cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Daytime and Nighttime Concentration Profiles and Size Distributions of Ultrafine Particles near a Major Highway

Previously we have conducted systematic measurements of the concentration and size distribution of ultrafine particles in the vicinity of major highways during daytime in Los Angeles. The present study compares these with similar measurements made at night. Particle number concentration was measured by a condensation particle counter (CPC) and size distributions in the size range from 7 to 300 nm were measured by a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS). Measurements were taken at 30, 60, 90, 150, and 300 m upwind and downwind from the center of the 1-405 freeway. Average traffic flow at night was about 25% of that observed during the day. Particle number concentration measured at 30 m downwind from the freeway was 80% of previous daytime measurements. This discrepancy between changes in traffic counts and particle number concentrations is apparently due to the decreased temperature, increased relative humidity, and lower wind speed at night. Particle size distributions do not change as dramatically as they did during the daytime. Particle number concentration decays exponentially downwind from the freeway similarly to what was observed during the day, but at a slower rate. No particle number concentration gradient has been observed for the upwind side of the freeway. No PM2.5 and very weak PM10 concentration gradients were observed downwind of thefreeway at night. Ultrafine particle number concentration measured at 300 m downwind from the freeway was still distinguishably higher than upwind background concentration at night. These data may be used to help estimate exposure to ultrafine particles in the vicinity of major highways for epidemiology studies.
The effect of scrotal circumference, sperm motility and morphology in the ram on conception rates and lambing percentage in the ewe

Ten Suffolk and ten Lincoln yearling rams were examined for breeding soundness. Semen was evaluated, and the scrotal circumference measured. They were single-sire mated to ten to twelve, whiteface ewe lambs during a 45-day breeding season (October 15-December 1). First-service conception rates, total conception rate, lambing percentage and lambing percentage per ewe exposed were calculated for each ram and breed. The mean scrotal circumference was 36.5 cm (range 31-41.5 cm). The breeding data was then compared for eleven rams with a scrotal circumference of less than 36.5 cm and nine rams greater than 36.5 cm. No direct relationship was demonstrated between scrotal circumference, sperm motility or morphology with fertility in the rams used in this experiment. However, there was a tendency for rams with a high first-service conception rate to have sired more lambs per ewe exposed. The mean first-service conception rate was 63.2% (range 44.4-80.0%). When rams with greater than 63.2% first-service conception rate were compared to those with less than 63.2%. the lambs born per ewe exposed were 1.04 and .89, respectively, a significant difference (P<.05). There were no significant differences (P<.05) in performance between the two groups when rams with a scrotal circumference less than 36.5 cm and greater than 36.5 cm were compared, nor were there any differences between scrotal circumference, sperm motility, and morphology when rams with total conception rates greater than 80% were compared to those with conception rates less than 80%.
Moral and nonmoral innate constraints

Charles J. Lumsden and E.O. Wilson, in their writings together and individually, have proposed that human behaviors, whether moral or nonmoral, are governed by innate constraints (which they have termed “epigenetic rules”). I propose that if a genetic component of moral behavior is to be discovered, some sorting out of specifically moral from nonmoral innate constraints will be necessary. That some specifically moral innate constraits exist is evidenced by virtuous behaviors exhibited in nonhuman mammals, whose behavior is usually granted to be importantly governed by genetic factors. Propensities for such virtuous behaviors may have been passed to humans as highly conserved mammalian genes and continue to influence us. I propose that these constitute at least a “rudimentary morality” and may account in part for the moral intuitions. But other innate constraints which are nonmoral in nature interact with the specifically moral innate constraints and with culture to yield human moral decisions and actions. Any model which aims to identify the genetic component of moral behaviors or behaviors with moral import must provide not only a delineation of cultural causes but must also distinguish between those genetic causes which may have their origin in innate moral constraints from others which are fundamentally nonmoral because the critical faculty necessary to higher level human morality itself arises in part from innate constraints of a nonmoral type; i.e., the processes of inductive reasoning common to both ethics and science. Finally, humans who could bring the nonmoral evaluative capacities to bear upon whatever moral intuitions might be genetically conserved in mammalian heritage would have an advantage over similar beings who could not.
HIV testing: an overview of current technology.

