cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linking collagen fiber architecture to tissue-level biaxial mechanical behaviors of porcine semilunar heart valve cusps.

Abstract The semilunar heart valves regulate the blood flow from the ventricles to the major arteries through the opening and closing of the scallop shaped cusps. These cusps are composed of collagen fibers that act as the primary loading-bearing component. The load-dependent collagen fiber architecture has been previously examined in the existing literature; however, these studies relied on chemical clearing and tissue modifications to observe the underlying changes in response to mechanical loads. In the present study, we address this gap in knowledge by quantifying the collagen fiber orientations and alignments of the aortic and pulmonary cusps through a multi-scale, non-destructive experimental approach. This opto-mechanical approach, which combines polarized spatial frequency domain imaging and biaxial mechanical testing, provides a greater field of view (10–25 mm) and faster imaging time (45–50 s) than other traditional collagen imaging techniques. The birefringent response of the collagen fibers was fit with a von Mises distribution, while the biaxial mechanical testing data was implemented into a modified full structural model for further analysis. Our results showed that the semilunar heart valve cusps are more extensible in the tissue’s radial direction than the circumferential direction under all the varied biaxial testing protocols, together with greater material anisotropy among the pulmonary valve cusps compared to the aortic valve cusps. The collagen fibers were shown to reorient towards the direction of the greatest applied loading and incrementally realign with the increased applied stress. The collagen fiber architecture within the aortic valve cusps were found to be more homogeneous than the pulmonary valve counterparts, reflecting the differences in the physiological environments experienced by these two semilunar heart valves. Further, the von Mises distribution fitting highlighted the presence and contribution of two distinct fiber families for each of the two semilunar heart valves. The results from this work would provide valuable insight into connecting tissue-level mechanics to the underlying collagen fiber architecture—an essential information for the future development of high-fidelity aortic/pulmonary valve computational models.
Protein-Sourced Feedstuffs for Aquatic Animals in Nutrition Research and Aquaculture.

Aquatic animals have particularly high requirements for dietary amino acids (AAs) for health, survival, growth, development, and reproduction. These nutrients are usually provided from ingested proteins and may also be derived from supplemental crystalline AA. AAs are the building blocks of protein (a major component of tissue growth) and, therefore, are the determinants of the growth performance and feed efficiency of farmed fish. Because protein is generally the most expensive ingredient in aqua feeds, much attention has been directed to ensure that dietary protein feedstuff is of high quality and cost-effective for feeding fish, crustaceans, and other aquatic animals worldwide. Due to the rapid development of aquaculture worldwide and a limited source of fishmeal (the traditionally sole or primary source of AAs for aquatic animals), alternative protein sources must be identified to feed aquatic animals. Plant-sourced feedstuffs for aquatic animals include soybean meal, extruded soybean meal, fermented soybean meal, soybean protein concentrates, soybean protein isolates, leaf meal, hydrolyzed plant protein, wheat, wheat hydrolyzed protein, canola meal, cottonseed meal, peanut meal, sunflower meal, peas, rice, dried brewers grains, and dried distillers grains. Animal-sourced feedstuffs include fishmeal, fish paste, bone meal, meat and bone meal, poultry by-product meal, chicken by-product meal, chicken visceral digest, spray-dried poultry plasma, spray-dried egg product, hydrolyzed feather meal, intestine-mucosa product, peptones, blood meal (bovine or poultry), whey powder with high protein content, cheese powder, and insect meal. Microbial sources of protein feedstuffs include yeast protein and single-cell microbial protein (e.g., algae); they have more balanced AA profiles than most plant proteins for animal feeding. Animal-sourced ingredients can be used as a single source of dietary protein or in complementary combinations with plant and microbial sources of proteins. All protein feedstuffs must adequately provide functional AAs for aquatic animals.
Mathematical Programming and the Computation of Optimal Taxes for Environmental Pollution Control

This paper considers some theoretical and computational problems that arise when trying to find optimal taxes for environmental pollution control. The paper takes cognizance of the reality of mixed-economy difficulties (and, therefore, Lagrangian decomposition is not appropriate), and also demonstrates that a "property-rights" approach to environmental quality control may not be appropriate. The paper presents a water quality control problem which highlights the difficulties. In addition, the resulting mathematical program is nonconvex and a solution algorithm is presented.
Air Pollution Control

The sections in this article are 1 Global Electricity Generation and the Environment 2 Emissions From Fossil Fuels 3 Effects of Emissions 4 Pollution Control Technologies 5 International Agreements and Country Initiatives 6 Conclusions
Contextualizing Models of Humility and Forgiveness: A Reply to Gassin:

We reply to Gassin's (2001) valuable description of an Eastern Orthodox perspective on interpersonal forgiveness by discussing some socio-cultural issues related to eastern and western construals o...
Sedation and Analgesia for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy during Pregnancy

