cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microfabrication of a Chamber for High-Resolution, In Situ Imaging of the Whole Root for Plant–Microbe Interactions

Fabricated ecosystems (EcoFABs) offer an innovative approach to in situ examination of microbial establishment patterns around plant roots using nondestructive, high-resolution microscopy. Previously high-resolution imaging was challenging because the roots were not constrained to a fixed distance from the objective. Here, we describe a new 'Imaging EcoFAB' and the use of this device to image the entire root system of growing Brachypodium distachyon at high resolutions (20×, 40×) over a 3-week period. The device is capable of investigating root-microbe interactions of multimember communities. We examined nine strains of Pseudomonas simiae with different fluorescent constructs to B. distachyon and individual cells on root hairs were visible. Succession in the rhizosphere using two different strains of P. simiae was examined, where the second addition was shown to be able to establish in the root tissue. The device was suitable for imaging with different solid media at high magnification, allowing for the imaging of fungal establishment in the rhizosphere. Overall, the Imaging EcoFAB could improve our ability to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of the rhizosphere, including studies of fluorescently-tagged, multimember, synthetic communities.
Renovations in the Citadel

In 1986, Bob Hampel wrote The Last Little Citadel, the first overview of the history of American high schools since 1940. Hampel was originally a mid-nineteenth-century political historian, and the story of how he redefined himself is instructive for young historians tempted to shift gears. In this chapter, Hampel also explains why he later modified several major Citadel claims in light of what he experienced and read. At the end of the chapter, he sets forth his vision of how the history of education survey course should be taught.
GnRH Neuronal Cell Lines

GnRH cells are few in number and dispersed across a continuum in the hypothalamus-preoptic area. This has made it relatively difficult to perform studies on GnRH neurons both in vivo and in vitro. Several in vitro models of GnRH cells have been developed, but each has its limitations. Dispersed hypothalamic-preoptic tissue cultures do not have many GnRH cells, and these are extremely sparse and difficult to identify in such cultures. Cultures of embryonic olfactory placode, the source of developing GnRH neurons, have a greater concentration of GnRH neurons, but are obtained from fetuses and may not be representative of adult GnRH cells. Organotypic cultures have also proven useful, but can be difficult to grow and are also derived from neonatal animals. The recent development of transgenic mice with GnRH neurons linked to a reporter molecule, making them more easily identifiable by fluorescence or immunological methods (see Chapter 9) has facilitated the identification of GnRH neurons. However, these animals are a relatively recent arrival to the field and have not yet been characterized extensively. Moreover, most of these systems were not available a decade ago. At that time, the creation of an immortalized cell line was perceived as important for studying the molecular and cellular properties of the otherwise intractable GnRH neurons.
Robotic Single-Site Endometriosis Resection Using Firefly Technology

Abstract Study Objective To demonstrate the feasibility of robotic single-site resection of advanced endometriosis using new technology. Design We show a video that demonstrates our technique for accomplishing single-site laparoscopic resection of advanced endometriosis. The video is a step-by-step explanation of robotic single-site resection of endometriosis nodules overlying the ureter and rectum. Background Laparoscopic surgery has been shown to effectively improve pain and fertility in women with endometriosis [1]. Compared with traditional multiport laparoscopy, single-incision laparoscopy is associated with similar incidence rates of blood loss, conversion to open laparotomy, and wound complications, but it has superior cosmetic outcomes and high patient satisfaction [2–5]. Furthermore, robotic single-incision laparoscopy combined with robotic Firefly technology potentially increases the removal of invisible endometriosis. Without complete resection of endometriosis, patients are less likely to achieve full pain relief postoperatively. Setting University hospital. Patient A 36 year old G1P1 female was referred for chronic pelvic pain. She described her pain as hip pain, pain with walking, dyspareunia, dyschezia and right anterior abdominal wall pain. Intervention To improve detection of endometriosis, we injected the patient with indocyanine green (ICG), a fluorescent dye with widespread medical applications in identifying increased vascularity of tissues. We then visualized the tissues with robotic Firefly technology, a fluorescence-detection tool built into the da Vinci SI Surgical Systems (Intuitive Surgical, Inc, Sunnyvale, CA). Main Results Because endometriosis lesions are associated with a high degree of neovascularization, the ICG turned the endometriosis tissues dark green, thereby enabling us to detect endometriosis that would not have been seen as readily with conventional single-site laparoscopy. This video demonstrates our technique for successfully accomplishing a single-site laparoscopic resection of advanced endometriosis, including ureterolysis, adhesiolysis, peritoneal stripping, and a rectal nodule excision. Conclusions We found that Firefly technology and ICG facilitated identification of endometriosis in single-site robotic surgery. We were able to successfully perform single-site laparoscopic resection of advanced endometriosis nodules overlying the ureter and rectum with complete resolution of pelvic pain symptoms and excellent cosmetic results.
The Teleological Argument: An Exploration of the Fine-Tuning of the Universe

