cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiative transfer due to atmospheric water vapor: Global considerations of the earth's energy balance

Abstract A simple analytical formulation is presented for describing radiative transfer due to atmospheric water vapor. The radiative model is then applied to a global energy balance for earth, and the net infrared flux to space is expressed in terms of the mean surface temperature and atmospheric lapse rate. Water vapor and clouds are assumed to be the only sources of infrared opacity. When compared with empirical information, and for a global mean surface temperature of 288 K, the radiative model indicates a cloud top altitude for a single effective cloud of 6·8 km. Alternatively, when applied to a more realistic three-cloud formulation, the model predicts a comparable value of 6·5 km for an average cloud top altitude. With respect to changes in mean surface temperature, again comparing with empirical results, a discussion relating to the model suggests that the cloud top altitude decreases with decreasing surface temperature, which results in the surface temperature being roughly twice as sensitive to changes in factors such as planetary albedo than for the conventional assumption of a fixed cloud top altitude. Implications of this are discussed with respect to possible albedo changes due to atmospheric particulate matter as well as cloudiness as a climate feedback mechanism.
Addition of nitric oxide donor S‐nitroso‐N‐acetylcysteine to selective iNOS inhibitor 1400W further improves contractile function in reperfused skeletal muscle

This study examines the effects of combination therapy with the nitric oxide (NO) donor S-nitroso-N-acetylcysteine (SNAC) and the iNOS inhibitor N-(3-(aminomethyl)benzyl) acetamidine (1400W) on contractile function in reperfused rat skeletal muscle. The right extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of 104 rats were subjected to 3 h of ischemia followed by reperfusion times of 3 h, 24 h, and 7 days. For each time period, rats were further divided into sham operation, control, 1400W only, and 1400W plus SNAC groups. In vitro muscle contractile functional testing was performed in an organ chamber with electrical stimulation. The results showed that twitch and isometric tetanic forces were significantly improved in the 1400W-alone group compared to controls for 24 h and 7 days, but not 3 h of reperfusion. However, all three time periods of reperfusion showed that combination treatment of 1400W + SNAC significantly improved muscle contractile force compared to both control and 1400W-only groups. This corresponded to the decreased tissue necrosis and inflammation seen with combination therapy histologically. Our results demonstrate that combination treatment of 1400W + SNAC promotes functional recovery in reperfused skeletal muscle, supporting that manipulation of NO levels with a NO donor and an iNOS inhibitor is more beneficial than either treatment in isolation.
Hodgkin's disease: Correlation of clinical characteristics with probabilities for negative lymphangiogram vs. negative laparotomy findings in patients with Stage I supradiaphragmatic presentations vs. those in patients with Stage II

Purpose: At a time both when late complications and second malignancies have become a growing concern and when staging laparotomy has been largely abandoned and comparative studies for staging Hodgkin's disease by state of the art computed tomography (CT) vs. lymphangiography have revealed minimal differences in results for these procedures, our purpose for undertaking this study was twofold. Our initial reason was to determine and compare probabilities for negative abdominal findings for patients with Stage I presentations with those for patients with Stage II as determined by lymphangiography and subsequently by laparotomy for those patients who had negative lymphangiograms. Our second reason, being an extension of the first, was to create a resource that can be used in conjunction with other information for arriving at appropriate treatment decisions including giving either more or particularly less than standard institutional therapy and especially with respect to the abdomen. Methods and Materials: Data on 714 patients with prelymphangiogram Stage I-II upper torso presentations of Hodgkin's disease were entered prospectively in our database between 1968 and 1987. Twenty-eight with lymphocyte predominant disease, who had both negative lymphangiogram and negative laparotomy findings and 17 with questionable diagnoses of lymphocyte-depleted or unclassified disease were excluded from subsequent analyses of 669 patients with nodular sclerosis (NS) and mixed cellularity (MC) diagnoses. Results: Stage I: in final logistic models, negative lymphangiogram findings were associated strongly with a combination of no constitutional symptoms and nodular sclerosis histology, whereas negative laparotomy findings correlated strongly with a combination of no constitutional symptoms and female sex. Predicted probabilities depended on the ratios of favorable to unfavorable characteristics. Stage II: in final logistic models, negative lymphangiogram findings were associated strongly with a combination of no constitutional symptoms, nodular sclerosis histology, age <40 years, and <4 involved sites, whereas negative laparotomy findings correlated strongly with a combination of <4 involved sites and mediastinal disease. Predicted probabilities again depended on the ratios of favorable to unfavorable characteristics. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that probabilities for negative abdominal findings for patients with supradiaphragmatic presentations of NS and MC Hodgkin's disease depended on: 1) whether the disease presented as Stage I or as Stage II; 2) whether staging was limited to a lymphangiogram or whether it included a laparotomy; and 3) or whether the clinical features associated with the presenting stage and methods of staging were favorable or unfavorable.
Receptive field characteristics of neurons in a visual area of the rabbit temporal cortex.

