cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neuroimaging of the complications of epilepsy surgery.

Background and purpose Stroke-like symptoms can be associated with the invasive evaluation and surgical resection of epileptic foci in patients with intractable epilepsy. Neurological deficits following surgical procedures for epilepsy are not uncommon, but most are relatively minor and transient. The authors investigated the neuroimaging patterns of cerebral tissue insults in patients suffering neurological deficits directly related to procedures performed to evaluate and treat intractable epilepsy. They attempted to discern potential secondary vascular insults from the not unexpected tissue loss that can be associated with various epilepsy procedures. Methods The authors prospectively assessed 7 consecutive patients who underwent either the invasive electrocortigraphic monitoring or surgical resection of epileptic foci. All had some degree of neurological deficit postoperatively. The authors evaluated for tissue injury type with postoperative computed tomography and magnetic resonance brain imaging. They also review pertinent medical literature addressing potential complications of epilepsy surgery. Results Three patients had primarily ischemic tissue injuries, 2 had tissue loss with minor bleeding, and 1 transient deficit appeared to reflect the amount of tissue removed. Another patient had choreiform movements and gait ataxia 1 week after the procedure, but no follow-up neuroimaging was available. The primary ischemic insults appeared to be related to vascular traction or compression or possibly vasospasm. The tissue loss/hemorrhagic insults were presumably related to tissue loss, with seepage of blood or bleeding from a resected cavernous hemangioma. No patients died, but 1 was left with a persistent, moderately severe neurological deficit. Conclusions It is important to distinguish the not unexpected neurological deficits associated with inadvertent trauma to normal brain tissue during procedures associated with epilepsy surgery from vascular insults. Postoperative neuroimaging can be useful in this endeavor.
“Flying” an electric power system: Not unlike a pilot, the power system operator can monitor the automatic control of the system or manually “fly” the system during an emergency

Electric power systems are continually becoming larger, more interconnected, and are being forced to operate with lower capacity reserves in both generation and transmission. Transmission voltage levels are increasing so that each line can carry more and more real power. An extra high voltage (EHV) transmission line may carry up to 2500 MWe; individual generating units are often capable of generating 1000–2000 MW of real power. These trends, coupled with the fact that most large units under construction or recently built are located far from the load centers, place a heavy responsibility on the dispatch control operator — the person in the dispatch control room who makes the decisions that control the operation of the overall power system.
Consumer Expectations and the Measurement of Perceived Service Quality

The purpose of this study is to examine questions concerning the degree to which the consumer expectations component of perceived service quality measurement frameworks (Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry, 1988; Brown and Swartz, 1989; Carman, 1990) is characterized by discriminant validity with respect to other expectations concepts used in marketing. The findings provide preliminary evidence that the service quality expectations concept may have serious discriminant validity shortcomings which. in turn, cause the "perceptions-minus-expectations" service quality measurement framework to be a potentially misleading indicator of customer perceptions of service quality. Based upon these findings, potential solutions to the discriminant validity problems are explored.
An analysis of some aspects of regulatory risk and the required rate of return for public utilities

This paper uses a modification of the continuous time asset pricing model of Cox, Ingersoll, and Ross to analyze the effect of regulatory risk on the cost of capital. Analysis shows that random errors in setting the allowed rate of return can either increase or decrease the cost of capital depending on other regulatory parameters. However, the analysis suggests that regulatory risk is not material.
Molecular and Historical Aspects of Corn Belt Dent Diversity

Tens-of-thousands of open-pollinated cultivars of corn (Zea mays L.) are being maintained in germplasm banks. Knowledge of the amount and distribution of genetic variation within and among accessions can aid end users in choosing among them. We estimated molecular genetic variation and looked for influences of pedigree, adaptation, and migration in the genetic makeup of conserved Corn-Belt Dentrelated germplasm. Plants sampled from 57 accessions representing Corn-Belt Dents, Northern Flints, Southern Dents, plus 12 public inbreds, were genotyped at 20 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. For 47 of the accessions, between 5 and 23 plants per accession were genotyped (mean = 9.3). Mean number of alleles per locus was 6.5 overall, 3.17 within accessions, and 3.20 within pooled inbreds. Mean gene diversity was 0.53 within accessions and 0.61 within pooled inbreds. Open-pollinated accessions showed a tendency toward inbreeding (F IS = 0.09), and 85% of genetic variation was shared among them. A Fiteh-Margoliash tree strongly supported the distinctiveness of flint from dent germplasm but did not otherwise reveal evidence of genetic structure. Mantel tests revealed significant correlations between genetic distance and geographical (r = 0.54, P = 0.04) or maturity zone (r = 0.33, P = 0.03) distance only if flint germplasm was included in the analyses. A significant correlation (r = 0.76, P < 0.01) was found between days to pollen shed and maturity zone of accession origin. Pedigree, rather than migration or selection, has most influenced the genetic structure of the extant representatives of the open-pollinated cultivars at these SSR loci.
Breastfeeding by Hispanic Women

