cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transport, Microbial Solute Uptake

Introduction Cell Structure and Solute Movements Transport in Biofilms Primary Transport Systems Secondary Transport Systems ATP-Dependent Transport Phosphoenolpyruvate-Dependent Transport Proton-Motive Force–Dependent Transport Energy Recycling Systems Symporters and Antiporters Not Coupled to Δp or ΔpNa Transport Assays Regulation of Transport Industrial Examples and Applications Acknowledgment Bibliography Keywords: antiporters; ATPases; biofilms; energy recycling transport; permeability; phosphoenolpyruvate; proton-motive force; sugar phosphotransferase; symporters; transmembrane solute transport
Frequent Internet Users May Prefer More Health Care Information and Participation in Decision-Making

Objective – To determine whether there is a significant relationship between patients’ frequency of Internet use and their health care information and decision-making preferences. Design – Cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Settings – Undergraduate classes at a large state university and senior-oriented computer classes at public libraries and senior centers. Subjects – 438 respondents, including 226 undergraduates (mean age 20) and 212 community-dwelling older adults (mean age 72). Methods – Respondents were administered the Health Information Wants Questionnaire (HIWQ), a 21-item instrument designed to measure preferences for 7 types of health information and decision-making, in group settings. Main Results – The younger age group spent significantly more time online compared to the older age group. Frequent Internet users in both populations expressed an overall preference for more information regarding diagnosis, but less information for psychosocial and health care provider concerns. Internet use was positively correlated to the overall preference rating, leading the researchers to suggest that, as a whole, regular Internet users prefer more information and independence in decision-making. Conclusions – The study concludes that Internet use frequency is associated with an overall preference for obtaining health information and participating in decision making. Internet use as related to different types of preferences is inconsistent. Age was not found to be associated with the overall preference rating, and time spent online is proposed to be a stronger indicator of respondents’ health information preferences. The authors suggest that future studies utilizing the HIWQ take a longitudinal approach in order to better track how patient preferences for information may evolve over time.
Comparison of Snyder Head Phantom Models Used for Neutron Capture Therapy Benchmark Monte Carlo Dosimetry Calculations

As Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) clinical trials are initiated in more countries, new treatment planning software programs are being developed to calculate dose distributions in patient specific models. A reference suite of test problems, i.e., head phantom irradiations and resulting depth-dose curves, would allow quantitative comparison of the treatment planning software. This paper presents sets of central axis depth vs. dose curves calculated with the Monte Carlo radiation transport code MCNP4B for five different representations of the Snyder head phantom. The first is a multi-shell analytic ellipsoidal representation, and the remaining four are voxelized representations with cube edge lengths of 16, 10, 8 and 4 mm. For these calculations, 10 cm diameter monoenergetic and monodirectional neutron and photon beams were incident along the central axes of the models. Individual beams of 0.0253 eV, 1, 2, 10, 100 and 1000 keV neutrons, and 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, and 10 MeV photons were simulated to high statistical convergence, with statistical error less than 1% in the center of the model. A “generic” epithermal neutron beam, with 1% fast flux contamination and 10% thermal flux contamination, similar to those proposed for BNCT treatments, was also simulated with all five models. Computations for both of the smaller sized voxel models produced thermal neutron, fast neutron, and gamma dose rates within 4% of those from the analytical representation. It is proposed that these data sets be used by the BNCT community for the verification of existing and new BNCT treatment planning software.
Transsexual and Intersex Athletes

In her chapter, the Author examines the impact of both past and present policies enacted by many sport organizations, such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on intersex and transsexual athletes. At the root of many of these policies, and therefore the issues, are the binary gender system and the concern that fraudulent competitors could gain an advantage relative to the rest of the field. While no longer mandatory, women athletes are still subject to varying degrees of sex verification testing on a case-by-case basis, as evidenced by the 2009 testing of South African runner, Caster Semenya. Recent policies point to a growing awareness of the significance of gender identity in determining an athlete’s sex classification. The IOC’s current policy was designed to allow participation by transsexual athletes consistent with their transitioned sex and has been adopted by many sport organizations, including those at the high school level. While a move in the right direction, critics point out a number of deficiencies, such as requiring legal recognition of the athlete’s assigned sex. Perhaps a better policy would be one similar to that of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which does not impose any surgical or legal requirements on students to play in accordance with their identified sex rather than their birth sex. Since 2007, Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) has allowed students to compete in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on that student’s records. The Author concludes that by recognizing the right of athletes to self-define based on their gender identity in at least some cases, policies affecting transgender and intersex athletes’ eligibility for sport are reducing the stigma caused by exclusion. However, the limits that remain should still be examined as remaining sources of stigma. Policies that allow athletes to define themselves based on their gender identity, as well as policies that add coed options to the menu of sporting opportunities, have the greatest potential to reduce the stigmatization of affected athletes, as well as of women and girls as a whole.
Losartan Treatment Protects Retinal Ganglion Cells and Alters Scleral Remodeling in Experimental Glaucoma

