cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nerve fiber recruitment in the context of hybrid neural stimulation

Recently, hybrid neural stimulation combining electrical and optical techniques was demonstrated. By applying a subthreshold electrical stimulus with infrared neural stimulation (INS), hybrid stimulation was shown to reduce INS thresholds as much as 3-fold while maintaining spatial selectivity, thus overcoming the risk of thermally-induced tissue damage associated with INS and the fundamental lack of spatial specificity associated with electrical stimulation. While the potential of hybrid stimulation is evident, a better fundamental understanding of the interaction between tissue, light, thermal gradients and current is necessary before this new stimulation paradigm can be further refined and optimized for clinical implementation. A key element of this understanding is the spatial superposition of the electrical and optical stimuli. A successful hybrid stimulation paradigm requires accurate recruitment of the same neurons by each modality. If the same neurons are not targeted by both electrical and optical stimulation, then hybrid stimulation will suffer from lack of repeatability and consistency. Here we present evidence as to how light and current interact spatially within neural tissue. There exists a finite spatial region that is excitable by hybrid stimulation. This region is shown to change in size and location by altering the optical and electrical components of the hybrid stimulus. By taking advantage of these results, we are now able to achieve greater control of hybrid stimulation and can better apply this promising technology.
Cambios: The Spirit of Transformation in Spanish Colonial Art

Cambios: The Spirit of Transformation in Spanish Colonial Art. Gabrielle Palmer and Donna Pierce. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1992. 149 pp. $50.00 (cloth), $27.50 (paper).ISBN 0-8263-1408-2, ISBN 0-8263-1409-0.
Internal conversion angular correlations

The angular correlation function is evaluated analytically for the correlation between a γ-ray and an internal conversion electron. A relativistic treatment is presented for the following cases: 1) the 2L+1 magnetic pole-2L electric pole mixture fors,p1/2, andp3/2 electrons, and 2) the 2L+1 electric pole-2L magnetic pole mixture forp1/2 andp3/2 electrons.
Towards Assessing the Knowledge Gap in Medical Tourism

The medical tourism industry is a fast growing global niche market that generated $20 billion in income for destinations around the world. This study suggests and tests a mechanism to assess the medical tourism providers’ perceptions about the tourists’ perceived important product attributes when selecting a medical tourism destination. The results indicate that the various medical tourism providers groups do not vary in their perceptions regarding 24 important attributes of the medical tourism product and that they all agree that tourists perceive the medical variables to be more important than the tourism related variables. Using the Korean market for data collection, the study’s additional contribution is providing insights for Korean government agencies, operators of medical tourism hospitals, policymakers, and marketers.
Claire Philip's poems and the “art of dying”

Abstract Through a study of the poems Claire Philip wrote while dying of cancer, the author develops the hypothesis that in writing poems, a patient reveals thoughts and feelings that might not be evident in a clinical situation. The thoughts and feelings disclosed in Philip's poems are less about pain and more about grief over separation from loved ones, dread of loss of identity, and doubts about death's meaning. In these disclosures and in the selection of images and stanza forms used to convey the disclosures, Philip is in the tradition of ars moriendi poets, more concerned about how to live and write about living while dying than in what happens to the body in the last moments.
Aminophylline in the Outpatient Management of Decompensated Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

The objective of this study was to determine if IV aminophylline reduces the risk of relapse after treatment of decompensated COPD in an ED. Forty-six visits in which IV aminophylline was given (T visits) were compared with an equal number of visits in which it was withheld (N visits) with respect to pretreatment serum theophylline level, number of treatments with nebulized bronchodilators and use of parenteral β-adrenergic drugs, IV corticosteroids and prednisone. The difference in 48-h relapse rates for T and N visits was examined by McNemar's test. No differences were found between T and N visits with respect to vital signs, pretreatment FEV 1 , arterial blood gas values, hematocrit level or blood leukocyte count. The 48-h relapse rate for T visits (22.2 percent) was significantly higher than for N visits (6.7 percent; p=0.035). Aminophylline does not appear to be beneficial for outpatients with decompensated COPD and may be harmful.
Construction of glucose-repressible yeast expression vectors

A set of two episomal yeast expression vectors, pYME1 and pYME2, were constructed. These Saccharomyces cerevisiae-Escherichia coli shuttle vectors each contain a modified yeast MAL6S (encoding maltase) promoter that is expressed constitutively, but is subject to carbon catabolite repression by glucose. Expression from this promoter is still dependent upon the presence of active MALR (regulatory) protein. These expression vectors are particularly useful because most S. cerevisiae strains are MAL+, thereby exhibiting a wider host range than GAL-based vector systems. These pYME1 and pYME2 vectors are capable of expression to levels comparable to GAL-based expression plasmids and much higher than a variety of other repressible promoter vectors. The vectors are identical, except that their multiple cloning sites (MCS) are in opposite orientations, making them convenient for inserting heterologous genes.
On the identity of Pettalus cimiciformis and P. brevicauda (Opiliones, Pettalidae) from Sri Lanka

