cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From mainframes to micros: Effects on workshop delivery

Helping users become self-sufficient is a chief function of User Services. To help the user obtain self-sufficiency, documentation and newsletters are written and promulgated, one-on-one consulting is provided, literacy courses are offered, and workshops are taught.From my experience, I have learned that users want to know about computers but they don't want to invest any time in learning. They won't open a manual even if it's written for novices. They refuse to do anything except scan through newsletters in an attempt to minimize the time invested. They consider literacy courses a major commitment of time. Consulting seldom works unless it is done as a response to a question. However, because workshops only require the user to show up at a designated time, they seem to be the best means for imparting computer information to the lazy user. And let's face it, the consumer of User Services is lazy.These broad generalities are especially true at Cuyahoga Community College (CCC). We distribute hundreds of novice-level manuals to faculty/staff/administrators each term, but even the most literate users won't open them. The manuals mostly serve as decoration for their bookshelves. I even get calls from sophisticated users who marvel at how much I know about our text editor, and are amazed that I learned it all by simply reading the manual.We publish a newsletter six times a year. Most of the articles are written for people who know very little about computing at CCC. Unfortunately, only a select few of the CCC staff have come to realize that it is an invaluable information source.We have had a very successful computer literacy course in place for two years, but it is a rare participant who shows up for all of the ten or more classes. Furthermore, the participants rarely spend much time outside of the class trying to learn the material.We provide a good deal of consulting support, but those people who do come to see us usually have ill-defined ideas of what they want and high hopes of spoon-feeding.Because of the CCC staff's love of spoon-fed computer knowledge, workshops seem to be the most successful of all our User Services. Over the past year, the number of people registering for workshops has doubled and now exceeds the number of people the staff can support.This paper examines the reasons for the successes and failures of this method of user education, especially those reasons which are pertinent to my workshop delivery techniques. These techniques have changed over time in order to accomodate the change in the users' attitudes towards workshops.
The Inquiry, Communication, Construction and Expression (ICCE) Framework for Understanding Learning Experiences in Games

There is a paucity of research frameworks that focus on aiding game selection and use, analyzing the game as a holistic system, and studying learner experiences in games. There is a need for frameworks that provide a lens for understanding learning experiences afforded in digital games and facilitating knowledge construction and motivation to learn. Towards this goal, the purpose of this article is to introduce the inquiry, communication, construction, and expression (ICCE) framework. This qualitative study with interviews and observations examined the mathematics game Dimension M. It was analyzed using the ICCE framework. It reports the interpretive results of twenty 9th graders' motivation and achievement in a game-based learning course to learn mathematics using Dimension M. The ICCE framework may be a valuable tool for aiding teachers to assess the efficacy of games for learning and for students to benefit from the possible designed experiences within games.
The ontogenesis of agent

Three children were followed longitudinally for 12 months, between their 11th and 22nd months of life, to document their development of the linguistic expression of the agent concept. The children ...
Induction of Cardiac l-Ornithine Decarboxylase by Nicotinamide and Its Regulation by Putrescine

Repeated intraperitonal injection of nicotinamide (2 × 5 mmol/kg) in rats increases cardiac l-ornithine decarboxylase 36-fold in 4 h. This effect, which is dose dependent, is inhibited by cycloheximide. Cardiac l-ornithine decarboxylase decays with a t1/2 of 35 min. Nicotinic acid, at the same doses as nicotinamide, has only negligible effect on cardiac l-ornithine decarboxylase content. The calculated nicotinamide content of hearts is 11 mM, 30 min after the second injection of nicotinamide. Cardiac nicotinamide decays with a t1/2 of 3.1 h. Nicotinic acid increases cardiac nicotinamide content only to 1.1 mM. Injection of putrescine in doses which augment cardiac polyamine content to the same extent as nicotinamide-induced l-ornithine decarboxylase in vivo, inhibits the enzyme-inducing effect of nicotinamide within 30 min. The t1/2 of cardiac putrescine is 6.8 h. There is a temporal correlation between cardiac nicotinamide content, the cycle of induction of l-ornithine decarboxylase in 4 h, the subsequent decay of enzyme content and progressive inhibition of enzyme induction by putrescine. Induction of the protein inhibitor of l-ornithine decarboxylase, by repeated injections of putrescine, is a delayed second effect of the polyamine and has no kinetic relationship to the relatively rapid induction-decay cycle of l-ornithine decarboxylase elicited by nicotinamide. Within the experimental periods used, there is no effect of nicotinamide or putrescine on general protein synthesis in heart. Other inhibitors of poly(adenosine diphosphoribose) synthetase or nuclear NAD+ glycohydrolase (5′-methyl nicotinamide, thymidine or 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine) also induce l-ornithine decarboxylase. There is an apparent preferential inducing effect of nicotinamide on heart, whereas the other inhibitors act both on liver and heart to a varying extent.
Animal-sediment relations in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts I. A transect study