Purpose To determine if oral losartan treatment decreases the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death caused by experimental intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation in mice. Methods We produced IOP increase in CD1 mice and performed unilateral optic nerve crush. Mice received oral losartan, spironolactone, enalapril, or no drug to test effects of inhibiting angiotensin receptors. IOP was monitored by Tonolab, and blood pressure was monitored by tail cuff device. RGC loss was measured in masked axon counts and RGC bodies by β-tubulin labeling. Scleral changes that could modulate RGC injury were measured including axial length, scleral thickness, and retinal layer thicknesses, pressure-strain behavior in inflation testing, and study of angiotensin receptors and pathways by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. Results Losartan treatment prevented significant RGC loss (median loss = 2.5%, p = 0.13), while median loss with water, spironolactone, and enalapril treatments were 26%, 28% and 43%; p < 0.0001). The lower RGC loss with losartan was significantly less than the loss with spironolactone or enalapril (regression model p = 0.001; drug treatment group term p = 0.01). Both losartan and enalapril significantly lowered blood pressure (p< 0.001), but losartan was protective, while enalapril led to worse than water-treated RGC loss. RGC loss after crush injury was unaffected by losartan treatment (difference from control p = 0.9). Survival of RGC in cell culture was not prolonged by sartan treatment. Axonal transport blockade after 3 day IOP elevations was less in losartan-treated than in control glaucoma eyes (p = 0.007). Losartan inhibited effects of glaucoma, including reduction in extracellular signal-related kinase activity and modification of glaucoma-related changes in scleral thickness and creep under controlled IOP. Conclusions The neuroprotective effect of losartan in mouse glaucoma is associated with adaptive changes in the sclera expressed at the optic nerve head.
Characterization of STAT3 expression, signaling and inhibition in feline oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) plays a critical role in tumor development by regulating signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation, survival, metastasis and angiogenesis. STAT3 is activated in many cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in people. Feline oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is similar to advanced or recurrent HNSCC as it is poorly responsive to traditional therapies and carries a poor long-term prognosis. The purpose of this study was to characterize expression and activation of STAT3 in feline OSCC cell lines and tumor samples and to investigate the biologic activity of a novel, allosteric STAT3 inhibitor, LLL12, in feline OSCC cell lines.
Stability of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in a New Bentonite Holding Medium

Stability of respiratory syncytial virus was determined in a new bentonite holding medium and compared with two other commonly used media. Eventual infectivity titers were similar with all three preparations.
Increasing the Value of the State Medical License

Dr. John Herman writes that state licensing boards can and should assume a more proactive role in assuring the public that a medical license represents a valid certificate of a physician's competence.
The chiral phase transition in the SU(n) and U(n) non-linear sigma model

The chiral phase transition at finite temperature is studied using the non-linear sigma model. Numerical simulations are done near transition with both two and three flavors using U(n)xU(n) and SU(n)xSU(n) flavor symmetries. The order of the phase transition for each of these possibilities is determined. Some of the results show that long wavelength modes can produce a first order transition but require a 20∗∗3 lattice to see this effect. A summary of these results for the chiral transition at finite temperature with the different flavor symmetries is presented and some implications for the chiral symmetry restoration at finite temperature are discussed.
The morphologic structure of step–pools in mountain streams

Abstract Step–pool sequences in streams in the Santa Monica Mountains of southern California impart a characteristic morphologic structure that varies with slope. But despite the strong association with slope that suggests a direct process control, analysis of 464 step–pools in 13 study reaches reveals the relationship to reflect correlation, but not necessarily causality. The direct control on step height is particle size, whereas discharge is the probable causal process determining step wavelength. Because both particle size and discharge generally change with channel slope downstream, a slope variation with step wavelength and height is the apparent indirect geometric result. A conceptual model of process-form linkages is proposed based on these results, whereby the step–pool morphology is produced by positive relationships between wavelength and discharge, and between height and particle size. The model offers new insights for explaining the step–pool morphology, and it is potentially useful in channeling future efforts toward the appropriate scales and variables.
A Cirrus-Cloud Experiment: Intensive Field Observations Planned for Fire

Plans for an intensive cirrus-cloud field experiment are described. The Cirrus Intensive Field Observations (Cirrus IFO) is a major component of the First ISCCP3 (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project) Regional Experiment (FIRE). The field campaign was conducted in Wisconsin during October 1986. Observing systems include satellites, “cloud” lidars, a very high-altitude, satellite-simulator aircraft platform, two research aircraft instrumented for detailed in situ microphysical and radiometric observations, a Doppler lidar, numerous passive surface-radiation sites, and a rawinsonde network. This is the first cirrus experiment involving such a comprehensive observing system.
False Assumptions: the challenges and politics of teaching in China

