cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rewire: Digital Cosmopolitans in the Age of Connection

We live in an age of connection, one that is accelerated by the Internet. This increasingly ubiquitous, immensely powerful technology often leads us to assume that as the number of people online grows, it inevitably leads to a smaller, more cosmopolitan world. We'll understand more, we think. We'll know more. We'll engage more and share more with people from other cultures. In reality, it is easier to ship bottles of water from Fiji to Atlanta than it is to get news from Tokyo to New York. In Rewire, media scholar and activist Ethan Zuckerman explains why the technological ability to communicate with someone does not inevitably lead to increased human connection. At the most basic level, our human tendency to "flock together" means that most of our interactions, online or off, are with a small set of people with whom we have much in common. In examining this fundamental tendency, Zuckerman draws on his own work as well as the latest research in psychology and sociology to consider technology's role in disconnecting ourselves from the rest of the world. For those who seek a wider picture-a picture now critical for survival in an age of global economic crises and pandemics-Zuckerman highlights the challenges, and the headway already made, in truly connecting people across cultures. From voracious xenophiles eager to explore other countries to bridge figures who are able to connect one culture to another, people are at the center of his vision for a true kind of cosmopolitanism. And it is people who will shape a new approach to existing technologies, and perhaps invent some new ones, that embrace translation, cross-cultural inspiration, and the search for new, serendipitous experiences. Rich with Zuckerman's personal experience and wisdom, Rewire offers a map of the social, technical, and policy innovations needed to more tightly connect the world.
Fully Plastic Crack Solutions, Estimation Scheme, and Stability Analyses for the Compact Specimen

This paper presents the fully plastic solutions for the compact specimen and an estimation scheme that exploits these solutions to generate crack driving force diagrams under contained and large-scale plasticity conditions. Plane-strain and plane-stress fully plastic solutions for compact specimens are obtained for a wide range of crack length to width ratios and for hardening exponent n of up to 20. The calculations are based on deformation plasticity theory and use the finite element method for incompressible deformation developed by Needleman and Shih. Relevant crack parameters like the J-integral, crack opening displacement, mouth opening displacement, and load-line displacement are appropriately normalized and tabulated. Simple formulas are given for estimating the relevant crack parameters from contained yielding to fully plastic situations using the elastic and the tabulated fully plastic solutions. The results thus obtained are compared with accurate finite element solutions for stationary and extending cracks based on flow theory of plasticity. Crack driving forces in terms of the J-integral and crack opening displacement are computed for A533B compact specimens using the above estimation scheme. Assuming that the conditions for J-controlled growth are satisfied, the load-displacement behavior, stable crack extension, and the point of instability can be determined from the crack driving force diagrams if the material J-resistance curve is known. Comparisons of the predictions with actual test measurements for several different sized compact specimens show good agreement.
Do composite methods achieve their target accuracy

Abstract Enthalpies of formation have been calculated for the 147 molecules of the G2/97 data set using the correlation consistent Composite Approach (ccCA) to assess the ability of this approach to achieve its presumed CCSD(T)-level accuracy. The calculated enthalpies of formation from the G2/97 data set were compared to enthalpies computed at the CCSD(T,FC1)/aug-cc-pCV∞Z-DK level of theory. Deviations of both ccCA and CCSD(T) enthalpies from experiment have been evaluated. ccCA results in a mean absolute deviation (MAD) of 0.80 kcal mol−1 from experiment while CCSD(T) has an MAD of 0.87 kcal mol−1. The MAD of the ccCA enthalpies from the CCSD(T,FC1)/aug-cc-pCV∞Z-DK enthalpies is 0.84 kcal mol−1.
Beyond potentiation: Synergistic conditioning in flavor-aversion learning

Taste-aversion learning has been a popular paradigm for examining associative processes because it often produces outcomes that are different from those observed in other classical conditioning paradigms. One such outcome is taste-mediated odor potentiation in which aversion conditioning with a weak odor and a strong taste results in increased or synergistic conditioning to the odor. Because this strengthened odor aversion was not anticipated by formal models of learning, investigation of taste-mediated odor potentiation was a hot topic in the 1980s. The present manuscript reviews the history of potentiation research with particular focus given to the stimuli that produce potentiation, the conditions that produce potentiation, the possible mechanism of this phenomenon, and possible reasons for the decline of research in this area. Although the number of published reports of potentiation has decreased since the 1980s, recent physiological and behavioral assessments have advanced the field considerably, and the opportunities for future research are bountiful. Recent physiological experiments, for example, have identified the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala as the key brain region to produce taste-mediated odor potentiation (e.g., Hatfield andGallagher, 1995). Also, recent behavioral experiments have extended the generality of synergistic conditioning effects. Studies have shown that odor can potentiate responding to taste (Slotnick, Westbrook and Darling, 1997) and that augmented responding can be produced in the A+/AX+blocking design (e.g., Batsell and Batson, 1999). With the current understanding of where synergistic conditioning may occur in the brain and the new tools to explore synergistic conditioning, we propose various directions for future research to determine whether taste-aversion learning and synergistic conditioning require unique explanations.
Effects of Prescription Drug Insurance on Hospitalization and Mortality: Evidence from Medicare Part D