Endoscopy during pregnancy raises the unique issue of fetal safety. Endoscopic medications comprise a significant component of fetal risks from endoscopy. Before endoscopy, the gastroenterologist or anesthesiologist should evaluate the potential fetal risks of sedation and analgesia, identify any contraindications to endoscopy, stabilize the maternal medical status as necessary, and correct maternal hypoxia or hypotension. The mother should be informed about the potential teratogenic risks of endoscopic medications during pregnancy. Patients who receive sedation and analgesia should be monitored during endoscopy by continuous electrocardiography, continuous pulse oximetry, and intermittent sphygmomanometry, as well as by the pulse and respiratory rate. General principles of sedation and analgesia during pregnancy include use of the minimal effective dose, avoidance of unnecessary medications, and preferable use of Food and Drug Administration category B medications.
Stop making sense

How many times have you been speaking at rounds or seminars when, after going through a complex argument about a convoluted process requiring some attentiveness, a listener answered you with what you know to be a fake look of understanding: 'Yes, it makes sense'? The correct response would have been, 'Wow! Who would have thought? It doesn't make sense at all!'
Prophylaxis of Postoperative Endophthalmitis Following Cataract Surgery: Current Status and Future Directions

Endophthalmitis is an uncommon but potentially devastating intraocular infection that can occur after routine cataract surgery. Although a broad spectrum of organisms have been shown to cause acute postoperative endophthalmitis, most cases are caused by Gram-positive bacteria, which may be introduced at the time of surgery from colonization of adjacent conjunctiva or eyelid skin. Risk factors for the development of endophthalmitis following cataract surgery include patient age, intraoperative surgical complications and poor wound construction. There are several antibacterial strategies employed to prevent postoperative endophthalmitis, with topical, intracameral and subconjunctival delivery being the most common. Worldwide, there seems to be significant regional variance in the type and method of prophylactic antibacterial regimens; for example, topical fluoroquinolones are commonly used in the US, while intracameral cephalosporins are employed widely in Europe. The optimal antibacterial strategy for the prevention of endophthalmitis should be safe, inexpensive and broad in microbiological activity spectrum, while not requiring patient compliance for its effectiveness.
A double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of proton pump inhibitor therapy in patients with uninvestigated dyspepsia

A double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of proton pump inhibitor therapy in patients with uninvestigated dyspepsia
Use and acquisition of idiomatic expressions in referring by native and non‐native speakers

When referring repeatedly to an object in conversation, two people typically come to use the same expression, a phenomenon called lexical entrainment (Brennan & Clark, 1996; Garrod & Anderson, 1987). But what happens when one partner is not as linguistically skilled as the other? In three experiments, we examined how native and non‐native speakers adjust their referring expressions to each other in conversation. Twenty Asian language speakers learning English were tested before and after conversations with native English speakers in which they repeatedly matched pictures of common objects (Experiment 1). Lexical entrainment was just as common in native/non‐native pairs as in native/native pairs. People alternated director/matcher roles in the matching task: natives uttered more words than non‐natives in the same roles. In Experiment 2, 31 natives rated the pre‐ and post‐test expressions for naturalness: non‐natives’ post‐test expressions were more natural than their pre‐test expressions. In Experiment 3, ...
Black Holes Do Evaporate Thermally

A careful consideration of the propagation of null geodesics in a black-hole geometry modified by Hawking-radiation back reaction shows that the event horizon is stable and shifted only very slightly in radius from what is expected in a vacuum background, contrary to a recent claim in the literature.
Homeothermic Response to Reduced Ambient Temperature in a Scarab Beetle

Elephant beetles (Megasoma elephas; Scarabaeidae) weighing from 10 to 35 grams, respond homeothermically when ambient temperature is reduced below about 20°C in the laboratory. This metabolic response is not associated with locomotion or any other overt activity. Warming is initiated when the body temperature reaches an apparent set point of 20° to 22°C. Unlike the case for euthermic birds and mammals, energy metabolism and body temperature in these beetles are conspicuously oscillatory, with a given cycle in oxygen consumption peaking before the corresponding cycle in body temperature.
The conjugation junction of Tetrahymena: Its structure and development

The conjugation junction of Tetrahymena has been examined by thin sections, freeze fracture preparations, and by scanning electron microscopy. The junction is formed where the anterior tips of the pairing cells attach to one another. The structure is essentially a large disk composed of two face-to-face plasma membranes separated by a gap of extracellular space measuring about 50 nm. Rows of intramembrane particles are present at the boundary between the junction and ordinary cell cortex. These particles form a ring around the junction. Subjacent to each membrane is a thick mottled layer of material. Pores form in the junction at sites of membrane fusion. Though wider than long, these structures are actually bridges of cytoplasm that connect the conjugating cells. Pores fall into certain size and shape classes, indicating that membrane fusion is highly controlled in this system. At the level of the cytoplasmic bridge the submembrane material is compact and electron-dense. Changes in the structure of the epiplasmic layer have been monitored as the normal cortex is modified during tip transformation and through formation of the mature conjugation junction. Evidence is provided that the submembrane layer plays a significant role in the regulation of pore formation. This cytoskeletal structure may also limit the extent of membrane fusion, thus controlling the size of the cytoplasmic channels.
Multiple scattering of MeV atomic and molecular ions traversing ultrathin films

