cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Abnormal Systemic Hemodynamics in Veterans With and Without Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract Objective Increased prevalence of heart rate and blood pressure abnormalities are evident in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI), but age, comorbid medical conditions, and prescription medication use may contribute. To determine differences in the prevalence of cardiac acceleration (heart rate ≥80 beats per minute), hypotension (blood pressure ≤110/70mmHg), orthostatic hypotension (OH) (−20/−10mmHg with upright positioning), and hypertension (HTN) (blood pressure ≥140/90mmHg) in veterans with and without SCI. Design Observational trial. Setting Medical center. Participants Subjects included veterans with SCI (n=62; cervical: tetraplegia, C3-8; high thoracic, T1-5; low thoracic, T7-L2) and veterans without SCI (n=160). Interventions None. Main Outcome Measures We assessed medical history, prescription medication use, and heart rate and blood pressure during a routine clinical visit. Prevalence rates of cardiac acceleration, hypotension, OH, and HTN were calculated using binary logistic regression analysis with 95% confidence intervals. The influence of SCI status, age, smoking status, cardiovascular diagnoses, and use of prescribed antihypertensive medications on the prevalence of abnormal heart rate and blood pressure recordings was determined. Results The diagnosis of HTN was reduced in the high thoracic and tetraplegia groups compared with the non-SCI and low thoracic groups. Use of antihypertensive medications was increased in the low thoracic group compared with the other 3 groups and was increased in the non-SCI group compared with the tetraplegia group. The prevalence of cardiac acceleration was reduced, and the prevalence of systolic hypotension was increased in the tetraplegia group. The prevalence of diastolic hypotension was increased in all SCI groups compared with the non-SCI group. For all analyses, increased prevalence of abnormal heart rate and blood pressure recordings was not further explained by the covariates, with the exception of age, cardiovascular diagnoses, and antihypertensive medications in the cardiac acceleration model; however, SCI status remained significant and was the dominant predictor variable. Conclusions Our data suggest that SCI status contributes to the prevalence of cardiac acceleration and systolic and diastolic hypotension regardless of cardiovascular medical conditions or prescription antihypertensive medication use.
Information-centric networking: The evolution from circuits to packets to content

Today’s information-centric networks (ICNs) represent a 100-year evolution of communication networks from circuit-switched networks to packet-switched networks to ICNs, sharing common features with both of these earlier network architectures, but having many unique characteristics of its own. We describe and survey ongoing research and identify challenges in the modeling, design and analysis of information-centric networks and protocols. We discuss performance modeling frameworks and challenges for ICNs, with a particular focus on content flowing through a network of caches, drawing analogies and distinctions from past research in both circuit-switched and packet-switched networks. We also survey the challenges and recent research results associated with finding content in a network of caches and managing the content in those caches. The challenges posed by mobility (of both the end users accessing content as well as content itself) are also discussed.
Does omentectomy prevent malignant small bowel obstruction

Because the omentum collects and disseminates cancer cells, omentectomy is an integral part of ovarian cancer surgery. We postulate that the omentum serves a similar function in colon cancer and may contribute to post-operative malignant small bowel obstruction (S.B.O.) and that routine omentectomy during colectomy would reduce the incidence of S.B.O. Fischer 344 rats and a transplantable carcinogen-induced rat colon cancer were used to test: (1) whether the omentum is a unique site of intra-abdominal colon tumor implantation which contributes to S.B.O.; and (2) whether omentectomy at the time of tumor implantation would reduce the incidence of S.B.O. Statistical analysis confirmed that animals undergoing omentectomy had a significantly lower incidence of omental tumors and malignant S.B.O. (26 per cent and 16 per cent respectively) when compared with sham operated animals (75 per cent and 85 per cent respectively, P less than 0.001). These data suggest that the omentum is a source of bowel obstruction from implantation and growth of tumour cells in the rat model. Although this could be tested in other animal systems, the addition of routine omentectomy to colectomy is simple, not time-consuming, and may reduce postoperative morbidity.
The Effect Of Nicotine On Experimental Hypercholesterolemia In The Rabbit

The administration of 2.28 mg./Kg./day of nicotine alkaloid in the drinking water of rabbits fed a 0.1% cholesterol diet significantly increased the plasma total cholesterol levels over those of control groups. Cholesterol/lipid phosphorus (C/P) ratios, which may be used as an indication of atherogenic susceptibility, were not raised to the same extent because of concomitant increases in lipid phosphorus. Significant differences in serum ascorbic acid, serum stability, bromsulfalein retention, aortic cholesterol content, and aortic plaques could not be demonstrated at terminal determinations possibly because of reduced group sizes.
SEAsic R Package for Score Equity Assessment

SEAsic (score equity assessment-summary index computation) is an R package for computing and graphing a variety of indices that quantify an important aspect of test fairness, that of reported score equity. Historically, test fairness has been statistically defined as a lack of differential predication and/or a presence of measurement invariance at the item level. More recent definitions of fairness include the concept of score equity, which calls for additional subpopulation analysis at the equated, reported test score level. SEAsic allows for efficient calculation and graphing of multiple score equity assessment (SEA) indices. All indices in Huggins and Penfield (2012) can be calculated and plotted in various ways given a user-provided conversion table. SEAsic is freely available on the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN). Mac, Windows, and Linux users have access to the package via downloading the appropriate version of R or RStudio from the CRAN website. Multiple examples of each index computation, variations on each index, and plot options are provided in the package manual on CRAN.
A test of distributive pairing in Zea mays utilizing doubly monosomic plants.