Abstract Among the most enigmatic Cyphophthalmi are members of the genus Pettalus, a monophyletic group endemic to Sri Lanka. To date three species have been named, Pettalus cimiciformis (O. Pickard-Cambridge 1875), P. brevicauda Pocock 1897, and P. lampetides Sharma & Giribet 2006. However, the identity of the two XIX Century species remains confusing. Here the identity of the three original Pettalus specimens is revised based on their re-examination and comparison to the original descriptions, which do not match the redescriptions of these species published in the monograph of Hansen & Sorensen (1904).
SERENDIP SETI project: new instrumentation for SETI and results of the recent Arecibo sky survey

The SERENDIP SETI group is currently conducting search operations on the world's largest radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. The third generation SERENDIP system, SERENDIP III, is a 4 million channel Fast Fourier Transform-based spectrum analyzer with 0.6 Hz frequency resolution. In this talk we will discuss results of our recent 3.5 year sky survey. SERENDIP has looked at 95 percent of the sky visible from Arecibo in the range from 424 to 436 MHz, analyzed 1.5 X 1014 spectral bins, and logged information on over 300 million signals. The fourth generation SERENDIP system expands on the SERENDIP III design. SERENDIP IV computes 200 billion operations each second providing spectral analysis on 168 million channels every 1.7 seconds. We will also discuss the design and use of the SERENDIP IV system and future observing plans.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Subcutaneous cysts: Another cause of “failed” spinal anesthesia?

Abstract Spinal anesthesia continues to be one of the major techniques in the arsenal of the modern anesthesiologist. Inadequate anesthesia may follow a spinal anesthetic for a variety of reasons. We report a case in which entry of a spinal needle into a subcutaneous cyst mimicked the free flow of cerebrospinal fluid seen with dural puncture. This was confirmed by microscopic examination of the fluid, which was consistent with the contents of a subcutaneous cyst. This represents an unusual cause for failure of spinal anesthesia. Such a possibility should be borne in mind, especially when "clear fluid" return occurs through a spinal needle placed at a relatively superficial depth.
Masking of Information in Light Scattering Signals from Complex Scatterers

Masking techniques are used to evaluate the amount of information contained in light scattering curves from complex particle systems. Mixtures of perfect sphere systems in various proportions, each with exactly known optical constants, can give nonunique light scattering curves that cannot be inverted. However, best fits of the curves from complex systems to theoretical curves for single particle systems can yield “average optical constants” that are directly related to the actual optical constants of the component systems.
The cytological basis for reproductive variability in the Anoetidae (Sarcoptiformes: Acari)

Meiosis is described in a thelytokous strain of the anoetid mite Histiostoma feroniarum (Dufour) and in both sexes of the arrhenotokous strain of this species. Oogenesis in the thelytokous strain is accomplished by ameiotic mitosis with only one pseudo-maturation division. During this division one or more chromosomes may move to the poles precociously and while in this position can be mistaken for centrioles. Fourteen chromosomes are found at metaphase of the pseudo-maturation division and in cleaving eggs of this strain. In the arrhenotokous strain, male meiosis consists of a single mitotic division. Oogenesis is regular and 7 bivalents are observed at the first maturation division. Metaphases of the first cleavage division in fertilized eggs show 14 chromosomes and 7 chromosomes in unfertilized eggs.
Beyond the Dichotomy: Six Religious Views of Homosexuality

Using published theological and scholarly evidence, this article disrupts the stereotypical "born gay"/"sinful choice" dichotomy widely assumed to characterize religious views of homosexuality in the United States. It argues that we need to keep moral questions separate from questions about the fixity or fluidity of sexual orientation. Rather than two, American Christian and Jewish views of homosexuality can been seen on a range from the "God Hates Fags" view through "Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin," "We Don't Talk About That," "They Can't Help It," "God's Good Gift," and a queer-theological view of the "Godly Calling."
Arginine Transport in the Culture Form of Trypanosoma cruzi

SYNOPSIS. Arginine in Trypanosoma cruzi is taken up by a mediated transport system; a large non-saturable component is also involved. Arginine transport specificity in T. cruzi is unusual since lysine and histidine do not inhibit its uptake. Glycine and valine are partially competitive inhibitors and homoarginine, alanine and methionine are completely competitive. At least one arginine transport site is so specific that homoarginine will not react with it. Apparently the diamino acid transport systems of T. cruzi have undergone major evolutionary modifications.
REPRODUCTIVE AND TERATOGENIC EFFECTS OF NITROUS OXIDE, FENTANYL AND THEIR COMBINATION IN SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS

