cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Competency and confidence: procedures in the emergency department

Abstract [Hsiao AK, Hedges JR. Competency and confidence: procedures in the emergency department. Ann Emerg Med. June 2001;37:686-687.]
Applying a connectionist description of feedback timing

This investigation considers the effects of feedback on memory with an emphasis on retention of initial error responses. Based on a connectionist model (Clariana, 1999a), this study hypothesized that delayed-retention memory of initial lesson responses would be greater for delayed feedback compared to immediate feedback, that feedback effects will be greatest with difficult items, and that there would be a disordinal interaction of feedback timing and item difficulty. High school students (n = 52) completed a computer-based lesson with either delayed feedback, single-try immediate feedback, or multiple-try immediate feedback. There was a significant difference for type of feedback, with retention test memory of initial lesson responses greater under delayed feedback than under immediate feedback. Also, instructional feedback effects varied depending on lesson item difficulty. The findings indicate that a connectionist model can explain instructional feedback effects.
Air between forums Principles and examples of leadership

The rediscovery of Sun Tzu's The Art of War has drawn attention to general principles that apply in military leadership and offer suggestions for managerial or administrative effectiveness in other areas of human endeavor. Doing all that is possible to avoid war is a testament, according to the Chinese sage, to the moral strength and intellectual faculty of emperors and commanders. The highest form of generalship is not to destroy the enemy, but to prevent the execution of his plan. And knowing when not to fight is as important as knowing when to fight. To fight and conquer one's enemy does not require supreme intelligence but to break the enemy's power and will to resist without fighting does! The popularity of Sun Tzu is related to public appreciation of military strategy in the Persian Gulf War, the reemergence of Stonewall Jackson and William Tecumseh Sherman as our most gifted generals in the Civil War, and the aphorisms of Mao-Tse-Tung, Tom Peters, and Warren G. Bennis. If war is an art that should be studied well in advance of hostilities, and if military leadership must be developed prior to the uses of strategy, tactics, and logistics, it makes sense to ask if there are principles of leadership that are applicable to army and naval forces, business corporations, government agencies, and elected officials, as well as colleges and universities. Strategic planning, however defined, would not fault most of the leadership principles stated in U.S. Army field manuals after World War II. "Every leader" is well advised to "know your men and look out for their welfare . . . keep them informed ... set the example . . . develop a sense of responsibility in your
Avoid lost discoveries, because of violations of standard assumptions, by using modern robust statistical methods

Abstract Objectives Recently, there have been major advances in statistical techniques for assessing central tendency and measures of association. The practical utility of modern methods has been documented extensively in the statistics literature, but they remain underused and relatively unknown in clinical trials. Our objective was to address this issue. Study Design and Purpose The first purpose was to review common problems associated with standard methodologies (low power, lack of control over type I errors, and incorrect assessments of the strength of the association). The second purpose was to summarize some modern methods that can be used to circumvent such problems. The third purpose was to illustrate the practical utility of modern robust methods using data from the Well Elderly 2 randomized controlled trial. Results In multiple instances, robust methods uncovered differences among groups and associations among variables that were not detected by classic techniques. In particular, the results demonstrated that details of the nature and strength of the association were sometimes overlooked when using ordinary least squares regression and Pearson correlation. Conclusion Modern robust methods can make a practical difference in detecting and describing differences between groups and associations between variables. Such procedures should be applied more frequently when analyzing trial-based data.
Single nanowire manipulation within dielectrophoretic force fields in the sub-crossover frequency regime

This paper presents the quantitative relationship between the control parameters of a dielectrophoretic (DEP) force field and the resulting electrokinetic region of influence experienced by individual nanowires (NWs) in colloidal suspensions. Our results show that DEP operation at sub-crossover frequencies, which are defined as frequencies slightly below the transition from positive-to-negative DEP, offers a suitable but previously unexplored performance regime for single NW manipulation and assembly. The low-magnitude DEP forces at these frequencies, which are estimated to be 8 orders of magnitude smaller as compared to near-DC frequencies, provide an efficient avenue to controllably extend electrokinetic influence on suspension volumes that present isolated NWs. These results are demonstrated using α-phase manganese dioxide NWs as a model one-dimensional construct. Based on experimentally extracted values for the NW intrinsic conductivity and dielectric permittivity, we employ computational models to explain each of the performance regimes observed in this nanoassembly system. In addition, we use a new approach to estimate the concentration of a NW suspension from experimentally observed data for deposition yields.
The ground state rotational spectrum of H2Se: Weighted microwave-infrared analysis

Abstract Ninety-four transitions of the five major species of hydrogen sulfide have been measured in the 100–600 GHz region of the microwave spectrum. These data have been combined with infrared data for the calculation of the energy levels and spectral constants of the several species. The data in both spectral regions can be fitted to within expected experimental error by means of Watson's reduced centrifugal distortion Hamiltonian. The rotational and P4 distortion parameters are for H280Se (in MHz): a = 244 099.89 ± 0.29, B = 232 561.95 ± 0.29, C = 116 874.93 ± 1.76, ΔJ = 34.950 ± 0.03, ΔJK = −118.189 ± 0.07, ΔK = 88.1873 ± 0.13, δJ = −2.12091 ± 0.012, δK = 461.0394 ± 1.0.
Interaction between L-glutamate and ethanol on the central depressant properties of ethanol in mice