The v x1 deficiency in Zea mays induces chromosomal nondisjunction during the megagametophyte divisions after meiosis producing large numbers of monosomes, trisomes, double monosomes, double trisomes, and even triple monosomes. In this study, microsporogenesis in six doubly monosomic combinations was analyzed. Double monosomes in a diploid organism provide the ideal material to determine if there is an interaction between two nonhomologous univalent chromosomes because two nonhomologous chromosomes lacking partners are present in each meiotic cell. At diakinesis and metaphase I, the two nonhomologous monosomic chromosomes were infrequently “paired” (3.76% and 2.18% respectively). These estimates are the upper estimates of “pairing” of nonhomologous monosomic chromosomes and probably represent an overestimate of these values because cells with any connections between the monosomic chromosomes were scored as having nine pairs and similar connections are not infrequently observed between two bivalents. The transmission of two nonhomologous unpaired chromosomes was deduced by studying the progeny of maize plants hyperploid for two chromosomes (a B4 and Wd ring). The two nonhomologous univalents disjoined randomly. Since no evidence for an interaction between nonhomologous univalent chromosomes which leads to their non-random disjunction to opposite poles was found in this study, these data confirm my earlier conclusion (Weber, 1966, 1969) that “distributive pairing does not occur in maize (and probably most other plants) or that it occurs with a much lower efficiency than in Drosophila females”. The frequent “pairing” between nonhomologous chromosomes at diakinesis and metaphase I and the non-random distribution at anaphase I in doubly trisomic maize plants reported by Michel and Burnham (1969) was found neither in my earlier studies (Weber, 1966, 1969) nor in the present study. The current study is far more sensitive than any of the previous studies because two nonhomologous chromosomes lacking pairing partners are found in every cell of a doubly monosomic plant.
Adding explanation capability to a knowledge-based system: a case study

An explanation component has been developed for an existing oceanographic expert system that predicts the movement of mesoscale features associated with the Gulf Stream. The structure of the original system was not amenable to the incorporation of an explanation facility because the knowledge needed for explanation was not explicitly represented in the knowledge base. A set of design principles that facilitate the implementation of an explanation component were developed and used as a basis for revision of the rule base. The explanation component consists of an introspection module that `watches' the reasoning process and a presentation module that uses the information gathered by the introspection module to construct a detailed natural language trace of the rules or a shorter natural language summary of the reasoning used for the prediction.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Feeding preferences and their modification in early and late instar larvae of the bagworm,Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (Lepidoptera: Psychidae)

Feeding preferences in naive first instar and penultimate-final instar bagworm (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis)larvae were investigated using two choice tests. Naive first instar larvae showed a general (though not exclusive) preference for black willow (Salix nigra)over other hosts tested, regardless of the host of origin. Penultimate-final instar larvae showed strong preferences for the previous rearing host, suggesting induction of host preference; there was no evidence of host origin effects. The ability to discriminate among hosts is important if it is actually used to make host choices based on host quality. In bagworms, where host choices (if any) must be made by larvae in habitats where several hosts are often present, host discriminatory ability is likely important.
Commentary to 'analysis of indications for ureteral reimplantation in 3738 children with vesicoureteral reflux: a single institutional cohort'.

Arriving upon a decision to proceed with surgery for vesicoureteral reflux is often difficult and fraught with uncertainty. And the authors of this study concede that families often depend on the pediatric urologist to drive the decision toward surgery (Reference 15). This onerous role mandates studies such as this one that assess practice patterns and the likelihood of surgical intervention for vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) at individual referral centers. The present study included four broad indications in its modeling to calculate the probability that surgery would be performed to treat VUR: breakthrough urinary tract infection (UTI), non-resolution over three years, renal scan abnormality and parent/surgeon preference. Nearly as many children underwent ureteral reimplantation for the last category of parent preference as did those for breakthrough UTI or non-resolution. Clearly, that category is susceptible to bias predicated upon institutional trends and a surgeon’s practice pattern and personal preference, and a reality that will be more rigorously measured under the rubric of health care reform. The logistic regression analysis of 1364 children undergoing surgery in this study includes patients treated between
An Alternative Path to Modernism: Carl König and Architectural Education at the Vienna Technische Hochschule, 1890–1913

