cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Altitudes of Dream

Living in the country you quickly realize that there are sounds in the middle of the night?some that become clearer than any other time of day, and others that are only heard in the darkness. On windless nights the engine of a passing car on the blacktop travels for miles, the distant hum of Interstate 80 is like a steady pull of ocean on the dark land, and in the yard, the almost mechanical chirring of locusts and crickets could drive you mad if you listened with the wrong kind of ear. Frogs join in with a deeper voice, and then the breeze picks up and rustles the five giant hackberries guarding the front of the house with their particular hissing rush. A few miles away a dog wakes up and barks, and his call might or might not get picked up and sent around the countryside by the other dogs. The coyotes are quiet unless they're running prey or lonesome for the moon. When they have a good run going, their voices become musical, ululating up and down in a hauntingly beautiful song. It's joyful and terrifying to hear in the safety of the house, the wire mesh fence such a flimsy defense. The other hunt ers are usually silent until the moment their prey cries out as the talons and teeth and claws bite in. Rabbits scream like humans, high-pitched, hysterical. Then they go silent and die. The other night just at bedtime our young bichon frise caught a rabbit almost as big as he is. Trotting away from us with the awk ward load in his mouth to preserve his catch, he kept dropping the rabbit who could do nothing but lie there, too damaged to get away. His side was torn open, the exposed red muscle still pulsing, but his eyes were already blank, his mouth panting empty of sound. We were helpless to save the rabbit and my husband Brent took it away. He wouldn't say what he did, but I keep imagining a shovel severing the neck. It reminded me of the morning we found the rabbit body jammed halfway through the fence, the head missing. Foxes, I'm told, kill for the delicacy of brains. There are certain things we don't talk about out here the way we would in town where a rabbit might be a happy sighting. Pete the dog hunts at night; anything that moves he tries to catch and bring
Effect of High Glucose on Fibronectin Expression and Cell Proliferation in Trabecular Meshwork Cells

PURPOSE Increased fibronectin accumulation in the trabecular meshwork of glaucomatous eyes may contribute to the resistance of aqueous outflow and the development of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Because the glucose level is increased in the aqueous humor of patients with diabetes, this study was conducted to determine whether a high-glucose condition alters fibronectin expression and contributes to cell loss in trabecular meshwork. METHODS The fibronectin mRNA level was determined using RT-PCR in bovine trabecular meshwork cells grown in normal (5 mM) or high (30 mM)-glucose medium for 7 days, and cell counts were measured during this period. Distribution and the relative amount of fibronectin protein were determined in these cells by immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blot analysis. RESULTS Fibronectin mRNA level in cells grown in high-glucose medium was significantly upregulated two- to threefold compared with cells grown in normal medium (P < 0.05). In cells grown in high-glucose medium, fibronectin immunofluorescence was more intense, and the relative amount of fibronectin protein was significantly increased (131% +/- 15% of control, P < 0.05) compared with the amount in cells grown in normal medium. A moderate decrease in cell number was observed in cells grown in high-glucose medium (78% +/- 7% of control, P < 0.05) CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that a high glucose level in aqueous humor of patients with diabetes may increase fibronectin syntheses and accumulation in trabecular meshwork and accelerate the depletion of trabecular meshwork cells, a characteristic feature of the outflow system in POAG. The striking similarity between high glucose-induced alterations in trabecular meshwork cells and those of vascular endothelial cells may represent a common biochemical link in the pathogenesis of POAG and diabetic microangiopathy.
Incorporating Geographical Analysis into the Study of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses the methods for research on the etiology, health care, and service delivery for mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analytical techniques primarily utilize the examples drawn from studies of other diseases. The chapter summarizes the recommendations for the development of a research agenda for spatial analysis of factors associated with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities. Spatial analysis and geographic information systems (GIS) hold considerable promise in mental retardation/developmental disabilities research. Efficient surveillance systems are implemented to assist in untangling the etiology of mental retardation and developmental disabilities. GIS is useful for hypothesis generation and for development of more efficient patterns of service delivery and treatment, at least in health care systems designed to serve the entire population.
The paleolithic disease-scape, the hygiene hypothesis, and the second epidemiological transition

