cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physiological and structural evidence for hippocampal involvement in persistent seizure susceptibility after traumatic brain injury.

Epilepsy is a common outcome of traumatic brain injury (TBI), but the mechanisms of posttraumatic epileptogenesis are poorly understood. One clue is the occurrence of selective hippocampal cell death after fluid-percussion TBI in rats, consistent with the reported reduction of hippocampal volume bilaterally in humans after TBI and resembling hippocampal sclerosis, a hallmark of temporal-lobe epilepsy. Other features of temporal-lobe epilepsy, such as long-term seizure susceptibility, persistent hyperexcitability in the dentate gyrus (DG), and mossy fiber synaptic reorganization, however, have not been examined after TBI. To determine whether TBI induces these changes, we used a well studied model of TBI by weight drop on somatosensory cortex in adult rats. First, we confirmed an early and selective cell loss in the hilus of the DG and area CA3 of hippocampus, ipsilateral to the impact. Second, we found persistently enhanced susceptibility to pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsions 15 weeks after TBI. Third, by applying GABAA antagonists during field-potential and optical recordings in hippocampal slices 3 and 15 weeks after TBI, we unmasked a persistent, abnormal APV-sensitive hyperexcitability that was bilateral and localized to the granule cell and molecular layers of the DG. Finally, using Timm histochemistry, we detected progressive sprouting of mossy fibers into the inner molecular layers of the DG bilaterally 2–27 weeks after TBI. These findings are consistent with the development of posttraumatic epilepsy in an animal model of impact head injury, showing a striking similarity to the enduring behavioral, functional, and structural alterations associated with temporal-lobe epilepsy.
Evaluating the effectiveness of employment programs: can existing statistical methods be applied to the italian labour market and institutional context?

In the first part of the paper we provide a brief summary of the statistical approach that has emerged as the paradigm for evaluating employment programs in the United States. We discuss the role that longitudinal data and methods play in this approach. In the second part of the paper we take on a more challenging task, motivated by the view that the appropriate statistical methods used for evaluation purposes should be tailored to the institutional context in which the program operates. We discuss three directions in which the U.S. evaluation paradigm should be developed if it has to be applied to a labour market context such as the one prevailing in Italy: (I) shifting the attention away from repeatable outcomes, such as earnings or repeated spells of unemployment, which characterize the U.S. approach and provide the basis for the use of longitudinal methods: because of the characteristics of the Italian labour market, very few meaningful repeatable outcomes can be found to evaluate the success of employment programs; (II) broadening the range of programs to be evaluated, with respect to the U.S. practice of focusing evaluations on training programs targeted to disadvantaged individuals; (III) broadening the objectives of the evaluation, from an emphasis on absolute effectiveness, to other types of evaluation questions, such as the effectiveness of service providers, and the issue of the adverse effects of interventions.
Two Decades of Treatment for Self-Injurious Biting in Individuals with Mental Retardation or Developmental Disabilities: A Treatment Focused Review of the Literature

Two decades of literature concerning the treatment of self injurious biting is reviewed. Of articles published during that period, 43, representing the treatment of 63 individuals, met our minimal inclusion criteria. Each of those articles is evaluated and the specific treatments described in detail. Designed to allow clinicians to make informed treatment decisions, these descriptions provide information necessary to implement the selected treatmen option. Results of this review suggest that a differential reinforcement procedure, coupled with social timeout or brief informational restraint, can provide an effective intervention for eliminating self-biting.
The Adolescent with End-Stage Renal Disease

The adolescent with ESRD is frequently immature in relationship to chronological age. Growth and pubertal development are major concerns for the adolescent with ESRD. If renal failure had its onset prior to adolescence, it is likely that puberty will be delayed and ultimate adult height retarded for the patient requiring ESRD care during the adolescent period. Non-compliance with the therapeutic regimen is a major clinical problem encountered in the management of the adolescent. Significant morbidity can result from non-compliance with the dialysis regimen and non-compliance is a major cause of allograft loss in the adolescent transplant recipient. The special needs of the adolescent must be considered if ESRD care is to be successful.
The role of schools in bridging within-school achievement gaps based on socioeconomic status: a cross-national comparative study

Since the publication of the Coleman report in 1966, research on the role of schools in influencing student achievement relative to the role of family background has generated considerable interest and controversy. A large volume of international and comparative research has also been devoted to studying school effects on student achievement. Relatively few studies have examined international differences in the importance of schools in bridging achievement gaps based on socioeconomic status (SES). Using PISA 2012 data, this study examines the role of schools in bridging within-school SES gaps in achievement and compares findings across 61 countries. Contrary to prior research, we find that schools may have limited ability in bridging SES gaps that exist within schools. We also find that across all countries included in the study, specific factors such as the school’s learning environment and school context are not systematically associated with within-school SES gaps.
Oral antibiotic bowel preparation reduces length of stay and readmissions after colorectal surgery.

