cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Solar wind spatial scales in and comparisons of hourly Wind and ACE plasma and magnetic field data

[1] Hourly averaged interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and plasma data from the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) and Wind spacecraft, generated from 1 to 4 min resolution data time-shifted to Earth have been analyzed for systematic and random differences. ACE moments-based proton densities are larger than Wind/Solar Wind Experiment (SWE) fits-based densities by up to 18%, depending on solar wind speed. ACE temperatures are less than Wind/SWE temperatures by up to ∼25%. ACE densities and temperatures were normalized to equivalent Wind values in National Space Science Data Center's creation of the OMNI 2 data set that contains 1963–2004 solar wind field and plasma data and other data. For times of ACE-Wind transverse separations <60 RE, random differences between Wind values and normalized ACE values are ∼0.2 nT for ∣B∣, ∼0.45 nT for IMF Cartesian components, ∼5 km/s for flow speed, and ∼15 and ∼30% for proton densities and temperatures. These differences grow as a function of transverse separation more rapidly for IMF parameters than for plasma parameters. Autocorrelation analyses show that spatial scales become progressively shorter for the parameter sequence: flow speed, IMF magnitude, plasma density and temperature, IMF X and Y components, and IMF Z component. IMF variations have shorter scales at solar quiet times than at solar active times, while plasma variations show no equivalent solar cycle dependence.
Evaluating groundwater discharge to tidal rivers based on a Rn-222 time-series approach

Abstract The natural flux of groundwater into coastal water bodies has recently been shown to contribute significant quantities of nutrients and trace metals to the coastal ocean. Groundwater discharge and hyporheic exchange to estuaries and rivers, however, is frequently overlooked though it often carries a distinctly different chemical signature than surface waters. Most studies that attempt to quantify this input to rivers use multiple geochemical tracers. However, these studies are often limited in their spatial and temporal extents because of the labor-intensive nature of integrating multiple measurement techniques. We describe here a method of using a single tracer, 222 Rn, to rapidly characterize groundwater discharge into tidally-influenced rivers and streams. In less than one week of fieldwork, we determined that of six streams that empty into the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida, three (Eau Gallie River, Turkey Creek, and Main Canal) did not receive substantial groundwater inputs, one canal (C-25 Canal) was dominated by groundwater exchange, and the remaining two (Sebastian River system and Crane Creek) fell somewhere in between. For more detailed discharge assessments, we focused on the Sebastian River system, a stratified tidal river estuary, during a relatively dry period (June) and a wet period (July) in 2008. Using time-series 222 Rn and current velocity measurements we found that groundwater discharge into all three branches of the Sebastian River increased by 1–2 orders of magnitude during the wetter period. The estimated groundwater flow rates were higher than those reported into the adjacent IRL, suggesting that discharge into these rivers can be more important than direct discharge into the IRL. The techniques employed here should work equally well in other river/stream systems that experience significant groundwater discharge. Such assessments would allow area managers to quickly assess the distribution and magnitude of groundwater discharge nature into rivers over large spatial ranges.
Giant mitochondria in the alcoholic liver diseases--their identification, frequency and pathologic significance.

— Three types of giant mitochondria have been described in hepatocytes, and we have investigated their ultrastructural features and occurrence in alcoholic liver disease. Type I mitochondria are spherical, with a paucity of cristae. Type II are elongated and have long crystalline insertions. Type III are relatively smaller and often bizarre in shape, containing multiple crystalline insertions. We defined megamitochondria as spheroidal giant mitochondria with a diameter roughly more than one third of the hepatocyte nucleus and visible under light microscopy. Type I was the most common form of megamitochondria in livers with ALD. Megamitochondria were present in livers of 58 (27.8%) of 209 consecutive patients with alcoholic liver disease, compared with 1 (0.7%) of a series of 145 patients with non-alcoholic liver disease. The frequency and occurrence of megamitochondria varied in different types and/or stages of alcoholic liver disease. In particular, livers with alcoholic foamy degeneration had significantly increased frequency and numbers of megamitochondria compared to other patterns of alcoholic liver disease. The ultrastructural studies showed that hepatocytes containing Type I mitochondria frequently had other damaged organelles and extensive focal cytoplasmic degradation. Enzyme histochemistry showed the foamy hepatocytes containing Type I had markedly decreased staining for glucose-6-phosphatase and slightly decreased staining for succinic dehydrogenase activities, while the hepatocytes with Type II or III had normal staining. In general, Type I giant mitochondria seem more characteristic to alcoholic liver disease, or conditions that produce similar hepatic morphology. It is particularly seen in alcoholic foamy degeneration and may be part of decompensation of the hepatocytes, while Types II and III occurred in hepatocytes of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic patients and had preserved function.
A Top-Down Approach from Service Centers to Business Processes

Business service centers (BSC) design a framework for defining non-overlapping, independent, reusable, cost-effective business centers that provide business services. Business services define the way service centers interact and exchange information and assets to achieve business goals. BSC modeling offers many advantages over traditional techniques, such as reuse, simplicity, implementation autonomy, and responsiveness. On the other hand, defining and modeling business processes (BP) is a critical factor in improving business performance. We propose a top-down approach from the business level to the operational level, taking advantages of both BSC and BP approaches. Using the guidelines described in this framework, business designers can use both BSC and BP techniques to provide an end-to-end view of business operations. In a climate of constant and unpredictable change, synergy between process thinking and service center thinking becomes essential to the success of enterprises.
Angiotensin II natriuresis and antinatriuresis: role of renal artery pressure, renal hemodynamics, and tubular reabsorption.