The hygiene hypothesis [1, 2] argues that in developed nations the lack of childhood exposure to infectious pathogens, parasites, and symbiotic microorganisms increases susceptibility to allergy and other chronic diseases in adulthood. A modified hygiene hypothesis, (‘the old friends hypothesis’ proposed by G. A. Rook [3]) excludes childhood diseases as a requisite factor and focuses on organisms such as lactobacilli, a variety of saprophytic mycobacteria and helminthic parasites that are tolerated by the immune system and are absent from the pathogen load of developed nations. The exposure to these ubiquitous agents is postulated to help in the development of the T regulatory response that when absent in industrialized nations results later in the manifestation of allergies and an array of autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, and Type 1 diabetes [3]. To evaluate this hypothesis, I will examine the pattern of human diseases using a model of epidemiological transition modified from A. R. Omran’s [4, 5, 6, 7] original formulation. The epidemiological transition provides a means of understanding the changing relationship between humans, pathogens and other disease insults from the Paleolithic period to the present [8]. The adaptation of hominid populations in the Paleolithic created a disease ecology that minimized the impact of infectious disease but exposed the foragers to many saprophytic mycobacteria in the soil and decaying plant matter. The shift to agriculture about 10,000 years ago heralded the first epidemiological transition characterized by the continued exposure to helminths and saprophytic environmental organisms, plus the emergence of additional infectious and nutritional diseases that continue to the present. The acceleration of urbanization and social inequality increases the spread of infectious disease. Within the last century, some populations have undergone the second epidemiological transition in which public health measures, improved nutrition and medicine resulted indeclines in infectious disease and a rise in non-infectious, chronic and degenerative diseases. This phase with the control of infectious disease and the development of a sanitized water supply and sewer system has played a role in the modified hygiene or ‘old friends’ hypothesis. It is a period in which ‘cleanliness’ [9] removes us from contact with ‘dirt’ [10, 11].
Electromagnetic Radiation in Free Space

This chapter contains sections titled: Scalar and Vector Potentials Solution of Vector Potentials in Free Space Electromagnetic Radiation in Free Space Radiation by Surface Currents and Phased Arrays Notes References Problems
Quantitative measurement of IGF-I and its use in diagnosing and monitoring treatment of disorders of growth hormone secretion.

Quantitative measurements of serum IGF-I concentrations are extremely useful in the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency in children and young adults and in the diagnosis of acromegaly. Similarly,
A coil misalignment compensation concept for wireless power transfer links in biomedical implants

Inductively coupled wireless links are attractive solutions for wireless powering of biomedical implants. One of the issues that negatively impacts the performance of wireless power transfer (WPT) links in implants, is the misalignment between the primary and secondary coils, which could naturally occur as a result of body movement or changes in the biological environment. An immediate effect of coil misalignment is the reduction in the power delivered to the load. In this paper, we present a design concept that could be implemented on the transmitter side, to mitigate this effect while keeping the driver to work at its optimum operating condition. Specifically, we will demonstrate, analytically and through simulations, that tuning the shunt capacitor and the supply voltage at the transmitter side could be a promising approach for compensating the performance degradation induced by coil misalignment in WPT links.
Phylogenetic networks, trees, and clusters

Phylogenetic networks model evolutionary histories in the presence of non-treelike events such as hybrid speciation and horizontal gene transfer. In spite of their widely acknowledged importance, very little is known about phylogenetic networks, which have so far been studied mostly for specific datasets. Even when the evolutionary history of a set of species is non-treelike, individual genes in these species usually evolve in a treelike fashion. An important question, then, is whether a gene tree is “contained” inside a species network. This information is used to detect the presence of events such as horizontal gene transfer and hybrid speciation. Another question of interest for biologists is whether a group of taxa forms a clade based on a given phylogeny. This can be efficiently answered when the phylogeny is a tree simply by inspecting the edges of the tree, whereas no efficient solution currently exists for the problem when the phylogeny is a network. In this paper, we give polynomial-time algorithms for answering the above two questions.
Very Virulent Infectious Bursal Disease Virus Produces More-Severe Disease and Lesions in Specific-Pathogen-Free (SPF) Leghorns Than in SPF Broiler Chickens

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is an important pathogen of chickens causing negative economic impacts in poultry industries worldwide. IBDV has a variable range of virulence, with very virulent (vvIBDV) strains being responsible for the greatest losses from mortality and decreased performance. Previous vvIBDV studies using conventional broilers reported resistance to lethal effects and decreased performance as compared to specific-pathogen-free (SPF) layers, but the potential contribution of the conventional vs. SPF status to resistance has not been examined. In this study we compared differences in the acute pathologic effects of infection by the California rA strain of vvIBDV for SPF white leghorn egg-laying chickens and SPF white Plymouth Rock broiler chickens over a 7-day experimental period. Based on the clinical signs and mortality observed, as well as on the more-severe pathologic changes in lymphoid tissues and kidneys, white leghorns were shown to be more susceptible to the deleterious effects of vvIBDV infection than were white Plymouth Rocks. This study provides important information on the impact of chicken breed on susceptibility to vvIBDV and the absence of impact from conventional vs. SPF status on the outcome.
Perceptual normalization for inter- and intratalker variation in Cantonese level tones.