The reproductive and teratogenic effects of 35% and 50% nitrous oxide, fentanyl 500 μg kg−1/ day and their combinations were studied using a total of 419 timed-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats. On day 7 of pregnancy, osmotic mini pumps which delivered either fentanyl 500 μg kg−1/ day or normal saline for 2 weeks were implanted subcutaneously in the back of the rats. Animals then were exposed to air, 35% nitrous oxide or 50% nitrous oxide for 24 h on day 9 of pregnancy. On day 21 of pregnancy, Caesarean sections were performed and all 2693 offspring were preserved and subsequently examined microscopically for external, visceral and skeletal abnormalities. There were no reproductive or teratogenic effects observed with 35% nitrous oxide, but adverse effects were observed with 50% nitrous oxide. The addition of fentanyl to the nitrous oxide increased the mortality rate among the rats, but did not significantly add to the adverse reproductive or teratogenic effects of nitrous oxide.
The contribution of Mary Hays

(1987). The contribution of Mary Hays. Prose Studies: Vol. 10, Women's Prose of the Romantic Period and Related Essays, pp. 131-142.
Recombinant production of rhesus θ-defensin-1 (RTD-1) using a bacterial expression system

Defensins are antimicrobial peptides that are important in the innate immune defense of mammals. In contrast to mammalian α- and β-defensins, rhesus θ-defensin-1 (RTD-1) comprises only 18 amino acids stabilized by three disulfide bonds and an unusual backbone cyclic topology. In this work we report for the first time the recombinant expression of the fully folded θ-defensin RTD-1 using a bacterial expression system. This was accomplished using an intramolecular native chemical ligation in combination with a modified protein-splicing unit. RTD-1 was produced either in vitro or in vivo. In-cell production of RTD-1 was estimated to reach an intracellular concentration of ∼4 μM. Recombinant RTD-1 was shown to be correctly folded as characterized by heteronuclear-NMR and by its ability to specifically inhibit lethal factor protease. The recombinant production of folded θ-defensins opens the possibility to produce peptide libraries based on this peptide scaffold that could be used to develop in-cell screening and directed evolution technologies.
Distribution functions for colloidal particles

Abstract Some widely used distribution functions are discussed from the standpoint of skew and breadth. New distribution functions, the skewed normal SND and the skewed zeroth-order logarithmic SZOLD, have been proposed and simple means to vary and characterize skew and breadth have been presented. It is shown that skew can also be described in terms of balance about the mode. The balance of a distribution is the ratio of the width on the braod side of the mode to the width on the narrow side of the mode. The skewed normal distribution exhibits the interesting property of constant balance in contrast with the SZOLD, in which the balance increases from peak to base. Balance may be used for a quantitative comparison of distributions of different functional form.
Kinetics of desorption of hexane from the microporous metal organic framework RPM-1

Abstract The kinetics of desorption of hexane from the microporous metal framework RPM-1 has been studied using a pulse mass analyzer. In this method a small sample of organic liquid was injected into a heated carrier gas that passes through a packed bed of adsorbent. The change in mass of the bed with time was observed following the adsorption of the pulse. RPM-1 is a microporous material of the general formula [M 3 (bpdc) 3 (bpy)] · 4DMF · H 2 O, where M is either Co or Zn, bpdc is biphenyl dicarboxylate and bpy is 4,4′-bipyridine. The pores are channels of larger supercages (11 × 11 × 5 A) connected by smaller windows of approximately 8 A diameter. The desorption of hexane was well represented by a combination of two first order processes. Activation energies determined for the two processes over a temperature range of 373–473 K were 56 and 63 kJ/mol for RPM-1 (Co). The two activation energies are similar to isosteric heats of adsorption measured independently in earlier work at corresponding coverages. Similar values were found for RPM-1 (Zn). The pulse mass analyzer was found to be an effective way to investigate the dynamics of adsorption processes.
Microfluidic evaluation of red cells collected and stored in modified processing solutions used in blood banking

The most recent American Association of Blood Banks survey found that 40,000 units of blood are required daily for general medicine, hematology/oncology, surgery, and for accident and trauma victims. While blood transfusions are an extremely important component of critical healthcare, complications associated with transfusion of blood components still exist. It is well-established that the red blood cell (RBC) undergoes many physical and chemical changes during storage. Increased oxidative stress, formation of advanced glycation endproducts, and microparticle formation are all known to occur during RBC storage. Furthermore, it is also known that patients who receive a transfusion have reduced levels of available nitric oxide (NO), a major determinant in blood flow. However, the origin of this reduced NO bioavailability is not completely understood. Here, we show that a simple modification to the glucose concentration in the solutions used to process whole blood for subsequent RBC storage results in a remarkable change in the ability of these cells to stimulate NO. In a controlled in vitro microflow system, we discovered that storage of RBCs in normoglycemic versions of standard storage solutions resulted in RBC-derived ATP release values 4 weeks into storage that were significantly greater than day 1 release values for those RBCs stored in conventional solutions. During the same storage duration, microfluidic technologies enabled measurements of endothelium-derived NO that were stimulated by the ATP release from the stored RBCs. In comparison to currently accepted processing solutions, the NO production increased by more than 25% in the presence of the RBCs stored in the normoglycemic storage solutions. Control experiments using inhibitors of ATP release from the RBCs, or ATP binding to the endothelium, strongly suggest that the increased NO production by the endothelium is directly related to the ability of the stored RBCs to release ATP. We anticipate these findings to represent a starting point in controlling glucose levels in solutions used for blood component storage, especially considering that current solutions contain glucose at levels that are nearly 20-fold greater than blood glucose levels of a healthy human, and even 10-fold greater than levels found in diabetic bloodstreams.
Surface Complexation Modeling of Carbonate Effects on the Adsorption of Cr(VI), Pb(II), and U(VI) on Goethite

