digital audio signal processing. All sound generation and processing is done in software, and each copy of the system can be modified and extended by the composer using it. Kyma is a language based on Sound objects; it is written in Smalltalk-80, running on an Apple Macintosh II. Real-time software synthesis is provided by the Platypus, a digital signal processor designed and built at the University of Illinois. The Kyma/Platypus framework is flexible enough to support such application areas as composition, systematic musicology, digital audio post-processing, sound track production, psychoacoustics, digital signal processing, the design of test signals, communications research, the sonic representation of scientific data-in short, any application requiring the interactive design of highquality digital audio signals. Three factors contribute to the flexibility of this system: (1) the choice of Sound objects rather than standard music notation as the representation for musical signals, (2) the choice of Smalltalk-80 rather than a compiled procedural language as the programming environment, and (3) the choice of a programmable digital signal processor (rather than a hardwired synthesizer) for the production of sound.
Kinetic and Thermal Characterization of the Hydrolysis of Polysuccinimide

The kinetics of the base hydrolysis of polysuccinimide in an aqueous slurry were studied with temperatures ranging from 31 to 72 °C and pH's from 8.0 to 10.5. At the higher temperatures and lower pH values, the results are described adequately by a shrinking core model that is first order with respect to hydroxyl concentration and particle surface area. Temperature effects were modeled with an Arrhenius equation, which indicates an activation energy of 35 kJ/mol. In separate experiments, the heat of reaction was determined to be 38.5 kJ/mol.
Generalized Feasibility Evaluation of Equilibrated Quaternary Reactive Distillation Systems

This article addresses a general feasibility evaluation method for quaternary reactive distillation based on a feasibility study of isomolar reactions. With an arbitrary reaction stoichiometry and feed ratio, the general algorithm can be applied to evaluate the feasibility of a double-feed reactive distillation column. The feasibility evaluation relies on the desired directions of column composition profiles for reaching pure products or achieving complete reaction conversion without performing rigorous stage calculations. Critical composition regions (CCRs) are defined as the areas in which thermodynamic constraints force composition profiles to travel in infeasible directions. After the CCRs have been identified, material balance is imposed to determine whether composition profiles can move in desired directions in terms of upper and lower bounds of the internal reflux ratio. If the upper and lower bounds permit composition profiles to approach a desired boundary, then a double-feed column can achieve almost 100% reaction conversion and produce pure products.
Optically-Amplified Short-Length Analog Photonic Links

The performance capabilities of short-length analog photonic links employing optical amplification with erbium-doped fiber amplifiers are presented. Optically-amplified links are compared to their unamplified counterparts in terms of gain, noise figure, spurious-free dynamic range, and compression dynamic range. The new concepts of generalized relative intensity noise and optical amplifier noise penalty are used for the analytical and experimental analysis.
The efficiency of fibrous aerosol filters: Deposition by diffusion of particles of finite diameter

A brief review is given of the derivation of a semi-theoretical expression for the filtration efficiency of fibrous aerosol filters operated at low velocities. The correlation is compared with new data taken from the literature and is presented in a simplified form for design calculations. The existence of a minimum filtration efficiency is discussed and theory and data are compared.
Once bitten, twice shy!

The incidence of infection after animal bites is increasing and can be a significant illness with many organs affected.1The key to successful management depends on an accurate diagnosis based on a careful history and isolation of the offending organism, followed by prompt institution of correct antibiotics and appropriate physiotherapy. To highlight this, we describe a patient who developed Pasteurella multocida cellulitis complicated by renal and liver disease, which led to a prolonged hospital stay. A 74 year old widower presented with a two week history of increasing pain and swelling of the right forearm and hand with diminished range of movement of the elbow. He had given shelter to a stray cat, which had bitten him on the dorsum of the right hand three weeks previously. He was pale and unwell with a temperature of 38.5°C. The right hand and forearm were grossly oedematous and inflamed with pustule formation (fig 1). There was also a tense olecranon bursitis which restricted movement of the right elbow. Healing puncture marks were visible over the dorsum of the right hand. He had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis about 30 years ago and had been treated only with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The rheumatoid disease was quiescent, and cardiovascular, respiratory, and abdominal systems were normal. Figure 1 Cellulitis of the right hand and forearm. Investigations showed a …
Carcinoma of the cervix: surgical staging and radiotherapy with 32 MeV betatron

Fifty-six patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix were staged by exploratory laparotomy. Twenty-eight of them received radiotherapy with 32 MeV Betatron and intracavitary radium. Twenty-one patients with Stage IB or IIA had a radical hysterectomy, five had post-operative pelvic irradiation, and two had primary exenteration. An overall 23.2% of patients had metastases in the paraaortic fields. Four patients with paraaortic node disease received extended field irradiation: 4500 rad in 5 weeks to paraaortic nodes. Two of them are alive and disease-free at 5.5 to 6.5 years.
Social Comparison in Everyday Life

