cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Will impedence testing rewrite the book on GERD

Background & Aims: Gastroesophageal reflux can be acid, nonacid, pure liquid, or a mixture of gas and liquid. We investigated the prevalence of acid and nonacid reflux and the air-liquid composition of the refluxate in ambulant healthy subjects and patients with reflux disease (GERD). Methods: Twenty-four-hour ambulatory recordings were performed in 30 patients with symptomatic GERD and erosive esophagitis and in 28 controls. Esophageal pH and impedance were used to identify acid reflux (pH drop below 4.0), minor acid reflux (pH drop above 4.0), nonacid reflux (pH drop less than 1 unit + liquid reflux in impedance), and gas reflux. Results: The total rate of gastroesophageal reflux episodes was similar in patients and controls. Patients with GERD had a higher proportion (45% vs. 33%) and rate of acid reflux than controls (21.5 [9-35]/24 h vs. 13 [6.5-21]/24 h; P < 0.05). One third of reflux events was nonacid in both groups. Mixed reflux of gas and liquid was the most frequent pattern with gas preceding liquid in 50%-80% of cases. Pure liquid reflux was more often acid in patients with GERD than controls (45% vs. 32%; P < 0.05). Conclusions: Reflux of gastric contents was similarly frequent in patients with GERD and controls. Although there was no difference in the overall number of reflux episodes, more acidic reflux occurred in symptomatic patients with GERD, suggesting differences in gastric acid secretion or distribution.
Synthesis and protein reactivity of 2E,4E,6E-dodecatrienal

An efficient approach for synthesis of the food odorant 2E,4E,6E-dodecatrienal (DTE) by extension of 2E,4E-decadienal (DDE) is reported. DTE shows higher protein crosslinking ability than the lipid peroxidation products DDE and 4-hydroxy-2E-nonenal.
Diversity Within Spatial Cognition: Memory Processes Underlying Place Recognition

We conducted three experiments to explore distinct memory processes involved in remembering places in spatial environments. The results of all three experiments demonstrated the viability of the process-dissociation procedure for studying spatial cognition ; that procedure yielded separate measures of the role of familiarity (implicit memory) and conscious recollection (explicit memory) in recognizing scenes along a previously viewed route of travel. Those measures were not affected by whether the participants viewed videotapes or also physically walked the route of travel. Increasing the delay between encoding and retrieval led to comparable effects for familiarity and conscious recollection (Experiment 1). In contrast, the adverse consequences of dividing attention during encoding were specific to conscious recollection ; familiarity estimates were unaffected (Experiments 2 and 3). Overall, the results reinforced the viability of process dissociation as a vehicle for exploring diverse memory processes underlying place recognition.
Does duodenal juice reflux into the esophagus of patients with complicated GERD? evaluation of a fiberoptic sensor for bilirubin

Background It is controversial whether duodenal juice can damage esophageal mucosa in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The issue remains unresolved partly because of difficulties in detecting the presence of duodenal juice in the lower esophagus. Objectives and methods This study utilized an in vitro portable spectrophotometer with a fiberoptic probe capable of detecting bile as a marker of duodenal juice. Absorbance/concentration curves were established with known bilirubin concentrations at pH 1.4 and pH 7.7. Esophageal pH and bilirubin absorbance were monitored in vivo over a 24-hour period in 20 healthy volunteers to determine the absorbance threshold for clinical use. The study population consisted of 21 patients with GERD. Four had no mucosal injury, 5 erosive esophagitis, and 12 Barrett's esophagus. Results The correlation between absorbance and bilirubin concentration was 0.98 and 0.99 for acid and alkaline environments, but bilirubin absorbance was 35% less in an acid environment. Using an absorbance threshold of 0.14, patients with GERD taken in toto had elevated esophageal exposure to bilirubin. No difference was observed in bilirubin exposure between reflux patients without mucosal injury and controls. Highest exposure occurred in patients with Barrett's esophagus. An important observation was that esophageal bilirubin exposure frequently occurred during periods when the esophageal pH was in the normal range. Conclusions The fiberoptic probe accurately detects esophageal bilirubin as a marker of duodenal juice. Esophageal exposure to bilirubin is uncommon in normal subjects. Patients with erosive esophagitis and Barrett's metaplasia have increased esophageal exposure to duodenal juice compared to normal subjects. Reflux of duodenal juice into the esophagus can occur when the esophageal pH is within its normal range and is undetectable by pH monitoring alone.
The Jaquesian level-of-work estimators: A systematic formulation☆

Abstract The time-span of discretion concepts advanced by Elliott Jaques as a basis for his proposed method of estimating the so-called level of work for all types of organizational roles are formulated systematically within the context of a general organizational control system. The Jaquesian level-of-work estimators are then expressed in terms of precise mathematical formulations and exemplified through an empirical case study. The final results of such estimation for 29 roles or positions in one firm are presented. These data provide some further empirical validation of Jaques' method by showing that such estimates are highly correlated with the firm's rankings for the roles ( r = 0.93) and with the actual wage and salary structure used by the firm ( r = 0.96).
Artificial Rumen Investigations. II. Correlations between in Vitro and in Vivo Measures of Digestibility and Chemical Components of Forages