. The aim of this study was to determine the role of changes in renal artery pressure (RAP), renal hemodynamics, and tubular reabsorption in mediating the natriuretic and antinatriuretic actions of angiotensin II (AII). In anesthetized dogs, endogenous AII formation was blocked with SQ-14225 and AII was infused i.v. at rates of 5–1215 ng/kg/min while RAP was either servo-controlled at the normal level or permitted to increase. When RAP was servo-controlled to prevent a rise i RAP, AII infusion at all rates from 5–1215 ng/kg/min decreased urinary sodium excretion (UNa V) and fractional sodium excretion (FENa), while increasing fractional reabsorption of lithium (FRLi), an index of proximal tubule fractional sodium reabsorption and distal fractional sodium reabsorption (FRDNa): When RAP was permitted to increase, AII infusion rates up to 45 ng/kg/min decreased UNa V, and FENa, while increasing FRLi and FRDNa However, at 135 ng/ Kg/min and above UNa V, and FENa, increasing while FRLi and FRDNa decreased when RAP was allowed to rise, even though RBF and FF were not substantially different from the values observed when RAP was servo-controlled. Filtered sodium load was slightly higher when RAP was permitted to increase during AII infusion, compared to the dogs in which RAP was servocontrolled, although the differences were not statistically significant. Thus, even very large doses of AII cause antinatriuresis when RAP was prevented from increasing. The natriuretic effect of high dose of AII is caused by increased RAP which decreases fractional sodium reabsorption in proximal and distal tubules and causes slight increases in sodium delivery to the tubules.
The recharacterization of a polysaccharide iron complex (Niferex)

An oral hematinic marketed as "Niferex," the active component of which is a polysaccharide-iron complex (PIC), has recently been recharacterized. PIC is synthesized by the neutralization of an FeCl3 carbohydrate solution. Original characterization of this complex by Mossbauer spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction suggested that the iron-rich core was similar in structure to the mineral ferrihydrite. Higher precision X-ray powder diffraction now indicates that the core has a long-range order more similar to the mineral akaganeite, beta-FeOOH, than to ferrihydrite. This structure has been found for other similar ferric iron-carbohydrate polymers, especially those synthesized by the hydrolysis of FeCl3. Also discussed are the variable temperature (24-295 K) Mossbauer spectroscopic data for PIC. The first example of EXAFS data for polysaccharide iron complexes confirms that the iron is in an octahedral environment, coordinated to oxygen, with a short-range order similar to that for ferritin. The second iron shells in the PIC samples are less ordered than the second shell in ferritin. The size of the PIC core was found to be approximately 5 nm by X-ray powder diffraction, and is of the same order of magnitude as the ferritin core.
A Study of the Impact of Transformative Professional Development on Hispanic Student Performance on State Mandated Assessments of Science in Elementary School

This paper reports the findings of a study of the impact of the transformative professional development (TPD) model on student achievement on state-mandated assessments of science in elementary school. Two schools (one intervention and one control) participated in the case study where teachers from one school received the TPD intervention across a 2-year period while teachers at the other school received no program and continued business as usual. The TPD program includes a focus on the core conceptual framework for effective professional development (Desimone in Educ Res 38:181–199, 2009) as well as an emphasis on culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) and other effective science instructional strategies. Findings revealed that participation in TPD had a significant impact on student achievement for Burns Elementary with the percentage of proficient students growing from 25 % at baseline to 67 % at the end of the 2-year program, while the comparison school did not experience similar growth. Implications for future research and implementation of professional development programs to meet the needs of teachers in the realm of CRP in science are discussed.
Transition State Model for Grain Boundary Motion During Ion Bombardment

Ion bombardment of polycrystalline Ge, Si, and Au films leads to rates of grain boundary motion that greatly exceed rates of thermally-induced motion at the same temperature and which exhibit a weak temperature dependence. The enhanced migration rate is proportional to the rate of energy deposition in nuclear collisions at or very near the grain boundary. Experimental work is reviewed, and a transition state model is presented which accounts for the observed kinetics of grain boundary migration during bombardment. This model suggests that the rate limiting step in grain boundary motion may be thermally-induced migration of a bombardment-generated defect across the boundary. Also, the ratio of atomic jumps at grain boundaries to the local collision-induced Frenkel defect generation rate is shown to be characteristic of each material, but independent of ion mass and ion flux. The model is extended to the motion of an interface between two phases, and applications to crystallization during ion bombardment are discussed.
The surface as molecular reagent: organic chemistry at the semiconductor interface

