cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Whole-body Imaging of Cell Death Provides a Systemic, Minimally Invasive, Dynamic, and Near-real Time Indicator for Chemotherapeutic Drug Toxicity

Purpose: Response to toxicity in chemotherapies varies considerably from tissue to tissue and from patient to patient. An ability to monitor the tissue damage done by chemotherapy may have a profound impact on treatment and prognosis allowing for a proactive management in understanding and mitigating such events. For the first time, we investigated the feasibility of using whole-body imaging to map chemotherapeutic drug–induced toxicity on an individual basis. Experimental Design: In a preclinical proof-of-concept, rats were treated with a single clinical dose of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, or cisplatin. In vivo whole-body imaging data were acquired using 99mTc-duramycin, which identifies dead and dying cells as an unambiguous marker for tissue injury in susceptible organs. Imaging results were cross-validated using quantitative ex vivo measurements and histopathology and compared with standard blood and serum panels for toxicology. Results: The in vivo whole-body imaging data detected widespread changes, where spatially heterogeneous toxic effects were identified across different tissues, within substructures of organs, as well as among different individuals. The signal changes were consistent with established toxicity profiles of these chemotherapeutic drugs. Apart from generating a map of susceptible tissues, this in vivo imaging approach was more sensitive compared with conventional blood and serum markers used in toxicology. Also, repeated imaging during the acute period after drug treatment captured different kinetics of tissue injury among susceptible organs in males and females. Conclusions: This novel and highly translational imaging approach shows promise in optimizing therapeutic decisions by detecting and managing drug toxicity on a personalized basis. Toxicity to normal tissues is a significant limitation in chemotherapies. This work demonstrated an in vivo imaging-based approach for characterizing toxicity-induced tissue injury in a systemic, dynamic, and near-real time fashion. This novel approach shows promise in optimizing therapeutic decisions by monitoring drug toxicity on a personalized basis.
Discrimination in Online Markets: Effects of Social Bias on Learning from Reviews and Policy Design

The increasing popularity of online two-sided markets such as ride-sharing, accommodation and freelance labor platforms, goes hand in hand with new socioeconomic challenges. One major issue remains the existence of bias and discrimination against certain social groups. We study this problem using a two-sided large market model with employers and workers mediated by a platform. Employers who seek to hire workers face uncertainty about a candidate worker's skill level. Therefore, they base their hiring decision on learning from past reviews about an individual worker as well as on their (possibly misspecified) prior beliefs about the ability level of the social group the worker belongs to. Drawing upon the social learning literature with bounded rationality and limited information, uncertainty combined with social bias leads to unequal hiring opportunities between workers of different social groups. Although the effect of social bias decreases as the number of reviews increases (consistent with empirical findings), minority workers still receive lower expected payoffs. Finally, we consider a simple directed matching policy (DM), which combines learning and matching to make better matching decisions for minority workers. Under this policy, there exists a steady-state equilibrium, in which DM reduces the discrimination gap.
The Influences of Sleep Duration, Chronotype, and Nightwork on the Ovarian Cycle

ABSTRACTDespite research indicating that sleep disorders influence reproductive health, the effects of sleep on reproductive hormone concentrations are poorly characterized. We prospectively follow...
Digital Migrating and Storyworlding with Women We Love: A Feminist Ethnography:

This contemporary feminist ethnography draws on in-depth ethnographically-anchored lifestory interviews with loved ones and uses digital media (such as ArcGIS) to expand the ethnographic collection...
The Handshake Test: A Nonverbal Assessment of Coping Strategies and Functional Status in Patients with Atraumatic Upper-Extremity Conditions

Background Maladaptive coping strategies can lead to less functional improvement after upper-extremity surgery. It remains uncertain how well surgeons can recognize signs of less effective coping strategies in patients in the absence of formalized questionnaires. Our purpose is to determine if the "Handshake Test" can be used to identify patients with less effective coping strategies. We hypothesize that a simple physical examination finding (a refusal or inability to shake hands) is associated with higher pain level, maladaptive coping strategies and decreased functional status. Methods We prospectively analyzed 246 consecutive new patients presenting to one of three surgeons with atraumatic upper-extremity conditions. Patients completed a pain scale (NPRS) and PROMIS instruments including Self-Efficacy (SE) for Managing Symptoms, Pain Interference (PI) and Upper Extremity (UE). Each surgeon recorded a refusal to shake hands as part of a normal greeting, referred to as a "positive Handshake Test". Results 200 patients (81%) patients completed all outcome measures and were included in our analysis. 8% demonstrated a positive Handshake Test. Patients with a positive Handshake Test were more likely to use tobacco; otherwise baseline demographics were similar between the two groups. Patients with a positive Handshake Test demonstrated higher pain scores (NPRS and PROMIS PI), lower levels of self-efficacy and worse self-reported functional status on the PROMIS UE. Conclusions For patients with atraumatic upper-extremity conditions, those with a positive Handshake Test report higher pain levels, lower self-efficacy, and decreased self-reported functional status than patients who can perform a handshake. This simple test can aid in identifying patients with less effective coping strategies, allowing surgeons to guide patients towards interventions to improve both illness behavior and functional outcomes.Level of Evidence: II.
Evaluation of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-IV Inhibitor Use in the Inpatient Setting.