We used Medicare administrative data (2002–2009) and an instrumental variables design that exploits the natural experiment created by the implementation of Medicare Part D to estimate the effect of prescription drug coverage insurance on the use and costs of inpatient services. We find that gaining prescription drug insurance through Part D caused approximately a 4 percent decrease in hospital admission rate, a 2–5 percent decrease in Medicare inpatient payments per person, and a 10–15 percent decrease in inpatient charges. Among specific types of admissions, gaining insurance was associated with significant decreases in admissions for CHF and COPD.
Biomechanics of Spine Stabilization

Praise for this book: Dr. Benzel has authored an excellent 3rd edition highlighting the fundamental concepts of spinal biomechanics and the evolution of spinal fixation techniques that are sure to benefit neuroradiologist and spine surgeons alike. -- American Journal of Neuroradiology Biomechanics of Spine Stabilization, Third Edition, is a comprehensive and highly readable reference that helps spine specialists understand the clinically important biomechanical principles underpinning spinal surgery and instrumentation so that the best clinical decisions can be made for patients. This new edition includes coverage of the latest spine technology that has evolved over the past decade, such as motion preservation technologies and minimally invasive spine surgery. Features: *Single-authored text with the consistent, authoritative voice of world-renowned expert Dr. Benzel* More than 350 new figures and original line drawings help clarify information in the text*Extensive glossary of basic terminology on biomechanics for quick, easy reference*More than 400 review questions at the back of the book for help with exam preparation This book is an excellent clinical reference for spine surgeons, residents, and fellows in the fields of orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery, neuroradiologists, and engineers working for spine device companies. Thieme eNeurosurgery is the world's most comprehensive neurosurgical resource online. For a free trial, go to: thieme.com/eneurotrial
A Puzzle about Meaning and Communication

According to a view implicit in much of twentieth-century philosophy of language, linguistic communication conforms to the following model: a speaker has a thought—say, a belief that Fichte was a philosopher—which she would like to convey to her audience. This thought has a certain proposition as its content, a proposition which we might specify using the ‘that’-clause ‘that Fichte was a philosopher’. If the speaker knows that her audience is a competent speaker of a shared language such as English, she can choose some form of words which makes manifest to her audience the proposition she intends to communicate. Perhaps she utters ‘Uncle Johann was a philosopher’, or ‘He [pointing to a painting of Fichte] was a philosopher’. The speaker’s audience recognizes her communicative intentions, and communication is successful, only if her audience thereby entertains a thought whose content is the proposition the speaker meant by her utterance. Let’s call this the standard view. Stated at this level of generality one might be tempted to think that some version of the standard view is obviously true—perhaps hardly worth stating. I believe that this temptation ought to be resisted: communication rarely, if ever, works in the way characterized by the standard view. In this paper, my primary aim is to make some headway towards establishing this rather sweeping claim by discussing some cases in which the standard view apparently fails, focusing on the phenomena of quantifier domain restriction and non-sentential assertion, illustrated by (1) and (2), respectively:
Pressure and Temperature Profiles in the Solar Nebula

Pressure and temperature profiles in several recent solar nebula models are reviewed. These parameters are important to cosmochemists because they determine the mineral assemblages that could form or exist in the nebula.
A comparative Profile of Male-and-Female Owned Small Accounting Practices

This study examines the similarities and differences in business, personal, and attitudinal characteristics reported by male- and female-owned small accounting firms. The overall objective of the study is to produce profiles based on gender for owners of small accounting firms. A survey was undertaken which included a national random sample of 1,000 female- and 1,000 male-owners of accounting practices, and a 30 percent response rate was obtained. While entrepreneurship has the potential for providing women in the accounting profession a viable avenue for escaping any limits in career progression working for others, female-owned accounting firms earn less, are smaller, report more discrimination, have on average been in existence a shorter time, are typically home-based and have a shorter work experience base than male-owned businesses.
Global-mean precipitation and black carbon in AR4 simulations

[1] How much and why precipitation changes as the climate warms is uncertain, even for the global mean. In the 21st Century of the IPCC AR4 A1b forcing scenario, global-mean precipitation increase per degree warming varies among models by over a factor of three. Clear-sky atmospheric shortwave absorption change explains over half of the intermodel spread (r2= 0.61) in precipitation increase. Removing the part of clear-sky atmospheric shortwave absorption change due to water vapor increase reveals that shortwave absorption forcing decreases in NCAR CCSM 3.0 but increases in GFDL CM 2.1, which we attribute to differences in black carbon forcing reported by these modeling groups. The range of applied forcing causes a range in atmospheric shortwave absorption increase, which leads to spread in precipitation increase. In contrast, in the CO2-doubling forcing scenario, clear-sky atmospheric shortwave absorption explains an insignificant amount of spread (r2 = 0.04).
Micro/nanomechanical and tribological studies of bulk and thin-film materials used in magnetic recording heads