In a program of surveying the characteristics of visual receptive fields of neurons in rabbit brain, we have explored cortical sectors beyond the striate and occipital cortices and found cells in a part of the temporal lobe that were responsive to visual stimulation. Using evoked potential and unit-cluster methods, this temporal visual areas was mapped to be roughly oval-shaped, 3 mm × 2mm in size, and at about the level posterior to the apex region of auditory area 1. It is located ventral to and continuous with visual area 11, at about the caudal half of M. Rose's temporal cortices 1 and 2 (T1 and T2). Only about two-thirds of 96 units studied responded to some sort of moving light stimulation. These motion-sensitive cells were divided into four groups. Cells in the first group (22) responded best to a large light spot or shadow sweeping quickly across the field. Cells in the second group (29) responded to slow moving, jerking spot. Nine cells responded to a narrow, dark bar thrusting into a lighted field. Four cells are “direction-selective,” responding to light stimulus moving in one direction and showing either no response or decreased background discharges in the oppsite direction. In addition, three cells required unusual stimulus features. Of the 38 cells tested, nine of them were found to be binocularly driven. These receptive field characteristics are quite different from those described for other visual centers of the rabbit. The significance of these results together with data on the anatomical connections of this cortical area as reported in the following paper were discussed.
How Men's Movement Participants View Each other:

This study compares the opinions of men's movements' participants of each other. Nineteen profeminist, 17 men's rights, and 18 mythopoetic activists returned surveys. Overall, the respondents had little awareness of each other. The profeminist and men's rights respondents had negative views of each other, while the pro-feminists were more familiar with the mythopoetic men's issues than with men's rights issues. Further, profeminist respondents were split regarding their opinions of the mythopoetic men's movement. Men's rights respondents had lukewarm opinions of the mythopoetic men's movement, and the mythopoetic men's movement participants were not familiar enough with either the profeminist or men's rights men's movements to respond. This study shows that men's movement rhetoric is unreliable in its representation of how men's movement participants view each other.
A financial analysis of alternative management strategies of cystic follicles

Abstract Follicular cysts are a common cause of anestrus in dairy cattle. Administration of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GNRH) are the most common forms of treatment on dairy farms in Michigan. The two treatments, however, differ in costs per unit of treatment, response rates to treatment and intervals from treatment to estrus. A comparative analysis, using decision-tree analysis, was undertaken to determine which of the two treatments was more economical. The value of the animal, response rates to treatment, days to onset of estrus and costs of treatment and examination were incorporated in the computation of expected values. The analysis showed that it is more economical to treat with GNRH than with HCG. Withholding treatment in the hope of obtaining spontaneous recovery is the least economical option. A sensitivity analysis was performed to test how sensitive the treatment strategies are to small changes in selected model parameters.
The DLEU2/miR-15a/16-1 cluster controls B cell proliferation and its deletion leads to chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a malignancy of B cells of unknown etiology. Deletions of the chromosomal region 13q14 are commonly associated with CLL, with monoclonal B cell lymphocytosis (MBL), which occasionally precedes CLL, and with aggressive lymphoma, suggesting that this region contains a tumor-suppressor gene. Here, we demonstrate that deletion in mice of the 13q14-minimal deleted region (MDR), which encodes the DLEU2/miR-15a/16-1 cluster, causes development of indolent B cell-autonomous, clonal lymphoproliferative disorders, recapitulating the spectrum of CLL-associated phenotypes observed in humans. miR-15a/16-1-deletion accelerates the proliferation of both human and mouse B cells by modulating the expression of genes controlling cell-cycle progression. These results define the role of 13q14 deletions in the pathogenesis of CLL.
Talk to me: using voice server to enable business-to-business communication

Person-to-person communication over the Internet has exploded in recent years. In contrast, person-to-business and business-to-business communication using the Web are just beginning to take off, in part due to technological challenges that are just now being met. For example: ○ The ability of large, automated businesses to communicate with smaller, less automated partners who don't have integrated back-end office systems or tightly coupled data channels. ○ The ability of smaller, less automated businesses to communicate with each other. ○ The ability of field personnel to mine enterprise data. ○ The ability of companies to send up-to-the minute data to field personnel. A speech interface to the Web can surmount these problems and more. Our solution provides a VoiceXML interface to static and dynamic information in existing enterprise databases that are, or can be made, available through a Web interface. VoiceXML (Voice eXtensible Markup Language), is an XML-based markup language for creating distributed speech applications, much as HTML is a markup language for creating distributed visual applications 1 . Using VoiceXML, data can be accessed over the Web by telephone. Companies large and small are investing heavily in providing access to their data through HTML-enabled Web sites. With the advent of VoiceXML, these sites can use a common XML interface to present textual data through speech technology. All dynamic data that is now available through database lookups or programmatic algorithms can be processed through VoiceXML as input and output. Large companies can then contact other large companies, smaller non-networked companies, or even field personnel, and pass data and requests to them. Data that is currently handled through call centers to regular contacts can be replaced with automated calls utilizing Web-based back-end systems. The IBM WebSphere Voice Servers 2 allow companies to have a fully or partially automated system, even if their data partner is not automated or does not allow communication through a secure site.
VEGF165 expression in the tumor microenvironment influences the differentiation of bone marrow-derived pericytes that contribute to the Ewing's sarcoma vasculature.