ABSTRACT Objective To review the literature to describe Hispanic breastfeeding beliefs, attitudes, and practices in the United States. Data Sources Using the search terms "Hispanics" and "breastfeeding," both CINAHAL and MEDLINE (Ovid) databases were queried. Only research studies conducted in the United States from 1998 and 2008 were included in the review. Study Selection Fifty-five articles were located. Based on inclusion criteria, 38 research articles were included in this review. Data Extraction Each study was analyzed in relation to the purpose of the review. Data Synthesis Study findings were synthesized and organized into categories: acculturation status, breastfeeding intention, factors influencing initiation, breastfeeding barriers, breastfeeding support, and breastfeeding interventions. Conclusions Breastfeeding initiation rates are high among Hispanics living in the United States. Newly immigrated women initiate and continue to breastfeed longer than more acculturated women. Unfortunately, exclusive breastfeeding and duration rates fall well below the desired goals of Healthy People 2010 . Interventions aimed at encouraging and supporting women to maintain their cultural traditions, beliefs, and practices related to breastfeeding are needed.
Systemic Respiratory Adaptations to Air Exposure in Intertidal Decapod Crustaceans

SYNOPSIS: The responses of intertidal decapods to emersion are closely related to the particular conditions of emersion, yet all members of this group of animals face the problems of water shortage and internal hypoxia during air exposure. Several species exhibit modification of normal ventilatory activity and this response seems to enable these crabs to take up seawater from the substrate. Other crabs have specific morphological adaptations permitting recirculation of water from the exhalent apertures back into the gill chamber. The hemocyanin of some species has a higher affinity for oxygen, and this difference may be more prevalent in tropical animals. The higher oxygen affinity undoubtedly compensates in part for the lower internal oxygen tensions during air exposure. Structural specialization of the branchial apparatus may prevent the gill lamellae from adhering together, a process which reduces the surface available for gas exchange. There is a wide range of responses to emersion and yet relatively few specific adaptations. Some species are able to merely tolerate air exposure, while others are able to more fully exploit the habitat.
Stochastic Analysis of Energy Consumption in Wireless Sensor Networks

Limited energy resources in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) call for a comprehensive cross-layer analysis of energy consumption in a multi-hop network. In this paper, we provide a stochastic analysis of the energy consumption in a random network environment. Accordingly, a comprehensive cross-layer analysis framework, which employs a stochastic queueing model in realistic channel environments, is developed. This framework accurately predicts the distribution of energy consumption for nodes in WSNs during a given time period. We show that when the time duration is long, the energy consumption asymptotically approaches a Normal distribution. Using the distribution of energy consumption, the distribution of node lifetime is also investigated. With the help of this probabilistic model, a case study with an anycast protocol is conducted to show how the developed framework can analytically predict the distribution of energy consumption and lifetime. Comprehensive simulations and testbed experiments are provided to validate the developed model. The cross-layer framework is also used to identify relationships between the distribution of energy consumption and network parameters, such as network density, duty cycle, and traffic rate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to investigate probabilistic distribution of energy consumption in WSNs.
Fluorescence decay and non-radiative relaxation dynamics of the A 2Σ+ states of OH-Ar and OD-Ar

Abstract Fluorescence decay lifetimes of electronically excited OH-Ar and OD-Ar van der Waals complexes have been measured under collision-free conditions. The lifetimes for two vibronic levels of OD(A, ν′=0)-Ar were identical to that of OD(A, ν′=0), indicating that the A-X transition moment was unaffected by interactions between OD(A) and Ar. Lifetimes for two vibronic levels of OH(A, ν′=0)-Ar were slightly shorter than that of OH(A, ν′=0). This has been interpreted in terms of a weak predissociation (OH (A, ν′=0)-Ar→OH(X, ν″ ≈ 13)_+ Ar). Implications of these lifetime measurements with regard to the assignment of recently reported LIF and emission spectra for OH/D-Ar are discussed.
The Social Construction of Marital Commitment

This paper articulates a theoretical framework for understanding how individuals orient themselves toward marital commitment. Using a life history interview methodology and interpretive framework, it examines the orientations toward marital commitment for a sample of women and men, single and married, between the ages of 28 and 35 (N = 75). Specifically, it elaborates a multidimensional view of marital commitment with attention to two multifaceted components, one value rational and the other practical. Borrowing concepts from exchange and identity models of commitment, it analyzes interpretive processes involved in their construction. Some preliminary comments on the role social position plays in shaping constructions of marital commitment are articulated and the implications of this model discussed.
Lasègue's editorial riposte to Gull's contributions on anorexia nervosa.