Between 1890 and the outbreak of the First World War, the Vienna Technische Hochschule was among the leading training grounds for modern architects and designers in central Europe. This essay explo...
Can psychological variables help predict the use of priced managed lanes

This research examined the relationship between several psychological variables (conscientiousness, general locus of control, personal need for structure, financial risk tolerance, driving risk perceptions, risky driving style, and careful driving style), travel attribute preferences, carpooling attitudes, and preferences for priced managed lanes. Using data based on 664 respondents from three cities (Denver, Miami, and San Diego), mixed logit models indicated that several variables, particularly travel time, toll, sex, and income, were better predictors of managed lane use than the psychological variables. Of the psychological variables, significant results were obtained for only conscientiousness and risky driving style. Specifically, respondents with a higher risky driving style score reported a lower preference for carpooling on general purpose lanes. High conscientious individuals reported a lower preference for carpooling on managed lanes. Although the results for the psychological variables were generally not as strong as had been expected, aspects of the study design may have resulted in an underestimate of their effects. These aspects are acknowledged and their implications are discussed in the context of future research.
The 2000 E-Campaign for U.S. Senate

Abstract The 2000 election saw another increase in the number of Web sites produced by candidates for the U.S. Senate, to over 90% for the major party candidates and nearly 60% for third-party candidates. A content analysis of these campaign Web sites finds an increase in design elements that advance campaign purposes, such as online and credit card contributions. At the same time, few features or services were directed to the mass electorate. The absence of voter registration information and privacy policies from the large majority of Web sites is particularly striking. Sites often lacked basic navigation tools, making it difficult to find desired information. They also took little advantage of the interactivity that makes Web sites such a powerful communication and marketing tool. Third-party candidate Web sites lagged behind those of Democrats and Republicans in most respects, with the notable exceptions of mentioning their party names and the candidates at the tops of their tickets. The study conclude...
Mechanisms of Hydrogen Attack of carbon and 214Cr-1Mo steels

Abstract Dilatometric studies on the kinetics of Hydrogen Attack (HA) of carbon and 2 1 4 Cr-1Mo steels have shown that the HA strain rates of these two steels differ by three to four orders of magnitude. A model based on constraint-free growth of methane bubles is used to show that the dilatometric data obtained on both carbon and 2 1 4 Cr-1Mo steels can be explained by a single model. It is argued that enough grain boundaries are cavitated during HA to ensure constraint-free bubble growth. The model predicts a strong dependence of the HA strain rate on the density of bubbles that a steel develops. The absence of nucleation of bubbles during HA and the low bubble densities make 2 1 4 Cr-1Mo steels much more resistant to HA when compared with carbon steels. The model is also used to develop Bubble Growth maps which give the mechanistic regimes operative under different conditions of temperature and hydrogen pressure.
Regulation of body weight: What is the regulated parameter?

Despite dramatic variations in day to day intake and energy expenditure, weight remains relatively stable in most animals and humans. There are clear physiological responses to over and underfeeding suggesting that the body strives to maintain a constant weight. Despite this, for most humans and experimental animals, there is a tendency for weight to increase slowly over the lifespan. Recent increases in the prevalence of both obesity and anorexia nervosa suggest that factors other than homeostatic physiological mechanisms are important in determining body weight. Clearly reward pathways are activated by palatable food and evidence is emerging that energy balance can modulate these reward pathways and alter the salience of food related stimuli. Significant inhibitory control of reward pathways also comes from a number of brain regions involved in regulation of behavior. Finally there is strong evidence of the important role that social and environmental factors play in modulating both food intake and physical activity behaviors which in turn result in alterations in weight over time. While some aspects of these regulatory systems are within the conscious awareness of people, many, perhaps even most are not. The evidence then would suggest that weight is controlled by several complex regulatory systems that respond to internal metabolic and hormonal signals, hedonic properties of food, internal forces of valuation and self-control, and social factors. Each of these systems is likely 'regulated' and is important in ultimately determining body weight. Experimental paradigms that test one variable in one of these interrelated systems should, where possible control or at least consider the other systems in an effort to provide an integrated picture of weight regulation.
Observation of a noncovalent ribonuclease S-protein/S-peptide complex by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) investigations of noncovalently-bound complexes are of great interest because of their relevance to solution biochemistry. ESI-MS is particularly well suited to studies of weak interactions because it is very gentle and it allows studies to be performed under physiological or near-physiological solution conditions. However, it is not yet fully understood which weakly-bound complexes known to exist in solution will be observable by ESI-MS, or what minimum binding strength may be required for ESI-MS observation. Also unclear is whether complexes observed by ESI-MS reflect only species present in the bulk solution, or whether complexes also reflect aggregation in electrospray-generated microdroplets. We address some of these issues by employing ribonuclease S (RNase-S) as a test of the applicability of ESI-MS for analysis of noncovalent complexes. These results show that the ESI mass spectra of R Nase-S can reflect the specificity of binding in solution. 33 refs., 2 figs.
SEM studies on the vessels of heterophyllous species of Selaginella.