(VIRAL LYSATE BASED) First-generation ELISA tests are based on viral antigen derived from virus grown in cell culture and are composed of relatively crude preparations of viral protein. The strengths of the first generation ELISA's are very high sensitivity with AIDS specimens (in the range of 99%-100%) and high specificity (in the range of 99.8%-99.9%). However these assays have weaknesses in these same areas. Sensitivity is lacking in some early seroconverter specimens, and specificity is also lacking, especially in populations where there is a low incidence of HIV antibody; 50% to 90% of the ELISA repeat reactives are false positives when compared with Western blot or IFA (immunofluorescence antibody) assays.
Leaders' Characteristics in Same-Sex Sport Groups: A Study of Interscholastic Baseball and Softball Teams:

High school coaches rated 11 boys' varsity baseball teams (n = 135) and 10 girls' varsity Softball teams (n = 129) on 6-point scales adapted from Bronfenbrenner's Teacher Rating Scales and Tutko an...
Wobbly ocean conveyor circulation during the Holocene

Abstract Compared to the last glacial period, the climate of the Holocene has been quite stable. However, the record does suggest that, at high latitudes in the north, temperatures have cooled at least since the middle Holocene and that this cooling has been modulated by millennial-duration fluctuations that culminated in the Medieval Warm–Little Ice Age oscillation. In this paper, we explore the possibility that these variations were associated with concurrent changes in the strength of the Atlantic's conveyor circulation. Three lines of evidence are considered. One involves records that relate directly to ocean operation; a second involves the tie between sea ice extent in the northern Atlantic and the extent of mountain glaciers in the European Alps and in the cordillera of western North America; and a third involves evidence for a bipolarity in climate changes in the northern and southern polar regions. In addition we look into clues provided by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Although at this point no firm conclusion can be drawn, the case for ocean involvement is sufficiently strong to merit further attention.
Electrochemical polymerization of PEDOT on catalyst-free patterned GaAs nanopillars for high efficiency hybrid photovoltaics 37 th IEEE photovoltaic specialists conference

In this work, we present hybrid nanostructured core-shell solar cells based on patterned GaAs nanopillars grown by MOCVD, coated with electropolymerized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) polymer. The patterns are photolithographically defined and center-to-center pitch, hole size and mask arrangement can be precisely predetermined at nanometric resolution. Our inherently catalyst-free growth mode eliminates any metal (i.e. Au) diffusion into the nanopillars that could hinder the electron-hole pair extraction, paramount in photovoltaics. Hybrid devices [1–3] are normally obtained by spin-coating conjugated polymers on top of inorganic semiconducting surfaces. Spin-coating techniques allow to achieve only non-conformal thin films on planar substrates, yet it offers scarce controllability for 3-D structures where the polymer needs to be coated uniformly along the sides of the nanostructures too. Electrolytic deposition approaches, on the other hand, offer a simple, versatile route to high quality, conformal coatings to conductive surfaces regardless of the device structure. In addition, it possesses exquisite selectivity over the deposition position and precise control of the coating thickness and morphology, representing an attractive technique for fabricating core-shell inorganic-organic structured devices. This study demonstrates the rational design of a hybrid photovoltaic device through the careful tuning of the thickness, morphology, and physical/chemical properties of the polymer layer by electrodeposition, in conjunction with the manipulation over the size and properties of the patterned GaAs nanopillar arrays via MOCVD, in order to achieve optimized device configuration and performance. Device characterization is carried out in terms of photocurrent density-voltage (J-V) characteristics (under dark and standard AM 1.5 conditions), external quantum efficiency (EQE), and transient open-circuit voltage decay (TOCVD), standard figures of merit in the photovoltaic field.
Anaphylaxis to isosulfan blue dye during sentinel lymph node biopsy

We describe a case of intraoperative anaphylaxis resulting from isosulfan blue (IB) dye, an agent being increasingly used for identification of sentinel lymph nodes. A 45-year-old woman undergoing a left mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy under general endotracheal anesthesia developed severe intraoperative hypotension and tachycardia 10 minutes after subcutaneous injection of IB dye for lymphatic mapping. This was associated with a reduction in pulse oximeter reading to 89%. She was successfully resuscitated using 1 mg of epinephrine intravenously (IV). Invasive arterial and central venous pressures were initiated; her lymph node biopsy was concluded, but the rest of her procedure was canceled. Postoperative workup revealed a high tryptase level indicative of an intraoperative anaphylactic reaction most probably related to the IB dye. Isosulfan blue dye can act as an antigen, causing a full-blown intraoperative anaphylactic reaction. Early recognition and aggressive hemodynamic interventions can reduce morbidity and mortality.
Student Acceptance of Bogus Personality Interpretations Differing in Level of Social Desirability