Historically, the argument from design probably has been the most widely cited argument for the existence of God, both in the West and the East (such as in theistic schools of Hinduism). Modern scientifi c discoveries, particularly the discovery beginning around the 1950s that the fundamental structure of the universe is “balanced on a razor’s edge” for the existence of life, have given this argument signifi cant new force in the last 30 years, with several books and many essays written on it. This precise setting of the structure of the universe for life is called the “fi ne-tuning of the cosmos.” This fi ne-tuning falls into three major categories: that of the laws of nature, that of the constants of physics, and that of the initial conditions of the universe, each of which we shall explore in Section 2. As will become clear in Section 5.2, the sort of life that is most signifi cant for the argument is that of embodied moral agents, of which humans are one example. This chapter is a highly abridged version of an in-process book-length project in which I argue for the existence of God based on this fi ne-tuning of the cosmos for life along with the beauty and intelligibility of the laws of nature. The main purpose of the book is to put this argument on as rigorous as possible scientifi c and philosophical foundation. Although this chapter has the same purpose, it will focus solely on the argument based on the fi netuning for life, although in my judgment the argument based on beauty and intelligibility is as strong. The sections of this chapter are arranged as follows. In Section 1.2, I present some key terms and defi nitions for easy reference. In Section 1.3, I present the basic form of what I call the core fi ne-tuning argument for the existence of God. This argument is explicated in terms of what I call the restricted version of the Likelihood Principle. In Section 1.4, I present an alternative way of formulating the argument using what I call the method of probabilistic
Neoliberal reform and sustainable forest management in Quintana Roo, Mexico: rethinking the institutional framework of the Forestry Pilot Plan.

The Forestry Pilot Plan set intomotion collectively-owned and managed forestry in overforty communities in Quintana Roo, Mexico and hasshown the promise of a forestry development model thatpromotes conservation by giving local people a genuinestake in sustainable resource management. Today, thelegacy of the PPF is under great pressure. Externally,neoliberal policy reform restructures agrarianproduction in ways that favor individual overcollective management of natural resources.Internally, organizational problems createinefficiencies within both forestry ejidos(cooperative agrarian communities) and theirintermediate level forestry civil societies. Peasants'capacity to defend their interests and dealeffectively with their production problems throughstrong representative organizations is beingundermined by new rules for economic associationwithin the ejidos and by the turning over of technicalservice financing to the market. Though organizationalinnovations within the ejidos hold positive potential,existing civil societies merit continued assistance askey actors promoting sustainable forestry. Studyingcommon property management regimes across multiplelevels and dimensions reveals that in Mexico, policyreform overlooks the crucial social resourcesrepresented by peasant organization, undermining thepossibility of sustainable forest management whileassigning the peasant most of the cost ofconservation. If conservation is indeed encouraged bythe genuine participation of those with a stake insustainable use of natural resources, national andinternational communities that value Mexico's tropicalforests should also invest in both social and economiccosts of conservation.
Search for a mechanism for the increased sensitivity of 5-bromouracil-substituted DNA to ultraviolet radiation: II. Single-strand breaks in the DNA of irradiated 5-bromouracil-substituted T3 coliphage

Abstract T 3 coliphage substituted with 5-bromouracil was irradiated at 265 nm with doses in the biological range and its DNA analysed by sedimentation in sucrose gradients. 1. 1. Single-strand breaks were detected in alkaline gradients; their number increased with dose but was reduced when cysteamine was present during irradiation. 2. 2. At the doses employed, no double-strand breaks were detected in neutral gradients. 3. 3. The single-strand breaks may be produced directly by radiation, or may represent the alkali lability of the primary photochemical lesions. 4. 4. No single-strand breaks were found in the DNA of irradiated unsubstituted phage. Some characteristics of the survival curves of 5-bromouracil-substituted phage irradiated under various conditions, are discussed in the light of the above findings.
What happens after schooling. Notes on post-institutional socialization in the health occupations.

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine the significance of post-school socialization in the health occupations, to suggest perspectives in which to scrutinize the process and to outline the elements which should be included in investigations of this process.
Sensor motion and relative depth from difference fields of optic flows

This paper develops a simple and robust procedure for recovering sensor motion parameters from image sequences induced by unconstrained sensor motion relative to a stationary environment. Difference vectors of optic flows approximate the orientations of the translational field lines in image areas in which there is depth variance between the corresponding environmental points and sufficient angular separation from the translational axis. This is developed into a procedure consisting of four steps: 1) locally computing difference vectors from an optic flow field; 2) thresholding the difference vectors; 3) minimizing the angles between the difference vector field and a set of radial field lines which correspond to a particular translational axis; and 4) extracting the translational and rotational component fields given the translational axis. This procedure does not require a priori knowledge about sensor motion or structure of the scene. It depends critically on sufficient variation in depth along some visual directions to endow the flow field with discontinuities. We present results of applying the procedure to sparse and low resolution displacement fields.
Intelsat V system summary and initial launch operations

