cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insulin's actions on vascular tissues: Physiological effects and pathophysiological contributions to vascular complications of diabetes.

Abstract Background Insulin has been demonstrated to exert direct and indirect effects on vascular tissues. Its actions in vascular cells are mediated by two major pathways: the insulin receptor substrate 1/2-phosphoinositide-3 kinase/Akt (IRS1/2/PI3K/Akt) pathway and the Src/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, both of which contribute to the expression and distribution of metabolites, hormones, and cytokines. Scope of review In this review, we summarize the current understanding of insulin's physiological and pathophysiological actions and associated signaling pathways in vascular cells, mainly in endothelial cells (EC) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), and how these processes lead to selective insulin resistance. We also describe insulin's potential new signaling and biological effects derived from animal studies and cultured capillary and arterial EC, VSMC, and pericytes. We will not provide a detailed discussion of insulin's effects on the myocardium, insulin's structure, or its signaling pathways' various steps, since other articles in this issue discuss these areas in depth. Major conclusions Insulin mediates many important functions on vascular cells via its receptors and signaling cascades. Its direct actions on EC and VSMC are important for transporting and communicating nutrients, cytokines, hormones, and other signaling molecules. These vascular actions are also important for regulating systemic fuel metabolism and energetics. Inhibiting or enhancing these pathways leads to selective insulin resistance, exacerbating the development of endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis, restenosis, poor wound healing, and even myocardial dysfunction. Targeted therapies to improve selective insulin resistance in EC and VSMC are thus needed to specifically mitigate these pathological processes.
Design of combined stationary and mobile battery energy storage systems

To minimize the curtailment of renewable generation and incentivize grid-scale energy storage deployment, a concept of combining stationary and mobile applications of battery energy storage systems built within renewable energy farms is proposed. A simulation-based optimization model is developed to obtain the optimal design parameters such as battery capacity and power ratings by solving a multi-objective optimization problem that aims to maximize the economic profitability, the energy provided for transportation electrification, the demand peak shaving, and the renewable energy utilized. Two applications considered for the stationary energy storage systems are the end-consumer arbitrage and frequency regulation, while the mobile application envisions a scenario of a grid-independent battery-powered electric vehicle charging station network. The charging stations receive supplies from the energy storage system that absorbs renewable energy, contributing to a sustained DC demand that helps with revenues. Representative results are presented for two operation modes and different sets of weights assigned to the objectives. Substantial improvement in the profitability of combined applications over single stationary applications is shown. Pareto frontier of a reduced dimensional problem is obtained to show the trade-off between design objectives. This work could pave the road for future implementations of the new form of energy storage systems.
Dynamics of alpha suppression and enhancement may be related to resource competition in cross-modal cortical regions

In the face of multiple sensory streams, there may be competition for processing resources in multimodal cortical area devoted to establishing representations. In such cases, alpha oscillations may serve to maintain the relevant representations and protect them from interference, whereas theta oscillations may facilitate their updating when needed. It can be hypothesized that these oscillations would differ in response to an auditory stimulus when the eyes are open or closed, as intermodal resource competition may be more prominent in the former than in the latter case. Across two studies we investigated the role of alpha and theta power in multimodal competition using an auditory task with the eyes open and closed, respectively enabling and disabling visual processing in parallel with the incoming auditory stream. In a passive listening task (Study 1a), we found alpha suppression following a pip tone with both eyes open and closed, but subsequent alpha enhancement only with closed eyes. We replicated this eyes-closed alpha enhancement in an independent sample (Study 1b). In an active auditory oddball task (Study 2), we again observed the eyes open/eyes closed alpha pattern found in Study 1 and also demonstrated that the more attentionally demanding oddball trials elicit the largest oscillatory effects. Theta power did not interact with eye status in either study. We propose a hypothesis to account for the findings in which alpha may be endemic to multimodal cortical areas in addition to visual ones.
Transitional Justice: Global Mechanisms and Local Realities after Genocide and Mass Violence

How do societies come to terms with the aftermath of genocide and mass violence, and how might the international community contribute to this process? Recently, transitional justice mechanisms such as tribunals and truth commissions have emerged as a favoured means of redress. Transitional Justice, the first edited collection in anthropology focused directly on this issue, argues that, however well-intentioned, transitional justice needs to more deeply grapple with the complexities of global and transnational involvements and the local on-the-ground realities with which they intersect. Contributors consider what justice means and how it is negotiated in different localities where transitional justice efforts are underway after genocide and mass atrocity. They address a variety of mechanisms, among them, a memorial site in Bali, truth commissions in Argentina and Chile, First Nations treaty negotiations in Canada, violent youth groups in northern Nigeria, the murder of young women in post-conflict Guatemala, and the gacaca courts in Rwanda.
Alloprimed CD8(+) T cells regulate alloantibody and eliminate alloprimed B cells through perforin- and FasL-dependent mechanisms.