Benthic macrofauna and bottom sediments were sampled at 7 stations along a 24 km long onshore-offshore transect ranging in depth from 12 to 42 m in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts, USA. High faunal density, biomass and species diversity were recorded at stations densely populated by tubicolous polychaetes. These tube mats bind and stabilize the substratum, providing solid surfaces for attachment of epizoans. Three suspension-feeding species, Euchone incolor (polychaete), Thyasira gouldi (bivalve) and Aeginina longicornis (amphipod), co-occur with deposit-feeding species on muds resuspended by tidal currents. Hydrographic profiles of temperature, salinity and turbidity indicate that resuspended silt-clay particles are entrapped in dense water below the summer thermocline, which persists from mid-April to mid-October. The zone of intersection of the thermocline with the sea floor in about 22 m of water defines a major biofacies-lithofacies transition. This ecotone is characterized by high faunal density, biomass, and species diversity. Benthic populations of macrofauna from Cape Cod Bay are larger than those from Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, and have a widely different taxonomic and trophic composition.
A greedy policy for fleet-level radar resource management

A model for a phased-array radar in the context of a defensive Naval system has been developed using hierarchical finite state machines. This model is used to study resource management for a fleet of ships equipped with one radar unit each. This fleet is under attack from aerial enemy agents. A control algorithm formulated on this specific model is used to dynamically generate a greedy policy for radar operation. The defense system is evaluated in its capability to acquire and track those aerial threats, in two configurations -centralized and decentralized (independent). The performance is quantified on the basis of time taken to establish the threat trajectory, time to compute the policy and the number of threats the system fails to track. A comparison of performance in the two configurations is provided.
Appropriate starter culture technologies for small-scale fermentation in developing countries

Modern food biotechnology has moved a long way since ancient times of empirical food fermentations. Preservation and safeguarding of food are, however, still major objectives of fermentation. In addition, other aspects, such as wholesomeness, acceptability and overall quality, have become increasingly important and valued features to consumers even in developing countries where old traditions and cultural particularities in food fermentations are generally well maintained. Due to limitations in infrastructure and existing low technologies, rural areas in most developing countries have not been able to keep abreast of global developments toward industrialisation. At the same time, fermented foods play a major role in the diet of numerous regions in Africa and Asia. In many traditional approaches, the advantages of some form of inoculation of a new batch, e.g. by back-slopping or the repeated use of the same container (e.g. a calabash) is appreciated and generally practised. Still, the benefits of small-scale starter culture application as a means of improved hygiene, safety and quality control, in support of HACCP approaches, are not yet realised in small-scale fermentation operations. Approaches and considerations for the selection of pure cultures for small-scale, low-tech applications may differ in some respects from the large-scale industrial approaches practised since 100 years. Selection criteria should take account of the substrate, technical properties of the strain, food safety requirements and quality expectations. Lack of experience in the application of starter cultures in small-scale operations and under rural conditions presents a major obstacle but also an exciting challenge to food microbiologist and technologist. Culture preservation, maintenance and distribution demand special logistic and economic considerations. Quality, safety and acceptability of traditional fermented foods may be significantly improved through the use of starter cultures selected on the basis of multifunctional considerations, also taking into account the probiotic concept and possibilities offered for improved health benefits.
Advances in the technology of fiber reinforced thermoplastics during 1992

This article is a review of developments published in the open literature during 1992 on subjects related to the injection molding of fiber reinforced thermoplastics. Topics discussed include high performance polymers, reinforcements, fiber–matrix adhesion, composite properties, data bases, factors involved in injection molding, product design, mold design and manufacture, product manufacture, and applications of fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites. The intent was to include information pertinent to improvements in the engineering, fabrication, and use of these materials. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Effects of prostaglandin on the antigen- and mitogen-driven responses of peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with adult and juvenile periodontitis.

Abstract Peripheral blood lymphoid cells were obtained from individuals with juvenile periodontitis or the adult form of the disease and from normal control subjects and were cultured with and without bacterial substances or polyclonal activators. Blastogenic response and cytotoxic factor production were measured and the effectiveness of prostaglandin- E 2 in inhibiting these cell functions was evaluated. The data show that cells obtained from individuals with juvenile periodontitis in general respond to stimulation in vitro more vigorously and are suppressed by prostaglandin E 2 less effectively than cells from individuals with the adult form of the disease or cells from normal control individuals. Measurement of activated lymphoid cell responses in the presence and absence of PGE 2 may have diagnostic usefulness in distinguishing individuals with the juvenile form from those with adult forms of the disease.
Rate-dependent action potential alternans in human heart failure implicates abnormal intracellular calcium handling.