Summary Correlation coefficients were calculated using information on in vitro and in vivo digestibilities of 39 samples of tall fescue representing two to four cuttings per year of four genotypes harvested over a 4-yr period. Correlations between in vitro dry matter digestibility and in vivo dry matter digestibility were highly significant. Correlations on a within-year basis were lower for the tall fescue samples which had been held in storage. Highest correlations were given by the samples harvested in 1960 and used for in vitro trials shortly after being dried and ground. Correlations using the pooled information from all fescue samples revealed a high positive relationship between the in vitro digestibilities and dry matter and cellulose with several measures of in vivo digestibility. The procedure of determining in vitro dry matter digestibility used in this study appears to be as accurate as in vitro cellulose digestibility for estimating the in vivo digestibility of forages. Crude protein content of the forages was positively correlated with both in vitro and in vivo measures of forage digestibility. Intraclass correlations revealed that in vitro digestibility measures were ineffective in predicting in vivo digestibility when only genotypes within a cutting were considered. This would indicate that it is important to consider the variation within the materials under study when in vitro methods are to be used for differentiation of nutritive values of forages. Crude protein content of the forages also showed a very low correlation when considered on a within-cutting basis.
Preserving salt: in vivo studies with Sgk1-deficient mice define a modern role for this ancient protein

in this issue of the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology , the most recent recipient of the New Investigator Award in Regulatory and Integrative Physiology, Dr. V. Vallon of the Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology at the University of California San
Numerical Implementation of Nonlinear Piezoelectric Models in Commercially Available Tools

Commercially available finite element programs currently provide only linear piezoelectric models for device analysis, precluding their use in understanding domain-switching based failure mechanisms, and thus, limiting their usefulness in predicting accurate life cycle estimates for devices. This work is an initial attempt to bridge this gap by slightly modifying and implementing an existing macromechanical theoretical framework, which represents a broader class of nonlinear model development, in commercial software. The rate-independent evolution equations of remanent variables in the original model are replaced by their rate-dependent form which better imitates physical reality and facilitate quick implementation. Decoupled ferroelectric and ferroelastic versions of the model have been successfully realized and tested. Ongoing work is focused on incorporating the fully coupled model, which will then be used to simulate switching near cracks in PMN-PT single crystal material.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
A case of ileosigmoid knotting in a child

The authors report a case of ileosigmoid knotting in a child and discuss surgical management of this unusual condition.
Accelerated failure time (AFT) modeling for the development and survival of Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko).

Accelerated failure time model (AFT) and Cox’s proportional hazards model (PHM) are considered the two most significant models in survival analysis, which has become a de facto standard for biomedical data analysis and modeling. AFT not only plays an extremely significant role in survival analysis but also finds extensive applications in engineering reliability. Survival analysis studies a special type of random variables: time-to-event (also known as failure time, lifetime or survival time) random variables. Examples of time-to-event random variables include survival times of patients in a clinical trial and failure times of machine components. Since molting and death times of insect individuals are also perfect examples of time-to-event random variables, we argue that survival analysis including AFT modeling is ideal for analyzing insect development and survival data, and further for building dynamic models of insect development and survival. Here we demonstrate such an application with data collected by observing stage-to-stage development and survival of 1,800 Russian wheat aphids (RWA), Diuraphis noxia, reared in laboratory growth chambers arranged in 25 treatments (each with 72 individuals). The main advantages of survival analysis, including the unified modeling of survival and development as well as handling of information censoring, are also discussed.
Resident training in neurosurgical oncology: results of the survey of North American training programs by the AANS/CNS Section on Tumors.

Objective The AANS/CNS Section on Tumors is involved in the education of practitioners managing patients with tumors involving the nervous system. We report the results of a survey commissioned by this body to investigate how neurosurgical residents are trained in the neurosurgical oncology subspecialty.
The varieties of religious experience and the retention of clients in Taiwanese faith-based residential drug user treatment.

This study investigated whether subgroups of faith-based treatment clients displaying similar religious experiences and treatment performance can be theoretically specified and empirically identified. Highlighting the volitional dimension of the change process, four subgroups (i.e., non-Christians, baseline Christians, rededicated Christians, and newly converted Christians) were proposed according to the direction and magnitude of clients’ change in religiosity during treatment. Data obtained for 707 subjects who entered a Christian residential therapeutic community program in Taiwan between 2000 and 2009 were analyzed. Results showed that the typology of religious experiences powerfully predicted treatment retention and completion. Issues of therapeutic specificity and relapse prevention are discussed and study's limitations are noted.
Material properties using holographic interferometry