ABSTRACT This paper describes the technical and operational aspects of the first 2, in a series of 12, INTELSAT V satellites built by Ford Aerospace & Communications Corporation (FACC) for the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT). The successful launch of the FM-2 and FM-1 satellites took place on 6 December 1980 and 23 May 1981, respectively. Following nominal transfer orbit operations, the satellites were placed into geosynchronous orbit by successfully firing solid apogee kick motors. After one drift orbit, the satellites were maneuvered and reconfigured for synchronous orbit operation. Transition to the three-axis-stabilized mode was successfully executed as planned. Following solar array and antenna deployments, a series of detailed functional tests were performed to validate the state of health and performance characteristics of the satellites. All redundant spacecraft hardware, mechanisms, and critical operational modes were verified to be working properly and all test results agreed quite well with prelaunch factory tests. These tests confirmed there had been no infant mortality during the launch and orbit injection process of either satellite. Communications tests validated that the critical payload elements (antennas, feeds, and transponders) had experienced no adverse effects by launch. This paper will review the INTELSAT V satellite design, launch preparations, subsequent flight operations, and results of on-orbit testing. The paper will review the operational plans to transition from the INTELSAT IV-A to the INTELSAT V series and the trend in international communications satellites.
Tribal Gaming Leader Strategies Toward a Sustainable Future

Tribal Gaming Leader Strategies Toward a Sustainable Future by Janie Ann Hall MBA, Ottawa University, 2012 BA, Ottawa University, 2011 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University September 2015
Fast Spectral Collocation Method for Surface Integral Equations of Potential Problems in a Spheroid.

This paper proposes a new technique to speed up the computation of the matrix of spectral collocation discretizations of surfacesingle and double layer oper- ators over a spheroid. The layer densities are approximatedby a spectral expansion of spherical harmonics and the spectral collocation methodis then used to solve sur- face integral equations of potential problems in a spheroid. With the proposed tech- nique, the computation cost of collocation matrix entries is reduced fromO(M 2 N 4 )to O(MN 4 ), whereN 2 is the number of spherical harmonics (i.e., size of the matrix) and Mis the number of one-dimensional integration quadrature points. Numerical results demonstrate the spectral accuracy of the method. AMS subject classifications: 31B10, 33C90, 65R20, 76M22
The internal methionine codons of human T-cell leukemia virus type II rex gene are not required for p24rex production or virus replication and transformation.

Abstract Human T-cell leukemia virus types I (HTLV-I) and II (HTLV-II) have two nonstructural trans-acting regulatory genes, tax and rex, located in the 3' region of the viral genome. The tax gene product (HTLV-I p40tax and HTLV-II p37tax) is the transcriptional activator of the viral long terminal repeat. The rex gene encodes two protein products, p27rex/p21rex and p26rex/p24rex in HTLV-I and HTLV-II, respectively. Rex acts posttranscriptionally to facilitate accumulation of full-length gag/pol and singly spliced env mRNA in the cytoplasm of HTLV-infected cells. Previous studies showed that the first ATG of the rex gene is critical for Rex production and function. The importance of the internal ATGs to Rex function is not known. However, in vitro mutagenesis of the HTLV-I rex gene has provided indirect evidence which suggests that p21rex, and by analogy HTLV-II p24rex, results from initiation at an internal AUG of the tax/rex mRNA. By using an infectious molecular clone of HTLV-II, we investigated the importance of the internal ATGs of the rex gene on Rex protein production and function. Our results indicate that p24rex of HTLV-II is not initiated at an internal AUG and that the internal methionine codons are not crucial to the function of the rex gene and, ultimately, the transforming properties of the virus.
Politics and Underdevelopment: The Case of Guyana

The paper argues pro-ethnic voting in a society characterized by bi-communal polarization results in an underdevelopment trap which is derived as a Nash equilibrium. The development trap is facilitated by an adverse institutional construct, the constitution, which inadvertently encourages low intensity but persistent ethnic rivalry resulting in the long-term structure. Mutual distrust in how the other side will vote on the day of secret ballot induces the members of each group to vote for their respective elites, hence non-cooperation. The model is extended by including a psychic gain parameter that shows cooperation is possible in the prisoners’ dilemma framework once the constitution is changed to incentivise cooperation.
Fish assemblages and seasonal movements of fish in irrigation canals and river reaches of the middle Rio Grande, New Mexico (USA)