One week after Sir William Gull read his seminal report on anorexia nervosa to the Clinical Society of London, a brief account was published (Anonymous, 1873). In Paris, Charles Lasegue, editor of Archives Generales de Medecine read the report and printed an immediate editorial riposte, parts of which will be quoted in this communication.
Developmental investigation of fear-potentiated startle across puberty☆

The goal of this study was to examine the association between affective development, puberty, and gender using the startle reflex as a marker of defensive mechanisms. Thirty-one male and thirty-five female adolescents aged ten to thirteen participated in a prospective study with up to five assessments. Longitudinal analyses revealed a significant effect of sex, with girls showing stronger fear-potentiation at all pubertal stages. Post hoc tests revealed that fear-potentiation increased in girls but not boys over the course of puberty. Furthermore, baseline startle decreased over the course of puberty. Because age was included as a covariate in all analyses, the puberty effect cannot be accounted for by age. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence for a significant increase in fear-potentiated startle across the pubertal transition. Attribution of these changes to pubertal status rather than age has important implications for our understanding of the neurobiology of anxiety and affect regulation.
Treatment of Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is a heterogenous disease with 2 main subtypes: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Early-stage NSCLC is managed primarily by surgical resection, with adjuvant chemotherapy for selected patients with stage IB, II, and III disease. Patients with locally advanced stage III NSCLC are usually treated with combined modality therapy. Advanced NSCLC remains an incurable disease. Further advances will rely on improvements in understanding of the molecular events driving the malignant phenotype and the development of novel, targeted therapeutic strategies.
Spectral Approximation of the Free-Space Heat Kernel

Abstract Many problems in applied mathematics, physics, and engineering require the solution of the heat equation in unbounded domains. Integral equation methods are particularly appropriate in this setting for several reasons: they are unconditionally stable, they are insensitive to the complexity of the geometry, and they do not require the artificial truncation of the computational domain as do finite difference and finite element techniques. Methods of this type, however, have not become widespread due to the high cost of evaluating heat potentials. When mpoints are used in the discretization of the initial data, Mpoints are used in the discretization of the boundary, and Ntime steps are computed, an amount of work of the order O(N2M2+NMm) has traditionally been required. In this paper, we present an algorithm which requires an amount of work of the order O(NMlog M+mlog m) and which is based on the evolution of the continuousspectrum of the solution. The method generalizes an earlier technique developed by Greengard and Strain (1990, Comm. Pure Appl. Math.43, 949) for evaluating layer potentials in bounded domains.
Chemical, Physical and Sensory Attributes of Noodles with Added Sweetpotato and Soy Flour

Noodles were prepared with sweetpotato flour or puree and defatted soy flour (DSF) added to all-purpose wheat flour. These ingredients provided β-carotene for vitamin A and protein. Test samples were compared with control noodles. Combinations of sweetpotato and DSF increased protein, ash and total dietary fiber and decreased fat and carbohydrates. Sweetpotato contributed orange color and β-carotene, while DSF reduced lightness and added no β-carotene. Both ingredients increased cooking loss--10.4% from sweetpotato to 12.0% from sweetpotato and DSF combinations. Sweetpotato increased color acceptability with no change in flavor or overall acceptabilities. Sweetpotato decreased stickiness and DSF had no effect on acceptability.
Ontogeny and localization of the neutral amino acid transporter ASCT1 in rat brain.

Abstract ASCT1 is a protein that encodes System ASC, a sodium-dependent amino acid transport activity that transports primarily zwitterionic amino acids at physiological pH. ASCT1 has a 39–44% identity to the EAAT family of glutamate transporters. At extracellular pH values below 7.4, ASCT1 shifts substrate specificity to transport anionic amino acids. In this study we have examined the location of the ASCT1 transporter by immunohistochemistry in the developing rat brain. In addition, we have examined the cellular localization of ASCT1 in glial and neuronal cultures. The presence of ASCT1 immunoreactivity (ASCT1ir) in the developing brain was detectable as early as 14 days of gestation. At the cellular level, ASCT1ir was prominent in hippocampal pyramidal and dentate granule neurons. In the cerebellum, Purkinje cells and their dendrites were intensely labeled, whereas the granule and molecular layers were moderately labeled. In the cerebral cortex, neuronal cell bodies in all lamina and scattered astrocytes showed intense ASCT1ir. Double labeling experiments in vitro confirmed that ASCT1 was localized to both glia and neurons. These data illustrate that the rat ASCT1 transporter is expressed in the developing brain at levels equivalent to those observed in adult tissue. In addition, the expression and localization of ASCT1 are consistent with its possible role in pathophysiological processes that involve glutamate toxicity.
The value of accurate air quality forecasts

The value of accurate air quality forecasts critically depends upon how the information will be used. This paper proposes a simple model of private firm decision-making under uncertainty to consider potential economic applications and benefits from accurate air quality forecasts. It uses the findings of a survey of employees from five large employers in southern New Hampshire and northeastern Massachusetts to confirm the potential productivity improvements possible from accurate air quality forecasts in the New England region.
Psychosocial predictors of smoking behavior change.