perforation plates featuring wide perforations alternating with narrow pits occurs in S. lepidophylla. Highly porose pit membranes were observed in three species. Although the number of species examined is small, the apparent absence of vessels in some species and the absence of vessels with simple perforation plates are evidence that the heterophyllous species of Selaginella have xylem less xeromorphic than that of the homophyllous species; S. lepidophylla has more adaptations for potentially rapid conductive rates than other heterophyllous species. Structural features of vessels and tracheids of Selaginella as seen with SEM have also been reported in ferns.
Nanoindentation effect on the optical properties of self-assembled quantum dots

Abstract The optical emission spectrum of a quantum dot array is computed for a series of cases in which a nanometer scale microscope tip indenter is used to impose increasing elastic strain on the sample. The system under consideration consists of approximately 30 self-assembled In0.55Al0.45As quantum dots buried in a matrix material of Al0.35Ga0.65As; the indenter is a tapered optical fiber tip used to collect emitted light from the array while simultaneously imposing strain on the sample. A continuum analysis is used to compute the confined electron and hole energies and wave functions in the presence of the imposed elastic indentation strain field. The analysis includes the consideration of exciton binding energy effects, which are found to be small for quantum dots in the size range of interest. From the computed energy states, the optical conductivity of the system is evaluated using simple scattering rate theory. The blue-shift in light emitted by individual dots predicted by the analysis agrees well with experimental observations by Robinson et al. (Appl. Phys. Lett. 72 (1998) 2081). Finally, a simple dislocation nucleation estimate based on a Rice–Thomson-type analysis is developed for the system. The estimate supports the observation that dislocation activity in the single crystalline sample may be responsible for the experimentally observed optical emission quenching when indentation exceeds a critical depth.
Coordination chemistry of lanthanides with transition metal anions

In coordinating solvents such as CH3CN, pyridine, and DMF, solvent separated ion pairs result when the transition metal centers and the bidentate ligands of the transition metal anions are not sufficiently nucleophilic to coordinate to lanthanide ions. With highly nucleophilic transition metal carbonylates, direct transition metal-lanthanide bonds as well as lanthanide-isocarbonyl linkages are possible. Direct bonds between ytterbium and iron are present in [(CH3CN)3YbFe(CO)4]2·CH3CN∞ a one-dimensional ladder, and (CH3CN)3YbFe(CO)4∞, a two dimensional sheet. The ladder polymers (DMF)4EuNi(CN)[in4]∞ and (DMF)4EuPt(CN)4∞, are formed2− in DMF. In these complexes the Eu(II) and transition metals are bridged by the cyanide ions, and no direct lanthanide-transition metal bonds are present. Two types of one-dimensional polymers of general formula (DMF)10Ln2[M(CN)4]3∞ that contain a cyanide bridge between the lanthanide(III) and the transition metal(II) have been prepared. Type A: Ln = Yb, Er, Sm; M = Ni. Type B: Ln = Yb, M = Pt; Ln = Eu, M = Ni. Both types of complex contain the same repeating unit. But the type A complex contains diamond shaped Ln2M2 cores linked together in an infinite array by M(CN)42− anions generating a single strand chain, while the type B complex contains two parallel zigzag chains that are inverted with respect to each other and are linked by M(CN)42− ions. By blocking one of the available trivalent lanthanide coordination sites with a chloride ion, the commonly observed zigzag chain structure of the tetracyanometallates(II) is adopted by (DMF)5Sm[Ni(CN)4]Cl∞ and (DMA)4YbNi(CN)4Cl∞
The structures of some amides obtained from chloromethyldimethylchlorosilane

Abstract A series of amides of the type RCONR′[CH 2 Si(CH 3 ) 2 Cl] were prepared by the reaction of chloromethyldimethylchlorosilane with a series of N-alkyl, N-aryl, and trimethylsilyl amides. The structure of the compound obtained from reaction with bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide was previously determined by x-ray analysis and is used to rationalize the NMR and IR spectra of its 14 N and 15 SN isotopomers. The spectroscopic features of the N-alkyl and N-aryl derivatives are discussed; the derivatives with RCH 3 appear to have the oxygen strongly coordinated to silicon within a 5-membered ring.
Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Soil Properties on Levee Breach by Overtopping

AbstractLevee failure due to overtopping during floods is a common phenomena. An experimental study was conducted in the hydraulics laboratory, University of South Carolina, to develop an understanding of the effects of soil properties on the breaching process of earthen levees. A total of eight experiments were conducted. A new methodology to measure the subaqueous breach evolution has been developed and validated. Measurements of breach width evolution and headcut migration are shown to be related to soil properties. Inclusion of noncohesive, silt size crushed silica in the levee material (45% by weight) significantly reduced the peak discharge and breach evolution time compared to a levee constructed with sand alone. Increase in kaolin clay in the levee material led to an increase in unconfined compressive strength which in turn increased resistance to levee failure. Nondimensional equations relating the breach width evolution and headcut migration to the soil properties have been developed by performi...
Robust image authentication method surviving JPEG lossy compression