Abstract Methods for the incorporation of organic functionality onto semiconductor surfaces have seen immense progress in recent years. Of the multiple methods developed, the direct, covalent attachment of organic moieties is valuable because it allows for excellent control of the interfacial properties. This review article will focus on a number of synthetic strategies that have been developed to exploit the unique reactivity of group-IV surfaces under vacuum. A picture of the semiconductor surface and its reactions will be developed within the standard framework of organic chemistry with emphasis on the importance of combined experimental and theoretical approaches. Three broad areas of organic chemistry will be highlighted, including nucleophilic/electrophilic, pericyclic, and aromatic reactions. The concept of nucleophilicity and electrophilicity will be discussed within the context of dative bonding and proton transfer of amines and alcohols. Pericyclic reactions cover the [4 + 2] or Diels–Alder cycloaddition, [2 + 2] cycloaddition, dipolar, and ene reactions. Examples include the reactions of alkenes, dienes, ketones, nitriles, and related multifunctional molecules at the interface. Aromaticity and the use of directing groups to influence the distribution of surface products will be illustrated with benzene, xylene, and heteroaromatic compounds. Finally, multifunctional molecules are used to describe the competition and selectively observed among different surface reactions.
TEXTURIZED SOY PROTEIN IN BEEF LOAVES: COOKING LOSSES, FLAVOR, JUICINESS AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

A collaborative study was made by four laboratories on characteristics of meat loaves as affected by 15 or 30% substitution of texturized soy flour (TSP) obtained from six manufacturers. Increased levels of TSP caused a progressive decrease in total and drip losses. Soy flavor and aroma increased but beef flavor decreased as the level of textured soy flour was increased. Moisture content of raw or of cooked loaves was not affected by soy substitution but percent moisture retention increased as level of TSP increased. Lipid retention in cooked loaves was increased as TSP substitution level was increased. Therefore, although addition of TSP diluted the lipid in the raw loaves, only slight differences occurred between the lipid content of the cooked all beef and soy-substituted loaves.
Heavy quarkonium decays and the renormalization group

Abstract A renormalization group approach to heavy quarkonium decays is developed. Exclusive two-meson decays and inclusive decays are considered.
Lysophosphatidic acid and receptor-mediated activation of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase.

Both lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) are platelet-derived phospholipids that elicit diverse biological responses. In endothelial cells, S1P stimulates the EDG-1 receptor-mediated activation of the endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), but the role of LPA in eNOS regulation is less well understood. We now report that LPA treatment of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) activates eNOS enzyme activity in a pathway that involves phosphorylation of eNOS on serine 1179 by protein kinase Akt. In contrast to the cellular responses elicited by S1P in COS-7 cells, LPA can stimulate the activation of eNOS and Akt independently of EDG-1 receptor transfection. LPA-stimulated enzyme activation was significantly attenuated in an eNOS mutant lacking the site that is phosphorylated by kinase Akt (eNOS S1179A). In BAEC, activation of eNOS by LPA is completely blocked by pertussis toxin, by the intracellular calcium chelator BAPTA (1,2-bis(aminophenoxy) ethane-N,N,N‘,N‘-tetraa...
Effect of inhibitors on the metabolism of specifically labelled glucose by brain.

Abstract Arsenite and menadione alter the normal metabolic pathways of guinea-pig brain cortex in a manner which may be interpreted as permitting a greater participation of the direct oxidative pathway, in contrast to the Embden-Meyerhof pathway. The means by which these two compounds accomplish this change appear to be fundamentall different. Chlorpromazine, two dodecylpyridinium compounds, iodoacetate and probably arsenate seem to be general metabolic inhibitors which have little selective influence on these two routes. Similarly, in uninhibited brain metabolism, potassium chloride stimulation of respiration or its omission have no selective influence.
Radiation dose estimation using preclinical imaging with 124I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) PET.