Inter- and intratalker variation in the production of lexical tones may contribute to acoustic overlap among tone categories. The present study investigated whether such category overlap gives rise...
New Zealand's first MMP election

A new system of voting was used for the first time in New Zealand's 1996 general election as a result of popular enthusiasm to move away from the two‐party system. The author demonstrates how effective the Mixed Member Proportional representation (MMP) system was in reversing the tide of 132 years of the Westminster‐style first‐past‐the‐post system. While more than one MMP election will be needed to assess the effect with certainty, the elimination of the prospect of any party gaining a majority in New Zealand's single chamber created a new pre‐election atmosphere and guaranteed the complex horse‐trading between the minority parties that ensued. New Zealand First, the key minority party in determining the inevitable coalition government, is seen to have considerable policy differences with the Labour Party, and a greater affinity with the National Party, which was the patty of minority government before the election. While immediately after the election, a Labour‐dominated coalition seemed probable the ev...
Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay detects er recruitment to gene specific promoters in uterus

Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) technique allows detection of proteins that bind to chromatin. While this technique has been applied extensively in cell-based studies, its tissue-based application remains poorly explored. We are specifically interested in examining estrogen-dependent transcriptional mechanism in respect of recruitment of estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα), a ligand-activated transcription factor, to uterine gene promoters in mice. Recent genearray studies, utilizing ERα knock-out vs. wild-type mice, have revealed that estrogen regulates numerous uterine genes temporally and most importantly via ERα during the phase-II response, including three well characterized genes viz., lactoferrin (Ltf), progesterone receptor (Pgr) and cyclinD1 (Ccnd1). Here, utilizing systematic ChIP studies, we demonstrate endogenous recruitment of ERα to above uterine gene promoters following estradiol-17β (E2) injection in mice.
Sequence divergence among members of a trypanosome variant surface glycoprotein gene family

We have used analysis of DNA sequence data from four members of a Trypanosoma brucei variant surface glycoprotein gene family to investigate the molecular basis of the generation of antigenic diversity in African trypanosomes. Among these four sequences we find the greatest similarity in the untranslated sequences immediately upstream from the coding region. A complex pattern of nucleic acid and predicted amino acid sequence divergence appears starting at the coding sequence. Two related but highly divergent hydrophobic leaders are associated with different members of this gene family; both forms of these hydrophobic leaders appear to exist in other isolates of T. b. brucei. We find conservative replacements in the first 120 predicted amino acid residues of the mature protein; the following 80 predicted residues show less conservative replacements, and we suggest that this region may be hypervariable and exposed to the aqueous environment.
Reusable metal molds for ocular parts of orbital prostheses.

C ustom-fitted methyl methacrylate resin ocular prostheses were developed at the U.S. Naval Dental School in 1944 because of a scarcity of imported stock glass ocular prostheses. ’ Since that time acrylic resin has become the standard material for use in ocular prostheses, whether custom made or manufactured. Several articles have appeared in the prosthodontic literature that describe various methods of fabrication of custom ocular prostheses.“’ Superior results for ocular prostheses are obtained with the modified impression method.8 This method virtually eliminates the presence of irritating dead spaces in the defect and is far superior to attempting to adjust and modify the shape of a manufactured ocular prosthesis to fit the defect. Ocular prostheses have not usually been custom made for incorporation into an orbital prosthesis because the marginal shape is not critical and extra time is involved in custom molding. There are several advantages to developing a simplified method for custom molding ocular portions of orbital prostheses. First, esthetics could be customized. Second, a relatively large supply of manufactured eyes would not have to be kept in stock. Third, the scleral curvature of the prosthesis could be decreased.5 Frequently when the inner and outer canthi of an orbital prosthesis are carved to the proper dimensions, the curvature of the globe is found to be too severe. The scleral surface of the ocular part becomes too deep in relation to the canthi because the curvature is too great (Fig. 1). The purpose of this article is to describe the fabrication of a reusable metal mold that simplifies the fabrication of custom ocular portions of orbital prosthe-
Auditory rhythms are systemically associated with spatial frequency and density information in visual scenes

A variety of perceptual correspondences between auditory and visual features have been reported, but few studies have investigated how rhythm, an auditory feature defined purely by dynamics relevant to speech and music, interacts with visual features. Here, we demonstrate a novel crossmodal association between auditory rhythm and visual clutter. Participants were shown a variety of visual scenes from diverse categories and asked to report the auditory rhythm that perceptually matched each scene by adjusting the rate of amplitude modulation (AM) of a sound. Participants matched each scene to a specific AM rate with surprising consistency. A spatial-frequency analysis showed that scenes with greater contrast energy in midrange spatial frequencies were matched to faster AM rates. Bandpass-filtering the scenes indicated that greater contrast energy in this spatial-frequency range was associated with an abundance of object boundaries and contours, suggesting that participants matched more cluttered scenes to faster AM rates. Consistent with this hypothesis, AM-rate matches were strongly correlated with perceived clutter. Additional results indicated that both AM-rate matches and perceived clutter depend on object-based (cycles per object) rather than retinal (cycles per degree of visual angle) spatial frequency. Taken together, these results suggest a systematic crossmodal association between auditory rhythm, representing density in the temporal domain, and visual clutter, representing object-based density in the spatial domain. This association may allow for the use of auditory rhythm to influence how visual clutter is perceived and attended.
Direct energy gap group IV semiconductor alloys and quantum dot arrays in SnxGe1−x/Ge and SnxSi1−x/Si alloy systems

