cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Family Moves and Depression among Coast Guard Wives

A comparison of 78 Coast Guard wives' and 30 firefighters' wives' scores on Zung's self-rating scale for depression showed no differences, but the Coast Guard wives had more often been prescribed antidepressants. Scores on a scale to assess the negative effects of moving were positively associated with current depression for the Coast Guard wives.
Biosynthesis of Lipoxygenase Products by Enzyme Preparations from Normal and Psoriatic Skin

Incubations of [ 14 C]arachidonic acid ([ 14 C]AA) with cell-free preparations from normal, clinically involved and uninvolved epidermis from psoriatic subjects resulted in the formation of several radiolabeled metabolites of the lipoxygenase pathway. The identities of the monohydroxy-ETEs and dihydroxy-ETEs (products of the 12-lipoxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase pathways) were determined by comparison with authentic standards of 12L-hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicotetraenoic acid (12-HETE) and authentic 5S,12R-dihydroxy-6,8,10, 14-eicosatetraenoic acid (LTB 4 ) by thin-layer chromatography in two solvent systems; by silicic acid column chromatography and by normal phase and straight phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. Activity of the enzymes which catalyze this transformation are localized in the soluble (105,000 g supernatant) fraction of the epidermal preparations. The activity of enzymes of both pathways were inhibited by 5,8,11,13-eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA) and nor-dihydroguaretic acid (NDGA), known inhibitors of the lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase pathways. Transformation of [ 14 C]AA into [ 14 C]LTB 4 -like metabolite by the soluble preparations from clinically involved psoriatic epidermis was significantly higher (p 4 -like metabolite by the uninvolved soluble preparation was significantly higher (p 14 C]LTB 4 -like metabolite biosynthesized by the clinically involved soluble preparation was due at least in part to the increased activity of the lesional enzymes and not entirely due to possible intraepidermal infiltrating neutrophils. Human epidermal preparations, therefore, contain enzymes which catalyze the transformation of labeled AA into LTB 4 -like metabolite as well as into other yet unidentified dihydroxy-ETEs. Localization of a soluble 5-lipoxygenase-like activity in the epidermis implies a possible role of the lipoxygenase products in the proliferative and inflammatory processes in this tissue.
Implantation of He+ in candidate fusion first wall materials

Abstract The effect of high temperature (700–1200 °C) implantation of helium in candidate fusion first wall materials was studied in the University of Wisconsin Inertial Electrostatic Confinement device. Powder metallurgy tungsten, single crystal tungsten, and a W–25% Re alloy were irradiated with 30–50 keV He+ ions. Scanning electron microscopy was used to evaluate changes in surface morphology for various ion fluences at temperature ranges comparable to first wall temperatures. Helium fluences in excess of 1 × 1018 He+/cm2 produce extensive pore formation at 1150 °C. These changes will have an impact on the lifetime of thin tungsten coatings on the first walls and divertors of inertial and magnetic confinement fusion reactors.
Intra-population variation in activity ranges, diel patterns, movement rates, and habitat use of American alligators in a subtropical estuary

Abstract Movement and habitat use patterns are fundamental components of the behaviors of mobile animals and help determine the scale and types of interactions they have with their environments. These behaviors are especially important to quantify for top predators because they can have strong effects on lower trophic levels as well as the wider ecosystem. Many studies of top predator movement and habitat use focus on general population level trends, which may overlook important intra-population variation in behaviors that now appear to be common. In an effort to better understand the prevalence of intra-population variation in top predator movement behaviors and the potential effects of such variation on ecosystem dynamics, we examined the movement and habitat use patterns of a population of adult American alligators ( Alligator mississippiensis ) in a subtropical estuary for nearly four years. We found that alligators exhibited divergent behaviors with respect to activity ranges, movement rates, and habitat use, and that individualized behaviors were stable over multiple years. We also found that the variations across the three behavioral metrics were correlated such that consistent behavioral types emerged, specifically more exploratory individuals and more sedentary individuals. Our study demonstrates that top predator populations can be characterized by high degrees of intra-population variation in terms of movement and habitat use behaviors that could lead to individuals filling different ecological roles in the same ecosystem. By extension, one-size-fits-all ecosystem and species-specific conservation and management strategies that do not account for potential intra-population variation in top predator behaviors may not produce the desired outcomes in all cases.
Modelling of the arc reattachment process in plasma torches

The need to improve plasma spraying processes has motivated the development of computational models capable of describing the arc dynamics inside plasma torches. Although progress has been made in the development of such models, the realistic simulation of the arc reattachment process, a central part of the arc dynamics inside plasma torches, is still an unsolved problem. This study presents a reattachment model capable of mimicking the physical reattachment process as part of a local thermodynamic equilibrium description of the plasma flow. The fluid and electromagnetic equations describing the plasma flow are solved in a fully-coupled approach by a variational multi-scale finite element method, which implicitly accounts for the multi-scale nature of the flow. The effectiveness of our modelling approach is demonstrated by simulations of a commercial plasma spraying torch operating with Ar–He under different operating conditions. The model is able to match the experimentally measured peak frequencies of the voltage signal, arc lengths and anode spot sizes, but produces voltage drops exceeding those measured. This finding, added to the apparent lack of a well-defined cold boundary layer all around the arc, points towards the importance of non-equilibrium effects inside the torch, especially in the anode attachment region.
Laboratory aspects of screening men for Chlamydia trachomatis in the new millennium.