While it is well known that CD4+ T cells and B cells collaborate for antibody production, our group previously reported that CD8+ T cells down-regulate alloantibody responses following transplantation. However, the exact mechanism involved in CD8+ T cell–mediated down-regulation of alloantibody remains unclear. We also reported that alloantibody production is enhanced when either perforin or FasL is deficient in transplant recipients. Here, we report that CD8+ T cell–deficient transplant recipient mice (high alloantibody producers) exhibit an increased number of primed B cells compared to WT transplant recipients. Furthermore, CD8+ T cells require FasL, perforin and allospecificity to down-regulate posttransplant alloantibody production. In vivo CD8-mediated clearance of alloprimed B cells was also FasL- and perforin-dependent. In vitro data demonstrated that recipient CD8+ T cells directly induce apoptosis of alloprimed IgG1+ B cells in co-culture in an allospecific and MHC class I-dependent fashion. Altogether these data are consistent with the interpretation that CD8+ T cells down-regulate posttransplant alloantibody production by FasL- and perforin-dependent direct elimination of alloprimed IgG1+ B cells.
Assessing Teacher Self-Efficacy through an Outdoor Professional Development Experience

Teachers' self-efficacy and outcome expectancy have been consistently associated with student achievement. This research examines changes in these constructs for K-12 inservice teachers who participated in a two-week summer professional development experience designed to promote the use of outdoor spaces for environmental science instruction. The investigators used the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument, version A (STEBI-A) (Riggs & Enochs, 1990), which was modified to include statements about outdoor science teaching. Pre- and post-assessment results for the 22 teachers who completed both assessments indicate significant increases in outcome expectancy scores for classroom and outdoor science teaching, as well as self-efficacy scores for outdoor science teaching, from pre- to post-test. An unexpected observation was the reported decrease in self-efficacy for traditional science teaching over same period. The results are examined further and explained using supporting data from the professional development, specifically, assessments on participants' beliefs about outdoor instruction, audio taped small group discussions, reflective journal entries, and researcher notes from classroom observations. Recommendations for PD planning and future research on teacher self-efficacy and outcome expectancy are presented.
An operator interface for teleprogramming employing synthetic fixtures

In the teleprogramming system an operator is presented with a virtual reality representation of a remote environment. The operator's interaction within that virtual environment is observed and translated into a sequence of robot program instructions for transmission to, and execution by, a robot at the remote site. In this paper we focus on operator interaction with the master station of the teleprogramming system. The use of synthetic fixtures to provide force and visual clues to assist the operator in performing tasks with speed and precision is discussed. It is suggested that, at least in some situations, it is both necessary and desirable to trade off realism for improved task performance. The difficulty of coping with exceptional conditions and, in particular, uncertainty in the world model used to generate the virtual environment is described and the operator interface for diagnosing and resolving errors is presented. An overview is also given of both the hardware and software used to implement the master station for the teleprogramming system.
Scintigraphic planar imaging of small animals with Siemens e.cam dual-detector gamma camera

2137 Objectives Small animal imaging systems are quite expensive, and their purchase is difficult to justify for initial research investigation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing existing full-size gamma camera systems for imaging small animals used in basic research. Methods A Siemens dual-detector e.cam was used to acquire both static and dynamic planar images of mice and rats for various clinical studies. Camera parameters were adapted to acquire the best possible images. Based on the approximate dimensions of the rodents, a phantom was created to define the field of view. The phantom consisted of pieces of chromatography paper with technetium droplets that were specifically placed to simulate the rodents’ anatomical features (i.e. nose, shoulders, tail base, etc.). With a pinhole collimator on one detector and a low energy-high resolution collimator on the other, the phantom was used as a guide to establish the zoom required to obtain optimal animal FOV coverage with maximum image size. All studies were acquired in a 64x64 matrix with a zoom factor adjusted to accommodate the class of rodent (i.e. rat vs. mouse). Activity concentration was minimized to ensure an appropriate ratio of injected volume and activity to animal size and total blood volume. The peritoneal cavity or tail veins were used as injection sites. Results Static and dynamic planar images of mice and rats were successfully acquired. The radiopharmaceutical dose volume provided adequate counting statistics. Acquisition software successfully produced dynamic acquisitions, adequate image resolution, and provided effective ROI curves for tracer distribution and kinetics. Conclusions Using both pinhole and conventional parallel-hole collimators on a full-size gamma camera system, scintigraphic planar images of small animals were successfully acquired. Molecular imaging of rodents with a human gamma camera system proved to be a logistically viable tool for studying models of various human diseases in vivo
Status of Australopithecus afarensis