We have investigated the connection between small-angle multiple scattering and charge-changing processes for fast atomic and molecular ions traversing ultrathin solid targets. Results for the atomic ions show a strong target-thickness dependence of the measured final-charge-state distributions. There is also an accompanying dependence of the multiple-scattering widths upon the final charge state of the ions. These results demonstrate conditions far from equilibrium for these processes. A Monte Carlo simulation of particle motion in the foil is described that successfully accounts for these observations. The same simulation is applied to describe the multiple scattering of diatomic molecular ions and to compute the spread of the internuclear velocity after Coulomb explosion. It is found that the Coulomb repulsion tends to reduce multiple-scattering components along the internuclear axis. Consequences for Coulomb-explosion studies of molecular structures are discussed.
987-105 Transesophageal Echocardiographic Quantltation of Systolic Mitral Leaflet Displacement In Patients with Mitral Valve Prolapse

While transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) provides detailed structural information about the mitral valve, the range of normal systolic displacement of the mitral leaflets and the best criteria for diagnosing mitral valve prolapse (MVP) by this technique remain controversial. The area subtended by the systolic displacement of the mitral leaflets into the left atrium beyond the annular hinge points on 4 chamber and 2 chamber images of the mitral valve was measured by TEE in a blinded prospective study of 11 MVP pts (who had systolic displacement of the mitral leaflets superior to the mitral annular plane on parasternal long axis images by transthoracic echo and click and/or late systolic murmur on physical exam) and 11 NORMAL subjects (who had no evidence for MVP by either transthoracic echo or exam). Area Subtended by Systolic Displacement of Mitral Leaflets (cm 2 ) 4 Chamber View 2 Chamber View AMV PMV AMV PMV MVP 0.82 ± 0.78 0.40 ± 0.43 1.01 ± 0.99 0.72 ± 0.76 NORMAL 0.03 ± 0.06 ** 0.00 ± 0.00 ** 0.18 ± 0.29 * 0.03 ± 0.05 ** A = anterior, P = posterior, MV = mitral valve ** p l 0.01 * p l 0.02 By TEE the area subtended by the superior displacement of the mitral leaflets into the left atrium was significantly greater for MVP pts than for NORMAL subjects. In NORMAL subjects superior displacement of the PMV was never detected in the 4 chamber view, but small degrees of superior displacement were occasionally detected in the 2 chamber view. As many as 6 of 11 NORMAL subjects exhibited minor degrees of superior displacement of the AMV. If an upper limit of normal of 0.5 cm 2 is set for the total area subtended by both leaflets in both views, this criterion is 100% sensitive and 82% specific forthe diagnosis of MVP. Conclusions Though TEE demonstrates greater systolic mitral leaflet displacement in MVP than in NORMAl. there is overlap in the range of superior systolic displacement of the mitral valve into the left atrium between MVP pts and NORMAL subjects. The presence of mild superior systolic displacement of the leaflets relative to the annular hinge points by TEE is inadequate to unambiguously identify MVP pts.
Does it know I'm not maintaining good posture?: an in-home play study of wii fit

Persuasive technologies designed to improve the health and fitness of users are becoming increasingly popular. One example is Nintendo's Wii Fit, which has achieved commercial success. Despite this success, many people ultimately abandon this technology. Past work explored reasons for leaving, but retroactively. This study examines the reactions of first-time users of Wii Fit, through a one-time interview pilot study as well as an in-depth, month-long study in which participants used Wii Fit in their homes. We briefly present themes from the pilot study, as well as case studies from two month-long study participants, which shows how opinions and behaviors changed over time.
Tensile testing as a novel method for quantitatively evaluating bioabsorbable material degradation

Bioabsorbable metallic materials have become a topic of interest in the field of interventional cardiology because of their potential application in stents. A well-defined, quantitative method for evaluating the degradation rate of candidate materials is currently needed in this area. In this study, biodegradation of 0.25-mm iron and magnesium wires was simulated in vitro through immersion in cell-culture medium with and without a fibrin coating (meant to imitate the neointima). The immersed samples were corroded under physiological conditions (37°C, 5% CO2). Iron degraded in a highly localized manner, producing voluminous corrosion product while magnesium degraded more uniformly. To estimate the degradation rate in a quantitative manner, both raw and corroded samples underwent tensile testing using a protocol similar to that used on polymeric nanofibers. The effective ultimate tensile stress (tensile stress holding constant cross-sectional area) was determined to be the mechanical metric that exhibited the smallest amount of variability. When the effective tensile stress data were aggregated, a statistically significant downward, linear trend in strength was observed in both materials (Fe and Mg) with and without the fibrin coating. It was also demonstrated that tensile testing is able to distinguish between the higher degradation rate of the bare wires and the lower degradation rate of the fibrin-coated wires with confidence. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2012.
Systematic Evaluation of Drug–Disease Relationships to Identify Leads for Novel Drug Uses