Objective: To describe and review the methods for laboratory diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis in men. Background: Men provide a reservoir for continued transmission of C. trachomatis to women, thus representing a population for potential targeted screening. Although there are no formal recommendations by professional organizations for screening men for chlamydia, guidance has been provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for sites wishing to screen men, who are primarily asymptomatic. Methods: Review of the published literature for diagnostic laboratory tests for C. trachomatis in men. Results: The laboratory test of choice for screening men is a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), and the specimen of choice is first-catch urine. The NAAT has sufficient sensitivity and specificity, and urine provides a noninvasive specimen; together, this combination provides the achievement of sensitivities of >90% to 97% and high specificity (99%). Populations of men, such as those in detention, Job Corps training, emergency departments, the military, and high schools can offer accessible target populations for easily implemented chlamydia screening. Conclusion: Screening more men with NAAT assays may provide the possibility of reducing the overall burden of chlamydia in both men and women.
An optimally robust detection of an input pattern from standard patterns

When a binary pattern such as the edge-detected object, or the contour of a group of features, etc., is selected from a first layer (a preprocessing layer) of a neural network system according to the designer's choice, the refined and accurate recognition of this object is subject to the accurate but optimally robust comparison of this input pattern to a limited number of standard patterns. Optimum robustness here means that each standard pattern has an allowed variable range which is determined automatically in the noniterative learning, and that the chance for an unknown pattern to access each range is equal. This paper will report the derivation and the analysis of the neural network system from the point of view of discrete algebra and matched filters. Its design principle relates closely to that of the universal mapping in a noniterative neural system and that of the matched filter in an electronic communication system.© (2004) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Etch pit and γ′ precipitate evolution in controlled Waspaloy microstructures aged at 725, 800 and 875 °C

Abstract In this paper, controlled microstructures of Waspaloy were produced with the objective of studying the kinetic mechanisms that drive microstructural evolution during short-term aging. Three individual sets of controlled microstructures were produced by an initial solution-treatment at 1145 °C followed by aging-treatments at 725, 800 and 875 °C for times up to 263.5 h. The resulting microstructures varied markedly from one aging set to the next. The three sets of aged specimens were systematically characterized via microscopy (SEM and AFM), DC four-point probe resistivity and X-ray diffraction techniques. The occurrence of perfect polygonal etch-pit shapes in the solution-treated microstructures, which transformed upon aging first into corner-rounded shapes, followed by irregular shapes and eventual dissolution, was evidenced here. This phenomenon of transformation of etch-pit shapes appears to occur concurrently with gamma prime nucleation and growth. The formation mechanism of the etch-pits and subsequent microstructural evolution upon aging are discussed herein.
Delineation of FDG-PET tumors from heterogeneous background using spectral clustering

This paper explored the feasibility of using spectral clustering to segment FDG-PET tumor in the presence of heterogeneous background. Spectral clustering refers to a class of clustering methods which employ the eigenstructure of a similarity matrix to partition image voxels into disjoint clusters. The similarity between two voxels was measured with the intensity distance scaled by voxel-varying factors capturing local statistics and the number of clusters was inferred based on rotating the eigenvector matrix for the maximally sparse representation. Metrics used to evaluate the segmentation accuracy included: Dice coefficient, Jaccard coefficient, false positive dice, false negative dice, symmetric mean absolute surface distance, and absolute volumetric difference. Comparison of segmentation results between the presented method and the adaptive thresholding method on the simulated PET data shows the former attains an overall better detection accuracy. Applying the presented method on patient data gave segmentation results in fairly good agreement with physician manual annotations. These results indicate that the presented method have the potential to accurately delineate complex shaped FDG-PET tumors containing inhomogeneous activities in the presence of heterogeneous background.
Partitioning of organic materials in porous beds under unsaturated water flow conditions

Abstract To test the mobility of mixed waste components from shallow land burial sites under unsaturated soil conditions, test columns were set up in the laboratory to stimulate steady-state conditions in sand at various degrees of pore saturation. Radioactive tracers and liquid scintillation counting were employed to measure organic components in the aqueous effluent from the columns and, following carbon sorption, in the volatile vapor released. To simulate different solubilities and volatilities, methanol, toluene, formic acid, and bromobenzene were employed as the test reagents. As expected, both gaseous release and entrained fractions are nonlinear functions of moisture content and depend, to varying extent, on the nature of the water films remaining in the pores and the above parameters.
Using equilibrium isotope effects to detect intramolecular OH/OH hydrogen bonds: structural and solvent effects.

