cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A randomized controlled clinical trial to improve asthma care for children through provider education and health systems change: A description of the pediatric asthma care patient outcome research team (PAC-PORT II) study design

For more than a decade, there has been an effort to reduce unintended variations in care and improve clinical outcomes through the widespread development and dissemination of clinical practice guidelines yet a substantial body of literature suggests that few guidelines have been fully adopted into clinical practice. This manuscript describes the design of a group randomized controlled clinical trial to test two alternative strategies for promoting the adoption of asthma clinical guidelines: a peer-leader mediated physician behavior change intervention, and an intervention which applies the chronic disease model to structuring asthma care, including an asthma nurse educator compared to usual care. It is anticipated that the findings from this study will assist health care organizations in designing practical evidence-based strategies to improve the care of persons with asthma.
Polyelectrolytes in the presence of multivalent ions: Gelation versus segregation

We analyze solutions of strongly charged chains bridged by linkers such as multivalent ions. The gelation induced by the strong short range electrostatic attractions is dramatically suppressed by the long range electrostatic correlations due to the charge along the non-cross-linked monomers and ions. A modified Debye-Huckel approach of cross-linked clusters of charged chains is used to determine the mean field gelation transition self-consistently. Highly dilute polyelectrolyte solutions tend to segregate macroscopically. Semidilute solutions can form gels if the Bjerrum length l B and the distance between neighboring charged monomers along the chain b are both greater than the ion size a.
Manufactured Exports, Capital Good Imports, and Economic Growth: Experience of Mexico and Brazil

This paper examines the export-led growth hypothesis using data from two Latin American countries, Mexico and Brazil, in a production function framework. It addresses some of the limitations of existing methods of testing the hypothesis. Contrary to popular belief, we do not find any evidence to support the hypothesis. Imported capital goods appear to be very significant in the growth process of these two countries. To check the robustness of the results, this study uses two different cointegrating procedures to determine the number of cointegrating vectors, and three different methods to estimate the parameters of the long-run relations. The results are robust across estimation techniques. [F43, F14, O47, O54]
Diffusion Mechanisms of Dimers Adsorbed on Face Centered Cubic (100) Crystal Surfaces

The microscopic diffusion mechanisms of a rigid, homonuclear dimer adsorbed on a fcc(100) crystal surface have been studied by utilizing static minimum-potential-energy calculations. The Lennard-Jones potential is used to model the physical interaction between the dimer atoms and the surface atoms. By variation of either the dimer length or the diameter of the dimer atoms relative to the surface lattice constant, several interesting and complicated diffusion mechanisms have been found to exist. We discuss some implications of our findings.
A method for simultaneous determination of (I) the blood flows to the organs and (II) the cardiac output.

A method is presented for the simultaneous determination of (i) the blood flow to the organs and (ii) the cardiac output. Part I of the paper deals with the analysis of ann compartment (organ) vascular system model. The data, employed in the analysis, consists of continuous monitoring of the amounts of indicatorMi in the organs (or compartments). An analysis for determination of the cardiac output and the absolute flows to the organs is presented. Since it is difficult to isolate certain organ systems and measure the amounts of indicator in them exclusively, a more realistic model of then compartment vascular system is presented in Part II. Herein, the analysis has accounted for the finite transit time, of the indicator, from one organ system to another. Further, estimation theory is employed to make estimates of blood flow to different organs by taking note of (i) the measurement errors due to the detectors' monitoring (for an organ system) some combination ofMi's instead of theMi for the particularith organ and (ii) noise uncertainties introduced by the measuring instruments.
The Phase Variations of the Solar Cycle

It has previously been shown that the statistics of the phase fluctuation of the sunspot cycle are compatible with the assumption that the solar magnetic field is generated deep in the Sun by a frequency stable oscillator and that the observed substantial phase fluctuation in the sunspot cycle is due to variation in the time required for the magnetic field to move to the solar surface (Dicke, 1978, 1979). It was shown that the observed phase shifts are strongly correlated with the amplitude of the solar cycle. It is shown here that of two empirical models for the transport of magnetic flux to the surface, the best fit to the data is obtained with a model for which the magnetic flux is carried to the surface by convection with the convection velocity proportional to a function of the solar cycle amplitude. The best fit of this model to the data is obtained for a 12-yr transit time. The period obtained for the solar cycle is T = 22.219 ± 0.032 yr. It is shown that the great solar anomaly of 1760–1800 is most likely real and not due to poor data.
Some practical issues in equating

The practice of equating frequently involves not only the choice of a statistical equating procedure but also consideration of practical issues that bear upon the use and/or interpretation of equating results. In this paper, major emphasis is given to issues involved in identifying, quantifying, and (to the extent possible) eliminating various sources of error in equating. Other topics considered include content specifications and equating, equating in the context of cutting scores, reequating, and the effects of a security breach on equating. To simplify discussion, some issues are treated from the linear equating perspective in Kolen and Brennan (1987).
All-optical implementation of signal processing functions