Abstract Micro/nanomechanical characterization of the bulk Al 2 O 3 –TiC and Ni–Zn ferrite, and thin films of Co–Zr–Ta and Al 2 O 3 used in magnetic recording heads have been carried out. Hardness, elastic modulus and scratch resistance of these materials were measured by nanoindentation and microscratching using a nanoindenter. Fracture toughness was measured by indentation using cube corner and Vickers indenters. Friction and wear properties for these materials were measured using an accelerated ball-on-flat tribometer. Al 2 O 3 –TiC shows the highest hardness, elastic modulus and scratch resistance as well as the lowest wear damage, followed by the Ni–Zn ferrite, Al 2 O 3 films, and Co–Zr–Ta film. The Co–Zr–Ta film exhibits the highest fracture toughness, followed by the Al 2 O 3 –TiC, Al 2 O 3 films and Ni–Zn ferrite. There exists a good correlation between mechanical properties and wear damage. Higher mechanical properties result in less wear damage. In general, the bulk Al 2 O 3 –TiC and Ni–Zn ferrite show lower damage than the Co–Zr–Ta and Al 2 O 3 films. For the thin films studied, the Al 2 O 3 films show higher mechanical properties and less scratch and wear damage.
Premenstrual changes and neuroticism : a twin study

Abstract The study assessed a possible genetic component to the retrospective reporting of premenstrual changes and investigated the association of neuroticism with the reporting of premenstrual changes. Twenty-four female MZ twin pairs, 24 female DZ twin pairs, and 24 pairs of unrelated age-matched females completed the Eysenck Personality Inventory and the Premenstrual Assessment Form. The order in which the questionnaires were completed was counterbalanced. As expected, MZ twins were more similar in their retrospective reporting of most premenstrual changes than DZ twins, especially premenstrual mood changes. Neuroticism was highly correlated with the reporting of premenstrual changes, especially those related to mood changes. Despite the correlation, the reporting of premenstrual changes appeared not to be merely a concomitant of the personality trait of neuroticism. A principal components analysis suggested the two main factors of mood and physical premenstrual changes.
Systemic absorption pathways of topically applied beta adrenergic antagonists in the pigmented rabbit

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of drug lipophilicity on extent of systemic absorption and relative contributions of the nasal and conjunctival mucosae to systemic absorption following topical solution instillation in the pigmented rabbit. Relatively hydrophilic atenolol, moderately lipophilic timolol and levobunolol, and lipophilic betaxolol were chosen as model drugs. Twenty-five microliters of a 15 mM drug solution in isotonic pH 7.4 buffer was instilled in each eye, with or without nasolacrimal occlusion, and plasma drug concentration was monitored using reversed phase HPLC. An equivalent amount of all four beta adrenergic antagonists was instilled directly into the nasolacrimal duct to assess the nasal contribution to systemic drug absorption following topical solution instillation. The systemic bioavailability ranged from 61% for atenolol to 100% for timolol. At least 50% of the systemically absorbed drug reached the bloodstream from the nasal mucosa; the nasal contribution was 83% for atenolol and 55-74% for the other three drugs. Occluding the nasolacrimal duct for 5 min reduced the extent of systemic absorption of timolol and levobunolol but did not do so for atenolol and betaxolol. Additional prolongation of solution retention in the conjunctival sac brought about further reduction for only atenolol (480-min prolongation) and timolol (120-min prolongation). Taken together, the above findings suggest that the systemic bioavailability of topically applied ophthalmic drugs would be modest for drugs at the extremes of lipophilicity and that the contribution of the nasal pathway to systemically absorbed drug diminishes with increasing drug lipophilicity.
Organic photochemistry with 6.7eV photons: decomposition of 1,1-disubstituted cyclopropanes in solution

Abstract The course of the two-bond cleavage reactions of cyclopropanes in photolysis at 185nm in solution is strikingly influenced by disubstitution of one of the carbons in the ring.
Activity in torso muscles during relaxed standing

Electromyographic activity of erector spinae, external oblique, and rectus abdominis muscles was studied during relaxed standing compared to lying down. Activity in the forearm extensors and forearm flexors was also studied. Surface electrodes were used.
Modeling and Performance Evaluation of Backoff Misbehaving Nodes in CSMA/CA Networks

Backoff misbehavior, in which a wireless node deliberately manipulates its backoff time, can induce significant network problems, such as severe unfairness and denial of service. Although great progress has been made toward the design of countermeasures to backoff misbehavior, little attention has been focused on quantifying the gain of backoff misbehaviors. In this paper, to assess the gain that misbehaving nodes can obtain, we define and study two general classes of backoff misbehavior: continuous misbehavior, which keeps manipulating the backoff time unless it is disabled by countermeasures, and intermittent misbehavior, which tends to evade the detection of countermeasures by performing misbehavior sporadically. Our approach is to introduce a new performance metric, namely order gain, to characterize the performance benefits of misbehaving nodes in comparison to legitimate nodes in CSMA/CA-based wireless networks. We derive the order gains of both continuous and intermittent misbehaviors and further investigate the relation between our metric, order gain, and the throughput gain for a misbehaving node. We show that in IEEE 802.11 networks, the throughput ratio of a backoff misbehaving node to a legitimate node is either bounded above or proportional to the number of legitimate nodes. We use both simulations and experiments to validate our theoretical analysis and to further demonstrate the impact of a wide range of backoff misbehaviors on network performance in CSMA/CA-based wireless networks.
Silicon carbide face-cooled 4% ceramic Nd:YAG laser