119 unsuspecting college students were given a personality drawing test and weeks later received 12 faked interpretive statements. The majority of the returned statements were written to imply soci...
X‐ray tomography of Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The genetic tractability of the unicellular yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe has resulted in it becoming an important model organism for the study of many eukaryotic cellular processes, in particular cell division. Over the past few years much progress has been made toward understanding the mechanisms that regulate eukaryotic cell division and the cellular changes that occur-for example, the formation of the cytokinetic contractile ring. However, a full understanding requires both identification of the proteins involved and correlation of this information with images showing the location of molecules in context of the cell architecture. Electron microscopic analyses have revealed exquisite ultrastructural images of cell structure, but this technique typically requires extensive processing-procedures that are labor intensive and time consuming. Imaging techniques that can more rapidly obtain better resolution than light microscopy are needed to advance the use of this model system for precise molecular localization analyses. In this manuscript, we examined S. pombe using soft X-ray tomography, an imaging technique that generates three-dimensional (3-D) images of intact hydrated cells at better than 50 nm isotropic resolution. This technique uses X-rays in the "water window," where organic material absorbs approximately an order of magnitude more strongly than water, producing high-contrast images of cellular structures. As cells are examined in the absence of any chemical fixatives, stains, or contrast enhancement reagents, the images reflect cellular structures in the near-native state. We conducted preliminary soft X-ray imaging of S. pombe cells before and during cell division that revealed subcellular organelles, the actomyosin ring, and the septum of dividing cells. These images reveal tantalizing details of the cytokinesis process and are the first steps in our goal of generating a portfolio of tomographic images that map the location of labeled molecules into high-resolution 3-D reconstructions of the cell.
On the plastic deformation during stable crack growth

Abstract A large-strain finite element program was developed to follow the plastic energy dissipation during crack growth based on incremental plasticity. The centered crack specimen made from Aluminum 2024-T3 was studied. A linear relationship between the plastic energy and crack length was found in most of the cases, as in the previous small strain analysis together with a significant quantitative change. This change is due to improved stress-strain model and the large strain analysis. The plastic energy rate was found to be less sensitive to specimen geometry and more suitable for engineering use as a criteria for stable crack growth.
Stress intensity factors for a notched beam on an elastic foundation

Abstract A partially cracked beam rests on an elastic foundation. Loads are applied which bend the beam. Stress intensity factors for the beam without a foundation have been extensively studied. In this paper, we show how the stress intensity factor is reduced by a foundation. The results have application for floating structures, or structures resting on an elastic medium with minimal continuity and to cylindrical shells under axially symmetric loading.
COLOR-WORD CONNOTATIVE INCONGRUITY: A REPLICATION

The previously reported effect of slower color-naming speed for connotatively inconsistent color-word combinations was investigated. As before, the effect was found when connotatively consistent cards were presented for color naming before connotatively inconsistent cards.
Effects of Caffeine on Crayfish Muscle Fibers II. Refractoriness and factors influencing recovery (repriming) of contractile responses

When caffeine evokes a contraction, and only then, crayfish muscle fibers become refractory to a second challenge with caffeine for up to 20 min in the standard saline (5 mM Ko). However, the fibers still respond with contraction to an increase in Ko, though with diminished tension. Addition of Mn slows recovery, but the latter is greatly accelerated during exposure of the fiber to high Ko, or after a brief challenge with high Ko. Neither the depolarization induced by the K, nor the repolarization after its removal accounts for the acceleration, which occurs only if the challenge with K had itself activated the contractile system; acceleration is blocked when contractile responses to K are blocked by reducing the Ca in the bath or by adding Mn. Recovery is accelerated by redistribution of intracellular Cl and by trains of intracellularly applied depolarizing pulses, but not by hyperpolarization. The findings indicate that two sources of Ca can be mobilized to activate the contractile system. Caffeine mobilizes principally the Ca store of the SR. Depolarizations that are induced by high Ko, by transient efflux of Cl, or by intracellularly applied currents mobilize another source of Ca which is strongly dependent upon the entry of Ca from the bathing medium. The sequestering mechanism of the SR apparently can utilize this second source of Ca to replenish its own store so as to accelerate recovery of responsiveness to a new challenge with caffeine.
A comparison of biochemical indices of 5-hydroxytryptaminergic neuronal activity following electrical stimulation of the dorsal raphe nucleus.

: The activity of 5-hydroxytryptaminergic neurons has been estimated from measurements of: (1) concentrations of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid; (2) the ratio of the concentrations of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid to 5-hydroxytryptamine; (3) the rate of accumulation of 5-hydroxytryptophan following the administration of an aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase inhibitor (e.g., NSD 1015); (4) the rate of accumulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine, and the rate of decline of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid following the administration of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (e.g., pargyline). The purpose of the present study was to compare these different methods under conditions of changing neuronal impulse traffic produced by electrical stimulation of 5-hydroxytryptaminergic neurons. Male rats anesthetized with chloral hydrate were killed following 0, 15, or 30 tain of electrical stimulation of the dorsal raphe nucleus at a frequency of 0, 5, or 10 Hz. The concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and 5-hydroxytryptophan in nucleus accumbens, amygdala, suprachiasmatic nucleus, and dorsomedial nucleus were measured using HPLC coupled to an electrochemical detector. In each brain region, stimulation elicited an increase in the concentration of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and the 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid/5-hydroxytryptamine concentration ratio in saline-treated animals and an increase in 5-hydroxytryptophan accumulation in NSD 1015-treated animals, but did not alter the concentration of 5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in pargyline-treated rats. The results of this study indicate that although the first three methods serve as valid indices of 5-hydroxytryptaminergic neuronal activity, the pargyline-dependent techniques are not responsive to changes in the rate of 5-hydroxytryptamine nerve firing.
Confusion test on content addressable memory model