Drug repositioning refers to the discovery of alternative uses for drugs--uses that are different from that for which the drugs were originally intended. One challenge in this effort lies in choosing the indication for which a drug of interest could be prospectively tested. We systematically evaluated a drug treatment-based view of diseases in order to address this challenge. Suggestions for novel drug uses were generated using a "guilt by association" approach. When compared with a control group of drug uses, the suggested novel drug uses generated by this approach were significantly enriched with respect to previous and ongoing clinical trials.
A Case of Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer in an Endoscopically Normal Esophagus

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has traditionally been detected in the later stages of disease which requires aggressive treatment. Newer endoscopic methods have allowed gastroenterologists to detect ESCC lesions and start treatment earlier with the hope to avoid more difficult treatments such as esophagectomy, chemotherapy and radiation. This report follows a patient from detection of ESCC through successful treatment of the ESCC lesions . J Med Cases. 2014;5(4):224-226 doi: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.14740 /jmc1724w
Mechanisms of Antigen Processing

Using MAb and monovalent Fab probes and saponin permeabilization we have demonstrated that PEC and TA3 B lymphoma-hybridoma cells contain a significant intracellular pool of Ia. At least in TA3 cells, this intracellular pool was independent of protein synthesis. In PEC, adherence caused redistribution of Ia with disappearance of the intracellular pool. Endocytosis of Ia occurred in both TA3 and PEC, and internalized Ia reached a plateau level corresponding in size to the total intracellular Ia pool revealed by saponin treatment. These results suggest that intracellular Ia is largely in a recycling pool derived from the plasma membrane by endocytosis. Subcellular fractionation studies suggest that Ia processing occurs in endosomes similar to those involved in transferrin processing. Antigen processing by TA3 cells was found to be unaffected by cycloheximide. In contrast, antigen processing by adherent PEC was markedly inhibited by cycloheximide, despite the fact that they maintained surface Ia and were still capable of presenting antigen peptides. This suggests that an important intracellular Ia processing step or antigen processing step was blocked in these cells. Adherent PEC may contain less recycling Ia, making protein synthesis the major source for intracellular Ia and the availability of intracellular Ia sensitive to cycloheximide. Alternatively, the inhibition of antigen processing by cycloheximide in PEC may reflect depletion of enzymes or other factors involved in antigen processing. Proteins and polysaccharides may interfere with the events that result in the formation of an immunogenic Ia-peptide complex. We had previously documented that peptides compete for the binding site of Ia molecules. We discussed here a second form of interference by polysaccharides and microbial products. These materials did not compete or interfere with the binding and presentation of processed peptides by Ia. Rather, their presence inside the macrophage inhibited MHC-dependent presentation of immunogenic proteins by inhibiting intracellular steps in antigen processing. This intracellular interference with antigen presentation can be of major importance in the presentation of complex mixtures of protein and carbohydrates.
Life satisfaction and support for tourism development.

Abstract The purpose of this study is to better understand local residents’ support for tourism development by exploring residents’ perceived value of tourism development, life domain satisfaction (material/non-material), and overall quality of life in their community. The study provides the theoretical and empirical evidence of the relationships among those constructs. Using a sample of residents from five different tourism destinations, the results of a structural equation modeling approach indicated that residents’ perceived value of tourism development positively affects non-material and material life domain satisfaction; thereby, it contributes to overall quality of life. Finally, overall quality of life is an effective predictor of support for further tourism development.
Post‐yield behavior of thermoplastics and the application to finite element analysis

This report delineates the rate sensitivity of three commodity thermoplastics and assesses the appropriateness of assuming simple rate dependence in finite element analysis. Polycarbonate does indeed show simple rate dependence in the plastic region with very rapid adjustment from one rate to the next; thus, a rate dependent model is an accurate representation. Acrylonitrile/Butadiene/Styrene (ABS) does not exhibit such large plastic strains and is a bit more complex with a process of craze formation leading to more variable necking and failure. It also shows a rapid transition from one rate to another, but superimposed failure processes impart considerable variability. Assuming simple rate dependence is a reasonable approximation and directionally correct. An impact-modified polypropylene exhibits craze formation, a very low Poisson's ratio to large extensions and simple rate dependent behavior before failing. At elevated temperature, it draws and forms a stable neck and again shows simple rate dependence. However, the processes of failure and transition to necking are not simply rate dependent and this will keep this assumption from being generally valid.
Differences in baseline drinking behavior between alcoholics and normal drinkers