Image authentication verifies the originality of an image by detecting malicious manipulations. This goal is different from that of image watermarking which embeds into the image a signature surviving most manipulations. Existing methods for image authentication treat all types of manipulation equally (i.e., as unacceptable). However, some applications demand techniques that can distinguish acceptable manipulations (e.g., compression) from malicious ones. In this paper, we describe an effective technique for image authentication which can prevent malicious manipulations but allow JPEG lossy compression. The authentication signature is based on the invariance of the relationship between DCT coefficients of the same position in separate blocks of an image. This relationship will be preserved when these coefficients are quantized in a JPEG compression process. Our proposed method can distinguish malicious manipulations from JPEG lossy compression regardless of how high the compression ratio is. We also show that, in different practical cases, the design of authenticator depends on the number of recompression times and on whether the image is decoded into integral values in the pixel domain during the recompression process. Theoretical and experimental results indicate that this technique is effective for image authentication.
Exploring single-cell dynamics using chemically-modified microelectrodes

Abstract Microelectrodes have found application for monitoring the chemical environment of single cells. To extend the utility of electrochemical methods applied to single-cell analysis, it has been necessary to use chemically modified microelectrodes which allow detection of substances with slow redox kinetics. In this article, we discuss the use of chemically modified microelectrodes for detection of insulin secretion, nitric oxide secretion, and glucose metabolism inside single cells.
Pigeon discrimination of letters and other forms in texture displays.

In four experiments, pigeons searched for a 3 × 3 matrix of small, identical forms within a 9 × 15 matrix composed of other repeated forms. In each session, all possible pairs of forms appeared. Percent correct and reaction time data were recorded. The stimulus sets comprised the letters of the alphabet (Experiment 1), U-shaped forms in four orientations (Experiment 2), 15 abstract forms composed of identical line segments (Experiment 3), and 3 abstract forms in four orientations (Experiment 4). Reaction times were relatively constant and uninformative. Percent correct data were analyzed by correlation, scaling, and cluster methods. The letter data correlated highly (r = 89) with results from a previous study in which letters were learned as individual targets; scaling and cluster results were also very similar for the two data sets. The data for rotated Us also corresponded with previous single-target results; matrices composed of mirror-image forms were very difficult to discriminate. The data for abstract forms suggested that connectedness, orientation, and symmetry are important determiners of discrimination in this situation. Taken together, the results identify a number of features significant for pigeon form discrimination; these features include relationally defined aspects, and suggest that processes controlling discriminability here do not differ markedly from those controlling discriminability in more common learning paradigms. The method is efficient and equates exposure of test stimuli, thus minimizing the sequential effects found when stimuli are learned serially.
Acrolein causes transcriptional induction of phase II genes by activation of Nrf2 in human lung type II epithelial (A549) cells.

Abstract Acrolein, an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde, is by far the strongest electrophile present in cigarette smoke which is involved in several lung pathophysiological conditions. Acrolein depletes glutathione and creates thiol imbalance. Acrolein due to thiol imbalance as well as covalent modification of cysteine is known to inhibit the activity of redox sensitive transcription factors such as NF-κB and AP-1. Exposure of human type II lung epithelial (A549) cells to non-lethal dose of acrolein (150 fmol/cell for 1 h) depletes 80% of intracellular glutathione and increases the transcription of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) at 6–12 h post-treatment, which helps in replenishing the glutathione to normal level. Acrolein treatment activates transcription of phase II genes in general, as indicated by an increase in mRNA for NAD (P) H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1). Western blot analysis revealed the increased level of the transcription factor, Nrf2 in the nuclear extract from acrolein treated cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay shows increased binding of nuclear proteins to human antioxidant response element (ARE) consensus sequence after treatment with acrolein. The involvement of Nrf2 in ARE mediated transcriptional activation in response to acrolein exposure has been confirmed by human NQO1-ARE reporter assay. The ability of acrolein to transcriptionaly activate genes responsible for phase II enzymes may form the basis of resistance against cell death and can have implications in cigarette smoke related lung carcinogenesis.
Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Children: A Multinational Survey.