A memory architecture is proposed that is functionally similar to that of human memory is proposed. Before this model was implemented in a VLSI design, a series of psychophysical experiments specifically designed to test it were conducted. The results of one of these experiments, in which the recall of associated visual patterns and auditory tone bursts were measured, are summarized. >
Coordination of transmission path transfers

The transfer capability on a transmission path is limited by constraints on acceptability, voltage security, small-signal stability, and transient stability. For a large interconnected power grid, these constraints are influenced significantly by the interactions among path flows in different control areas. When a critical transmission path capability is limited by one of these constraints, it may be necessary to coordinate the interarea power transfers so as to improve the transfer capability on the constrained path without compromising on the security criteria. Based on such considerations, this paper presents a novel multiobjective methodology in which global strategies are developed for the improvement and coordination of transmission path transfers. The problem is formulated with respect to various constraints into suitable optimization problems. An efficient nonlinear programming algorithm with sufficient line search step is incorporated for finding optimal solutions while also incorporating security and stability constraints. The MW benefits for the transfer capability from the coordination procedure are explicitly demonstrated after the optimization process. The effectiveness of the methodology is illustrated by case studies on improving the capability of the California-Oregon Intertie (COI) for large-scale WECC western American power system models.
Vismodegib for the treatment of basal cell skin cancer.

Purpose The pharmacology, clinical efficacy, adverse effects, cost, and place in therapy of vismodegib are reviewed. Summary Vismodegib, the first oral treatment for basal cell carcinoma (BCC), was recently approved for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic BCC whose cancer is refractory to standard treatments or who are not candidates for surgery or radiation. Vismodegib is a small molecule that potently inhibits signal transduction in the hedgehog signaling pathway, demonstrates nonlinear pharmacokinetics, and has a half-life of 13 days. Agents that increase gastrointestinal pH may reduce the solubility and bioavailability of vismodegib. It is effective in both locally advanced and metastatic BCCs, with response rates ranging from 30% to 60% in two clinical trials. Vismodegib is available as a 150-mg capsule, and the approved dosage is 150 mg orally once daily. The most common adverse effects of vismodegib include mild-to-moderate hair loss, muscle cramps, taste disturbance, and weight loss. The estimated cost of one month of treatment with vismodegib is $7500. Conclusion Vismodegib was recently approved for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic BCC that is refractory to standard treatments or if patients are not candidates for surgery or radiation. Vismodegib may have little effect on the treatment of BCC, given its high cost, the high cure rates achieved with standard therapies, and its unacceptable toxicity profile in patients with a non-life-threatening disease. However, vismodegib’s novel mechanism of action, oral dosage form, preliminary efficacy, and tolerability compared with cytotoxic chemotherapy may make it an attractive candidate for the treatment of other cancers.
Morphological factors influencing transepithelial conductance in a rabbit model of ileitis

Abstract Background & Aims: Infection of rabbits with coccidia ( Eimeria magna ) causes chronic ileal inflammation and diarrhea. Inflamed ileum also shows decreased transmural conductance. The aim of this study was to characterize morphological factors known to affect paracellular permeability that may alter transmural conductance in inflamed ileum. Methods: Ileal mucosa was mounted in Ussing chambers for study of [ 3 H]mannitol and [ 3 H]inulin fluxes. Light and electron microscopy were used for morphometric studies. Alterations in the zonula occludens of epithelial cells were evaluated in freeze-fracture replicas. Results: Inflamed ileum showed diminished paracellular fluxes. Inoculated rabbits showed marked lymphoplasmocytic infiltration and villus blunting in ileum. Villus linear junctional density was unaffected. However, total villus apical surface area per square centimeter of tissue was reduced in inflamed ileum, causing a diminished total villus linear junctional pathway per square centimeter of apical surface. Villus zonula occludens strand number was reduced in inflamed ileum, whereas the frequency of both villus and crypt lateral surface extrajunctional strands increased. Conclusions: Chronic inflammation exerts a profound effect on ileal paracellular permeability. Morphological data suggest that this effect may be caused in part by alterations in inflamed ileal mucosal structure and tight junctional organization and density, particularly on villi.
Do you hear what I hear? Experimental measurement of the perceptual salience of acoustically manipulated vowel variants by Southern speakers in Memphis, TN