Purpose: A pretherapy 124I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) positron emission tomography (PET)∕computed tomography (CT) provides a potential method to estimate radiation dose to normal organs, as well as tumors prior to 131I-MIBG treatment of neuroblastoma or pheochromocytoma. The aim of this work was to estimate human-equivalent internal radiation dose of 124I-MIBG using PET∕CT data in a murine xenograft model. Methods: Athymic mice subcutaneously implanted with NB1691 cells that express high levels of human norepinephrine transporter (n=4) were imaged using small animal microPET∕CT over 96 h (approximate imaging time points: 0.5, 2, 24, 52, and 96 h) after intravenous administration of 3.07–4.84 MBq of 124I-MIBG via tail vein. The tumors did not accumulate 124I-MIBG to a detectable level. All four animals were considered as control and organ radiation dosimetry was performed. Volumes of interest were drawn on the coregistered CT images for thyroid, heart, lung, liver, kidney, and bladder, and transferred to PET images to obtain pharmacokinetic data. Based on tabulated organ mass distributions for both mice and adult male human, preclinical pharmacokinetic data were extrapolated to their human-equivalent values. Radiation dose estimations for different age groups were performed using the OLINDA|EXM software with modified tissue weighting factors in the recent International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 103. Results: The mean effective dose from 124I-MIBG using weighting factors from ICRP 103 to the adult male was estimated at 0.25 mSv∕MBq. In different age groups, effective doses using values from ICRP 103 were estimated as follows: Adult female: 0.34, 15-yr-old: 0.39 mSv∕MBq, 10-yr-old: 0.58 mSv∕MBq, 5-yr-old: 1.03 mSv∕MBq, 1-yr-old: 1.92 mSv∕MBq, and newborn: 3.75 mSv∕MBq. For comparison, the reported effective dose equivalent of 124I-NaI for adult male (25% thyroid uptake, MIRD Dose Estimate Report No. 5) was 6.5 mSv∕MBq. Conclusions: The authors estimated human-equivalent internal radiation dose of 124I-MIBG using preclinical imaging data. As a reference, the effective dose estimation showed that 124I-MIBG would deliver less radiation dose than 124I-NaI, a radiotracer already being used in patients with thyroid cancer.
The Pathophysiologic Role of the Brain Renin‐Angiotensin System in Stroke Protection: Clinical Implications

The brain possesses the same renin-angiotensin system (RAS) as the systemic circulation. Recent experimental studies have shown that the brain RAS plays an important role in stroke and neuronal protection through its effector peptide angiotensin (Ang) II. Ang II exerts its stroke-protective effects through stimulation of Ang II type 2 (AT2) receptors. Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) exert a dual influence, which is important in their stroke protective effects. They selectively block the Ang II type 1 (AT1) receptors, decreasing local vasoconstriction, and allow free Ang II to stimulate the unoccupied AT2 receptor and increase local vasodilation, resulting in the alleviation of local brain ischemia and limiting the volume and extent of brain loss. In contrast, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, by decreasing the amount of Ang II production, may diminish the stroke-protective effects of Ang II. This perhaps could be a reason for the inferior stroke-protective effect of ACE inhibitors compared with ARBs, which has been demonstrated in several clinical trials. The evidence for this effect of ARBs compared with ACE inhibitors, however, is only indirect. Ongoing clinical trials with head-to-head comparisons of ARBs and ACE inhibitors will hopefully provide the needed information.
Pay Incentives and Teacher Absence One District's Experience

Financial incentives reduce teacher absences in a suburban school system. This suggests clearer perspectives on teacher absences.
Chronic asthma: which treatment?

Asthma can be defined as paroxysmal generalised airways obstruction which varies in severity either spontaneously or as a result of treatment. It is a disease characterised by an increased responsiveness of the bronchi such that a wide variety of stimuli cause narrowing of the airways when delivered to the tracheobronchial tree of an asthmatic patient. Such stimuli cause either no narrowing, or very much less narrowing of the bronchi in the nonasthmatic individual. Thus in asthma the bronchi are hypersensitive and can be 'triggered' to narrow by ope or more different stimuli. A knowledge of the various stimuli, or precipitants, of asthmatic attacks is important, as attention to these precipitants is an integral part of the management of any asthmatic patient.
Gate Mapping Automation for Asynchronous NULL Convention Logic Circuits

Design automation techniques are a key challenge in the widespread application of timing-robust asynchronous circuit styles. In this paper, a new methodology for mapping multi-rail logic expressions to a NULL convention logic (NCL) gate library is proposed. The new methodology is then compared to another recently proposed mapping approach, demonstrating that the new methodology can further reduce the area and improve the delay of NCL circuits. Also, in contrast to the original approach, which only targets area reduction, the new methodology can target any arbitrary cost function or use any subset of the NCL gate library for mapping. In order to automate the new methodology and compare it with the original one, both methodologies were implemented in the Perl programming language and compared in terms of mapping performance and runtime. The results show that, depending on the test circuit, the new methodology can offer up to 10% improvement in area, and 39% improvement in delay.
THE LATINO CYBER-MORAL PANIC PROCESS IN THE UNITED STATES

In the past few decades, the anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States has been influenced, in part, by the massive immigration of Latinos to the United States. The internet technology in the Web 2.0 age offers a new medium in which this anti-immigrant movement can appear and create what Cohen calls a ‘moral panic’, which we claim to has become a Latino cyber-moral panic. Of a subsample taken from 170 anti-immigrant websites, the authors examine the role of internet in the creation of a cyber-moral panic against Latinos in the United States in which they find the classic stages of moral panic must be modified and updated. Facilitated by the internet, a ‘call for civil action’ stage is added to the classic moral panic process in which donations and direct civil and political action are sought from online visitors. Recycled information is spread via other anti-immigrant websites, blogs, forums, and other social media, helping to accelerate the moral panic process due to the ability to quickly spread inf...
Threshold Photodisintegration of Pb 208