Abstract The effect of L -glutamate to alter ethanol-induced central depression was studies in male Swiss-Webster mice. The duration loss of the righting reflex (LORR) was used as a measurement of CNS depression. Mice were injected (IP) with ethanol (4.0 g/kg), which caused them to lose the righting reflex. After mice regained the righting reflex following ethanol injection (IP), they were immediately injected (ICV) with saline or L -glutamate (1, 15, or 25 μmol/kg). L -Glutamate induced a return to the LORR within 60 s after ICV injection of drug. When L -glutamate was administered (ICV) in the absence of ethanol, no significant loss of the righting occurred. In other experiments, DL -2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV), a competitive inhibitor of NMDA, was given ICV with L -glutamate in the presence of ethanol. APV did not significantly antagonize the interaction between ethanol and L -glutamate. When bicuculline methiodide, a GABA antagonists, was administered with L -glutamate (ICV), bicuculline methiodide reduced the effect of L -glutamate to produce a return to the LORR in the presence of ethanol. These data indicate the L -glutamate, an excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter, can enhance the central depressant action of ethanol. It appears that an interaction between the GABAergic and glutamatergic systems may be involved in ethanol intoxication.
Strong, traveling, transverse acoustic modes generated by a rotatinggas jet.

Strong traveling transverse acoustic modes generated by rotating gas jet in cylindrical cavity
Perceived Parental Investment in School as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Socio-Economic Indicators and Educational Outcomes in Rural America

Each year, 1.3 million students fail to graduate, dropping the United States’ high school graduation rate to 69%. One of the most salient predictors of high school dropout is socio-economic status (SES), which makes important an improved understanding of the reasons why SES affects educational outcomes. In this study, multilevel mediation models were utilized to examine parental investment in school as a mediator of the relationship between SES and educational outcomes among an ethnically diverse sample of 64,350 7th to 9th grade students from 199 rural communities and towns in the U.S. (50% male, 63% non-Hispanic White). These relationships were assessed at the individual and school district level. Results indicate that parental investment is an important mediator at both levels. Within school districts, 28% of the effect of SES on the expectation to graduate from high school is mediated by perceived parental investment. Between school districts, 60% of the effect of concentrated disadvantage on the district’s high school graduation rate and nearly all (87%) of the effect of concentrated disadvantage on the average expectation to graduate from high school among students in the district is mediated by perceived parental investment. Implications for prevention are discussed.
An experimental study of acid production rate controlled operations of a continuous fermentor

The efficacy of acid production rate (APR) controlled operations of a continuous fermentor supporting the growth of a methylotroph, L3, was experimentally examined. Direct digital control of pH at a constant value allowed for on-line estimation of APR during the fermentation. Two types of APR controlled operations were studied. In the first type of operation, the APR was controlled at a constant value according to a predetermined program by manipulating the feed flow rate to the fermentor. Such an operation effectively stabilized the cell mass productivity of a continuous fermentor subjected to disturbances in the feed nutrient concentration. It resulted in a near complete conversion of methanol to yield a cell mass product with very low amounts of unutilized methanol at both steady state and transient fermentation situations. In the second type of operation, the feed flow rate was manipulated to optimize the steady state value of APR during the fermentation. This method shows promise for on-line steady state optimization of cell mass productivity in a continuous fermentor.
Observation of a pulsar wind - CCD polarimetry of the Crab Nebula

Stokes parameters have been extracted from CCD images of the Crab Nebula in polarized light and recombined to give images of the nebula in totally polarized light and totally unpolarized light. Images in totally polarized light show dominant emission in an hour-glass structure. Theoretical expectations on general grounds predict a predominantly azimuthal magnetic field about the pulsar spin axis. Synchrotron radiation from energetic electrons with a range of pitch angles of about 90 deg, when viewed off-axis, naturally produces an hour-glass radiation pattern. Much of the remaining structure: scalloping of the outer reaches of the synchrotron nebula about the edges and depolarization across the face of the nebula seems plausibly interpreted in terms of interaction with the filamentary structure. In effect, the filaments appear to form a conducting cage from which the pulsar wind is attempting to escape with the wind structure thereby pooching out between dense filaments. 26 refs.
Therapeutic moderate hypothermia and fever.