Dissolved carbonate species are known to affect the sorption behavior of trace species. The macroscopic description of these interactions with a thermodynamic approach has been limited by the lack of data on the binary interaction between carbonate and relevant mineral surfaces. This work follows from two detailed studies of carbonate adsorption on goethite (4, 13). It shows that independent triple-layer surface complexation modeling (TLM) of carbonate adsorption allows successful descriptions of carbonate-trace element ternary sorption on this oxide, using relatively simple and optimal stoichiometries. Carbonate adsorption was considerably enhanced in the presence of Pb(II), despite an invariant total Pb(II) sorption to equilibration with up to 1% CO2(g). Both the Pb(II)−carbonate system behavior and the anion-like pH adsorption behavior of U(VI) in the presence of CO2 were successfully modeled using binary and ternary metal-bound surface complexes. The significant reduction of Cr(VI) adsorption edges to...
Fire history and fire―climate relationships along a fire regime gradient in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed, NM, USA

Abstract The Santa Fe municipal watershed provides up to 40% of the city's water and is at high risk of a stand-replacing fire that could threaten the water resource and cause severe ecological damage. Restoration and crown fire hazard reduction in the ponderosa pine (PP) forest is in progress, but the historic role of crown fire in the mixed-conifer/aspen (MC) and spruce-dominated forests is unknown but necessary to guide management here and in similar forests throughout the southwestern United States. The objective of our study was to use dendroecological techniques to reconstruct fire history and fire–climate relationships along an elevation, forest type, and fire regime gradient in the Santa Fe River watershed and provide historical ecological data to guide management. We combined systematic (gridded) sampling of forest age structure with targeted sampling of fire scars, tree-ring growth changes/injuries, and death dates to reconstruct fire occurrence and severity in the 7016 ha study area (elevation 2330–3650 m). Fire scars from 141 trees (at 41 plots) and age structure of 438 trees (from 26 transects) were used to reconstruct 110 unique fire years (1296–2008). The majority (79.0%) of fires burned during the late spring/early summer. Widespread fires that scarred more than 25% of the recording trees were more frequent in PP (mean fire interval (MFI)25% = 20.8 years) compared to the MC forest (31.6 years). Only 24% of the fires in PP were recorded in the MC forest, but these accounted for a large percent of all MC fires (69%). Fire occurrence was associated with anomalously wet (and usually El Nino) years preceding anomalously dry (and usually La Nina) years both in PP and in the MC forest. Fire in the MC occurred during more severe drought (mean summer Palmer Drought Severity Index; PDSI = −2.59), compared to the adjacent PP forest (PDSI = −1.03). The last fire in the spruce forest (1685) was largely stand-replacing (1200 ha, 93% of sampled area), recorded as fire scars at 68% of plots throughout the MC and PP forests, and burned during a severe, regional drought (PDSI = −6.92). The drought–fire relationship reconstructed in all forest types suggests that if droughts become more frequent and severe, as predicted, the probability of large, severe fire occurrence will increase.
Simulating ‘structure–function’ patterns of malignant brain tumors

Abstract Rapid growth and extensive tissue infiltration are characteristics of highly malignant neuroepithelial brain tumors. Very little is known, however, about the existence of structure–function relationships in these types of neoplasm. Therefore, using a previously developed two-dimensional agent-based model, we have investigated the emergent patterns of multiple tumor cells that proliferate and migrate on an adaptive grid lattice, driven by a local-search mechanism and guided by the presence of distinct environmental conditions. Numerical results indicate a strong correlation between the fractal dimensions of the tumor surface and the average velocity of the tumor's spatial expansion. In particular, when the so called ‘beaten-path advantage’ intensifies, i.e., rising ‘mechanical rewards’ for cells to follow each other along preformed pathways, it results in an increase of the tumor system's fractal dimensions leading to a concomitant acceleration of its spatial expansion. Whereas cell migration is the dominant phenotype responsible for the more extensive branching patterns exhibiting higher fractal dimensions, cell proliferation appears to become more active primarily at lower fracticality associated with stronger mechanical confinements. Implications of these results for experimental and clinical cancer research are discussed.
Optimization of the lighting system for a Hydraulically Integrated Serial Turbidostat Algal Reactor (HISTAR): Economic implications