Background Oral antibiotic bowel preparation (OABP) before colorectal resection has been shown to reduce surgical site infections. We examined whether OABP decreases length of stay (LOS) and readmissions for colorectal surgery. Study Design This retrospective study used national Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program preoperative risk and outcomes data linked to Veterans Affairs Administrative and Pharmacy Benefits Management data on patients undergoing elective colorectal resections from 2005 to 2009. Exclusion criteria were preoperative LOS >2 days, American Society of Anesthesiologists class 5, or death before discharge. Patient and surgery characteristics, bowel preparation use, presence of an ostomy, indication for surgery, and indication for readmission using ICD-9 codes were determined. Negative binomial regression was used to model LOS. Logistic regression analyses modeled 30-day readmission. Results Of the 8,180 patients, 1,161 (14.2%) were readmitted within 30 days. Length of stay and readmissions varied significantly by bowel preparation, procedure, presence of an ostomy, and American Society of Anesthesiologists class. Oral antibiotic bowel preparation was associated with a below-median postoperative LOS (negative binomial regression estimate = −0.1159; p Conclusions Oral antibiotic bowel preparation before elective colorectal surgery is associated with shorter postoperative LOS and lower 30-day readmission rates, primarily due to fewer readmissions for infections. Prospective studies are needed to verify these results.
Long-Term Central Coastal California Precipitation Variability and Relationships to El Niño-Southern Oscillation

Abstract Long precipitation reconstructions (600 years) developed for Santa Barbara, California, using new big-cone spruce tree-ring chronologies capture over 55% of the annual precipitation variance. The modern period of the reconstruction is characterized by low variability and one of the lowest rates of extreme events within the last 600 years. Precipitation has reached lower levels in the past than recorded during the modem period. The 1987–91 drought ranks as only the tenth worst in the last 600 years. Furthermore, although the modern period contains some of the most extreme periods of wetness in the last 600 years, wet years have been relatively infrequent and the mean level of precipitation close to average since the time that most population growth and dam building has occurred in this area. The most unusual feature of the reconstruction is increased variability and frequency of wet events during the late 1500s and early 1600s, which may be related to Little fee Age climatic changes. An analysis o...
Localized Classical Waves Created by Defects

We study acoustic and electromagnetic waves in a periodic medium (or any other background medium with a spectral gap) disturbed by a single defect, i.e., a local disturbance analogous to a well potential in solid state physics. We show that defects do not change the essential spectrum of the associated nonnegative operators and can only create isolated eigenvalues of finite multiplicity in a gap of the periodic medium, with the eigenmodes decaying exponentially. We give a constructive and simple description of defects in acoustic and dielectric media, including a simple condition on the parameters of the medium and of the defect, which ensures the rise of a localized eigenmode with the corresponding eigenvalue in a specified subinterval of the given gap of the periodic medium.
Nicotine-Containing Versus De-Nicotinized Cigarettes: Effects on Craving and Withdrawal

Nicotine exposure levels and subjective effects from smoking a de-nicotinized cigarette (Next) were examined under controlled conditions. Ten tobacco smokers smoked 20 puffs from their own brand (1.1 mg nicotine delivery, commercial cigarettes), a 0.7 mg nicotine "light" cigarette, or the Next de-nicotinized cigarette (< 0.1 mg nicotine) during independent experimental test sessions. The Next cigarette did not deliver and appreciable nicotine, did not elevate heart rate during smoking, and was rated as less satisfying than the smokers' own brand. Subjective ratings of cigarette carving and tobacco withdrawal symptoms increased during a 90 min post-smoking abstinence period. However, there were no measurable differences on these subjective ratings across the three cigarette test brands. It is concluded that nicotine can be removed from cigarettes without affecting the onset time course or intensity of cigarette cravings and other tobacco withdrawal symptoms in an acute abstinence model. Further studies to determine the subjective and physiological effects of nicotine-free cigarettes would contribute to a greater understanding of tobacco withdrawal and the processes involved in smoking maintenance.
Aqueous Ammonia or Ammonium Hydroxide? Identifying a Base as Strong or Weak.

When grocery stores sell solutions of ammonia, they are labeled “ammonia”; however, when the same solution is purchased from chemical supply stores, they are labeled “ammonium hydroxide”. The goal of this experiment is for students to determine which name is more appropriate. In this experiment, students use several different experimental methods to determine whether these solutions contain more neutral ammonia (and water) molecules or more ammonium and hydroxide ions. This question can be answered using pH or electrical conductivity measurements, but both methods require students to know the solution concentration (determined by titrations). For the pH data, students can make direct comparisons of the pH of the solution with the theoretical pH (assuming ammonia is a strong base), they can calculate a base-ionization constant, and they can calculate the percent ionization of the ammonia solution. For the conductivity data, students compare the conductivities of a hydroxide-containing compound that does no...
Time-course Concentration of N -Acetyl-neuraminate Lyase from Rat Granulation Tissue