Trauma, subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), cerebrovascular occlusive disease, and spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage all can cause significant brain injury. It is increasingly clear that two distinct phases of injury result in the ultimate neurologic dysfunction suffered by the patient. The first phase involves direct physical damage to the brain tissue, either from the percussive effects of trauma to the head, or compression and tearing of the brain tissue from an enlarging blood clot. The second phase, often called secondary brain injury, is due to a variety of metabolic and physiologic processes initiated by regional cerebral ischemia. These processes include breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, disruption of cerebral autoregulatory mechanisms, the accumulation of toxic extracellular levels of excitatory amino acids and free radicles, the cellular inflammatory response, and regional hyperthermia. Ultimately, the result of secondary injury is cytotoxic and vasogenic edema, elevated intracranial pressure, and cell death.
Oligomeric Ligands for Luminescent and Stable Nanocrystal Quantum Dots

We report a new family of oligomeric alkyl phosphine ligands for nanocrystal quantum dots. These oligomeric phosphines show effective binding affinity to quantum dot surfaces. They form thin and secure organic shells that stabilize quantum dots in diverse environments including serum and polymer matrices. They maintain the initial as-grown photoluminescence quantum yield of the quantum dots and enable homogeneous incorporation into various matrices. They present a chemically flexible structure that can be used for further chemistry, such as cross-linking, copolymerization, and conjugation to biomolecules.
Reconstitution of the Steroid Receptor·hsp90 Heterocomplex Assembly System of Rabbit Reticulocyte Lysate

Rabbit reticulocyte lysate contains a multiprotein system that assembles steroid receptors into a heterocomplex with hsp90. In the case of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), the receptor must be bound to hsp90 to bind steroid, and assembly of the GR·hsp90 complex restores the hormone binding domain of the receptor to the steroid binding conformation. Using both direct assay of heterocomplex assembly by Western blotting and indirect assay of assembly by steroid binding, it has previously been determined that the assembly system is both ATP/Mg2+-dependent and K+-dependent and that hsp70 and an acidic 23-kDa protein (p23) are required to form a functional GR·hsp90 complex. It is also thought that a 60-kDa protein (p60) may be required for progesterone receptor·hsp90 heterocomplex assembly, but a complete heterocomplex assembly system has never been reconstituted from individual components. In this work, we separate the proteins of rabbit reticulocyte lysate into three fractions by DEAE chromatography and then reconstitute the GR·hsp90 heterocomplex assembly system in a manner that requires the presence of each fraction. Fraction A contains most of the hsp70 and all of the p60 in lysate, and elimination of p60 by immunoadsorption inactivates this fraction, with bioactivity being restored by the addition of bacterially expressed human p60. The activity of fraction A is replaced by a combination of highly purified rabbit hsp70 and lysate from p60-expressing bacteria. Fraction B contains hsp90, and its activity is replaced by purified rabbit hsp90. Fraction C contains p23, and its activity is replaced in the recombined system by highly purified bacterially expressed human p23. A minimal GR·hsp90 heterocomplex assembly system was reconstituted with purified rabbit hsp70 and hsp90 and bacterially expressed human p23 and p60. This reports the first reconstitution of this apparently ubiquitous protein folding/heterocomplex assembly system.
Influence of carbon tetrachloride on circulating endotoxin after exogenous administration of endotoxin in rats.

AbstractTo ascertain the influence of carbon tetrachloride on the ability of the liver to remove circulating endotoxin, groups of rats were injected ip with endotoxin obtained from Escherichia coli 026 and also received carbon tetrachloride orally. The serum concentrations of endotoxin at different time intervals were measured by an immunoradiometric assay specific for the endotoxin used. It was shown that carbon tetrachloride delayed the removal of endotoxin by the liver. The effect was dependent on the dose of carbon tetrachloride given and was seen as early as 1 hr after the endotoxin injection.
Outcome of medical treatment of bacterial abscesses without therapeutic drainage: review of cases reported in the literature

The usual treatment of bacterial abscesses, except lung or tubo-ovarian abscesses, includes therapeutic drainage. Increasing evidence suggests that some abscesses respond to antimicrobial therapy without drainage. To study this issue, a MEDLINE search of the literature (1966-1994) was performed for cases of bacterial abscess in which treatment without definitive drainage was attempted. Four hundred sixty-five cases were identified. The most commonly involved organs were the liver, brain, and kidney. The success rate of antimicrobial therapy was 85.9%. Factors that predicted a less favorable outcome were abscess diameter of > or = 5 cm (odds ratio [OR] = 37.7; P = .0003), involvement of > or = 1 organism (OR = 5.2; P = .014), presence of gram-negative bacilli (OR = 3.4; P = .022), length of therapy of < 4 weeks (OR = 49.1; P < .0001), and use of an aminoglycoside as the only active agent (OR = 11.8; P = .008). Many bacterial abscesses can be treated without drainage; abscess size, the organisms involved, and therapy utilized may influence outcome.
α5β1 Integrin Signaling Mediates Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein–Induced Inflammation and Early Atherosclerosis