Abstract An estimated 28% of the production cost in HISTAR systems that are artificially illuminated is attributed to the lighting cost. This cost estimated is based on an operational configuration comprised of eight CFSTRs, a system dilution rate ( D s ) of 0.640 d −1 , and 400 W metal halide lamps positioned at an elevation of 38.1 cm over the culture. Deterministic model simulations of the volumetric productivity ( P v ), photosynthetic efficiency ( E o ) and lighting cost (LC) under various management strategies, operational parameters and reactor design configurations were performed and compared to the simulation results obtained for the original configuration. The simulations showed that LC may be reduced by 35.5% by switching from a metal halide (MH) to high-pressure sodium (HPS) light source at an optimum system dilution rate D s = 0.641 d −1 . LC may be reduced by an additional 17.8% through decreasing the lamp elevation to 25.4 cm. Increasing the wattage of the light source from 400 to 1000 W in the last six reactors would reduce the LC by 13% from the original cost. Overall, using HPS lamps at 25.4 cm height, with six 1000 W and two 400 W lamps at a D s = 0.641 d −1 will result in a 54% overall LC reduction compared to the original configuration of HISTAR. This represents a 13% reduction in the overall microalgal production cost for HISTAR.
Promise and problems of translational research.

a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, P.O. Box 26901, Room WP2470, Oklahoma City, OK 73190, USA Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, P.O. Box 26901, Room WP2470, Oklahoma City, OK 73190, USA b Women's Cancer Research Institute at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute and Division of Gynecologic Oncology, CSMC Burns and Allen Research Institute, Ceders-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
Experiences in the Surgical Treatment of Tetralogy of Fallot: A Comparison of Results with and without a Previous Palliative Operation

The operative results on a group of children with tetralogy of Fallot treated by a variety of surgical methods has been presented. It seems apparent that those children undergoing a corrective operation with open-heart techniques who have previously had a palliative procedure have a mortality rate less than half those undergoing the same corrective open-heart operation, but without the previous palliative procedure. This lower mortality rate compares favorably with the operative mortality rate of children who have a left-to-right shunt through a ventricular septal defect with pulmonic stenosis. Whether this lends support to the previously presented idea that a palliative procedure prepares the vascular bed for the corrective surgery remains to be seen.
Matrix Assessment of the Articular Cartilage Surface After Chondroplasty With the Holmium:YAG Laser

The goal of this study was to evaluate, histologically and biochemically, repair of the articular cartilage in a rabbit joint after the use of the holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser in a cartilage chondroplasty model. In 30 New Zealand White rabbits, chondroplasty was performed with the laser at an intensity of 0.8 J at a rate of 10 Hz. The animals were sacrificed 12 weeks after surgery. Histologically, the safranin O staining index of proteoglycan correlated well with the biochemical results, illustrating a decrease of proteoglycan in the repaired articular cartilage after laser articular cartilage chondroplasty. The damaged articular cartilage surface after the laser application was extensive. The damaged area observed was gradually distributed along the radius from the central point of the laser beam application. Biochemically, the amount of glycosaminoglycan in the repaired tissue (8 +/- 2 mg of hexosamine per gram of dry cartilage) was statistically less when compared with that in the sham-treated tissue (40 +/- 5 mg). The amount of sulfate incorporated into proteoglycans was 8 to 10 times less in the chondroplasty model compared with the control, suggesting that cell viability was greatly reduced in the treated tissues or expression of proteoglycans was greatly reduced. In the subchondral area, histologic evaluation showed the lack of osteocytes in lacunae of the bone tissue after use of laser energy. The architecture of the subchondral bone in the chondroplasty area was damaged, with damage also seen in the membranes of the blood vessels.
Coronary venous hypertension prevents the formation of the electrophysiological arrhythmogenic substrate of acute ischemia in the dog: salutary effects of preserved myocardial hydration.