THE time sequence of enzymatic and metabolic alterations during inflammatory response and repair by connective tissue has been inadequately studied. Enzymatic changes related to connective tissue and the inflammatory process are virtually unknown. However, observations during the development of the chick embryo1 and of biological development of tissue-specific proteins and metabolic adaptations in response to environmental effects or with ageing2 suggest that similar events are operative when injury occurs and inflammation and repair are initiated by connective tissue.
Predictors of Seroprotection Rates Achieved 12 Months after Initiating the Hepatitis B Vaccination Series

Predictors of Seroprotection Rates Achieved 12 Months after Initiating the Hepatitis B Vaccination Series
Glacial-geologic evidence for decreased precipitation during the little ice age in the Brooks Range, Alaska.

Abstract We mapped Little Ice Age (LIA) moraines in the Brooks Range to estimate former equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs), and combined this information with available proxy temperature estimates to infer precipitation trends because little is known about precipitation changes associated with centennial-scale climate variability in the Arctic during the late Holocene. The Brooks Range, northern Alaska (68°N), hosts hundreds of extant glaciers that exhibit geomorphic evidence for multiple fluctuations in ice extent during the past millennium. Our lichenometric age estimates for LIA moraines in the forefields of five cirque glaciers in the Sagavinerktok River valley and Oolah Valley suggest two intervals of LIA moraine formation centered around a.d. 1250 and 1650. The outermost LIA moraine was mapped on aerial photographs for 114 relatively large (1.2 ± 0.5 km) and geographically simple glaciers along a 700-km-long transect following the range crest. At their maximum extent during the LIA, these glaciers we...
Chromosomal analysis in young vs. senescent human fibroblasts by fluorescence in situ hybridization: a selection hypothesis

Almost all previous studies on chromosomal analysis related to in vitro aging of human fibroblasts were done using only metaphase chromosomes. However, this procedure may provide only partial information since the aneuploidy presumably hidden in interphase cells would remain undetected. For this reason, we have analyzed aneuploidy both at interphase and at metaphase. Female (IMR-90) and male (IMR-91) cells were grown from the lowest to the highest population doubling levels and aneuploidy analysis was done by FISH with alpha-satellite DNA probes of 15 autosomes and two sex chromosomes. Our data on total aneuploidy in young cells indicate that significantly higher proportions of cells with aneuploidy can be detected at interphase than at metaphase. This presumably indicates that during active division of young cells, more aneuploid than diploid cells are selected against entry to mitosis. In contrast, interphase senescent cells from both strains show significantly fewer aneuploid nuclei than do young cells at interphase. This probably indicates that during senescence, there is greater selective pressure in the culture against long-term survival of aneuploid cells than against survival of diploid cells. Our study shows that cellular dynamics with respect to aneuploidy involving various chromosomes differs significantly at interphase and at mitosis during in vitro aging of human fibroblasts, and we propose a 'Selection Hypothesis' as an explanation to our findings.
Quality Management and Volume-Related Outcomes in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory

The assessment of quality in the cardiac catheterization laboratory is a complex, ongoing process that requires a comprehensive analysis of the multiple elements of quality. Although clinical outcomes are a reflection of the quality process, they derive from a complex interaction of clinical, technical, and process-of-care components. Procedural volume is associated but not equated with clinical outcomes, although the magnitude of this association depends on numerous covariates, most notably the diminishing rate of adverse outcomes over time.
Using Domestic Well Records to Determine Fractured Bedrock Watersheds and Recharge Rates

This study presents an approach for delineating groundwater basins and estimating rates of recharge to fractured crystalline bedrock. It entailed the use of completion report data (boring logs) from 2500 domestic wells in bedrock from the Coventry Quadrangle, which is located in northeastern Connecticut and characterized by metamorphic gneiss and schist. Completion report data were digitized and imported into ArcGIS(®) for data analysis. The data were processed to delineate groundwater drainage basins for the fractured rock based on flow conditions and to estimate groundwater recharge to the bedrock. Results indicate that drainage basins derived from surface topography, in general, may not correspond with bedrock drainage basins due to scale. Estimates of recharge to the bedrock for the study area indicate that only a small fraction of the precipitation or the amount of water that enters the overburden recharges the rock. The approach presented here can be a useful method for water resource-related assessments that involve fractured rock aquifers.
Hereditary angioedema: a brief review of new developments.