We previously demonstrated that bone marrow (BM) cells migrate to Ewing’s tumors and differentiate into endothelial cells within the tumor vasculature. Recent evidence suggests that the roles of BM cells in tumors are more diverse. We investigated whether non-endothelial cell types critical for tumor vessel development are also derived from migrated BM cells. We utilized BM transplantation with GFP+ transgenic mice as BM donors and nude mice as recipients to track the fate of migrated BM cells. After engraftment, we injected recipient mice either subcutaneously or intramuscularly with Ewing’s sarcoma cells. We labeled functional tumor vessels using intravascular perfusion staining with tomato lectin. We assessed BM cell recruitment/differentiation within the tumor microenvironment using immunohistochemistry. Ewing’s tumors contained BM-derived cells that had differentiated into endothelial cells lining perfused tumor vessels. A substantial fraction of recruited BM cells also resided in the vessel vicinity and expressed desmin and PDGFR-β, indicating smooth muscle cell differentiation. In order to further characterize the role of stem/progenitor cells in Ewing’s sarcoma, we sorted Tie2− BM cells from Tie2-GFP transgenic mice and then injected them intravenously into Ewing’s tumor-bearing mice. Tie2− BM progenitors migrated to Ewing’s tumors and differentiated into Tie2+ cells occupying a perivascular residence and expressing α-smooth muscle actin, desmin and PDGFR-β, as well as VEGFR-2. We did not observe differentiation of Tie2− cells into Tie2+ perivascular cells in VEGF165-inhibited TC/siVEGF7-1 tumors. The differentiation of Tie2− BM cells into Tie2+ cells in parental but not VEGF165-inhibited tumors indicates that the tumor microenvironment may influence the differentiation pathway.
Differentiating calcium carbonate polymorphs by surface analysis techniques—an XPS and TOF‐SIMS study

Calcium carbonate has evoked interest owing to its use as a biomaterial, and for its potential in biomineralization. Three polymorphs of calcium carbonate, i.e. calcite, aragonite, and vaterite were synthesized. Three conventional bulk analysis techniques, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and SEM, were used to confirm the crystal phase of each polymorphic calcium carbonate. Two surface analysis techniques, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS), were used to differentiate the surfaces of these three polymorphs of calcium carbonate. XPS results clearly demonstrate that the surfaces of these three polymorphs are different as seen in the Ca(2p) and O(1s) core-level spectra. The different atomic arrangement in the crystal lattice, which provides for a different chemical environment, can explain this surface difference. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the TOF-SIMS data. Three polymorphs of calcium carbonate cluster into three different groups by PCA scores. This suggests that surface analysis techniques are as powerful as conventional bulk analysis to discriminate calcium carbonate polymorphs.
Elastic Breakup in Uniaxial Extension of Entangled Polymer Melts

Five entangled melts, with the number of entanglements per chain ranging from 25 to 160, have been studied to illustrate how cohesive strength can be overcome in either continuous or interrupted extension (i.e., during or after uniaxial stretching). The internal elastic stress due to chain deformation from imposed strain appears to be the cause of the observed yielding behavior that reveals scaling laws. The visual signature of the elastic breakup is the occurrence of nonuniform extension. The yield phenomena may be understood at a force level.
Certainty of punishment and sentence mitigation in plea behavior

Mitigation of sentence severity has been cited as a primary factor underlying defendant decisions to plead guilty. It has been studied extensively and it has been assumed, but rarely examined, that few defendants plead guilty in the absence of significant benefits. This paper examines the relationship between sentence benefits and plea behavior. A crime-specific analysis reveals that some defendants frequently plead guilty in the relative absence of significant benefits; conversely, others plead not guilty even though significant benefits are available for guilty pleaders. Applying several decision theory constructs to justice system processing, the defendant's desire to reduce uncertainty is discussed and offered as a tentative explanation for the phenomenon of pleading guilty in the relative absence of significant benefits.
The prime number theorem for Beurling's generalized numbers

Abstract Let P = {pj}j=1∞, where 1 Beurling [Acta Math, 1937] , we call such a sequence a system of generalized (g−) primes. Let N denote the multiplicative semigroup generated by P . Set N(x) = N P (x) = {n ∈ N : n ≤ x}. Beurling proved that if N P satisfies the asymptotic relation (1) N P (x) = Ax + O(x log−γ x) with some numbers A > 0 and γ > 3 2 , then the conclusion of the prime number theorem (P.N.T.) is valid for the system P . He gave an example of a g-prime system which satisfies (1) with γ = 3 2 , but for which the P.N.T. does not hold. The following theorem lies in the narrow range between the abovementioned results of Beurling. Let N P (x) = Ax + O{x (log x)−3/2 exp (−[log log x]a)} for some numbers A > 0 and α > 1 3 . Then the P.N.T. holds for P .
Opportunities for the stratospheric collection of dust from short-period comets