Objective— Endothelial cell activation drives early atherosclerotic plaque formation. Both fibronectin deposition and accumulation of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) occur early during atherogenesis, and both are implicated in enhanced endothelial cell activation. However, interplay between these responses has not been established. The objective of our study was to determine whether endothelial matrix composition modulates the inflammatory properties of oxLDL. Approach and Results— We now show that oxLDL-induced nuclear factor-κB activation, proinflammatory gene expression, and monocyte binding are significantly enhanced when endothelial cells are attached to fibronectin compared with basement membrane proteins. This enhanced response does not result from altered oxLDL receptor expression, oxLDL uptake, or reactive oxygen species production, but results from oxLDL-induced activation of the fibronectin-binding integrin α5β1. Preventing α5β1 signaling (blocking antibodies, knockout cells) inhibits oxLDL-induced nuclear factor-κB activation and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression. Furthermore, oxLDL drives α5β1-dependent integrin signaling through the focal adhesion kinase pathway, and focal adhesion kinase inhibition (PF-573228, small interfering RNA) blunts oxLDL-induced nuclear factor-κB activation, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression, and monocyte adhesion. Last, treatment with the α5β1 signaling inhibitor, ATN-161, significantly blunts atherosclerotic plaque development in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice, characterized by reduced vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression and macrophage accumulation without affecting fibrous cap size. Conclusions— Our data suggest that α5β1-mediated cross-talk between fibronectin and oxLDL regulates inflammation in early atherogenesis and that therapeutics that inhibit α5 integrins may reduce inflammation without adversely affecting plaque structure.
Analysis and prediction of regulation in a multiple-output current-mode controlled DC-to-DC converter

A technique is developed for predicting the closed-loop steady state output voltage regulation of a multiple-output current-mode controlled converter. The proposed model accounts for the current loop, the voltage loop, and the integrator in the compensation scheme. This method allows tradeoffs with respect to regulation between different components or feedback configurations to be evaluated during the design of a converter. Experimental verification on a three-output current-mode controlled push-pull converter with single output voltage feedback is provided. >
Trends in US Older Adult Disability: Exploring Age, Period, and Cohort Effects

Objectives. We elucidated how US late-life disability prevalence has changed over the past 3 decades.Methods. We examined activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) disability trends by using age–period–cohort (APC) models among older adults aged 70 years or older who responded to the National Health Interview Survey between 1982 and 2009. We fitted logistic regressions for ADL and IADL disabilities and for each of the 3 APC trends with 2 models: unadjusted and fully adjusted for age, period, cohort, and sociodemographic variables.Results. The unadjusted and adjusted period trends showed a substantial decline in IADL disability, and ADL disability remained stable across time. Unadjusted cohort trends for both outcomes also showed continual declines across successive cohorts; however, increasing cohort trends were evident in the adjusted models.Conclusions. More recent cohorts of US older adults are becoming more disabled, net of aging and period effects. The net up...
The exchangeability of human erythrocyte membrane cholesterol.

A new method has been used to determine what fraction of human erythrocyte cholesterol is available for exchange with plasma unesterified cholesterol. Erythrocytes labeled with 3H-cholesterol by this exchange process were incubated with sonicated phosphatidylcholine vesicles, giving rise to a net movement of cholesterol out of the cells. The specific activity of cholesterol taken up by the vesicles depended on the length of time of incubation. Initially the specific activity in the vesicles was greater than that in the cells, but after approximately 10% of cell cholesterol had been removed, the specific activity of subsequently removed cholesterol was equal to that of the remaining erythrocyte cholesterol. We conclude from these data that (a) all of the cholesterol in the erythrocyte is exchangeable with plasma, and (b) approximately 10% of erythrocyte cholesterol is in a more rapidly exchangeable pool than the remainder.
Toward a Factor Analytic Definition of Academic Relevance

Lacking a generally systematic understanding of the concept or meaning of "educational relevance," Menges and Trumpeter (1971) suggested one approach for empirically exploring the basic factor analytic structure of students' responses to 10 concepts normally covered in undergraduate psychology courses. In an attempt to replicate and extend their approach, the present study examined the underlying factor structure of 10 concepts rated by 67 students enrolled in an introductory advertising course. Dimensions of relevance were found to conform to the results reported by Menges and Trumpeter, suggesting the potential for a university of basic dimensions of educational relevance across diverse fields of learning.
Leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase gene (PpLDOX): a potential functional marker for cold storage browning in peach

Enzymatic browning of the peach fruit mesocarp is a major component of the postharvest physiological disorder commonly called chilling injury or internal breakdown (IB). Previously, we detected a major quantitative trait locus (QTL; qP-Brn5.1m) affecting browning in peach using two related progeny populations (Pop-DG and Pop-G). In this report, a gene encoding the leucoanthocanidin dioxygenase (PpLDOX) enzyme was identified as the gene potentially responsible for this QTL. PpLDOX has a high similarity with the LDOX gene of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway of Arabidopsis thaliana. It was co-located with qP-Brn5.1m via the bin mapping technique with the Prunus reference T×E map. A silent SNP within the PpLDOX coding sequence was used to locate the gene more precisely on the Pop-DG map and confirm its bin assignment. These results demonstrate both the utility of comparative mapping within Prunus using the T×E reference map and the power of the bin mapping approach for easily mapping genes in the Prunus genome. An SSR polymorphism was observed in the intron of PpLDOX gene sequence. The SSR co-segregated with the SNP and was used to assess association of PpLDOX with browning in 27 peach and nectarine cultivars. Cumulative evidence obtained indicates that PpLDOX partially explains genetic variation for cold storage browning susceptibility in peach and nectarine. This functional gene has potential use in marker-assisted breeding of new cultivars with lower IB susceptibility and for genotyping current cultivars for possible differential handling during storage to reduce symptom incidence.
Complex Transcriptional Regulatory Mechanisms Control Expression of the E2F3 Locus