AbstractBackground:Angioedema is a serious medical condition characterized by recurrent non-pitting tissue edema. Hereditary (HAE) forms of this disorder are potentially fatal.Methods:PubMED, Up to Date and Cochrane Library databases were used to identify scholarly peer reviewed original research or review articles on angioedema. Search terms used were: angioedema, HAE, ACE inhibitor induced angioedema, acquired angioedema, type III HAE (now termed HAE with normal C1-INH), diagnosis of HAE, and treatment of HAE. Inclusive dates of the search were 1946 through 2013. Articles on urticaria were excluded.Results:The pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis and treatments of angioedema are presented. Three variants of HAE are discussed and differentiated from acquired, ACE induced and allergic types of angioedema. Emphasis is placed on understanding that HAE is mediated by bradykinin, not histamine, and is therefore unresponsive to antihistamines, corticosteroids and epinephrine. In con...
Prenatal Corticosteroids: A Neonatologist’s Perspective

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the standard of care for prenatal corticosteroids for women in preterm labor prior to 34 weeks’ gestation. 2. Describe the effects of prenatal corticosteroids on the fetus. 3. List the preferred corticosteroid for prenatal treatments. 4. Explain the recommendation regarding not using repetitive courses of prenatal corticosteroids. Prenatal glucocorticoids are standard of care for women at high risk of preterm delivery prior to 34 weeks’ gestation because randomized, controlled trials and extensive meta-analyses demonstrate decreased death and improved outcomes, primarily related to less respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and a decreased incidence of intraventricular hemorrhages (IVH) (Fig. 1). (1) However, it is worth remembering that the benefits of prenatal corticosteroids initially were demonstrated in 1972, and most of the trials were completed before 1985. Most infants in the trials were delivered after 28 weeks’ gestation and in the presurfactant era, when mortality rates for infants whose birthweights were less than 1 kg were high and when obstetric management differed from current practice. Maternal corticosteroid therapy is validated practice, but care strategies proven to be effective may lose effectiveness as other aspects of care change and the target population most likely to benefit changes. This review asks a series of questions to frame the overriding question of how antenatal corticosteroids should be used in 2006. Figure 1. Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of prenatal corticosteroids. Adapted from Crowley. (1) The current recommendations come from the 1994 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Conference and were reinforced by a second NIH Consensus Conference in 2000. (2) The key points from the guidelines are: 1. The benefits of prenatal corticosteroids outweigh any risks that have been identified. The benefits include decreased death and decreased incidence of RDS and IVH. 2. All fetuses at 24 to 34 weeks’ gestation are candidates …
Interstitial transudate purines in normoxic and hypoxic immature and mature rabbit hearts.

Top of pageAbstract ABSTRACT: Interstitial transudate and coronary venous concentrations of adenosine, inosine, and hypoxanthine were determined in isolated isovolumic immature and mature rabbit hearts during normoxia and hypoxia. During normoxia, interstitial transudate adenosine was lower in immature hearts compared with mature hearts. Interstitial transudate concentrations of adenosine, inosine, and hypoxanthine were 130 ± nM, 699 ± 88 nM, and 392 ± 80 nM, respectively, in immature rabbit hearts and 228 ± 35 nM, 1154 ± 126 nM, and 287 ± 30 nM, respectively, in mature rabbit hearts. Interstitial transudate adenosine was significantly lower in the immature hearts. Coronary venous purine concentrations were 6− and 8-fold lower than their respective intersutial transudate concentrations during normoxia in both age groups. Hypoxia significantly increased interstitial transudate purines in both age groups. Interstitial transodate adenosine, inosine, and hypoxan-thine increased to 1180 ± 231 nM, 4049 ± 500 nM, and 1099 ± 98 nM, respectively, in immature hearts and to 1225 ± 300 nM, 5220 ± 1217 nM, and 876 ± 147 nM, respectively, in mature hearts. The age-related difference in transudave adenosine levels present during normoxia was not detected during hypoxia. Venous purine levels increased during hypoxia and the gradient from interstitial transwdate fi to venous effluent was abolished for adenosine in both groups. In immature hearts, hypoxia led to higher venous effluent adenosine leyels than in the mature hearts. Coronary resistance correlated with interstitial transndate adenosine in both groups, although immature hearts displayed lower resistances at all adenosine levels. The results indicate that 1) interstitial transudate adenosine may regulate coronary resistance during hypoxia in isolated hearts from both age groups, 2) age-related differences exist in the normoxic release of interstitial transudate adenosisne, and 3) age-related differences appear to be present in the release of purines into the coronary venous effluent during hypoxia.
Effect of Alcohol Consumption on Adult and Aged Bone: A Histomorphometric Study of the Rat Animal Model

The adult and aged skeleton exist in a time when osteoporosis and age-related bone loss is at a maximum, and it is modified by lifestyle factors such as alcohol. To determine the effect of life-long alcohol consumption on the adult and aged rat model, 4-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three diet groups. Alcohol-treated animals were fed a modified Lieber-DeCarli diet ad libitum containing 35% ethanol-derived calories, whereas the pair-fed animals (weight-matched to ethanol rats) received an isocaloric liquid diet in which maltose-dextrin substituted calories supplied by ethanol. Chow animals were fed a standard rat chow ad libitum. Proximal tibiae were removed and prepared for histomorphometric analysis after 3, 6, 9, 12, or 18 months on the diets. Previous studies, with young animals, showed that chronic alcohol consumption during the age of bone development reduced bone volume and trabecular number in cancellous bone. The present study demonstrates that these reductions last throughout life. The rate of bone formation is reduced in alcohol-fed animals, but most bone cell parameters are relative normal, except for wall thickness, indicating a reduced osteoblast activity.
Dynamics of brittle fracture