– Synoptic fish surveys of river and irrigation canal sites and a path-analytic approach evaluate seasonal changes in fish assemblages in canal systems and river reaches of the middle Rio Grande, NM (USA). The objective was to assess how fish assemblages within the Isleta Reach respond to irrigation season and off-season variations in water and fish contributions from upstream river channels (Albuquerque Reach) and from the Peralta irrigation system. Eighteen species of fish were found in the irrigation canals, 13 in the Isleta Reach and 15 in the Albuquerque Reach. The proportion of nonnative fishes was higher in canals (56%) than in the river (11%). Species rank abundances were used in path analyses of fish species compositions during the irrigation season and off-season. During the irrigation season, path coefficients indicated fish movements downstream from the Albuquerque Reach (0.55) to the Isleta Reach exceeded contributions by the conveyance-return (0.29) and drain-return (0.05) canals. However, as the river de-watered the return canals were important refuge habitats for native fishes. The 0.05 value represented a major decline relative to the path coefficient for the upstream Peralta drain canal (0.72). During the off-season path coefficients indicated fish movements of 0.47 downstream in the river and 0.59 in the conveyance-return canal but a negligible value for the drain-return canal (-0.06). Irrigation management could be modified to favour native fish ecology by controlling movement of nonnative predators in canal systems and in providing refuge habitats for native fish during periods when water demand exceeds the supply.
The elevated-temperature fatigue behavior of boron-modified Ti-6Al-4V(wt.%) castings

This work investigated the effect of nominal boron additions of 0.1 and 1.0 wt.% on the elevated-temperature (455 °C) fatigue deformation behavior of Ti–6Al–4V(wt.%) castings for maximum applied stresses between 250 and 450 MPa (R = 0.1 and 5 Hz). Boron additions resulted in a dramatic refinement of the as-cast grain size, and larger boron additions resulted in larger titanium-boride (TiB) phase volume percents. The boron-containing alloys exhibited longer average fatigue lives than those for Ti–6Al–4V, which was suggested to be related to the reduced as-cast grain size and the addition of strong and stiff TiB phase. The Ti–6Al–4V–0.1B alloy exhibited the longest average fatigue lives. The TiB phase cracked during the fatigue experiments and this resulted in a decreasing Young's modulus with increased cycle number. Each alloy exhibited α-phase cracking and environmentally assisted surface edge cracking.
Simulation of Wet Clutch Engagement on Electronically-Controlled Limited-Slip Differential (LSD) With Consideration of Degraded Clutch Performance

A wet clutch is an integral part of the electronically controlled limited slip differential (eLSD) [1]. In this study, an eLSD model is constructed based on Deur et al.’s dynamic wet clutch model [2]. First the eLSD model including key dynamic equations and parameter values is discussed. The main culprits of clutch shudder include the negative slope of friction coefficient vs. slip speed curve, which is often caused by oil oxidation due to heat or an improper amount of friction modifier among others, and glazing of the friction linings [3,4]. In the second part, consequences of improper lubrication and glazed friction material during launch control of a vehicle equipped with eLSD will be studied based on simulations with lubrication data provided in [3]. The simulation results show that the combined effects of oxidized ATF and glazed friction material can cause clutch shudder.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
What Do Children and Adolescents Say They Do during Video Game Play

Abstract We examined the problem-solving behaviors that 5th, 6th, and 7th graders used to negotiate a novel recreational video game. Students were characterized as frequent or infrequent players and instructed to think aloud during game play for 20 consecutive minutes. Comments were used to make inferences about the students' problem-solving behaviors while playing. These comments were then linked to game performance. Among all students, the greatest number of comments concerned their actions and game events at a given point in game play. Females made greater reference to strategies for game play and process goals whereas males made greater reference to their evaluations of the game and when they reached an impasse. Among 5th graders, reference to impasse and rules for game play was linked to better game performance; among 7th graders, reference to insight about how to enact a specific move or circumvent an impasse was related to better performance.
A class of discontinuous Petrov–Galerkin methods. II. Optimal test functions

We lay out a program for constructing discontinuous Petrov-Galerkin (DPG) schemes having test function spaces that are automatically computable to guarantee stability. Given a trial space, a DPG discretization using its optimal test space counterpart inherits stability from the well-posedness of the undiscretized problem. Although the question of stable test space choice had attracted the attention of many previous authors, the novelty in our approach lies in the fact we identify a discontinuous Galerkin (DG) framework wherein test functions, arbitrarily close to the optimal ones, can be locally computed. The idea is presented abstractly and its feasibility illustrated through several theoretical and numerical examples.
Gynecologic Disorders in the Older Patient