Background Alternans in action potential voltage (APV-ALT) at heart rates Objective Using a modeling and clinical approach, our objectives were to (1) determine how APV-ALT varies with pacing rate and (2) ascertain whether abnormalities in calcium handling explain the rate dependence of APV-ALT in HF. Methods APV-ALT was analyzed at several cycle lengths (CLs) using a dynamic pacing protocol applied to a human left ventricle wedge model with various alterations in calcium handling. Modeled APV-ALT was used to predict APV-ALT in left ventricle monophasic action potentials recorded from HF (n = 3) and control (n = 2) patients with the same pacing protocol. Results Reducing the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium uptake current ≤25%, the release current ≤11%, or the sarcolemmal L-type calcium channel current ≤43% of control predicted APV-ALT to arise at CL ≥600 ms and then increase in magnitude by >400% for CL 500% at CL Conclusions APV-ALT shows differing rate dependence in HF versus control patients, arising at slower rates in HF and predicted by models with abnormal calcium handling. Future studies should investigate whether APV-ALT at slow rates identifies patients with deranged calcium handing, including HF patients before decompensation or at risk for arrhythmias.
Three-dimensional image-based high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy for vaginal cancer.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate dosimetric and clinical outcomes of three-dimensional (3D) image–based high-dose-rate (HDR) interstitial brachytherapy (HDRB) in patients with vaginal cancers. Methods and Materials Thirty patients with vaginal cancers were treated with HDRB using Syed-Neblett template. CT scan was done after placement of needles for confirmation of placement and treatment planning. The target volume and organs at risk, including clinical target volume (CTV), rectum, bladder, and sigmoid colon, were contoured on CT scans. Twenty-eight (93.3%) patients received external beam radiation therapy at a median 45 (24.0–50.4) Gy in 12–28 fractions, followed by HDRB at 3.75–5.0 Gy per fraction in five fractions. Total doses for CTV and organs at risk from external beam radiation therapy and HDRB were summated and normalized to a biologically equivalent dose of 2 Gy per fraction. Results Seventeen patients (56.7%) with primary vaginal cancer and 13 patients (43.3%) with recurrent vaginal cancers were treated with 3D HDRB. The mean CTV was 39.3 ± 25.7 cm 3 , and the median tumor diameter was 3.3 (1.3–8.0) cm. The median biologically equivalent dose of 2 Gy per fraction for 2 cc of bladder, rectum, and sigmoid was 55.0, 56.3, 50.0 Gy, respectively. The median D 90 for high-risk CTV was 74.3 (36.3–81.1) Gy. The mean volume receiving 100%, 150%, and 200% of prescribed dose was 90.7 ± 10.0%, 41.3 ± 14.6%, and 17.7 ± 8.3%, respectively. With a median followup of 16.7 months, the respective 1-/2-year locoregional and overall survival rates were 84.4%/78.8% and 82.1%/70.2%, respectively. There were no Grade ≥3 gastrointestinal complications. Late complications of Grade 3 vaginal ulceration and Grade 4 vaginal necrosis were seen in two cases. Conclusions Initial results of 3D HDRB using our fractionation schedule in the treatment of vaginal cancers showed good local response with acceptable morbidities.
Capillary Electrophoresis: Focus on Undergraduate Laboratory Experiments

Capillary electrophoresis is a versatile technique well suited to teach concepts that are fundamental to a chemistry degree program. The applicability of capillary electrophoresis to metabolites, DNA, proteins, pharmaceutical compounds, environmental contaminants, or components of foods and beverages makes it a desirable tool in the chemical laboratory to teach students how to use different instrumentation for sample analyses.
Choice reaction and unequal stimulus frequencies in an absolute judgment situation

Previous investigators have reported discrepant results for Ss in a choice reaction time (CRT) situation when stimuli are not equi-probable. Sixty Ss participated in an absolute judgment CRT task under three conditions of equi-probable stimuli and three of unequally probable stimuli. The results indicate that previous findings may be determined by a threshold dependent upon the effect of unequal stimulus frequencies and the utilities of different response strategies.
Racial Disparity in Formal Social Control: An Investigation of Alternative Explanations of Arrest Rate Inequality

Prior research on racial disparities in arrest rates has been limited by an almost exclusive focus on two explanatory models, an inattention to the mediating processes identified in leading theories, and a relative neglect of nonindex crimes, for which police discretion is greater. This analysis contributes to research on race differences in social control by more comprehensively evaluating mediating factors in the racial threat and benign neglect models and by testing explanatory frameworks that link racial disparities to opportunities for bias that result from residential segregation and variations in police discretionary authority across crime types. Analyses of data from 136 cities reveal two key findings. First, an uneven distribution of Blacks and Whites is associated with higher arrest disparities for drug and weapons arrests, but not with violent or property crime arrest disparities. Second, there is little evidence in support of the venerable racial threat or benign neglect explanatory frameworks.
Feature Subset Selection Utilizing BioMechanical Characteristic for Hand Gesture Recognition