Ninety-four college students recorded details of their social comparisons over 2 weeks using a new instrument, the Rochester Social Comparison Record. Major results were (a) comparison direction varied with relationship with the target; (b) precomparison negative mood led more often to upward comparison than to downward comparison, supporting a selective affect-cognition priming model in which dysphoria primes negative thoughts about the self (Bower, 1991; Forgas, Bower, & Moylan, 1990) rather than a motivational self-enhancement model (Wills, 1981,1991); (c) upward comparison decreased subjective well-being, whereas downward comparison increased it; and (d) high self-esteem individuals engaged in more self-enhancing comparison. Festinger's theory of social comparison processes (Festinger, 1954) continues to be an active arena for theory and research. A new edited book (Suls & Wills, 1991), a symposium at the 1990 meeting of the Society for Experimental Social Psychology (SESP), and frequent journal articles attest to this vigor. Yet underlying the vitality is a feeling of uneasiness, obvious in the comments occasioned by the SESP symposium, in which a group of extraordinari ly knowledgeable participants showed little agreement about such apparently basic questions as "Do people compare at all (or very much)? When do people compare? How do people balance upward and downward comparisons? How much does similarity count in comparison? Do people compare with actual targets, or are all comparisons constructed in people's heads? The problem is that there are many measures of social comparison, and they do not agree well with one another, leading to theoretical proliferation lacking a coherent empirical base. These measures may not agree with one another because of difficulties with the measures themselves (Wood, 1991), because they measure different motives for social comparison (cf. Wood & Taylor, 1991), or because they have been used in different contexts. The one thing on which there is general agreement is that social comparison is a wonderfully flexible process that can best be studied under naturalistic
Viscoelastic behaviour of composite materials with conventional- or negative-Poisson's-ratio foam as one phase

This article describes experimental investigations of viscoelastic properties of composites consisting of conventional and re-entrant negative-Poisson's-ratio copper foam as a matrix, with the following high-loss-filler materials: viscoelastic elastomer, solder, and indium. The viscoelastic properties of gallium and several ferrites were also determined. The loss tangent of the copper-elastomer composite substantially exceeded the (lower) Voigt limit; the loss tangent of the copper-solder and copper-indium composites were close to the (upper) Hashin limit for the two-solid phases and one-pore phase.
Speech, silence, and authenticity

Speech and silence are related to one another in a manner which is basically oxymoron in nature; one cannot exist without the other and yet each is essentially opposite the other. The interrelationship between speech and silence is viewed within the general framework of a coordinate system metaphor wherein the juxtaposition of the two define what is authentic in both intrapersonal and interpersonal communication.
Experimental Validation of Two-dimensional Finite Element Method for Simulating Constitutive Response of Polycrystals During High Temperature Plastic Deformation

A finite element method was recently designed to model the mechanisms that cause superplastic deformation (A.F. Bower and E. Wininger, A Two-Dimensional Finite Element Method for Simulating the Constitutive Response and Microstructure of Polycrystals during High-Temperature Plastic Deformation, J. Mech. Phys. Solids, 2004, 52, p 1289–1317). The computations idealize the solid as a collection of two-dimensional grains, separated by sharp grain boundaries. The grains may deform plastically by thermally activated dislocation motion, which is modeled using a conventional crystal plasticity law. The solid may also deform by sliding on the grain boundaries, or by stress-driven diffusion of atoms along grain boundaries. The governing equations are solved using a finite element method, which includes a front-tracking procedure to monitor the evolution of the grain boundaries and surfaces in the solid. The goal of this article is to validate these computations by systematically comparing numerical predictions to experimental measurements of the elevated-temperature response of aluminum alloy AA5083 (M.-A. Kulas, W.P. Green, E.M. Taleff, P.E. Krajewski, and T.R. McNelley, Deformation Mechanisms in Superplastic AA5083 materials. Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2005, 36(5), p 1249–1261). The experimental work revealed that a transition occurs from grain-boundary sliding to dislocation (solute-drag) creep at approximately 0.001/s for temperatures between 425 and 500 °C. In addition, increasing the grain size from 7 to 10 μm decreased the transition to significantly lower strain rates. Predictions from the finite element method accurately predict the effect of grain size on the transition in deformation mechanisms.
Robert M. Kleinpell: Founder of the Berkeley School of Stratigraphic Paleontology