A particular optical configuration has been used by the authors to holographically obtain interference patterns which are unsensitive to rigid body translations. The fringe pattern depends on the strains and any rotations of the body. When a curved surface or several flat surfaces of a homogeneous body are viewed simultaneously, rotations can be eliminated from the fringe pattern, and the strain in the viewing direction can be determined from a single view of the hologram. This technique has been used to measure the thermal expansion coefficients of a beryllium rod and the shear modulus of an aluminum bar with an accuracy of a few percent.
To: my number one

"To: My Number One" follows an emotional thought process about love, loss, and grief. Who or what is your identity, especially when your center of gravity, your defining Other, is suddenly gone? A girl, simply named Number Two, reflects on this as she goes through her everyday routine.
The Knowledge About Psychology Test

INSTRUCTORS IN beginning psychology courses I generally agree that one of their objectives is to have students develop an understanding of how the psychologist functions as a scientist and as a pro fessional. This kind of knowledge necessarily in volves not only the learning of specific facts, but the acquisition of more objective ways of looking at human behavior. It is reasonable to expect, there fore, that instructors mightwell be concerned with another kind of problem, one closely related to the development of objectivity the problem of how students perceive psychologists as persons. For example, do students with little or no experience in psychology courses believe that psychologists are distinctly "different" in their "personalities, " as a group, from people in other professions and bus iness occupations? If this belief is consistent, it probably represents a stereotyped way of looking at behavior. A relevant goal of an introductory psy chology course, therefore, would be to reduce this kind of perception. The purpose of this report i s to describe the development of an instrument which appears to be useful for evaluating the attainment of such a goal. It is called the Knowledge About Psychology (KAP) Test, and is designed to measure (a) students' perceptions of psychologists' personal characteristics, and (b) how these perceptions are related to the more conventional kinds of knowledge students are expected to acquire concerning the scien tific and professional characteristics of psychology.
Atypical fibroxanthoma: a review of the literature.

Background Atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX) is an uncommon superficial fibrohistiocytic tumor. It was originally described as a low-grade dermal tumor of atypical spindle cells, but this view has changed, and it is generally considered to be a tumor of intermediate malignant potential. Objective To review the current literature on AFX pertaining to epidemiology, pathogenesis and etiology, clinical presentation, histology, immunohistochemistry, prognosis and follow-up, and treatment. Materials and methods Extensive literature review was conducted using OVID Medline and Pubmed searching for articles relating to AFX. Results AFX typically presents as a red or pink papule or nodule on the head or neck of an elderly man. The pathogenesis is most commonly related to ultraviolet radiation. It can clinically mimic other cutaneous malignancies and histologically can mimic squamous cell carcinoma, desmoplastic melanoma, and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma. Immunohistochemistry is important in making the distinction. The prognosis is generally excellent, although there are rare cases of metastatic disease. There is a higher cure rate with Mohs' micrographic surgery than with wide local excision. CONCLUSIONS People with AFX generally have had significant ultraviolet radiation exposure. They should be examined at least every 6 months for recurrence, metastasis, and the development of additional skin cancers.
Basolateral carbonic anhydrase IV in the proximal tubule is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) IV facilitates HCO 3 reabsorption in the renal proximal tubule by catalyzing the reversible hydration of CO 2 . CAIV is tethered to cell membranes via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) lipid anchor. As there is basolateral as well as apical CAIV staining in proximal tubule, the molecular identity of basolateral CAIV was examined. Biotinylation of confluent monolayers of rat inner medullary collecting duct cells stably transfected with rabbit CAIV showed apical and basolateral CAIV, and in the cell transfectants expressing high levels of CAIV, a transmembrane form was targeted to the basolateral membrane. Basolateral expression of CAIV (∼46kDa) was confirmed in normal kidney tissue by Western blotting of vesicle fractions enriched for basolateral membranes by Percoll density fractionation. We examined the mode of membrane linkage of basolaterally expressed CAIV in the kidney cortex. CAIV detected in basolateral or apical membrane vesicles exhibited similar molecular size by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis following deglycosylation, and was equally sensitive to phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C digestion, indicating that CAIV is expressed on the basolateral membrane as a GPI-anchored protein. Half of the hydratase activity of basolateral vesicles was resistant to SDS denaturation, compatible with being CAIV. Thus, GPI-anchored CAIV resides in the basolateral membrane of proximal tubule epithelia where it may facilitate HCO 3 reabsorption via association with kNBC1.
A null model of community disassembly effects on vector-borne disease risk.