The threshold photodisintegration of ${\mathrm{Pb}}^{208}$ and the thermal-neutron capture by ${\mathrm{Pb}}^{207}$ is considered. It is shown that the magnitude of the thermal capture cross section and the asymmetry of the resonance observed in the ($\ensuremath{\gamma},n$) reaction at 41 ke V above threshold may be explained by extrapolating the giant resonance amplitude and the amplitude of a subthreshold resonance into the appropriate energy domains. It is found that the direct (optical) processes are small compared with the effects of the "resonance tails."
Vesicoureteral Reflux in Children: Incidence and Severity in Siblings

AbstractPurpose: We attempted to determine the incidence of vesicoureteral reflux in asymptomatic siblings of children with reflux at different ages and assess the incidence of renal damage in asymptomatic siblings with reflux.Materials and Methods: We reviewed radionuclide cystograms of 482 consecutively referred siblings of children with vesicoureteral reflux, including 295 girls and 187 boys 2 weeks to 12.8 years old (mean age 2.8 years). Ultrasonograms and renal cortical scintigrams of children with reflux were evaluated. All siblings were considered asymptomatic by the referring physicians.Results: The overall incidence of vesicoureteral reflux was 36.5%, and the incidence in girls and boys was 39.3 and 32.1%, respectively. Children 24 months old or younger had the highest incidence (45.7%) and the highest risk of bilateral reflux. From ages 25 to 72 months the incidence of reflux was 33.1% and in siblings older than 72 months it was 7%. Reflux of urine to the level of the renal pelvis was detected i...
Antisocial and borderline personality disorder symptomatologies are associated with decreased prepulse inhibition: The importance of optimal experimental parameters

Abstract Although antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and borderline personality disorders (BPD) have been hypothesized to be associated with decreased prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response, empirical support for this contention has been inconsistent. Accordingly, we measured symptoms of ASPD, BPD, and a common feature of both disorders – alcohol dependence symptomatology – in a sample of 53 nonclinical college females using the MCMI-III, and then correlated their scores with their PPI levels. Results indicated that all constructs were intercorrelated (p
On the functional form of non-local elasticity kernels

The functional form of non-local elasticity kernels is studied within the context of the integral formalism. The study is limited to linear isotropic elasticity. The kernels are derived analytically based on the discrete structure of the material at the atomic scale. Atomistic simulations are used to validate the results. Materials in which the interatomic interactions are represented by pair, as well as embedded atom-type potentials are considered. The derived kernels have a range which extends up to the cut-off radius of the interatomic potential, are positive at the origin, and become negative approximately one atomic distance away, thus departing from the commonly assumed Gaussian functional form. The functional form of the potential and the radial distribution function of interacting neighbors about a representative atom fully define their shape. This new continuum model involves two material length scales that are both derived from atomistics for a Morse solid and for Al. Two applications are considered in closure. It is shown that in strained superlattices, the non-local model predicts maximum stresses that are much larger than those obtained within the local theory. This observation has implications for defect nucleation in these structures. Furthermore, the new non-local model improves upon the Gaussian one by predicting a more realistic wave dispersion relationship, with essentially zero group velocity at the boundary of the Brillouin zone.
Model-based vision system for automatic recognition of structures in dental radiographs

X-ray diagnosis of destructive periodontal disease requires assessing serial radiographs by an expert to determine the change in the distance between cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) and the bone crest. To achieve this without the subjectivity of a human expert, a knowledge based system is proposed to automatically locate the two landmarks which are the CEJ and the level of alveolar crest at its junction with the periodontal ligament space. This work is a part of an ongoing project to automatically measure the distance between CEJ and the bone crest along a line parallel to the axis of the tooth. The approach presented in this paper is based on identifying a prominent feature such as the tooth boundary using local edge detection and edge thresholding to establish a reference and then using model knowledge to process sub-regions in locating the landmarks. Segmentation techniques invoked around these regions consists of a neural-network like hierarchical refinement scheme together with local gradient extraction, multilevel thresholding and ridge tracking. Recognition accuracy is further improved by first locating the easily identifiable parts of the bone surface and the interface between the enamel and the dentine and then extending these boundaries towards the periodontal ligament space and the tooth boundary respectively. The system is realized as a collection of tools (or knowledge sources) for pre-processing, segmentation, primary and secondary feature detection and a control structure based on the blackboard model to coordinate the activities of these tools.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Male production by apterous viviparae of the aphid Myzus persicae temporarily exposed to different scotoperiods