It has been demonstrated that silicon carbide (SiC) may be used as an efficient heatsinking material for intracavity face cooling of gain media in solid-state lasers. Comparative thermal modelling and temperature distribution measurements of a diode-pumped 4% Nd:YAG ceramic laser medium face cooled by undoped YAG (as a baseline), diamond and SiC lead to the belief that SiC is an effective replacement for much more expensive diamond in this application. Laser performance of a SiC face-cooled 4% Nd:YAG ceramic press-fit stack without AR coatings was demonstrated to have 24% slope efficiency.
The Phoneme /o/ in Opoja Albanian: Albanian-Slavic Contact and the Slavic Jers

The phoneme /o/ is often present in the Albanian dialect of Opoja in environments where it is absent elsewhere in Albanian. This paper explains /o/ in Opoja by reference to the Slavic substrate present in that area of Kosovo. Language shift from Slavic to Albanian took place in the late 16th and 17th centuries in Opoja, and I argue that during this process, Slavic /o/ was identified with Albanian /ə/. This identification was facilitated by the fact that the Slavic dialect of Opoja lay directly on a major isogloss of a crucial sound change in Slavic: the loss of hyper-short high vowels, also known as the jer shift. To the south of Opoja, the Slavic dialect of Gora has /o/ and /e/ from these hyper-short high vowels (known as jers in the Slavic literature), but to the north, the dialect of Prizren shifted both vowels to /ə/. This allowed Albanian /ə/ to be identified with the Slavic jer reflexes, which were then imposed on Albanian during the process of language shift.
A behavioral approach to the measurement of openness-to-experience.

Summary The miniature situations method is a behavioral approach to personality assessment. The work reported here attempted to adopt the miniature situations format for measuring the concept of openness-to-experience. A factor analysis of 38 miniature situations items resulted in nine openness factors. There was evidence for the concurrent validity of four of these factors. When the same openness items were presented in a self-report format to an independent sample, openness scores tended to be substantially higher.
Automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator/permanent pacemaker interaction: loss of pacemaker capture following AICD discharge.

A 78-year-old man treated with amiodaronce for recurrent ventricular tachycardia, had soquential placement of a bipolar VVI pacemaker and an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD). During defibrillation threshold testing, there was failure to capture of the pacer in the post-shock period. The time of failure to capture appeared energy-related: the greater the energy delivered, the longer the failure to capture. Careful attention will be necessary in constructing combined AICD/pacemaker units.
Surgical clipping of complex basilar apex aneurysms: a strategy for successful outcome using the pretemporal transzygomatic transcavernous approach.

Objective Complex basilar apex aneurysms (large size, wide and complex neck, tortuous parent vessels) continue to pose a challenge in treatment. Endovascular treatment has a high risk of recanalization, and surgical treatment is limited by the space and time necessary to achieve safe clipping. To overcome these obstacles, a modification of previously reported approaches was developed. The pretemporal transzygomatic transcavernous approach and a clipping strategy were used in the treatment of 21 high-complexity basilar apex aneurysms. Methods By use of the pretemporal route, the zygomatic notch was widened, the anterior clinoid was removed, the cavernous sinus was partially exposed, and the oculomotor nerve was mobilized. The depth of the field was widened by further cavernous exposure and the removal of the posterior clinoid. Temporary clips were applied to the basilar trunk perforator-free zone to preserve visualization of the aneurysm neck and perforators and to maintain collateral flow to the brainstem. Results Twenty-one high-complexity basilar apex aneurysms, 11 of which caused subarachnoid hemorrhage, were treated. Twenty (95%) were successfully clipped (Glasgow Outcome Scale scores, 4 or 5 in 90.5% at discharge; Rankin Disability Score, 1 in 90.5% at 1-yr follow-up). Complications were transient oculomotor palsy in all patients, small thalamic infarct in one patient, and cerebrospinal fluid leak in another. There was no surgical mortality. Delayed follow-up angiography in 19 of the 21 patients showed no residual aneurysm. Conclusion We report the largest series of a unique, challenging group of complex basilar apex aneurysms treated with the pretemporal transzygomatic transcavernous approach, which provided improved safety of clipping by 1) increased visualization of the basilar apex and perforator arteries, 2) improved maneuverability of clip application, 3) a safer perforator-free location, and 4) preservation of brainstem collateral flow.
The non-saponifiable constituents of lettuce.

SUMMARY— By means of thin-layer chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography and chemical analyses the following substances were identified in dried Iceberg lettuce (Lactztca sativ L.): ceryl alcohol, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol and the glycosides of the latter three sterols. An unidentified substance, probably a sterol, was detected by gas-liquid chromatography. A mixture of triterpenes identified as containing β-amyrin, a-amyrin and Ψtaraxasterol was also found.
Update on hemangiomas and vascular malformations.