Feature Subset Selection has become the focus of much research in areas of application for Multivariate Time Series (MTS). MTS data sets are common in many multimedia and medical applications such as gesture recognition, video sequence matching and EEG/ECG data analysis. MTS data sets are high dimensional as they consist of a series of observations of many variables at a time. The objective of feature subset selection is two-fold: providing a faster and more cost-effective process and a better understanding of the underlying process that generated the data. We propose a subset selection approach based on biomechanical characteristics, a simple yet effective technique for MTS. We apply our approach for recognizing ASL static signs using Neural Network and Multi-Layer Neural Network and show that we can maintain the same accuracy by selecting just 50% of the generated data.
Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with alterations in markers of feto-placental wellbeing

Background: Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) has been associated with adverse pregnancy and fetal outcomes. As the placenta plays a central role in mediating many of these outcomes, we hypothesized that markers of feto-placental wellbeing are altered in women with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: A retrospective case-control study was performed. Cases were identified by ICD-9 codes. Controls were identified from a sample of women screened for symptoms of SDB by using questions from the multivariable apnea prediction index. Women who scored zero (never) on snoring, gasping and apneas were selected as controls. Women with available feto-placental screening markers (estriol (uE3) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)) were then selected. Standard statistical analyses were used. Results: Twenty six OSA cases and 165 controls were identified. Median age and body mass index (BMI) were 27.0 and 28.5, p=0.5, and 37.7 and 22.9, p Conclusion: OSA is associated with alterations in markers of feto-placental wellbeing. Prospective studies need to elucidate this association further.
Assessing Neighborhood-Level Effects on Disparities in Cardiovascular Diseases

Despite declines in mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and many CVD risk factors, CVD remains the leading cause of death in the United States, and racial and ethnic disparities persist. In 2010, rates of CVD mortality per 100 000 were: 192.2 for white women; 260.5 for black women; 278.4 for white men; and 369.2 for black men.1 In 2009 and 2010, metrics of ideal cardiovascular health factors (ie, blood pressure, physical activity, healthy diet, healthy weight, smoking status, and glucose) were noted to be lower for blacks and Mexican Americans than for whites or other racial groups.1 In 2012, the following age-adjusted prevalence estimates among nonwhite adult populations were noted compared with the white population:2 (1) the prevalence of heart disease and coronary heart disease (CHD) was similar in blacks, lower in Hispanics and Asians, and higher in American Indians/Alaska natives, and native Hawaiian or other Pacific Island populations; (2) the prevalence of hypertension was higher in blacks, similar or lower in Hispanics and Asians, and higher in American Indians/Alaska natives, and native Hawaiian or other Pacific island populations; and (3) the prevalence of having had a stroke was higher in blacks, lower in Hispanics, and lower in Asian populations. Article see p 141 The persistence of racial and ethnic disparities in CVD is a major public health problem that calls for more understanding of root causes that may inform evidence-based deliberations and policies. Studies have shown that racial and ethnic disparities in CVD: (1) appear to remain after adjusting for known individual-level risk factors such as blood pressure, smoking, body mass index (BMI), and socioeconomic status (SES);3 and (2) tend to vary with age, time, and geography.4,5 These observations suggest that neighborhood-level social or environmental factors not captured by conventional measures of …
High power S-Band microwave radiation from small body waveguides

High power microwave radiation in the S-Band is being studied in small body waveguides. Waveguide structures are being developed that transmit high power microwaves in the S band from the TE11 mode into high gain, highly directive radiation patterns. Using advanced modeling techniques, the behavior of these high power electromagnetic waves can be accurately described inside the waveguide as well as in the near and far field regions. The simulations are being used to plan and improve high power experiments performed on the waveguide. Presented are the modeling results of high power electromagnetic waves in the small body waveguide. Plans for an S-Band microwave experiment are also discussed.
Defect studies with isotopically designed semiconductors

Most semiconductors consist of elements which are made up of a number of stable isotopes. Access to highly enriched isotopes in macroscopic quantities opens up new and unique possibilities for semiconductor defect research. The use of isotope mass sensitive effects including the frequencies of local vibrational modes, nuclear spin, as well as nuclear cross sections for thermal neutron capture for the study of native and impurity defects will be reviewed and illustrated with relevant examples. First, the extreme simplification of the local vibrational mode (LVM) spectrum of oxygen in Ge obtained through isotopic control of the Ge host lattice will be reviewed with emphasis on the spectral features which became accessible through this simplification. Second, self and impurity diffusion studies with isotopically designed multilayer structures will be discussed. Third, the authors will discuss defect and dopant investigations based on the neutron transmutation doping (NTD) technique.
Synthesis of Benz[1,2-a]aceanthrylene from Triptycene via Flash Vacuum Thermolysis