Teachers in American study-abroad programs usually receive little, if any, training before the trip, because ‘teaching is teaching’. The cultural differences between Chinese and American university classrooms, however, affect the students' ability to learn and the teacher's ability to teach in profound ways. Foreign teachers in China require at least a basic understanding of the educational, moral and political dimensions of their classrooms if they wish to maximize the learning potential of their Chinese students. Faculty teaching abroad should be prepared for the politics of their new university department, including management styles that can hamper efforts to acclimatize to the new setting.
SU-E-J-125: CT Dose Survey for Simulations in Radiation Oncology

Purpose: To establish baseline values and ranges for CTDIvol and DLP as a function of treatment site to be used to monitor CT simulation protocols and scan techniques for inadvertent changes and patient specific anomalies. Methods: We have collected CTDIvol (mGy) and DLP (mGy cm) values reported for all CT simulations performed on two large bore GE lightspeed RT scanners and one GE PET/CT scanner located in the Radiation Oncology facilities of the University of California San Diego for the calendar year 2010. Additional acquired data included patient identifier, scan date, scan type, intended treatment site and scanner location. Data was analyzed to calculate averages and standard deviations of CTDIvol and DLP as a function of intended treatment site and scan type. Results: The average CTDIvol for all helical scans was 32.3 with a standard deviation of 16.3 while the average DLP was 1095 with a standard deviation of 570. The average CTDIvol for all CINE scans was 115.6 with a standard deviation of 40.3. while the average DLP was 2064 with a standard deviation of 1625. As a function of treatment site for the helical scans, average values for CTDIvol ranged from 16.7 for TBI to 49.1 for brain while DLP ranged from 755 for breast to 1888 for TBI. For the CINE scans, average values for CTDIvol ranged from 113 for lung to 155 for liver while DLP ranged from 1630 for lung to 3929 for liver. Conclusions: The collected data provides expected ranges for CTDIvol and DLP for technologists to use in evaluating CT scans to look for anomalies which may be caused by changes in scan protocols or incorrect protocol or scan parameter selection. This will allow us to set up a quality assurance program to detect, report and correct such errors as they occur.
Nonlinear magnetohydrodynamics by Galerkin-method computation

A fully spectral numerical code is used to explore the properties of voltage-driven dissipative magnetofluids inside a periodic cylinder with circular cross section. The trial functions are orthonormal eigenfunctions of the curl (Chandrasekhar-Kendall functions). Transitions are observed from axisymmetric resistive equilibria without flow to helically deformed laminar states with flow, and between pairs of helical laminar states with different pairs of poloidal and toroidal m and n numbers. States of minimum energy dissipation rate seem to be preferred. At high values of the pinch ratio, fully developed magnetohydrodynamic turbulence is observed.
The role of intersegmental dynamics during rapid limb oscillations.

The interactive dynamic effects of muscular, inertial and gravitational moments on rapid, multi-segmented limb oscillations were studied. Using three-segment, rigid-body equations of motion, hip, knee and ankle intersegmental dynamics were calculated for the steady-state cycles of the paw-shake response in adult spinal cats. Hindlimb trajectories were filmed to obtain segmental kinematics, and myopotentials of flexors and extensors at each of the three joints were recorded synchronously with the cine film. The segmental oscillations that emerged during the paw-shake response were a consequence of an interplay between active and passive musculotendinous forces, inertial forces, and gravity. During steady-state oscillations, the amplitudes of joint excursions, peak angular velocities, and peak angular accelerations increased monotonically and significantly in magnitude from the proximal joint (hip) to the most distal joint (ankle). In contrast to these kinematic relationships, the maximal values of net moments at the hip and knee were equal in magnitude, but of significantly lower magnitude than the large net moment at the ankle joint. At both the ankle and the knee, the flexor and extensor muscle moments were equal, but at the hip the magnitude of the peak flexor muscle moment was significantly greater than the extensor muscle moment. Muscle moments at the hip not only acted to counterbalance accelerations of the more distal segments, but also acted to maintain the postural orientation of the hindlimb. Large muscle moments at the knee functioned to counterbalance the large inertial moments generated by the large angular accelerations of the paw. At the ankle, the muscle moments dominated the generation of the paw accelerations. At the ankle and the knee, muscle moments controlled limb dynamics by slowing and reversing joint motions, and the active muscle forces contributing to ankle and knee moments were derived from lengthening of active musculotendinous units. In contrast to the more distal joints, the active muscles crossing the hip predominantly shortened as a result of the interplay among inertial forces and gravitational moments. The muscle function and kinetic data explain key features of the complex interactions that occur between central control mechanisms and multi-segmented, oscillating limb segments during the paw-shake response.
A formula to determine the lateral condylar guidance from intraoral needlepoint tracings