Purpose of review Our knowledge base in the area of vascular anomalies is growing rapidly. With greater understanding of classification and diagnosis, as well as with the numerous areas of research bringing further awareness on the complexity of these lesions, we are improving our ability to treat them. We will attempt in this article to summarize the developments in the field of vascular anomalies over the last year. Recent findings Emphasis on correct classification is still a high priority in the literature and yet there remains a great deal of misinformation. Many new developments in the basic science of these lesions are allowing better understanding of why these lesions occur while improving our management in these patients. Advances in laser surgery as well as sclerotherapy techniques have improved our ability to treat extensive lesions and also improve patients' quality of life. Summary Many new and exciting areas of discovery occur almost daily in the field of vascular anomalies. Due to the breadth of this topic, it is certain that not all articles can be reviewed however the author has tried to present the most recent and clinically relevant breakthroughs in the field.
Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Immigrant Paradox in Substance Use

Using data from the National Longitudinal Studies of Adolescent Health, the present study examines self-reported substance use (cigarettes, tobacco, and marijuana) among youth from different immigration generations to determine the immigrant paradox in substance use for different racial and ethnic groups as well as factors contributing to the relationship between immigration and substance use. Results of data analysis indicate the immigrant paradox in substance use among non-Hispanic Whites, Asians, and Hispanics, but not among non-Hispanic Blacks. The study also shows that factors explaining the immigrant paradox in substance use vary with racial and ethnic groups, but English use at home, friends’ cigarette and marijuana use appear to be the most important mediating factors. Findings from the study suggest that effective interventions in youth substance use require an understanding of adaptation patterns in different racial and ethnic groups, so that factors associated with adaptation problems experienced by particular groups will be appropriately addressed.
The Folk Concept of Intentional Action: Philosophical and Experimental Issues

Recent experimental findings by Knobe and others (Knobe, 2003; Nadelhoffer, 2006b; Nichols and Ulatowski, 2007) have been at the center of a controversy about the nature of the folk concept of intentional action. I argue that the significance of these findings has been overstated. My discussion is two-pronged. First, I contend that barring a consensual theory of conceptual competence, the significance of these experimental findings for the nature of the concept of intentional action cannot be determined. Unfortunately, the lack of progress in the philosophy of concepts casts doubt on whether such a consensual theory will be found. Second, I propose a new, deflationary interpretation of these experimental findings, 'the trade-off hypothesis', and I present several new experimental findings that support this interpretation. © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Policing in Johannesburg after apartheid

This paper traces the genealogy of the “double paradigm shift” that transformed policing in Johannesburg after apartheid: from public to private and from reactive to proactive. The emergence of a market for residential security services led to the growth of a private security industry and a reconfiguration of urban governance. Responding to a growing demand for “proactive” security services, private security companies have recently begun innovating with new approaches to preventative security. These companies operate in a liminal zone of questionable legality, targeting poor black men as potential criminals to be excluded from the neighbourhoods of their clients.
A new proof of several inequalities on codes and sets

Abstract We give a short proof using multivariate polynomials of inequalities of Delsarte and Frankl on codes with restricted distances. We extend these results to a sequence of inequalities on codes that includes inequalities on systems of sets with restricted intersections.
Coordinated shifts in Na/K-ATPase isoforms and their endogenous ligands during cardiac hypertrophy and failure in NaCl-sensitive hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: NaCl loading of Dahl salt-sensitive rats (DS) stimulates marinobufagenin (MBG), an alpha1 Na/K-ATPase (NKA) isoform ligand. Cardiac function depends on NKA, which is regulated in part by endogenous digitalis-like ligands. Our goal was to study whether changes occur in MBG and endogenous ouabain (EO) production during cardiac remodelling in hypertensive DS, and whether these are associated with changes in myocardial NKA isoforms and sensitivity to MBG and ouabain. METHODS: Changes in MBG and EO levels, changes in myocardial NKA isoform composition, and sensitivity to endogenous ligands during development of cardiac hypertrophy and the transition to heart failure were studied in DS rats with an 8% NaCl intake. RESULTS: The animals developed compensated left ventricular hypertrophy after 4 weeks, which progressed to heart failure at 9-12 weeks. The hypertrophic stage was associated with increased plasma MBG levels (mean +/- SEM of 1.22 +/- 0.22 versus 0.31 +/- 0.03 nmol/l; P < 0.01), increased sensitivity of NKA to MBG, and an increased abundance of alpha1 NKA. Plasma levels of EO did not change, and the sensitivity of NKA to ouabain decreased. The transition to heart failure was accompanied by a decrease in alpha1 NKA, a reduction in plasma MBG, and decreased sensitivity of NKA to MBG. In addition, an increased abundance of ouabain-sensitive alpha3 NKA, a three-fold rise in plasma EO (1.01 +/- 0.13 versus 0.27 +/- 0.06 nmol/l), and a seven-fold increase in the ouabain sensitivity of NKA compared with controls were observed. CONCLUSIONS: During cardiac hypertrophy and the transition to heart failure, a shift in endogenous NKA ligands production is linked to a shift in myocardial NKA isoforms.
Effects of simulated rain acidity on ectomycorrhizae of red spruce seedlings potted in natural soil.