Abstract A prospective analysis was undertaken in an attempt to discover possible predictors of smoking behavior change. Smokers interviewed in 1966 were interviewed again in 1968. In the two year interim approximately 15 per cent of those interviewed had quit and 20 per cent had reduced smoking consumption. Smoking behavior change was examined as a function of selected demographic, behavioral and attitudinal variables. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the data were performed. A multiple discriminant analysis employing four variables was successful in predicting smoking behavior change. Practical implications of some of the findings were discussed.
Periodic microstructure in Saturn's rings A and B

[1] Diffraction of coherent radio waves transmitted by the Cassini spacecraft at 0.94- and 3.6-cm wavelengths indicates the presence of fine-scale structure in Saturn's rings A and B, characterized by a periodic radial variation in optical depth. Interpretation of the observed spectral signature in terms of a simple diffraction grating model yields estimates of the structural period λgr ≈ 100–250 meters and orientation ϕgr ≈ 0. In particular, two regions in Ring A of radial extent 123.05–123.4 × 103 km and 123.6–124.6 × 103 km yield average estimates of gr = 163 ± 6 meters and gr = 217 ± 8 meters, respectively. Three regions in Ring B of radial extent 92.1–92.6 × 103, 99.0–104.5 × 103 km, and 110.0–115.0 × 103 yield average estimates of gr = 115−15+20, 146 ± 14, and 250−75+150 meters, respectively. In all regions, the structure appears to be azimuthally symmetric with −3° ≤ ϕgr ≤ 3°.
Measurements and prediction of air entrainment rates of pool fires

Motivated by the various applications of entrainment rate correlations in fire research and the large uncertainty in the efficacy of existing correlations and experimental data, the first particle imaging velocimetry (PIV)-based measurements of fire-induced flow field around pool fires burning methanol, heptane, and toluene were obtained. Air entrainment rates for 15-cm and 30-cm pool fires burning the three different fuels were calculated based on the mean velocity field. The entrainment data for the six fires could be correlated well using the fire Froude number as the nondimensional parameter. An existing kinematic approach to the prediction of the fire-induced flow field was extended to the present fires. The driving processes for the entrainment flow, namely, the volumetric heat release and the baroclinic vorticity generation, were evaluated based on correlations of buoyant diffusion flame structure in the literature. The predicted entrainment velocities were substantially higher than the measurements but were in qualitative agreement with the data. On this basis the heat release rate and vorticity correlations used in the analysis were corrected by using a smaller radius for the 1/c point in the velocity profile. The modified predictions were in better agreement with the experimental data. Therefore, further evaluation of the kinematic approach with proper heat release rate and vorticity distributions is warranted.
A nonstandard Euler scheme for y″+g(y)y′+f(y)y =0

We introduce a nonstandard Euler scheme for solving the differential equation y" + g(y)y' + f(y)y = 0 which has the same linear stability properties as the differential equation and is conservative when g = 0. The method is based on a physically motivated reduction of the equation to a system of two first-order equations and the use of Lie group integrators. The method is demonstrated on a few examples and compared to a standard MATLAB adaptive solver.
Microstructural, Magnetic and Microwave Properties of Large Area BaFe $_{12}$ O $_{19}$ Thick Films ( $>\!100\ \mu$ m) Deposited on /a-SiO $_{2}$ /Si and /a-Al $_{2}$ O $_{3}$ /Si Substrates

We have demonstrated the feasibility of thick BaFe12O19 ceramic films fabricated on silicon (100) substrates. We obtained large area (1-in diameter) thick films (100-200 mum) by using a screen printing technique and amorphous SiO2 or Al2O3 buffer layers. To characterize the microstructural, magnetic, and microwave properties of ferrite films, we employed X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, dc magnetometry, and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR). We placed our emphasis on investigating silicon diffusion in terms of a depth analysis of composition for different buffer layers. We present and discuss FMR measurements for two polycrystalline samples with different buffer layers. We find that a-Al2O3 is superior to a-SiO2 as a buffer layer in achieving a tradeoff between magnetic and mechanical properties.
Church-Rosser Thue systems and formal languages

Since about 1971, much research has been done on Thue systems that have properties that ensure viable and efficient computation. The strongest of these is the Church-Rosser property, which states that two equivalent strings can each be brought to a unique canonical form by a sequence of length-reducing rules. In this paper three ways in which formal languages can be defined by Thue systems with this property are studied, and some general results about the three families of languages so determined are studied.
Constitutive neuregulin-1/ErbB signaling contributes to human vestibular schwannoma proliferation.