This review addresses the presentation and management of gynecologic disorders in older women. While these conditions are often managed by a primary caregiver, many women may present to the ED because they lack a primary gynecologic caregiver, their established gynecologic caregiver is not available, they are embarrassed to discuss their symptoms with an established caregiver, or they seek immediate relief of symptoms and reassurance. The emergency physician (EP) must be aware of the normal physiologic changes that occur with aging and how these changes may produce symptoms in older women. This review addresses physiologic changes and pathophysiologic conditions. Knowledge of these conditions and their management will facilitate reassurance of the patient, expedite appropriate initial therapy, and enable the EP to efficiently refer patients requiring further gynecologic assessment.
Perinatal allopregnanolone influences prefrontal cortex structure, connectivity and behavior in adult rats

Cortical neurosteroid levels vary dramatically across development; during the second week of life elevated levels of allopregnanolone are associated with decreased GABAA receptor function. Since GABAA receptor modulation plays a role in proliferative regulation in developing neocortex, it is possible that endogenous neurosteroids such as allopregnanolone, acting through GABAA receptors, modulate cortical development. We augmented normally low levels with exogenous administration of allopregnanolone (10mg/kg) during the first week of rodent life. The localization of parvalbumin-labeled cells was markedly altered; the ratio of cell number in the deep (layers V–VI) vs. superficial (layers I–III) layers of adult prefrontal cortex increased two-fold in rats administered allopregnanolone on postnatal day 1 or 5. The mechanism underlying these anatomical changes likely involves GABAA receptors because similar changes in interneuron placement were observed after neonatal benzodiazepine administration. Measures of mature cortical function were also altered after neonatal neurosteroid administration, including [3H]MK-801 binding, prepulse inhibition and amphetamine-induced locomotor activity. Moreover, neonatal allopregnanolone administration increases the number of parvalbumin-expressing neurons in medial dorsal nucleus of the thalamus while the total neuron number is decreased. These findings suggest that connectivity between the medial dorsal nucleus of the thalamus and prefrontal cortex is likely altered by neonatal neurosteroid administration and may result in a disinhibited frontal cortex. Disinhibition in the prefrontal cortex is associated with behavioral changes relevant to human psychosis and developmental disorders. If neurosteroids play a role in normal development of prefrontal/medial dorsal patency as suggested by these studies, then alterations in neurosteroid levels may contribute to abnormal neurodevelopment.
Using Simulation to Teach Prelicensure Nursing Students to Minimize Patient Risk and Harm

Abstract Background The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality estimates 98,000 deaths occur each year as a result of medical errors, and preventable medical errors are increasing each year. Managing complex health care environments to ensure safe, quality patient care outcomes is an important nursing contribution. Experienced nurses are able to predict patient risk and harm based on experience and knowledge and to act to recognize and respond to this risk. First-year prelicensure nursing students have not yet developed this knowledge and skill or a clear sense of their accountability in the nurse role as primary advocate for patient safety. Method A quasi-experimental, pre–post test study of 285 students enrolled in a prelicensure clinical nursing course was conducted to describe results of an innovative simulation learning experience with standardized patients that is focused on preventing patient falls, a dramatic example of a patient outcome that is sensitive to nursing care. Results and conclusions Results of the simulation learning experience suggest this instructional modality provides students with knowledge and skill gains and challenges them with memorable experiential learning that they can apply to clinical practice.
Best practices for the implementation of Supply Chain Management initiatives

Effective Supply Chain Management (SCM) can be achieved via a variety of initiatives. However, the initiative chosen is a crucial decision because not every approach is suitable for all companies. This paper aims to facilitate this task by developing an implementation-decision framework for SCM initiatives based on best practices. In this framework, SCM goals are linked with their enablers, enablers are linked with initiatives, initiatives are linked with activities, and activities are linked with performance measures. Based on best-practice examples found in the SCM literature, this paper identifies and conceptually develops these goals, enablers, initiatives, activities and performance measures, as well as their linkages.
Entanglement-assisted weak value amplification.

Large weak values have been used to amplify the sensitivity of a linear response signal for detecting changes in a small parameter, which has also enabled a simple method for precise parameter estimation. However, producing a large weak value requires a low postselection probability for an ancilla degree of freedom, which limits the utility of the technique. We propose an improvement to this method that uses entanglement to increase the efficiency. We show that by entangling and postselecting n ancillas, the postselection probability can be increased by a factor of n while keeping the weak value fixed (compared to n uncorrelated attempts with one ancilla), which is the optimal scaling with n that is expected from quantum metrology. Furthermore, we show the surprising result that the quantum Fisher information about the detected parameter can be almost entirely preserved in the postselected state, which allows the sensitive estimation to approximately saturate the relevant quantum Cramer-Rao bound. To illustrate this protocol we provide simple quantum circuits that can be implemented using current experimental realizations of three entangled qubits.
Targeted Disruption of the 70kDa Peroxisomal Membrane Protein (PMP70) in Mouse Is Associated with an Increase in the Related P70R Protein, Deficiency of Hepatic Glycogen and a Dicarboxylic Aciduria