The equation of motion and the stability conditions of surface cracks which are subjected to stress waves are derived from an energy balance and the law of angular momentum conservation. From the resulting differential equation the terminal crack velocity and dynamic threshold conditions can be derived. It will be shown that not only a critical stress (amplitude of the wave) but also a critical time (duration of the wave) are necessary to move the crack. These two critical quantities can be combined to a critical action. The specific action of the wave must exceed a certain minimal value for crack propagation to occur. Quantum considerations allow us to generalize this criterion further. Some simple applications of the least action law are mentioned. Supercritical stress pulses are also treated briefly. This leads to the concept of the cross section of a stress wave. Crack stability can also be treated as an eigenvalue problem.
Orthogonal Recognition in Dimeric Coiled Coils via Buried Polar-Group Modulation

We describe the design and exploration of new buried polar groups to control coiled-coil dimerization. Employing our recently described method for on-resin guanidinylation, we have prepared coiled-coil peptides with a single core guanidine, spaced from the backbone by 1−3 methylene groups. Heterodimeric mixtures of these sequences with guanidine, amide, and carboxylic acid binding partners form a large number of reasonably stable coiled coils (Tm ≥ 60 °C). A detailed stability trend examination reveals that asparagine/acid pairs are sharply sensitive to acid residue chain length (Asn/Asp much worse than Asn/Glu), while guanidine/acid pairs are largely insensitive. This has been exploited to create orthogonal recognition pairs which establish the capacity to form two distinct heterodimeric coiled coils by simple mixing of four different peptides. One dimer has buried core asparagines, while the other pairs aspartic acid with any of three guanidinylated side chains. Specificity of this behavior is underscor...
The heterogeneous economic returns to military service: Evidence from the Wisconsin longitudinal study

Abstract This article documents heterogeneous economic returns to military service that vary with the individual propensity to serve, even within a relatively privileged sample of mostly white high school graduates. Using a rich set of covariates from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, I estimate propensity scores for male respondents’ likelihood of voluntary military enlistment or involuntary draft conscription. Then, I use recently developed HLM-based methods for causal inference to analyze systematic variation in veteran status’ effect on later earnings as a function of these propensity scores. Among individuals with low propensities for military service—but not among others—veterans suffer large wage penalties. While this pattern applies to both voluntary enlisters and draftees, the timing of the wage penalty differs by mode of military entry. These effects are shown to correlate strongly with differences in educational attainment between veterans and nonveterans with low propensities for military service, suggesting the greater value of opportunities for human capital accumulation in the civilian sphere.
Combined modeling and experimental approach for the development of dual-release polymer millirods

This paper describes a combined modeling and experimental approach for the design and development of a polymer device to provide local drug therapy to thermally ablated solid tumors. The polymer device, in the shape of cylindrical millirod, will be implanted via image-guided procedures into the center of the ablated tumor. Drug released from the millirod aims to eliminate residual cancer cells at the boundary of the normal and ablated tissue following thermal ablation to provide an effective treatment of the total tumor volume. The design of the millirod release kinetics is based on a mathematical model of drug transport in the ablated tumor and the surrounding normal tissue. The optimal release kinetics consists of a dual-release process-a burst release followed by sustained release-to provide the most optimal drug pharmacokinetics at the ablation boundary. Model analysis leads to a quantitative correlation of burst dose and release rates to the ablation size and the drug concentration at the ablation boundary. A three-layer polymer millirod is produced by a dip-coating method, and in vitro study demonstrates the dual-release kinetics in which a burst release occurs within 2 h followed by a sustained release over 7 -10 days. Independent control of the burst and sustained release rates is achieved by varying the structural composition of the outer and middle layers of the millirods, respectively. Results from this study provide the rational basis and experimental feasibility of dual-release millirods for further efficacy studies in solid tumors.
Investigation of Transversal Conductance in Semiconductor CdTe Nanowires with and without a Coaxial Silica Shell

Semiconductor CdTe nanowires were coated with a coaxial layer of silica in aqueous solutions by the hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate. The structure and morphology of the nanowires before and after coating were studied by UV−vis spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Interestingly, silica deposition on the nanowire ends was retarded. For sufficiently thin layers, this effect makes possible the preparation of coaxial insulated nanowires with electrical access to the semiconductor core. Insulating properties of the silica layer were tested by applying voltage to a conductive AFM tip placed directly on the sidewall surface of the nanowires. These experiments demonstrated that the silica layers had strong insulating properties for coatings as thin as 10 nm. Similar measurements done with naked nanowires showed that transversal conductance took place through the middle band-gap states.
The Spallator and APEX Nuclear Fuel Cycle a New Option for Nuclear Power