Australopithecus afarensis Johanson in Hinrichsen (New Sci. 78(1105):571, 1978) is now accepted by many workers as an East African early hominid species showing marked sexual dimorphism dating to between 2.8 and 3.8 million years before present (my BP) and possibly as early as 5.0 my BP. It is best known in the latter part of this time range, at Hadar, and is here most phenetically similar to the South African A. africanus. In the earlier part of its time range, at Laetoli and Middle Awash, the morphology of the species is less well known. Much debate has surrounded the taxonomy, dating, morphological adaptations, and phylogenetic interpretation of the Laetoli and Hadar hominids. Some questions, such as the geological age of the sites, are close to resolution. Other questions hinge on whether the Laetoli and Hadar fossil samples are drawn from one biological population or species or from more than one. At present the balance of evidence suggests attribution of the Laetoli and Hadar fossils to a single species. Different emphases in functional morphological studies have led to differences in interpretations of taxonomy, phylogeny, function, and behavior. Various lines of evidence document that A. afarensis engaged in humanlike bipedal locomotion, but its postcranial morphology also documents that the species' locomotor adaptation differed from that of Homo, perhaps toward a more climbing and arboreal adaptation. Cladistic relations between A. afarensis and A. robustus/boisei are unresolved. A. afarensis does appear to be an appropriate ancestor for the A. africanus-Homo lineage.
Opportunity and Obligation: A Role for Outdoor Educators in the Sustainability Revolution

A primary educational challenge of the 21st century is to inspire students to become socially and ecologically conscientious citizens who are empowered, responsible members of the larger world. Outdoor educators and, in many ways, outdoor recreation as a broader field are well-suited to take the lead in this educational enterprise that requires transcending the dichotomy between people and nature to see ourselves in the Leopoldian tradition as plain members and citizens of a larger community of life. Drawing on the strengths of constructivism as a pedagogical approach, outdoor recreation as a pedagogical context, and the inherent compatibility of the big ideas of ecology and recreation, we assert that outdoor educators, specifically those involved with higher education at the curricular level, have both an opportunity and an obligation to be vanguards of the sustainability revolution.
Short-term memory for time intervals

Abstract The effect of intertrial interval, preset interval, and retention interval on the performance of rats in a time estimation task was described. On each trial a signal was presented for a duration of 2 to 8 sec. Eighteen rats were trained to press one lever (the short response) if the signal was shorter than 4 sec, and another lever (the long response) if the signal was longer than 4 sec. When trials were massed (Experiment 1), the percentage long response was affected by the classification of the previous signal, but not by its actual duration. This suggests that the animals remembered the response made on the previous trial, but not the signal duration. If a response was not permitted on the previous trial (Experiment 2), the duration or classification of the previous signal had no effect on performance. This supports the conclusion from the first experiment and suggests that an animal can reset its internal clock in less than 2 sec. In Experiment 3, the difference limen of the psychophysical function increased with the duration of the retention interval, but the point of subjective equality did not change. This suggests that resetting of the internal clock occurs on a non-time dimension.
Studies of 13C13C coupling constants. I. Acetyl compounds (1, 2)

Abstract Carbon-13 spectra were obtained on a series of synthetically di- or monolabelled acetyl compounds, CH 3 COX. Results are given on J CC and J CH for compounds with X = H, CH 3 , I, ONa (aq), N(CH 3 ) 2 , Br, Cl, OH and OC 2 H 5 . The range of values of J CC is 39.4–58.8 in this series, much larger than can be accounted for in terms of arguments based on changes in the effective nuclear charge or on hybridization arguments. An interpretation in terms of the Pople-Santry theory, based on a localized model of the CC bond, is presented.
The overlap design of the IBM system/360 model 92 central processing unit

The design of the IBM System/360 Model 92 Central Processing Unit features a very high degree of overlap and concurrency in processing, and full compatibility with other members of the System/360 machine family.
The Soviet Price System and the Ruble Exchange Rate

SINCE MARCH 1, 1950, there has been much discussion of the significance of the revaluation of the ruble exchange rate and the simultaneous adjustment of retail prices in the U.S.S.R. which occurred on that date. An answer to the questions which have arisen requires an analysis of the price system in the U.S.S.R. and of the meaning of the ruble exchange rate in U.S.S.R. international economic relations. This study attempts to analyze these issues and, in particular, their relation to the question of the assumption of international functions by the ruble.
Realistic computer models of aerogels

This paper describes methods employed to make realistic models of neutral- acid- and base-catalyzed silica aerogels and carbonized resorcinol-formaldehyde aerogels for use in studies of transport and material properties. The objective was to produce models consistent with experimental data including scattering data, microphotographs, and density measurements. To attain this goal, aggregation techniques were used that have not been previously associated with the chemistry of neutral- and acid-catalyzed silica. The appropriateness of these techniques is argued but not addressed rigorously. The methods are unified in a single code with control parameters that allow the user to create a complete range of geometries. Characterization of the computer models is done both by calculation of the scattering function and by visualization, methods that compare directly with experimental data. The computer program embodies a combination of diffusion-limited cluster-cluster aggregation and multi-site, multi-particle diffusion-limited aggregation.
The compositionality of lexical semantic representations: Clues from semantic errors in object naming