Optical nonlinearities in various materials pose some of the biggest challenges and opportunities in optical communications. Many important functions can be implemented using various forms of photonic nonlinear-interactions. Bit rate tunable all-optical noise mitigation of QPSK data signal and optical channel deaggregtion of QPSK signals are recent applications of nonlinear optical signal processing. In addition, optical tapped-delay-line (TDL) as a key building block in digital signal processing is discussed. Utilizing TDL, optical Nyquist generation of 32-Gbaud QPSK signals, and one/two dimensional optical correlation of 20-Gbaud QPSK signals are performed.
The ganglion-blocked, angiotensin II-supported rat: A model for demonstrating antihypertensive vasodilator activity

This report describes the implementation of an in vivo method for demonstrating direct vasodilator activity of potential antihypertensive agents. The experimental model is an anesthetized, ganglion-blocked rat whose blood pressure is maintained by an intravenous infusion of angiotensin II. A hypotensive response in this model appears to correlate more closely with antihypertensive activity in desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats than does a vasodilator response in the pump-perfused hind limb of anesthetized dogs. Furthermore, it distinguishes between vasodilators that are effective in hypertension, eg hydralazine and diazoxide, and vasodilators that are used to treat peripheral vascular disease, eg cinnarizine and papaverine.
Modeling alternative paths of chemical evolution of Na-HCO 3 -type groundwater near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA

This paper demonstrates that both cation exchange, a commonly invoked mechanism, and silicate hydrolysis, which is less commonly considered, can produce Na-HCO3-type water in sedimentary rocks. Evolution of Na-HCO3 groundwater beneath the Oak Ridge Reservation, Tennessee, USA, was studied by comparing observed end-member groundwater composition from multiport samplers to compositions generated by reaction-path geochemical models. Observed groundwater compositions could be reproduced by either the silicate-hydrolysis model or the cation-exchange model. Secondary minerals precipitated in the silicate-hydrolysis model are similar to those present along fractures in the shale and carbonate host rocks, and observed molar Sr2+/Ca2+ ratios more closely resemble evolution from shale weathering. Both mechanisms should be considered to understand the evolution of Na-HCO3 groundwater.
Inside the Tardis: the worlds of Doctor Who

Doctor Who has developed a massive fan following ever since its debut 50 years ago (1953), but even though many people have loved the show for half a century, and the series’ popularity has explode...
The CDF MiniPlug calorimeters

Abstract Two MiniPlug calorimeters, designed to measure the energy and lateral position of particles in the (forward) pseudorapidity region of 3.6 p p collider. In this paper we describe the final design of the MiniPlugs and present results from a cosmic ray test, in which a light yield of approximately 100 pe / MIP was obtained, exceeding our design requirements.
Enhancing the placebo response: functional magnetic resonance imaging evidence of memory and semantic processing in placebo analgesia.

Abstract Two groups of patients with irritable bowel syndrome rated pain and underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging brain scanning during experimentally induced rectal distension (20 seconds, 7 stimuli). Group 1 was tested under baseline (natural history [NH]) and a verbally induced placebo condition, whereas Group 2 was tested under baseline and standard placebo (no verbal suggestion for pain reduction) and intrarectal lidocaine conditions. As hypothesized, intrarectal lidocaine reduced evoked pain and pain-related brain activity within Group 2. Between-group comparisons showed that adding a verbal suggestion to a placebo condition increased neural activity involved in memory and semantic processing, areas that process the placebo suggestions. These areas, in turn, are likely to influence brain areas involved in emotions and analgesia and consequently the placebo effect. These placebo suggestions also added significant decreases in activity of brain areas that process pain. The test stimulus itself seems to cue these effects and is consistent with previous explanations that somatic focus and sensory feedback reinforce expectations and other factors that mediate placebo analgesic effects. Perspective Expectations for pain can be verbally manipulated to produce placebo analgesia. Placebo analgesia is accompanied by decreased brain activity related to processing pain and increased brain activity that generates placebo analgesia, including semantic and memory regions. Placebo suggestions may enhance placebo analgesia by engaging a feedback mechanism triggered by the painful stimulus itself and related to brain mechanisms involved in memory and semantic processing.
Thyroid gland in Graves' disease: victim or culprit?