A new nuclear fuel cycle is described which provides a long term supply of nuclear fuel for the thermal LWR nuclear power reactors and eliminates the need for long-term storage of radioactive waste. Fissile fuel is produced by the Spallator which depends on the production of spallation neutrons by the interaction of high energy (1 to 2 GeV) protons on a heavy metal target. The neutrons are absorbed in a surrounding natural uranium or thorium blanket in which fissile Pu-239 or U-233 is produced. Advances in linear accelerator technology makes it possible to design and construct a high beam current continuous wave proton linac for production purposes. The target is similar to a sub-critical reactor and produces heat which is converted to electricity for supplying the linac. The Spallator is a self-sufficient fuel producer, which can compete with the fast breeder. The APEX fuel cycle depends on recycling the transuranics and long-lived fission products while extracting the stable and short-lived fission products when reprocessing the fuel. Transmutation and decay within the fuel cycle and decay of the short-lived fission products external to the fuel cycle eliminates the need for long-term geological age storage of fission product waste.
Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase induction in rat lung, liver, and male reproductive organs following inhalation exposure to diesel emission

Abstract Due to increasing use of diesel-powered vehicles, it has become necessary to assess adverse biological effects of diesel emissions in our environment. The present data describe the effects of inhalation exposure of diesel emission on the specific activities of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) and epoxide hydrase (EH) in rat lung, liver, testis, and prostate gland. Adult CD strain, Sprague-Dawley male rats (8–10 weeks old) were exposed to diesel emission (1:13 dilution) containing 14.2 ppm ( v v ) total hydrocarbon, 20 hr/day for 42 days. Although liver exhibited the greatest overall AHH activity among the organs tested, the percentage increase over control values was highest in the prostate gland. On Day 15 of exposure, AHH activity had increased to 4.5-fold that of the control and remained elevated throughout the entire exposure period. In contrast, AHH induction in liver and lung occurred on Day 33 of exposure, and the maximum AHH induction was observed on Day 42 (1.4- and 1.3-fold increase in lung and liver, respectively). In all the organs tested, EH activity was not changed significantly during the experimental period.
High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Isolation, Spectroscopic Characterization, and Immunosuppressive Activities of Two Rapamycin Degradation Products

Abstract A high performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the isolation of two degradation products of rapamycin which is currently under development as an immunosuppressive agent. Prior to isolation, the drug was incubated at 37°C in rat bile or ammonium acetate (pH 8.0). The isolation was achieved by a Supelco, PLC-18 21.2 × 250 mm, 18 μm column using methanol/ammonium acetate gradient mobile phase. After evaporation of methanol, the remaining eluates were lyophilized. The isolated degradation products were characterized by negative ion fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB MS) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR). Degradation product A was found to be a macrolide ring-opened hydrolysis product of rapamycin where the C25 ester bond had been hydrolyzed. Degradation product B was determined to be a ring-opened isomer of rapamycin. B had less than 4% of the potency of rapamycin in a thymocyte proliferation assay, while A had minimal activity at concentra...
Retinal detachments after Boston keratoprosthesis: incidence, predisposing factors and outcomes of repair

Purpose Knowledge of predisposing factors to retinal detachments in certain patient populations can guide surgical planning in Boston keratoprosthesis placement. Methods This is a retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case series. A review of 166 patients (203 eyes) who underwent Boston Keratoprosthesis implantation at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary from 1993 to 2008 was performed. Most patients had very advanced ocular disease. Predisposing factors to retinal detachment and details of timing after surgery were investigated. Anatomical and visual outcomes of retinal detachment repair were analyzed. Results Table 1. Retinal detachment after K-Pro implantation Category Number of Eyes Eyes with RD Autoimmune systemic disease 72 24 (33%) Chemical burns 14 3 (21%) Non-autoimmune etiology 117 10 (8.5%) Eighty-nine (89%) of patients with retinal detachments have visual outcomes of less than 20/200 despite surgical repair. Majority of retinal detachments in all three subgroups occurred within the first six months after K-Pro placement. Conclusion These data suggest that a retinal detachment following K-Pro implantation is more frequent in patients with autoimmune disease (where K-Pro is generally not recommended). When they do occur, they portend a poor visual prognosis. Patients with underlying autoimmune systemic disorders should be warned of the higher risk of developing retinal detachments after keratoprosthetic surgery and warrant close co-management with a vitreoretinal specialist.
Sprague on an electrical revolution in urban transportation

In this classic paper presented by Frank J. Sprague before the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) in June 1888, and reprinted from AIEE Transactions, vol 5, the Sprague traction system employing dc motors is presented. The economic, sanitary, and safety features of the systems are stressed. The system is suggested for the transportation needs of New York City. The comparative economy and the relative advantages of existing use of horses and the proposed methods of electric traction are compared. Three plans are discussed: the storage battery, the conduit and the single electric wire system with underneath contact on the car. The distribution parallel circuit system is also considered.
An online activity diary method for studying credibility assessment on the Web