Robert M. Kleinpell (1905-1986) has been called the founder of a ‘Berkeley School of West Coast Cenozoic Stratigraphic Paleontology’. Through his personal experiences in carrying out oil exploration in California's Cenozoic stratigraphic successions, his extensive inquiry into the fundamentals of stratigraphic paleontology, and his teaching activity while held in a Japanese prison camp during World War II, Kleinpell developed the basic ingredients for his school of stratigraphic paleontology. His school attracted numbers of students interested in obtaining employment in the oil industry when Kleinpell joined the Department of Paleontology at University of California, Berkeley, in 1953. Kleinpell told his students that the first step toward a basic understanding of stratigraphic geology came from field mapping and recording of all relevant data. The data included collecting fossils from precisely-positioned stratigraphic levels. The fossil occurrence information was then plotted carefully to ascertain asso...
Examining the Use of Amnesties and Pardons as a Response to Internal Armed Conflict

The use of amnesty for human rights violations has been heavily criticised on legal, ethical and political grounds. Yet amnesties have been the most popular transitional justice mechanisms over the past four decades, particularly in the context of internal armed conflict. States justify these amnesties by claiming they are important tools to secure peace. But how successful is amnesty in accomplishing these goals? This article seeks to answer this question by analysing the use and effectiveness of 236 amnesties used in internal armed conflicts worldwide since 1970. The article first creates a typology of the use of amnesty in the context of internal armed conflict. It then qualitatively examines the impact on peace of each type of amnesty. The article finds that most amnesties granted in the context of internal armed conflict have no demonstrable impact on peace and security. Yet amnesties granted as carrots to entice the surrender of armed actors occasionally succeed in bringing about the demobilisation of individual combatants or even entire armed groups. More importantly, amnesties extended as part of a peace process are effective in initiating negotiations, securing agreements, and building the foundation for long-lasting peace.
The impact of α-pinene on urban smog formation: an outdoor smog chamber study

Abstract The effect on ozone production of replacing or adding 20 % carbon as α-pinene to an eleven component urban-tike hydrocarbon mixture is explored in a large outdoor smog chamber. Although apinene is somewhat more reactive than the hydrocarbon mixture, direct replacement of ~ 20 % carbon results in no change in overall reactivity as indicated by NOx and O3 behavior. The addition of 20 % extra carbon as α-pinene produces changes similar to increasing carbon concentration in the hydrocarbon mixture by 20 %. If α-pinene and ozone are first reacted, their products do not impart any unusual reactivity to a hydrocarbon-NOx smog system. In one experiment a loss of reactivity as measured by ozone production was observed. Aerosol measurements made when α-pinene and ozone reacted indicate that the majority of particles which form reside in the 0.1 μm diameter range; most of the mass, however, is in panicles ~ 0.6 μm diameter. Carbon accountability in the product condensed phase is estimated to be 25–90 %, but a very high uncertainty is associated with this estimate.
Using an Architectural Metaphor for Information Design in Hypertext

ABSTRACT This paper uses Frank Lloyd Wright's (1867‐1959) organic architecture as a metaphor to define the relationship between a part and the whole, whether the focus is on a building and its surroundings or information delivered via hypertext. It reviews and discusses effective strategies for designing text information via hypertext and incorporates three levels of information design: the foundation, the room, and the roof level. In the foundation level, the nature of hypertext and issues concerning the use of hypertext as an appropriate information delivery technology are presented. In the room level, specifics on effective typography and content design that enhance information processing and comprehension are reviewed. In the roof level, the learner's experience performing a task and his or her identified information needs are discussed. Finally, recommendations for future research are provided
Information Processing in the Primate Retina: Circuitry and Coding

The function of any neural circuit is governed by connectivity of neurons in the circuit and the computations performed by the neurons. Recent research on retinal function has substantially advanced understanding in both areas. First, visual information is transmitted to the brain by at least 17 distinct retinal ganglion cell types defined by characteristic morphology, light response properties, and central projections. These findings provide a much more accurate view of the parallel visual pathways emanating from the retina than do previous models, and they highlight the importance of identifying distinct cell types and their connectivity in other neural circuits. Second, encoding of visual information involves significant temporal structure and interactions in the spike trains of retinal neurons. The functional importance of this structure is revealed by computational analysis of encoding and decoding, an approach that may be applicable to understanding the function of other neural circuits.
Halogenated Phenazines that Potently Eradicate Biofilms, MRSA Persister Cells in Non-Biofilm Cultures, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Conventional antibiotics are ineffective against non-replicating bacteria (for example, bacteria within biofilms). We report a series of halogenated phenazines (HP), inspired by marine antibiotic 1, that targets persistent bacteria. HP 14 demonstrated the most potent biofilm eradication activities to date against MRSA, MRSE, and VRE biofilms (MBEC = 0.2-12.5 μM), as well as the effective killing of MRSA persister cells in non-biofilm cultures. Frontline MRSA treatments, vancomycin and daptomycin, were unable to eradicate MRSA biofilms or non-biofilm persisters alongside 14. HP 13 displayed potent antibacterial activity against slow-growing M. tuberculosis (MIC = 3.13 μM), the leading cause of death by bacterial infection around the world. HP analogues effectively target persistent bacteria through a mechanism that is non-toxic to mammalian cells and could have a significant impact on treatments for chronic bacterial infections.
Placental fetal thrombotic vasculopathy in severe congenital anomalies prompting EXIT procedure.