Abstract We present evidence that semantic errors in object naming can arise not only from impairment to the semantic system but also from damage to input and output processes. Although each of these levels of disruption can result in similar types of semantic errors in object naming, they have different types of consequences for performance on other lexical tasks, such as comprehension and naming to definition. We show that the analysis of the co-occurrence of semantic errors in naming with different patterns of performance in other lexical processing tasks can be used to localise the source of semantic errors in the naming process. Finally, we argue that the similarity of semantic errors in object naming, resulting from damage to different components of the naming process, reflects the compositional nature of lexical semantic representations, and the processes by which they are activated by visual input, as well as the processes by which they activate output representations.
Personality and Medical Specialty Choice: Technique Orientation versus People Orientation

Abstract The present study investigated a conceptual framework for relating medical specialty choice to personality. The model was tested by examining personality differences among general surgeons, anesthesiologists, and family practice physicians. The 16 Personality Factor questionnaire was administered to 161 physicians (52 general surgeons, 51 anesthesiologists, and 58 family practitioners). Significant differences between group means for medical specialty groups existed for three personality factors and one global factor: Rule-Consciousness, Abstractedness, Vigilance, and Tough-Mindedness. A stepwise discriminant analysis showed that, of the 16 personality factors, Rule-Consciousness and Abstractedness had the greatest power to discriminate among general surgeons, anesthesiologists, and family practitioners. The global factor of Tough-Mindedness had the greatest power to discriminate among general surgeons, anesthesiologists, and family practitioners. These findings coincided with using differences between person-orientation and technique-orientation to map medical specialties.
Investigation of a matrix technique to produce an effective hamiltonian as applied to the p-shell

Abstract Several aspects of a technique for calculating effective interactions, which avoids the perturbation expansion while eliminating the effects of unlinked graphs, are investigated. In the course of this investigation the effective p-shell interactions are calculated for the Reid Soft Core, the Paris, and the coordinate space Bonn interactions. The convergence properties of two approaches to summing the folded diagram series, that of Krenciglowa and Kuo and that of Suzuki and Lee are compared. The convergence properties of the latter, in the cases studied, are found to be superior. We find that removing the influence of unlinked graphs has tittle effect on excitation energies and wave functions and may be characterized by a mass dependent shift in the binding energy. In addition we note that these calculated excitation energies agree quite well with experiment.
Universalism and the new museology: impacts on the ethics of authority and ownership

Abstract The emergence of the new museum studies in the late twentieth century forged a rearticulation of museum ethics with respect to the prerogative of diverse stakeholders to claim authority and ownership of museum objects. Stemming in part from indigenous claims to collections, the incipient representational critique accepted (if critically) the ethical foundations of repatriation and shared authority. The recent Declaration of the Importance and Value of the Universal Museum, augmented by philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah's discussions of cosmopolitanism, substantively contradicts this ethic by creating a divide between the universal and the local in the ownership of cultural property and the definition of knowledge. These ambiguities engender conflicting reactions in an author sympathetic to indigenous repatriation claims, but invested in museums as didactic and preservative sites. True to the claims of the universal museum, local claims to material culture do problematize the idea of the museum, bu...
The Nitric Oxide Reductase Mechanism of a Flavo-Diiron Protein: Identification of Active-Site Intermediates and Products

The unique active site of flavo-diiron proteins (FDPs) consists of a nonheme diiron-carboxylate site proximal to a flavin mononucleotide (FMN) cofactor. FDPs serve as the terminal components for reductive scavenging of dioxygen or nitric oxide to combat oxidative or nitrosative stress in bacteria, archaea, and some protozoan parasites. Nitric oxide is reduced to nitrous oxide by the four-electron reduced (FMNH2–FeIIFeII) active site. In order to clarify the nitric oxide reductase mechanism, we undertook a multispectroscopic presteady-state investigation, including the first Mossbauer spectroscopic characterization of diiron redox intermediates in FDPs. A new transient intermediate was detected and determined to be an antiferromagnetically coupled diferrous-dinitrosyl (S = 0, [{FeNO}7]2) species. This species has an exchange energy, J ≥ 40 cm–1 (JS1 ° S2), which is consistent with a hydroxo or oxo bridge between the two irons. The results show that the nitric oxide reductase reaction proceeds through succe...
The Role of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Patient Information Initiative in Cost-Effective Drug Therapy