Abstract The relationship between serum LATS concentration, measured in tenfold IgG concentrates, and thyroid function and size has been studied in 35 patients with untreated Graves' disease and in 27 patients during treatment with antithyroid drugs. There was no correlation between serum LATS activity and serum T 4 , free T 4 , T 3 resin uptake, thyroid 20-minute or 24-hour 131 I uptake or estimated thyroid weight. Nonsuppressibility of thyroid 20-minute 131 I uptake after administration of triiodothyronine (T 3 ) was similarly not correlated with serum LATS levels either before and during treatment. Dissociation between serum LATS and suppressibility occurred in both directions; there were five patients in whom thyroid uptake became suppressible despite persistence of LATS in serum, whereas in 15 instances nonsuppressibility of thyroid uptake continued when LATS was undetectable. Similarly, there was no correlation between serum LATS and thyroid nonsuppressibility when all tests in all 27 patients during treatment were analyzed. Serum TSH was often detectable when patients became euthyroid or hypothyroid during treatment. In these patients pre-T 3 thyroid 20-minute 131 I uptake did not regularly rise nor was it regularly suppressed after administration of T 3 , whereas serum TSH invariably fell sharply after T 3 . When serum LATS and serum TSH were simultaneously considered as determinants of the degree of suppressibility of 20-minute uptake by T 3 , there was no effect of LATS whatsoever, but a trend toward an effect of TSH, albeit not statistically significant. It is concluded that thyroid autonomy and hyperfunction in Graves' disease are probably not due to circulating LATS. The hypothesis is proposed that the primary abnormality is an intrinsic disorder of the thyroid gland, rendering it, to a varying degree, autonomous and hyperfunctional.
The Yin and Yang of Integrin Function in Re-Epithelialization During Wound Healing.

Background: Integrins are transmembrane proteins that are present in the plasma membrane of basal ketatinocytes and connect them to the underlying basement membrane and to the dermis. There are primarily two types of interactions between the epidermis and the dermis—via focal adhesion plaques and hemidesmosomes. It is critical that these interactions form properly to confer the skin strong mechanical properties. Integrins are also critical during wound healing, particularly in closure of the wound. The Problem: Margadant et al. (2009) address proper closure of cutaneous wounds. They developed a conditional knockout mouse for integrin α3 and showed that the absence of the α3 integrin resulted in faster migration of the keratinocytes during wound healing. However, its absence also led to inflammation, hair loss, basement membrane duplication, and loss of dermal epidermal interactions with blister formation. The latter has important consequences for the ability of the skin to withstand mechanical challenges....
A Study to Examine Whether the Basic Sciences Are Appropriately Organized to Meet the Future Needs of Medical Education.

There is a growing divergence between the content of research activities in the basic sciences and that of the traditional preclinical courses for medical students. A 1977 study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (Penn) examined the organization of the school's basic sciences, including surveying the research interests and departmental affiliations of 101 basic science faculty at Penn and interviewing the basic science departments chairmen there and at five other research-intensive schools of medicine. The findings demonstrated overlapping interests among basic science investigators, significant blurring of departmental boundaries, and a divergence between the faculty members' research interests and the disciplines represented by the departments in which these faculty held appointments. A second study a decade later documented that this divergence had increased. This paper also addresses the mounting concern among medical educators in response to these kinds of developments, the effect of such developments on medical education, and issues concerning the teaching of basic sciences, course content, the responsibility of schools of medicine for effecting change, and a possible model for basic science instruction.
Fractalkine depresses cardiomyocyte contractility.

Background Our laboratory reported that male mice with cardiomyocyte-selective knockout of the prostaglandin E2 EP4 receptor sub-type (EP4 KO) exhibit reduced cardiac function. Gene array on left ventricles (LV) showed increased fractalkine, a chemokine implicated in heart failure. We therefore hypothesized that fractalkine is regulated by PGE2 and contributes to depressed contractility via alterations in intracellular calcium. Methods Fractalkine was measured in LV of 28–32 week old male EP4 KO and wild type controls (WT) by ELISA and the effect of PGE2 on fractalkine secretion was measured in cultured neonatal cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts. The effect of fractalkine on contractility and intracellular calcium was determined in Fura-2 AM-loaded, electrical field-paced cardiomyocytes. Cardiomyocytes (AVM) from male C57Bl/6 mice were treated with fractalkine and responses measured under basal conditions and after isoproterenol (Iso) stimulation. Results LV fractalkine was increased in EP4 KO mice but surprisingly, PGE2 regulated fractalkine secretion only in fibroblasts. Fractalkine treatment of AVM decreased both the speed of contraction and relaxation under basal conditions and after Iso stimulation. Despite reducing contractility after Iso stimulation, fractalkine increased the Ca2+ transient amplitude but decreased phosphorylation of cardiac troponin I, suggesting direct effects on the contractile machinery. Conclusions Fractalkine depresses myocyte contractility by mechanisms downstream of intracellular calcium.
NIST Development of Reference Material Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering

In consultation with ASTM and other stakeholders in Tissue-Engineered Medical Products (TEMPs) industry, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) initiated a project designed to produce Reference Material scaffolds for tissue engineering. The rationale for Reference Material scaffolds was developed through several NIST/Industry workshops. In brief, Reference Material scaffolds have multiple uses: facilitating the development and the validation of new test methods that measure interactions among various components of a TEMP; comparison with other scaffolds and scaffold materials in terms of cellular responses, biodegradation, and releases of growth factors; and comparisons of responses among various cell lines. The primary customers for Reference Material scaffolds are expected to be the TEMPs industry, academic researchers, regulators, and standards developing organizations. There are many properties of a TEMP that warrant development of multiple Reference Material scaffolds. Currently, NIST is defining a set of Reference Material scaffolds based on geometric descriptors such as permeability, pore volume, pore size distribution, interconnectivity, and tortuosity. In consultation with ASTM, NIST is testing three candidate scaffolds produced by: three dimensional (3-D) printing, stereolithography, and fused deposition modeling (FDM). Scaffolds made by these methods have been obtained from Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) (Cleveland, OH), and Osteopore International (Singapore), respectively, for structural characterization. These prototype scaffolds, with well-defined architectures, have been selected to address the following items of interest: 1) establishment of useful functional definitions of porosity content, interconnectivity, and pores; 2) evaluation of testing methods listed in the Standard Guide for the Porosity of Polymeric Scaffolds for Use in Tissue-Engineered Medical Products, which is being drafted by ASTM. Currently, NIST and the Center for Devices and Radiological Health of the Food and Drug Administration, as well as other groups from US and foreign laboratories, are actively carrying out cross-validation test of these prototype scaffolds.
Use of pH and kinetic isotope effects to establish chemistry as rate-limiting in oxidation of a peptide substrate by LSD1.

The mechanism of oxidation of a peptide substrate by the flavoprotein lysine-specific demethylase (LSD1) has been examined using the effects of pH and isotopic substitution on steady-state and rapid-reaction kinetic parameters. The substrate contained the 21 N-terminal residues of histone H3, with a dimethylated lysyl residue at position 4. At pH 7.5, the rate constant for flavin reduction, kred, equals kcat, establishing the reductive half-reaction as rate-limiting at physiological pH. Deuteration of the lysyl methyls results in identical kinetic isotope effects of 3.1 ± 0.2 on the kred, kcat, and kcat/Km values for the peptide, establishing C−H bond cleavage as rate-limiting with this substrate. No intermediates between oxidized and reduced flavin can be detected by stopped-flow spectroscopy, consistent with the expectation for a direct hydride transfer mechanism. The kcat/Km value for the peptide is bell-shaped, consistent with a requirement that the nitrogen at the site of oxidation be uncharged and t...
Iron stores are not associated with acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND This study evaluated the relation between body iron stores and coronary artery disease. It has been suggested that total body iron stores are an independent risk factor for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS AND RESULTS Our study population consisted of 46,932 members of a prepaid health plan who were > or = 30 years old and who received a standard health check between 1969 and 1971. Blood collected during this examination was analyzed for serum iron and total iron-binding capacity. Transferrin saturation (TS), calculated as (serum iron/total iron-binding capacity) x 100, was categorized as low ( or = 62%). Hospital stays for AMI were identified from the health plan9s computerized discharge records for its Northern California Region through December 31, 1991. Mean follow-up time was 14.1 years. During the follow-up period, 969 men and 871 women had an AMI-related hospital stay. Analysis of AMI-related hospital stays was performed overall and by sex. Age-adjusted incidence rates were obtained for each TS level, and proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the significance of TS as a risk factor for AMI, controlling for other known coronary disease risk factors. Our results did not show iron deficiency as defined by low TS to be protective against AMI. Subjects with increased iron stores indicated by TS > or = 62% had a relative risk for AMI of 1.3, which was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Our observations do not support the hypothesis that coronary artery disease risk is related to iron stores.
Molecular profiles of mitogen activated protein kinase signaling pathways in orofacial development.

BACKGROUND: Formation of the mammalian orofacial region involves multiple signaling pathways regulating sequential expression of and interaction between molecular signals during embryogenesis. The present study examined the expression patterns of members of the MAPK family in developing murine orofacial tissue. METHODS: Total RNA was extracted from developing embryonic orofacial tissue during gestational days (GDs) 12–14 and used to prepare biotinylated cDNA probes, which were then denatured and hybridized to murine MAPK signaling pathways gene arrays. RESULTS: Expression of a number of genes involved in the (ERK1/2) cascade transiently increased in the embryonic orofacial tissue over the developmental period examined. Numerous members of the SAPK/JNK cascade were constitutively expressed in the tissue. Genes known to play a role in p38 MAPK signaling exhibited constitutive expression during orofacial development. Western blot analysis demonstrated that ERK2/1, p38, and SAPK/JNK kinases are present in embryonic orofacial tissue on each of GD 12, 13, and 14. By using phospho-specific antibodies, active ERK was shown to be temporally regulated during orofacial development. Minimal amounts of active p38 and active SAPK/JNK were detected in orofacial tissue during GDs 12–14. CONCLUSIONS: Our study documents specific expression patterns of genes coding for proteins belonging to the ERK1/2, p38, and SAPK/JNK MAPK families in embryonic orofacial tissue. We also demonstrate that active, phosphorylated forms of ERK1/2 only were detected in the embryonic tissue investigated, suggesting a more central role for members of this family in embryonic orofacial development. Birth Defects Research (Part A) © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Databases: designing and developing integrated simulation modeling environments