T he terminal hinge position of the mandible represented by the apex of the needlepoint tracing is a desirable position from which to start the construction of dentures.’ The gothic arch (needlepoint) tracing is the best visual device for ascertaining the horizontal relationship of mandibular positions.2 The lateral border paths produced by the intraoral needlepoint tracings are useful records. They provide information about the patient’s asymmetry and guides for adjustment of articulators to accept asymmetry. Traditionally, protrusive and lateral interocclusal records are used to determine the lateral condylar guidance setting. 3,4 The object of this study was to determine the lateral condylar guidance by use of an intraoral needlepoint tracing.
Control Of Gravitational Oscillations in Variational Data Assimilation

Abstract Variational four-dimensional data assimilation, combined with a penalty method constraining time derivatives of the surface pressure, the divergence, and the gravity-wave components is implemented on an adiabatic version of the National Meteorological Center's 18-level primitive equation spectral model with surface drag and horizontal diffusion. Experiments combining the Machenhauer nonlinear normal-mode initialization procedure and its adjoint with the variational data assimilation are also presented. The modified variational data-assimilation schemes are tested to assess how well they control gravity-wave oscillations. The gradient of a penalized cost function can be obtained by a single integration of the adjoint model. A detailed derivation of the gradient calculation of different penalized cost functions is presented, which is not restricted to a specific model. Numerical results indicate that the inclusion of penalty terms into the cost function will change the model solution as desired. Th...
Special Feature Evolved Software for the 80's

To reach a better balance between free innovation and disciplined construction, we must bring an experimental element to software engineering, creating a modifiable and configurable software inventory composed of reusable and verified program parts.
Receptor-regulated and inhibitory Smads are critical in regulating transforming growth factorβ–mediated Meckel's cartilage development

The proper development of Meckel's cartilage is critical for craniofacial skeletogenesis, because it serves as the primordium for the formation of mandible, malleus, incus, and sphenomandibular ligament. Cranial neural crest (CNC) cells contribute significantly to the formation of Meckel's cartilage. Members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) family control the proliferation and differentiation of CNC cells during craniofacial skeletogenesis. TGF-β signaling is transduced from the cell membrane to the nucleus by means of specific type I and type II receptors and phosphorylated Smad proteins. Here we demonstrate that application of TGF-β promotes chondrogenesis by specifically increasing proliferation of CNC-derived chondrocytes and production of extracellular matrix. To understand the molecular regulation of TGF-β signaling, we have examined the biological function of both TGF-β receptor-regulated and inhibitory Smads during Meckel's cartilage development. The expression patterns of Smad2, 3, and 7 are identical to the ones of endogenous TGF-β and its cognate receptors during Meckel's cartilage development, establishing the potential that these intracellular signaling Smads may regulate TGF-β-mediated chondrogenesis. Functional haploinsufficiency of Smad2 delays TGF-β–mediated Meckel's cartilage development. Overproduction of Smad7 severely inhibits Meckel's cartilage formation, indicating a negative feedback on TGF-β signaling by inhibitory Smad is critical in orchestrating TGF-β–mediated gene regulation during embryonic chondrogenesis. The effectiveness of TGF-β signaling is highly sensitive to the level of Smad gene expression. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Preemptive scheduling with release times and deadlines

We consider the problem of deciding if there is a feasible preemptive schedule for a set of n independent tasks with release times and deadlines on m identical processors. The general problem is known to be solvable in O(n3) time. In this paper, we study special cases for which faster algorithms exist. We introduce the notion of monotone schedules and study their properties. These properties are then exploited to devise fast algorithms for two special cases—the nested task systems and the non-overlapping task systems. We give an O(n log mn) time algorithm and an O(n log n+mn) time algorithm for nested task systems and non-overlapping task systems, respectively. Our algorithms generate at most O(n) and O(mn) preemptions for nested task systems and nonoverlapping task systems, respectively.
Predicting the Subjective Experience of Intrinsic Motivation: The Roles of Self-Determination, the Balance of Challenges and Skills, and Self-Realization Values

A series of studies was conducted to investigate the contributions of self-determination, perceived competence, and self-realization values to the subjective experience of intrinsic motivation. Using varying sets of instructions in these studies, college undergraduates generated and subsequently evaluated panels of identity-related activities. Three measures of the subjective experience of intrinsic motivation were used as outcome variables: (a) interest, (b) flow experiences, and (c) feelings of personal expressiveness. These subjective experience measures were strongly intercorrelated. Across studies, self-determination was found to be strongly associated with all of the subjective experience measures. In contrast, self-realization values made larger contributions to flow experiences and to personal expressiveness than to interest. Perceived competence, although significantly correlated with all subjective experience measures, played a considerably smaller role in the prediction of intrinsic motivation.
The Rise and Fall of Modernism in Politics and Religion

The modernist period in ideology arose around the beginning of the 18th century, as both religion and politics became arrayed along a binary dimension of traditionalist/ conservatives against progressive/liberals. Analytically, however, the structural bases of conflict are triangular: in politics, moving among the poles of centralization, mass participation, and a decentralized balance of powers; in religion, the corresponding poles are church hierarchy, sect enthusiasm, and spiritual elites. Rebellion against authority and tradition can take place from any pole toward any other. During the Reformation and the religious wars, neither Protestantism nor Catholicism could be arrayed along the modernist dimension of liberals and conservatives; in many respects, the social organization of the Catholic church made it more anti-traditional than Protestantism. It is the period of struggle for secularization and religious toleration which crystalized in the liberal/conservative polarization of the Enlightenment an...
Calculating derivatives with respect to parameters in iterated function systems