Community structure is heterogeneous at a variety of spatial and temporal scales, and this variation has been shown to influence the risk of zoonotic diseases such as West Nile Virus and Lyme disease. Theoretical models and most empirical evidence suggest that the greatest influence of host diversity occurs when transmission is frequency-dependent (i.e., the rate of contact is constant). These theoretical models are generally based on ordinary differential equations and become intractable when considering more than a few species. This makes it particularly difficult to predict how we might expect the transmission of infectious diseases to change as community structure changes in space or in time. Here we develop a model in which we construct a network of interactions between hosts and vectors to quantify the change in risk under different scenarios of community disassembly. Decreased vector biodiversity always reduced mean risk, while a change in host community structure led to increased or decreased mean risk depending on the manner in which community disassembly altered mean competence of the “new” community. These trends in mean risk can be generalized across a multitude of natural systems because they do not depend on the distribution of host quality, though simulation suggests that variation around the mean can be very high. The primary value of model is that it can be used to establish upper and lower bounds on the expected change in disease risk with decreasing biodiversity.
Factor XIIIa is expressed by fibroblasts in fibrovascular tumors

Factor XIIIa (FXIIIa), a blood and intracellularly produced coagulation factor, has been found in a variety of cell types including fibroblast-like mesenchymal cells, and has been shown to stimulate the proliferation of fibroblasts and some neoplastic cells in vitro. We have already shown that the dendritic fibroblasts composing the fibrous papule contain this factor. We hypothesized that histopathologically similar fibrovascular tumors may also express FXIIIa and, in this report, show that the large stellate fibroblasts found in acquired digital fibrokeratomas, angiofibromas (adenoma sebaceum of Pringle), and oral fibroma (oral fibrous hyperplasia) also express FXIIIa. We postulate that FXIIIa, possibly acting as a growth factor, may be a common denominator in the pathogenesis of these tumors. Another possibility is that these tumors may be the consequence of a local overproduction of FXIIIa in response to an, as yet, unidentified stimulus.
Structural studies of urinary oliogosaccharides from patients with mannosidosis

Abstract Eight neutral oligosaccharide fractions were obtained from the pooled urine of two patients with mannosidosis by Bio-Gel P2 and Bio-Gel P4 column chromatography. The structures of seventeen oligosaccharides were determined by monosaccharide composition analysis, methylation studies, acetolysis, Smith degradation, and 13 C NMR analysis. Three of the proposed structures, Manα1-3Manβ1-4GlcNAc, Manα1-2Manα1-3Manβ1-4GlcNAc, and Manα1-2Manα1-2Manα1-3Manβ1-4GlcNAc are identical to those first published by Norden et al. ( N. E. Norden, A. Lundblad, S. Svennson, P. A. Ockerman, and S. Autio, 1973 . J. Biol. Chem. 248 , 6210–6215; N. E. Norden, A. Lundblad, S. Svennson, and S. Autio, 1974 . Biochemistry 13 , 871–874). Thirteen of them, Manα1-3Manα1-6(Manα1-3)-Manβ1-4GlcNAc, Manα1-3Manα1-6(Manα1-2Manα1-3)Manβ1-4GlcNAc, and 11 isomers of (Manα1-2) 0–4 [Manα1-6(Manα1-3)Manα1-6(Manα1-3)Manβ1-4GlcNAc], are the same as those first published by Yamashita et al. ( K. Yamashita, Y. Tachibana, K. Mihara, S. Okada, H. Yabuuchi, and A. Kobata, 1980 , J. Biol. Chem. 255 , 5126–5133); a tetrasac-charide, Manα1-6(Manα1-3)Manβ1-4GlcNAc, is newly reported and several other structural possibilities are proposed.
The Ersatz Brain Project: A brain-like computer architecture for cognition

The Ersatz Brain Project is an attempt to develop programming techniques and software applications for a brain-like computing system. Its brain-like hardware architecture design is based on a select set of ideas taken from the anatomy of mammalian neo-cortex. In common with other such attempts it is based on a massively parallel, two-dimensional array of CPUs and their associated memory. The design used in this project (1) uses an approximation to cortical computation called the network of networks which holds that the basic computing unit in the cortex is not a single neuron but groups of neurons working together in attractor networks; (2) assumes connections and data representations in cortex are sparse; (3) makes extensive use of local lateral connections and topographic data representations, and (4) scales in a natural way from small groups of neurons to the involvement of entire cortical regions.
A point mutation in a Shaker K+ channel changes its charybdotoxin binding site from low to high affinity

Shaker K+ channels modified by point mutation wereexpressed in Xenopus oocytes and their block by recom­binant charybdotoxin (crX), a peptide inhibitor of K+channels,was studied. In particular, theeffect ofmodify­ing residues in the pore-associatedS5-S6"linker" re­gion of the channel was assessed. We found thatchangingjust one Shaker residue from phenylalanine toglycine increased the affinity of the channel's crx­receptor over 1,900-fold.Kinetic analysis revealed thatthe increase in binding affinity is due wholly to adecrease in toxin dissociation rate. This result demon­strates that a crxreceptor exists in the Shaker channelmouth, but that the presence ofa phenylalanine in thisposition destabilizes the toxin on the binding site.
A Review of Research on Instructional Approach and World Music Preference

Helping students to understand and appreciate music of the world's cultures is an important long-term goal in music education, a position supported in documents dating from the Tanglewood Declaration (Choate, 1968) to the National Standards for Arts Education (Consortium of National Arts Education Associations, 1994). Currently the position is endorsed in the Housewright Declaration (Madsen, 2000), a summation of agreements made during the Housewright Symposium on the Future of Music Education. Although music teachers believe in the value and benefit of world music instruction, they often are uncertain as to how to provide that instruction effectively (Moore, 1993; Norman, 1994; Young, 1996). This uncertainty remains an ongoing concern.
Fundamentals of Terrestrial Millimeter-Wave and THz Remote Sensing