A comparative 1H NMR study of partially deuterated 1,3- and 1,4-diols has demonstrated that intramolecular hydrogen bonds of different geometry can give rise to equilibrium isotope shifts of opposite sign in hydrogen-bond-accepting solvents such as DMSO-d6, acetone-d6, and THF-d8. The sign inversion is interpreted in terms of the ability of solvent molecules to form competitive intermolecular hydrogen bonds with the diol and in terms of the limiting chemical shifts for the interior and exterior hydroxyl groups. Deuterium is shown to prefer the intermolecular solvent hydrogen bond by 10.9 ± 0.5 cal/mol for 1,4-diol 3 dissolved in DMSO-d6 at room temperature. Pyridine-d5 is shown to be capable of amplifying positive (downfield) isotope shifts measured in DMSO-d6, in some cases by as much as a factor of 3. Its use is demonstrated for the assignment of the syn or anti relative configuration of 2,4-pentanediol and for the amplification of isotope shifts used to detect intramolecular hydrogen bonds in α- and β-...
Fine structure of the honeybee Z-disc.

Abstract Z-discs from the dorsal longitudinal indirect flight muscles of the honeybee (Apis mellifera) are perforated with hundreds of triangular-shaped tubes ordered into an hexagonal array. Each tube is surrounded by 80 A thick rims which incorporate six thin filaments, three from each bordering sarcomere. Although the triangular rims of the tubes are oriented identically in any plane perpendicular to the fibril axis, this orientation changes as the tubes cross the Z-line. The tubes rotate approximately 60 ° about an axis parallel to that of the fibril in passing from one I-Z junction to another. On the basis of filament counting in the A (overlap zone) and I bands of stretched myofibrils, it is concluded that the primary filaments are physically continuous with the Z-lines by material which appears to participate both in the formation of Z-rim substance and the surrounding matrix. Finally, evidence is presented to support the view that filament lattices of adjacent sarcomeres are displaced from one another, so that each thick filament faces the trigonal position of three thick filaments on the other side of the Z-disc.
Aortoiliac Gadolinium-enhanced CT Angiography: Improved Results with a 16–Detector Row Scanner Compared with a Four–Detector Row Scanner

PURPOSE To assess the level of vascular enhancement of gadolinium-enhanced aortoiliac computed tomographic (CT) angiography with a 16–detector row CT scanner and to compare it with the results of previous similar studies that used four–detector row CT units. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eleven gadolinium-enhanced CT angiograms were obtained in 10 consecutive patients with contraindication to iodinated contrast medium with use of a 16–detector row CT scanner. In the region of interest, attenuation measurements (in HU) were obtained from the proximal abdominal aorta to the common femoral arteries during unenhanced, gadolinium-enhanced, and delayed acquisitions. The results were compared to those in the 15 consecutive patients who most recently had similar examinations performed on a four–detector row CT unit. Phantom studies with diluted gadolinium were conducted to compare attenuation between CT units. RESULTS On four–detector row CT, throughout the scan length, mean enhancement values were 53.8 HU ± 5.3 and 15.0 HU ± 2.6 for gadolinium-enhanced and delayed series, respectively. For the 16–detector row CT unit, they were 76.1 HU ± 3.4 and 21.3 HU ± 1.3, respectively. As a result of a shorter scan time and a more optimal start time, the 16–detector row CT unit provided significantly greater and more consistent enhancement throughout the scan length compared with the four–detector row CT unit ( P = .0106). Similar structures had significantly greater enhancement when 120 kV was applied instead of 140 kV ( P = .0495) CONCLUSION The 16–detector row CT scanner improved gadolinium-enhanced CT angiography results compared with the four–detector row CT unit.
When music tells a story.

People commonly attribute semantic meaning to musical passages, but there have been few scientific studies of this process. Now Koelsch and colleagues report that brief excerpts of classical music cause behavioral and electrophysiological priming effects that are indistinguishable from those evoked by sentences, suggesting that music can convey meaning.
Increasing efficiency of Monte Carlo particle-fluid collision calculations on GPU