Abstract Benz[1,2-a]aceanthrylene is prepared from triptycene in 60 % yield by flash vacuum thermolysis at 875° C.
Scatterable Sensor Networks for Network Centric Warfare Applications

This paper investigates the utility of realistic, time and scale-constrained sensor networks in cooperation with semi-autonomous robots as envisioned in future Network-Centric Warfare. The particular application chosen is a networked minefield based roughly on the United States Military Family of Scatterable Mines (FASCAM) with similar emplacement and planning techniques. Algorithms for sensor network operation and sensor network control are provided. Simulation results for sleep and wake cycles and energy consumption indicate that sleep logic based on hop distance from a minefield event provide the best energy savings.
Order preserving encryption for numeric data

Encryption is a well established technology for protecting sensitive data. However, once encrypted, data can no longer be easily queried aside from exact matches. We present an order-preserving encryption scheme for numeric data that allows any comparison operation to be directly applied on encrypted data. Query results produced are sound (no false hits) and complete (no false drops). Our scheme handles updates gracefully and new values can be added without requiring changes in the encryption of other values. It allows standard databse indexes to be built over encrypted tables and can easily be integrated with existing database systems. The proposed scheme has been designed to be deployed in application environments in which the intruder can get access to the encrypted database, but does not have prior domain information such as the distribution of values and annot encrypt or decrypt arbitrary values of his choice. The encryption is robust against estimation of the true value in such environments.
A new explanation of decreasing failure rate of a mixture of exponentials

It is well known that the mixture of exponential distributions has a decreasing failure rate, even though each component in the mixture has a constant failure rate. This result is elegant but sometimes seen as a paradox. This paper shows that the proportion of strong (weak) subpopulation with small (large) failure rates in the mixture increases (decreases) as time passes. Based on this fact, a non-Bayes explanation is given for the mixture of exponentials to have a decreasing failure rate.
Alien invasions in aquatic ecosystems: Toward an understanding of brook trout invasions and potential impacts on inland cutthroat trout in western North America

Experience from case studies of biologicalinvasions in aquatic ecosystems has motivated aset of proposed empirical “rules” forunderstanding patterns of invasion and impactson native species. Further evidence is neededto better understand these patterns, andperhaps contribute to a useful predictivetheory of invasions. We reviewed the case ofbrook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)invasions in the western United States andtheir impacts on native cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki). Unlike many biologicalinvasions, a considerable body of empiricalresearch on brook trout and cutthroat trout isavailable. We reviewed life histories of eachspecies, brook trout invasions, their impactson cutthroat trout, and patterns and causes ofsegregation between brook trout and cutthroattrout. We considered four stages of theinvasion process: transport, establishment,spread, and impacts to native species. Most ofthe research we found focused on impacts. Interspecific interactions, especiallycompetition, were commonly investigated andcited as impacts of brook trout. In many casesit is not clear if brook trout invasions have ameasurable impact. Studies of speciesdistributions in the field and a variety ofexperiments suggest invasion success of brooktrout is associated with environmental factors,including temperature, landscape structure,habitat size, stream flow, and humaninfluences. Research on earlier stages ofbrook trout invasions (transport,establishment, and spread) is relativelylimited, but has provided promising insights. Management alternatives for controllingbrook trout invasions are limited, and actions tocontrol brook trout focus on direct removal,which is variably successful and can haveadverse effects on native species. Themanagement applicability of research has beenconfounded by the complexity of the problem andby a focus on understanding processes atsmaller scales, but not on predicting patternsat larger scales. In the short-term, animproved predictive understanding of brooktrout invasions could prove to be most useful,even if processes are incompletely understood. A stronger connection between research andmanagement is needed to identify more effectivealternatives for controlling brook troutinvasions and for identifying managementpriorities.
In the Mirror: The Legitimation Work of Globalization

Author(s): Coutin, SB; Maurer, B; Yngvesson, B | Abstract: This essay examines the legitimation work of globalization by bringing into dialogue the authors' research on immigration, finance, and intercountryadoption. It is concerned with the practices that produce, define, and preclude both movement and connection, such as "naturalizing" some border crossings while criminalizing others; denying the histories and policies that allow some parents to "choose" babies while others must abandon them; and challenging the practices through which small states tweak transnational financial systems while allowing multinational corporations privileges denied small states. Legitimation work (re)configures jurisdictionality, transparency, and sovereignty - the constructs on which debates over globalization's consequences hinge. Examining how these constructs order, include, and exclude persons, goods, and practices sheds light on the boundaries, slippages, and connections between the legitimate and the illegitimate within global processes.
Measurement of intrinsic physiological membrane noise in cultured living cells.