Background:The American Diabetes Association recommends discontinuing non-insulin antihyperglycemic therapy during hospitalization and utilizing a basal insulin-containing regimen for patients with...
Continuing Non-Invasive Ventilation During Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Related Hospice Care Is Medically, Administratively, and Financially Feasible.

Background:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a terminal neuromuscular disease with patients dying within 3-5 years of diagnosis. Most patients choose to forego invasive life sustaining measure...
Medical help-seeking intentions for cognitive impairment by the patient.

Objectives: Older adults represent one of the fastest growing population groups. As the aged population increases, incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementias will also increase. Prof...
Outpatient healthcare personnel knowledge and attitudes towards infection prevention measures for protection from respiratory infections.

Background Healthcare personnel (HCP) knowledge and attitudes toward infection control measures are important determinants of practices that can protect them from transmission of infectious diseases. Methods Healthcare personnel were recruited from Emergency Departments and outpatient clinics at seven sites. They completed knowledge surveys at the beginning and attitude surveys at the beginning and end of each season of participation. Attitudes toward infection prevention and control measures, especially medical masks and N95 respirators, were compared. The proportion of participants who correctly identified all components of an infection control bundle for seven clinical scenarios was calculated. Results The proportion of participants in the medical mask group who reported at least one reason to avoid using medical masks fell from 88.5% on the pre-season survey to 39.6% on the post-season survey (odds ratio [OR] for preseason vs. postseason 0.11, 95% CI 0.10-0.14). Among those wearing N95 respirators, the proportion fell from 87.9% to 53.6% (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.21-0.28). Participants correctly identified all components of the infection control bundle for 4.9% to 38.5% of scenarios. Conclusions Attitudes toward medical masks and N95 respirators improved significantly between the beginning and end of each season. The proportion of HCP who correctly identified the infection control precautions needed for clinical scenarios was low, but it improved over successive years of participation in the study.
The impact of cirrhosis on the postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing splenectomy: Propensity score matched analysis of the 2011-2017 US hospital database.

Background & objective:While splenectomy is performed for various trauma and non-trauma indications, there is little information about the impact of cirrhosis on the post-splenectomy outcomes, desp...
Successfully Reducing Fat-modified Diet Duration for Treating Postoperative Chylothorax in Children.

Abstract Background Medical management, primarily a fat-modified diet (FMD), is the mainstay of treatment for the majority of patients with chylothorax. Duration of FMD is traditionally reported as 6 weeks, but no studies demonstrate the shortest effective duration that prevents recurrence of chylothorax. Our aim was to decrease FMD duration to 2 weeks in children with postoperative chylothorax without a significant increase in recurrence. Methods Our single-center study included pediatric ( Results The median duration of FMD decreased from 42 days (interquartile range: 30,43) in the pre-intervention cohort to 26 days (interquartile range: 14,29) post-intervention, with no recurrence of chylothorax in any group. Compliance to the FMD duration instruction in the 6-week, 4-week, and 2-week groups was 100%, 84% and 67% respectively. Compared to the first 6 months, compliance to the 2-week FMD instruction during the final 12 months increased from 40% (6/15) to 79% (26/33). Conclusions At our center, FMD duration decreased from 6 weeks to 2 weeks without any recurrence of chylothorax.
Brief of Professor Stephen E. Sachs as Amicus Curiae, Atlantic Marine Construction Co. v. U.S. District Court