Abstract Drink preference, sip magnitude, amount of time taken to consume drinks and amount of time between sips were measured for 23 normal drinkers and 26 hospital admitted alcoholics while they consumed up to 16 oz. of 86-proof liquor or its equivalent in an experimental bar-and-lounge environment. The alcoholics as denned in this study ordered more drinks, preferred straight drinks, took larger sips and drank faster, but took a longer time between sips than did the normal drinkers. The utility of baseline drinking measures and the external validity of the results are discussed.
Insulin Induces an Unmasking of the Carboxyl Terminus of Gi Proteins in Rat Adipocytes

Abstract Several groups have shown a relationship between the insulin receptor and inhibitory G proteins, Gi. An antisera, 8729, to a peptide sequence (KNNLKDCGLF) corresponding to the carboxyl termini of Giα subunits was used to investigate this relationship by immunoelectron microscopy. Rat adipocytes were incubated in the absence or presence of 100 ng/ml insulin for 1 h and fixed for immunoelectron microscopy. Insulin-treated adipocytes stained with 8729 were labeled at the cell surface at a much higher density than control adipocytes. Subcellular fractionation of insulin-treated and control cells was followed by PAGE and Western blots of the plasma membrane and low-density microsomes with 8729. The density of the bands did not change in response to insulin treatment. Antibodies to noncarboxyl terminus sequences of the α subunit were used for immunoelectron microscopy and no difference was noted between insulin-treated and control adipocytes. These results indicated that 8729 was detecting a conformational change in the structure of Giα subunit in the plasma membrane in response to insulin. This unmasking of the carboxyl terminus was also seen in response to treatment with phenylisopropyladenosine and prostaglandin E2. Pertussis toxin-catalyzed ADP ribosylation also unmasked the carboxyl terminus. In contrast, isoproterenol, an agonist of stimulatory G proteins (Gs), did not induce an unmasking of the carboxyl terminus. These results support the hypothesis that some of insulin's effects are mediated through Gi proteins in adipocytes.
Episodic Memory as Representing the Past to Oneself

Episodic memory is sometimes described as mental time travel. This suggests three ideas: that episodic memory offers us access to the past that is quasi-experiential, that it is a source of knowledge of the past, and that it is, at root, passive. I offer an account of episodic memory that rejects all three ideas. The account claims that remembering is a matter of representing the past to oneself, in a way suitably responsive to how one experienced the remembered episode to be. I argue that episodic memory is active, in the way this view suggests. I clarify the idea that it is, as the view also implies, not a source of knowledge but an expression of knowledge the subject already has. And I suggest the view need not limit memories to states that are in any way experience-like. This position offers a way to articulate the relations between episodic memory and related phenomena: factual memory, generic memory, remembering-how and anticipation. And it allows us to explain how we know which aspects of our episodic memory states to take seriously and which (such as the shift to an observer perspective on the remembered events) to treat as merely incidental.
From refugees to immigrants: the legalization strategies of Salvadoran immigrants and activists.

The legalization strategies pursued by Salvadoran immigrants and activists from the 1980s to the present demonstrate that migrants’ and advocates’ responses to policy changes reinterpret law in way...
Degradation of trifluoroacetate in oxic and anoxic sediments

THE deleterious effect of chlorofluorocarbons on stratospheric ozone has led to international cooperation to end their use1– 3. The search for acceptable alternatives has focused on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) which are attractive because they have relatively short atmospheric residence times4. HFCs and HCFCs are attacked by tropospheric hydroxyl radicals, leading to the formation of trifluoroacetate (TFA)5. Most of the atmospheric TFA is deposited at the Earth's surface6, where it is thought to be highly resistant to bacterial attack5. Therefore, use of HCFCs and HFCs may lead to accumulation of TFA in soils, where it could prove toxic or inhibitory to plants and soil microbial communities5,7. Although little is known about the toxic-ity of TFA, monofluoroacetate, which occurs at low levels in some plants8 and which is susceptible to slow attack by aerobic soil microbes9, is known to be acutely toxic10–13. Here we report that TFA can be rapidly degraded microbially under anoxic and oxic conditions. These results imply that significant microbial sinks exist in nature for the elimination of TFA from the environment. We also show that oxic degradation of TFA leads to the formation of fluoroform, a potential ozone-depleting compound with a much longer atmospheric lifetime than the parent compounds.
Development and characterization of stable fiber-based mid-infrared sources

Development and characterization of stable fiber-based mid-infrared sources will be discussed.
Brown fat activity is not apparent in subjects with HIV lipodystrophy and increased resting energy expenditure.