An experimental technique and some preliminary observations are reported here for the measurement of electric noise and potentials intrinsic to the physiological function of living cells, using an in vitro yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) model. The design and working of technique is based on a micro-electrode-based sensor working in a modified patch-clamp configuration. We present recordings of intrinsic noise and cellular electric potentials in living and aerobically respiring cells (in an electromagnetically shielded environment). An important observation of the effect of aerobic respiration on the studied cells is discussed, whereby conspicuously higher magnitude potentials were seen with aerobically respiring active yeast cells, as compared to anaerobic or dead cells. Recorded noise potentials from aerobically respiring cells are found to have a magnitude on the order of a few microVolts/cm and fall within the range of 140– in the low-frequency (LF) band.
Conditioned partner preference in female rats for strain of male

Female rats show conditioned place preference following paced copulation, and we have recently demonstrated that pairing almond odor with paced copulation induces a conditioned partner preference for almond-scented males. The present study examined whether cues of two different strains of male (albino and pigmented) induce a conditioned partner preference for the strain of male associated with paced copulation. Ovariectomized, hormone-primed Wistar (W) or Long-Evans (LE) female rats received 10 conditioning trials at 4-day intervals. In the Wistar-pacing group females copulated with W males in a chamber bisected by a 4-hole partition that only the female could pass through. Four days later, they copulated with LE males without the partition. The Long-Evans-pacing group received the opposite association. In the final preference test all females chose freely between two males tethered in opposite corners of an open field, one W and one LE. Regardless the strain of male, females displayed more solicitations toward the pacing-related male, and most of the females received their first ejaculation from that male. The preference was facilitated if the pacing-related male was of the same strain as the female. These results suggest that female rats have an unconditioned preference for males of the same strain, but this preference can be switched towards males of a different strain if that male is associated with the sexual reward induced by paced copulation.
Contribution of Muscle Afferents to Prolonged Flexion Withdrawal Reflexes in Human Spinal Cord Injury

The contribution of force-sensitive muscular afferents to prolonged flexion withdrawal reflexes, or flexor spasms, after human spinal cord injury (SCI) was investigated. In three separate experimental conditions, flexion reflexes were triggered in subjects with SCI using trains of electrocutaneous stimuli delivered at the foot and lower leg and compared with reflexes elicited via intramuscular (IM) electrical stimuli. In the first experiment, flexion reflexes were elicited using IM stimuli to the tibialis anterior (TA) in the majority of subjects tested. The ratio of peak isometric ankle to hip torques during IM-triggered reflexes were proportionally similar to those evoked by electrocutaneous foot or shank stimulation, although the latency to onset and peak flexion torques were significantly longer with IM stimulation. In the second experiments, the amplitude and frequency of IM TA stimulation were varied to alter the stimulus-induced muscle torque. Peak ankle and hip torques generated during the flexion reflex responses were correlated to a greater extent with stimulus-induced muscle torques as compared with the modulated stimulus parameters. In the third experimental series, IM stimuli delivered to the gastrocnemius (GS) elicited flexion reflexes in approximately half of the subjects tested. The combined data indicate a potentially prominent role of the stimulus-induced muscle contraction to the magnitude and latency of flexor reflex behaviors after IM TA stimulation. Results after IM GS stimulation indicate multi-joint flexion reflexes can also be elicited, although to a lesser extent than IM TA stimulation.
The Problem of Age

According to theoretical bases, the schemes for dividing the child’s development into periods proposed in science can be placed into three groups.
New manual and automated method for determining activity of creatine kinase isoenzyme MB, by use of dithiothreitol: clinical applications.

The method is based on the selective activating capacity of dithiothreitol on creatine kinase isoenzyme MB, after isoenzyme MM is activated by glutathione. Isolated isoenzymes MM and MB of human and canine origin were assayed individually and in mixtures of known activities. When glutathione was present in the assay medium the activity of each isoenzyme could be measured individually, but glutathione did not activate isoenzyme MB if it was present in a mixture with MM. Dithiothreitol, added to the serum before assay, activated the isoenzyme MB in the mixture. Values for MB activities obtained for isolated isoenzyme MB and for the isoenzyme mixture after dithiothreitol was added averaged 110 and 111 U/liter, respectively ( r = 0.998; y = 1.007 x + 0.298; n = 10). In the serum of 40 patients with documented acute transmural myocardial infarction, the mean proportion of isoenzyme MB activity measured in this way was 5.5% (coefficient of variation, 7.7%). Isoenzyme MB activities measured by use of dithiothreitol compared well with those obtained by conventional electrophoresis/spectrophotometry ( r = 0.998; y = 1.09 x -0.65) and spectrofluorometry ( r = 0.996; y = 1.10 x + 0.80). The assay of MB activity by the dithiothreitol method was automated, by use of an Abbott Bichromatic Analyser and a Calbiochem Super-Stat Pack Kit. In 60 isoenzyme MB determinations the manual and automated method correlated well ( r = 0.990; y = 1.0 x -1.36). The simplicity of isoenzyme MB determination by use of dithiothreitol and its ease of automation allow routine monitoring of the isoenzyme activity in patients with ischemic heart disease
The synthesis marches on