Abstract The narrow gap semiconductor alloys Sn x Ge 1− x and Sn x Si 1− x offer the possibility for engineering tunable direct energy gap Group IV semiconductor materials. For pseudomorphic Sn x Ge 1− x alloys grown on Ge (001) by molecular beam epitaxy, an indirect-to-direct bandgap transition with increasing Sn composition is observed, and the effects of misfit on the bandgap analyzed in terms of a deformation potential model. Key results are that pseudomorphic strain has only a very slight effect on the energy gap of Sn x Ge 1− x alloys grown on Ge (001) but for Sn x Ge 1− x alloys grown on Ge (111) no indirect-to-direct gap transition is expected. In the Sn x Si 1− x system, ultrathin pseudomorphic epitaxially-stabilized α-Sn x Si 1− x alloys are grown on Si (001) substrates by conventional molecular beam epitaxy. Coherently strained α-Sn quantum dots are formed within a defect-free Si (001) crystal by phase separation of the thin Sn x Si 1− x layers embedded in Si (001). Phase separation of the thin alloy film, and subsequent evolution occurs via growth and coarsening of regularly-shaped α-Sn quantum dots that appear as 4–6 nm diameter tetrakaidecahedra with facets oriented along elastically soft 〈100〉 directions. Attenuated total reflectance infrared absorption measurements indicate an absorption feature due to the α-Sn quantum dot array with onset at ∼0.3 eV and absorption strength of 8×10 3 cm −1 , which are consistent with direct interband transitions.
Metal chelates of polyhydrazides

Two all-aromatic polyhydrazides have been investigated with respect to their propensity to form metal-chelate bulk polymer, films, and fibers. The aromatic polyhydrazide derived from isophthalic acid was found to give chelate bulk polymer with Ni+2, Ca+2, Ag+1, Hg+2, Pb+2, Zn+2, Cd+2, and Cu+2 which analyze for a 1:1 ratio of hydrazide link:metal ion. Films of the polyhydrazide–metal chelate were prepared by soaking polyhydrazide films in dimethylformamide solutions of metal salts. Tough fibers of the polyhydrazide–metal chelates with such metal ions as Cr+3, Co+2, and Ag+1 were prepared by passing polyhydrazide fiber through dimethylformamide solutions of these metal salts.
Quantitative determination of human apolipoprotein D by electroimmunoassay and radial immunodiffusion

Abstract 1. 1. An electroimmunoassay and a radial immunodiffusion procedure are described for the quantitative determination of human serum apolipoprotein D. Purified apolipoprotein D and antisera to both lipoprotein D and apolipoprotein D were used to standardize the assays. The assays are applicable to measurement of apolipoprotein D in serum and density classes. The electroimmunoassay is more sensitive (50 ng apolipoprotein D quantitatively detectable), rapid (time required for completion of assay is 5 h) and precise (the within- and between-assay coefficients of variation are 4 and 7%, respectively) than radial immunodiffusion. However, comparable results were obtained by both methods ( r  0.85). 2. 2. Serum apolipoprotein D levels of normal subjects and hyperlipoproteinemic phenotypes IIa, IIb, III, IV and V were in the same range (10 to 12 mg/dl). In contrast, patients with hyperchylomicronemia (type I) had decreased apolipoprotein D levels (5 mg/dl; P The apolipoprotein D in serum of normolipidemic subjects was detectable in all density classes but measurable only HDL 2 (21%), HDL 3 (43%) and VHDL (36%)/. 3. 3. Rocket electrophoresis is also a valuable tool for assessing the structural relationships among apolipoproteins or their constituent polypeptides. Interaction between serum and a mixture of antibodies to A-I, A-II and apolipoprotein D resulted in the formation of separate lipoprotein A and lipoprotein D rockets indicating that apolipoprotein D is not a constituent polypeptide of apolipoprotein A. This observation confirms the existence of lipoproteins A and D as separate lipoprotein families.
Reading Comprehension Performance of Adolescents Withlearning Disabilities

A study was conducted to examine the effects of prior knowledge on the reading comprehension performance of students with learning disabilities. Instruction in information and vocabulary concepts was provided to 13 junior-high school students with learning disabilities who had been predetermined to lack the prior knowledge required by an experimental test of reading comprehension. The effect of prior knowledge was examined by comparing the performance of an experimental group (high prior knowledge group) to a control group (low prior knowledge group). The effect of text structure was also examined by comparing reading comprehension performance on three types of reading passages - textually explicit, textually implicit, and scriptually implicit. The results indicated that students in the experimental group increased their prior knowledge and, as a result of instruction, demonstrated superior reading comprehension performance. In addition, text structure was found to affect reading comprehension performance...
Timid Consumers: Self-Extinction Due to Adaptive Change in Foraging and Anti-predator Effort

Abstract We model the evolution of anti-predator ability in a prey species whose predator has a saturating functional response. Increased anti-predator ability is assumed to require decreased food intake. The anti-predator ability is specified by the value of a continuous trait, whose evolutionary dynamics are determined by the rate of change of fitness as a function of the trait value. This situation can produce a perpetual evolutionary increase in the anti-predator trait, with a concomitant decrease in foraging (or other fitness-enhancing activities); the end result of the process is often extinction of the prey species. This outcome is most likely if the predator population size is maintained by some alternative prey species. Conditions that can promote or counteract this tendency toward self-extinction are discussed.
Determining polyhedral arrangements of atoms using PageRank