Summary form only given. Monte Carlo particle collision calculations can be very computationally expensive for particle-in-cell codes. In the case of background fluid collisional calculations, where each particle calculation is totally independent of other collisions, the calculations can be setup as highly parallel. Porting to GPU platforms has shown two orders of magnitude decrease compared to single processor performance. One approach is to simply apply a function to every particle which involves computing the particle energy, a square root to obtain the speed, and either interpolation of tabled cross sections or computation of a curve fit for each process for every particle [1]. Then, based on this probability of collision the collisional dynamics code might be executed. For collisional probabilities, 1 this is inefficient for finding particles to collide and load imbalanced for the collisional dynamics on the vector architecture (Single-Instruction Multiple-Data SIMD) like capabilities available on the GPU[2]. The alternative approach is to use the null collision method[1] where particles selected for collision are selected at random using the total collision probability, which is independent of particle energy and position. However, this sparse random access of particles in the particle array, as needed for the null collision method[1], has drawbacks on the GPU due to SIMD architecture. GPU threads that are grouped in hardware are called warps. Each warp can only issue one computational or memory instruction. However, when two memory instructions are located with 128 bytes[2] of each other they can be 'coalesced' into one instruction. Using the data structure and algorithm presented in [3] for efficient particle to grid charge accumulation on the GPU, which ensures that all particles contained within a cell are contiguous in memory, this paper examines the effect of selecting particles for colliding that are contiguous in that same list. This setup would capitalize on the null collision method's not needing to calculate the energy of each particle and optimize the memory bandwidth through the GPU. The key point under investigation is whether the particle sort algorithm retains enough entropy in the particle list gained from particle cell crossings in the algorithm in [3]. This will be examined by varying the size of the contiguous particle block and measuring the thermal equilibration time.
A fuzzy rule-based expert system for marine bioassessment

Abstract In this paper we investigate the modification of Trident, a prototypical rule-based expert system for marine bioassessment, so it can represent imprecise knowledge and perform inferences under uncertainty. Fuzzy set theory is used to implement the vague knowledge representation with fuzzy logic as the vehicle to perform the inferences. The Fuzzy_CLIPS expert system shell is the vehicle of the modification. Illustrative examples are presented to demonstrate the need for, and the implementation of, fuzzy set theory in a marine bioassessment program.
Rutgers urban gardening: a case study in urban agriculture

ABSTRACT Recent research into urban agriculture shows that it brings major benefits to the urban environment. Apart from improving local food supplies, urban agriculture puts marginal lands to wise use and absorbs wastes in the form of compost. In 1994, Rutgers Urban Gardening (RUG) transformed 30 acres of city waste land in Newark, New Jersey into 1,900 food gardens involving about 6,500 city residents growing vegetables and other food crops worth over $915,000. Nearly 4,000 tons of city leaves were recycled and used as compost in these gardens. Feeding people in the cities is becoming a larger problem as more people flood into them. RUG played an outstanding role in producing fresh and nutritious food close to home at a reduced cost to the participants. Gardens also became places for social interaction. Forty-four percent believed the fresh vegetables consumed improved their diet; 31.3% developed new friendships; 29.0% helped others; 14.5% shared their produce; 13.1% indicated gardening activity improve...
N-methyl-2-pyridone-5-carboxylic acid and N-methyl-2-pyridone-5-formamidoacetic acid isolated from dialysis fluids of uremic patients

Abstract N-methyi-2-pyricl.one-5-carboxylic acid(2-py acid) and N-methyl-2-pyridone-5-formamidoacetic acid (2-py hippurate) were isolated from hemodialysates from uremic patients. Identification was made by chromatographic techniques and infrared spectra. The significance of the presence of these compounds is still to be determined.
Comparison of the predictive accuracy of serum prostate specific antigen levels and prostate specific antigen density in the detection of prostate cancer in Hispanic-American and white men.

ABSTRACTPurpose: The Hispanic-American population is the fastest growing in the United States. Although many studies have looked at the performance of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the detection of prostate cancer in white and black men, few have looked at it in relation to Hispanic men. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of PSA and PSA density (PSAD) in the detection of prostate cancer in Hispanic and white men.Materials and Methods: A total of 404 consecutive Hispanic and 341 consecutive white men with elevated serum PSA and/or abnormal digital rectal examination underwent transrectal ultrasound with lesion directed and systematic peripheral zone biopsies from 1996 to 2001 at a single institution by 2 investigators (ETG, MCB). Before biopsy all patients underwent volume measurements of the entire prostate. Of these patients 242 Hispanic and 255 white men had a total PSA between 2.5 and 10 ng/ml. Serum PSA and calculated PSAD were compared between the positive and negative bi...
Some geometrical conditions for the existence of chaotic geodesics on a torus

Minimization arguments are applied to a renormalized length functional to establish the existence of heteroclinic, homoclinic and chaotic geodesics on a two-dimensional torus satisfying some geometrical conditions.
Ureteral Carcinoma in Situ at Radical Cystectomy: Does the Margin Matter?