Abstract An iterated function system is a dynamical system consisting of several contracting maps with associated probabilities. Under certain general assumptions, long-term average values of physical quantities associated with an iterated function system which is dependent on an external parameter are differentiable functions of the parameter. We present methods for the calculation of the derivatives of average values with respect to a parameter. These algorithms yield values for these derivatives with an amount of computation proportional to the calculation of the average values themselves to the same accuracy. We also show how the derivatives might be calculated in the case where the probabilities vary with position and with the parameter.
Sociocultural Aspects of Language and Literacy: Issues Facing Educators of Students with Learning Disabilities

This article explores differences in language development, experience, and use by various cultures. The authors propose that some of the characteristics we identify as disabilities are actually lan...
Age-related decline in receptivity in normal, neonatally androgenized female and male hamsters.

Abstract The pattern of female sexual behavior shown by aging male and female hamsters was related to exposure to perinatal androgen. Twenty-five female and 37 male hamsters in Experiment 1 were gonadectomized on the day of birth or at 43 days of age. They received 11 tests for receptivity between the ages of 28 and 66 wk. In Experiment 2, 83 females were implanted with a Silastic pellet containing 0, 1, 3 or 9% testosterone (T) or testosterone propionate (TP) by weight from the second to the tenth day of life, and tested approximately army 2 wk from 22 to 58 wk of age. Receptivity was induced by estradiol benzoate and progesterone injected before each 600 sec mating test. Normal females exhibited the highest lordosis scores, followed by minimally androgenized females and males castrated at birth. High doses of exogenous or endogenous perinatal T suppressed receptivity throughout the animal's lifespan, but did not accelerate the rate of decline in female behavior over time. Non-androgenized animals showed...
An exact methodology for solving nonlinear diffusion equations based on integral transforms

Abstract This paper develops a new methodology for the solution of nonlinear diffusion equations. The solution technique is based on integral transforms and leads to exact numerical results. We apply the formal methodology to the problem of one-dimensional transient heat conduction. A new form of the heat equation is developed using a generalized expression for temperature-dependent thermal conductivity, based on a power-series expansion, for the three standard orthogonal coordinate systems. The resulting form of the heat equation suggests that the finite integral transform technique may reduce the dimensionality of the heat equation prior to the initiation of any numerical procedure. An example in a slab with linearly varying thermal conductivity is shown to produce exact results for the temperature distribution.
Exercise reduces preexisting atherosclerotic lesions in LDL receptor knock out mice

Abstract Exercise is recommended both as a prophylactic and also as a therapeutic approach for patients with established coronary artery disease. In this study, we investigated the effect of a normal chow diet, with or without exercise in LDL r −/− mice with preexisting atherosclerotic lesions. A total of 28 LDL r −/− mice (LDL receptor knock out mice, 4–6 weeks old) were fed a high fat, high cholesterol diet ( inductive phase ). At the end of the 3 months, eight mice were sacrificed, and plasma autoantibodies to oxidatively modified proteins, cholesterol levels, and surface area of the lesions in the aorta were determined. The remaining mice were divided into two groups, and placed on a normal chow diet alone, or normal chow and exercise for three more months ( regressive phase ). Plasma autoantibodies to oxidatively modified proteins and cholesterol were measured along with the lesion size. Compared to the group of animals at the end of the inductive phase, both the groups of animals in the regressive phase had very low levels of plasma cholesterol and autoantibodies, and almost a 50% reduction in the aortic lesion area. The group that was exercised had the lowest levels of autoantibodies and aortic lesions as compared to the group without the exercise. However, the plasma cholesterol levels were comparable in both groups. This study demonstrates that reduction of preexisting atherosclerotic lesions is accelerated dramatically by exercise in LDL r −/− mice.
Solutions of the Yvon-Born-Green equation for a system of square-well molecules at a temperature below the triple point

The Yvon-Born-Green equation (with superposition approximation) is solved numerically for the pair correlation function for a system of molecules interacting via the square-well potential (with σ2/σ1 = 1·85), for an isotherm below the triple point, and over a broad range of densities. The correlation function data and attendant thermodynamics generated for this isotherm are compared with results reported previously by the authors for several supercritical and subcritical isotherms of the square-well fluid. To facilitate the interpretation of these results, particularly in those regions of (T, ρ) space where phase transitions may occur, a geometrical representation of the data is presented (motivated, in part, by recent work by Rene Thom), and the location of the triple point is discussed in terms of this construction. The differences anticipated between results reported here and those that would be obtained in an exact statistical mechanical analysis, are identified.
Snowball prevention questioned.