Polyhedral representations of the geometric arrangements of atoms and molecules is a pervasive tool in chemistry for understanding chemical bonding and electrostatic interactions. Yet the structural organization within very large systems is often difficult to quantify. In this work, we illustrate that PageRank, when combined with the chemical constraints of a system, can be used to uniquely identify the polyhedral arrangements of atoms and molecules. The PageRank algorithm can be used on any network that can be represented as a graph: a mathematical object where individual points, or vertices, are joined by edges. It is thus well-suited for chemical systems where atoms (considered vertices) are connected to each other via chemical bonding (considered edges) or other forces. This has been implemented in a recently reported series of R-scripts, moleculaRnetworks, and the example provided herein illustrates that the polyhedral arrangement of solvent molecules about a solute results in a unique PR value for the solute and enables rapid identification of the local geometry in the condensed medium. More generally PR can be used as a chemoinformatic tool to search for specific structural patterns within any database of geometric configurations.
Modeling gentrification dynamics: A hybrid approach

This paper introduces a hybrid automata model for testing ideas and hypotheses relating to urban gentrification dynamics. We focus on the agency of relocating households in dynamic property markets as the theoretical basis for construction of the model. The methodology employed makes use of hybridized cellular- and agent-automata that allow for representation of co-interaction among fixed and mobile entities in urban settings across multiple scales. Simulations run with the model are based on various hypotheses from gentrification theory and these hypotheses are tested in simulation by running the model through theory-informed scenarios. The usefulness of this scheme is demonstrated through application of the model to a historically under-invested area of Salt Lake City in Utah that is undergoing recent transformation. Our results show that the hybrid approach is useful in representing human behavior in complex adaptive urban systems. Moreover, our model proves to be a useful test-bed for studying gentrification.
Circadian and Genetic Effects on Ethanol Elimination in LS and SS Mice

Behavioral studies using mice have suggested circadian influences on response to ethanol. Studies examining possible circadian influences on ethanol elimination are ambiguous as to whether changes in elimination contribute to circadian variations in response. Therefore, the linear declines in blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) were assessed in long-sleep (LS) and short-sleep (SS) male mice at 0300, 0900, 1500, or 2100 hr following an intraperitoneal injection of either 2.5 or 4.1 g/kg ethanol. Overall mean BAC for LS mice was significantly higher than for SS mice at both ethanol doses. With the 4.1 g/kg dose, LS mean BAC was higher at 2100 hr than at 0900 hr. Both lines of mice exhibited faster elimination rates at 0300 and 0900 hr than at 1500 and 2100 hr. SS mice generally showed a more rapid decline in BAC than did LS mice at this dose. With the 2.5 g/kg dose, the rate of decline was faster at 0900 hr than at 2100 hr for both lines of mice. SS mice showed a significantly greater overall rate of decline than did LS mice. The line differences in blood alcohol concentration and elimination rate may have resulted from a change in the doses used to select these mice and may contribute to circadian influences on ethanol response.
Microsegregation-related pitting corrosion characteristics of AL-6XN superaustenitic stainless steel laser welds

Abstract Pitting corrosion resistance of laser welds of AL-6XN superaustenitic stainless steel (SASS) was investigated in acidic chloride ion medium. It was found that the critical pitting temperature (CPT) of the laser welds increased with increasing welding speed or decreasing laser power. Pitting attack preferentially occurred at selective dendrite cores of the laser welds. Analytical electron microscope (AEM) microanalysis revealed that depletion of Mo at dendrite cores due to microsegregation is the basic cause for the pitting corrosion susceptibility. The higher partition coefficient k Mo and Mo concentration at dendrite cores of laser welds were attributed to the lower heat input welding parameters.
Modeling of fatigue crack growth in notched fiber metal laminates

Abstract The fatigue crack growth rate in notched fiber metal laminates under constant amplitude fatigue loading was studied analytically and experimentally. An analytical approach was used for predicting the crack growth rate with an empirical Paris-type equation, where the effective stress intensity factor in the metal layer is modulated by a bridging factor. The dimensionless bridging factor is calculated by the normalized bridging stress intensity factor with respect to the remote stress intensity factor. The S – N curve was also calculated based on the predicted crack growth rate and the crack initiation life. A 3-D finite element method was established to predict the delamination profile during crack growth. Good agreement was achieved between the prediction and experimental results.
Patients' perceptions of laparoendoscopic single-site surgery: the cosmetic effect.