One of the most significant trends in contemporary English language teaching is the dramatic increase in English as a foreign language (EFL) programs for younger children (ages 3–12) in school systems throughout the world. These programs have created special challenges for teachers who are nonnative English speakers (NNES). To document the methodology of NNES teachers of younger children, the authors of this article created 14 classroom teaching videos which were embedded in a web-based survey. This survey was sent to EFL teachers of children in schools throughout Asia and Latin America as a needs analysis for teachers who would be participating in training programs related to an international textbook series. The results of this survey challenge the stereotypes about these teachers, deepen our understanding of their methodological practices, and provide models for professional development. Although some of the techniques were more familiar to the respondents than others, most of the teachers in this study indicated that they use a broad range of techniques within their local communities of practice. These teachers expressed their willingness to adopt the less familiar techniques if they were provided with appropriate materials and training. Finally, most of the teachers in this study favored collaborative, relational forms of professional development.
HELP: Handheld Emergency Logistics Program for Generating Structured Requests in Stressful Conditions

Abstract Large-scale disasters usually entail serious damage to life and property. Effective response to such disasters requires rapid reaction and efficient, accurate processes. Since disasters often strike without any prior warning, first responders have very little time to train and prepare for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations. These operations can span from several weeks to several months. This puts first responders in rather stressful conditions; they may not be trained to handle the task they have to, fatigued, and working in rather austere conditions. We are developing a system called HELP - Handheld Emergency Logistics Program – to enable first responders to rapidly request resources without the need for advance training. HELP runs on commercial-off-the-shelf mobile phones and tablets. We focus on the first responder's ability to use HELP in stressful conditions by minimizing the chance of error, reducing the need to pull information from memory, minimizing manual data entry, and by providing multiple redundant modalities for performing the same action. We present the design principles and architecture of HELP in this paper. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the United States Government.
Correlates of intelligence and adaptive behaviour in down's syndrome

Intelligence and adaptive behaviour scores of Down's syndrome children were compared with parental educational level, socio-economic indicators, and parental age at birth of the child. IQ and adaptive behaviour scores were positively correlated with parental education and socio-economic indicators. Adaptive behaviour scores of children born to older parents were significantly lower than scores of children born to younger parents.
Sedative effects of propofol in horses

Abstract Objective We hypothesized that propofol can produce rapidly-reversible, dose-dependent standing sedation in horses. Study design Prospective randomized, blinded, experimental trial. Animals Twelve healthy horses aged 12 ± 6 years (mean ± SD), weighing 565 ± 20 kg, and with an equal distribution of mares and geldings. Methods Propofol was administered as an intravenous bolus at one of three randomized doses (0.20, 0.35 and 0.50 mg kg −1 ). Cardiovascular and behavioral measurements were made by a single investigator, who was blinded to treatment dose, at 3 minute intervals until subjective behavior scores returned to pre-sedation baseline values. Continuous data were analyzed over time using repeated-measures anova and noncontinuous data were analyzed using Friedman tests. Results There were no significant propofol dose or temporal effects on heart rate, respiratory rate, vertical head height, or jugular venous blood gases (pH v , P v O 2 , P v CO 2 ). The 0.35 mg kg −1 dose caused mild sedation lasting up to 6 minutes. The 0.50 mg kg −1 dose increased sedation depth and duration, but with increased ataxia and apparent muscle weakness. Conclusions and clinical relevance Intravenous 0.35 mg kg −1 propofol provided brief, mild sedation in horses. Caution is warranted at higher doses due to increased risk of ataxia.
Miniature free-piston homogeneous charge compression ignition engine-compressor concept—Part I: performance estimation and design considerations unique to small dimensions

Abstract Research and development activities pertaining to the development of a 10 W , homogeneous charge compression ignition free-piston engine-compressor are presented. Emphasis is placed upon the miniature engine concept and design rationale. Also, a crankcase-scavenged, two-stroke engine performance estimation method (slider-crank piston motion) is developed and used to explore the influence of engine operating conditions and geometric parameters on power density and establish plausible design conditions. The minimization of small-scale effects such as enhanced heat transfer, is also explored.
1-[(η5-C5R5)Co]B4H8(R = H or Me) sandwich complexes containing a square cyclic B4H82– ligand analogous to C4H42–: structural and spectroscopic studies

The title complexes, prepared in moderate yields via an improved procedure, have been investigated by X-ray crystallography, n.m.r., u.v., and i.r. spectroscopy, and compared with their structural relatives B5H9, 1-[(CO)3Fe]B4H8, and [Co(η5-C5H5)(η4-C4H4)] as well as their 2-[(η5-C5R5)Co]B4H8(R = H or Me) isomers. Disorder of the C5Me5 ring prevented satisfactory refinement of the crystallographic data for 1-[(η5-C5R5)Co]B4H8(R = Me); however, for the parent (R = H) molecule, a model having four-fold disorder in the C5H5 ring was found to refine satisfactorily. The complex has a sandwich structure in agreement with the geometry previously assigned from n.m.r. data. The molecular bond lengths and angles are close to those of their counterparts in B5H9, and the unusually short Co–B distance [1.977(2)A] suggests a strong covalent metal–B4H82– linkage; this value is similar to the mean Co–C(C4H4) distance in [Co(η5-C5H5)(η4-C4H4)][1.965(1)A] despite the smaller covalent radius of carbon versus boron. The terminal H atoms on the B4H82– ligand, like those in [Co(η5-C5H5)(η4-C4H4)], are only slightly out of the B4(or C4) plane, in contrast to B5H9 where these hydrogens are substantially bent toward the apex.
Metastatic melanoma in the breast: a report of 27 cases.