Vestibular schwannomas (VSs) are benign tumors that arise from the Schwann cells (SCs) lining the vestibular nerve. VS cells survive and proliferate far from neurons and axonally derived growth factors. We have previously shown that VSs produce the glial growth factor, neuregulin-1 (NRG1), and its receptors, ErbB2 and ErbB3. In the present work, we explore the contribution of constitutive NRG1:ErbB signaling to human VS cell proliferation. We confirm that human VSs, which express markers of immature and denervated SCs, also express endogenous NRG1 and activated ErbB2. We find that a blocking anti-NRG1 antibody and trastuzumab (Herceptin®, HCN), a humanized anti-ErbB2 inhibitory monoclonal antibody, effectively inhibit NRG1 induced SC proliferation. Treatment of primary VS cultures with anti-NRG1 or HCN reduces cell proliferation in the absence of exogenous NRG1. Furthermore, conditioned medium from VS cell cultures contains NRG1 and stimulates SC proliferation in SC cultures, an effect that is inhibited by anti-NRG1 and HCN. These data suggest an autocrine pathway of VS growth stimulation involving NRG and ErbB receptors. Inhibition of constitutive NRG:ErbB signaling reduces VS cell proliferation in vitro and may have therapeutic potential for patients with VSs. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effect of paraquat on the biosynthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid and protein in the rat

This study was designed to determine the relative subcellular distribution of paraquat and the effect of paraquat on the biosynthesis of DNA, RNA and protein in rat lung, liver and kidney. Biochemical parameters were correlated with the clinical syndrome. Paraquat was found in all the major cellular fractions at various times after administration of 126 mg/kg by gabage and no evidence of significant accumulation in any subcellular fraction was present. l-Leucine incorporation into protein was increased (P < 0·05) in the lung, liver and kidney 32 hr after paraquat administration, and in the lung, protein synthesis was still increased at 128 hr (P<0·05). DNA biosynthesis was significantly decreased in the three organs 32 hr after paraquat treatment. In the kidney, this reduction was also significant at 64 hr. The rate of RNA synthesis was significantly decreased at 16 hr in the liver and kidney. The biochemical changes correlated in time with the histopathological changes induced by paraquat and preceded clinical signs of toxicity by 1–2 days.
Context awareness in a handheld exercise agent

Work towards the development of a handheld health counseling agent designed to promote physical activity is described. Previous work on automated health counselors is discussed, along with the affordances of mobility and context awareness for health behavior interventions. We present a general-purpose software architecture for the rapid design and deployment of mobile health counseling agents. We also describe the results of an initial field trial in which such a mobile agent plays the role of an exercise coach designed to motivate users to walk more. Results were mixed. We found that the context awareness mechanism that was implemented for detecting walking led to greater user-agent social bonding, but less walking in study participants.
Rate and accuracy of vowel recognition as a function of spoken reinforcers and age

Abstract Developmental differences among the effectiveness of three spoken reinforcers were evaluated by measuring rate and accuracy of performance on a vowel recognition task. Eighty-seven males were selected from grades 1 to 3, 6 to 7, and 11 to 12 of a predominantly urban, Black, parochial school. The effectiveness of approval and affirmation of correctness was related to grade level for accuracy of performance, but not for rate. For accuracy of performance a decreasing linear trend was found when approval effectiveness was evaluated across grades. For correctness, an increasing linear trend was found. The results were discussed in terms of a developmental hierarchy of reinforcers and information processing.
Modularized design for cooperative control and plug-and-play operation of networked heterogeneous systems

In this paper, a cooperative control analysis and design method is investigated for heterogeneous dynamical systems that may be of arbitrary relative degree or nonminimum-phase or both. To achieve consensus or cooperative stability, a negative value of input-feedforward passivity index is used to accommodate and analyze such systems, and the magnitude of the index value is also used as the impact coefficient to quantify the impacts of heterogeneous dynamics of these systems on their networked operations. Physical-system-level designs are explicitly carried out to make individual linear and nonlinear systems (which are either feedback linearizable or nonminimum phase of certain form) become passivity-short and to embed one pure integrator into their input-output dynamics. The network-level distributed control can simply be chosen without any knowledge of the heterogeneous dynamics but with only information of an upper bound on their impact coefficients. It is shown, using the impact equivalence principle, that these controls separately designed but implemented together always ensure either local or global consensus and that a global non-trivial consensus emerges if and only if the information network has at least one globally reachable node or is varying but cumulatively connected. The proposed methodology of fully modularized designs unravels complexity of analyzing and designing cyber-physical systems and enables their plug-and-play into networked operations.
Root temperature and calcium level effects on winter wheat forage: II. Nutrient composition and tetany potential.