For the past twenty-five years, the results of most sociolinguistic research suggest productive changes serve as social indices, uniting and dividing groups of speakers by gender, class, ethnicity, and so forth (Eckert, 1988, 2000; Labov, 1994, 2000; Milroy, 1980; Trudgill, 1974). Although the reoccurrence of patterned use of linguistic variants by different groups within communities appears to suggest a paralinguistic social function for variation, the effect of low-level phonetic variation on the perception of social traits is still relatively unexplored. To this end, the current article is an attempt to study speakers' perceptual awareness and social evaluation of specific vowel variants using acoustically manipulated speech samples. For the study, guises of the same speaker were manipulated according to Southern and Northern regional shifts to determine whether such differences function as perceptual cues for listeners. Although experimental in design, this study provides a method of measuring speakers' sensitivity to slight changes in formant position and attempts to determine whether such subtle phonetic changes are indeed used as socially salient categorization cues by speakers.This research has been supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation Linguistics Program BCS #0132145.
Printing, cartography and conceptions of place in Renaissance Europe

Eisenstein's account of the connection between scientific progress and printing does not apply well to map publication and knowledge of geography. Most of the celebrated figures in map design and publishing in the 16th century were fundamentally copyists and collectors of others' works. In Renaissance Europe, geographers did not strive to be original, but relied on others' measures, adding their own information to extant maps whenever this was possible. They also made maps in multiple genres, and used geographical works not simply as practical tools for trade and politics, but as evidence for Creation and demonstrations of human dominion. Printed atlases displayed the array of map forms, provided exemplars of good work, and made visible points of translation across different genres of geographical representation. In this context, copying and collection were helpful rather than detrimental to knowledge.
Optimal multi-UAV convoy protection

In this paper, we study time-optimal trajectories for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to provide convoy protection to a group of stationary ground vehicles. The UAVs are modelled as Dubins vehicles flying at a constant altitude. Due to kinematic constraints of the UAVs, it is not possible for a single UAV to provide convoy protection indefinitely. In this paper, we derive time-optimal paths for a single UAV to provide continuous ground convoy protection for the longest possible time. Furthermore, this paper provides optimal trajectories for multiple UAVs to achieve uninterrupted convoy protection. The minimum number of UAVs required to achieve this task is determined.
Effects of a Selective Regimen of Dry Cow Therapy on Intramammary Infection and on Antibiotic Sensitivity of Surviving Pathogens

Selective dry cow therapy with 1 million U of procaine penicillin G and 1 g of dihydrostreptomycin in a slow-release base was administered to all quarters of cows currently infected or treated for mastitis in the previous lactation. All other cows in the herd that were dried off during the experimental period were left untreated. Milk samples were cultured for detection of intramammary infection at drying off, 1 wk later (at time of treatment), and after next calving from 227 treated and 143 untreated cows. Isolants were tested for sensitivity to 12 antibiotics including penicillin and streptomycin. Although treatment resulted in clearance of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, streptococci other than agalactiae, and coliforms from 78, 82, 88, and 87% of infected glands, the net effect on udder health of the herd was a gain of 1.4% in infected quarters. Incidences of new infection in the early dry period (1 wk) were 18.1 and 12.3% among treated and untreated cows. Therapy failed to control new infection in the late dry and peripartum periods; incidence was about 18% of quarters among both long and short dry periods. Among 46 instances of apparent survival of an intramammary pathogen through a treated dry period, 7 of 10 strains previously sensitive to streptomycin became resistant and 8 of 10 strains previously sensitive to penicillin became resistant. The surviving pathogen population was not large enough to be considered a threat to herd udder health in the next lactation.
Competitiveness among females and males in physical activity classes.

Competitive orientations of 237 male and female undergraduates enrolled in competitive and noncompetitive physical activity classes were investigated using the Work and Family Orientation Questionnaire [WOFO: R. L. Helmreich and J. T. Spence, “The Work and Family Orientation Questionnaire: An Objective Instrument to Assess Components of Achievement Motivation and Attitudes Toward Family and Career,” Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 1978, 8(2) (Document #1677)] and a Competitiveness Inventory. Factor analysis confirmed the four WOFO dimensions proposed by Helmreich and Spence (mastery, work, competitiveness, personal unconcern). Factor analysis of the Competitiveness Inventory revealed three factors termed competitiveness, goal orientation, and win orientation. Sex × Activity Class (competitive or noncompetitive) (2 × 2) multivariate analyses revealed sex differences on the WOFO scores, both sex and activity differences on the Competitiveness Inventory scores, and no interactions. Sex differences on the WOFO scores confirmed Spence and Helmreich's findings; females scored higher on work and males scored higher on competitiveness. On the Competitiveness Inventory, males scored slightly higher than females on competitiveness, but most of the multivariate sex difference was due to males scoring higher on win orientation and females scoring higher on goal orientation. In contrast, the multivariate activity difference was due primarily to competitiveness; students in competitive activities scored considerably higher on competitiveness than students in noncompetitive activities. The findings suggest that sport-achievement orientation has a unique factor structure and provide evidence supporting the validity of the sport-specific, multidimensional Competitiveness Inventory.
Modeling immunity and inflammation in stroke: differences between rodents and humans?