Abstract Male production by apterous viviparae of a holocyclic biotype of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, was induced by pre-natal and/or post-natal exposures to a long-night regime of 15 h dark per diem. When the apterae were exposed to three or more long nights immediately after birth and they subsequently developed under a short-night regime of 8 h dark per diem, they produced females (mostly alate viviparae) during the first 8–10 days of reproduction and a high proportion of males thereafter. When the apterae were exposed to two long nights immediately before their birth and to short nights thereafter, they produced relatively few females (mostly alate viviparae), and males were deposited already after 4–6 days of reproduction, i.e. 16–18 days after the first exposure to the long nights. The proportion of males among the progeny of these apterae was highest when the two prenatal exposures comprised scotophases of 11–15 h; under such long-night regimes many aphids switched to producing males exclusively. To achieve this effect, the two long scotophases had to be separated by a photophase of more than 1–2 h. Fewer males were produced and most of the apterae reverted to the production of females (apterous viviparae) when the duration of the two prenatal scotophases was 9 h 45 min-10 h 30 min, or 18 h and longer. One long night of 15–39 h could also induce temporary male production if the aphids were exposed to it late in the 4th larval instar or as teneral adults.
The effect of needle gauge and lidocaine pH on pain during intradermal injection.

Local anesthetics can produce pain during skin infiltration.We designed a randomized, prospective trial to determine whether needle gauge and/or solution pH affect pain during the intradermal infiltration of lidocaine. After approval by our institution's human studies review board, 40 healthy adult
Molecular mechanisms of CD8+ T cell–mediated delayed hypersensitivity: Implications for allergies, asthma, and autoimmunity

Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) is defined as the recruitment of T cells into tissues to be activated by antigen-presenting cells to produce cytokines that mediate local inflammation. CD8+ T cells are now known to mediate DTH responses in allergic contact dermatitis, drug eruptions, asthma, and autoimmune diseases. This inflammatory effector capability of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells was previously poorly recognized, but there is now considerable evidence that these diseases may be mediated by CD8+ DTH. The difference between CD8+ T cells and CD4+ T cells mediating DTH relates to the molecular mechanisms by which antigens are processed and presented to the T cells. Antigens external to the cell are phagocytosed and processed for presentation on MHC class II molecules (eg, HLA-DR) to CD4+ T cells. In contrast, internal cytoplasmic antigens are processed by the endogenous pathway for presentation on MHC class I molecules (eg, HLA-A, -B, and -C) to CD8+ T cells. External allergens can also enter the endogenous pathway to be presented to CD8+ T cells. These include many contact sensitizers, chemical and protein respiratory allergens, viral antigens, metabolic products of drugs, and autoantigens. The resulting CD8+ T-cell response explains the role of CD8+ T-cell DTH mechanisms in allergic contact dermatitis, asthma, drug eruptions, and autoimmune diseases.
Sensitivity of catalyst/base ratio on curing of resin luting agents: Polymerization exotherm analysis

Abstract Objectives . Currently, the proposed test of the International Standardization Organization (ISO) for measuring working and setting times of resin luting agents is based on measurement of times to reach specified stages on the polymerization exotherm. The objective of this study was to use this test to investigate the influence of variations in the mass ratios of catalyst paste to base paste on the working and setting times of three dual-cured dental resin luting agents. Methods . The materials used were Dicor Light Activated Cement (Dentsply International Inc.), Palfique Inlay Resin Cement (Tokuyama Soda Co.), and Vivadent Dual Cement (Vivadent). Fifteen specimens of each material were tested for working time by spatulating mass ratios from 0.7 to 1.3 for 30s at 23°C and recording the time from beginning of spatulation to the time at which a temperature increase occurs. Ten specimens of each material were tested for setting time by spatulating in a similar manner at 37°C and recording the time at which the temperature reaches a maximum value. Results . The data were fitted to the relation, In t= In A + Bm, where t is the time in seconds, m is the mass ratio, and A and B are regression coefficients. The results suggest that working and setting times of the specimens were independent of variations in mass ratio. A comparison among the materials was made by using a multiple linear regression with the relation, In t = InC + Dm + E γ + Fm γ , where γ is a dummy variable to help distinguish between materials, and C, D, E, and F are regression coefficients. The results suggest that differences in materials influence the working time but not the setting time. Significance . These results infer that variations in mass ratio (± 20%) often observed in the clinical setting should not have a significant influence on the working and setting times of resin luting agents.
The Effect of Supplemental Phosphorus on the Reproductive Performance of Turkey Hens and the Subsequent Effect Upon the Poults