[This brief was filed in support of neither party in No. 12-929 (U.S., cert. granted Apr. 1, 2013).]The parties in this case defend two sides of a many-sided circuit split. This brief argues that a third view is correct.If a contract requires suit in a particular forum, and the plaintiff sues somewhere else, how may the defendant raise the issue? Petitioner Atlantic Marine Construction Company suggests a motion under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(3) or 28 U.S.C. § 1406, on the theory that the contract renders venue improper. Respondent J-Crew Management, Inc. contends that venue remains proper, and that the defendant’s only remedy is a transfer motion under § 1404.Both sides are wrong. Forum-selection clauses have no effect on venue, which is defined by statute. While parties can waive their venue objections in advance, they cannot destroy proper venue by private agreement.At the same time, an exclusive forum-selection clause does more than just inform a court's discretion under § 1404. If the clause is valid and enforceable, it waives the plaintiff's right to sue in an excluded forum, offering the defendant an affirmative defense to liability in that forum and the right to have the suit dismissed.The Federal Rules already specify the correct method of raising this defense: it must be affirmatively stated in the answer, which the defendant may accompany with an immediate summary judgment motion. Often, as here, the parties' agreement will be incorporated in the complaint. In that case, the defendant may alternatively raise the defense in a pre-answer Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, or a post-answer Rule 12(c) motion for judgment on the pleadings.The Rules' default procedures are practical as well as correct. They enable defendants to obtain quick and decisive enforcement of their forum-selection clauses, through the same procedures used to enforce binding prior judgments, settlements, or arbitral awards. And while there may be some practical advantages to treating forum-selection clauses as if they affected venue, these advantages have been greatly exaggerated -- and, in any case, provide no reason to misapply the Federal Rules.Here, the parties agreed that their disputes "shall be litigated" in state or federal court in Norfolk, Va. J-Crew violated that agreement by suing in the Western District of Texas. Assuming, as the Court should, that the clause at issue is valid and enforceable, the complaint could have been dismissed by motion under Rule 12(b)(6). Instead, Atlantic Marine made this forum-selection defense under the label of Rule 12(b)(3). That may have been good enough to raise the issue, but the Court should leave such preservation questions to the court of appeals in the first instance. Because that court (and the district court) proceeded on the erroneous assumption that § 1404 was the only available remedy, this Court should identify the correct procedure, vacate the judgment, and remand the case for further proceedings.[With Jeffrey S. Bucholtz and Daniel S. Epps.]
Cultivation of Borrelia burgdorferi in dialysis membrane chambers in rat peritonea

In order to be sustained within its enzootic cycle, B. burgdorferi must adapt to two strikingly different environments, the arthropod vector and the mammalian host. The ability to rapidly adapt to environmental changes is therefore presumed to be central to spirochete survival and pathogenic programs. Indeed, it has now been well established that tick feeding initiates extensive changes in both gene expression and protein composition, collectively referred to as "host adaptation," a process that is thought to continue throughout infection. The paucibacillary nature of borrelial infections, however, has hampered our ability to study this bacterium in vivo. To circumvent this limitation, an animal model was developed for obtaining sufficient numbers of organisms to directly examine differential gene expression and antigenic composition of B. burgdorferi within the context of the mammalian host. The DMC model allows for a direct comparison of host-adapted B. burgdorferi and their in vitro-cultivated counterparts.
Multiresolution field map estimation using golden section search for water-fat separation.

Many diagnostic MRI sequences demand reliable and uniform fat suppression. Multipoint water–fat separation methods, which are based on chemical-shift induced phase differences, have shown great success in the presence of field inhomogeneities. This work presents a computationally efficient and robust field map estimation method. The method begins with subsampling image data into a multiresolution image pyramidal structure, and then utilizes a golden section search to directly locate possible field map values at the coarsest level of the pyramidal structure. The field map estimate is refined and propagated to increasingly finer resolutions in an efficient manner until the full-resolution field map is obtained for final water-fat separation. The proposed method is validated with multiecho sequences where long echo-spacings normally impose great challenges on reliable field map estimation. Magn Reson Med 60:236–244, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Physicians' opinions about reforming reimbursement: results of a national survey.

Background Several strategies have been proposed to reform physician reimbursement while improving quality of care. Despite much debate, physicians' opinions regarding reimbursement reform proposals have not been objectively assessed. Methods We conducted a national survey of randomly selected physicians between June 25 and October 31, 2009. Physicians rated their support for several reimbursement reform proposals: rewarding quality with financial incentives, bundling payments for episodes of care, shifting payments from procedures to management and counseling services, increasing pay to generalists, and offsetting increased pay to generalists with a reduction in pay for other specialties. Support for the different reform options was compared with physician practice characteristics. Results The response rate was 48.5% (n = 1222). Four of 5 physicians (78.4%) indicated that under Medicare, some procedures are compensated too highly and others are compensated at rates insufficient to cover costs. Incentives were the most frequently supported reform option (49.1%), followed by shifting payments (41.6%) and bundling (17.2%). Shifting payments and bundling were more commonly supported by generalists than by other specialists. There was broad support for increasing pay for generalists (79.8%), but a proposal to offset the increase with a 3% reduction in specialist reimbursement was supported by only 39.1% of physicians. Conclusions Physicians are dissatisfied with Medicare reimbursement and show little consensus for major proposals to reform reimbursement. The successful adoption of payment reform proposals may require a better understanding of physicians' concerns and their willingness to make tradeoffs.
A Multilevel Multisite Outcomes-by-Implementation Evaluation of an Early Childhood Literacy Model:

The evaluation of an intervention delivered across multiple treatment sites presents a unique opportunity for evaluators to gauge the manner and degree to which the “impact” of treatment varies across implementation conditions and different target populations. However, the availability of implementation data for each treatment site, while presenting the opportunity for more sophisticated impact assessment, also presents an analytic challenge. In the following, multilevel growth models were applied to data describing students and classroom sites to demonstrate how the multilevel modeling framework can be used to analyze data obtained from a multisite program implementation. Results of the investigation indicated that increased adherence to the program model was not associated with more positive recipient outcomes. Further examination of the null finding indicated that the highest and lowest rates of literacy growth observed in the study were concentrated in several low-implementing sites. Implications for ...
Materials Design and Discovery with High-Throughput Density Functional Theory: The Open Quantum Materials Database (OQMD)