Plants grown at 8°C root temperature had significantly lower Ca, Mg, K, and N concentrations in the shoots, and a significantly lower equivalent ratio of K/(Ca+Mg), compared to those grown at 16°C. Plants transferred from 8 to 16°C had significantly increased Ca, Mg, K, and N concentrations in the shoots over time, as levels changed from those characteristic of low root temperature plants to those characteristic of high root temperature plants. Plants transferred from 8 to 16°C also had an equivalent ratio of K/(Ca+Mg) that increased 1 wk after the transfer, indicating a greater tetany hazard
Creating a therapeutic and healing environment with a pet therapy program

Abstract Background Hospitalized patients encounter stressors that impact their experience and recovery. There is a need for theoretically-based, empirically supported nursing interventions to create a therapeutic and healing environment that decrease stress and improve patients' experiences. Purpose To determine whether pet therapy interventions improve physiological, behavioral and mood outcomes and experiences of hospitalized patients. Methods A single group pre–post-quasi–experimental design with mixed methods was used in 59 hospitalized patients. Paired t -tests were used to evaluate changes from baseline following a pet therapy intervention. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. Results Compared with baseline, patients had significant decreases in pain, respiratory rate and negative mood state and a significant increase in perceived energy level. Quantitative and qualitative findings provide support for decreased tension/anxiety and fatigue/inertia and improved overall mood. Conclusions Pet therapy is a low-tech, low-cost therapy that improved mood and was meaningful to hospitalized patients.
Seed coat imposed dormancy: Histochemistry of the region controlling onset of water entry into Sida spinosa seeds

Fresh Sida spinosa L. seeds do not imbibe water and germinate because the seed coat is impermeable to water. Seeds imbibe water when a portion of the coat in the chal-azal area separates from an underlying layer of subpalisade cells. Thin-walled subpalisade cells are limited to the area beneath the chalazal area. Palisade cells in the coat region that become permeable are tall, only lightly lignified, contain abundant hemicelluiose and have large cell lumena. Palisade cells in regions of the coat that remain impermeable to water are short, have heavily lignified thick walls, small cell lumena and are tightly packed. We propose that Sida spinosa seed coat dormancy is released when moisture eventually reaches the hygroscopic hemicellulose deposits in cell lumena in the lightly lignified palisade cells of the chalazal region. The subsequent expansion of the palisade cells causes the thin-walled subpalisade cells to break, resulting in separation of palisade from subpalisade cells and free passage of water through the exposed surface to the embryo, culminating in germination.
PVT scintillators with very-high fluorescent dye concentrations

A concentration study of the fluorescent dye pyrene in bulk PVT-based scintillator is the subject of this investigation. Pyrene is known to form an excimer at elevated concentration, with fluorescence properties quite distinctive from that of individual pyrene molecules. The fluorescence excitation, emission, decay time, and scintillation efficiency have been studied over an extensive concentration range, from 5g/l to 225g/l. We observe a significant decrease in fluorescence decay time and an increase in fluorescence efficiency with increasing pyrene concentration. At highest concentration, a light yield of 84% of EJ-201T is obtained.
Team Coordination and Dynamics Two Central Issues

When people coordinate as a team, they accomplish more than they would working alone. These team-coordination effects give new meaning to Aristotle’s famous phrase, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” In this article, I consider two central issues confronting team-coordination research: Do the causes of team coordination reside within individual minds or between them, and at what levels of analysis (e.g., physiological, cognitive) do team-coordination effects occur? These issues are viewed in light of specific lines of coordination research, and some features of a general theory of team coordination are offered.
Effect of nifedipine on anorectal sensorimotor functions in health and fecal incontinence

The mechanisms of increased rectal stiffness in women with fecal incontinence (FI) and rectal urgency are not understood. Our hypothesis was that distention-induced activation of mechanosensitive L...
Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells in regenerative medicine

Cells of the human umbilical cord offer tremendous potential for improving human health. Cells from the Wharton’s jelly (umbilical cord stroma) in particular, referred to as human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (HUCMSCs), hold several advantages that make them appealing for translational research. In the previous issue of Stem Cell Research & Therapy, Chon and colleagues made an important contribution to the HUCMSC literature not only by presenting HUCMSCs as an emerging cell source for intervertebral disc regeneration in general and the nucleus pulposus in particular, but also by demonstrating that an extracellular matrix-based strategy might be preferred over the use of growth factors. By culturing HUCMSCs under hypoxia in serum-free conditions in the presence of Matrigel with laminin-111, they were able to achieve intense collagen II staining by 21 days without the addition of exogenous growth factors. There is tremendous translational significance here in that such raw materials may alleviate the need for the use of growth factors in some instances, and this may have important ramifications in reducing product cost and streamlining regulatory approval. Chon and colleagues provide a promising example of the potential of HUCMSCs, demonstrating the ability to guide HUCMSC differentiation even in the absence of serum and growth factors and supporting the use of HUCMSCs as a viable alternative in intervertebral disc regeneration.
Effects of year-round stocking methods and stocking rates on seasonal forage response and cow-calf weight gain in the gulf coast region of the United States1