The use of drug and biological products often entails complex risk-benefit deliberations by prescribers. Yet. there is often little or no information shared by prescribers or dispensers with patients about the potential risks and benefits of taking a prescription drug as part of the patient’s therapeutic regimen. In 1994, drug-related morbidity and mortality has been estimated to cost $US76.6 billion. The largest component of this cost was associated with patient misadventures with their prescription medications. Industry experts, practitioners, and consumers agree that patients must have some basic information about prescription drugs to adhere successfully to their prescribed drug therapy. Patients today are discharged from hospitals more quickly than in the past and are expected to assume greater responsibility for their own care on discharge. Recently, there has been new and encouraging evidence that a greater percentage of patients are now receiving written information with their prescriptions. Developments in computer technology have made it relatively easy for pharmacies and physicians’ offices to store and generate written information for patients.
On constrained sintering-III. Rigid inclusions

Abstract In Part II of this series we examined constitutive equations that have been used primarily to analyze constrained sintering problems, including sintering of a matrix phase with rigid inclusions. For the latter problem, two important effects have been identified: generation of internal stresses (which could lead to formation of crack-like defects) and deviation of the densification behavior from the rule of mixtures. Currently available analyses give very different results for the stresses, which we show to be due to the choice of the constitutive laws. The analyses that give large values of internal stresses and significant slowing down of densification use constitutive laws that underestimate the shear relaxation of the densifying body, which leads to a negative value for the Poisson's ratio. Since this has never been observed in sinter-forging experiments, it is concluded that either the internal stresses are small (as predicted by the constitutive laws given in Part I) or the basic assumptions of linearity and isotropy used in all of the analyses are incorrect. We discuss some phenomena that could be important in explaining the densification of composites.
Traversable stack with fewer errors

A complete finite "algebraic" specification for a version of traversable stack with fewer error conditions is presented. This is used to illustrate some issues concerning formal specification of data types, namely naturalness and clarity. Uncontrolled errors are considered harmful and canonical-term specifications are considered helpful.
Gasdynamic focusing in an underexpanded jet

Gasdynamic focusing is demonstrated to concentrate a sample stream along the flow axis in an underexpanded supersonic jet. The focusing is characterized, using the technique of laser-induced fluorescence, for an I(2) seeded He expansion at pressure ratios between 2 and 6. The spatial fluorescence profile is monitored via array detection as a function of the sample and sheath volume flow rates and pressures. For source pressures between 10 and 100 Torr, the results obtained can be qualitatively understood using the model of hydrodynamic focusing. The observed deviations from this model are discussed in terms of gaseous diffusion and jet expansion.
Predictors of Dyadic Relationship Quality of Women in Substance Abuse Treatment

ABSTRACT Objectives: The quality of relationship between family caregivers and care recipients with dual disorders can impact care recipients' well-being and treatment outcomes as well as caregivers' well-being and involvement in care. This paper examines the impact of caregiver stressors and well-being on relationship quality of family caregivers of women with substance use disorders or co-occurring substance and mental disorders. Methods: Eighty-two women receiving in-patient or out-patient substance abuse treatment and the family member/significant other, nominated by each woman, who provided her with the most social support, were interviewed in this nonexperimental cross-sectional study. A stress-coping model was utilized to identify the impact of family caregivers' stressors (care recipient behavioral, substance abuse, and mental health problems) and caregiver well-being (burden and depressive symptomatology) on caregivers' perceptions of the quality of their relationship with their care recipient. R...
Generalizing the alcohol outlet-assaultive violence link: evidence from a U.S. midwestern city

This study assessed the geographic association between rates of assaultive violence and alcohol-outlet density in Kansas City, Missouri. Data were obtained for sociodemographic factors, alcohol-outlet density, and rates of assaultive violence across 89 inner-city census tracts in Kansas City, Missouri. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that sociodemographic variables predicted 61% (R2 = 0.61) of the variance in assaultive violence, but that an additional 9% (R2 = 0.09) of the variability in assaultive violence was explained by the density of alcohol outlets. Alcohol-outlet density contributed significantly to the explained variance of the regression model and was associated with higher rates of assaultive violence in this midwestern city.
Brand name versus generic drugs: The ethical quandary in caring for our sophisticated patients while trying to reduce health-care costs: Facts and controversies

Medical ethics are the values and guidelines that govern decisions made in medical practice. Four prima facie moral principles can serve as a framework to help physicians analyze problems and make ethical decisions: (1) respect for autonomy, (2) beneficence, (3) non-maleficence, and (4) justice. With the cost of health care rising, all parties involved in the delivery of health care need to work to reduce costs, while continuing to provide quality care to our patients. One mechanism to reduce costs is to increase utilization of generic medications in daily practice, but there are many ethical issues inherent in utilizing brand name versus generic medications in dermatology.
Religion and Reproductive Genetics: Beyond Views of Embryonic Life?