High-throughput density functional theory (HT DFT) is fast becoming a powerful tool for accelerating materials design and discovery by the amassing tens and even hundreds of thousands of DFT calculations in large databases. Complex materials problems can be approached much more efficiently and broadly through the sheer quantity of structures and chemistries available in such databases. Our HT DFT database, the Open Quantum Materials Database (OQMD), contains over 200,000 DFT calculated crystal structures and will be freely available for public use at http://oqmd.org . In this review, we describe the OQMD and its use in five materials problems, spanning a wide range of applications and materials types: (I) Li-air battery combination catalyst/electrodes, (II) Li-ion battery anodes, (III) Li-ion battery cathode coatings reactive with HF, (IV) Mg-alloy long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) strengthening precipitates, and (V) training a machine learning model to predict new stable ternary compounds.
Social capital and democracy in Russia

Abstract The two basic objectives of this study are to determine whether or not Russia has stocks of social capital upon which to draw as it seeks to democratize, and to examine the nature of the relationship between social capital and democracy in Russia. I present both qualitative and quantitative evidence that social capital exists in many parts of Russia. After a quantitative analysis of social capital and democratization, which identifies a strong positive relationship, I suggest that if the center is able to sustain democracy, Russia should be able to consolidate democratic rule.
Implication of delayed TNF-alpha exposure on dendritic cell maturation and expansion from cryopreserved cord blood CD34+ hematopoietic progenitors.

Abstract Most currently used systems for dendritic cell (DC) production from progenitors entail tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) at the onset of cell culture, based on the notion that TNF-α might be required in the early stages of DC development. To optimize conditions for DC expansion from cryopreserved cord blood (CB) CD34+ hematopoietic progenitors, we took a dynamic approach to define the timing of TNF-α exposure to the culture. We cultured cord blood CD34+ cells in RPMI-1640 with 10% human AB plasma, stem cell factor (days 1–6), granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (days 1–18), interleukin-4 (days 6–18) and varying schedules of TNF-α (0–144 h after thawing). Expression of the DC-associated markers, including CD83/CD1a, HLA DR/CD86/CD80, CD14/CD40, was monitored every 3 days. Our data demonstrate that delayed TNF-α exposure by 48–72 h after thawing gave rise to two- to three-fold increase in the yield of CD83+ DCs that were highly active in stimulating allogeneic T-cell proliferation compared to immediate TNF-α exposure. Thus, the immediate exposure of cryopreserved cord blood CD34+ cells to TNF-α, potentially compromising DC expansion, should be avoided. This finding should be of significant consideration when using cryopreserved CD34+ progenitor cells as a source of immunologically competent DCs in a clinical setting.
Climate impact of high northern vegetation: Late Miocene and present

The Late Miocene belongs to the late phase of the Cenozoic. Climate at that time was still warmer and more humid as compared to today, especially in the high latitudes. Corresponding to the climate situation, palaeobotanical evidences support that vegetation in the high northern latitudes changed significantly from the Late Miocene until today. To quantify the climate impact of this vegetation change, we analyse how vegetation in the high northern latitudes contribute to climate evolution. For that, we perform climate modelling sensitivity experiments for the present and for the Late Miocene (Tortonian, 11–7 Ma). For our present-day sensitivity experiment, we introduce the Tortonian vegetation in the high northern latitudes. For our Tortonian sensitivity experiment, we introduce the modern vegetation on the same grid cells. In the Tortonian and in the present, the modern vegetation leads to a strong cooling of the northern extratropics (up to −4°C). Nevertheless, the meridional heat transports remain nearly unchanged in both cases. In general, the vegetation impact on climate is similar in the Tortonian and in the present. However, some exceptions occur. Due to the Tethys Ocean in the Tortonian, temperatures decline only weakly in eastern Europe and western Asia. In the Tortonian climate, temperatures on the Sahara realm rise (up to +1.5°C), while the temperatures do not change remarkably in the present-day climate. This different behaviour is caused by a stronger and more sensitive hydrological cycle on the Sahara region during the Tortonian.
Performance analysis of ESPRIT and TAM in determining the direction of arrival of plane waves in noise

The authors evaluate two subspace-based methods, ESPRIT and the Toplitz approximation method (TAM), for estimating the direction of arrival (DOA) of plane waves in white noise in the case of linear equispaced sensor array. It is shown that the least-squares versions of ESPRIT and TAM result in the same estimate and are statistically equivalent. It is also shown that, asymptotically, the estimates obtained using least-squares ESPRIT and total-least-squares ESPRIT have the same mean-squared error. Expressions for the asymptotic mean-squared error in the estimates of the DOA are derived for both methods. Simple closed-form expressions are derived for the one- and two-source cases to get further insight. Computer simulation results are provided to substantiate the analysis. >
Fat Targets for Insulin Signaling