Abstract Background Laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) surgery can be performed without apparent scarring, while maintaining the salutary benefits of conventional laparoscopic surgery. The purpose of this study was to compare patients' preoperative and postoperative perceptions of LESS surgery. Methods Before and after undergoing LESS surgery, 120 patients were given questionnaires; their responses were assimilated and analyzed. Results Of 120 patients, 62% were female (age, 52 ± 16.6 y), and 54% had prior abdominal surgery. Preoperatively, women and older patients reported heightened appearance dissatisfaction. Preoperatively, most patients would not accept more risk, pain, surgery/recovery times, and/or costs than associated with standard laparoscopy. Postoperatively, patients reported increased satisfaction in their overall and abdominal region appearance. Satisfaction was noted by 92%; satisfaction was related significantly to scar appearance and cosmesis. Conclusions Preoperatively, patients were most concerned with safety; postoperatively, patients' concerns shifted to cosmetic outcome. LESS surgery provides an opportunity for improved patient satisfaction.
Waveform control in welding power supplies

The convergence of advanced power electronics and fast computation has enabled welding power supply control to become more sophisticated, with power and voltage controlled by means of feedback to follow prescribed periodic waveforms that achieve different requirements at different times. An example of periodic excitation is the proprietary surface tension transfer (STT) process developed by Lincoln Electric. In this process, the melting electrode material contacts the weld pool on the workpiece before detaching, creating a periodic short. The STT process provides several major benefits including substantial reduction in spatter, ease of welding, lower arc radiation, reduced fume generation, and lower heat input on thin-gauge material
Diatomaceous origin of siliceous shale in Eocene lake beds of central British Columbia

The abundance of diatoms in Neogene lacustrine sediments and their apparent scarcity in Paleogene deposits have long perplexed geoscientists, but siliceous shales from Eocene lake beds of central British Columbia provide new insights. Major element geochemistry, X-ray diffraction patterns, and relict diatom frustules suggest that Eocene beds at Horsefly, McAbee, and Princeton originated as lacustrine diatomite that underwent diagenetic alteration to produce siliceous shale. The combination of high SiO2 and low Al2O3 values and the presence of opal-CT X-ray diffraction peaks provide a distinctive geochemical fingerprint for biogenic silica deposits that have been remineralized. The discovery of diatomaceous geochemical signatures in siliceous shales may prove to be a useful tool for extending the geologic record of diatoms, perhaps helping to reduce the apparent discrepancy between fossil evidence and evolutionary interpretations based extant species.
THE EFFECTS OF HYPERKETONEMIA ON GLYCOLYTIC INTERMEDIATES IN THE DEVELOPING RAT BRAIN

— Newborn rats from dams fed on a high fat diet developed increased ketonemia and significant hypertriglyceridemia i.e. “hyperketonemic pups”. This perinatal metabolic stress led to an alteration in the developmental pattern of glycolytic intermediates in their brains. In control rats, the concentration of glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) in the brain was high at birth, and gradually decreased to adult values by the third week of life. In contrast, the fructose-1,6-diphosphate (FDP) concentration was low at birth and increased thereafter. The lactate concentration was also high at birth but decreased to the adult level by the first day of life. In the brains of control pups, lactate and pyruvate concentrations remained relatively constant during the first 3 weeks of life. In the brains of hyperketonemic pups, the concentration of G6P was the same as in the control animals at birth but decreased significantly during the first days of life. During early development the concentrations of FDP and pyruvate were significantly lower and the concentration of lactate, higher in the hyperketonemic pups as compared to the control group. The alteration in the concentration of these glycolytic intermediates in the brains of hyperketonemic pups indicated a change in the developmental pattern of glycolysis. The ratio of [lactate]/[pyruvate] also suggested an increased cytoplasmic redox potential in the brains of hyperketonemic pups during the first week of life.
Interleukin-1β expression by a recombinant porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.

Abstract The cytokine interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) is a potent inflammatory mediator in response to infection, and can be used as an immunological adjuvant. In this study, we constructed a recombinant porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (vP129/swIL1β) expressing swine IL-1β from the separate subgenomic mRNA inserted between the ORF1b and ORF2 genome region. MARC-145 cells infected with vP129/swIL1β secreted 1947 pg of IL-1β per 2 × 105 cells at 36 h post-infection. In vitro growth kinetics analysis in MARC-145 cells showed that the vP129/swIL1β virus had a similar replication rate as that of parental virus. We further performed in vivo characterization of the vP129/swIL1β virus in a nursery pig disease model. The vP129/swIL1β infected pigs did not show visible clinical signs, while respiratory distress and lethargy were evident in pigs infected with the parental virus. The expression of various cytokines from peripheral blood mononuclear cells measured by fluorescent microsphere immunoassay showed that IL-1β, IL-4 and IFN-γ expression levels were up-regulated in pigs infected with vP129/swIL1β at 7 and 14 days post-infection. However, no detectable level of IL-1β was found in serum samples from pigs infected with either vP129/swIL1β or parental virus. In summary, this study demonstrated a recombinant PRRSV as a useful tool to study the role of different cytokines in disease progression and immune responses, which represents a new strategy for future therapeutic application and vaccine development.
Models of response to client anger in music therapy

Abstract Anger is an emotion that is commonly addressed in therapy situations, and particularly in music therapy since music, by its nature, is evocative of emotion. This qualitative study examines music therapists’ experience of and response to client anger utilizing a multiple instrumental case study design. Descriptive narratives of clients’ expressions of anger during sessions were collected from 29 board-certified music therapists working with a variety of populations in a number of different settings. The narratives were analyzed through a process of hermeneutic phenomenological reflection, then compared and grouped according to similar aspects and reanalyzed. The results of these analyses revealed four groupings of therapists’ responses, the division of which is primarily based on the therapists’ intent, and which are described as models of response. They include the Redirection Model, the Validation Model, the Containing Model, and the Working-through Model. The models are compared by similarities and differences, and their usefulness in relation to clinical application is discussed.
A quantitative morphometric analysis of rat ileal Thiry-Vella fistulae.