Formation of ectomycorrhizae of red spruce (Picea rubens) grown in natural soil was measured after seedlings were exposed to 25 or 50 applications of simulated rain of pH 5·5, 3·5 or 2·5. Ectomycorrhizae were quantified as the total number of ectomycorrhizal tips per centimeter, and as the number of ectomycorrhizal tips for each morphotype and for Cenococcum geophilum. Rain solutions were applied to the soil alone, to foliage and stem alone, or to entire potted seedlings. Final soil pH was linearly related to rain solution acidity. Lower base saturation, calcium and zinc content, and higher exchangeable acidity were observed after pH 2·5 treatments if the soil was exposed. Rain solutions and the subsequent changes in soil characteristics did not affect the total numbers of ectomycorrhizal tips. Four morphotypes of ectomycorrhizae observed for these seedlings were unaffected by simulated rain. However, the numbers of ectomycorrhizal tips formed by C. geophilum tended to increase with rain solution acidity after 50 applications. Method of rain deposition did not affect ectomycorrhizae, suggesting both plant and soil mediated responses may favor certain mycobionts. The results of this study indicate that short-term acidic deposition does not induce significant changes in the frequency of ectomycorrhizae, but higher numbers of C. geophilum tips suggest there may be changes in the relative occurrence of specific morphotypes of fungus species.
Reduction potentials of Rieske clusters: importance of the coupling between oxidation state and histidine protonation state.

Rieske [2Fe−2S] clusters can be classified into two groups, depending on their reduction potentials. Typical high-potential Rieske proteins have pH-dependent reduction potentials between +350 and +150 mV at pH 7, and low-potential Rieske proteins have pH-independent potentials of around −150 mV at pH 7. The pH dependence of the former group is attributed to coupled deprotonation of the two histidine ligands. Protein-film voltammetry has been used to compare three Rieske proteins: the high-potential Rieske proteins from Rhodobacter sphaeroides (RsRp) and Thermus thermophilus (TtRp) and the low-potential Rieske ferredoxin from Burkholderia sp. strain LB400 (BphF). RsRp and TtRp differ because there is a cluster to serine hydrogen bond in RsRp, which raises its potential by 140 mV. BphF lacks five hydrogen bonds to the cluster and an adjacent disulfide bond. Voltammetry measurements between pH 3 and 14 reveal that all the proteins, including BphF, have pH-dependent reduction potentials with remarkably simil...
Management of chronic aortic regurgitation

Aortic regurgitation may be the most treacherous of the valvular lesions due to subtlety of symptoms and physical findings and due to difficulty in timing surgical intervention to prevent permanent cardiac dysfunction. Cardiac imaging (eg, echocardiography or magnetic resonance) is critical to quantify the degree of regurgitation and to detect significant left ventricular dysfunction or dilation. Stress testing can be useful in timing surgical intervention in borderline cases. Medical therapy consists of afterload reduction, diuresis, and inotrope administration. Surgical therapy today consists of aortic valve repair in a minority of cases or aortic valve replacement in the remainder. Percutaneous means to replace the aortic valve are in development. Cardiac decompensation may require cardiac transplantation.
On the Buckling of Euler Graphene Beams Subject to Axial Compressive Load

In this paper, we consider the buckling of an Euler-Bernoulli graphene beam due to an axial compressive load. We formulate the problem as a non-linear (eigenvalue) two-point boundary value problem, prove some properties of the eigenpairs and introduce a suitable numerical shooting method scheme for approximating them. We present the perturbation and the numerical approximations of the first and second buckling loads and the corresponding shapes.
Characterization of near-infrared low energy ultra-short laser pulses for portable applications of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

We report on the delivery of low energy ultra-short (<1 ps) laser pulses for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Ultra-short pulses have the advantage of high peak irradiance even at very low pulse energies. This opens the possibility to use compact, rare-earth doped fiber lasers in a portable platform for point detection applications using LIBS for elemental analysis. The use of low energy ultra-short pulses minimizes the generation of a broad continuum background in the emission spectrum, which permits the use of non-gated detection schemes using very simple and compact spectrometers rather than large and delicate intensified charge-coupled devices (ICCDs). The pulse energies used to produce high-quality LIBS spectra in this investigation are some of the lowest reported and we investigate the threshold pulse requirements for a number of near IR pulse wavelengths (785-1500 nm) and observe that the pulse wavelength has no effects on the threshold for observation of plasma emission or the quality of the emission spectra obtained.
Free word associations of children and adults

Free word associations of children and adults are compared to test the theory of three phases in intellectual development. Children (ages 3–4) gave significantly more “primitive” associations to 22 common nouns; adults (ages 19–24) evidenced a greater tendency to use abstract or “logical” relationships. Both groups gave an approximately equal number of the intermediate “physical” response. Implications for the general theory and the relationship to language acquisition are discussed.
Decision-Making Success in Public, Private and Third Sector Organisations: Finding Sector Dependent Best Practice

Strategic decisions in public, private and third sector organizations were examined to isolate and compare the practices used to uncover alternatives. The approaches applied to uncover alternatives in these organizations and decision outcomes were identified from a systematic examination of 376 strategic decisions. The preference for and sucess of innovation, benchmarking, search and existing solution approaches applied to uncover alternatives by decision makers in each sector is discussed. Some prescriptions are offered.
Tuberculin skin test result and risk of death among persons with active TB.