In recent years people have increasingly moved beyond information searching and reading of online content in their use of the Web, engaging in diverse activities such as sharing photographs and videos, rating and reviewing products and services, and blogging about their interests and everyday life activities. According to a recent Pew report, 23% of American adults are “heavy teach adopters” who are more likely to undertake information activities involving sharing something online, posting comments to a website, creating their own web pages, working on blogs, and taking online materials and remixing them (Horrigan, 2007). Another recent Pew Internet study reports that the number of adult Web users who have a proﬁle on an online social network site has grown from 8% in 2005 to 35% in 2008 (Lenhart, 2009). One of the consequences of increasing user participation on the Web is that credibility assessment is now situated in diverse online activities and contexts. A new set of credibility research questions arise – for example, what are the credibility assessment heuristics people use when deciding to contribute original content or post content they found elsewhere? Do these heuristics differ depending on whether they are creating their own online content or commenting on an online forum? The individuals who are undertaking information activities to contribute and mediate online content deserve close attention from credibility researchers because they are inﬂuencing other users to a great extent as well as making the Web more a dynamic and interactive place. There is little research examining credibility assessment heuristics across the range of online activities on the Web.This study examines credibility assessment in the Web 2.0 context as part of a research project funded by the MacArthur Foundation. The research activities involved in this project include: (1) Web-based online information activity diary survey; (2) phone interviews with participatory Web users; and (3) experimental studies to collect behavioral data with respect to the application of credibility assessment heuristics in the processes of information seeking and content creation. This poster reports on the ﬁrst research activity, the use of an online activity diary method for studying credibility assessment.This study speciﬁcally addresses the following research questions:
‘Our Empire is Your Empire’: Classical Reception at Caesars Atlantic City

The article focuses on the classical reception at the Caesars Atlantic City Hotel and Casino (CAC) in New Jersey. Topics discussed include the exterior displays and ancient theme of the building, the domination of three male leaders from the Roman history to the decoration and terminology of the building such as Roman General Julius Caesar, Roman Emperor Augustus, and the nonclassical King David, and CAC's choice of classical architectural elements and subjects.
Orai3 TM3 point mutation G158C alters kinetics of 2-APB-induced gating by disulfide bridge formation with TM2 C101.

After endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ store depletion, Orai channels in the plasma membrane (PM) are activated directly by ER-resident STIM proteins to form the Ca2+-selective Ca2+ release–activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channel. However, in the absence of Ca2+ store depletion and STIM interaction, the mammalian homologue Orai3 can be activated by 2-aminoethyl diphenylborinate (2-APB), resulting in a nonselective cation conductance characterized by biphasic inward and outward rectification. Here, we use site-directed mutagenesis and patch-clamp analysis to better understand the mechanism by which 2-APB activates Orai3. We find that point mutation of glycine 158 in the third transmembrane (TM) segment to cysteine, but not alanine, slows the kinetics of 2-APB activation and prevents complete channel closure upon 2-APB washout. The “slow” phenotype exhibited by Orai3 mutant G158C reveals distinct open states, characterized by variable reversal potentials. The slow phenotype can be reversed by application of the reducing reagent bis(2-mercaptoethylsulfone) (BMS), but in a state-dependent manner, only during 2-APB activation. Moreover, the double mutant C101G/G158C, in which an endogenous TM2 cysteine is changed to glycine, does not exhibit altered kinetics of 2-APB activation. We suggest that a disulfide bridge, formed between the introduced cysteine at TM3 position 158 and the endogenous cysteine at TM2 position 101, hinders transitions between Orai3 open and closed states. Our data provide functional confirmation of the proximity of these two residues and suggest a location within the Orai3 protein that is sensitive to the actions of 2-APB.
Potential hypersonic vehicle maneuvering concepts using smart structures

This paper describes various concepts that might be used for controlling the flight of hypersonic vehicles using smart and unconventional structures. These concepts are developed by looking at basic ways of generating maneuvering forces on a hypersonic vehicle, then examining how those forces might be controlled using smart or unconventional structures. The list of maneuvering concepts was made as complete as possible by including both conventional and novel means of controlling a hypersonic vehicle regardless of their suitability for present day smart materials. A preliminary comparison is made to select the more promising concepts based on novelty, amount of maneuvering force generated, and technical hurdles which must be overcome. A comprehensive list of references is included to better describe the various maneuvering concepts.
Deformation of cube-textured aluminum studied using laser-induced photoelectron emission

The evolution of the kinetic energy distribution of photoelectrons from a cube-oriented aluminum sample during tensile deformation was probed with a retarding field energy analyzer. Because of the anisotropy of the aluminum work function, the electron-energy distribution is altered as the area fractions of the major surface planes change during deformation. In cube-textured aluminum, deformation reduces the {100} area fraction and the relatively low energy electrons from these surfaces. Conversely, the {110} and {111} area fractions and the relatively high energy electrons from these surfaces both increase. These changes are quantitatively consistent with texture analysis by electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). They reflect deformation-induced production of {111} surfaces by slip and the exposure of {110} surfaces by grain rotation. Photoelectron kinetic energy measurements supplement EBSD measurements and are readily acquired in real-time.
Thrombosis of a flexible coil coronary stent: frequency, predictors and clinical outcome.