Advances in new reproductive genetic technologies have spawned a very polarized public and political debate. As with the abortion debate, most formal opposition to these technologies comes from religious organizations that are concerned about embryonic and fetal life. In this article we conduct an analysis of the first nationally representative opinion survey on religion and reproductive genetics. We find, as in the abortion debate, that evangelicals, fundamentalists, and traditionalist Catholics are more opposed than more liberal religious groups. When we compare respondents with the same views on embryonic life, we find that differences remain in the level of approval for genetic technologies, suggesting that there is more to this debate than concern about embryos. We also find that religious conservatives are more distinct from the religious nonattenders in their views of health objectives of reproductive genetic technologies and less distinct in their views of improvement objectives.
The effects of surgical case duration and type of surgery on hourly clinical productivity of anesthesiologists.

Surgical duration (hours per case; h/case) and type of surgery (ASA base units per case; base/case) determine the hourly clinical productivity (total ASA units per hour of anesthesia care; tASA/h) for anesthesiology groups. In previous studies, h/case negatively influenced tASA/h, but base/case did not differ significantly. However, when cases are grouped by surgical service, the mean base/case varies. In this study we evaluated the effect of h/case and base/case on tASA/h when these are grouped by surgical services. Data from one calendar year were collected from an academic anesthesiology department's billing database. All surgical cases for which the anesthesiology department provided care were included. Cases performed outside the main operating room, e.g., remote sites or obstetrics, were excluded. Any care not billed with ASA units was also excluded. Mean base/case and h/case were determined. For each service, tASA/h was calculated by dividing the sum of base/ case and (4 × h/case) by h/case. A total of 12,769 cases were performed by 19 different surgical services. Mean base/case was 6.1 U, with a range of 4.0 U (orthopedics) to 16.0 U (cardiothoracic). Mean h/case was 2.9 h, with a range of 0.9 h (otolaryngology pediatric) to 5.4 h (orthopedic spine). Mean tASA/h was 6.35 U/h, with a range of 5.01 U/h (plastic surgery) to 9.71 U/h (otolaryngology pediatric). The services with high base/case did not necessarily have high tASA/h because of the longer h/case. The services with the shortest h/case had the highest tASA/h. The accurate prediction of both clinical and billing productivity requires inclusion of both base/case and surgical duration data. Anesthesiology groups should consider surgical duration when making strategic decisions.
The Control Narrative of the Internet

This article examines how mediation and control operate in cyberspace through a control narrative, or actors' awareness and expectation that symbolic meanings may be monitored and used by diverse audiences for various purposes. A control narrative is implicated in numerous attempts and logics to monitor and regulate Internet use. The control narrative is more explicit as fear and control are reflexively joined to virtual communication. The focus is on recent developments in surveillance, deception, and entrapment in “Internet stings” by formal agents of social control in the name of protecting children from predators and pedophiles and U.S. citizens from terrorism. Several implications of the control narrative for communication are offered, along with questions for further research.
The role of GCM resolution in simulating glacial inception

We test the influence of model resolution on glacial inception using a coupled atmosphere–slab ocean version of NCAR’s CCSM3 GCM. Simulations employ a modern orbital configuration and greenhouse gas concentrations representing both recent (year 1990) and hypothetically lower values based on Ruddiman’s Early Anthropogenic Hypothesis (240 ppm CO2, 450 ppb CH4). We ran the model at two different horizontal resolutions: relatively coarse (spectral T42, approximately 2.8°) and comparatively fine (T85, approximately 1.4°). Under contemporary greenhouse forcing, permanent boreal snow cover extent in the two model configurations is similar, but lowering greenhouse gas concentrations generates much more extensive glacial inception in the T85 experiment (150% increase) than at T42 resolution (80% increase). Furthermore, the spatial patterns of glacial inception differ considerably. Only the T85 version produces permanent snow cover over the Rocky Mountains and Baffin Island, consistent with geologic evidence for ea...
Spreading pressure dependent equation for adsorbate phase activity coefficients

Abstract The Spreading Pressure Dependent (SPD) equation was developed to calculate adsorbate phase activity coefficients which can be used with the Adsorbed Solution Theory to describe multicomponent gas adsorption equilibria. The C + C(C - 1)/2 parameters in the SPD equation can be determined either from molecular properties of the species, or from experimental binary data. The predictions by the SPD equation and other well-known models (the Vacancy Solution Model, the Real Adsorbed Solution Theory) were compared with the experimental data for binary and ternary mixtures of CO 2 , H 2 S, and C 3 H 8 on hydrogen mordenite. The C 3 H 8 -containing binary mixtures and the ternary mixture show strong non-idealities and azeotrope-like crossovers in the composition domain. The SPD equation, using experimentally determined parameters, gave excellent prediction of multicomponent data.
Hajós' graph-coloring conjecture: Variations and counterexamples

Abstract For each integer n ≥ 7, we exhibit graphs of chromatic number n that contain no subdivided Kn as a subgraph. However, we show that a graph with chromatic number 4 contains as a subgraph a subdivided K4 in which each triangle of the K4 is subdivided to form an odd cycle.
Data acquisition system for a hypervelocity-microparticle-impacts laboratory