Database management systems (DBMS) provide robust information storage, retrieval, and indexing functions needed by a simulation modeling environment (SME). Such capabilities standardize information handling requirements stipulated by the principles of software engineering. Furthermore, database management technology helps to realize the concept of language neulrality in SMEs. Neutrality with respect to the simulation language has been long sought by simulation researchers because the ideal SME tool should allow inputting the description of systems from which models can be defined. Furthermore, the simulation modeling tool should possess an interface that unites the various analysis and definition tools needed for the simulation modeling process.
CAC CODEC designs based on numeral systems

In this paper, we propose two numeral systems, and based on these numeral systems we devise two CODECs for two important classes of crosstalk avoidance codes, forbidden pattern codes and one lambda codes. Compared with previous CODEC designs, our CODECs have quadratic complexity with the size of the bus while achieving optimal code rates. Our CODECs have regular and simple circuitry, and can be easily pipelined to achieve high speed. These features of our CODECs make crosstalk avoidance codes a practical option in combating crosstalk delay.
Design and Simulation of a Hybrid Entrained-Flow and Fluidized Bed Mild Gasifier Part 2 - Case Study and Analysis

To help design a mild-gasifier, a reactive multiphase flow computational model has been developed in Part 1 using Eulerian-Eulerian method to investigate the thermal-flow and gasification process inside a conceptual, hybrid entrained-flow and fluidized-bed mild-gasifier. In Part 2, the results of the verifications and the progressive development from simple conditions without particles and reactions to complicated conditions with full reactive multiphase flow are presented. Development of the model starts from simulating single-phase turbulent flow and heat transfer in order to understand the thermal-flow behavior, followed by introducing seven global, homogeneous gasification reactions progressively added one equation at a time. Finally, the particles are introduced, and heterogeneous reactions are added in a granular flow field. The mass-weighted, adiabatic flame temperature is validated through theoretical calculation and the minimum fluidization velocity is found to be close to Ergun’s correlation. Furthermore, the predicted exit species composition is consistent with the equilibrium values.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Epidemiology of Depression for Clinicians

This article reviews the epidemiology of depression and the ways this information can be useful for clinicians. The article defines frequently used epidemiological terms, presents prevalence rates and risk factors; discusses the impact and consequences of depression; and suggests arenas for prevention, early intervention, and treatment that can help clinicians in their everyday work.
Primum Non Coercere: Private Personal Services and Public Social Services

Relations between doctors of the body (physicians) and their patients are governed by contract and the principle of “primum non nocere” (first, do no harm). Relations between doctors of the mind (psychiatrists) have never been so governed: relations between these two parties have always rested on domination and coercion, authorized by the state. This is still the case. Once doctors and patients disagree about what counts as harm and what counts as help, it becomes necessary—for the protection of the patient’s liberty interests—to restrain the psychiatrist by the principle of “primum non coercere” (first, do not coerce) and by extending the legal rule of treating unauthorized or coerced therapy as assault and battery. Because of the absence of such a rule, the history of psychiatry has been a tale of an unending series of tragedies—medical, legal, economic, and social.
Inversion of nonlinear systems via the trajectory pattern method

This paper deals with a new inversion technique for nonlinear control systems called the trajectory pattern method (TPM). The objective of this study is to lay out the foundation for the TPM and generalize the open loop results already obtained. Furthermore, a feedback control law based on TPM which allows one to obtain tracking is proposed. The methodology proposed is applied to attain bounded solutions for the inverse of nonminimum phase systems; moreover, under some mild assumptions one is able to get output tracking. The authors also show how the trajectory pattern method is utilized to get point to point motion for nonholonomic control systems. Finally an adaptive based uncertainty scheme is discussed. >
Noninvasive Raman spectroscopy of rat tibiae: approach to in vivo assessment of bone quality

We report on in vivo noninvasive Raman spectroscopy of rat tibiae using robust fiber-optic Raman probes and holders designed for transcutaneous Raman measurements in small animals. The configuration allows placement of multiple fibers around a rat leg, maintaining contact with the skin. Bone Raman data are presented for three regions of the rat tibia diaphysis with different thicknesses of overlying soft tissue. The ability to perform in vivo noninvasive Raman measurement and evaluation of subtle changes in bone composition is demonstrated with rat leg phantoms in which the tibia has carbonated hydroxylapatite, with different carbonate contents. Our data provide proof of the principle that small changes in bone composition can be monitored through soft tissue at anatomical sites of interest in biomedical studies.
GABAERGIC MODULATION OF VENTRAL PALLIDAL DOPAMINE RELEASE STUDIED BY IN VIVO MICRODIALYSIS IN THE FREELY MOVING RAT