Abstract Studies were made on the reproductive performance of Beltsville Small White turkey hens fed a diet containing phosphorus from plant sources only (0.35% P) or supplemented with inorganic phosphorus to provide 1.01% total P, and the effect of such diets on subsequent poult development. Egg production and hatchability of fertile eggs was statistically greater in groups fed the diet containing supplemental P. No significant differences were noted in the hens in regard to fertility, hemoglobin, hematocrit, heart rate, femur bone ash or weight loss as a result of dietary treatments. Poults from both dietary treatments, when fed additional phosphorus (1.01%), grew normally. Poults from both treatments, when fed diets containing phosphorus from plant sources only (0.45% P), were lighter in weight, had greater mortality and developed severe leg troubles, regardless of maternal diet. Tibiotarsus bone ash and the Ca and P of the bone ash of the non-supplemented groups was approximately one-half that found in supplemental groups. There was no apparent carry-over effect of phosphorus from the maternal diet to the poult.
Ventricular tachycardia mapping and ablation in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia: Lessons Learned

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia (ARVC/D) is primarily believed to be an inherited cardiomyopathy that subsequently results in significant myocardial fibrosis. The arrhythmogenic consequences that result from the development of fibrosis are similar to other nonischemic cardiomyopathies, but the unique endocardial-epicardial disease process of ARVC/D requires a specialized approach for arrhythmia treatment in the electrophysiology laboratory. Although the association between ARVC/D and development of ventricular arrhythmias has become increasingly clear over the last 2 decades, our understanding of the arrhythmia mechanisms, underlying electrophysiologic substrate, and treatment strategies were significantly limited. Prospective studies performed in the electrophysiology laboratory allowed detailed characterization of the electrophysiologic and electroanatomic substrate underlying ventricular tachycardia in patients with ARVC/D. This has allowed clinician scientists to better characterize the arrhythmia mechanism and develop the necessary strategies to perform successful catheter ablation. Early in this experience, catheter ablation was considered a limited and largely unsuccessful treatment for patients experiencing painful and recurrent defibrillator therapy. Through our increased understanding of the disease process, catheter ablation has evolved to become an effective and preferred therapy for a majority of these patients. Our understanding of the disease and necessary approaches to provide successful treatment continues to evolve as the clinical experience grows. This article will review these important insights from the electrophysiology laboratory and how application of this knowledge has facilitated the development of a methodical approach to successfully perform ventricular tachycardia ablation in patients with ARVC/D.
Probit analysis of the atrioventricular (AV) junctional tissues of the ferret heart

Probit frequency analysis, a graphic method for determining whether a population is normally distributed, skewed, or multinodal, was used to determine whether P cells are present in different regions of the AV junction in the ferret heart. This analysis indicated that at least 95% of the cells of the transitional zone, superficial AV node, deep AV node, and distal AV bundle of the ferret heart are morphologically homogeneous. In the proximal AV bundle a large cell population is found in addition to the AV bundle cells. The probit analysis was also used to characterize the shape of the cells of each region of the AV junction further. AV nodal cells are not as elongated as the atrial muscle cells and AV bundle cells. These nodal cells also do not branch as extensively as the AV bundle cells.
A note on trapezoidal digital filter design.

Abstract A simple design procedure to achieve an ideal trapezoidal low pass filter whose transfer function is unity for f ⩽ FL, linearly goes to zero, in the interval FL FH is described. Design considerations for practical implementation of the filter and specific illustrations are included. The transfer function performance of our practical design approximations to the ideal trapezoidal filter achieves superior stop band rejection to that achieved by the usual approximations to the H(f) = 1,0 ≤ |f| ≤ FH,H(f)= 0|f| >FH ideal filter.
Vismodegib for locally advanced basal cell carcinoma in a heart transplant patient.

Importance Immunosuppressed patients with solid organ transplants have an increased risk for nonmelanoma skin cancer. Vismodegib has been reported to be effective for select locally advanced or metastatic basal cell carcinomas. However, there is no data documenting the use and safety of vismodegib in immunosuppressed organ transplant patients. Observations We describe a 78-year-old white man with a history of orthotopic heart transplant, immunosuppressed with low-dose cyclosporine, who presented to a specialty dermatology transplant clinic with multiple, recurrent, locally aggressive facial basal cell carcinomas. Through a multidisciplinary approach, the patient was started on vismodegib therapy. The pharmacokinetics of cyclosporine in the setting of vismodegib administration and weekly monitoring of cyclosporine levels ensured that therapeutic immunosuppression levels were achieved without toxic effects. Conclusions and Relevance To our knowledge, this is the first report that details vismodegib use in an immunosuppressed heart transplant patient receiving cyclosporine therapy. With a growing immunosuppressed organ transplant population at high risk for basal cell carcinoma, therapeutic options for locally advanced or metastatic disease are limited. Vismodegib appears to be a safe option for patients receiving cyclosporine therapy with routine monitoring. Future research is needed to evaluate the safety profile of vismodegib with other immunosuppressive agents.
What the Restaurateur Should Expect from His Accountant