Targeted Disruption of the 70kDa Peroxisomal Membrane Protein (PMP70) in Mouse Is Associated with an Increase in the Related P70R Protein, Deficiency of Hepatic Glycogen and a Dicarboxylic Aciduria
Contribution of Defect Dragging to Dislocation Damping. II. Experimental

Detailed internal-friction and Young's-modulus measurements have been made in electron-irradiated copper. The measurements confirm the defect-dragging-model calculations presented in the previous paper. In particular, an initial increase and subsequent decrease in logarithmic decrement $\ensuremath{\delta}$ is observed. This peaking effect is shown to be highly structurally dependent, vanishing after a suitable high-temperature annealing treatment. The proportionality of $\ensuremath{\delta}$ to the modulus defect $\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}E}{E}$ is demonstrated. This dependence, contrary to previous expectations that $\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\propto}{(\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}E}{E})}^{2}$, is consistent with the dragging model. Agreement with the dragging model is quite complete if two types of dislocations are assumed, as has been reported by other investigators.
Pharmacokinetics in older persons.

Abstract Background: Physiologic changes and disease-related alterations in organ function occur with aging. These changes can affect drug pharmacokinetics in older persons. Objective: This article reviews age-related changes in pharmacokinetics and their clinical relevance. Methods: A PubMed search was conducted using the terms elderly and pharmacokinetics . Other reviews were also included for literature searching. The review includes literature in particular from 1990 through April 2004. Some particles from before 1990 were included to help illustrate principles of age-related pharmacokinetics. Results: There are minor changes in drug absorption with aging. The effect of aging on small-bowel transporter systems is not yet fully established. Bioavailability of highly extracted drugs often is increased with age. Transdermal absorption may be delayed, especially in the case of water-soluble compounds. Fat-soluble drugs may distribute more widely and water-soluble drugs less extensively in older persons. Hepatic drug metabolism shows wide interindividual variation, and in many cases, there is an age-related decline in elimination of metabolized drugs, particularly eliminated by the cytochrome enzyme system. Any decrement in cytochrome enzyme metabolism appears nonselective. Synthetic conjugation metabolism is less affected by age. Pseudocapillarization of the sinusoidal endothelium in the liver, restricting oxygen diffusion, and the decline in liver size and liver blood flow may influence age-related changes in rate of hepatic metabolism. Frailty, physiological stress, and illness are important predictors of drug metabolism in older individuals. Inhibition of drug metabolism is not altered with aging, but induction is reduced in a minority of studies. Renal drug elimination typically declines with age, commensurate with the fall in creatinine clearance. Renal tubular organic acid transport may decline with age, while the function of the organic base transporter is preserved but may be less responsive to stimulation. Conclusion: Changes in pharmacokinetics occur due to age-related physiologic perturbations. These changes contribute to altered dose requirements in older persons, particularly in the case of drugs eliminated by the kidney. Interindividual variation, disease, frailty, and stress may overshadow age-related changes.
Does emergency colectomy reduce mortality in patients with Clostridium difficile-associated disease?

Does emergency colectomy reduce mortality in patients with Clostridium difficile -associated disease?
DYSLEXIA AND CLASSIC PATHOGNOMIC SIGNS

The classic pathognomic signs of dyslexia, such as reversals and rotations, appear to be associated with poor reading, not diagnosed developmental dyslexia. 26 8th and 9th grade dyslexics with poor perceptual/attentional ability were matched with 19 reading-retarded subjects with age-equivalent perceptual/attentional test scores for age, IQ, and degree of reading retardation and compared both with each other and with 96 adequate readers for reversals, rotations, insertions, substitutions, omissions, poor handwriting and visual ability on the Gray test, the WRAT Spelling Test, a writing task, and the star-tracing mirror test. On 46 of 49 variables, the dyslexics and retarded readers performed comparably. Together they made more classic errors and had lower achievement scores than the adequate readers on 44 of 49 variables. Classic errors clustered with poor reading but not diagnosed dyslexia. The hypothesis that reading acquisition trains perceptual test-taking ability is advanced.
Engineering complex systems: implications for research in systems engineering

A discussion of the scope of systems engineering, which seems to cover everything and therefore, in a way, to cover nothing. Systems engineering crosses the boundaries of other disciplines. It is the exploration, understanding, and design of how everything fits together.
Beyond Comprehension Exercises in the ESL Academic Reading Class

Recent research in L1 reading and education has focused on cognitive and metacognitive strategies that can increase students' comprehension and learning of academic subject matter from written text. However, the insights from this work have had limited impact on academic purposes ESL curricula. ESL developmental reading courses continue to rely on such standard activities as comprehension and skill-building exercises. Study strategies may receive little attention or be taught generically. This article urges English for academic purposes (EAP) programs to devise more holistic, task- and text-specific, strategy-oriented approaches for reading instruction. Recommendations are given for selecting reading materials, defining criterion tasks, and providing strategy instruction to prepare intermediate- and advanced-level ESL students to meet the demands of reading assignments in secondary and postsecondary content classes.
Primary cell culture for evaluation of botulinum neurotoxin antagonists.