Abstract Controversy exists regarding the mechanism and degree of mucosal alterations occurring in defunctionalized segments of intestine. This study compares the results of a quantitative analysis of mucosal components, including Paneth cells and immunocytes, between in-continuity and defunctionalized (Thiry-Vella) segments of rat ileum. The micrometer component quantitator was used for the light microscopic morphometric analysis. Intracellular lysozyme and IgA were identified employing the unlabeled antibody enzyme immunohistochemical staining technique. The vol% of the ileal mucosal components of animals from the control group and from the in-continuity segments of the experimental group were comparable. Analysis of the Thiry-Vella fistulae, however, revealed a statistically significant decrease in the vol% of columnar epithelial cells and increase in the vol% of lysozyme-containing Paneth cells and interstitium of the lamina propria. Since Thiry-Vella fistulae are neurovascularly intact, mucosal alterations imply a causal relationship to interaction with chyme. The data suggest that chyme has both a stimulatory (on the columnar epithelium) and suppressive (on the Paneth cell population) effect. The vol% of IgA-containing Paneth cells and the percentage of the lamina propria represented by IgA-containing immunocytes were also substantially decreased. Normally secretory IgA is the immunoglobulin of highest concentration intraluminally and among immunocytes within the lamina propria, presumably in response to local antigenic stimulation. The presence of immunoglobulin within Paneth cells may reflect the phagocytosis of immunoglobulin complexed antigens. The data suggest that the degree of local antigenic stimulation is decreased in Thiry-Vella fistulae.
Multiple neutral alkali halide attachments onto oligosaccharides in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Abstract Oligosaccharides perform essential functions in a variety of biological and agricultural processes. Recent approaches to characterization of these molecules by mass spectrometry have utilized mainly soft-ionization methods such as electrospray ionization (ESI) and thermospray (TS), as well as fast atom bombardment (FAB). The behavior of a series of maltooligosaccharides with α-(1 → 4) linkages, maltose (G 2 ) through maltoheptaose (G 7 ), under ESI conditions, has been investigated here. The oligosaccharides were dissolved in N,N -dimethylacetamide containing lithium chloride (DMAc/LiCl) prior to analysis by ESI-MS. A highly unusual feature, evident in all mass spectra obtained using this solvent system, was the presence of multiple ‘neutral’ salt attachments onto lithium adducts of the sugars. Resultant ions took the form of [G x + Li + n LiCl + , where n may reach a value as high as eight. Compared to LiCl, the propensity for alkali halide attachment using other alkali chlorides or lithium halides was greatly reduced. An investigation of this phenomenon is presented in which the organic and inorganic portions of the employed solvent were systematically varied, and semi-empirical computer modeling was performed to better understand lithium coordination by the sugars.
Maximum-entropy distributions of nonnegative random variables with conditional-additive structure

The principle of maximum entropy (ME) is used to obtain distributions of a nonnegative random variable X with conditional-additive structure: for each value of a finite control factor ηX is a sum of components whose conditional expectations (given the value of η) are known. We show that the ME distribution of X is a convex combination of convolutions of geometric sequences or exponential distributions for integer or continuous X, respectively, and find the distribution of η. In the integer case, we apply the method of “matrix unfolding” to the probability generating function of X and show that the probabilities can be blocked in rows that form a general matrix-geometric sequence. Studying an M/G/ l queueing system where the service time has conditional-additive structure, we show that the stationary queue-length probabilities can be blocked in a general matrix-geometric sequence of rows and evaluated by simple real-arithmetic matrix computations
Observations of ferroelectric domains in boracites

Ni-Br, Ni-Cl, Mn-Cl, and Zn-Cl boracites were studied by electron and polarization microscopy. Among others, 180° head-head or tail-tail domains were found in the orthorhombic phase of Ni-Br, Ni-Cl, Mn-Cl, and Zn-Cl boracites. They may be due to growth stacking faults on {100} planes. The orientations of strain-free domain walls were calcd. by the 0-lattice method.
Mitochondrial Energy Metabolism and Ca2+ Handling in Pancreatic Beta-cells. A System Analysis Approach