A recent article “Genomic responses in mouse models poorly mimic human inflammatory diseases” showed that among genes that changed significantly in humans, the murine orthologs were close to random in matching their human counterparts.1 Although this study focused on sepsis, it also raises questions about how well the rodent inflammatory response corresponds to the human inflammatory response after ischemic stroke. In this essay we argue that the peripheral inflammatory response in rodent ischemic stroke models is different than in human stroke. Given the important role of the immune system in stroke, this could be a major handicap in translating results in rodent stroke models to clinical trials in patients with stroke. Leukocyte composition in blood differs considerably in humans compared with rodents. In humans ≈50% to ≈60% of leukocytes are neutrophils and 15% to 30% are lymphocytes. In contrast, rats and mice have only 15% to 20% neutrophils and ≈60% lymphocytes. The impact of such a difference in stroke is uncertain, although certainly noteworthy. Functional differences in the immune systems of rodents and humans also exist. For example, rodents are much more resistant to infections compared with humans after surgical …
Work‐related asthma in the Educational Services industry: California, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New Jersey, 1993–2000

Objectives To characterize work-related asthma (WRA) cases working in the educational services industry identified by state-based occupational disease surveillance systems. Methods We examined 2,995 WRA cases reported from 1993 to 2000 to four states: California, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New Jersey. Results A total of 265 (9%) WRA cases were employed in the educational services industry; 69% of cases were classified as new-onset asthma and 31% as work-aggravated asthma. New-onset asthma cases were further classified as occupational asthma (61%) or as reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (8%). The most frequently reported occupation was teachers and teachers' aides (54%). The most frequently reported agents were indoor air pollutants (28%), unspecified mold (16%), dusts (14%), and cleaning products (7%). Conclusions Asthma within the educational services industry is an occupational health problem. The health of school employees should also be considered when initiatives addressing asthma among schoolchildren are instituted. The identification, elimination, and/or control of respiratory hazards are important factors for the protection of staff and students alike. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:47–59, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Sleep and health implications of snoring: A populational analysis.

Objectives/hypothesis Determine the prevalence of snoring and if snoring is associated with negative effects on sleep patterns and other health conditions. Study design Cross-sectional analysis of large-scale national risk-factor survey. Methods The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for the 2012 sleep health component was analyzed to determine the relationships between respondents' sleep patterns including average hours slept, days of insufficient sleep, falling asleep while driving, and the presence of snoring. The associations between snoring and coronary artery disease, stroke, and depressive disorder were also determined. Results Among 8,137,604 weighted respondents (raw N = 22,745), 52.8% (95% confidence interval, 51.9%-53.8%) reported that they snored. Males were more likely to report snoring than females (59.0% vs. 46.9%, respectively, P Conclusions Self-reported snoring is associated with significant negative sleep pattern behaviors as well as coronary artery disease and depressive disorders. Further study of snoring as a risk factor for poor sleep and other diseases is warranted. Level of evidence 2c
Urinary levels of insecticide metabolites and DNA damage in human sperm.

BACKGROUND: Members of the general population are exposed to non-persistent insecticides at low levels. The present study explored whether environmental exposures to carbaryl and chlorpyrifos are associated with DNA damage in human sperm. METHODS: Subjects (n 5 260) were recruited through a Massachusetts infertility clinic. Individual exposures were measured as spot urinary metabolite concentrations of chlorpyrifos [3,5,6-trichloro-2pyridinol (TCPY)] and carbaryl [1-naphthol (1N)], adjusted using specific gravity. Sperm DNA integrity was assessed by neutral comet assay and reported as comet extent, percentage DNA in comet tail (Tail%) and tail distributed moment (TDM). RESULTS: A statistically significant increase in Tail% was found for an interquartile range (IQR) increase in both 1N [coefficient 5 4.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.9‐6.3] and TCPY (2.8; 0.9‐ 4.6), while a decrease in TDM was associated with IQR changes in 1N (22.2; 24.9 to 0.5) and TCPY (22.5; 24.7 to 20.2). A negative correlation between Tail% and TDM was present only when stratified by comet extent, suggesting that Tail% and TDM may measure different types of DNA damage within comet extent strata. CONCLUSIONS: Environmental exposure to carbaryl and chlorpyrifos may be associated with increased DNA damage in human sperm, as indicated by a change in comet assay parameters.
Diel metabolic and activity patterns of the lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris)

Computation of the energy budget, average daily metabolic rate, and standard metabolism require information on hourly metabolic rates over a full 24-hour period. This study provides such information for the lemon shark, a tropical predator. Simultaneous measurements of metabolism and activity in an annular respirometer demonstrated that oxygen consumption increased from a daytime level of 176 to 210 mgO2 kg−1h−1 at night. Activity increased concurrently from 0.17 to 0.33 bl s−1. The average daily metabolic rate was 16.2 k cal kg−1 at 0.26 bl s−1 and 23°C. Both activity and metabolic rate appear to have endogenous circadian components.
Expression of pattern in plants: combining molecular and calculus-based biophysical paradigms.