Having long been the realm of molecular chemistry, astronomy, and plasma diagnostics, the upper millimeter-wave band (~100 to 300 GHz) and the THz region above it have recently become the subject of heightened activity in the engineering community because of exciting new technology (e.g., sub-picosecond optoelectronics) and promising new "terrestrial" applications (e.g., counter-terrorism and medical imaging). The most challenging of these applications are arguably those that demand remote sensing at a stand-off of roughly 10 m or more between the target and the sensor system. As in any other spectral region, remote sensing in the THz region brings up the complex issues of sensor modality and architecture, free-space electromagnetic effects and components, transmit and receive electronics, signal processing, and atmospheric propagation. Unlike other spectral regions, there is not much literature that addresses these issues from a conceptual or system-engineering viewpoint. So a key theme of this chapter is to review or derive the essential engineering concepts in a comprehensive fashion, starting with fundamental principles of electromagnetics, quantum mechanics, and signal processing, and building up to tradc-off formulations using system-level metrics such as noise-equivalent power and receiver operating characteristics. A secondary theme is to elucidate aspects of the THz region and its incumbent technology that are unique, whether advantageous or disadvantageous, relative to other spectral regions. The end goal is to provide a useful tutorial for graduate students or practicing engineers considering the upper mm-wave or THz regions for system research or development.
Alternans of Atrial Action Potentials During Atrial Flutter as a Precursor to Atrial Fibrillation

Background— The mechanisms underlying the transition of typical atrial flutter (Afl) to fibrillation (AF) remain unclear. We set out to test the hypothesis that Afl disorganizes to AF via alternans of atrial action potentials. Methods and Results— In 38 patients with Afl, monophasic action potentials (MAPs) were recorded at the isthmus and either high or low right atrium (HRA, LRA) during overdrive pacing to 160 ms or to the initiation of AF, whichever came first. MAP duration measured at 90% repolarization was longer at the isthmus in all patients, and failed to shorten with rate, compared with the HRA (n=38) or LRA (n=5). In 20 patients who developed AF, progressive pacing first caused alternans of isthmus MAP duration and amplitude at mean cycle length of 219±45 ms, followed by AF at a mean onset cycle length of 184±38 ms. Subsets of this group showed spontaneous action potential duration alternans at the isthmus (11 of 20 patients) and 2:1 isthmus conduction block immediately preceding AF (4 of 20 patients). In the 18 patients who did not develop AF, MAP alternans was less common (9 of 18 patients; P P Conclusions— In patients with typical Afl, action potential duration rate maladaptation at the isthmus may lead to action potential duration alternans and conduction block preceding the transition to AF. These isthmus characteristics may enable the spontaneous initiation of AF through wavefront fractionation and may explain the benefits of isthmus ablation in preventing AF recurrence.
Session Depth and Smoothness in Relation to the Concept of Engagement in Counseling

Investigated the relation of client-counselor evaluation of initial interview to client return for another session. At the end of the initial session, 5 professionals, 5 practicum trainees, and their 290 college-student clients completed the depth and smoothness indexes of the Session Evaluation Questionnaire (Stiles, 1980). Clients also completed the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (Larsen, Attkisson, Hargreaves, & Nguyen, 1979), and counselors completed items from the Pre-Counseling Assessment Blank (Gelso & Johnson, 1983). The duration of the intake interview was recorded. Client return was positively related to: longer interviews; deeper interviews, as rated by both client and counselor; and greater client satisfaction, disturbance, and motivation. The results are discussed in relation to the concept that the initial session represents an engagement session when clients return for more sessions. During the summer of 1984, while evaluating the experience of practicum trainees during the previous academic year, I formulated a concept that was later termed engagement. Examining numbers of clients and sessions for each practicum student, I discovered that practicum students with more positive supervisory evaluations saw their clients for more sessions than did trainees with less positive evaluations. After further numerical calculation, I found that these trainees could be differentiated by the percentage of clients returning to counseling for a second session. At the center where these calculations were made, there is no screening procedure for clients, who are assigned to counselors (both professionals and trainees) on the basis of mutual free time. The counselor who conducts the initial interview handles all subsequent counseling for the client. Sometimes the center's professionals have clients referred specifically to them. These clients are not included when the center staff examines the percentages of clients who return for a second interview. Professionals generally have a higher client-return rate than do trainees.
Further results on a discriminating monopolist model

Abstract This note represents an extension of a paper which appeared in this Journal in 1981—‘A Discriminating Monopolist Model of Natural Gas Markets in the US’. One of the conclusions of the previous paper was that the supply side of the market needed to be examined. Here we make some additional inferences about whether the companies are in fact monopolists, by looking at optimal marginal revenues and average costs.
Bovine in vitro fertilization with frozen-thawed semen