Abstract The actions of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) were studied on evoked release of the neurotransmitter glycine in primary mouse spinal cord cells. 3 [H]-glycine was taken up by cells in physiological solution and released by depolarization with 56 mM K + in the presence of 2 mM Ca 2+ . Release of 3 [H]-glycine was found to be inhibited by BoNT serotypes A, B and E with similar potency ratios to those observed in the acutely isolated mouse diaphragm muscle. When spinal cord cultures were exposed to BoNT/A for 24 h, inhibition of 3 [H]-glycine release was detected at toxin concentrations as low as 10 −14 M, and complete inhibition was observed at concentration ≥10 −12 M. Preincubation of BoNT/A with polyclonal equine antiserum led to antagonism of toxin-induced inhibition of 3 [H]-glycine release in spinal cord cells and to protection of mice from the lethal effects of BoNT/A. It is concluded that spinal cord neurons are a useful model for studying botulinum intoxication and for evaluating BoNT antagonists.
Comments on ‘ Properties of the system matrix of a generalized state-space system’†

The purpose of this correspondence is to draw attention to significant extensions of the results presented by Verghese, et al. (1979). These extensions were obtained after the above paper was written, and are described in more detail in Verghese (1978) and Verghese and Kailath (1979).
Associates of school absenteeism in adolescents with sickle cell disease

Background Despite high rates of school absenteeism in adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD), the issue remains understudied. Potential associates of school absenteeism in adolescents with SCD include demographic (age, income), psychosocial (IQ, self-efficacy, competence, internalizing symptoms, negative thinking), and health-related (hemoglobin, health-care utilization, pain, disease knowledge). Procedure Forty participants ages 12–18 completed measures of psychosocial functioning, IQ, and pain. Medical chart reviews identified other health-related variables. A subsample also completed an assessment of goals. Using school records, absenteeism was the percent of school days missed in the previous year. Correlations tested associates of absenteeism and linear regression tested a model of absenteeism. Results Participants missed an average of 12% of the school year and more than 35% missed at least 1 month of school. Health-related and psychosocial variables, but not demographic variables, correlated with absenteeism. Attendance at clinic appointments and parent-reported teen pain frequency were significant associates of absenteeism in the regression model. For those who completed goal assessment, over 40% of goals identified were academically focused. Absenteeism was positively related to current academic goals and health-related hindrance of academic goals, and negatively related to future-oriented academic goals. Conclusions School absenteeism is a significant problem for adolescents with SCD despite the presence of academic goals. Collaboration between schools, parents, patients, and providers to understand and manage the impact of SCD on school attendance is recommended. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009;52:92–96. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Intracranial aneurysm with concomitant rupture of an undiagnosed visceral artery aneurysm

Concomitant intracranial and visceral artery aneurysms are a rare occurrence. We report the case of a patient who underwent surgical repair of a ruptured intracranial aneurysm but subsequently experienced a ruptured hepatic artery aneurysm in the immediate postoperative period. A 59-year-old woman presented with a ruptured posterior communicating artery aneurysm and was treated with coil occlusion. On postoperative day 3, she became hypotensive with a rigid abdomen and was found to have a ruptured hepatic artery aneurysm. Rapid transfusion of packed red blood cells was begun, and the patient was taken to the angiography suite where the hepatic artery aneurysm was identified and successfully occluded using detachable coils to prevent further hemorrhage. Recovery was complicated by an ileus and mild pulmonary edema. Over several weeks, neurological status and third nerve paresis improved, with eventual discharge to a subacute rehabilitation center. Subsequent follow-up is notable for recurrence of the intracranial aneurysm, and multiple strictures of right intrahepatic arteries and hepatic ducts. The patient is currently being evaluated for liver transplant, but continues to improve neurologically. Prior to this report, there have only been 2 documented cases of concomitant intracranial and visceral artery aneurysms. These reports serve to remind the clinician that intracranial aneurysms may be only part of a systemic pathology, which should be taken into account when unexpected complications arise postoperatively.
A tree-on-a-chip: design and analysis of MEMS-based superheated loop heat pipes exploiting nanoporous silicon membranes

This paper reports the design, fabrication and analysis of a plant-inspired, MEMS- based superheated loop heat pipe (SHLHP) that would exploit nanoporous membranes to allow for operation with large capillary pressures and superheated liquid. The operating principles of SHLHPs differ from conventional designs in 1) the un-coupling of the working fluid from its saturation curve to eliminate limitations associated with temperature head and sub-cooling conditions and 2) the possibility of maintaining sub-saturation throughout the device to eliminate film condensation and improve the condenser thermal conductivity. Nanoporous silicon membranes integrated with DRIE channels are fabricated and characterized. The ability of the membrane to hold liquid under tension is tested by equilibrating water-filled device with various relative humidity and observing the cavitation events within individual voids underneath the membrane. Silicon membranes with desired functionality are further incorporated with patterned glass substrates to form prototype MEMS-based SHLHPs.
Natural convection flows adjacent to horizontal surfaces resulting from the combined buoyancy effects of thermal and mass diffusion