The purpose of this article is to familiarize the restaurant operator with the functions and services that are both necessary and available through professional accoun tants. Two fundamental aspects are explored. The first, a consumer view, defines the level of service the res taurateur can expect for the fees he pays. The second is a discussion of the multitude of services available when an accountant is hired. The first view is explored in the paragraph below. The second theme, forming the central issue of the article, is discussed at greater length in the subsequent sections.
Early Mesozoic southward migration of Cordilleran transpressional terranes

Oblique plate convergence can cause forearc, arc, and back arc regions of active margin orogenic belts to behave as semi-independent terranes relative to bordering continental and oceanic lithospheric plates. These terranes, called here “transpressional terranes,” are bound by the subduction zone on one side, by arc-parallel strike-slip faults in the forearc, in the volcanic arc, or in the back arc region on the other and are underlain by throughgoing basal decollements. These terranes undergo shortening in a direction perpendicular to the subduction zone and migrate as coherent structural bodies parallel to the subduction zone along bounding strike-slip faults. Many terranes of the North American Cordillera may have behaved in this manner and perhaps did not travel across the Pacific basin but rather were always peripheral to North America. We propose that during the Triassic to mid-Cretaceous, portions of the Cordillera borderland generally were displaced southward with respect to the North American craton due to left-oblique convergence. Since the mid-Cretaceous, they moved northward due to right-oblique subduction. The proposed displacements are consistent with structural, paleomagnetic, and paleontologic data and with the relative and absolute motions of North America and the Pacific basin plates based on hotspot reference frame models.
Quantitative Determination of Equine Alkaline Phosphatase lsoenzymes in Foal and Adult Serum

Automated and semiautomated assays were developed and validated for the determination of equine alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes including intestinal (IALP), bone (BALP), and liver (LALP). The addition of levamisole selectively inhibited more than 97% of LALP while inhibiting only 55% of IALP. Because these percentages were highly reproducible in an automated system, the IALP activity could be calculated in a sample. Bone alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme was selectively precipitated by adding an equal volume of wheat germ agglutinin (5 mg/mL), incubating for 30 minutes at 37 degrees C, and centrifugating. The LALP activity was determined from the supernatant fluid and BALP activity was calculated by subtraction from total ALP activity. The within-run coefficient of variation for determination of BALP activity was 4.7%. These assays were used to identify and quantify the isoenzymes present in pony foal sera through the first 21 days of life, in horse foal sera before colostrum ingestion and during the first 21 days of life, and in adult horse and pony sera. Intestinal ALP activity was not found in sera of any of the foals or adult ponies or horses. A majority of serum ALP activity of newborn foals is of bone origin (80 to 92%) which decreases markedly over the first 21 days. In adults, only 17.9% (51.2 +/- 18.1 U/L) of serum ALP is derived from bone. The absolute LALP activity in foal serum is similar to that in adults.
Methods of Vascular Control during Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy

Vascular control during laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) requires expeditious control of the renal artery and vein while preserving maximum graft vascular length. The vascular stapler with three rows of staples on either side of the division has been widely used, but it loses more vascular length than other methods. In the accompanying video, we illustrate vascular control with the different staplers and locking polymer clips. The techniques include two nonabsorbable polymer ligating clips (10-mm Hem-o-Lok; MLX Weck Closure Systems), the Endo-GIA Universal stapler (35-mm length, 2.5-mm staples; Autosuture), and the Endo-TA 30 stapler (30-mm length, 2.5-mm staples; Autosuture). In an in-vitro study, we previously determined that the Endo-TA 30 stapler and the polymer clips resulted in significantly less compromise of the vessel length compared with the other methods of vascular control. LDN has been recently included by the clip manufacturer as a contraindication for the use of the polymer locking clips. The Endo TA stapler can be used when preservation of maximum graft vascular length is important.
Aprepitant for the control of delayed nausea and vomiting associated with the use of high-dose melphalan for autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplants in patients with multiple myeloma: a phase II study

Study objective The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of aprepitant as part of the antiemetic regimen for high-dose melphalan conditioning in multiple myeloma patients.
Infant Mortality and Social Work: Legacy of Success

Although it is not widely known, social workers have had a substantial part in the impressive reduction in infant mortality achieved in the United States during this century. This article reviews that contribution, noting a decline in interest in infant mortality in the profession beginning in the 1950s. Recent trends are noted that seem to suggest a renewal in the profession's interest in this important subject.
Cascaded Mach-Zehnder wavelength filters in silicon photonics for low loss and flat pass-band WDM (de-)multiplexing

We present 1-to-8 wavelength (de-)multiplexer devices based on a binary tree of cascaded Mach-Zehnder-like lattice filters, and manufactured using a 90 nm CMOS-integrated silicon photonics technology. We demonstrate that these devices combine a flat pass-band over more than 50% of the channel spacing with low insertion loss of less than 1.6 dB, and have a small device size of approximately 500 × 400 µm. This makes this type of filters well suited for application as WDM (de-)multiplexer in silicon photonics transceivers for optical data communication in large scale computer systems.