Adipose cells control flux of fatty acids to peripheral tissues by storing and hydrolyzing triglyceride under hormonal control. New data reveal that insulin may regulate this process in part by promoting membrane trafficking of intracellular fatty acid transporters FATP1 and FATP4 to the plasma membrane.
Applicability of micellar electrokinetic chromatography to kinetic studies of photocatalytic oxidation of dibenzo-p-dioxin

Abstract Micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) using sodium dodecyl sulfate was tested for its ability to analyze mixtures containing three dioxin derivatives. Dioxin-containing samples, subjected to photocatalytic oxidation using TiO2 and/or SnO2 as the semiconductor catalyst were analyzed by MEKC to obtain the rate constant for each dioxin when it was degraded individually or in the presence of the other two dioxins. A significant degree of analyze competition was observed and the mixed catalyst offered important synergism.
“Birth of the cool”: Using sea urchin zygotes to study centrosome duplication, cell division, and cytokinesis

The successful division of the cell depends on several morphological events that must be coordinated in a cell cycle dependent fashion. Crucial to this process is the remodeling of the cytoskeleton to both establish the bipolar spindle during mitosis, and cleave the cell into two daughters during cytokinesis. From the standpoint of the cytoskeleton, this process begins during interphase with the duplication of the centrosome; it is the two daughter centrosomes that will assemble the poles of the mitotic spindle and establish its necessary bipolarity. Following the cell cycle transition into mitosis, the spindle must assemble in order to properly align the sister chromatids at the center of the cell, and release the “wait anaphase checkpoint”. As the spindle transports the disjoined sister chromatids to the spindle poles, the cell must rapidly undergo cytokinesis, cleaving the cell into two – the plane of cleavage being established by the spindle itself. Understanding the temporal regulation and molecular basis for these events has come from extensive experiments using a variety of model systems, and has benefited from cell biological, molecular genetic, and biophysical approaches. One of the earliest and most important model systems for studying mitosis is the sea urchin zygote. With their large size, rapid/synchronous cell cycles, and advantages for conduct of biochemical and cytological investigations on the same system, fertilized sea urchin eggs have revealed many of the fundamental properties of centrosome duplication, cell division and cytokinesis. Here we review several key studies that have utilized the sea urchin zygote to explore mechanisms that coordinate and drive two of the major cytoskeletal events of mitotic division – centrosome duplication and cytokinesis.
Interstellar abundances derived from IUE data. I - Silicon depletions toward reddened stars

Surveys of abundances for species well suited to IUE's wavelength coverage and spectral resolution are undertaken to acquire interstellar line data for a large number of stars and column densities greater than those of previous instruments. A complex set of interactive computer programs has been developed for the efficient analysis of the IUE data, which is described along with results on Si II column densities toward two moderately reddened stars. Silicon depletions are inferred in the cases of the two stars, HD 42088 and HD 151804, and their H I column density determinations are used to estimate the total hydrogen column density.
Changes in response to S+ and S− during acquisition and overtraining of simultaneous discriminations in rats

Two experiments with rats investigated learning about S+ and S− during various stages of discrimination training. Transfer tests, in which either S+ or S− was retained, or two new stimuli were presented, were used to assess learning early in acquisition, at criterion, or following overtraining. Both choice and latency measures were used. Results indicated that learning about S+ occurs early in acquisition when noncorrection training is given, and little improvement occurs after that time, at least up to 70 trials of overtraining under present conditions. Learning about S− begins somewhat later in acquisition and continues throughout overtraining. When correction training is used, learning about S− occurs earlier in acquisition, and further learning about both S+ and S− occurs during overtraining.
Regulatory Transformations in a Changing City: The Anti-Smoke Movement in Baltimore, 1895–1931

This study of the Baltimore anti-smoke movement illustrates how Americans altered their approach to environmental regulation during the Progressive Era. After citizen groups came to recognize the limits of common-law regulation, they became enamored with administrative regulation and the promise of rationalized, professional agencies. While Baltimore did mirror the national regulatory trends, the city's unique circumstances limited its capacity to reduce the sooty, black smoke that provoked episodes of public activism. Fearful about the city's economic future, regulators exempted manufacturing from the city's early anti-smoke measures. Furthermore, although railroads were major polluters, they balked at electrifying the bulk of their tracks. Finally, the anti-smoke movement was narrowly based in the northeastern, more affluent parts of the city and failed to expand its support to working-class whites and African Americans. Hence, while the ideas about what constituted appropriate regulation “modernized” in Baltimore, the city did not alter its regulatory practices until the 1930s, long after other cities had done so:In the heart of a beautiful residence section of our city, there rises a towering factory structure in the most gruesome ugliness, belching volumes upon volumes of black and angry smoke, flooding our very houses with showers of soot…. It is the sworn duty of our legislators to protect the citizens in all their rights, and it is to be hoped that the crying need of protection from this unbearable smoke nuisance will now be recognized.—PH. H., February 28, 19012
A Frequency Extrapolation Technique for Computing Antenna-Platform Radiation Problems