E2F transcription activity has been shown to play a critical role in cell growth control, regulating the expression of a variety of genes that encode proteins important for the initiation of DNA replication and cell cycle regulation. We have shown that the E2F3 locus encodes two protein products: the E2F3a product, which is tightly regulated by cell growth, and the E2F3b product, which is constitutively expressed throughout the cell cycle. To further explore the mechanism controlling the expression of the two E2F3 gene products, we analyzed the genomic sequences flanking the 5' region of E2F3a and E2F3b. We find that a series of E2F binding sites confer negative control on the E2F3a promoter in quiescent cells, similar to the control of the E2F1 and E2F2 promoters. In addition, a group of E-box elements, which are Myc binding sites, confer responsiveness to Myc and are necessary for full activation of the E2F3a promoter in response to growth stimulation. Based on these results and past experiments, it appears that the E2F1, E2F2, and E2F3a genes are similarly regulated by growth stimulation, involving a combination of E2F-dependent negative control and Myc-mediated positive control. In contrast, the constitutive expression of the E2F3b gene more closely reflects the control of expression of the E2F4 and E2F5 genes.
Optimizing Clinical Research Participant Selection with Informatics

Clinical research participants are often not reflective of real-world patients due to overly restrictive eligibility criteria. Meanwhile, unselected participants introduce confounding factors and reduce research efficiency. Biomedical informatics, especially Big Data increasingly made available from electronic health records, offers promising aids to optimize research participant selection through data-driven transparency.
Improving Medication Adherence in Chronic Pediatric Health Conditions: A Focus on ADHD in Youth

Chronic pediatric health conditions pose a significant challenge for youth, their families and professionals who treat these conditions. Long-term adherence to interventions, including and often-times, pharmacological interventions, is necessary but often problematic. Understanding factors related to poor adherence and intervening to improve adherence is essential in order to maximize long-term outcomes. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one such chronic health condition requiring long-term adherence to treatment. The aims of this review are to 1) review the extant literature regarding rates of adherence to medication for youth with ADHD; 2) summarize what is known regarding factors that impede and support greater adherence to medication; 3) introduce the Unified Theory of Behavior Change as a conceptual model that may assist in developing adherence treatment packages to support medication adherence; and 4) describe several potential interventions based on the Unified Theory of Behavior Change that may improve adherence to medication for youth with ADHD. Although pharmacological interventions for youth with ADHD have been evaluated for decades, only more recently has adherence to medication been the subject of interest. However, this literature has exclusively focused on understanding factors related to adherence, with no empirical studies of interventions to improve adherence in youth with ADHD. This paper provides a rationale and research agenda for systematic study of interventions to support medication adherence in youth with ADHD.
PLASMA CORTICOSTERONE AND HYDROCORTISONE LEVELS IN MAN

CORTICOSTERONE and hydrocortisone have been demonstrated to be present in human adrenal vein blood (1) and adrenal gland perfusates (2). Selective methods for quantitation of plasma hydrocortisone levels in peripheral blood have been described (3, 4) and their specificity demonstrated (5, 6). Methods have been proposed for the determination of “corticosterone-like” material in the plasma; however, data have not been available on either the specificity or quantitative validity (accuracy and precision) of these procedures. Recently, a specific method has been described for the assay of corticosterone in the peripheral blood of man (7). This method utilizes the principle of isotope dilution to correct for losses of steroid during the extraction and chromatography processes, and the purified sample of corticosterone is assayed by a modification of the fluorescence method of Sweat (8). With this method, it is possible to detect 0.2 μg. of corticosterone per 100 ml. of plasma.
Understanding sensorimotor adaptation and learning for rehabilitation

Summary Adaptation is inherently important for rehabilitation by making movement flexible, but can also be used to ascertain whether some patients can generate a more normal motor pattern. Repeated adaptation can lead to learning of a new, more permanent motor calibration. Though less understood, this type of learning is likely to be an important method for making long-term improvements in patients’ movement patterns.
Optical Action Potential Upstroke Morphology Reveals Near-Surface Transmural Propagation Direction