A procedure to obtain high and repeatable fertilization frequencies for bovine in vitro fertilization (IVF) with frozen-thawed sperm was developed. IVF frequency of in vitro matured oocytes was increased by a swimup sperm separation procedure (P=0.01) or treatment of sperm with the glycosaminoglycan heparin (P=0.0001), but the two factors did not interact (P=0.23). Heparin was the most important factor in increasing IVF frequencies. The fertilization frequency was not affected by the batch of oocytes used (P=0.38), but bull effects were present (P<0.05). Within a bull, the IVF system was highly repeatable and varied between trials no more than +/- 12% in fertilization frequency with an overall fertilization frequency of 299 379 (79%) on four trials over four bulls. In vivo matured oocytes fertilized in vitro were transferred to ewe or heifer oviducts. Morulae or blastocysts were recovered from ewes after four to five days, while conceptuses were present in the bovine after 25 days (diagnosed by ultrasound). Embryonic development from the IVF system either pre- or postimplantation was normal.
Micrometeorological and chamber measurements of CO2 flux from bare soil

Abstract Accurate measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) flux from soil are important because this flux is an important component of the surface carbon budget, and a good indicator of the level of soil microbial and root activity. Half-hour CO2 fluxes from bare soil were measured using soil chamber and Bowen ratio/energy balance (BREB) methods for 4 days in December 1992, at the Blackland Research Center, Temple, TX. Soil chamber CO2 measurements were made sequentially at nine positions in the field. Three CO2 BREB systems were used. The CO2 flux was ≈ 0 in the early morning and after sunset and was maximum (slightly less than 0.1 mg m−2 s−1 (2.3 μmol m−2 s−1)) near midday. The coefficient of variation (CV) of chamber CO2 fluxes across the nine positions averaged 40% throughout the day, indicating the need for a large number of chamber measurements to obtain a representative CO2 flux measurement. The CV of the three daily BREB CO2 fluxes was less than 2%, indicating the BREB CO2 fluxes from the three systems were equal. There was good agreement between fluxes from the two methods. The average chamber and BREB CO2 fluxes for the entire period of measurements were 0.039 and 0.042 mg m−2 s−1, respectively, while the root mean square difference between half-hour fluxes from the two methods was 0.017 mg m−2 s−1. The methods are complementary and can both be used for soil CO2 flux measurements. The chamber method is low cost and easy to use, and offers the possibility of replicated measurements over space. The BREB method integrates over a large spatial area and is thus less affected by the high spatial variability of soil CO2 flux.
Strategies to Teach Game Development Across Age Groups

The process of game development can be used as a highly motivating learning experience geared to the teaching and learning of a variety of skills in students of varying ages. This article presents a description of a conceptual framework for teaching and learning based on game creation, including pedagogical foundations, a model of instruction for game development, age-related issues relative to learning tasks, and the basic aspects of game development. The authors compare the expectations for types of concepts and technologies employed with middle and high school students versus those employed with college-level students in game development. Projects that illustrate these differences are then presented, and the article closes with a summary and conclusions.
Aromatic Diols as Chain Extender in PU Reaction Molding

Polyurethane (PU) has outstanding properties, and has been applied in many fields. In general, it is prepared by the reaction of diisocyanate, polyol, chain extender, surfactant, catalyst, filler, reinforcement and blowing agent, etc. Most studies are based on the use of aliphatic chain extender such as 1,4- butanediol. The disadvantage is their low sag temperature.
Evaluation and application of satellite primary production models in Massachusetts Bay

Abstract A variant of the Vertically Generalized Production Model (VGPM) was used to expand the spatial and temporal resolution of production estimates and better characterize the phytoplankton variability in Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays. Satellite modeled production was used to supplement in situ 14C primary production measurements, which were spatially limited to two shipboard stations in the northern portion of Massachusetts Bay that were sampled up to 17 times per year. Modifications to the model included a regional parameterization of the euphotic depth (Zeu) and an analysis of the maximum chlorophyll specific carbon fixation rate ( P opt b ), which failed to reveal a correlation between P opt b and temperature as suggested by previous studies. This primary production model successfully captured the seasonal and interannual variations of in situ production that were measured using the 14C uptake method and significantly enhanced the spatial and temporal resolution of primary production measurements in Massachusetts Bay. The use of satellite data better characterized event, seasonal and interannual variability of ecosystem primary production and revealed a three-fold decrease in production from the nearshore to offshore regions. Daily production ranged from less than 0.25 g C m−2 d−1 in the offshore regions in January to greater than 2 g C m−2 d−1 at various times throughout the year in Cape Cod Bay and along the coastline during the summer months. The mean annual production of Massachusetts Bay for the 8-year study period was 220 g C m−2. The lowest production was estimated in 2004 (174 g C m−2) and the greatest in 2000 (300 g C m−2). Comparatively, mean production in Cape Cod Bay was 289 g C m−2 and ranged from 231 in 1998 to 358 g C m−2 in 2000. Unlike a number of other temperate continental shelf areas where the maximum production occurs during the summer months corresponding to the greatest PAR and temperature, the highest production and largest fraction of the annual production in Massachusetts Bay accompanied the high phytoplankton biomass during the spring (April–May) and fall blooms (September–October).
Automation of Base Record Communications