We have identified four comets which have produced low velocity Earth-crossing dust streams within the past century: 7P/Pons-Winnecke, 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup, 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, and 103P/Hartley 2. These comets have the rare characteristics of low eccentricity, low inclination orbits with nodes very close to 1 AU. Dust from these comets is directly injected into Earth-crossing orbits by radiation pressure, unlike the great majority of interplanetary dust particles collected in the stratosphere which spend millennia in space prior to Earth-encounter. Complete dust streams from these comets form within a few decades, and appreciable amounts of dust are accreted by the Earth each year regardless of the positions of the parent comets. Dust from these comets could be collected in the stratosphere and identified by its short space exposure age, as indicated by low abundances of implanted solar wind noble gases and/or lack of solar flare tracks. Dust from Grigg-Skjellerup probably has the highest concentration at Earth orbit. We estimate that the proportion of dust from this comet reaches at least several percent of the background interplanetary dust flux in the >40 micrometer size range during April 23-24 of 2003.
Phylogeny of lymphocyte heterogeneity. I. Membrane immunoglobulins of teleost lymphocytes.

Abstract Immunofluorescence studies of bream lymphoid tissues revealed that over 90% of the lymphocytes from blood, anterior kidney, spleen and thymus exhibited membrane immunoglobulin determinants. Furthermore, a majority of such cells were observed to undergo patching and capping when the membrane proteins were complexed with antisera to fish serum immunoglobulins. Lactoperoxidase catalysed radioiodination, detergent lysis and immunoprecipitation with appropriate antisera were employed to study the properties of this membrane immunoglobulin. Quantification, by inhibition of immunoprecipitation with serum immunoglobulin, indicated the average amount of immunoglobulin determinants for bream lymphocytes from either blood, anterior kidney, spleen or thymus to be about half that present on mouse B cells. Physiochemical characterization of labeled membrane immunoglobulin from bream lymphocytes suggested that only one class of immunoglobulin heavy chain was present and that about one-half of this material resembled the monomeric (2H-2L chain) IgM-like proteins present in bream serum. A major unanswered question raised by this study was whether or not certain of the bream membrane immunoglobulin determinants were associated with molecules that did not resemble “classical” immunoglobulins.
Pyrazole and imidazole complexes of vanadium(II) chloride

Complexes of vanadium(II) chloride with pyrazole and imidazole of the type VCl2(pyrazole)4 and VCl2 (imidazole)6 were prepared. The complexes are unstable in air and substitution labile in solution. The electronic spectra of their methanolic solutions suggest octahedral symmetry. The participation of methanol in the first coordination sphere appears to be a function of the concentration of the ligand in solution. The values of Dq and B are calculated. The far infrared spectrum of the pyrazole complex in the crystalline state indicates a trans configuration. Magnetic measurements give values for the magnetic moments lower than the spin-only value.
Prematurity in multiple gestations: Identification of patients who are at low risk

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a strategy for the identification of patients with multiple gestations who are at low risk for preterm delivery. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective observational study among patients with twin and triplet gestations. At 20 and 24 weeks of gestation, screening for bacterial vaginosis and fetal fibronectin was performed, followed by digital and sonographic assessment of the cervix. The treating physicians were blinded to test results. RESULTS: At the 24-week examination, specificities for delivery at >32 weeks of gestation for digital examination (92.9%), fetal fibronectin level (93.9%), cervical length on sonographic scan (85.1%), and combined fetal fibronectin level and cervical length (81.3%) did not differ statistically. Negative predictive values for these tests were ≥95%. All tests performed better at 24 weeks of gestation than at 20 weeks of gestation. CONCLUSION: At 24 weeks of gestation, a normal digital examination, a negative fetal fibronectin level, a normal cervical length on sonographic scan, or the combination of a negative fetal fibronectin level and a normal cervical length each confer a similarly high likelihood of delivery at >32 weeks of gestation in women with multiple gestations. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;186:1137-41.)
Individualized Intensive Treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Team Approach

Abstract Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is well-established as an effective treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), yet its availability is often limited by a shortage of trained mental health providers. ERP is most frequently provided on a weekly or twice weekly basis; however, research has demonstrated that intensive ERP for OCD is equally efficacious compared to longer-term weekly treatments (e.g., Oldfield, Salkovskis, & Taylor, 2011). Although intensive ERP can provide patients without access to weekly treatment an opportunity to receive treatment in an alternative format, its availability is also limited as most outpatient psychiatry clinics are not structured or experienced with offering this type of service. The goal of the current paper is to provide mental health providers with information and guidance on implementing—through the illustration of a case study—a short-term intensive individualized ERP program for OCD within an outpatient psychiatry clinic that does not routinely offer these services. Special considerations and potential challenges that should be considered when offering this type of intensive treatment are discussed. The overarching goal of the paper is to improve access to ERP for OCD by increasing the availability of intensive programs.
Recycle of tin thiolate compounds relevant to ammonia–borane regeneration