A frequency extrapolation technique is proposed to obtain the broad band radiation patterns of antenna-platform radiation problems. A frequency-dependent time-of-arrival model is applied to the induced current computed at low frequencies. The model parameters are estimated by applying the ESPRIT superresolution algorithm to the computed data. A pre-multiplication scheme in conjunction with the complex time-of- arrival estimation from ESPRIT is used to determine the additional frequency-dependent factors in the model. The current at high frequencies is then extrapolated based on the model and the radiated field is computed using the extrapolated current. The algorithm is applied to several 2D and 3D antenna-platform radiation problems. The extrapolated radiation patterns are found to be in good agreement with those generated by brute force computation. Since the current required for the extrapolation is only computed at lower frequencies, large savings in computation time and memory can be achieved.
Effects of the training dose on generalization of morphine stimulus to clonidine.

Abstract The relationship between the stimulus properties of morphine and clonidine was tested in rats trained to discriminate morphine sulfate (4, 2 or 1 mg/kg) from saline in a two-lever food-rewarded task. The response trained in the low dose group generalized only to higher doses of clonidine (0.125 to 0.5 mg/kg) whereas the response trained with the high dose of morphine generalized only to higher doses of clonidine (0.625 to 1.0 mg/kg). Naloxone blocked the generalization in the low dose group but only partially blocked it in the high dose group. Yohimbine blocked the generalization to clonidine in the high morphine dose group and reversed the response rate suppressant effect of clonidine in all groups.
Inversion of pressure observations: an integral formulation

It is possible to express the inverse problem for flow in an integral form. The integral formulation affords some insight concerning the recovery of subsurface flow properties. In particular, we find that rapid or high frequency variations in head are primarily sensitive to the specific storage. Conversely, slow or low frequency variations are most strongly influenced by hydraulic conductivity. The nonlinearity of the inverse problem is due to the presence of product terms in which the head field, or its gradient, multiplies a term dependent on flow properties. Thus, in their discrete form, the equations describing the inverse problem are algebraic. The integral formulation provides an alternative approach to linearizing the inverse problem, the Born approximation. We apply the methodology to data from a set of crosswell pressure tests conducted at the Raymond field site. We are able to image two fracture zones within the granitic subsurface. The location of these zones agrees with results from crosswell seismic tomography and borehole logging.
Effect of serotonergic anorectics on food intake and induction of Fos in brain of mice with disruption of melanocortin 3 and/or 4 receptors.

Previous studies have indicated that type 3 or 4 melanocortin receptors (MCR) are downstream of the critical anorectic action of drugs that stimulate 5-HT2C receptors. To characterize further the receptor types involved, we have studied the effect of serotonergic anorectics in mice with genomic disruption of either MC3R or MC4R, or their combined knockout. In a first experiment, we showed that wild type (WT) and MC4R−/− mice showed comparable inhibition of food intake following acute treatment with dexnorfenfluramine. In a second experiment using WAY-161503, a 5-HT receptor full agonist with selectivity for 2B and 2C subtypes, we found that MC4R−/− responded comparably to WT, while MC3R−/− had reduced sensitivity. Double receptor knockout (DKO) mice responded comparably to WT and MC4R−/−. Surprisingly, brain Fos-ir was not strongly induced in any brain region by WAY-16103 with the exception of the paraventricular nucleus of DKO. These data suggest that MC3Rs may be involved in the response to serotonergic anorectic agents, and more generally in control of food intake.
Thromboxane receptor antagonism and synthase inhibition in cerebral ischemia.

Abstract Thromboxane A 2 (TXA 2 ) is a proaggregatory vasoconstrictor that may suppress regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during postischemic hypoperfusion. This study was undertaken to determine if rCBF could be elevated by postischemic treatment with a TXA 2 receptor antagonist, SQ29,548, given alone or in combination with 1-benzylimidazole (1-BI), a thromboxane synthase inhibitor. Wistar rats were subjected to 30 min of reversible forebrain ischemia and treated with SQ29,548 or an SQ29,548/1-BI combination during 60 min of reperfusion. Cerebral TXB 2 , the stable metabolite of TXA 2 , was 1.33 ± 0.91 ng mg brain protein −1 in animals treated with SQ29,548 and exposed to ischemia, compared to 1.15 ± 0.32 in ischemic controls (p = NS). Administration of SQ29,548/20 mg kg −1 1-BI reduced cerebral TXB 2 to 0.20 ± 0.25 (p ≤ 0.01). Regional CBF was depressed significantly in ischemic controls compared to sham-ischemic animals (p ≤ 0.01 in all regions except for p ≤ 0.05 in diencephalon) and was not altered by treatment with SQ29,548. Rats given the SQ29,548/1-BI combination showed an overall increase in rCBF that did not reach statistical significance when compared to ischemic controls. However, rCBF in hippocampus and diencephalon of animals given the drug combination was significantly greater than in rats treated with SQ29,548 alone (p ≤ 0.05).
Time-resolved penetration into glass: Experiments and computations