The mesopallidal dopamine system, which originates from the ventral tegmental area and projects to the ventral pallidum (VP), has been recently shown to play an important role in self-stimulation reward and cocaine reward. VP also receives a GABAergic projection from nucleus accumbens (NAS). The aim of the present study was to examine the involvement of this GABAergic projection in the modulation of VP dopamine release. Both the GABAA antagonist picrotoxin (2–200 μM) and the GABAB antagonist phaclofen (20–2,000 μM), perfused locally, dose-responsively increased VP extracellular dopamine 2–2.5-fold. Cocaine (10 μM) produced a 6.5-fold increase of VP dopamine. Neither picrotoxin (200 μM), phaclofen (2,000 μM), nor GABA (20–2,000 μM) altered the response of VP dopamine to locally applied cocaine. GBR 12909 (0.5 μM), a selective dopamine uptake blocker, induced a 3.5-fold increase of VP dopamine. The increase of VP dopamine in response to GBR 12909 was further augmented to 8.5-fold of baseline when picrotoxin (200 μM) was added to the perfusate. The data from the present study demonstrate that the GABAergic NAS-VP projection can modulate ventral pallidal dopamine release. However, the effect of GABA on the mesopallidal dopamine system's response to locally applied cocaine may be complicated by actions of cocaine other than dopamine uptake inhibition. Synapse 29:406–412, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Antibody-Mediated Immunity against Intracellular Pathogens: Two-Dimensional Thinking Comes Full Circle

The view that antibody-mediated immunity against many prokaryotic and eukaryotic intracellular pathogens is not important was popular until recently ([6][1]). The concept of a division of labor whereby antibody-mediated immunity protected against extracellular pathogens and cell-mediated immunity
Understanding metal homeostasis in primary cultured neurons. Studies using single neuron subcellular and quantitative metallomics

Correction for 'Understanding metal homeostasis in primary cultured neurons. Studies using single neuron subcellular and quantitative metallomics' by Robert A. Colvin et al., Metallomics, 2015, 7, 1111–1123.
Polarographic Determination of Folic Acid and Zinc Salts in Pharmaceuticals

The quantitative estimation of zinc salts and folic acid by the polarographic method of analysis was investigated and the method was found to be applicable to pharmaceutical preparations. Barbituric acid was also studied, showing no oxidation or reduction at the dropping mercury cathode.
Calculating the Frame Collision Probability under IEEE 802.11b DCF

The frame collision probability is an important parameter of the performance modeling. This probability has long been assumed as a value that is determined by the channel characteristics and is independent to the medium access control. The validity of this assumption has not been scrutinized. In this paper, we modeled the CSMA/CA mechanism by a closed-loop model through which the analytical expressions of important probability metrics are derived. These probability metrics include the frame collision probability, the probability of the channel being idle, and the probability that a successful transmission of DATA frame is made. The validity of our modeling is demonstrated by comparing the analytical results with the measurement results obtained from simulations. The analytical results closely approximate the measurement results.
Computational investigation of particle inertia effects on submicron aerosol deposition in the respiratory tract

Abstract Current models of submicron particle transport and deposition often ignore particle inertia for aerosols smaller than 200 nm. In the absence of inertial effects, a highly efficient Eulerian transport model can be applied that treats the particle phase as a dilute chemical species. However, the effects of inertia have not been fully quantified for aerosols in the fine and ultrafine ranges. The objective of this study is to evaluate conditions for which current chemical species Eulerian and Lagrangian particle transport models can be applied in order to predict submicron particle deposition characteristics on a regional and local basis in upper and central respiratory models. Differences between the chemical species Eulerian and Lagrangian model results have been used to evaluate conditions for which particle inertia becomes important relative to diffusional effects. The deposition characteristics of particles ranging from 5 nm to 1 μ m have been evaluated in a tubular entrance flow geometry, a double bifurcation model of upper respiratory generations G3–G5 and a double bifurcation model of central respiratory generations G7–G9. Considering the regional area-averaged deposition of submicron aerosols, the minimum particle diameters (and Stokes numbers) for which particle inertia became significant were approximately 20 nm ( St = 6.1 × 10 - 6 ) for the tubular entrance flow geometry, 70 nm ( St = 5.1 × 10 - 5 ) for the upper bifurcation model, and 140 nm ( St = 4.4 × 10 - 5 ) for the central bifurcation model. Below these critical particle diameters, numerical estimates of regional deposition were shown to be consistent with currently available analytic correlations of diffusional deposition efficiencies. In comparison to regional-averaged values, the effects of particle inertia on localized deposition characteristics were found to be much more dramatic. For the upper airway bifurcation model, inclusion of particle inertia increased the maximum local microdosimetry factor by one order of magnitude for 40 nm particles at an inhalation flow rate of 30 L/min. Results of this study indicate that particle inertia may be more significant in regional and local depositions of fine and ultrafine aerosol than previous considered. Therefore, effective models of particle transport are necessary that can maintain the efficiency of the chemical species Eulerian approach while accounting for local finite particle inertia.
Reflections on Researching Rape Resistance