Abstract Consideration is given to the natural convection flow over a horizontal, isothermal and semiinfinite surface, generated by the combined buoyancy effects of surface heating and diffusion of chemical species. The governing differential equations are developed in terms of a similarity variable which allows for the effect of mass diffusion. Some numerical solutions to the differential equations are presented.
A randomized placebo-controlled trial of Ginkgo biloba for the prevention of cognitive decline

Objective: To assess the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) on delaying the progression to cognitive impairment in normal elderly aged 85 and older. Methods: Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, 42-month pilot study with 118 cognitively intact subjects randomized to standardized GBE or placebo. Kaplan-Meier estimation, Cox proportional hazard, and random-effects models were used to compare the risk of progression from Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) = 0 to CDR = 0.5 and decline in episodic memory function between GBE and placebo groups. Results: In the intention-to-treat analysis, there was no reduced risk of progression to CDR = 0.5 (log-rank test, p = 0.06) among the GBE group. There was no less of a decline in memory function among the GBE group ( p = 0.05). In the secondary analysis, where we controlled the medication adherence level, the GBE group had a lower risk of progression from CDR = 0 to CDR = 0.5 (HR = 0.33, p = 0.02), and a smaller decline in memory scores ( p = 0.04). There were more ischemic strokes and TIAs in the GBE group ( p = 0.01). Conclusions: In unadjusted analyses, Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) neither altered the risk of progression from normal to Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) = 0.5, nor protected against a decline in memory function. Secondary analysis taking into account medication adherence showed a protective effect of GBE on the progression to CDR = 0.5 and memory decline. Results of larger prevention trials taking into account medication adherence may clarify the effectiveness of GBE. More stroke and TIA cases observed among the GBE group requires further study to confirm.
Fossilization: five central issues

Second language acquisition research over the past three decades has generated a wide spectrum of different interpretations of “fossilization”– a construct introduced by Selinker (1972) for characterizing lack of grammatical development in second language learning. These conceptual differences found in the literature, it has become increasingly clear, create confusion rather than offering clarification, thereby obstructing a coherent understanding of the theoretical notion as well as empirical research findings. This article addresses the conceptual differences by raising and discussing five central issues: (1) Is fossilization global or local? (2) Is L2 ultimate attainment isomorphic with fossilization? (3) Is fossilization a product or a process? (4) Is stabilization synonymous with fossilization? (5) Should empirical studies of fossilization span five years or more?
Finite polycrystalline elastoplasticity and damage: multiscale kinematics

Abstract A physically realistic macroscopic decomposition of the deformation gradient for metallic polycrystals should explicitly account for all relevant sub-macroscopic kinematic processes, including lattice deformation, plastic flow, and evolution of damage, that significantly contribute to the homogenized deformation at the macroscale. The present work suggests such a decomposition, based on principles of volume averaging and focusing upon elastoplasticity and a variety of damage modes including intergranular fracture, void growth and coalescence, and shear discontinuities. This decomposition, of hybrid additive–multiplicative form, captures precisely the kinematics of arbitrarily anisotropic damage and also offers insight into mesoscopic distributions of residual elastic lattice strain attributed to heterogeneity of local deformation occurring at both intergranular and intragranular scales.
Effect of Experience on Host Preference in Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae): Variability Among Populations

Experiments using ‘naive” females established differences in host specificity among geographic strains of the seed beetleCallosobruchus maculatus; some females strongly preferred azuki bean over mung bean, and others failed to discriminate between the two hosts. We examined whether such congenital differences affect the degree to which host preference can be modified by experience. In choice tests, previous exposure to azuki bean increased the proportion of eggs laid on that host, but only in strains with a relatively low host specificity. Under more realistic, no-choice conditions, egg-laying experience affected oviposition rates mostly in strains with a high host specificity, but these experiments could not distinguish between the effects of a female's experience per se and her physiological state (i.e., egg load). Our results indicate that the likelihood of detecting an effect of experience on host choice depends on both the experimental protocol and the source of the test population. In natural populations ofC. maculatus, recent egg-laying experience probably plays little or no role in discrimination between host species but may influence discrimination between conspecific seeds that differ in quality.
Co-Production : A Viable Consideration for Developing Nations

This paper presents the concept of co-production. Its potential and possible problems in dealing with international markets are explored. Models are used to illustrate the relationship of co-production with the life-cycle of products. The need for management awareness in the processes involved is also discussed.