AbstractPurpose: The clinical impact of ureteral carcinoma in situ identified at the time of radical cystectomy for bladder cancer has been poorly studied. We discuss our experience with this clinical problem in the context of published reports.Materials and Methods: A total of 31 patients with concomitant ureteral carcinoma in situ was retrospectively identified among 401 consecutive radical cystectomies. End points analyzed included positive urinary cytology, upper tract recurrence of carcinoma and cancer specific survival.Results: Ureteral margins were positive in 21 patients and negative in 10. Among 30 patients in whom it was performed frozen section failed to detect carcinoma in situ in 5 (16.6%) and sequential ureteral resection did not result in a negative margin in 15 (50%). In 3 patients upper tract carcinoma recurred at the anastomosis (1) and renal pelvis/ureter (2) at a median of 51 months (mean 49, range 36 to 59) following cystectomy. Positive cytology and upper tract carcinoma recurrence w...
A discrete hierarchical model of intra-specific competition

A discrete hierarchical model with either age, size, or stage structure is derived. The resulting scalar equation for total population level is then used to study contest and scramble intra-specific competition. It is shown how equilibrium levels and resilience are related for the two different competition situations. In particular, scramble competition yields a higher population level while contest competition is more resilient if the uptake rate as a function of resource density is concave down. The conclusions are reversed if the uptake rate is concave up.
Estimating the number of signals and signal resolution

The nested likelihood ratios are shown to be asymptotically independent and sufficient for estimating the number of signals and to implement resolutions of superimposed signals into individual signals. As a result, estimating the number of signals can be reduced to a sequence of independent and simple tests. The procedure suggests an engineering sense that estimating the number of signals is based on complete resolutions of multiple signals. Simulations for estimating the number of overlapping echoes are given for illustration.
Suppression of Natural Killer Cell Activity and T Cell Proliferation by Fresh Isolates of Human Cytomegalovirus

but not interleukin-2 (IL-2) partially reconstituted the response, whereas depletion of infected monocytes prevented inhibition of NK-mediated lysis. The effects of cell-free and cell-associated isolates of HCMV on T cell proliferation differed in several respects from suppression of NK activity. Both cell-associated and cell-free isolates of HCMV completely abrogated antigen-specific and mitogen responses. This effect was apparent after only three days of culture with virus and was not reversed by either IFN or IL-2. Cellassociated strain AD169 also induced suppression but to a lesser extent. From observations reported here and other data, we suggest that HCMV can cause direct suppression of lymphocyte functions.
Synthesis and Thermal Characterization of Perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) Polymers Containing Crown Ether Vertebrae

Summary: The synthesis and polymerization of novel 18-crown-6 and 24-crown-8 bis aryl trifluorovinyl ethers is described. Thermally induced polymerization yields linear crown ether fluoropolymers with hexafluorocyclobutyl linkages. The polymers exhibit Tg's above 120 °C and show good thermal stability with no appreciable weight loss below 350 °C. Incorporation of crown ether macrocycles into the polymer is expected to increase cationic uptake of an otherwise electroneutral fluoropolymer.
Using the LibQUAL+ Survey to Assess User Perceptions of Collections and Service Quality

ABSTRACT The LibQUAL+ survey is a web-based instrument that can be administered annually to enable libraries to determine their users' level of satisfaction with the quality of collections, facilities, and library services. This article examines the Texas Tech University Libraries' LibQUAL+ survey results for 2001 in the area of Access to Collections. The institution's results are compared with average survey scores from 20,416 respondents at 43 institutions, chiefly Association of Research Libraries members. Implications for collection management and ideas for “best practices” investigation are outlined.
OPTIMIZING CATFISH FEEDING AND STOCKING STRATEGIES OVER A TWO-YEAR PLANNING HORIZON

Rising costs of feed ingredients in recent years have resulted in record increases in catfish feed prices. Since understocked channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) do not reach market size until the second year of production, static one-year economic models and analyses may not be adequate. A previous mixed-integer profit-maximizing model was extended to include a second year to evaluate the effects of varying feeding frequencies on farm management decisions, particularly on adjustments in the second year. Production options considered included frequency of feeding (every day, every other day, and every third day), multiple-batch production from four different fingerling sizes, and single-batch production from three different stocker sizes. Every day feeding was identified as the profit-maximizing feeding strategy on farms using multiple-batch production but unfavorable market prices, high feed prices, and operating capital constraints reduced feeding frequencies. Every day feeding remained the optimal st...
Manipulability-based configuration evaluation of cooperative payload transport by mobile manipulator collectives

In this paper, we focus on the development of a quantitative performance analysis framework for a cooperative system of multiple wheeled mobile manipulators physically transporting a common payload. Each mobile manipulator module consists of a differentially driven wheeled mobile robot (WMR) with a mounted planar three-degree-of-freedom (DOF) revolute-jointed manipulator. A composite cooperative system is formed when a payload is placed at the end-effectors of many such modules. The system possesses the ability to change its relative configuration as well as to accommodate relative positioning errors of the wheeled agents. However, the combination of nonholonomic constraints due to the mobile bases, holonomic constraints due to the closed kinematic loops, and the different joint-actuation schema (active/passive/locked) within the system requires careful quantitative evaluation to efficiently realize the payload manipulation task. Hence, in this paper, we extend the differential kinematic model for treatment of constrained articulated mechanical systems to formulate a framework to include both the mixture effect of holonomic/nonholonomic constraints and the different possible joint-actuation schema in our system. The system-level performance is then examined quantitatively by the manipulability measure in terms of isotropy index with representative case studies.
Efficient Mechanisms for Multiagent Plan Merging