Abstract Objectives. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictors and clinical sequelae of stent thrombosis. Background. Although coronary artery stenting is being increasingly applied, the major unique complication of stent thrombosis is not well characterized. Methods. We studied 145 patients who underwent coronary artery stenting with the Gianturco-Roubin flexible coil design for abrupt vessel closure or to prevent restenosis. There were 17 stented vessel closures (11.7%), 7 as a result of acute ( Results. In seven patients successful coronary recanalization was achieved with thrombolytic agents and balloon angioplasty. Creatine kinase was significantly elevated in 13 patients, with a Q wave myocardial infarction in 11 and emergency coronary artery bypass grafting in 8. Comparisons (multivariate analysis) with a control cohort (n = 33) of patients without thrombosis matched for age, gender and vessel stented revealed lesion eccentricity (p = 0.003), unstable angina (p = 0.048) and indication for stent implantation (abrupt closure versus restenosis) (p = 0.002), as predictors of thrombotic occlusion of stented vessels. Subtherapeutic anticoagulation (activated partial thromboplastin time Conclusions. Early thrombosis after coronary stenting was relatively common (>10%), occurring predominantly in eccentric lesions and in patients with unstable angina pectoris. This complication is associated with significant adverse clinical outcomes and may be reduced by more intensive anticoagulation yet, in a delicate balance, can be precipitated by inadequate heparin therapy.
Two Cases of Early Childhood Selective Mutism: Variations and Treatment Complexities

Selective Mutism (SM) is a highly impairing disorder which typically presents upon entry to school and affects approximately 0.7% of children. Despite its impact on social and academic development,...
The role of social context in memory development

Methodological and theoretical concerns motivating more ecologically valid procedures for exploring children's remembering are discussed and findings from a study combining observational and experimental techniques are presented.
A parallel implementation of collective learning systems theory: Adaptive Learning Image Analysis System (ALIAS)

An alternative to preprogrammed rule-based Artificial Intelligence is a hierarchical network of cellular automata which acquire their knowledge through learning based on a series of trial-and-error interactions with an evaluating Environment, much as humans do. The input to the hierarchical network is provided by a set of sensors which perceive the external world. Based upon this perceived information and past experience (memory), the learning automata synthesize collections of trial responses. Periodically the automata estimate the effectiveness of these collections using either internal evaluations (unsupervised learning) or external evaluations from the Environment (supervised learning), modifying their memories accordingly. Known as Collective Learning Systems Theory, this paradigm has been applied to many sophisticated gaming problems, demonstrating robust learning and dynamic adaptivity.Based on a versatile architecture for massively parallel networks of processors for Collective Learning Systems, a Transputer-based parallel-processing image processing engine comprising 32 learning cells and 32 non-learning cells has been applied to a sophisticated image processing task: the scale-invariant and translation-invariant detection of anomalous features in otherwise “normal” images. In cooperation with Robert Bosch GmbH, this engine is currently being constructed and tested under the direction of the author at the Research Institute for Applied Knowledge Processing (FAW-Ulm) as Project ALIAS: Adaptive Learning Image Analysis System. Initial results indicate excellent detection, discrimination, and localization of anomalies.
Human learning in a simplified contingent discrimination situation

Human Ss attempted to master discrimination tasks involving four displays containing nonsense forms, here schematized as ab, ba, cd and dc. The tasks proved difficult when position was reinforced in a way that made the distinction ab-ba vs. cd-dc relevant.
A model of emotions for situated agents

In stressful situations such as combat, emotion is at least as important as rational analysis in determining behavior. DETT (Disposition, Emotion, Trigger, Tendency) is a model of emotion for situated agents that captures the essential features of the OCC (Ortony, Clore, Collins) model in a computationally efficient framework. We motivate and describe this architecture, and report preliminary experiments in simulating combat scenarios.
The Commodification of Information and Social Inequality

The commodification of information has contributed to the growth in social inequality over the last 30 years. An ideal type of an information commodity describes the features of a political, social...
Determination of cheese lipase.

summary 1. A method is presented for the quantitative determination of lipolytic activity in cheese. Determinations run at various sample levels agree within 10 per cent. 2. Hydrolysis of tributyrin by the Cheddar cheese lipase system is most rapid at pH 5. A secondary optimum occurs at pH 6.5 to 7.0.