Arising from: W. R. Peltier, Y. Liu & J. W. Crowley , 813–818 (2007)10.1038/nature06354 ; Peltier & Liu reply The ‘snowball Earth’ hypothesis1 interprets geological evidence as indicating multi-million-year episodes of global glaciation near the beginning and end of the Proterozoic eon. On the basis of a coupled carbon cycle–climate model, Peltier et al.2 propose that temperature-dependent remineralization of organic carbon in a Neoproterozoic ocean with 100–1,000× more dissolved organic carbon than today3 could create a negative climate feedback, thereby preventing a snowball Earth. Their results are sensitive to initial conditions and model parameters4; moreover, important geological observations and components of the carbon cycle are not considered—notably the absence of sources or sinks of carbon. Their model results2 fall short of explaining the geological evidence in the absence of global glaciation.
Induced hearing deficit generates experimental paranoia

The development of paranoid reactions was investigated in normal people experiencing a temporary loss of hearing. In a social setting, subjects made partially deaf by hypnotic suggestion, but kept unaware of the source of their deafness, became more paranoid as indicated on a variety of assessment measures. The results support a hypothesizes cognitive-social mechanism for the clinically observed relationship between paranoia and deafness in the elderly.
Studies of variations in the properties of ion‐exchange resin particles

Measurements of the swelling ratio and exchange capacity of individual ion-exchange resin beads are used to compare resin samples, to study interparticle differences, and to help characterize resin degradation. Heterogeneous resin samples were found, along with those of apparent homogeneity. In one extreme case of the former, inert particle cores were found.
Effect of progressive hyperthermia on systemic and pulmonary circulation in the rat (Rattus norvegicus)

Abstract 1. 1.|Pulmonary (Ppa) and systemic ( P a ) arterial pressure and cardiac output (Qbl) were measured in anesthetized rats at body temperatures (Tco) of 38–41°C. 2. 2.|When the rats were placed in a temperature chamber at 37°C, mean Qbl increased by Ppa and P a did not change. 3. 3.|Mean Ppa and P a decreased at Tco's of 40 and 41°C. 4. 4.|Pulmonary vascular resistance was less at Tco's 40 and 41°C compared to 38 and 39°C, whereas, systemic vascular resistance was less only at a Tco of 41°C. 5. 5.|We concluded that exposure to high environmental temperature as well as hyperthermia can cause passive and active changes in the pulmonary circulatory dynamics of anesthetized rats.
Bond constraint theory studies of chalcogenide phase change memories

Abstract Studies of amorphous (a-) semiconductors have been driven by technological advances as well as fundamental theories. Observation of electrical switching, for example, fueled early interest in a-chalcogenides. More recently a-chalcogenide switching has been applied successfully to programmable memory devices as well as DVD technology where the quest for the discovery of better-suited materials continues. Thus, switching grants researchers today with an active arena of technological as well as fundamental study. Bond constraint theory (BCT) and rigidity theory provide a powerful framework for understanding the structure and properties of a-materials. Application of these theories to switching in a-chalcogenides holds the promise of finding the best composition suited for switching applications. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy is an ideally suited technique to investigate the switching properties of these materials. Films of amorphous Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 4 , Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 , and Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 7 exhibit differing bonding structures and bond statistics, which result in different electronic and optical properties. Results of new EXAFS experiments on these three critical compositions in the Ge–Sb–Te system are presented in light of BCT and rigidity theory.
Effect of temperature, pH, and metal ion binding on the secondary structure of bacteriorhodopsin: FT-IR study of the melting and premelting transition temperatures.

We have measured the temperature dependence of the FT-IR spectra of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) as a function of the pH and of the divalent cation regeneration with Ca2+ and Mg2+. It has been found that...
Potential synergy between advanced primary stroke centers and level I or II trauma centers in the United States.

Abstract Objective The objective of this study is to determine the number of primary stroke centers (PSCs) that exist concurrently (synergic relationship) with designated higher level trauma centers (level I or level II trauma centers) and associated characteristics. Methods We identified all PSCs certified by the Joint Commission or local state authorities in 2010. Concurrently, all the higher level trauma centers (designated level I or level II) were identified using data collected from the trauma information exchange program. Additional data was collected from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American hospital directory. Results A total of 788 existing designated PSCs were identified in 2010; coexisting PSC-trauma centers were found in 252 centers (32%) with PSCs coexisting with level I trauma centers in 138 hospitals (17.5%). The remaining 536 PSCs (68%) are based in hospitals without trauma centers. There was a higher proportion of residency training programs including neurology, neurosurgery, and general surgery in coexisting PSC-trauma centers ( P P P Conclusions Despite evidence of higher capability among institutions with coexisting PSC-trauma centers, two thirds of PSCs are in hospitals without advanced trauma systems. These findings have implications for establishing stroke systems in the United States.
Private and Collective Protection in Urban Areas

The authors examine security as a multidimensional issue with private and collective aspects. Decisions to provide security occur within the household, the community, and the municipality. Consider...
Photocopier's phalanx.