Independent planning agents operating in a shared envi-ronment may be able to exploit redundant actions betweentheir plans to increase their execution efﬁciency. These re-dundant actions may be “merged,” resulting in lower-costagent plans. The problem of ﬁnding the optimal set of ac-tions, or plan steps, to merge between different plans iscalled the
Statistical comparison of time-frequency and neural network versus correlation waveform analysis

A combined time-frequency and neural network (TF/NN) method was demonstrated to be effective in ventricular tachycardia (VT) detection in a previous study. The same patient set was submitted to analysis by correlation waveform analysis (CWA) to assess the comparative performance of the TF/NN versus CWA method. CWA results were examined by three statistical techniques to give a fair and unbiased assessment. The 1st test was the Z-test. The original correlation coefficients (cc) were transformed via Fisher z transformation and the Z-test was applied to the transformed data. In the 2nd method, 95% tolerance limits were calculated for the transformed sinus rhythm (SR) and VT cc. In the 3rd method, variable sensing thresholds (TRs) were applied to the original cc. Results showed that CWA performed well under the 1st and 2nd tests. Under different sensing thresholds, CWA has similar performance using patient-specific thresholds for VT detection. However, TF/NN is superior to CWA when global thresholds are utilized.
Methodology in Air Pollution Studies Using Irradiation Chambers

Experimentation in large irradiation chambers has been useful in providing insight into the chemistry of the photochemical smog formation problem. Initial efforts to reproduce the atmospheric phenomena artificially at controllable scale were successful in that gross atmospheric smog symptoms were observed in irradiation chambers. However, as the experimentation and evidence produced were becoming more elaborate, the question arose as to how much one could rely on chemical data in understanding and interpreting atmsopheric phenomena. The question becomes highly pertinent in view of the difference in concentration levels between atmosphere and chamber work. This issue was discussed during recent American Chemical Society meetings,4,8 and the conclusions from presentations and discussions were as follows: (1 ) There is qualitative agreement between chamber data and atmospheric data wherever comparison is feasible. (2) There is need for more precise chamber work at concentration levels more nearly equal to th...
Does the health status of intimate partner violence victims warrant pharmacies as portals for public health promotion

Abstract Objectives To explore whether the health status of intimate partner violence (IPV) victims warrants pharmacies to be portals for public health promotion. Specific objectives included (1) identifying prevalence of IPV including domestic violence (DV) and sexual assault (SA) in a community sample, (2) describing characteristics and correlates of DV/SA between participants who reported and did not report DV/SA, and (3) exploring whether DV/SA status is related to mental health medication use. Design Cross sectional. Setting Upstate New York during 2006. Participants English- and Spanish-speaking respondents younger than 65 years of age answering four questions to assess DV/SA. Intervention Secondary analysis of a countywide random telephone survey, the 2006 Monroe County Adult Health Survey, which collects prevalence data on health behaviors and health status indicators. Main outcome measure To determine whether those reporting DV/SA are at increased odds for mental health medication use, controlling for other sociodemographic- and health-related variables. Results The survey response rate was 30.3%, with 1,881 respondents meeting inclusion criteria. Those reporting DV/SA were almost twice as likely to use mental health medications. However, when controlling for other variables, only poor mental and physical health were significant in increasing the odds of mental health medication use. Conclusion The analyses reported here suggest that DV/SA victims in a community sample use mental health medications. When controlling for other variables, survey respondents reported worse physical and mental health. If pharmacies are suitable portals for DV/SA outreach, curricula would need to provide the knowledge and skills needed to take an active role in this public health promotion.
Enhanced Evoked Excitatory Transmitter Release in Experimental Neuropathy Requires Descending Facilitation

Nerve injury-induced afferent discharge is thought to elicit spinal sensitization and consequent abnormal pain. Experimental neuropathic pain, however, also depends on central changes, including descending facilitation arising from the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) and upregulation of spinal dynorphin. A possible intersection of these influences at the spinal level was explored by measuring evoked, excitatory transmitter release in tissues taken from nerve-injured animals with or without previous manipulation of descending modulatory systems. Spinal nerve ligation (SNL) produced expected tactile and thermal hyperesthesias. Capsaicin-evoked calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) release was markedly enhanced in lumbar spinal tissue from SNL rats when compared with sham-operated controls. Enhanced, evoked CGRP release from SNL rats was blocked by anti-dynorphin A(1-13) antiserum; this treatment did not alter evoked release in tissues from sham-operated rats. Dorsolateral funiculus lesion (DLF) or destruction of RVM neurons expressing μ-opioid receptors with dermorphin-saporin, blocked tactile and thermal hypersensitivity, as well as SNL-induced upregulation of spinal dynorphin. Spinal tissues from these DLF-lesioned or dermorphin-saporin-treated SNL rats did not exhibit enhanced capsaicin-evoked CGRP-IR release. These data demonstrate exaggerated release of excitatory transmitter from primary afferents after injury to peripheral nerves, supporting the likely importance of increased afferent input as a driving force of neuropathic pain. The data also show that modulatory influences of descending facilitation are required for enhanced evoked transmitter release after nerve injury. Thus, convergence of descending modulation, spinal plasticity, and afferent drive in the nerve-injured state reveals a mechanism by which some aspects of nerve injury-induced hyperesthesias may occur.
Circadian modulation of learning and memory in fear-conditioned mice.