The use of benzenedithiol as a digestant for ammonia–borane spent fuel has been shown to result in tin thiolate compounds which we demonstrate can be recycled, yielding Bu3SnH and ortho-benzenedithiol for reintroduction to the ammonia–borane regeneration scheme.
Energy dependence of the angular distribution of Sc fragments produced in the interaction of 238U with 0.8–11.5 GeV protons☆

Abstract Angular distributions of various Sc nuclides formed in the interaction of 238U with 0.8, 3.0 and 11.5 GeV protons have been measured. The curves change from forward-peaked at 0.8 GeV to sideward-peaked at 11.5 GeV, the 3 GeV curve being closer in shape to that obtained at 0.8 GeV. The implications of this transition for the nature of the reaction mechanism are discussed.
PREDICTION OF THE ENTHALPY OF FORMATION OF HALOGENATED HYDROCARBONS USING SPARC

Standard enthalpies of formation of halogenated hydrocarbons were calculated from models developed for the computer program SPARC. SPARC uses computational algorithms based on chemical structure theory to calculate molecular properties. Molecular structures are broken into simple functional units (reactophores) with intrinsic properties. Each reactophore is analyzed and the effects of appended molecular structures are quantified through perturbation theory. The halohydrocarbons modeled include multi-branched chains, simple conjugated rings, and aromatic compounds. SPARC calculates an RMS deviation of 5.18 kJ mol-1 for these 202 compounds.
Light gluino mass and condensate from properties of η and η

We investigate whether known properties of the η′ meson are consistent with its being the Goldstone boson of the spontaneously broken anomaly-free R symmetry required in the light gluino scenario. We fit the masses and 2γ decays of the η and η′ mesons, and also their production in radiative Jψ decays. We find that the η - η′ system is well-described in the light gluino scenario, if mλ ⋍ (84–144) MeV and 〈λλ〉 ⋍ −(0.15–0.36) GeV3. These values are in the range expected when the gluino gets its mass entirely from radiative corrections.
Cluster diffusion in metastable solutions

La diminution du coefficient de diffusion avec le vieillissement des solutions serait due a la formation de clusters; etude sur des solutions de glycine
Trade Agreements, Agriculture, and the Environment in Developing Countries: Discussion

Trade liberalization is coming, whether through international agreements or through powerful private market forces pushing global economic integration. To stand in its path is to fight the economic tide. Some are concerned, however, that the economic growth spurred by liberalized trade will cause "excessive" environmental degradation, especially in developing countries where control regimes are often weak or absent. The papers in this session add to the immature literature on the effects of liberalized trade on
First principle local density approximation description of the electronic properties of ferroelectric sodium nitrite

Abstract The electronic structure of the ferroelectric crystal, NaNO 2 , is studied by means of first-principles, local density calculations. Our ab-initio, non-relativistic calculations employed a local density functional approximation (LDA) potential and the linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO). Following the Bagayoko, Zhao, Williams, method, as enhanced by Ekuma and Franklin (BZW-EF), we solved self-consistently both the Kohn-Sham equation and the equation giving the ground state charge density in terms of the wave functions of the occupied states. We found an indirect band gap of 2.83 eV, from W to R. Our calculated direct gaps are 2.90, 2.98, 3.02, 3.22, and 3.51 eV at R , W , X , Γ , and T , respectively. The band structure and density of states show high localization, typical of a molecular solid. The partial density of states shows that the valence bands are formed only by complex anionic states. These results are in excellent agreement with experiment. So are the calculated densities of states. Our calculated electron effective masses of 1.18, 0.63, and 0.73 m o in the Γ–X, Γ–R, and Γ–W directions, respectively, show the highly anisotropic nature of this material.
Operative skill: quantifying surgeon's response to tissue properties

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate how tissue characteristics influence psychomotor planning and performance during a suturing task. Our hypothesis was that participants would alter their technique based on tissue type with each subsequent stitch placed while suturing. Materials and methods Surgical attendings (n = 6), residents (n = 4), and medical students (n = 5) performed three interrupted sutures on different simulated materials as follows: foam (dense connective tissue), rubber balloons (artery), and tissue paper (friable tissue). An optical motion tracking system captured performance data from participants' bilateral hand movements. Path length and suture time were segmented by each individual stitch placed to investigate changes to psychomotor performance with subsequent stitch placements. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate for main effects of stitch order on path length and suture time and interactions between stitch order, material, and experience. Results When participants sutured the tissue paper, they changed their procedure time (F(4,44) = 5.14, P = 0.017) and path length (F(4,44) = 4.64, P = 0.003) in a linear fashion with the first stitch on the tissue paper having the longest procedure time and path length. Participants did not change their path lengths and procedure times when placing subsequent stitches in the foam (P = 0.910) and balloon materials (P = 0.769). Conclusions This study demonstrates quantifiable real-time adaptation by participants to material characteristics during a suturing task. Participants improved their motion-based performance with each subsequent stitch placement indicating changes in psychomotor planning or performance. This adaptation did not occur with the less difficult tasks. Motion capture technology is a promising method for investigating surgical performance and how surgeons adapt to operative complexity.
THE POSSIBILITY OF SAGEHOOD:REVERENCE AND ETHICAL PERFECTION IN ZHU XI'S THOUGHT