This article provides a retrospective account of my experience embarking on research about women's resistance to rape, including reflections on personal and professional experiences related to studying this topic. I discuss factors inspiring my interest, including pioneering feminist rape researchers, my experience as a woman living with the reality and fear of rape, and influential mentors who facilitated my career development as a scholar in graduate school and beyond. I weave this narrative together with my thoughts about how the study of resistance relates to other important issues in the field of sexual assault including alcohol, recovery, and prevention.
Latent Infection of Potato Seed Tubers by Phytophthora infestans During Long-Term Cold Storage

Johnson, D. A., and Cummings, T. F. 2009. Latent infection of potato seed tubers by Phytophthora infestans during long-term cold storage. Plant Dis. 93:940-946. Latent infection of potato seed tubers by Phytophthora infestans was determined following inoculation of tubers and typical seed tuber storage conditions in the Pacific Northwest. Severity of late blight increased over 182 to 209 days during two storage seasons at mean temperatures of 4.1 and 4.2°C. From 0 to 44% of inoculated tubers sampled at given intervals were asymptomatic. However, P. infestans sporangia were observed on slices from these tubers when incubated in a humidity chamber at 15°C or late blight symptoms developed in asymptomatic tubers obtained following storage when incubated at 22 to 23°C for 3 weeks. Development of P. infestans sporangia and symptoms of late blight in asymptomatic seed tubers indicated latent infection of tubers by P. infestans during long-term cold storage. Sporulation was observed after 21 to 24 h on symptomatic tubers and 6 to 20 days on asymptomatic tubers that were removed from storage and incubated in a humidity chamber at 15°C. Latent infection of seed tubers and production of viable sporangia of P. infestans were demonstrated after long-term cold storage of infected potato tubers.
Expecting to teach enhances learning and organization of knowledge in free recall of text passages

The present research assessed the potential effects of expecting to teach on learning. In two experiments, participants studied passages either in preparation for a later test or in preparation for teaching the passage to another student who would then be tested. In reality, all participants were tested, and no one actually engaged in teaching. Participants expecting to teach produced more complete and better organized free recall of the passage (Experiment 1) and, in general, correctly answered more questions about the passage than did participants expecting a test (Experiment 1), particularly questions covering main points (Experiment 2), consistent with their having engaged in more effective learning strategies. Instilling an expectation to teach thus seems to be a simple, inexpensive intervention with the potential to increase learning efficiency at home and in the classroom.
"Wallowing in the “Great Dark Lake of Male Rage:" The Masculine Ecology of Don DeLillo's White Noise

This essay explores Don DeLillo’s White Noise in terms of Jack Gladney’s crisis of masculinity, which is bound up in a longing for the protagonist to return to nature, which figures in the novel as the last bastion of authentic masculinity. As critics of White Noise have clearly established, Jack suffers from a discernible cultural malaise--a sense of profound dislocation in the midst of technological hypermediations of self and reality. I extend this reading of the novel by arguing that this cultural malaise prompts in Jack nostalgia for an imaginary moment when masculine subjectivity was constituted by and through an intimate relation to pre-technological nature. This conception of nature as the site of pristine masculinity, as is indicated by Jack's preoccupation with pre-modern warriors like Attila the Hun and Genghis Kahn, draws on a host of conceptual affiliations between nature and masculinity--immediacy, authenticity, corporeality, essence—that have long been mobilized in the recapitulation of American masculinity. Ironically, the novel enacts Jack’s refusal of a culturally-mediated (even technologically-mediated) sense of self through his reliance on cultural nostalgia for a more “authentic,” more “natural” reality. This nostalgia ultimately incites violence as Jack retreats into essentialist conceptions of masculinity that appear, to the main character at least, as his only defense against the artifice and uncertainty of postmodernity.
On the Functional Value of Attitudes: The Influence of Accessible Attitudes on the Ease and Quality of Decision Making:

A series of experiments relevant to the functional value of accessible attitudes is reported. Experiment 1 established that diastolic blood pressure was sensitive to the task demands involved in subjects' expression of a preference between pairs of abstract paintings. In Experiments 2 and 3, subjects who had developed and rehearsed attitudes toward the individual paintings displayed a smaller elevation in diastolic blood pressure while performing this pairwise preference task than control subjects, suggesting that attitudes can ease decision making. Experiment 4 provided converging evidence for this hypothesis in that faster decision latencies were observed during the pairwise preference task when subjects had previously developed accessible attitudes toward the individual paintings. Evidence was also obtained suggesting that accessible attitudes enhanced the quality of the decisions made during the pairwise preference task.
Assay for vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 in plasma of dairy cows: changes after massive dosing of vitamin D3.