Pattern formation in plant meristems occurs across a broad scale. At the topographical level (large scale), tissue folding in the meristem is responsible for the initiation of new organs in specific phyllotactic patterns and also determines organ shape. At the cellular level (small scale), oriented cell division and microtubule-based cellulose reinforcement control cell pattern and growth direction. I argue here that structural specification at each scale is highly efficient if the pertinent gene activity is manifested in two complementary biophysical categories. At large scale, one category is the tendency of the formative tissue to fold with a certain spatial periodicity determined by its material properties (e.g., bending stiffness from cellulose content). This latent tendency is formalized in a differential equation for physical buckling. The second category at this scale comprises boundary conditions that specify how the latent tendency is manifested as topography: whether tissue humps occur as whorls or Fibonacci spirals. This versatile combinatorial format accounts for the relative stability of alternative organ patterning as well as alternative organ shaping (e.g., stamens vs. carpels). It also accounts for the structural shifts seen in normal development and after mutation or chemical/physical intervention. At small scale, the latent differential activity is the tendency for groups of dividing cells to co-align their cytoskeletons. The curvature of the surface opposes this tendency. The least curved part of a new primordium is its quasicylindrical midportion. There, by aligning microtubules and cellulose coherently around the organ, a new growth direction is set. Thus large-scale buckling produces curvature variation, which, in turn, affects the localization and orientation of the cytoskeleton. This scheme for the coherent production of diverse geometrical features, involving calculus at two structural levels, is supported by complex organogenetic responses to simple physical intervention. Also, many morphological alternatives, wild type vs. mutant, reflect single changes in parameters in this differential-integral format.
Maintenance of renal autoregulation during infusion of aminophylline or adenosine

Adenosine has been postulated to link control of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal blood flow (RBF) with changes in renal metabolism. In the present study, we examined the role of adenosine in renal autoregulation by comparing the responses of normal anesthetized dogs to step decreases in renal artery pressure (RAP) to the response obtained after receptor blockade of adenosine with aminophylline or by flooding the kidney with exogenous adenosine. In six dogs at normal RAP, intrarenal infusion of aminophylline (10 mumol/min) did not alter renal hemodynamics. GFR and RBF were well autoregulated (greater than 90% of control) at RAP values equal to or greater than 85 mmHg before and after aminophylline. At RAP equal to 75 mmHg, GFR and RBF decreased by 27 +/- 10 and 20 +/- 8%, respectively, before aminophylline and by 25 +/- 7 and 13 +/- 6% after aminophylline. In a different group of six dogs, intrarenal infusion of adenosine (6 mumol/min) significantly increased RBF (32 +/- 9%) and decreased GFR (38 +/- 10%) at normal RAP. However, GFR and RBF were both well autoregulated (greater than 90% of control) at RAP values equal to or greater than 85 mmHg before and after adenosine. At RAP equal to 75 mmHg, GFR and RBF decreased by 10 +/- 5 and 7 +/- 3%, respectively, before adenosine and by 12 +/- 6 and 17 +/- 5% after adenosine. Neither aminophylline nor adenosine attenuated the elevations in plasma renin activity associated with reductions in RAP. These data fail to provide evidence that adenosine is an important factor in autoregulation of GFR and RBF during acute reductions in RAP within the autoregulatory range.
Previous diagnosis of Sjögren’s Syndrome as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective. The diagnosis of SS is often difficult and many patients are symptomatic for years with other diagnoses before confirmation of SS. Our aim was to determine whether overlapping clinical and serologic features with RA and SLE may in part drive the misdiagnoses. Methods. A total of 1175 sicca patients were evaluated in a multidisciplinary clinic and classified as having SS based on the American–European Consensus Group Criteria. They were interrogated for a past history of suspicion or diagnosis of RA, SLE or SSc. These diseases were confirmed or ruled out by applying the corresponding classification criteria if the patients responded affirmatively. Results. Of these, 524 (44.6%) subjects reported previous diagnosis or suspicion of RA, SLE or SSc, which was confirmed in 130 (24.8%) but excluded in 394 (75.2%) subjects. Of those previously diagnosed with another illness, 183 (34.9%) met the criteria for primary SS. RF was present in 70/191 patients with previous diagnosis of RA compared with 445/845 without a prior RA diagnosis (P = 3.38E-05), while 128/146 with a diagnosis of SLE had positive ANA compared with 622/881 without the diagnosis (P = 8.77E-06). Age also influenced former diagnoses: people with suspected RA were older than those without the diagnosis (P = 5.89E-06), while patients with SLE suspicion were younger (P = 0.0003). Interestingly, the previous diagnoses did not significantly delay a final classification of SS. Conclusion. Among subjects classified as SS, the presence of a positive ANA or RF was associated with a previous, apparently erroneous diagnosis of SLE or RA, respectively.
The fibrinolytic system. Recent advances.