Coronary venous hypertension induced by partial coronary sinus obstruction (CSO) in the dog, prevents or delays the predictable ventricular fibrillation (VF) of the early phase of acute ischemia. Also, CSO acting presumably through enhanced myocardial hydration, normalizes the inhomogenous extracellular potassium ([K+]o) accumulation, a major factor in producing the electrophysiological disparities, characteristic of arrhythmogenic substrate. To further clarify the mechanism of early ischemic VF prevention in dogs, radioactive microspheres were used to evaluate regional perfusion changes, resulting from CSO sufficient to raise the coronary sinus pressure to 40 mmHg, before and during ischemia induced by double coronary artery occlusion (CAO) (n=5). Also, global or regional unipolar electrogram mapping was used to assess changes of epicardial ventricular activation times (AT) and sequence and activation recovery intervals (ARI) during CSO, CAO and combined CSO and CAO, induced in random order (n=8). CSO did not affect regional perfusion nor improved collateral blood flow during ischemia. With CSO, AT shortened modestly over time (0.41+/-1.1 ms/min, r=0.85, P<0. 05) and ARI transiently decreased by up to 5.5%. With CAO, AT became variably delayed and isochrone map distortions were indicative of localized conduction delays or blocks, consistent with elevated [K+]o. In contrast, when CAO was preceded by CSO, AT delays were homogenous and normal activation sequence was preserved. Also, whereas with CAO, ARI shortened unequally over the ischemic region by as much as 43% at individual sites (average of 38.3+/-6.8 ms, P<0. 001), with combined CSO and CAO, ARI shortening was less pronounced and more homogenous (26.1+/-5.6 ms, P<0.05), not exceeding 29% at any site. Thus, in accordance with previous findings of enhanced [K+]o homogeneity, coronary venous hypertension reduces the disparities of activation and refractoriness of ischemia attributable, at least in part, to disparate [K+]o accumulation. Since no collateral blood flow improvement could be identified, the salutary electrophysiological effects of CSO may reflect a more homogenous extracellular environment, due to preservation of normal microvascular pressure (Pmv) and sustained filtration and lymph flow.
A framework for adaptive scalable video coding using Wyner-Ziv techniques

This paper proposes a practical video coding framework based on distributed source coding principles, with the goal to achieve efficient and low-complexity scalable coding. Starting from a standard predictive coder as base layer (such as MPEG-4 baseline video coder in our implementation), the proposed Wyner-Ziv scalable (WZS) coder can achieve higher coding efficiency, by selectively exploiting the high quality reconstruction of the previous frame in the enhancement layer coding of the current frame. This creates a multi-layer Wyner-Ziv prediction "link," connecting the same bitplane level between successive frames, thus providing improved temporal prediction as compared to MPEG-4 FGS, while keeping complexity reasonable at the encoder. Since the temporal correlation varies in time and space, a block-based adaptive mode selection algorithm is designed for each bitplane, so that it is possible to switch between different coding modes. Experimental results show improvements in coding efficiency of 3-4.5 dB over MPEG-4 FGS for video sequences with high temporal correlation.
Improved slot and wire loop antennas

A new technique for enhancing the bandwidth of annular wire or slot antennas is proposed. Using this technique, the geometry of a simple wire or slot ring antenna is modified to obtain a new type of ring antenna, henceforth referred to as the bi-semicircular ring antenna. Although they occupy the same area, the modified antennas have much wider bandwidth than the ordinary printed annular slot or strip antennas. The bandwidth enhancement factor for such antennas is maximised by optimising their geometrical parameters. Prototypes of the wideband bi-semicircular strip and slot antennas are designed, fabricated and tested, and measurement results confirm that the modified antennas provide bandwidth values much larger than the original annular slot and strip antennas. Furthermore, the antennas demonstrate consistent radiation patterns, low cross-polarised radiation levels and high efficiency values across their entire bands of operation.
Corporate Retail Notes: A Good Alternative for Individual Investors?

This article initially describes the market for corporate retail notes (RNs)—debt securities issued directly to individuals (“retail” investors) through brokers, in small denominations ($1,000) and generally on a weekly basis. RNs became popular in the 2000s, although only a few well-known industrial and financial firms issue them. The authors then examine a sample of 1,775 new RNs issued by industrial firms from 2005–2009. Nearly all have an investment-grade credit rating. All RNs include a “death put” provision, and most are callable at par value. After comparing yields on new RNs with seasoned corporate-bond benchmarks, however, the authors find no evidence that investors are compensated for the value (to the issuer) of the call provision. On average, RNs underperform benchmarks at all investment horizons up to two years, and performance is worse for callable RNs, the majority of which are called soon after deferment-period expiration. It is unlikely that these results can be explained by higher secondary-market liquidity. By purchasing new RNs, however, individual investors can avoid transaction costs on mainstream corporate bonds. In addition, individual investors may place a high personal value on the death put provision.
Predicting Cetane Numbers of n-Alcohols and Methyl Esters from their Physical Properties

Cetane numbers (C#) for the homologous series of straight-chain, saturated n-alcohols, C5−C12 and C14, were determined according to ASTM D 613. Measured C# ranged from 18.2–80.8 and increased linearly with carbon number (CN). Regression analyses developed equations that related various physical properties or molecular characteristics of these alcohols to calculated C#. The degree of relationship between measured and calculated C# was expressed as R2. The decreasing order of the precision with which these properties correlated with C# was: boiling point (bp)>melting point (mp)>CN>heat of combustion (HG)>refractive index (n20 D)>density (d). This ranking was based upon R2 (0.99–0.96) and the Average % error (2.8–7.2%). C# were also determined for straight-chain homologs of saturated methyl esters with CN of 6, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18. C# ranged from 18.0–75.6 and increased curvilinearly with CN. Equations were also developed that related physical properties of these esters to C#. The precision with which these properties correlated with C# was: bp>viscosity (V)>heat of vaporization (HV)>HG>CN>surface tension (ST)>mp>n20 D>d. R2 ranged from 0.99 for bp to 0.98 for d. Equations for the alcohols were linear or quadratic, while equations for the esters were linear, quadratic or cubic based upon statistical considerations that included a Student’s t-test. With related physical properties and these equations, accurate predictions of C# can be made for saturated n-alcohols and methyl esters.
International Student Mobility and Tertiary Education Capacity in Africa