ABSTRACT The present research is the second phase (2 yr) of a multiyear cow-calf study employing fixed stocking rates and examining the effect of stocking method, i.e., continuous and rotational, and stocking rate on beef cattle production. Two sets of 4 adjacent pastures, each containing a mixed warm-season, perennial grass sod [common bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.; dallisgrass, Paspalum dilatatum Poir.], were overseeded to ‘Marshall’ annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) in the autumn of 2 consecutive years. Within each set of 4 pastures, one of the following grazing treatments was randomly assigned each pasture: rotationally stocked (8 paddocks) at a low, medium, or high stocking rate and continuously stocked at a moderate stocking rate. Low, medium, and high stocking rates were 1.25, 2, and 2.75 cows/ha. Brangus cows and their suckling calves were stocked on treatment pastures in March 2004. Stocking treatment affected prebreeding cow BW (P
Metal-on-Metal Hip Resurfacing and Total Hip Arthroplasty in the Same Patient: A Case Series Comparison

Early outcomes for metal-on-metal total hip resurfacing (MOMHR) suggest that it may have a role as a bone-sparing alternative to total hip arthroplasty (THA) in younger patients. The possible biomechanical advantages of MOMHR over THA have been extensively discussed in the published data and have been clinically examined. However, few studies have offered a direct, controlled comparison of patients' experiences after MOMHR and THA. To more accurately describe differences in patient outcomes between MOMHR and THA in comparable patients, we present a report of 8 patients who had both MOMHR and a contralateral THA. This report included a patient-completed hip comparison questionnaire that assessed hip pain, stiffness, surgical recovery, proprioception, hip strength, and overall preference. Most patients preferred MOMHR, citing reasons such as better range of motion, improved proprioception, and a faster, easier recovery. These preferences may likely be related to the biomechanical advantages of a larger femoral head. However, it is important to consider how differences in the time elapsed since the patients' index surgeries, changes in surgical technique and differences in rehabilitation affect patients' preferences. At this point, there are on-going prospective clinical trials comparing MOMHR to THA, and only after long-term reports are critically examined there may be more definitive recommendations.
A personalized microRNA microarray normalization method using a logistic regression model

Motivation: MicroRNA (miRNA) is a set of newly discovered non-coding small RNA molecules. Its significant effects have contributed to a number of critical biological events including cell proliferation, apoptosis development, as well as tumorigenesis. High-dimensional genomic discovery platforms (e.g. microarray) have been employed to evaluate the important roles of miRNAs by analyzing their expression profiling. However, because of the small total number of miRNAs and the absence of well-known endogenous controls, the traditional normalization methods for messenger RNA (mRNA) profiling analysis could not offer a suitable solution for miRNA analysis. The need for the establishment of new adaptive methods has come to the forefront. Results: Locked nucleic acid (LNA)-based miRNA array was employed to profile miRNAs using colorectal cancer cell lines under different treatments. The expression pattern of overall miRNA profiling was pre-evaluated by a panel of miRNAs using Taqman-based quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) miRNA assays. A logistic regression model was built based on qRT-PCR results and then applied to the normalization of miRNA array data. The expression levels of 20 additional miRNAs selected from the normalized list were post-validated. Compared with other popularly used normalization methods, the logistic regression model efficiently calibrates the variance across arrays and improves miRNA microarray discovery accuracy. Availability: Datasets and R package are available at http://gauss.usouthal.edu/publ/logit/ Contact: xi@usouthal.edu
Role of Abdominal Aortic Branches in Pulse Wave Contour Genesis

Central and peripheral pulse wave contours were recorded in dogs before and after occlusion of the major visceral arteries. Comparison of the pulse wave contours indicates that occlusion of the visceral branches produces very little effect upon the wave form of the central and peripheral pulse. The major changes noted were slight shifts in the timing of reflected components, and it would appear that the timing changes can be explained on the basis of the increase in pulse wave velocity attendant with a rise in the arterial blood pressure. Both the importance of these findings in the understanding of pulse wave contour genesis and the basic assumptions of the standing wave hypothesis are discussed.
A Scale to Aid in the Retention or Dismissal Decision

Freshman students on probation as a result of unsatisfactory first semesters in college are generally dismissed after the second semester if their work does not show improvement. A special MMPI scale was developed to assist in determining retention and dismissal. The procedure employed involved the matching of individuals from retained and dismissed groups of students on certain intellective and non-intellective factors. MMPI items that discriminated between these criterion groups were identified, and an RD scale (retained-dismissed) was composed of these items. The scale was successfully cross-validated on a large sample of freshman probation students. An expectancy table for the prediction of retention or dismissal was constructed from the data.
Personality Disorders and Physical Health: A Longitudinal Examination of Physical Functioning, Healthcare Utilization, and Health-Related Behaviors in Middle-Aged Adults