Results of a study leading to the preparation of a concept formulation package and development plan for automation of record communications on a world-wide basis during the 1970' s are presented. The Automatic Base Communication System (ABCS), centered on an electronic store and forward message switch, utilizes stored programs to handle all U. S. Air Force base record communications.
Hypogonadotropic Eunuchoidism. II. Gonadal Responsiveness to Exogenous Gonadotropins

Hypogonadotropic eunuchoidism (H.E.) is a familial disorder characterized by selective gonadotropin deficiency and sexual infantilism. Cryptorchidism and olfactory dysfunction often accompany the hormonal abnormalities. An additional defect in testis, resulting in a lack of responsiveness to exogenous gonadotropin administration, has been suggested by the observations of some investigators, but not by those of others. The present study was designed to reassess whether men and women with H.E. do respond appropriately to exogenous gonadotropin stimulation. During acute studies, testosterone increments during a standard 4-day hCG stimulation test were compared in a group of 6 hypogonadotropic patients who had received exogenous gonadotropins until one month prior to study and in 5 normal men. Serum testosterone levels increased at least two-fold in each of 5 patients with scrotal testes as in normal men. However, no response was demonstrated in the sixth patient with H.E., a subject with bilateral cryptorchi...
Indicators of cocaine exposure and preterm birth

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors of cocaine exposure during pregnancy, using hair and urine assays and self-report, and the association with preterm birth. METHODS: A nested case-control study was conducted in a cohort of 2611 black and white women enrolled in prenatal care in central North Carolina. Cocaine exposure was ascertained by self-report (263 cases, 612 controls), urine assays at 24–29 weeks’ gestation (226 cases, 564 controls) and postpartum (160 cases, 408 controls), and postpartum hair assays (169 cases, 435 controls). The major metabolite of cocaine, benzoylecgonine, was measured in urine. Cocaine and benzoylecgonine were measured in hair. RESULTS: Cocaine exposure was identified in 2% based on self-report, 5–6% based on urine assays, and 13–15% based on hair assays. Black ethnicity, lower education, and poverty were strongly predictive of positive hair assays. Hair cocaine and benzoylecgonine were not associated with preterm birth, with the possible exception of higher levels of cocaine and benzoylecgonine and birth before 34 weeks’ completed gestation. The urine screen at 24–29 weeks’ gestation also gave some indication of a possible association (odds ratio 1.7, 95% confidence interval 0.9, 3.5). CONCLUSION: The study corroborates the incompleteness of cocaine exposure assessment by self-report and urine screens relative to hair assays. The strong demographic predictors of exposure suggest where intervention efforts should be targeted. The most sensitive markers of exposure, hair cocaine and benzoylecgonine, are not associated with preterm birth, perhaps because they reflect different patterns of cocaine exposure than the other measures.
Structure of SbxGe40-xSe60 glasses around 2.67 average coordination number

Abstract The evolution of the structure of Sb x Ge 40- x Se 60 ( x = 8, 12, 15, 18 and 20) chalcogenide glasses is determined by high resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy as Sb is added and the average coordination number ( Z ) is varied from 2.60 to 2.72. For glasses with Z Z ≥ 2.67 leads to a strengthening of the above regularity and formation of the structure by shared pyramids and tetrahedra with two or more Se atoms substituted by cations. At the same time Se–Se dimers are present in all the investigated compositions while they are not expected in these Se-deficient glasses. Their formation dictates that there must be metal-rich regions somewhere in the structure.
Interraction of aflatoxin B2a with amino acids and proteins

Abstract Interaction of aflatoxin B 2 a (B 2 a ), the emiacetal of aflatoxin B 1 , with amino acids and proteins has been demonstrated by spectrophotometric analysis, spectrophotometric titration, equilibrium dialysis, separation of the interaction complex from free reactants by thin layer chromatography (TLC) at pH 7·0, and by the isolation of stable conjugates upon reduction with sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ). At pH 7·8, the spectrum og B 2 a shifted to a longer wavelength (from 370 to 400 nm) when either glycine or ovalbumin was present, but did not shift in the presence of N -acetylglycine. Likewise, both glycine and ovalbumin altered the dissociation constant ( pK ) of the phenolic group of B 2 a but N -acetylglycine did not. The empirical formula for the complex was B 2 a (phe) 2 when 14 C-phenylalanine (phe) was used in the interaction. An apparent equilibrium constant for the B 2 a (phe) 2 system was found to be 1·82 × 10 7 1. M −1 at pH 7·0. THe complex was stable at neutral and slightly alkaline pH but dissociated in acid, in contrast to the reduced adduct which was relatively stable in acidic conditions. The interaction was also pH-dependent with a higher degree of interaction as basicity increased. The results indicated that the α- and ϵ-amino groups of amino acids and proteins and the aldehyde groups of the phenolate ion form of B 2 a were essential for the reaction. The data support the proposed Schiff base formation mechanism for the interaction.
Detection of transcriptional triggers in the dynamics of microbial growth: application to the respiratorily versatile bacterium Shewanella oneidensis