The analysis of surface-activation patterns and measurements of conduction velocity in ventricular myocardium is complicated by the fact that the electrical wavefront has a complex 3D shape and can approach the heart surface at various angles. Recent theoretical studies suggest that the optical upstroke is sensitive to the subsurface orientation of the wavefront. Our goal here was to (1) establish the quantitative relationship between optical upstroke morphology and subsurface wavefront orientation using computer modeling and (2) test theoretical predictions experimentally in isolated coronary-perfused swine right ventricular preparations. We show in numerical simulations that by suitable placement of linear epicardial stimulating electrodes, the angle φ of wavefronts with respect to the heart surface can be controlled. Using this method, we developed theoretical predictions of the optical upstroke shape dependence on φ. We determined that the level V F * at which the rate of rise of the optical upstroke reaches the maximum linearly depends on φ. A similar relationship was found in simulations with epicardial point stimulation. The optical mapping data were in good agreement with theory. Plane waves propagating parallel to myocardial fibers produced upstrokes with V F * 0. Similarly, we obtained good agreement with theory for plane waves propagating in a direction perpendicular to fibers ( V F *>0.5 when φ V F * maps that were in excellent agreement with theoretically predicted changes in φ during wavefront expansion. Our findings should allow for improved interpretation of the results of optical mapping of intact heart preparations.
Questioning the Conventional Wisdom and Critiquing Unconventional Perspectives in Abnormal Psychology: A Written Exercise

This article describes a teaching exercise used in an undergraduate abnormal psychology course to strengthen students' critical-thinking abilities. Students complete a term paper critiquing a book that is itself a critique of the conventional wisdom in the field. Several books representing a variety of unconventional perspectives are available. The exercise aims at increasing students' historical perspective on the field and at confronting them with controversial issues. It also requires students to engage in an active dialogue with their instructor about an issue raised by the book. This dialogue culminates in the students defining a clear personal position on that issue. The exercise is consistent with an active approach to learning.
Physical Reservoir Models: from Pictures to Properties

Petrophysics and geophysics have not always worked together as closely as one might expect. This paper discusses current advances and sketches future developments. The major objective of geophysical research is to obtain sharper pictures. With the advent of 3D seismic, there is a strong trend to make displays both in time and depth and to convert seismic attributes into rock properties. Conversions based on seismic data alone give non-unique results due to limited resolution. Further progress hinges on calibration of acoustic attributes with parameters measured on core. For time-lapse seismic, the situation is even more complex, due to changing effects of temperature, pressure and compaction. All these effects have to be properly quantified if 4D seismic interpretation is to be integrated with dynamic reservoir models to realize the situation where all geoscientists work on one ‘unified’ 3D earth model. Biot–Gassman fluid substitution algorithms were successfully applied for decades, but suffer, like all mixing laws, from non-uniqueness. Recent investigations demonstrate that dispersion in the low frequency band could have strong implications for seismic attribute analysis. It is important to find out which relations measured on core at high frequencies can be used at seismic frequencies and which require additional laboratory work. The shock-tube is well suited to this task, because it handles large rock samples, and obtains responses below 1 kHz.
Decentralisation, Decision Rules and Residential Construction in Yugoslavia:

Yugoslav planners have not been able to organise the volume of residental construction to their satisfaction. This paper notes two fundamental reasons for their difficulty.One route to an optimal amount of residential construction requires that decision-making be vested in administrative units which would not accord with political boundaries and which would have no historical antecedents. In the absence of such districts, existing administrative units would always build the correct amount of housing if they followed a particular decision rule, to maximise the social rate of return on the savings, including taxes, of their constituents. Planners have good, economic reasons, however, for choosing a different decision rule, maximising the income of their constituents. Both routes to an optimal housing policy are, therefore, effectively blocked, which is the first reason for the dissatisfaction of the planners.A second reason must lie in the relatively high cost of construction. The empirical estimates of thi...
An opamp with common-mode linearized input stage

Wideband large-signal distortion has been optimized by applying a common-mode linearization technique to the amplifier input stage. An operational amplifier has been fabricated in a 6 GHz f/sub T/ dielectrically-isolated complementary bipolar process that achieves 1 nv//spl radic/Hz voltage noise, better than 90 dBc distortion for a 2 V/sub pp/ 10 MHz input signal, a 2 GHz GBW, and 500 /spl mu/V V/sub os/.
Repair of Flexor Digitorum Profundus to Distal Phalanx: A Biomechanical Evaluation of Four Techniques

Purpose Many techniques for repair of the flexor digitorum profundus to the distal phalanx show excessive gapping with variable clinical results. The purpose of this study was to test the biomechanical characteristics of an anchor-button (AB) technique, as compared to 3 other techniques. Methods Twenty-four fresh-frozen human cadaveric fingers were randomized to 4 groups, 6 in each: group 1, 2-strand Bunnell suture button pullout technique; group 2, modified Kessler suture and 2 retrograde anchors; group 3: locking Krakow suture with 2 retrograde anchors; group 4, AB technique incorporating a 2-part repair, consisting of a locking dorsal Krakow suture with 2 retrograde anchors and a locking palmar Krakow suture fixed with a button. Tendon-to-bone gapping was measured after cyclical loading. Ultimate load to failure was measured at the end of 500 cycles. Results The AB technique resulted in significantly less gapping when compared to the other techniques. It also resulted in a significantly stronger repair compared to all the other groups with an average load to failure comparable to the native tendon-to-bone interface. Conclusions The AB repair might allow for early active postoperative motion after repair of flexor digitorum profundus avulsion injuries and tendon reconstruction procedures; however, the soft tissue effects of this multistrand technique are unknown in clinical repairs.
Virtual dimensionality estimation for hyperspectral imagery with a fractal-based method