L'A. interroge la possibilite meme d'un lien entre la realite ultime et l'experience concrete qui sous-tend le programme confuceen d'education ethique vers la sagesse. Examinant la theorie daoiste de l'esprit de Zhu Xi, fondee sur la distinction entre l'actualisation de l'activite et la non-actualisation de la tranquillite, l'A. presente les deux modeles de la veneration etablis par Zhu Xi en vue de la perfection morale: 1) la version pure qui realise l'unite interne et externe de la conscience; 2) la version provisionnelle pensee sur l'exemple du portier
Resonant frequency of a circular disc, printed-circuit antenna

The resonant frequency is obtained in analytical form for a planar, circular disc antenna which is etched on a printed-circuit board so that the low-profile antenna is separated from the ground plane only by a thin layer of dielectric material. The formula is found to have an error of less than 2.5 percent when compared with experimental data.
Generation of Free Radicals in RDX and HMX Compositions

Efforts to generate detectable concentrations of free radicals in explosives, binders, and their mixtures are described. Radicals were readily produced in polycaprolactone and polyethylene glycol binders at liquid nitrogen temperature using stresses as low as 0.4 kbar. These radicals were all of the peroxy type, and presumably formed by reaction of mechano-radicals with oxygen present in the polymer. No mechano-radicals were observed from HMX or RDX using samples cooled to liquid nitrogen temperature and applied stresses up to 4 kbar. In neither impacted samples that failed to explode nor the residues remaining after a partial explosion were radicals detected by ESR. Low temperature γ-irradiation of these materials was also carried out. Free radical signals originating in both the polymer and the explosive could be identified. The reactivity of NO2 radicals from γ-irradiated HMX is enhanced in the presence of binder. In γ-irradiated HMX/polycaprolactone mixtures, the NO2 radical anneals rapidly at 150 K, versus 240 K for HMX alone. Evidence is presented to suggest that the relatively stable NO2 radical (such as produced by γ-irradiation) in HMX does not play a dominant role in mechanical initiation.
Living Dialogues in One Neighborhood: Moving toward Understanding across Discourses and Practices of Literacy and Schooling:

Drawing on a critical discourse perspective, we examine the “living dialogues,” or the complex interplay between discourses, in one neighborhood to recontextualize the often polarized debates about literacy instruction within education. Focusing on three children, their families, teachers, and classrooms, we argue that the creation of more inclusive school literacy practices requires a consideration of how discourses function within and across homes, communities, and schools. Thus we focus less on the merits or limits of one instructional method than on how living dialogues reflect particular and situated beliefs about language and literacy practices. Within this theoretical frame, classrooms arise as contextualized spaces where the living dialogues of unique discourse communities intersect, and where the relational discourses that shape and reflect classroom practices have the potential to open up or close down instructional spaces for children. A critical discourse perspective re-situates debates around...
Biochemical and neuroendocrine aspects of exposure to microwaves

Functional alterations in the neuroendocrine system of both animals and humans exposed to microwave or radiofrequency (mw/rf) energies have been reported by several investigators. The findings include changes in the secretions of the pituitary gland, adrenal cortex, thyroid gland, and the gonads. Certain investigators believe such changes result from stimulation of the hypothalamic-hypophysial system due to thermal interactions at the hypothalamic or immediately adjacent levels of organization, the hypophysis itself (pituitary), or the particular endocrine gland or end-organ under study. According to other researchers, the observed changes have been interpreted to be the result of direct microwave interactions with the central nervous system. Regardless of which mechanism is responsible for the observed responses, there is no question that this highly integrated, extremely labile system, which is intimately linked to the central nervous system, has a great potential for study. On this basis, it is reasonable to expect that alterations in the levels of the secretory products of these organs will occur in response to microwave exposure at some time/intensity relationship. (auth)
Objective self awareness and self esteem

Abstract Based on a theory of objective self awareness three experiments were conducted with undergraduates to test the hypothesis that self-focused attention can alter self esteem levels. In Experiments I and II subjects were exposed either to the sound of their own voices or to the sound of another's voice, and while listening to the tape-recording they filled out a self esteem measure. Consistent with the theory, subjects whose attention was focused upon themselves by means of exposure to their own tape-recorded voices showed lower self esteem than subjects who heard another's voice. The impact of the self awareness manipulation on self esteem was greatest when it was first introduced. In Experiment III the variable of positive-negative feedback on a fictitious personality trait was added to the self-focused attention variable. An interaction resulted such that self-focused attention lowered self esteem given negative feedback, while there was a tendency toward the opposite result given positive feedback.
Fibrations and Grothendieck topologies