Personality disorders (PDs) have significant, long-term effects in many areas, including physical health outcomes such as increased risk for chronic disease and mortality. Although research has documented this detrimental impact in relation to long-term physical health, no one has explored the more immediate influence of disordered personality on aspects of physical functioning, such as pain level, or health-related behaviors, such as medication use. The present study examined the unique effects of PD features on physical functioning, medical resource utilization, and prescription medication use to determine potential risk associated with PDs. We studied an epidemiologically-based sample (N=608) of Saint Louis residents (ages 55–64) over two time points (6 months apart). We found that disordered personality was significantly predictive of worse physical functioning, role limitations, fatigue, and pain at both time points, even when current health problems, the presence of depression, and health behaviors (i.e., smoking, drinking, exercise) were controlled. PD features were also predictive of increased healthcare utilization and medication use at follow-up. These results suggest that the presence of disordered personality may be an important risk factor for worse functioning, regardless of actual health status.
Automated data acquisition for a Prognostics and Diagnostics Health Monitoring System

The military has mandated the need for continuous health monitoring to be implemented for prognostics and diagnostics (PD) applications at the mechanical and electronic level of fielded systems. The variety of military systems dictates the need for a highly flexible design that can be easily modified for different applications. Data acquisition is a core component of the PD process to get valuable information from the monitored system to a processing module for the execution of PD algorithms. This paper addresses the design architecture of a PD sensor module (PDSM) for a prognostics and diagnostics health monitoring system (PDHMS) that can be introduced for electronics PD in a wide range of military systems. The use of this PDSM prototype in provoked electronic fault testing (PEFT) on a specific military platform will also be discussed.
Optimal control problems and nonsmooth analysis

This paper discusses recent improvements on subdifferential fuzzy sum rules in nonsmooth analysis and their applications to optimal control problems.
The (Non) Equivalence of Tariff and Quota Policy in the Presence of Search Costs

This study compares the economic effects of tariffs and quotas in an environment where exporters must expend resources to find foreign consumers. Within a sequential search model, we find the policies to be (with rare exceptions) nonequivalent in domestic price. The relative impact of the two policies on domestic prices depends crucially on the magnitude of the two policies with prices more likely to be higher under tariff policy at lower tariff rates. The study adds to the ‘equivalence’ literature by identifying another, and empirically relevant, factor which would result in the breakdown of equivalence between tariff and quota policy.
The composition of ThH2 and diffusion of hydrogen in ThH2

Abstract The composition of thorium dihydride was determined as a function of temperature and pressure. By using this information, the diffusion coefficients of hydrogen in thorium dihydride were calculated from previous measurements of the parabolic reaction-rate constants. The activation energy for diffusion was found to be 2.3 kcal and D 0 was 2.11·10 −4 cm 2 /sec.
Acid Sensing Channel 1 in Astroglia Is Up-regulated by Saporin

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are activated by acidosis and may act as chemosensors in the CNS. RT-PCR has revealed that ASIC type 1 (ASIC1) is the predominant ASIC transcript in the nucleus tr...
Influence of Different Forms of Vitamin A, Thyroxine, and Thiouracil on Carotenoid Utilization by Chicks

SummaryForms of vitamin A having alcoholic, aldehydic, or acidic terminal functional groups, when fed at 100,000 IU of vitamin A/kg of diet, depressed carotenoid utilization. The retinoic acid caused the decrease in the carotenoid content of serum, liver, and skin to a greater extent than other forms of vitamin A. In an experiment designed to study the effect of vitamin A in combination with thyroxine or thiouracil on the utilization of carotenoids, a similarity of their effects between high vitamin A and thiouracil was evident.
Two-dimensional BOD and DO water quality model for engineering applications: the case of Bubbly Creek in Chicago, Illinois

Bubbly Creek was historically used as a drainage channel for the waste resulting from Chicago’s stockyards. Nowadays there is flow in the creek only during rainfall events resulting in Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO) and water quality is a very important issue, particularly during the summer months, when the dissolved oxygen levels are extremely low and sediment oxygen demand is expected to be large. Due to the particular flow regimes of the creek and the conditions of the benthic sediments in the bed, a special BOD-DO (Biochemical Oxygen Demand Dissolved Oxygen) water quality module was developed and implemented into the two-dimensional depth-averaged numerical model STREMR-HySedWq. The approach illustrated represents a substantial improvement to the state-of-the-art of water quality modeling methodologies. The model was able to capture the key processes and provide useful preliminary results for the two following scenarios: [1] CSO events, for which the model was coupled to a one-dimensional cross-section-averaged BOD-DO water quality model, and [2] potential “purification” solutions, such as flow augmentation and supplemental aeration, with the goal of increasing the DO levels in the creek during dry weather periods. DESCRIPTION OF BUBBLY CREEK
Processing-Property Interactions in Macro-Defect-Free Cements

Relationships between mixing conditions, viscoelastic paste properties and flexural strength of hardened matrices have been investigated for an MDF cement. The correlation of paste relaxation times and matrix mechanical properties with mixing intensity suggests the build up and eventual breakdown of a network structure during mixing.