Background Although the tuberculin skin test (TST) is frequently used to aid in the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) disease and to identify persons with latent TB infection, it is an imperfect test and approximately 10–25% of persons with microbiologically confirmed TB disease have a negative TST. Previous studies have suggested that persons with a negative TST are more likely to present with severe TB disease and have an increased rate of TB-related death.
“Plays Nice With Others”: Social–Emotional Learning and Academic Success

Research Findings: Social–emotional learning (SEL) is increasingly becoming an area of focus for determining children's school readiness and predicting their academic success. Practice or Policy: The current article outlines a model of SEL, identifies specific SEL skills, and discusses how such skills contribute and relate to academic success. Given that SEL skills may vary within person and across environments, the authors also discuss the concept of SEL skills as hybrid variables. Possible shared underlying mechanisms and their reciprocal nature, as well as assessment of and programming for SEL skills, are also discussed. Lastly, the authors bring attention to important policy considerations that aim to positively influence the learning environment for all children.
Transitions in magnetic superconductors

Abstract Ginzburg-Landau and RNG analyses show a first order transition in ferromagnetic superconductors with RKKY interaction. The phase diagram in anisotropic antiferromagnetic superconductors is discussed and shown to display different possible transitions as a function of the coupling parameters.
Characteristics of gentamicin resistance in nosocomial infections

Characteristics of gentamicin resistance were studied in gram-negative bacilli from 50 consecutive patients with nosocomial infection, during a time when gentamicin resistance had recently become prevalent at Medical University Hospital. Burns, decubitus ulcers, and cystic fibrosis were common precipitating factors for acquisition of gentamicin-resistant organisms. Pseudomonas aeruginosa accounted for 76% and Enterobacteriaceae for 24% of isolates. There was high prevalence of cross-resistance to amikacin (61%) and tobramycin (58%). Of the P aeruginosa strains 36% possessed plasmids which were rapidly detected by agarose gel electrophoresis. None of the isolates transferred gentamicin resistance. Representative isolates failed to elaborate aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes or to take up labelled amikacin. Multiple immunotypes of P aeruginosa were identified. These data suggest that a nonplasmid mediated resistance mechanism such as impermeability was responsible for the emergence of gentamicin resistance.
Temporospatial Characterization of Brain Oscillations (TSCBO) Associated with Subprocesses of Verbal Working Memory in Schizophrenia

The studies of the neural correlates of verbal working memory in schizophrenia are somewhat inconsistent. This could be related to experimental paradigms that engage differentially working memory components or methodological limitations in terms of characterization of brain activity. Magnetoencephalographic recordings were obtained on 10 schizophrenia patients and 11 healthy controls while performing a modified Sternberg paradigm to investigate subprocesses of verbal working memory. A new method for temporospatial characterization of brain oscillations was applied to whole head recordings and a 1-48 Hz frequency range. Patients differed from controls in event-related synchronization/desynchronization (ERS/ERD) patterns during the encode phase, the mid-maintain phase, and the end of the maintain phase. During the encode phase, patients did not show 1-4 Hz ERS in the left anterior frontal and left parietal lobes. In the mid-maintain phase, the left anterior frontal and left parietal lobes 1-4 Hz ERS, and the bilateral occipital lobes 8-32 Hz ERS were not observed in patients. At the end of the maintain phase, patients did not exhibit 12-48 Hz ERD in the left frontal and parietal lobes. The behavioral data showed reduced primacy effect In schizophrenia, the encode and maintain subprocesses were associated with less ERS and less ERD, respectively. These ERS/ERD abnormalities had specificity in terms of frequency and spatial location. Less ERD reflects reduced complexity of the neural activity, while reduced ERS reflects failure of the neural systems to resume idle state. The impaired primacy effect appears related to specific ERS/ERD patterns in the encode and maintain phases.
Comparison of simultaneous suppression and presuppression of WNJ in conjunction with STAP

This paper presents a comparison of simultaneous suppression and pre-suppression of WNJ in conjunction with STAP. The comparison shows that: 1) under the ideal conditions and with the same number of spatial DOFs, the SINR performance of the two approach is similar, 2) the simultaneous suppression method is suitable for both element-space STAP and beamspace STAP, but the pre-suppression method is only suitable for beamspace STAP; 3) the simultaneous suppression method needs more samples for covariance matrix estimation, however, it is difficult for the pre-suppression method to obtain WNJ-only data, especially for medium PRF systems. In general, for medium PRF systems, the simultaneous suppression approach is recommended, and otherwise the pre- suppression approach is preferred.
P3-14-21: Neoadjuvant Therapy Response, Subtype and BRCA Status in an Underserved Population.