Background and Objectives Malignant melanoma is the most rapidly increasing cancer in the world. Metastatic disease occurs in 20% of patients. Metastases to the breast are rare. Melanoma is, however, among the most commonly reported primary tumors to metastasize to the breast. With the increasing incidence of melanoma, this complication is being encountered with greater frequency. Methods A retrospective case review of our melanoma registry to find all patients with melanoma metastatic to the breast for the period from 1975 to 2005. Results Twenty-seven patients were found to have breast metastases from melanoma during this period. Twenty were premenopausal females (70%) with a mean age of 41.4 years. Most patients had primary lesions on the upper body (82.6%). Four patients had a lower extremity primary. The median interval between diagnosis of the primary and breast involvement was 52.5 month. Five patients had bilateral breast involvement, and all had other sites of metastases. The median survival after diagnosis of breast metastases was 12.9 months. Conclusions Metastases to the breast from melanoma are uncommon but should be suspected in patients with a breast mass and a prior history of melanoma even years after a primary has been removed. J. Surg. Oncol. 2006;94:101–104. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Getting Angry at Peers: Associations with Liking of the Provocateur

We examined how preschoolers coped with anger in interactions with well liked and not well liked peers. The free-play interactions of preschool-aged children (M age = 66.27 months) were observed for 6 months. The frequency, causes, and intensity of children's anger, as well as their anger-related reactions, were compared for incidents provoked by peers who were "really liked" to those provoked by peers who were liked only " a little bit." Although there were no differences in the intensity of anger provocations by well liked and not well liked provocateurs, children's responses to provocations by well liked peers were more controlled than was the case for anger provoked by peers who were not well liked. In general, boys were more responsive to how they felt about the provocateur than were girls. These findings suggest that anger episodes with well liked children were less stressful than those with peers who were not well liked.
Design and analysis of ultrasonic actuator in consideration of length-reduction for a USDC (Ultrasonic/Sonic Driller/Corer)

Sample return and in-situ sampling and analysis is one of the major objectives of future NASA exploration missions. Existing drilling techniques are limited by the need for large axial forces, holding torques, and high power consumption. Lightweight robots and rovers have difficulties accommodating these requirements. To address these key challenges to the NASA objective of planetary in-situ rock sampling and analysis, a drilling technology called ultrasonic/sonic driller/corer (USDC) was developed. The USDC uses a novel driving mechanism, transferring ultrasonic vibration to sonic frequency impacts with the aid of a free-flying mass block (free-mass). The free mass then drives the drill bit. The actuator consists of a stack of piezoelectric disks with a horn that amplifies the induced vibration amplitudes. The standard USDC is a slender device, and some times its length is too long for specific NASA missions. It is of current interest to have novel designs that reduce the length of the device. For this purpose, two novel horn designs were examined analytically. One is the flipped horn, the other is the planar folded horn. The new designs of the horn were analyzed using finite element modeling and the results allow for the determination of the control parameters that can optimize the performance of the ultrasonic horn in terms of the tip displacement and velocity. The results of the modeling are described and discussed in this paper.
Gain-guiding and quantum noise in a transient Raman amplifier

Gain-guiding in an optical amplifier can have a significant effect on the quantum noise properties of the amplified signal. It has been demonstrated, both theoretically and experimentally, that gain-guiding in a steady state Raman amplifier can lead to excess noise in the output signal. Experiments using a Raman amplifier operating in the extreme transient regime also indicate that gain-guiding can have a significant effect on the output Stokes field. In this paper, a theoretical description of transient stimulated Raman scattering in a focused gain geometry is developed. The theory accounts for diffraction, gain-guiding, and quantum initiation.
Large Scale Microcavity Plasma Array for Flat Light Sources

Summary form only given. Flat light sources, having radiating areas as large as 1 ft2 and comprising arrays of Al/Al2O3/glass microcavity plasma devices, have been fabricated and characterized in the rare gases and gas mixtures. Sealed arrays of devices with microcavities having diamond-shaped cross-sections yield lamps with an overall thickness less than 1 mm (of which ~80% of the thickness is contributed by glass or quartz window). These arrays can utilized as UV lamps or thin, flat fluorescent lamps by the selection of materials, discharge gas and optical design. Engineering of the array geometry as well as the microcavity-phosphor arrangement to achieve the highest luminous efficacy are under investigation. The properties of the microdischarge array in various gases will be discussed in detail.
RNase H and Multiple RNA Biogenesis Factors Cooperate to Prevent RNA:DNA Hybrids from Generating Genome Instability

Genome instability, a hallmark of cancer progression, is thought to arise through DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). Studies in yeast and mammalian cells have shown that DSBs and instability can occur through RNA:DNA hybrids generated by defects in RNA elongation and splicing. We report that in yeast hybrids naturally form at many loci in wild-type cells, likely due to transcriptional errors, but are removed by two evolutionarily conserved RNase H enzymes. Mutants defective in transcriptional repression, RNA export and RNA degradation show increased hybrid formation and associated genome instability. One mutant, sin3Δ, changes the genome profile of hybrids, enhancing formation at ribosomal DNA. Hybrids likely induce damage in G1, S and G2/M as assayed by Rad52 foci. In summary, RNA:DNA hybrids are a potent source for changing genome structure. By preventing their formation and accumulation, multiple RNA biogenesis factors and RNase H act as guardians of the genome.
Membrane targeting of p115 phosphorylation mutants and their effects on Golgi integrity and secretory traffic.