From DNA to Diversity: Molecular Genetics and the Evolution of Animal Design. Sean B. Carroll, Jennifer K. Grenier, and Scott D. Weatherbee. Blackwell Science, Malden, Massachusetts. 2001. 214 pages. Paper $44.95. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, a professionally disparate group of biologists forged an evolutionary synthesis that placed natural selection at the center of the changes in genes and in morphology that have produced the diversity of organisms in the biosphere. The chief architects of this famous synthesis included population geneticists, zoologists, botanists, and paleontologists, but not developmental biologists. Among the tenets of the synthesis was the finding that evolution generally proceeded in populations by selection from among a variety of alleles of structural genes that were provided by various forms of mutation, and which had small but cumulative effects. Some workers concluded that even the evolution of major novelties, such as the distinctive bodyplans of different animal phyla, could be produced by the accumulation of such small changes in gene products. Whether the high rates of morphological change inferred from the fossil record could have actually been achieved by these processes alone was not clear. With the rise of techniques to investigate evolution on the molecular level, it became possible to explore the structure …
References is a Moving Target in Sea-Level Controlled Wetlands

Central to the restoration of wetlands is the concept of reference. Wetlands are grouped within a reference domain of the same hydrogeomorphic subclass and compared to reference standards of the least impacted members of the subclass. Restoration decisions can be based within this context. Sea-level controlled wetlands, including salt marshes, provide a challenge to establishing reference standards because they progressively change in response to rising sea-level and associated stressors. The natural progression of change is distinct from that induced by human activities. We review geomorphic classifications for sea-level controlled wetlands to identify a spatial scale appropriate for restoration. This scale encompasses an ecosystem state change model which accounts for the natural progression. We emphasize the importance of more proximal causes of change than sea-level rise itself (e.g., access to fresh and sea water, sediment, and space for transgression). Through examples from several marshes, we highlight the consequences of movement, note distinctions between low and high marshes, and describe the transition between them. These distinctions are made for hydrology in an intertidal and nontidal portion of a marsh and for nitrogen cycling in a northern and a southern marsh on the Atlantic coast of the USA. Further, we describe the nature of one change in state as the turf of a high marsh becomes unstable, producing a hollow and hummock pattern that is expected to transform into low marsh. Recognition of the consequences of movement to more explicit, hydrogeomorphology-based reference systems helps place restoration in a perspective which will improve both project design and probability of success.
Reversible regulation of P2Y2 nucleotide receptor expression in the duct-ligated rat submandibular gland

Ligation of the main excretory duct of the rat submandibular gland (SMG) produces a pronounced atrophy that is reversed upon ligature removal. Based on previous studies by our group and others sugg...
ELECTROLUMINESCENCE OF ERBIUM-DOPED SILICON

Recombination processes in rare-earth metals in semiconductors are a special case due to the localized nature of $f$ electrons. Our work explores in detail the radiative and nonradiative mechanisms of energy transfer for erbium in silicon by investigating the temperature dependence of the intensity and the decay time of the photoluminescence of Er-related centers in Si. We show that nonradiative energy back transfer from the excited Er $4f$ shell causes luminescence quenching below 200 K. We study electroluminescence decay by applying different bias conditions during the decay. In a two-beam experiment the photoluminescence decay is monitored for different background-excitation laser powers. Changes in the decay time are strong evidence of the impurity Auger effect as an efficient luminescence-quenching mechanism for Er in Si. A fast initial luminescence decay component at high pumping powers is related to quenching by excess carriers. The power dependence, the decay-time components, and the two-beam experiment are simulated by a set of rate equations which involve the formation of excitons, a decrease of the pumping efficiency by exciton Auger recombination, and a decrease of radiative efficiency by the impurity Auger effect with free electrons. As a nonradiative deexcitation path competing with spontaneous emission, the impurity Auger effect decreases the excited-state lifetime of Er in Si, and dominates the thermal quenching of luminescence in the temperature range from 4 to 100 K. We find that the decrease of emission intensity above 100 K is caused by an unidentified second back-transfer process.
What is needed to promote translational research and how do we get it