Abstract The penetration behavior of tungsten-alloy long-rod penetrators into glass targets is investigated and contrasted at two impact velocities, 1.25 km/s and 1.70 km/s. Penetration depths and residual rod lengths were measured by means of a 600-kV flash X-ray system at different times during penetration. The wavecode CTH was used to simulate numerically the experiments using a Drucker–Prager constitutive model, where the constitutive constants were determined from independent characterization experiments. The numerical results are compared to the experimental data and good agreement is shown.
Oxygen concentration and preimplantation development

The recent article by Karagenc et al. once again shows that atmospheric oxygen is detrimental to embryo development in vitro. This study demonstrates that zygotes can readily develop into blastocysts under ambient oxygen, but in spite of their morphologically normal appearance, the viability of many of these embryos is compromised, with the most pronounced effect on ICM development. Numerous other studies have reached the same general conclusions, but in spite of the strong body of evidence derived from animal studies against using atmospheric oxygen, the entire human IVF community does not seem to have been convinced to abandon its use for embryo culture. This commentary argues for adoption of low oxygen concentrations as the standard for human embryo culture, at least for blastocyst production.
“And since heaven has filled Spain with goods and gifts”: Lucas Mallada, the Regenerationist movement, and the Spanish environment, 1881–90

Abstract Lucas Mallada was a leading proponent of Spain's Regenerationist movement which developed in response to the country's stagnation during the Restoration (1875–1902). From the sixteenth to the late nineteenth century, many Spaniards firmly believed that their country was wealthy and prosperous. Eager to rouse Spaniards from their complacency and to move his country forward, Lucas Mallada excelled in the use of positivist arguments to dismantle this myth. In 1881–82, Mallada published a series of articles on Spain's severe environmental limitations. These were greeted with reactionary criticism by key members of the prestigious Madrid Geographical Society. Support for his ideas grew, however, and his association with Joaquin Costa, the reputed leader of Regenerationism, was particularly important. When Mallada republished the essays toward the end of the 1880s, his ideas were accepted in influential circles. In the end, Mallada effected an important revision of the image that Spaniards held of their land.
A novel rapid scanning microspectrophotometer and its use in measuring rhodopsin photoproduct pathways and kinetics in frog retinas

A novel rapid scanning microspectrophotometer is described which utilizes a cathode ray tube as a measuring light source. Spectral scanning is accomplished electronically with a sampling time of 600 mus for each waveband. The cathode ray tube emission is chopped electronically into two separate beams, 180 degrees out of phase, resulting in a dual-beam configuration. A lock-in amplifier functions as a coherent detector to recover separately the signals from the two beams. The instrument generates separate voltage outputs, one proportional to the transmittance of a single sample and the other to the difference between two samples. A computer calculates both absorption and difference spectra directly from voltage measurements. A demonstration of the instrument's use to study kinetics of visual pigment photoproducts is presented. Two models of photoproduct sequence and kinetics were examined to determine which better represents the experimental data. The experiments show that environmental factors, such as pH, metabolic and respiratory state, interact in complex ways to determine the pathways and kinetics of photoproducts of rhodopsin in intact vertebrate eyes.
Numerical simulation of wind-induced forces on bridge deck sections of long-span bridges

Abstract A procedure for numerically simulating wind-induced forces on bridge deck sections is presented in this paper. The procedure entails solving the governing flow equations of motion using the finite-difference method. The two-dimensional, unsteady, incompressible, laminar form of the Navier-Stokes flow equations of motion are solved in a body-fitted curvilinear coordinate system. Numerical solution of the flow equations of motion yield the unsteady values of horizontal, u and vertical, v , components of the flow velocity vector, V, as well as the flow field pressure distribution. The surface integral of the wall pressure around the body is then evaluated, in order to obtain the desired wind-induced forces on the bridge deck sections. The procedure has been applied to the bridge deck section of a proposed cable-stayed bridge over the Chesapeake and Delaware canal. The simulated wind forces obtained from using two different grid sizes are presented and discussed. Barring computer memory and computational time constraints resulting from use on an IBM-PC with a 486 micro-processor, the force values seem reasonable when compared with the mean values from wind tunnel testing.
Health anxiety and terro management: commentary on "Memory bias in health anxiety is related to the emotional valence of health-related words".