The Grassberger-Procaccia (GP) algorithm is investigated in estimating ID of hyperspectral imagery. Due to the high data dimensionality and large pairwise pixel distance, data dimensionality may need to be pre-reduced such that the trade-off can be achieved between taking the scale r small enough to have an accurate estimate and taking the r sufficiently large to reduce statistical errors due to lack of data counts. Since random projection can preserve volumes and distances to affine spaces, it is a good choice to run the GP algorithm on the random projected data points. Based on real data experiments, the GP algorithm provides estimates that are close to virtual dimensionality (VD) estimates from other VD estimation approaches.
Resveratrol induces acute endothelium-dependent renal vasodilation mediated through nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species scavenging

Resveratrol is suggested to have beneficial cardiovascular and renoprotective effects. Resveratrol increases endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression and nitric oxide (NO) synthesis. We ...
Elevated ghrelin predicts food intake during experimental sleep restriction.

Objective Sleep curtailment has been linked to obesity, but underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. We assessed whether sleep restriction alters 24-hour profiles of appetite-regulating hormones ghrelin, leptin and pancreatic polypeptide during a standardized diet, and whether these hormonal alterations predict food intake during ad libitum feeding.
Autoradiographic Studies of the Development and Connections of the Septal Area in the Rat

The septum, or parolfactory area as it used to be called, occupies a pivotal position within the forebrain, being interposed between the hippocampus and amygdala on the one hand, and the hypothalamus and habenula on the other. Because of its topographic and connectional relationships, considerations of septal function have generally centered on its role as a component of the so-called limbic system. Interest in the neurobiology of the septum was particularly stimulated by reports of a lesion-induced “septal rage syndrome” (8), and the phenomenon of septally mediated intracranial self-stimulation (48). Recent advances in our understanding of the functional significance of the septal area are amply reviewed in other contributions to this Volume; it is our purpose here to review briefly the results of recent neuroanatomical studies of the development and connections of the septum. This is particularly timely in view of the fact that the septum and hippocampus are increasingly coming to be regarded as a model system for the study of neuronal plasticity (9,45,52) and development (54,61).
Evolution der Natur

Das Gehirn, an dem sich neuronale Netze orientieren, greift auf Struktur- und Organisationsprinzipien komplexer Systeme zuruck, die in der Evolution der Natur entwickelt wurden. Bereits in der unbelebten Natur von Physik und Chemie treten komplexe atomare und molekulare Systeme auf, die zur Selbstorganisation fahig sind, ohne auf eine zentrale Programmsteuerung angewiesen zu sein. Es bleibt zu prufen, wie diese Systeme zur Simulation neuronaler Netze verwendet werden konnen.
Sports Gone Wild

You've seen it all on the news: players assaulting fans, fans assaulting athletes, college footbrawl games, crass posturing, off-field criminal-or at least debasing-behavior, rampant drug use. In short, athletes whom we look to for inspiration are instead acting as though they live above the laws that govern civil society. What's gone wrong? And, more important, how have sports medicine professionals contributed to it?
Decreased plasma gelsolin levels in patients with Plasmodium falciparum malaria: a consequence of hemolysis?

Mammalian plasma contains a high-affinity actin-binding protein, plasma gelsolin, that severs actin filaments. Destruction of erythrocytes could result in the release of erythrocyte cytoskeletal actin into the plasma where it could bind to gelsolin. If the clearance of actin- gelsolin complexes exceeds its synthesis, lowering of the plasma gelsolin concentration might follow. To test this hypothesis, we measured plasma gelsolin levels in patients with falciparum malaria, a disease where at least part of the hemolysis takes place in the intravascular space and that is usually not accompanied by dysfunction of other organs. Two functional gelsolin assays showed that the mean plasma gelsolin concentration of 18 Nigerian children with Plasmodium falciparum malaria was less than 50% (P less than .001) of healthy Nigerian control subjects tested at the same time. Patients with pneumonia and febrile seizures also had depressed gelsolin levels, which indicates that factors other than hemolysis can lower gelsolin concentrations. Gelsolin levels were measured in 11 patients from The Gambia with P falciparum malaria before and approximately 3 weeks after treatment. In all cases the gelsolin level increased after treatment. To confirm the hypothesis that hemolysis can result in a lowering of plasma gelsolin levels, hemolysis was induced in rabbits, either acutely (by the injection of human serum) or subacutely (by the administration of phenylhydrazine). A fall in plasma gelsolin levels was seen, the rate of fall differing with the extent of hemolysis. Affinity adsorption of plasma from animals undergoing acute hemolysis with Sepharose beads coupled to the actin-binding protein DNase I, followed by immunoblotting of adherent proteins with antiactin antiserum demonstrated the presence of actin in circulating rabbit plasma. These studies suggest that under some conditions components of the red cell cytoskeleton are exposed to plasma proteins and that accelerated clearance of actin-gelsolin complexes may explain in part the depressed plasma gelsolin levels seen in patients with falciparum malaria.
Role of Regulation in Micro Finance: Jurisdictional Analysis (Africa, Asia and Latin America)