Abstract A Hypervelocity Microparticle Impacts (HMI) laboratory has been established at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) capable of producing high velocity (1 to 100 km/s) highly charged (0.5 to 10 GV/m surface electric field) microparticles (20 to 1000 nm dia). The particles are charged in a “cosmic dust” source and accelerated in either an 80 kV test stand or the 6 MV Van de Graaff facility. A capacitive pick-off particle detection system is used to measure the charge and velocity of individual particles which can be selected to hit the target or deflected away using real-time analog decision circuitry. A NIM/CAMAC/PC based data acquisition system analyzes and displays individual particle events at rates up to 30 events/second. The system setup is data driven from user editable text files so that users can easily reconfigure the system for different types and numbers of data channels or different analysis calculations.
Neural Network Based Intelligent Control and PID Control of a Magnetic Levitation System

In order to control a system effectively, the system must be modeled accurately. Frequently, the non-linearities present in system dynamics make the control task difficult. Sometimes it is a real challenging task to come up with a true dynamic model of the system. To appreciate the control complexities, a Magnetic Levitation (ML) System [1] is selected for laboratory demonstration purposes. The magnetic levitation system, wherein the primary objective is to balance a metallic ball in a magnetic field, is highly non-linear [2] by its very nature. For this paper, a dynamic model was derived for such a system and various control techniques were designed and applied and the system performance was compared. A neural network based controller was developed to control the system. Such controllers are particularly useful in those cases, where the mathematical model of the system may not be available. Proportional (P), and Proportional plus Integral plus Derivative (PID) controllers were the other controllers used for the study, and their performances were compared with the neural net work based controller.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Repeated administration of the D1/5 antagonist ecopipam fails to attenuate the subjective effects of cocaine.

Rationale: Dopaminergic compounds have been targeted as potential treatments for cocaine abuse because of the known role of dopamine systems in drug reinforcement. Recent preclinical and human data have focused on the D1/5 antagonist, SCH 39166 (ecopipam), as a potential therapeutic agent. Objectives: The objective of the present study was to determine whether treatment with chronic ecopipam can blunt or block the subjective effects of cocaine in the absence of significant behavioral impairment or toxic physiological effects. Methods: Four doses of ecopipam (0, 10, 25, and 100 mg p.o.) were administered daily for 1 week each in double-blind, random order to inpatient cocaine-dependent volunteers (n=10). Cocaine challenge doses (0, 25, and 50 mg/70 kg i.v.) were administered on the 7th day in ascending order, 1 h apart. Results: Ecopipam alone produced reliable dose-dependent deficits in performance on the digit symbol substitution task (DSST) and the circular lights task, but not a balance task. Impairment on the DSST waned with repeated dosing suggesting the development of tolerance. Ecopipam resulted in few direct subjective effects. Cocaine alone produced dose-dependent changes in prototypic subjective and physiological measures, however, ecopipam largely failed to alter either cocaine's direct effects or the desire for cocaine. Conclusions: Although the performance effects verify that these doses of ecopipam were behaviorally active, the absence of an attenuation of cocaine's effects or craving for cocaine in this chronic dosing paradigm suggests this compound is unlikely to be an effective pharmacotherapy for cocaine abuse.
Breathless cancer cells get fat on glutamine.

Many cancer cells depend on glutamine as a fuel for proliferation, yet the mechanisms by which glutamine supports cancer metabolism are not fully understood. Two recent studies highlight an important role for glutamine in the synthesis of lipids and provide novel insights into how glutamine metabolism could be targeted for cancer therapy.
Analysis of erythrocytic polyamines by automated reverse‐phase liquid chromatography

A sensitive and reproducible method for quantitation of polyamines in erythrocytes by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is described. Spermidine and spermine are first converted to fluorescent dansyl derivatives and are then separated in less than 15 minutes on a C18 reverse-phase cartridge using methanol in water mobile phase. Sensitivity of the method is 20 pmol with recoveries that average 96% and 95% for spermidine and spermine, respectively. Precision study revealed an average mean coefficient of variation of 5.42 ± 2.95 (mean ± S.D.) from four levels of the polyamines (8.2 to 354.9 nmol/g hemoglobin [Hgb]). The normal ranges for 30 apparently healthy men and women, aged 20–60 years, were 2.9–33.7 nmol/g Hgb (± 2 S.D. from mean) for spermidine and 0-20.9 nmol/g Hgb for spermine. The quantity of putrescine was negligible. Feasibility of this method was evaluated in serial specimens from an advanced-stage patient with prostate cancer who was receiving multiple-modality therapy. Results revealed that this HPLC method can be used in quantifying circulating polyamines in clinical specimens.
Preventing Cardiovascular Disease Going Beyond Conventional Risk Assessment