Excerpt To the editor: The case presented below may represent a new occupational hazard among health professionals. A 29-year-old staff physician developed intermittent pain in his left thumb. He h...
Lysis of human erythrocytes by venom from the brown recluse spider, Loxosceles reclusa.

HUMAN envenomation by the brown recluse spider, Loxosceles rreclusa, usually produces a characteristic gangrenous skin lesion at the site of the bite (ATKINS, et al., 1958 ; DILLAHA, et al., 1964) and occasionally, a more severe systemic reaction which can be fatal (NANCE, 1961 ; NICHOLSON and NICHOLSON, 1962 ; TAYLOR and DENNY, 1966). At least some of the systemic manifestations are related to the development of intravascular hemolysis; however, experimental animals have failed to provide a suitable model for study. In vitro approaches to demonstrate venom-induced hemolysis have been contradictory . DENNY et al. (1964) added venom to whole human blood and measured hemolysis after 24 and 48 hr of incubation . In contrast, SMITH and Micas (1968) added venom to washed human erythrocytes but could not demonstrate lysis after 18 hr of incubation. An obvious difference in these studies is the lack of plasma proteins in the latter studies . This report presents the results of in vitro studies on interactions between measured amounts of venom, washed human erythrocytes and normal human sera . Under appropriate conditions, measurable and reproducible amounts of hemolysis were produced . Similar in vivo reactions could account for the intravascular hemolytic reactions seen in human envenomations. Venom was collected from female brown recluse spiders and quantitated as venomprotein (MORGAN, 1969). Venom diluted in sterile 0-85 Y. saline and kept at 4°C could be used for several weeks without apparent loss of biological activities . Veronal buffered saline, prepared by adding 8-25 g sodium diethyl barbiturate, 0-5mM M9C12 and 0-15 mM CaC12 to 1 liter of 0-85 % NaCl, was adjusted to pH 7-4 with HCI. Human Group O Rh+ erythrocytes, obtained from whole blood of volunteers, was collected in Alsever's solution (4-2 g NaCl, 20-5 g glucose, 8-0 g sodium citrate and 0-55 g citric acid per liter of distilled water; sterilized by filtration) and stored at 4°C. Pools of human sera containing more than 100 ml from at least 20 patients were obtained from clinical laboratory specimens. Individual serum samples were obtained from human volunteers . All sera were tested on the day ofcollection
Steady-State and Transient Behavior of Organic Electrochemical Transistors

In recent years, organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) have emerged as attractive devices for a variety of applications, particularly in the area of sensing. While the electrical characteristics of OECTs are analogous to those of conventional organic field effect transistors, appropriate models for OECTs have not yet been developed. In particular, little is known about the transient characteristics of OECTs, which are determined by a complex interplay between ionic and electronic motion. In this paper a simple model is presented that reproduces the steady-state and transient response of OECTs by considering these devices in terms of an ionic and an electronic circuit. A simple analytical expression is derived that can be used to fit steady-state OECT characteristics. For the transient regime, comparison with experimental data allowed an estimation of the hole mobility in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(styrene sulfonate). This work paves the way for rational optimization of OECTs.
RE‐EXAMINATION OF THE COVARIATION OF FIELD INDEPENDENCE, INTELLIGENCE AND ACHIEVEMENT

Summary. A principal factor analysis was performed on a matrix of correlations among measures of field independence, intelligence, and achievement in reading and mathematics. Factors of general intelligence and verbal ability were identified. Field independence shared a substantial amount of variance with general intellectual ability.
The discrete Fourier transform and the quantum-mechanical oscillator in a finite-dimensional Hilbert space

Quantum mechanics of a linear harmonic oscillator in a finite-dimensional Hilbert space satisfying the correct equations of motion is studied. The connections to Weyl's formulation of the algebra of bounded unitary operators in finite space as well as to a truncated quantized linear harmonic oscillator are discussed. It is pointed out that the discrete Fourier transformation (DFT) plays a central role in determining the actual form of the position, the momentum, the number and the Hamiltonian operators. The explicit form of these operators in different bases is exhibited for some low values of the dimension of the Hilbert space. In this formulation, it is shown that the Hamiltonian is indeed the logarithm of the DFT and that by modifying Weyl's framework to include position and momentum operators with non-uniformly spaced spectra the equations of motion are satisfied.
Baroreceptor Control of Systemic Haemodynamics at Incremental Halothane Levels in the Dog