A sensitive, precise assay for vitamin D in plasma is described. Three to five milliliters of plasma were extracted with methanol:methylene chloride (2:1). The lipid extract was chromatographed on Sephadex LH-20 and then on lipidex-5000 columns. After high pressure liquid chromatography with a reverse phase chromatographic system, vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 were quantitated by ultraviolet absorbance. We used this assay system for monitoring daily changes of vitamin D3 in plasma of two Jersey cows after four intramuscular doses (15 x 10(6) IU) of vitamin D3 administered at weekly intervals. Basal vitamin D in plasma was 3.2 +/- .99 ng/ml with a range of 1.7 to 4.9 ng/ml. Vitamin D3 in plasma remained relatively low (10 to 45 ng/ml) the week after the first vitamin D3 injection. Vitamin D3 was high (130 to 234 ng/ml) after the second, third, and fourth injections. Vitamin D3 decreased steadily to 88 ng/ml by 38 days after the fourth vitamin D3 injection. Phosphorus in plasma increased sharply to a plateau at 9.5 mg/100 ml during the week after the second vitamin D3 injection and returned to normal (4.5 mg/100 ml) at the end of the experiment. Calcium, however, gradually increased to 14.0 mg/100 ml 20 days after the fourth vitamin D3 injection. Both animals remained hypercalcemic (calcium 11.5 mg/100 ml) during the experiment.
Buffering of intermediate results in dataflow diagrams

Buffering of intermediate results in dataflow diagrams can significantly reduce latency when a user browses these results or re-executes a diagram with slightly different inputs. We define the optimal buffer allocation problem of determining the buffer contents which minimize the average response time to such user requests. We show that this problem has several characteristics which render traditional latency reduction techniques ineffective. Since optimal buffer allocation is NP-hard, we propose heuristic methods for buffer management of intermediate results. We present a simulation of the behavior of these heuristics under a variety of conditions, varying graph structure and access pattern. We argue that history mechanisms which track user access patterns can be used to improve performance. We further show that graph structure and access pattern determine the factor of improvement which is possible. The performance enhancements we describe can be applied to minimize query response time in visual dataflow languages. We examine strategies for buffering of intermediate results in dataflow diagrams in the context of Tioga a graphical application development tool.
Effects of Density Front on the Generation and Propagation of Internal Tides

Abstract A numerical model is developed to study the internal tidal motion on the continental margin. The system includes irregular bottom topography and a horizontal density stratification maintained by a mean geostrophic current. Both the propagation and generation processes are examined. In the propagation process, the topographic effect alone will scatter a significant part of the incident wave energy into higher modes, resulting in a beamlike structure for the transmitted wave. For a density front over a flat bottom, energy in the transmitted waves remains largely in the original wave mode, though the wavelength, and hence wave amplitude, varies with local density stratification. When the density front is located over a sloping bottom, the topographic effect is reduced, whereas the frontal effect is not affected. Thus, scattering into higher modes becomes more restricted. In the generation process, internal tides are produced in the upper and lower parts of the slope region due to the interaction bet...
Caring for Others

In today’s millennium the workplace is the social institution where most people place a stake in their lives to find fulfillment and obtain “Eudaimonia” (Younkins, 2003); which is the highest good of human endeavors and which all actions aim. (Younkins, 2003) Most workers look for equity in a job to gain entitlements for upward mobility. Unrewarded and negative influences are as deadly as a gun shot in the heart of a dedicated worker. As with all responsibilities, mistakes are made and some people try to make up for those mistakes by working extra hard. After all else is done, and the positive influences that are needed in the workplace are not there, it can have a detrimental effect on one’s psyche and will determine how well that person functions socially, physically and mentally. (Notelaers et al, 2010; Younkins, 2003; Carroll & Burkholz, 2003) Job-related affective wellbeing can be contributed to various learned or inherited disciplines in our lives called “dispositional”, (Notelaers et al, 2010; Younkins, 2003; Carroll & Burkholz, 2003), which is an accumulation of experience, personality traits or DNA makeup and our handling of those experiences; activity which is our social life and attitude towards life (maturity); and telics which is obtaining happiness through the attainment of our hierarchy of needs in the workforce. (Hosie & Sevastos, 2010) whether positive or negative on mental and physical wellbeing. (Notelaers et al, 2010; Younkins, 2003; Carroll & Burkholz, 2003).
A Real-Time Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Study of Plasmonic Photothermal Cell Death Using Targeted Gold Nanoparticles

Plasmonic nanoparticles are increasingly utilized in biomedical applications including imaging, diagnostics, drug delivery, and plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPT). PPT involves the rapid conversion of light into heat by plasmonic nanoparticles targeted to a tumor, causing hyperthermia-induced cell death. These nanoparticles can be passively targeted utilizing the enhanced permeability and retention effect, or actively targeted using proteins, peptides, or other small molecules. Here, we report the use of actively targeted spherical gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), both to induce PPT cell death, and to monitor the associated molecular changes through time-dependent surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy within a single cell. We monitored these changes in real-time and found that heat generated from the aggregated nanoparticles absorbing near-infrared (NIR) laser light of sufficient powers caused modifications in the protein and lipid structures within the cell and ultimately led to cell death. The same molecular...