In Africa, 5.8 per cent of enrolled tertiary students go outside their homelands for tertiary study. No other world region has this high a share of outbound student mobility. In this study, I examined why African countries have larger student outflows than other regions and, in particular, I considered the importance of tertiary education capacity in the region for student mobility. I evaluated the determinants of student outflows from African countries for three different measures: the total number of tertiary students abroad, the percentage of the tertiary age cohort studying abroad and the percentage of total enrolled students abroad. In addition to showing that country rankings differ on these mobility measures, the findings indicate that their determinants also differ. The study premise was that student outflows should be lower from countries that have a greater supply of tertiary training capacity and that thesis received strong support in models that estimated the percentage of total enrolled students abroad. In models for that outcome, student outflows were also larger if countries had high tertiary demand and populations under 2 million. The findings for models that estimated total numbers abroad and share of the tertiary cohort abroad were similar after controlling for interactions between tertiary education supply and GDP per capita. In addition, population size and per capita GDP were stronger correlates of student mobility in those models, which suggests that it is more difficult for education supply and demand measures to account for student outflows when crude outflow measures are used. I concluded that strengthening tertiary education supply at home would be a cost-effective way for African governments to increase their human capital and reduce brain drain losses.
Quality metrics for measuring end-to-end distortion in packet-switched video communication systems

A critical component of any video transmission system is an objective metric for evaluating the quality of the video signal as it is seen by the end-user. In packet-based communication systems, such as a wireless channel or the Internet, the quality of the received signal is affected by both signal compression and packet losses. Due to the probabilistic nature of the channel, the distortion in the reconstructed signal is a random variable. In addition, the quality of the reconstructed signal depends on the error concealment strategy. A common approach is to use the expected mean squared error of the end-to-end distortion as the performance metric. It can be shown that this approach leads to unpredictable perceptual artifacts. A better approach is to account for both the mean and the variance of the end-to-end distortion. We explore the perceptual benefits of this approach. By accounting for the variance of the distortion, the difference between the transmitted and the reconstructed signal can be decreased without a significant increase in the expected value of the distortion. Our experimental results indicate that for low to moderate probability of loss, the proposed approach offers significant advantages over strictly minimizing the expected distortion. We demonstrate that controlling the variance of the distortion limits perceptually annoying artifacts such as persistent errors.
Hospitalization Costs Associated With Hypertension as a Secondary Diagnosis Among Insured Patients Aged 18–64 Years

BACKGROUND: We estimated the hospitalization costs associated with hypertension as a secondary diagnosis among insured adults aged 18-64 years by using data from 2005 MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters (CCAE) inpatient admissions. METHODS: We analyzed costs for four patient groups (N = 455,944): (i) all selected patients; (ii) patients with the primary diagnosis of ischemic heart disease (IHD); (iii) patients with the primary diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease; and (iv) patients with neither IHD nor cerebrovascular disease as the primary diagnosis. We conducted propensity score matching to control possible bias in cost estimates due to sample selections and estimated the costs of hypertension by using a regression model on the matched populations that controlled for subjects' age, sex, length of hospital stay, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), region of residence, and urbanization of residence. RESULTS: For all patients with hypertension as a secondary diagnosis, the estimated average annual hospitalization cost per patient was $21,094, of which $2,734 (13%; P < 0.01) was associated with hypertension. The estimated average costs were $31,106 for patients with a primary diagnosis of IHD, $17,298 for those with a primary diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease, and $18,693 for those without a primary diagnosis of IHD or cerebrovascular disease; hypertension-associated costs for these patients were $3,540 (11.4%; P < 0.01), $1,133 (6.5%; P < 0.01), and $2,254 (12.1%; P < 0.01), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Hypertension-associated hospitalization costs are substantial among insured US patients aged 18-64 years with hypertension as a secondary diagnosis and suggest a need for cost-effective programs to prevent, manage, and control hypertension.
Selectivity in foam separation by control of charge on the extracting solute: metal-chloro complexes

Abstract The application of selective concentration by foam separation of trace species via control of charge on these species has been investigated. The removal of anionic chloro complexes of iron(III), mercury (II), and cobalt(ll) has been examined. Distribution factors, F/C, as a function of hydrochloric acid concentration have been measured with the cationic surfactant, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide; the trends have been found to be similar to those obtained in ion-exchange measurements, with an anionic exchanger. In the case of iron(III), F/C has also been measured as a function of surfactant concentration, initial FeCL3 concentration, and % ethanol in water. Total reflux foam separation measurements were performed for selective removal. It was found that IO-7M FeCl3 could be selectively removed in the presence of a 100-fold excess of HgCl2. Further, HgCI2 could be selectively concentrated at I M hydrochloric acid and 10-7 M in the presence of CoCl2. A model based on a mobile ion-exchanger surface is presented to explain qualitatively the trends observed.
The reoxidation of cytoplasmic reducing equivalents in ehrlich ascites tumor cells.