The capacity of microorganisms to respond to variable external conditions requires a coordination of environment-sensing mechanisms and decision-making regulatory circuits. Here, we seek to understand the interplay between these two processes by combining high-throughput measurement of time-dependent mRNA profiles with a novel computational approach that searches for key genetic triggers of transcriptional changes. Our approach helped us understand the regulatory strategies of a respiratorily versatile bacterium with promising bioenergy and bioremediation applications, Shewanella oneidensis, in minimal and rich media. By comparing expression profiles across these two conditions, we unveiled components of the transcriptional program that depend mainly on the growth phase. Conversely, by integrating our time-dependent data with a previously available large compendium of static perturbation responses, we identified transcriptional changes that cannot be explained solely by internal network dynamics, but are rather triggered by specific genes acting as key mediators of an environment-dependent response. These transcriptional triggers include known and novel regulators that respond to carbon, nitrogen and oxygen limitation. Our analysis suggests a sequence of physiological responses, including a coupling between nitrogen depletion and glycogen storage, partially recapitulated through dynamic flux balance analysis, and experimentally confirmed by metabolite measurements. Our approach is broadly applicable to other systems.
Chair Alarm for patient fall prevention based on Gesture Recognition and Interactivity

The Gesture Recognition Interactive Technology (GRiT) Chair Alarm aims to prevent patient falls from chairs and wheelchairs by recognizing the gesture of a patient attempting to stand. Patient falls are one of the greatest causes of injury in hospitals. Current chair and bed exit alarm systems are inadequate because of insufficient notification, high false-alarm rate, and long trigger delays. The GRiT chair alarm uses an array of capacitive proximity sensors and pressure sensors to create a map of the patient's sitting position, which is then processed using gesture recognition algorithms to determine when a patient is attempting to stand and to alarm the care providers. This system also uses a range of voice and light feedback to encourage the patient to remain seated and/or to make use of the system's integrated nurse-call function. This system can be seamlessly integrated into existing hospital WiFi networks to send notifications and approximate patient location through existing nurse call systems.
Speeding up whole-genome alignment by indexing frequency vectors

Motivation: Many biological applications require the comparison of large genome strings. Current techniques suffer from high computational and I/O costs. Results: We propose an efficient technique for local alignment of large genome strings. A space-efficient index is computed for one string, and the second string is compared with this index in order to prune substring pairs that do not contain similar regions. The remaining substring pairs are handed to a hash-table-based tool, such as BLAST, for alignment. A dynamic strategy is employed to optimize the number of disk seeks needed to access the hash table. Additionally, our technique provides the user with a coarse-grained visualization of the similarity pattern, quickly and before the actual search. The experimental results show that our technique aligns genome strings up to two orders of magnitude faster than BLAST. Our technique can be used to accelerate other search tools as well. Availability: A web-based demo can be found at http://bioserver.cs.ucsb.edu/. Source code is available from the authors on request.
Upper-mantle velocity structure of the Great Basin

Teleseismic P-wave travel-times measured in the eastern Great Basin show ∼1 sec variations in travel-time residuals. Inversion of these data images an alternating sequence of high- and low-velocity upper-mantle bodies trending NE across the eastern margin of the Great Basin. Low-velocity mantle lies beneath the volcanic trends of the eastern Snake River Plain and the St. George volcanic field. These two low-velocity trends are separated by high-velocity mantle extending from northern Utah to SW Wyoming. Combining these results with seismic data from the western Great Basin reveals a continuation of these upper-mantle trends across the Great Basin.
Co‐rotational rheological models and the Goddard expansion

A survey is given of co-rotational rheological equations suitable for describing the flow of viscoelastic liquids such as polymer solutions and melts. Comparisons are given with experimental data and molecular theories. An introduction to kinematical descriptions in co-rotating reference frames is included.
Sources of Parental Knowledge as Moderators of the Relation Between Parental Psychological Control and Relational and Physical/Verbal Aggression

Previous research demonstrates that aspects of parenting interact to influence child adjustment. We aimed to extend this research by examining parenting strategies associated with behavioral control, specifically sources of parental knowledge regarding child behavior (child disclosure, parental solicitation, parental control), as moderators of the relation between psychological control and relational and physical/verbal aggression. Our sample included 89 children (56% male), ages 9-12. Consistent with prior research on child adjustment, low child disclosure was the only source of parental knowledge associated with both relational and physical/verbal aggression. Moreover, parental solicitation moderated the association between psychological control and relational, but not physical, aggression. That is, at high levels of parental solicitation, psychological control and relational aggression were positively related, whereas at low levels of parental solicitation, psychological control and relational aggression were unrelated. Implications and future directions are discussed.