Given a site T, that is, a category equipped with a fixed Grothendieck topology, we provide a definition of fibration for morphisms of the presheaves on T. We verify that the notion is well-behaved with respect to composition, base change, and exponentiation, and is trivial on the topos of sheaves. We compare our definition to that of Kan fibration in the semi-simplicial setting. Also we show how we can obtain a notion of fibration on our ground site T and investigate the resulting notion in certain ring-theoretic situations.
Chemotherapy for Early-Stage Breast Cancer: A Paradigm in Flux

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women in the United States. A reduction in breast cancer mortality has been observed over recent years and is in part attributable to general use of adjuvant chemotherapy and trastuzumab. Besides the addition of specific therapeutic agents, the therapy of early-stage breast cancer has benefited from dose-dense approaches, identification of molecular markers, and translational research innovations such as prognostic gene expression assays. Treatment recommendations for adjuvant breast cancer chemotherapy are traditionally guided by results from clinical studies reflecting a general population; however, molecular and genomic information can potentially enable clinicians to formulate more refined therapeutic decisions. These advances also generate further questions regarding situations where application of therapy is necessary to optimize efficacy and circumstances where sparing therapy is appropriate. Taken together, the advances made through early-stage bre...
Interactions between the glycine and glutamate binding sites of the NMDA receptor

The interactions between the glycine and glutamate binding sites of the NMDA receptor have been studied in outside-out patches and synapses from hippocampal neurons in culture using rapid drug application techniques. Desensitization of NMDA receptor-mediated currents elicited by glutamate in newly excised outside-out patches was reduced in the presence of saturating concentrations of glycine. This suggests that the glutamate and glycine binding sites of the NMDA receptor are allosterically coupled as has been reported in whole-cell preparations. A glycine-insensitive form of desensitization increased rapidly over the first few minutes of recording and largely occluded the glycine concentration-sensitive desensitization in outside-out patches. However, even in old patches that displayed no glycine-sensitive desensitization, the unbinding rate of glycine was increased fourfold by the presence of glutamate, suggesting that the two binding sites were still allosterically coupled. These data suggest the existence of two forms of NMDA receptor desensitization in outside-out patches, only one of which is dependent on the concentration of glycine. In the presence of saturating levels of glycine, activation of NMDA receptors by synaptic stimulation or by exogenous glutamate resulted in currents that relaxed biexponentially. Addition of the partial glycine-site agonist 1-hydroxy-3-aminopyrrolid-2-one (HA-966) increased the rate of decay of both synaptic and patch currents. This suggests that HA-966 increases the dissociation rate of glutamate from NMDA receptors. These results support the hypothesis that the glutamate and glycine binding sites of NMDA receptors interact allosterically; ligand binding at both types of sites can affect the affinity of the other type for its agonist.
Estrogen protects renal endothelial barrier function from ischemia-reperfusion in vitro and in vivo

Emerging evidence suggests that renal endothelial function may be altered in ischemia-reperfusion injury. Acute kidney injury is sexually dimorphic, and estrogen protects renal tubular function aft...
An algorithm for improving the retrieval of cloud liquid water and water vapor using effective radiating temperature of clouds

An algorithm is discussed which can significantly lower the rms errors in integrated cloud liquid water and water vapor retrieval from radiometric brightness temperature. This algorithm makes use of the effective radiating temperature of the atmosphere which is estimated from surface temperature, cloud base temperature, and cloud base height. The surface temperature is easily measured, while the cloud base temperature and the cloud base height may be measured by use of a pyrometer and a ceilometer, respectively. The effective radiating temperature T/sub eff/ is estimated at two separate frequencies corresponding to the two frequencies used to measure radiometric brightness temperature, and these estimates are then used to modify the brightness temperatures. For a data base compiled at University Park, Pennsylvania, the estimates of effective radiating temperature reduced the rms error in retrieving cloud liquid water content from 37 to 21 /spl mu/m, and reduced the rms error in retrieving water vapor under cloudy conditions from 0.20 to 0.11 cm. The reduction in the uncertainty in retrieved liquid water content was consistent with that achieved by Han and Thomson (1) for tropical conditions. Han and Thomson used measurements of cloud base height and cloud base temperature, along with a climatological mean effective radiating temperature to improve their retrievals. >
Performance Analysis of a Family of WHT Algorithms

This paper explores the correlation of instruction counts and cache misses to runtime performance for a large family of divide and conquer algorithms to compute the Walsh-Hadamard transform (WHT). Previous work showed how to compute instruction counts and cache misses from a high-level description of the algorithm and proved theoretical results about their minimum, maximum, mean, and distribution. While the models themselves do not accurately predict performance, it is shown that they are statistically correlated to performance and thus can be used to prune the search space for fast implementations. When the size of the transform fits in cache the instruction count itself is used; however, when the transform no longer fits in cache, a linear combination of instruction counts and cache misses is used. Thus for small transforms it is safe to ignore algorithms which have a high instruction count and for large transforms it is safe to ignore algorithms with a high value in the combined instruction count/cache miss model. Since the models can be computed from a high-level description of the algorithms, they can be obtained without runtime measurement and the previous theoretical results on the models can be applied to limit empirical search.
Assessing bioequivalence of generic antiepilepsy drugs.