By applying methods from social cognition and sophisticated statistical analyses, Ferguson et al. [1] have made a valuable contribution to the study of health anxiety. Aside from replicating the health word effect (i.e., people remember health-related words more accurately than other words), the authors also demonstrated that this effect may be partly explained by the negative emotional valence associated with these health words. Of particular relevance to understanding health anxiety, they also found that individuals with higher health anxiety were more likely to recognize health-related words than non-health-related words and were quicker to evaluate the emotional valence of health-related words than non-health-related words. Ferguson et al. suggest that these findings resulted from automatic processing in which emotional information is strongly linked to health-related words among individuals who are anxious of their health. In contrast, those with lower health anxiety were slower to evaluate the emotional valence of health-related words than non-health-related words (Fig. 3 of Ref. [1]). Here, Ferguson et al. [1] suggested that the links between emotional information and health-related words may be weaker or absent among individuals with a low level of health anxiety. However, why should these links be weaker for health-related words than for non-health-related words? For example, why should people with a low level of health anxiety take longer to rate the emotional valence of words like btumorQ and banginaQ than words like balgebraQ and belection?Q These results may bear some resemblance to earlier findings of Marcus [2] and Hadjistavropoulos et al. [3]. Marcus [2] used a scrambled-sentence task to prime participants with health-related words (e.g., cancer) and
Red cell metabolism in iron-deficiency anemia.

Iron-deficiency anemia is characterized by diminished synthesis of hemoglobin andthe presence of small, misshapen red cells. Alterations in cell morphology usually denote some derangement in cell metabolism. Studies of red cell metabolism in 37 children with nutritional iron-deficiency anemia revealed an increase in reduced glutathione concentration and increased enzymatic activity in both the Embden-Meyerhof pathway (hexokinase and lactate dehydrogenase) and hexosemonophosphate shunt (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase). The activity of acetylcholinesterase (a membrane enzyme) was normal. Glycolysis by iron-deficient cells was also increased. No correlation could be demonstrated between increased metabolic activity and the presence of reticulocytes. Both enzyme activity and glycolysis returned to normal after correction of the anemia by iron therapy. The reasons for this altered metabolic activity and its relationship to cell viability are discussed. It is suggested that the increased energy and redox potential of iron deficient cells may represent a compensatory mechanism secondary to defective synthesis of hemoglobin and stroma.
The termination of conflict

cises mark completion of the process. Other social processes, however, such as friendship or love, have no precise termination point. They follow a law of social inertia insofar as they continue to operate if no explicit provision for stopping their course is made by the participants. Social conflict is such a process. While in a game, for example, the rules for the process include rules for its ending, in social conflict explicit provisions for its termination must be made by the contenders. If no mutual agreements are made at some time during the struggle, it "ceaseth only in death" or in total destruction of at least one of the
Transmit optimization of CMUTs in non-collapse mode using a transient array model

A transient transmit model has been developed to investigate and optimize output pressure characteristics of a CMUT array element in non-collapse mode. The model uses SIMULINK to calculate transient output pressure from a CMUT array element given the input voltage waveform. The model has a nonlinear block for electrostatic actuation, and two linear blocks for force to membrane displacement and force to pressure calculations. Force to displacement transfer functions are obtained using the boundary element method which accounts for membrane dynamics including acoustic cross coupling in the array and provides surface velocity distribution for pressure calculation more efficiently as compared to FEA. Using the model, the transient transmitted pressure can be simulated for various pulse amplitude and DC bias configurations for CMUT optimization and phased array operation. The model is verified on a 2 by 2 CMUT array which is simulated both with transient FEA and the SIMULINK model. This type of model would be useful for designing a CMUT element optimized for maximum output pressure given input signal constraints and a desired frequency response. As an example, the optimal pulse width and DC bias to maximize the output pressure of a CMUT-on-CMOS dual-ring array element are calculated for given device geometry and constrained drive pulse amplitude of 25 V.
Synthesis and Surface Morphology of High-Density Poly(ethylene glycol) Grafted Layers

The present study was focused on permanent grafting of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) layers (brushes) from the melt to adsorbed reactive macromolecules. A poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) was used to form the reactive primary adsorbed layer. It was found that a thin (1.5 nm) PGMA layer had a high grafting efficiency, and elevated temperatures considerably accelerated the grafting process. The grafting extent was eventually limited by concentration and accessibility of functional reactive groups in the primary adsorbed layer. Several distinct types of brush morphologies were observed depending on the grafted layer height. Isolated crystals were detected for brushes possessing lower grafting density. At higher levels of PEG attachment, the crystalline formations uniformly covered the entire surface of the substrate. The development of highly extended crystalline formations on the surface and marked expansion of the PEG brushes in water indicated that an extremely high grafting density was attained. The deve...
Application of liquid scintillation counting to I131 measurement

Abstract Standard liquid scintillation techniques are feasible for counting the beta emission of I131 and are up to seven times more efficient than a standard gamma detection system. The increased efficiency obtained and high degree of automation available in liquid scintillation systems minimize the restrictions of the technique.