An innovative aspect of this paper is evidenced through its recommendation of the Micro-Savings Requirement Scheme - which offers numerous benefits - as will be highlighted in this paper.The paper not only addresses how linkages, direct and facilitating linkages, can benefit microfinance institutions - and particularly in jurisdictions where the Savings Group Outreach involvement is particularly low, but also illustrates ways and means whereby group lending and other more recent innovative methods used by micro lenders to secure repayments, could increase the desired effects, efficiency and impact of microfinance in selected jurisdictions. In so doing, it addresses some of the existing and persisting problems of micro finance in rural areas.
Floral foam and/or conventional or organic preservatives affect the vase-life and quality of cut rose (Rosa × hybrida L.) stems

SummaryWe studied the effects of floral foam (Oasis®), with or without conventional or organic preservatives, to determine the optimum treatment to extend the vase-life of the cut rose (Rosa × hybrida L.) cultivars ‘Freedom’ and ‘Charlotte’. In general, floral foam resulted in similar or reduced vase-lives in cut ‘Freedom’ and ‘Charlotte’ rose, and had no influence on the symptoms of senescence in either cultivar. ‘Freedom’ showed more petal browning and rot, as well as reduced flower bud opening, compared to ‘Charlotte’. Vase solutions containing either of two conventional preservatives resulted in longer vase-lives in the stems of both cultivars than stems in deionised (DI) water. Floral foam saturated with DI water resulted in greater changes in the pH of the vase solution in both cultivars. Among the preservatives tested, conventional products such as Floralife Premium Rose Food or Chrysal Rose Vase (each at 10 ml l–1) extended the vase-life by 5.5 d or 3.9 d, respectively; whereas organic products su...
PATHWAY AND FORM OF ABSORPTION OF PALMITIC ACID IN THE CHICKEN.

The ratio of lipid C14 in plasma of portal vein blood to that in plasma of systemic blood was determined in chickens killed 30, 60, 90, and 150 min after injection of palmitic acid-1-C14 into their gizzards. In other experiments other ratios were determined: (a) lipid C14 in plasma of pancreaticoduodenal blood to that in portal vein blood in chickens killed 30 min after fatty acid administration; and (b) lipid C14 in jejunal vein to that in portal vein plasma in birds killed 90 and 150 min after the injection. The results demonstrated that the portal system is a significant pathway for the absorption of fatty acid from the intestines of the bird, and that during the early period absorption from the duodenum takes place. Measurement of the C14 remaining in the digestive tract contents indicated that up to 96% of the injected labeled palmitic acid was absorbed in 90 min. Analysis of ultracentrifugally-separated plasma lipoproteins in blood drawn from the pancreaticoduodenal vein half an hour after introduction of the labeled palmitic acid into the gizzard revealed that the palmitic acid was absorbed from the intestines into the bloodstream principally as triglycerides in the very low density (Sf > 20) lipoproteins.
Diel variation of three size fractions of chlorophyll a and its controlling factors in the typical regions of East China Sea and Yellow Sea

The diel variations of the chlorophyll a(Chl-a) concentration were studied during 4 cruises between 2000 and 2003 in the typical regions of East China Sea and Yellow Sea.Results showed that the variation patterns of 3 size fractions of Chl-a had significant difference for different waters due to the heterogeneity of the geographic environments,the hydrological conditions and seasons.In the shelf of East China Sea,the cycle time was basic 12-hour and it had some changes because of the inbreak of the Kuroshio;Affected by the tide and the diluted water from Changjiang River,the cycle time of Chl-a was also 12-hour.It was 24-hour for one cycle in the central Yellow Sea and varied by the Yellow Sea cold water mass.The controlling factors were identified by stepwise regression for the most environmental factors in this paper.
Krüppel-like Factor 4 Modulates Development of BMI1+ Intestinal Stem Cell-Derived Lineage Following γ-Radiation-Induced Gut Injury in Mice

In response to ionizing radiation-induced injury, the normally quiescent intestinal stem cells marked by BMI1 participate in the regenerative response. Previously, we established a protective role for Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) in the intestinal epithelium where it reduces senescence, apoptosis, and crypt atrophy following γ-radiation-induced gut injury. We also described a pro-proliferative function for KLF4 during the regenerative phase post irradiation. In the current study, using a mouse model in which Klf4 is deleted from quiescent BMI1(+) intestinal stem cells, we observed increased proliferation from the BMI1(+) lineage during homeostasis. In contrast, following irradiation, Bmi1-specific Klf4 deletion leads to decreased expansion of the BMI1(+) lineage due to a combination of reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis. Our results support a critical role for KLF4 in modulating BMI1(+) intestinal stem cell fate in both homeostasis and the regenerative response to radiation injury.