Background Preoperative (neoadjuvant) chemotherapy is typically used for larger operable breast cancer cases, and the degree of pathological response correlates with long term outcome. Therapeutic response also depends on biological and molecular subtype and is increasingly studied in the research setting to identify prognostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets. Little is known about the interactions of neoadjuvant response with biomarker subtypes and genetic predisposition in underserved and minority populations. Methods: IRB approval was obtained to capture demographic, clinicopathological and genetic testing data on patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and treated with preoperative chemotherapy and definitive surgery between 2005 and 2010 at Los Angeles County Medical Center, which serves a primarily Hispanic and indigent population. Treatment followed NCCN guidelines with the exception that not all patients with HER2+ disease received trastuzumab. Genetic counseling and testing has been available at this center since 2007. Pathological complete response (pCR) was defined as no residual invasive disease in breast or nodes. Chi-square or Fisher9s Exact test was used to examine associations between pCR and clinical factors, and logistic regression analyses were applied to assess each variable9s contribution to pCR. Results: Among 104 patients, of whom 79% were Hispanic, the overall pCR rate was 27%. Significantly higher pCR rates were seen in age ≥50, clinical N0, HER2+, triple negative, and lumpectomy cases. No differences in pCR rate was seen in Hispanics vs. others, Grade III vs. I and II or in the 9 BRCA mutations carriers among 45 tested compared to no mutation or those not tested. Of the 43 patients with HER2+ disease, the pCR rate was higher in the 32 patients who received trastuzumab (pCR 50.0 vs. 27.3%). Subset pCR rates and odds ratios (OR) of achieving pCR are shown below: Conclusions: In this underserved cohort, with 43% undergoing genetic testing, significantly higher pCR rates were seen in HER2+ and triple negative and lumpectomy cases, with a trend seen in older patients and smaller tumors. There was an unexpected trend of lower pCR rate seen in BRCA mutation carriers (pCR OR 0.33), albeit with small numbers. No differences were seen in Hispanic cases compared to other ethnicities. Further tissue analyses are planned to examine established and novel markers and to define exploratory markers that could be used for decision-making and target discovery in larger datasets within this population. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-14-21.
Effects of contact resistance on electrical conductivity measurements of SiC-based materials

A combination 2/4-probe method was used to measure electrical resistances across a pure, monolithic CVD-SiC disc sample with contact resistance at the SiC/metallic electrode interfaces. By comparison of the almost simultaneous 2/4-probe measurements, the specific contact resistance (Rc) and its temperature dependence were determined for two types (sputtered gold and porous nickel) electrodes from room temperature (RT) to ∼973 K. The Rc-values behaved similarly for each type of metallic electrode: Rc > ∼1000 Ω cm2 at RT, decreasing continuously to ∼1–10 Ω cm2 at 973 K. The temperature dependence of the inverse Rc indicated thermally activated electrical conduction across the SiC/metallic interface with an apparent activation energy of ∼0.3 eV. For the flow channel insert application in a fusion reactor blanket, contact resistance potentially could reduce the transverse electrical conductivity by about 50%.
An examination of occupational fatalities involving impact-related head injuries in the construction industry

Head injuries are the reason for which workers' compensation claims are most frequently filed and have the highest average cost per claim. The purpose of this study was to identify the construction industry trades with the greatest risk for an occupational fatality due to impact-related head injuries. Proportionate mortality ratios identified the highway and streets construction trades as having over three times the expected number offatalities (P < 0. 01) due to impact-related head injuries than expected, while the heavy construction trades had over two times the expected number offatalities (P < 0.01) due to impact-related head injuries. The majority of these fatalities were the result of vehicle incidents and the worker's being struck by various forms of equipment that were in the process of being moved. Prevention strategies should be focused on vehicle safety, driver education, safe material handling, and the use of hard hats.
Influence of magnesium and cysteine on vasopressin-induced contractions in various canine blood vessels

In-vitro-Versuche erwiesen, dass Magnesium-freie oder Cystein-enthaltende Krebs-Ringerlosung unterschiedlich auf vasopressininduzierte Kontraktionen an verschiedenen Blutgefassen des Hundes wirken. Zwei verschiedene Phanomene wurden beobachtet: entweder eine parallele Verschiebung der Dosis-Wirkungskurven nach rechts ohne Verminderung der maximalen VerkUrzung oder eine Neigung der Dosis-Wirkungskurven mit einer auffallenden Verminderung der maximalen VerkUrzung. Es wird auf Grund der Befunde angenommen, dass die Vasopressin-Rezeptoren verschiedener Blutgefasse nicht identisch sind.
Positron-hydrogen-atom S-wave coupled-channel scattering at low energies.

Results are presented for both inelastic and rearrangement scattering of positrons by hydrogen atoms for total angular momentum of zero. Sector adiabatic basis functions in hyperspherical coordinates are used to form a 43-coupled-channel scattering expansion for energies below the H({ital n}=4) threshold. Partial cross sections out of {ital e}{sup +}+H(1) into H(1), Ps(1), H(2), Ps(2), and H(3) are shown, as are those out of {ital p}{sup +}+Ps(1) into H(2), Ps(2), and H(3). Considerable resonance structure is apparent in all of these cross sections.