Objective: Patients with epilepsy are often concerned that switching between brand-name and generic formulations of antiepilepsy drugs (AEDs) may cause clinically significant changes in plasma drug concentrations. We assessed bioequivalence (BE) studies for approved generic AEDs to evaluate US Food and Drug Administration claims that: (1) generic AEDs are accurate copies of reference formulations; (2) delivery of reference formulations may be as variable as generic AEDs and so provide no increased benefit; and (3) switches between generic AED formulations are safe and effective. Methods: We determined differences in 90% confidence interval limits for total drug exposure (AUC0-t) and peak concentration (Cmax) ratios of generic and reference formulations during fasting and fed BE studies. We simulated BE between generic formulations after adjusting for reference values. Results: AUC0-t values of approved reference and generic formulations differed by 15% for 17% of pairs; estimated Cmax differed by >15% for 39%. AEDs with low bioavailability and solubility (eg, oxcarbazepine) had the greatest variability in BE. Interpretation: Most generic AED products provide total drug delivery (AUC) similar to reference products; differences in peak concentrations between formulations are more common. Switches between generic AED products may cause greater changes in plasma drug concentrations than generic substitutions of reference products. ANN NEUROL 2011
Hindlimb Endpoint Forces Predict Movement Direction Evoked by Intraspinal Microstimulation in Cats

We measured the forces produced at the cat's hindpaw by microstimulation of the lumbar spinal cord and the movements resulting from those forces. We also measured the forces and movements produced by co- and sequential activation of two intraspinal sites. Isometric force responses were measured at nine limb configurations with the paw attached to a force transducer. The active forces elicited at different limb configurations were summarized as patterns representing the sagittal plane component of the forces produced at the paw throughout the workspace. The force patterns divided into the same distinct types found with the femur fixed. The responses during simultaneous activation of two spinal sites always resembled the response for activation of one of the two sites, i.e., winner-take-all, and we did not observe vectorial summation of the forces produced by activation of each site individually as reported in chronic spinal animals. The movements produced by activation of each of the sites were consistent with the force orientations, and different movements could be created by varying the sequence of activation of individual sites. Our results highlight the absence of a vectorial summation phenomenon during intraspinal microstimulation in decerebrate animals, and the preservation during movement of the orientation of isometric forces.
Incidence and associated factors of difficult tracheal intubations in pediatric ICUs: a report from National Emergency Airway Registry for Children: NEAR4KIDS

Purpose To evaluate the incidence and associated risk factors of difficult tracheal intubations (TI) in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs).
Rapamycin inhibits hTERT telomerase mRNA expression, independent of cell cycle arrest.

Abstract Objectives. Rapamycin and its analogues have been shown to be promising as anti-neoplastic agents but have not been extensively studied in gynecologic malignancies. Our goal was to examine the ability of rapamycin to suppress growth and regulate telomerase activity in cervical and ovarian cancer cell lines. Methods. Cell proliferation was assessed after exposure to rapamycin. Cell cycle progression was determined by flow cytometry, and apoptosis was evaluated by DNA fragmentation. hTERT mRNA levels were quantified by real-time RT-PCR. Western blot analysis was performed to assess PTEN status, phosphorylated S6 and total S6 expression. Results. Rapamycin inhibited growth of all the cervical cancer cell lines and 3 of the 4 ovarian cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner with IC 50 values Conclusions. Our data suggest that rapamycin may potentially exert its anti-tumor effects through two independent pathways by G1 cell cycle arrest as well as suppression of telomerase activity by inhibition of hTERT mRNA transcription.
Cardiovascular effects of inhaled nitric oxide in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.

BACKGROUNDPulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is frequently elevated in patients with advanced heart failure. Nitric oxide (NO), which contributes to the activity of endothelium-derived relaxing factor, causes relaxation of pulmonary arteries and veins in vitro. Inhalation of NO gas causes pulmonary vasodilation in patients with primary and secondary forms of pulmonary hypertension.METHODS AND RESULTSTo test the hypothesis that inhalation of NO gas lowers PVR in patients with heart failure, we studied the hemodynamic effects of a 10-minute inhalation of NO (80 ppm) in 19 patients with New York Heart Association class III (n = 5) and class IV (n = 14) heart failure due to left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Although inhalation of NO had no effect on pulmonary artery pressures, the PVR decreased by 31 +/- 7% (P < .001) due to a 23 +/- 7% increase (P < .001) in pulmonary artery wedge pressure and despite a 4 +/- 2% (P < .05) decrease in cardiac index. The magnitude of the decrease in PVR with inhaled NO was i...