The HIV lipodystrophy (LD) syndrome is associated with increased resting energy expenditure (REE), but the basis of this hypermetabolism has not been determined. The objective of this pilot study was to determine if brown fat is activated in subjects with HIV LD and increased REE. In this descriptive study of four subjects with HIV LD and marked hypermetabolism, REE was measured by indirect calorimetry and brown fat activity was determined by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron-emission tomography (PET) combined with anatomic computed tomography (CT). Brown fat activity was not apparent in any subject with HIV LD and resting hypermetabolism. Therefore, brown fat activation is unlikely to be the principal cause of the increased REE associated with the HIV LD syndrome. Evidence of adaptive thermogenesis has been demonstrated in this syndrome, but this study suggests that tissues other than brown adipose tissue (BAT) are responsible. Further understanding of the chronic hypermetabolism associated with HIV LD could provide new insights into the regulation of energy balance.
Adjoint variable solutions via an auxiliary optimization problem

The problem addressed is to obtain an initial guess for the adjoint variables along a trajectory suitable for use in an indirect optimal control method. The proposed method assumes that good estimates of the control and state histories are available. The adjoint estimates are obtained through an auxiliary unconstrained optimization problem of low dimension. The goal of this optimization problem is to find the adjoint values at nodes along the trajectory that cause the control values from the application of the minimum principle to approach the estimated control values as closely as possible in a manner consistent with the adjoint differential equations and transversality conditions. Experience has shown that the method produces adjoint variable estimates sufficiently accurate to cause convergence of a multiple-shooting indirect method. Nomenclature H = Hamiltonian u — p-dimensional control vector x - n -dimensional vector of state variables A = n -dimensional vector of adjoint variables \I> = m -dimensional vector of constraints at terminal time, m < n
Behavioural neuroscience: Out of sight, but not out of mind.

Flies are cleverer than previously thought. They can remember their original destination even if distracted en route by another landmark. This behaviour depends on a specific group of neurons.
Donor Reactivation Kinetics and Hydrogen Redistribution in the Space Charge Layer of N-Type Silicon

The passivation and reactivation of As donor dopants in n-type Si was studied with both monatomic hydrogen and deuterium. Hydrogenated Schottky diodes were characterized with C-V and DLTS measurements. The reactivation kinetics of the As-H and As-D complexes were studied in the space-charge layer of reverse biased diodes in the temperature range from 60°C to 120°C. These bias-anneals yield dissociation time constants for As-H, from which an averaged activation energy of 1.17±0.1 eV was determined. Although the dissociation of the As-H complex is appreciably slower than that previously measured for P-H, the activation energy is within about 0.05 eV of that determined previously for the P-H complex (1.2 eV). The depth redistribution of the As-H complexes after bias-annealing agrees with the previous conclusion that hydrogen can assume a negative charge state in n-type Si.
pH-induced changes in Rhodospirillum rubrum cytochrome C2 and subsequent renaturation: an 15N NMR study

Abstract The 15N-enriched ferrocytochrome c2 from Rhodospirillum rubrum was studied by 15N NMR at different solvent pH values. The mobility and chemical shift of the N-terminal glutamic acid (335.4 ppm at pH 5.1) were found to depend on pH. It was least mobile between pH 8 and 9.0, which is explained in terms of pH-dependent conformational changes and formation of salt linkages and/or hydrogen bonds. The resonances of the lysine side chains are centered around 341.7 ppm at low pH and move upfield with pH by about 8.4 ppm with pKa values of 10.8. The exchange rates of the epsilon NH protons are lowest near their pKa values. The protein is very stable in the pH range between 4.9 and 10.0 but unfolds abruptly at pH 10.5-11. Denaturation was verified by the measurement of several parameters by NMR. The renaturation of the protein demonstrates that the folding begins with reformation of heme coordination and establishment of a hydrophobic core, followed by positioning of side chains and peptide backbones linking the nucleation centers. The repositioning processes had time scales of minutes to hours in contrast to the reported values of seconds in some studies.
Compositional variations in ternary superconductor alloys of Nb3GexAl1−x

Abstract Metallurgical specimens of ternary Nb 3Ge x Al 1− x ( x in the range 0.18–0.28) alloys after heat treatment showed large compositional variations within each specimen. Such variations can be grouped into two compositional regions in the ternary diagram for each specimen. They provide an explanation for the close agreement in the superconducting transition temperatures for this series of alloys.
Mobile 3D visualization for steel structures

Until recently, visualization of 3D models required computational resources available only on desktop computers in office environments. With the advance of technology, it is now possible to visualize substantial 3D models on mobile handheld computers in the field. This paper discusses some of the current technology, discusses the use of the Virtual Reality Modeling Language on mobile handheld computers, shows several examples of 3D structural steelwork models visualized on a mobile handheld computer, and identifies some of the limitations imposed by current technology.
Livestock Aspects of Feed Grain Policy