Abstract Endogenous processes referred to as circadian oscillators generate many of the daily rhythms in physiology and behavior of a variety of animals including humans. We investigated the possible circadian regulation of acquisition, recall and extinction in two strains of mice (C-57/6J and C-3H). Mice were trained in either the day or night with a tone and context fear conditioning protocol. The mice were then tested over the course of several days for their ability to recall the training. When comparing the performance of animals in the day and night, the mice acquired the conditioning faster in the day than in the night. Furthermore, the recall for context and tone consistently peaked during the day for at least 3 days after training, irrespective of the time of training. Finally, the loss of this training (or extinction) exhibited a rhythm in that mice trained in night exhibited a greater degree of extinction than mice trained in the day. For all of these rhythms in acquisition, recall, and extinction the phase of the rhythm was controlled by the prior light–dark (LD) cycle. When we reversed the phase of the LD cycle, the phase of the rhythm also reversed. Importantly, all three of the rhythms also continued in constant darkness demonstrating the endogenous, and presumably circadian nature, of the rhythms.
Folding core predictions from network models of proteins

Two different computational methods are employed to predict protein folding nuclei from native state structures, one based on an elastic network (EN) model and the other on a constraint network model of freely rotating rods. Three sets of folding cores are predicted with these models, and their correlation against the slow exchange folding cores identified by native state hydrogen ‐ deuterium exchange (HX) experiments is used to test each method. These three folding core predictions rely on differences in the underlying models and relative importance of global or local motions for protein unfolding/folding reactions. For non-specific residue interactions, we use the Gaussian Network Model (GNM) to identify folding cores in the limits of two classes of motions, shortly referred to as global and local. The global mode minima from GNM represent the residues with the greatest potential for coordinating collective motions and are explored as potential folding nuclei. Additionally, the fast mode peaks that have previously been labeled as the kinetically hot residues are identified as a second folding core set dependent on local interactions. Finally, a third folding core set is defined by the most stable residues in a simulated thermal denaturation procedure of the FIRST software. This method uses an all-atomic analysis of the rigidity and flexibility of protein structures, which includes specific hydrophobic, polar and charged interactions. Comparison of the three folding core sets to HX data indicate that the fast mode peak residues determined by the GNM and the rigid folding cores of FIRST provide statistically significant enhancements over random correlation. The role of specific interactions in protein folding is also investigated by contrasting the differences between these two network-based computational methods. q 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Relating precipitation and water management to nutrient concentrations in the oligotrophic ''upside-down'' estuaries of the Florida Everglades

We present 8 yr of long-term water quality, climatological, and water management data for 17 locations in Everglades National Park, Florida. Total phosphorus (P) concentration data from freshwater sites (typically ,0.25 mmol L 21 ,o r 8m gL 21 ) indicate the oligotrophic, P-limited nature of this large freshwater‐estuarine landscape. Total P concentrations at estuarine sites near the Gulf of Mexico (average 0.5 m mol L 21 ) demonstrate the marine source for this limiting nutrient. This ‘‘upside down’’ phenomenon, with the limiting nutrient supplied by the ocean and not the land, is a defining characteristic of the Everglade landscape. We present a conceptual model of how the seasonality of precipitation and the management of canal water inputs control the marine P supply, and we hypothesize that seasonal variability in water residence time controls water quality through internal biogeochemical processing. Low freshwater inflows during the dry season increase estuarine residence times, enabling local pro
Do Oxygen Isotope Values in Collagen Reflect the Ecology and Physiology of Neotropical Mammals