1. Addition of glucose to ELD (Ehrlich-Lettre' hyperdiploid) ascites tumor cells inhibited by rotenone caused an oxidation-reduction cycle of cytochrome b and oxidation of cytochrome c but it did not affect the inhibition of the endogenous respiration. 2. The effect of substrates, inhibitors, and uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation on the transition between the oxidized and the reduced steady state of cytochrome b induced by glucose in rotenone-inhibited cells was tested. The spectrophotometric data obtained support the hypothesis that this transition is determined by the initial lowering and the subsequent increase in the phosphate potential in the cytoplasmic compartment of the glycolyzing cell. 3. The reduction of cytochromes b and c induced by glucose in rotenone-inhibited cells in the presence of vitamin K3 was shown to be biphasic. This reduction, like that produced by vitamin K3 alone, was significantly increased by oligomycin or aurovertin, while the biphasicity of the response was no longer apparent with these inhibitors. 4. Pretreatment with pyruvate of rotenone-inhibited cells made it possible to show, upon addition of glucose, a rapid translocation (t12 about 700 msec) of reducing equivalents to a cytochrome b-type pigment with small or undetectable changes in the steady-state level of cytochrome c. This reaction, which may be tentatively assigned to the microsomal cytochrome b5, was not competitive with the transfer of reducing equivalents to the mitochrondria in the presence of vitamin K3. 5. It can be concluded that in the strain of ascites cells used no direct transport of reducing equivalents occurs under physiological conditions from the cytosol to the mitochondrial cytochromes. On the other hand a pathway for the extramitochondrial oxidation of the cytosolic reducing equivalents has been evidentiated.
Recurrent Cavitary Nodules Secondary to Hodgkin's Disease*

A patient with nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease had at least three episodes of lung involvement consisting of an infiltrate on one occasion and multiple cavitating nodules on the other two. The cytologic and histologic studies of the lung specimens disclosed the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells on each occasion without any evidence for infection. This represents the first time in which recurrent cavitating nodules have been reported with Hodgkin's disease.
Paramagnetic limiting in superconducting LiTiO ternary system

Abstract Measurements of upper critical fields H c 2 vs temperature are presented for several LiTiO compounds which have a nearly constant T c = 11.2 ± 0.3 K and widely varying values of H c 2 . Stable compounds have small spin-orbit scattering and show paramagnetic limiting effects, with the highest H c 2 (4.2K) = 162 kG. Several compounds with large scattering showed a decrease in H c 2 over a period of about one year.
Vibrational spectroscopy using inelastic neutron scattering: Overview and outlook

Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) spectroscopy is a technique for obtaining vibrational spectra from determination of the change in energy of a neutron when it passes through a material. These inelastic events are the fundamental process in neutron thermalization. As a spectroscopic technique, INS offers the unique capability of providing isotopic sensitivity with H being a very much stronger scattering center than all other atoms including deuterium. Neutron scattering has no selection rules other than those resulting from variation in nuclear scattering lengths. Neutron scattering in general depends on known interaction strengths with nuclei and on atomic dynamics. The theory of neutron scattering in general is extensively developed and permits direct comparison of theory with experiment without intervening approximations. This permits direct evaluation of the ability of computational methods in providing a valid description of nuclear dynamics in a material. The prospect for rapid advances in the application of INS vibrational spectroscopy in the near term due to new neutron facilities and on-going software development is reviewed and illustrated.
Budget allocation optimization in a complex multi-project environment

Most organizations are complex environments, where multiple projects interact with each other in many different ways. Projects can collaborate either serially or in parallel, yet at other times they compete with each other to test different approaches for the same goal. In such organizations, it is not uncommon for the wrong project to be funded or a right project to be under funded apparently for all the right reasons. In turn these project failures can cause big problems to their dependent projects, even having catastrophic impacts to the whole organization.
Family Therapy Training for Paraprofessionals in a Community Mental Health Center

An ecologically oriented family therapy training program is advocated for teaching paraprofessionals to work with high-risk clients in a community mental health setting. The context of training as well as the particular abilities and needs of beginning paraprofessional family therapists are explored in order to design a flexible and effective program in the face of limited resources. This paper describes a variety of educational and supervisory formats such as group supervision, peer supervision, and live supervision. The usefulness of these of different models in facilitating skill development and growth in paraprofessionals is evaluated. Recommendations are made to trainers concerning problems encountered in teaching paraprofessionals and in implementing family systems training in community mental health centers.