Pancreatic islet beta-cells respond to rising blood glucose by increasing oxidative metabolism, leading to both an increased mitochondrial membrane potential (Ψm) and ATP/ADP ratio in cytoplasm. This leads to a closure of KATP channels, depolarization of the plasma membrane, influx of calcium and the eventual secretion of insulin. Such a signaling mechanism suggests that mitochondrial metabolism and ATP/ADP ratio regulation in beta-cells may be specially coupled in comparison with other cell types. We performed mathematical modeling to quantitatively assess how cytoplasmic ATP/ADP ratio can be controlled by mitochondria. The cytoplasmic part of the model includes glucokinase, glycolysis, pyruvate reduction, NADH and ATP production and consumption. The mitochondrial part of the model includes production of NADH, which is regulated by pyruvate dehydrogenase. NADH is used in the electron transport chain to establish a proton motive force, driving the F1F0-ATPase. Mitochondrial matrix Ca2+ is determined by the Ca2+ uniporter and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger. The model is described by ordinary differential equations for cytoplasmic and mitochondrial parameters. The model simulates the response of the ATP/ADP ratio to changes in substrate delivery, to inhibition of the mitochondrial Ca2+ exchanger and other effects. We found that mitochondrial Ψm should be in a range lower than 150 mV (where F1F0-ATPase is sensitive to Ψm) to provide a sensitivity of the ATP/ADP ratio to glucose in beta-cells. On other hand, Ψm can work in the range above 150 mV to provide a maximal F1F0-ATPase productivity in other cell types (for example in myocytes). Kinetic analysis of the model reveals that these differences can be simulated by a decreased respiratory activity and higher leak capacity in beta-cell mitochondria in comparison with muscle cell mitochondria that were found recently by Affourtit and Brand (2006).
Role of clays in the disposal of nuclear waste: A review

Abstract Applied and basic sciences of clay mineralogy have played significant roles in radioactive waste disposal practices. Clays and clay minerals as in situ lithologic components and engineered barriers are characterized by favorable properties from the viewpoint of radioactive-waste emplacement. Their high sorptivity, longevity, and low permeability make them promising candidates for retaining most natural and anthropogenic long-lived radionuclides within the contaminated and engineered disposal sites. In this review the following subjects are discussed: (1) source-term classification and current and proposed disposal methodology of low-level and high-level wastes: (2) selected physicochemical properties of clays pertinent to site characterization, grouting, and impermeable barrier components; (3) application of clays in current and future waste disposal practices.
Individual differences and within-flock convergence in chickadee calls

A detailed sound analysis of the Chick-adee call of the black-capped chickadee (Parus atricapillus) was performed in order to determine a basis for individual recognition and for imitation within winter flocks. During the winter of 1978–1979 members of five free-living black-capped chickadee flocks were uniquely marked for individual identification, and their calls were recorded in the field. Nested analysis of variance of temporal call parameters measured from sonagrams and spectral parameters from frequency spectra showed that there were significant differences between individuals within flocks for every parameter measured. There were significant differences between flocks in the frequency ranges 800–2,200 Hz and 4,000–5,300 Hz, in the spectral parameters bandwidth and maximum frequency, and in the duration of the Dee syllable and total call duration.
Square-Planar and Butterfly Tetranuclear Ruthenium Clusters Incorporating the Doubly Linked Bis(dimethylsilylcyclopentadienyl) Ligand

The doubly linked dicyclopentadienyl complex {(η5-C5H3)2(SiMe2)2}Ru2(CO)4 (1) reacts with H2 in benzene under broad-spectrum UV−visible photolysis (254 < λirr < 600 nm) to give the dinuclear {(η5-C5H3)2(SiMe2)2}Ru2(CO)4H2 (2) and the tetranuclear clusters {(η5-C5H3)2(SiMe2)2}2Ru4(CO)3H4 (3) with a butterfly structure and {(η5-C5H3)2(SiMe2)2}2Ru4(CO)4H4 (4) with a square-planar structure. The linked {(η5-C5H3)2(SiMe2)2} ligand is essential for the formation of the tetranuclear clusters (3 and 4), as unlinked analogues, Cp‘2Ru2(CO)4, give only di- and trinuclear products. Wavelength-dependent photolysis studies suggest that the first step in the reaction of 1 with H2 involves metal−metal bond cleavage, which is supported by the all-terminal CO ligand geometry of 1, the independent synthesis of 2, and its photochemical reaction in the presence of H2 to give 3 and 4.
Dose Reconstruction for Individuals Exposed to Ionizing Radiation Using Chromosome Painting

To be most useful, a biomarker for dose reconstruction should employ an end point that is highly quantitative, stable with time and easily measured. Reciprocal translocations have been shown to be a promising biomarker that is linked to both prior exposure and risk, and they can be measured easily and quantitatively using fluorescence in situ hybridization. In contrast to other biomarkers that are available, the frequency of reciprocal translocations in individuals exposed to whole-body radiation is stable with time after exposure, has rather small interindividual variability and can be measured accurately at low levels of exposure. Results from recent studies demonstrate that measurements of reciprocal translocation frequencies, facilitated by chromosome painting, can be used to reconstruct radiation dose for individuals exposed in the distant past.