Stable isotope data provide insight into the foraging ecology of animals. Traditionally, carbon and nitrogen isotope values have been used to infer dietary and habitat preferences. Oxygen isotopes are used less frequently but may complement the ecological information provided by carbon and nitrogen, particularly in densely forested or arid environments. Additionally, because oxygen is preserved in both bioapatite and collagen, it is useful for paleoecological studies. To investigate the suitability of oxygen isotopes for complementing and building on ecological applications of carbon and nitrogen isotopes, we analyze all three isotopes in bone collagen for nearly identical assemblages of Costa Rican mammals in two ecologically distinct habitats - a evergreen rainforest and a seasonal dry forest. We assess the degree to which differences in habitat, activity pattern, diet, arboreality, and thermoregulation are revealed by each of the isotope systems. Our results highlight the potential of oxygen isotopes in modern and paleoecological contexts. In addition to reflecting habitat type, oxygen isotope values in collagen distinguish species on the basis of vertical habitat stratification and drinking behavior. Within a locality, individuals with low oxygen isotope values likely track meteoric water, whereas those with elevated values most likely consume evaporatively-enriched plant tissues, such as canopy leaves. These patterns will be useful in reconstructing paleoenvironments and interpreting ecological differences among taxa both extant and extinct.
Management of Endoleak Following Endovascular Aneurysm Repair

In 1991, Parodi et al. described their initial venture into stent-graft placement for the treatment of aortic aneurysms. The purpose of aneurysm treatment is to prolong life by preventing aneurysm rupture. Given the less invasive approach of the endograft procedure compared to open surgical repair, it is not surprising that endovascular treatment has gained momentum in recent years. However, endograft treatment is not without complication. The most common complication following endograft placement is endoleak. This chapter will focus on the detection and management of endoleak following endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms.
The Submaxillary Secretory Response in the Dog to a Series of Doses of Pilocarpine.

SummaryThe dose-response pattern of the submaxillary gland of the dog to pilocarpine was studied using the sialogram. Following the administration of each dose of pilocarpine, salivary flow rate rose to a peak in one to four minutes and then declined. Duration of the secretory response was directly related to dose. Rate of flow, however, was directly related to dose up to an optimal secretory dose. Doses higher than this caused the flow rate to decline. A study of the salivary flow and pressure changes showed that the decline is related to an increase in salivary viscosity.
WAVE FORCES ON PILES OF VARIABLE DIAMETER

A method of calculating nonlinear wave induced forces and moments on piles of variable diameter is presented. The method is based on the Morrison equation and the linear wave theory with correction parameters to account for convective inertial effects in the wave field. These corrections are based on the stream function wave theory by Dean (1974). The method permits one to take into account the added wave force due to marine growth in the intertidal zone or due to a protective jacket, and can also be used to calculate forces on braces and an array of piles.
Spatial analysis for identifying hotspots of EDC and PPCP sources for monitoring systems.

This study utilized spatial analysis to identify hotspots for endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), pharmaceuticals, and personal care products (PPCPs) using data from potential sources including wastewater treatment plants, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)-permitted pollution sources, septic systems, and agricultural and grazing areas. The study area is Lake Mead, to which the return of treated effluent is one of the largest water reuse practices in the USA. Based on Getis-Ord's Gi * statistic, clusters of pollution sources were identified based on the values of each feature and its neighboring features. Spatial analysis was applied to evaluate the impact from point and nonpoint source pollution. The results of spatial statistical analyses were used to evaluate the existing sampling locations in Las Vegas Wash. The results indicated that sampling locations with highest concentrations of EDCs/PPCPs were close to the outlets of subbasins with high susceptibility to EDCs/PPCPs, which confirms the suitability of sampling locations.
Comparison of Urinary Tract Infection Rates Associated with Transurethral Catheterization, Suprapubic Tube and Clean Intermittent Catheterization in the Postoperative Setting: A Network Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: We performed a network meta-analysis of available randomized, controlled trials to elucidate the risks of urinary tract infection associated with transurethral catheterization, suprapubic tubes and intermittent catheterization in the postoperative setting.Materials and Methods: PubMed®, EMBASE® and Google Scholar™ searches were performed for eligible randomized, controlled trials from January 1980 to July 2015 that included patients who underwent transurethral catheterization, suprapubic tube placement or intermittent catheterization at the time of surgery and catheterization lasting up to postoperative day 30. The primary outcome of comparison was the urinary tract infection rate via a network meta-analysis with random effects model using the netmeta package in R 3.2 (www.r-project.org/).Results: Included in analysis were 14 randomized, controlled trials in a total of 1,391 patients. Intermittent catheterization and suprapubic tubes showed no evidence of decreased urinary tract infection rates c...
Synthesis of Molybdenum Disulfide Nanowire Arrays Using a Block Copolymer Template

A simple route for the synthesis of arrays of sub-20-nm-wide molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanowires using a self-assembled cylinder forming poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine) thin films is demonstrated. The protonated 2-vinylpyridine selectively seeds molybdenum precursors in the aqueous solution, and the precursors are converted to molybdenum sulfide during a sulfur annealing process. An ultraviolet cross-linking step is introduced to ensure the successful transfer of the morphologies of the block copolymer templates to the MoS2 nanowires. The nanowires transition from an amorphous to a crystalline MoS2 phase upon thermal annealing in the presence of sulfur, as confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. This work provides a pathway to large area, dense, spatially localized arrays of transition metal dichalcogenide nanowires for catalytic and sensing applications.