The rise of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as a leading cause of medical morbidity and mortality worldwide has long been thought to be a consequence of industrialization.1 As industrialization has spread globally, CVD has risen as a worldwide cause of illness and death. Diets higher in saturated fat and salt, sedentary lifestyle, tobacco use, and obesity, known cardiovascular risk factors, all appear to accompany industrialization. However, it is unlikely that a “return to nature” will solve the CVD problem. A positive consequence of industrialization is a longer life expectancy in part as a result of a more stable food supply, modern control of infectious diseases, and reduced perinatal morbidity. Because CVD has a long incubation period, perhaps the most potent cardiovascular risk factor is age. One “cause” of higher disease rates may be simply living long enough to acquire heart disease. Article see p 245 If the oversimplifications above told the entire story, CVD rates would affect the population equally across all social strata and in all countries. However, this is not the case. After age, the second most ignored cardiovascular risk factor is socioeconomic status, with those at the lower end of the spectrum having dramatically higher rates of CVD.2 Although the upper classes might have been the first to experience the rise in CVD rates early in the course of industrialization, the lower classes have suffered disproportionately as industrialization progressed.1 In analyses structured to emphasize the impact of socioeconomic status on risk, the gradient from the lowest to the highest classes may be as much …
Adsorption of thiophene on surfaces of clean and Ni-promoted molybdenum sulfide

Abstract Synchrotron-based high-resolution photoemission has been used to study the interaction of thiophene with pure and Ni promoted MoSx films. The films exhibit Mo 3d and valence spectra that are very similar to those of MoS2. On the MoSx systems, the chemistry of thiophene closely resembles that seen on MoS2(0002). The molecules are weakly chemisorbed, and most of them desorb at temperatures around 200 K. A small fraction of the adsorbed thiophene is bonded to Mo sites that have S vacancies and desorbs between 250 and 300 K. The addition of Ni enhances the chemical activity of MoSx. On the NiMoSx systems, the adsorption energy of thiophene is at least 5–10 kcal mol−1 larger than on pure MoSx. No dissociation of the molecules is observed on the NiMoSx surfaces. The Ni↔S interactions reduce the reactivity of nickel, and the presence of this metal alone is not enough to promote or facilitate the cleavage of C–S bonds in hydrodesulfurization (HDS) reactions. Hydrogen seems to play an important role in this aspect. The behavior of NiMoSx catalysts in HDS processes is discussed in the light of these results.
William M. Feinberg Lecture: Cognitive vitality and the role of stroke and cardiovascular disease risk factors

Background and Purpose— Vascular risk factors are common in the elderly, and some such as hypertension may be important predictors of cognitive impairment. Summary of Review— In this article, the role that vascular risk factors may play in the prevention of vascular and nonvascular forms of cognitive impairment is reviewed. Conclusions— Because vascular risk factors may have negative effects on brain structure and cognitive function, and because vascular risk factors may be present in midlife or possibly earlier, we may need to develop long-term intervention strategies to control or prevent vascular risk factors in an effort to preserve cognitive vitality as we age.
The results of penicillin G administration on chronic unrestrained cats: Electrographic and behavioral observations

Abstract Intramuscular administration of penicillin G was carried out in a series of 27 chronic cat preparations. In addition to the EEG, the high frequency components of cerebral electrical activity were also recorded from cortical and deep structures. Videotape recordings using split-screen technique allowed correlations of the animal's clinical state with the EEG. The results showed that ‘spike-wave’ type activity occurred earliest in the cortex. The discharges were also best formed in cortical and thalamic structures. The other deep structures showed characteristic bursting, but not of the ‘spike-wave’ type variety. The cerebellum showed also early participation. Clinical expressivity of the burst depended upon the state of alertness of the animal, the height of the spike components and the extent of depth participation. The high frequency recordings revealed characteristic alternation of decrease and increase in activity mostly in cortical structures and to a lesser extent in thalamus. Pontine and medullary reticular formation areas showed usually no changes in the high frequency records during the bursts. When major seizures were induced, they were always of focal onset rather than of the primary generalized type as one sees with pentylenetetrazol. Different cortical or deep structures served as the initiating site in different animals. It was concluded that systemic penicillin administration does not lead to a truly primary generalized form of epilepsy, but produces its effects by multifocal activation of various cerebral structures, with cortex and cerebellum usually showing earliest involvement.
Postcolonial Computing: A Tactical Survey

The authors suggest that postcolonial science studies can do more than expand answers to questions already posed; it can generate different questions and different ways of looking at the world. To illustrate, the authors draw on existing histories and anthropologies and critical theories of colonial and postcolonial technoscience. To move forward together, rather than remaining mired in regretful contemplation of past biases, the authors offer some analytical and practical suggestions. In reading hegemonic forms of postcolonial computing, this article offers tactics for rereading, rewriting, or reimagining those scripts.