The fibrinolytic system is the subject of renewed and intense interest. As understanding of its complexity at the biochemical level has increased, appreciation of the role of this system in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease has grown. In addition, techniques in molecular biology have been applied to various proteins in the system to produce larger quantities of traditional and genetically engineered plasminogen activators. Many of these advances at a biochemical and molecular level will be increasingly translated into clinical medical practice and practical clinical laboratory tests. This review highlights some of these advances and the laboratory tests that may be employed.
Dynamics of biomarkers in relation to aging and mortality

Contemporary longitudinal studies collect repeated measurements of biomarkers allowing one to analyze their dynamics in relation to mortality, morbidity, or other health-related outcomes. Rich and diverse data collected in such studies provide opportunities to investigate how various socio-economic, demographic, behavioral and other variables can interact with biological and genetic factors to produce differential rates of aging in individuals. In this paper, we review some recent publications investigating dynamics of biomarkers in relation to mortality, which use single biomarkers as well as cumulative measures combining information from multiple biomarkers. We also discuss the analytical approach, the stochastic process models, which conceptualizes several aging-related mechanisms in the structure of the model and allows evaluating "hidden" characteristics of aging-related changes indirectly from available longitudinal data on biomarkers and follow-up on mortality or onset of diseases taking into account other relevant factors (both genetic and non-genetic). We also discuss an extension of the approach, which considers ranges of "optimal values" of biomarkers rather than a single optimal value as in the original model. We discuss practical applications of the approach to single biomarkers and cumulative measures highlighting that the potential of applications to cumulative measures is still largely underused.
Calculation of Torsional Stiffness of Bundle Conductors in Overhead Transmission Lines

According to nonlinear characteristic of the torsion of bundled conductors, a method to calculate the torsional stiffness of bundled conductors by finite element numerical model is proposed. By means of modeling of conductors, spacing rod and connection mode of transmission line with tower, the torsional stiffness of bundled conductors with large deflection, severe torsion and geometrical nonlinearity can be accurately calculated. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by calculation example. By means of analyzing structural characteristic of bundled conductors, the impact of ice-coating around conductor on torsion characteristic and the property of local torsion of bundled conductors, the variation law of torsional stiffness of bundled conductors varying with various impacting factors is obtained.
On Identifying Commercial Banks in CRSP

This note presents the details regarding the definition of commercial banks in Gandhi and Lustig (2014). We also explore some alternative methods for identifying commercial banks in CRSP. Finally, we check if alternative definitions of commercial banks in CRSP affect the quantitative results in Gandhi and Lustig.
What is the moment of sleep onset for insomniacs

Subjective estimates of sleep latency were compared with three EEG-assessed measures of sleep onset: (a) the traditional one, i.e., the first epoch that is scored as stage 2 sleep; (b) the beginning of the first 15 min of uninterrupted stage 2 sleep; and (c) the beginning of the first 30 min of uninterrupted stage 2 sleep. A total of 56 insomniacs and 10 good sleepers were studied for 3 nights each in the laboratory. The traditional measure of sleep latency agreed best with the subjective estimates of good sleepers. Most insomniacs, however, were best able to estimate their sleep latency when the 15-min criterion was used. We suggest that for most insomniacs the subjective experience of being asleep occurs later in the EEG-defined transition from waking to sleeping than it does for good sleepers.
Demonstration of Reliable Triple-Level-Cell (TLC) Phase-Change Memory

Although phase-change memory is admittedly the most mature of the emerging nonvolatile memory technologies, its eventual mass production and market adoption may depend on its cost, in particular in comparison to DRAM and to NAND Flash. In addition to process complexity, another major factor that affects the cost of a memory technology is the capability to store multiple bits per memory cell. As a notable example, Triple-Level-Cell (TLC) NAND Flash is currently leading the Flash capacity shipments. With this as motivation, we present a combination of electrical sensing techniques and signal processing technologies to demonstrate, for the first time, the viability of reliable, nonvolatile, TLC storage in phase-change memory cells after extended endurance cycling and temperature stress.
Spiral Growth of SnSe2 Crystals by Chemical Vapor Deposition

Although a lot of work has been reported on the growth and properties of 2D atomic layered materials, the growth mechanism for these crystals via the chemical vapor deposition method (CVD) has remained elusive. Here, a screw dislocation–driven spiral growth of SnSe2 crystal flakes via CVD is reported. The polymorph of as-synthesized SnSe2 crystals is verified as 1T-phase by both experimental characterization and theoretical calculation. The density functional theory study reveals morphology transformation during the growth process while phase-field modeling unravels the screw dislocation propagation to form the pyramid-like structure of SnSe2. The optical band gap of SnSe2 crystals relates to an indirect band gap of 1.0 eV. The photodetector devices based on SnSe2 crystals exhibit high responsivity and ultrafast response time in the microsecond regime.