To introduce this series on Strategies for Innovation and Interdisciplinary Translational Research , I want briefly to frame some of the issues we will be exploring. To do that, it is helpful first to define some of the terms in our series' title, namely translational research, innovation and interdisciplinary research and to consider their connections. The term "translational research" is now being used to describe many things-both types of research as well as research processes.1According to an National Institutes for Health (NIH) Office for Translational Research (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/od/otr/), the definition of translational research differs even among NIH institutes. However, common to these definitions is the concept of using research to realize tangible benefits for individual and population health. This concept is clearly not new and is a basic underpinning of public support for biomedical research. Read most NIH grant applications, and you will find an outlining of how the proposed specific aims, even when basic and circumscribed, will help to realize better health. However, interest in demonstrating the "translational" nature and the connections of research to tangible beneficial goals has been reinvigorated by the explicit attention to "translational research" in the NIH roadmap initiatives and its priority for funding these types of projects.2 Often cited when describing translational research, particularly for clinical investigation, is a model put forth in a report from the Institute of Medicine's Clinical Research Roundtable on Challenges facing the Clinical Research Enterprise. 3It depicts the clinical research continuum progressing from "basic biomedical research" to "clinical science and knowledge" to "improved health" and identifies the potential barriers to progress along this continuum as "translational blocks." Impediments to activities involved in transforming basic laboratory research findings into clinical sciences and human subjects' applications (historically also termed development research-as in product development) are called the T1 …
Hospice as Experienced by LTC Nurses and Their Perception of Resident Experiences

ABSTRACTObjectives: This study utilized qualitative methods to better understand long-term care (LTC) nursing staff’s experience with hospice services and their perceptions of resident choice to utilize hospice services, as well as understand differences LTC nurses have experienced in regards to resident deaths. Methods: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was utilized to extract themes and subthemes from 10 interviews that occurred with LTC nursing staff. Content analysis was also utilized to extract one noteworthy concept, which was a comparison of two resident deaths, with and without the utilization of hospice services.Results: Three main themes were extracted from the data: LTC nursing participant’s positive view of hospice, their perception that residents view hospice very negatively, and why residents choose to utilize hospice services. Participants also identified aspects of a “bad” or “good” death, with clear relationships noted when using hospice services. Conclusions: Findings identi...
Molecular Biology in Medicine DNA Isolation and Southern Analysis: A Clinician’s View

DNA isolation and Southern Blot analysis are two of the many techniques currently being used routinely by molecular biologists to discover genetic defects that affect human health. Together these two techniques have greatly aided in the growing knowledge of genetics on a molecular level. Southern blotting can be used to discern genetic deletions, alterations, or amplifications that are not detectable by cytogenetic methods. Several examples of the clinical applications of these methods are discussed in Table 4. Southern analysis has been recently used: (1) to facilitate prenatal diagnosis of sickle cell hemoglobinopathies, (2) to demonstrate human papillomavirus DNA integration in the genome of cervical cancer cells and (3) to demonstrate that oncogene amplification in the tumors of patients with node positive breast cancer correlates inversely with prognosis. Each of these examples not only have diagnostic value for patient care but also may help begin to understand the very basis of the disease processes themselves.
The effects of experimental whole-lake mixing on horizontal spatial patterns of fish and Zooplankton

We examined horizontal spatial patterns of fish densities and zooplankton biomass at a fine spatial scale of 50 m across seasons before, during, and after an experimental lake destratification to determine how interacting trophic levels may respond to alteration of thermal stratification. We used semivariogram analysis to calculate maximum distances of autocorrelation for fish and zooplankton separately, and cross variograms to determine whether relationships between fish and zooplankton are positive or negative. Fish became more dispersed during the manipulation, likely due to a flight response with the loss of preferred cold water habitat. There were no changes in zooplankton horizontal distributions with mixing, but we detected seasonal trends in distribution and biomass. We detected positive relationships between fish densities and zooplankton biomass for portions of the year, but did not detect any negative relationships. There was no effect of lake mixing on spatial interactions between fish and zooplankton. Our results indicate that external factors, such as seasonal wind patterns, may drive whole-lake zooplankton distributions, and that fish respond horizontally to change in vertically structured processes, especially when reliant on depth-dependent variables such as cold water.
Sebaceous carcinoma in solid organ transplant recipients.

Background Though a rare tumor, sebaceous carcinoma is relatively well-described in immunocompetent patients, in whom it often occurs in a periorbital distribution where it has an overall poor prognosis with a high metastasis rate. The effect of transplant-related immunosuppression on the development of sebaceous carcinoma and its outcomes has not been characterized. Methods We collected 9 cases from a single institution of patients developing sebaceous carcinoma after solid organ transplantation. We analyzed clinicopathologic features. Results We estimate the prevalence of sebaceous carcinoma post-solid organ transplantation to be 0.09%. The mean age at diagnosis was 66.1 years (std 7.0 years). The mean time between transplantation and sebaceous carcinoma diagnosis was 7.1 years (std 5.1 years). All tumors occurred in extra-ocular distribution. Two patients likely had Muir-Torre syndrome, of whom 1 died from metastatic sebaceous carcinoma. No other patients developed metastatic disease or had disease-related death. Mohs micrographic surgery and wide local excision were equally effective and there were no recurrences with either procedure. Conclusions Our study found that sebaceous carcinoma in solid organ transplant recipients occurs in in an extraorbital distribution with only 1 patient developing metastatic disease. Both Mohs micrographic surgery and wide local excision are acceptable treatment modalities for sebaceous carcinoma in transplant recipients.