Abstract Objective The ex-utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure is used to secure fetal airway, cannulate for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), or resect a tumor during partial delivery in a modified cesarean section. This is a retrospective study of placental pathology from EXIT procedures. Methods Placental reports and glass slides from 36 placentas delivered by EXIT procedure (study group SG) and 36 placentas from pregnancies without perinatal mortality and delivered by cesarean sections and matched for gestational age were blindly reviewed. Indications for EXIT procedures were: 11 cervical teratomas, 9 diaphragmatic hernias, 4 pulmonary airway malformations, 4 micrognathias, 3 vascular malformations, 3 CHAOS, and 2 aortic stenoses. 22 clinical and 43 gross and histological placental features were compared using the analysis of variance or Yates χ2 with Holm–Bonferroni correction, where appropriate. Results The average gestational age in the SG and the CG was 34.9 weeks. Histological features of fetal thrombotic vasculopathy were more frequently seen in the SG. Of the placental features, statistically significant differences were found in, partial fibrosis of chorionic villi (9.7 ± 7.9 vs. 6.1 ± 5.3 villi per placental section) [p = 0.035], clusters of at least 3 avascular chorionic villi (33 v. 6%) [p = 0.042], and abnormal umbilical cord insertion (8% vs. 0% (p = 0.045), in the SG and the CG respectively. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to describe the placentas from EXIT procedures. The presence of increased frequency of fetal thrombotic vasculopathy on histology indicates an underlying chronic and on-going stasis in fetal circulation due to the presence of conditions which were indications for the EXIT procedures. The possibility of coagulopathy should be considered in management of the fetuses and neonates undergoing EXIT procedure. Detailed examination of the placenta is of utmost importance in order to recognize and treat potentially life-threatening complications.
A large display is a powerful tool to reduce radiation exposure during single-plane fluoroscopically guided procedures.

OBJECTIVE. Magnification is a well-known, but often overlooked, factor impacting radiation exposure. Modern angiography units are commonly offered with single large monitors that allow multiple configurations, including wide display setting in addition to standard display setting similar to a classic arrangement of multiple monitors. CONCLUSION. By reducing the need for magnification, the wide display mode of large angiography monitors is a simple but extremely efficient tool to decrease radiation exposure to patients and care providers during single-plane procedures.
Radical cystectomy after bacillus Calmette-Guérin for high-risk Ta, T1, and carcinoma in situ: defining the risk of initial bladder preservation.

Abstract Objectives To critically evaluate the survival of patients with high-grade Ta or T1 urothelial cancer (UC) or carcinoma in situ of the bladder who have received bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and who have undergone radical cystectomy. Methods We retrospectively reviewed our single-surgeon database of those patients who underwent cystectomy and previously received BCG. We evaluated the baseline characteristics, pathologic outcomes, and survival data. Results Of 313 patients who underwent cystectomy between January 1992 and March 2004, 90 (29%) received BCG before bladder removal. The mean time from the first BCG course to the date of cystectomy was 27.9 months. The mean duration of follow-up from cystectomy was 32.1 months. The risk of progression to muscle invasion for those who underwent cystectomy less than or more than 1 year from the time of their first BCG dose was 59% and 36%, respectively (P = 0.05). The disease-specific survival rate was 81% versus 80% for those who underwent early versus delayed cystectomy (P = 0.9). Conclusions Patients with high-grade UC are at risk of dying from this cancer, even if they ultimately undergo cystectomy. Patients who receive BCG should be appropriately counseled that they remain at risk for disease progression and death from UC. It is difficult to ascertain the proper time to proceed with cystectomy if an initial bladder conservation approach is used.
Estimation of Soot Thresholds for Fuel Mixtures

Abstract Experimental soot threshold results obtained using binary and ternary hydrocarbon mixtures were analyzed to obtain two empirical rules for estimating the onset of soot formation for fuel blends in atmospheric pressure, laminar premixed and diffusion flames. The results suggest that the onset of soot formation for a fuel mixture of known composition can be accurately calculated from soot threshold data for the pure compounds.
Predictive vector quantization for wireless transmitter adaptation with limited feedback

In this paper we study distributed transmitter adaptation with limited feedback where a B-bit codebook known at both transmitter and receiver is used in the update process. Specifically, we discuss predictive vector quantization (PVQ) where the transmitter is updated incrementally using the codebook element which results in smallest distortion in sum capacity from among the available 2B codebook entries. The performance of the proposed PVQ method is compared with that of random vector quantization (RVQ) with numerical results obtained from simulations.