It is a signal event that our topic should be included on this program. In recent years, the livestock and poultry economy has scarcely been considered in the making of price and income policy for feed grains. It has been disregarded by pragmatic policy makers. It has been almost equally bypassed by theoretical economists, who usually kibitz freely. Policy for support and target prices for corn, grain sorghums, and other feed grains has been made with an eye almost exclusively fixed on the producers of those crops. The target price has been set relatively high in order to protect crop farmers' income. The latest (and current) loan rate policy has been to hold the rate low. Although a low rate facilitates moving grain into livestock and poultry consumption when crops are abundant, it does nothing to provide buffer stocks for years when crops are short. In addition, a couple of years ago it became administrative policy to dispose of the stocks inherited from an earlier period, even subsidizing their sale abroad. But the foremost example of one-sidedness is the attitude toward release prices. In all the rhetoric heard recently about the peril of holding corn or sorghums in reserve, the scold has been that release prices would not be set high enough. What group can the spokesmen have had in mind? Feed producers, of course! Not feed consumers, that is, livestock and poultry men. It has been a one-sided consideration of a two-sided issue. If all groups are to have equal voice in policy making, how can livestock and poultry interests be so ostracized? The one-sidedness has more impact now that so much livestock and poultry production has become detached from feed supply on individual farms. The livestock-poultry economy is therefore more sensitive to the availability and price of feed. It is in fact a contradiction that historically, livestock and poultry got more attention when they were still closely connected with feed production on the farm. In the early years of farm programs, the "ever-normal granary" was consciously designed to level out the supply and price of feed for livestock and poultry. Now that livestock and poultry have become more commercial and more vulnerable to a volatile feed situation, feed price stabilization has been progressively removed from the councils of farm policy. And the ultimate contradiction is that the alleged price-depressing perils of a feed reserve have been proclaimed in disregard of the fact that the main defense of feed grain producers' incomes is the target price-direct payment mechanism, not support prices. If grains on reserve should cause market prices to be reduced below target level, producers would get bigger direct payments, that is, producers with a base on their farm are protected in that way. Admittedly, production outside such a base would not be eligible for payment.
Comparative Review of the Adverse Effects of Sedatives Used in Children Undergoing Outpatient Procedures

Children often fear medical procedures and interventions. Sedative agents enhance the care of these children who undergo outpatient procedures by decreasing anxiety, increasing cooperativity, and providing amnesia. Although higher dosages and intravenous administration of sedatives often produce improved sedation, adverse effects and complications are more frequent. The goals of therapeutic efficacy and safety must be balanced in all patients. The presence or anticipation of anxiety and pain helps in deciding whether to use a sedative alone, or a regimen also providing analgesia. The patient's clinical cardiorespiratory or neurological status, other relative contraindications, the duration of the intended procedure, and the presence or absence of an intravenous line will help in choosing specific drugs. Drug complications are a common cause of adverse events in patients. The combination of a sedative and analgesic, especially a benzodiazepine and an opioid given intravenously, is associated with a higher risk of serious complications. The practitioner responsible for the administration of a sedative to a child must be competent in its use and have the ability to detect and manage complications. Patients who are deeply sedated should be continuously monitored and observed by an individual dedicated to this task. Vital signs and oxygen saturation should be documented at frequent intervals and the patient should be appropriately monitored until discharge criteria have been met. The risk of serious complications with these agents may be reduced with vigorous monitoring and a judicious choice of dosage.
Birds of a Feather: Applied Behavior Analysis and Quality of Life

Applied behavior analysts have been helping people to enhance the quality of their lives for decades. Its characteristics as described by Baer, Wolf, and Risley continue to guide efforts to help clients and their significant others. Yet, this knowledge often languishes unused and unappreciated. Distortions and misrepresentations of applied behavior analysis and radical behaviorism abound. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is contextual and concerned with social validity—with the views of clients and significant others regarding outcomes. These characteristics make it radical in shedding light on dysfunctional contingencies some may wish to remain hidden. Given that ABA and quality of life are birds of a feather, we must become more successful in highlighting this close relationship as a route to increased dissemination of effective methods. Obstacles are suggested as well as a path for accomplishing this, including making avoidable suffering due to failure to use effective methods more visible.
Insurance coverage of prescription drugs and the rural elderly.

: Context: Rural impacts of a Medicare drug benefit will ultimately depend on the number of elderly who are currently without drug coverage, new demand by those currently without coverage, the nature of the new benefit relative to current benefits, and benefit design. Purpose: To enhance understanding of drug coverage among rural elderly Medicare beneficiaries and their expenditures for pharmaceuticals. Methods: Estimates of the extent of coverage, expenditures, and sources of drugs were obtained using data are from the 1997 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey and the Pharmacy Verification and Household Components of the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Findings: Three-quarters of the urban elderly had some type of drug coverage in 1997 versus 59% of the elderly in rural areas. Urban residents were more likely to have obtained their drug coverage from an employersponsored supplemental plan, and rural residents were more likely to have self-purchased Medigap drug coverage. Expenditures and use of drugs by Medicare beneficiaries are greater for those with than without coverage, and differences are invariant with respect to geographic location. Coverage under self-purchased supplemental plans appears less generous than under employer-sponsored plans in both rural and urban areas. Rural and urban elderly are more than twice as likely to receive at least 1 prescribed medication through the mail than the general population. Conclusion: A well-designed Medicare drug benefit would be especially beneficial to the rural elderly because relatively more rural elderly currently lack coverage or have less generous coverage than urban beneficiaries. Mail-order distribution may help contain future program expenditures.
Design of a Multi-Axis SMA Actuator Arrays Using Segmented Binary Control