The open-loop carotid sinus reflex control of systemic haemodynamics was studied in an acute dog preparation with isolated perfused carotid sinuses at three end-tidal halothane levels of 0.66 +/- 0.02% (HI); 0.88 +/- 0.02% (H2); and 1.17 +/- 0.02% (H3), in order to investigate the dose dependency of the carotid sinus reflex operating characteristics for halothane. Corresponding to the above halothane levels were reflex operating point pressures (set point pressures) of 104.9 +/- 2.9, 103.3 +/- 4.1 and 76.0 +/- 3.8 mmHg, respectively. Carotid sinus reflex gain decreased significantly with progressively increasing halothane levels (1.4. +/- 0.18; 0.84 +/- 0.12; 0.48 +/- 0.09), as did the range of reflex changes in systemic arterial pressure for equal overall changes in carotid sinus pressure (87.1 +/- 7.9; 64.1 +/- 7.4; 33.6 +/- 5.1 mmHg; P less than 0.01). For halothane levels below approximately 0.9%, this depression was not dependent upon changes in mean systemic arterial pressure. The relationship between reflex gain and halothane concentration could be described by a first-order exponential which suggested virtual ablation of the carotid sinus reflex control of mean arterial pressure at an end-tidal halothane concentration exceeding about 1.6%.
The Status of Music: A Multicolor Sub/millimeter MKID Instrument

We report on the recent progress of the Multicolor Submillimeter (kinetic) Inductance Camera, or MUSIC. MUSIC will use antenna-coupled Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors to observe in four colors (150 GHz, 230 GHz, 290 GHz and 350 GHz) with 2304 detectors, 576 per band, at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory. It will deploy in 2012. Here we provide an overview of the instrument, focusing on the array design. We have also used a pathfinder demonstration instrument, DemoCam, to identify problems in advance of the deployment of MUSIC. In particular, we identified two major limiters of our sensitivity: out-of-band light directly coupling to the detectors (i.e. not through the antenna), effectively an excess load, and a large 1/f contribution from our amplifiers and electronics. We discuss the steps taken to mitigate these effects to reach background-limited performance (BLIP) in observation.
Interspecies comparison of brain ganglioside patterns studied by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography.

Brain gangliosides from four vertebrate classes (fish, amphibia, aves, and mammalia) were studied by patterns generated with the use of two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. In an effort to retain possible alkali-labile gangliosides, samples were not base-hydrolyzed. Resultant chromatograms revealed complex patterns of the major known gangliosides and a number of minor and trace molecular species previously unresolved. More than 30 resorcinol-positive components were detected in mammalian neural samples. Our data indicate both qualitative and quantitative differences in the chromatogram patterns between the vertebrate classes, but potentially greater qualitative similarity exists between the lower and higher classes than has previously been noted.
Simple play in the Prisoner’s Dilemma ☆

Abstract Players do not have knowledge of the objective game. They know the available strategies and have scalar valued non-probabilistic payoff assessments. They act myopically, always choosing the strategy they consider best. They update these assessments in the direction of the received payoff. It is shown that such players converge to choose their maxmin strategies when facing a game against nature. In the Prisoner’s Dilemma, however, the players need not converge to their maxmin strategy, and often end up cooperating.
Thermal expansion matching and oxidation resistance of Fe–Ni–Cr interconnect alloys

Abstract Potential interconnect alloys of Fe–Cr and Fe–Ni–Cr were fabricated via extrusion of metal oxide pastes followed by heat treatment in hydrogen. Thermal expansion of the different alloys was measured and compared with that of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). Oxidation experiments were performed in air at 700 °C using cyclic heating and weighing, as well as thermogravimetric analysis. Additions of chromium to a Fe50Ni alloy were found to improve oxidation resistance although the performance of Fe–Ni–Cr compositions was inferior to Fe–Cr alloys of similar chromium content. The improvement in oxidation behavior with increasing chromium content of the Fe–Ni–Cr alloys was contrasted with the negative impact of the chromium addition on thermal expansion matching with YSZ. Binary Fe–Cr alloys such as Fe20Cr appear to be better suited for use as a SOFC interconnect compared with Fe42.5Ni15Cr and other similar Fe–Ni–Cr alloys.
ANALYSIS OF GASES DISSOLVED IN GLASS AND GASES PRESENT IN SEEDS

A method of analysis for gases dissolved in glass has been developed which gives more reproducible results than those previously reported. The problem of the volatilization of alkali from the sample during the course of analysis appears to have been satisfactorily solved through the use of an auxiliary furnace. A number of commercial glasses have been analyzed for dissolved gases. Water vapor, sulfur dioxide, and oxygen are the principal gases found in flint glass. Water vapor seems to be the principal constituent of the gases found in amber glass. A method for the analysis of gases present in seeds in glass has been developed which gives fairly satisfactory quantitative results on samples containing more than 1 cu. mm. of gas. The results obtained on samples containing less than 1 cu. mm. of gas are qualitative only. The procedure consists (1) in the determination of the temperatures at which gases present in the seeds undergo a change of state and (2) in the microchemical analysis of these same gases. Seeds have been found that contained entrapped air, sulfur dioxide, and also carbon dioxide. Some seeds, especially those in amber glass, appear to be vacuum seeds, and these frequently contain a deposit on the inside which has been identified as a sulfite or a sulfate.