Summary The cytosolic phosphoprotein p115 is required for ER to Golgi traffic and for Golgi reassembly after mitosis. In cells, p115 is localized to ER exit sites, ER-Golgi Intermediate Compartment (ERGIC) and the Golgi, and cycles between these compartments. P115 is phosphorylated on serine 942, and this modification appears to control p115 association with membranes. P115 is likely to function by reversibly interacting with effector proteins, and in the Golgi, two proteins, GM130 and giantin, have been shown to bind p115. The GM130-p115 and the giantin-p115 interactions are enhanced by p115 phosphorylation. Phosphorylation appears to be essential for p115 function, since substitutions of serine 942 abolish p115 ability to sustain cisternal reformation in an in vitro assay reconstituting Golgi reassembly after mitosis. Here, we explored how phosphorylation of p115 affects its intracellular targeting to distinct cellular compartments, and its function in secretory traffic. We generated phosphorylation mutants of p115 and tested their ability to target to ER exit sites, ERGIC and the Golgi. In addition, we explored whether expression of the mutants causes disruption of Golgi structure and perturbs ER-Golgi traffic of a VSV-G cargo protein.
Hops-based Sleep Scheduling Algorithm for Enhancing Lifetime of Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper, we study the node sleep scheduling scheme in the commonly used static disk model for sensor networks, where homogenous sensors are uniformly distributed in a circular area with a stationary sink located at the center. Then, we introduce and analyze a Hops-based Sleeping Scheduling algorithm (HSS) for enhancing the life-time and energy efficiency of the sensor networks. The HSS divides the circular sensor network into several levels according to the average hop distance based on certain network parameters. By assigning hops-based sleeping probabilities to each sensor, and the network lifetime as well as energy efficiency can be greatly improved. Simulations are performed to compare our proposed HSS scheme with the traditional Randomized Sleeping Scheduling (RSS) scheme, where all the nodes have the uniform sleeping probability. The results demonstrate that our HSS scheme can enhance network lifetime greatly, provide desired QoS requirement effectively, and drastically outperform the RSS scheme.
Aggregation of hydrophobic cell wall proteins of Candida albicans

Abstract The exterior surface of the cell wall of Candida albicans can be hydrophobic or hydrophilic. Hydrophobic cell wall proteins of masses 32–40 kDa from C. albicans demonstrated strong aggregation tendencies which influenced both preparation and analysis. The proteins aggregated at 37°C in water and various buffers. Aggregation of the isolated proteins increased with time, was rapidly promoted by heat (3 min, 100°C), and was influenced by dialysis method, protein concentration, and centrifugal ultrafiltration. The presence of 2% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 5% 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) inhibited aggregate formation, but heating in SDS and 2-ME did not disrupt pre-formed aggregates. Aggregate sizes in acrylamide gels corresponded to roughly dimer and trimer molecular weights. Electron micrographs of negatively-stained hydrophobic protein samples demonstrated very large aggregates which were not observed in unfractionated cell wall protein samples. The potential impact of hydrophobic protein aggregation upon the ectomural fibrillar structure of the C. albicans cell wall is discussed.
Topoisomerase I and II enzyme inhibitory aqueous extract of Ardisia compressa and ardisin protect against benomyl oxidation of hepatocytes.

Tea preparations of Ardisia compressa (AC) have been used in folk medicine against liver disorders. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro topoisomerase I and II enzyme inhibition and the antioxidant effect of an aqueous extract from dry leaves of AC and a pure component (ardisin) purified from AC on benomyl (Be)-induced cytotoxicity in primary culture rat hepatocytes. Lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde), antioxidant enzyme activities of glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase, and glutathione levels were studied. Topoisomerase I and II enzyme inhibition was used to guide purification of ardisin, which was purified using TLC, MPLC, and preparative and analytical HPLC methods. Benomyl increased malondialdehyde (58% change in comparison to the control) and glutathione peroxidase (10%), producing a significant consumption of endogenous antioxidant glutathione (65%, P < 0.05). A 94% hepatocyte protection was observed when cells were first exposed to ardisin (...
Superior Performance by Women in a Visual Orienting Task: A Limit on the Concept of Field Dependence

15 women and 24 men were compared on a visual orienting task requiring observers to set a luminous line to a vertical position while viewing from a laterally tilted body position. No visible frame ...