A new approach of designing and controlling a multi-axis actuator system using segmented binary control (SBC) is presented. In SBC, Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuator wire is divided into multiple segments and their thermal states are controlled in a binary manner using thermoelectric modules. Two-dimensional array architecture for multi-axis SMA actuators is created using SBC. Similar to the biological muscle network, multi-axis SMA actuator wires can be combined flexibly with a two-dimensional segmentation method in order to activate multiple links of a skeletal robot structure in a coordinated manner. Ten-axis actuator is built using this method. Thermoelectric modules are laid on a substrate made of PCB board and SMA actuators are placed in between two substrate layers with a gap to allow the movement of the actuators. The actuator creates coordinated gross motion as well as independent fine movements with reduced number of control loops. The new actuator architecture will provide a novel actuator system forming a network of array actuators connected to a vast number of bone-like linkages.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Beyond Decontextualisation and Cynicism

Some see schools primarily as places where students learn academic skills that are crucial to individual and social development. Others see them primarily as places where students are stigmatised and where social inequality is reproduced. Despite their differences, both views of schooling tend to assume the same unrealistic conception of schooled knowledge as being decontextualised, as being separate from the social identification, power relations, and interpersonal struggles that occur in all cognitive practices. In this article I argue for a more complex account of schooling, one that reimagines the intertwining of academic learning and social identification without privileging one over the other.
ATP-ase activities of adductor and byssus retractor muscles of marine molluscs, Mytilus and Modiolus.

Abstract Proteins analogous to myosin B of rabbit striated muscle were extracted from abductor and byssus retractor muscles of marine molluscs, Mytilus edulis and Modiolus demissus. These proteins were purified with ordinary precipitation-dissolution process (repeated three times) and ultracentrifugation. The ATP-ase activity of all these proteins was enhanced markedly by addition of CaCl2. On the other hand, the ATP-ase of adductor muscle protein was inhibited by MgCl2, while that of byssus retractor muscle was activated more or less by MgCl2. These proteins dephosphorylated not only ATP, but also ITP and ADP. Activation of ATP-ase on addition of a sub-equivalent concentration of PCMB was not marked in contrast to muscle myosin B. A high concentration of PCMB inhibited the ATP-ase. Intensity of light scattering was decreased markedly on addition of ATP in the case of Modiolus adductor and byssus retractor proteins, while the decrease was not observed in Mytilus proteins.
Motility and fertility of stallion spermatozoa isolated in bovine serum albumin

Abstract Semen from three mature stallions was used in an attempt to isolate a population of highly motile spermatozoa. An ejaculate of semen, collected from each stallion at 7-day intervals for 35 days, was evaluated for percentage of motile spermatozoa and rate of progressive motility (scale 1 to 4). Two milliliters of semen were layered over 6 ml of 3% bovine serum albumin (BSA) in 13 × 125 mm columns at room temperature (RMT) or in a warm water bath (WB). After a 30-minute separation period, the top semen layer and the upper and lower halves of the BSA fraction were separately withdrawn from columns and reevaluated. In both the RMT and WB separation columns, percent motile spermatozoa and progressive motility decreased in the top semen fraction as compared to initial values for these parameters. Percentage of motile spermatozoa in the lower BSA fractions increased (P In a second experiment 30 Quater Horse mares were artificially inseminated to compare fertility of spermatozoa isolated in BSA with raw semen diluted with either Tyrode's solution or BSA. The pregnancy rate for 10 mares inseminated with 100 × 106 live isolated spermatozoa was not different from that of control mares inseminated with the same number of live untreated spermatozoa. Foaling rates were 70, 40 and 60% for the isolated, Tyrode and BSA treatment groups respectively.
Glycogen branching enzyme in Lafora myoclonus epilepsy.

Abstract Glycogen branching enzymes (EC 2.4.1.18) in extracts of cerebral cortex from a patient with Lafora myoclonus epilepsy and several normal subjects were compared in terms of activity and physical properties of the proteins. Branching-enzyme activity in Lafora cortex tissue was significantly higher than in controls. Gel-exclusion chromatography revealed a single branching-enzyme species of identical elution volume in normal and pathological tissues. A molecular weight of 95,000 was estimated for the enzyme from normal cerebral cortex by means of sucrose density gradient sedimentation. A specific staining method for detection of branching-enzyme activity in polyacrylamide gel slabs was developed for the analysis of electropherograms of tissue extracts. Normal cortex extracts showed the presence of two or more closely spaced bands of branching activity; Lafora cortex extracts showed four strongly stained bands which migrated more rapidly toward the anode than those from the normal tissue. We conclude that Lafora myoclonus epilepsy does not involve a deficiency of total branching-enzyme activity but the protein appears to be of a slightly more acidic nature than that of normal tissue. This may reflect alterations in another system involved in protein processing.