cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nasal dermoids in children

Nasal dermoids are uncommon. The term nasal dermoid, nasal epidermoid and nasal sebaceous cyst are used interchangeably by clinicians. The clinical signs and the surgical findings of 67 cases are reported. No difference was found to distinguish the nasal dermoids from the nasal epidermoid lesions, apart from the presence of hair in the cyst or sinus. The term 'nasal dermoid' should be used to include both lesions and qualified by 'simple' or 'complex' depending on the surgical extent of the tissues involved.
Minimizing the Risks of Anticoagulants and Platelet Inhibitors

Thrombosis is a major contributor to the adverse outcomes associated with atherosclerotic disease. Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) result when intravascular thrombosis occurs at the site of an atherosclerotic plaque rupture. In this setting, the use of anticoagulants and platelet inhibitors is life-saving, but these agents also contribute additional risks for bleeding. The risks and benefits of antithrombotic therapy have been studied in large randomized clinical trials; however, clinicians must extrapolate from aggregate data when making therapeutic decisions for the individual. The validity of such extrapolation becomes less certain when factors encountered in practice differ from those observed in the trial setting. The balance between risks and benefits of antithrombotic therapy in practice may be altered by factors across 3 domains: drug, patient, and provider. Although factors associated with these domains can independently influence outcomes, more commonly, it is the complex interplay of all 3 that ultimately determines the outcome of therapy in a given patient. This article will describe the common risks associated with antithrombotic therapy. In addition, factors that individually or in combination alter these risks will be explored with currently available agents approved for or studied in ACS (Figure 1). Finally, directions for optimizing the future safety of antithrombotic therapy will be discussed. Figure 1. Interdependence of factors associated with risks and benefits of antithrombotic agents. This schematic lists factors grouped as drug-specific, patient-specific, and provider- or system-specific, with arrows to reflect their interdependence. A variety of anticoagulant and platelet inhibitor drugs have been approved for use in ACS patients (Table 1⇓).1 These existing agents have unique pharmacological properties that influence both their comparative efficacy and safety as demonstrated in aggregate trial data and their safety as observed in clinical practice. The most frequently used anticoagulants in contemporary ACS care are unfractionated heparin (UFH) and …
Application of a new procedure for design of 325 MHz RFQ

A new procedure for designing Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) accelerators has been developed. We present an integrated RFQ design procedure, which is based on modern three-dimensional field map calculations and beam dynamics simulations. The design procedure was integrated with the beam dynamics design and simulation codes DESRFQ & TRACK and applied to the development of a 325 MHz RFQ capable of delivering a 2.5 MeV H− beam with 40 mA peak current for the proton driver (PD) at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL).
Adult age differences in spatial memory: effects of structural context and practice.

Abstract We examined the effect of structural context on memory for spatial location in young and elderly women in two studies. Subjects studied and later reconstructed an array of visually identical objects that were positioned in a three-dimensional Plexiglas matrix. For half the subjects, small household objects were interspersed in the array to serve as spatial landmark cues during encoding and replacement. All subjects received two study and replacement trials. The results indicated that (a) older women remembered fewer locations than younger women but benefited more from landmark cues to location, (b) performance improved on the second replacement trial for the young but not for the older women, and (c) both age groups appeared to use similar processing strategies that were based on the vertical dimension of space. These results suggest that structural context enhances older adults' retention of three-dimensional spatial information. The implications of these data for the conceptual distinction betw...
Role of No production in NMDA receptor-mediated neurotransmitter release in cerebral cortex

L-Glutamate and norepinephrine are examples of a major excitatory neurotransmitter and a neuromodulator in the cerebral cortex, respectively. Little is known of how chemical signaling between the anatomically distinct chemical pathways occurs. Specific activation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) class of glutamate receptor in synaptosomal preparations from guinea pig cerebral cortex caused release of both of these chemicals, and this release was blocked by agents that inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production or remove NO from the extracellular space. Furthermore, neurotransmitter release correlated with cortical NO production after NMDA receptor stimulation. These results suggest that NO production and its extracellular movement may be links in the pathway from NMDA receptor activation to changes in chemical signaling in surrounding synaptic terminals in the cerebral cortex.
Use of coordinate sentences with the conjunctionand for describing temporal and locative relations between events

To learn whether perceptual-cognitive features of events can affect the choice of surface form of utterances describing them, 4-year-olds, 11-year-olds, and adults were asked to verbally describe pairs of events. Two actors performed the same kind of action either simultaneously or successively and in the same or in separate locations, and each of the four situations was enacted in two content versions. The verbal descriptions were classified as Sentential (NP1-VP1-and NP2-VP1), Phrasal (NP1-and NP2-VP1), or Other (e.g.,They-VP1). It was found that the physical structure of events affected the use of the syntactic structure of the utterances describing those events, but the specific content of events did not. Sentential utterances were preferred over Phrasal ones for describing separated events (successive or separate-location); the Phrasal form predominated for describing proximal events (simultaneous, but not strongly same-location).
Genotoxicity profiles of common alkyl halides and esters with alkylating activity

Drug synthesis and/or formulation can generate genotoxic impurities. For instance, strong acid/alcohol interactions during the process of drug salt formation produce alkylating agents such as alkyl halides and alkyl esters of alkyl sulfonic acids. The genotoxicity of a few classic alkylating agents such as methyl and ethyl methanesulfonate have been previously well characterized, whereas the majority of compounds from this class have only been tested in the Salmonella reversion assay. Therefore, the goal of this study was to investigate clastogenicity and DEL recombination profiles of 22 halogenated alkanes and alkylesters of sulfuric and alkane-, aryl-sulfonic acids using a battery of cellular and molecular assays. The in-vitro micronucleus assay in CHO cells was used to measure clastogenicity and the deletion recombination (DEL) assay in S. cerevisiae provided a measure of DNA deletions. We also examined the compounds' reactivity towards 4-(p-nitrobenzyl)pyridine (NBP), a surrogate molecule for biological ring nitrogens. Methylating agents were most potent in all three assays and the alkyl chlorides evaluated in our study were negative in all three assays. Also, a strong correlation was found between the MN, DEL and NBP assays. In summary, this study contributes to a better understanding of the genotoxic properties of common alkyl halides and alkyl esters with alkylating activity and might provide guidance for managing risk of genotoxic process-related impurities of drug substances and products.
Use of sealed end hollow fibers for bubbleless membrane aeration: experimental studies

Abstract A novel microporous hollow fiber membrane module was evaluated for the oxygenation of water. Pure oxygen is maintained inside a bundle of sealed-end polypropylene fibers at a pressure below the bubble point. The water to be aerated is pumped over the outside of the fibers. The high oxygen concentration gradient encourages the oxygen to diffuse across the porous membrane wall, and to dissolve directly into the water without the formation of bubbles. The membrane is hydrophobic and the pores small enough that they stay dry and gas filled so that the transport across the membrane is by gaseous diffusion. The membrane itself therefore provides little resistance to transfer, and the mass transfer rate is controlled by diffusion across the liquid film on the outside of the fibers. Modules of varying size were tested and transfer correlations were developed for module design. The process gave 100% oxygen transfer efficiency at a reasonable power input. For water quality management and waste treatment, oxygenation by membranes appears to offer many advantages over conventional aeration devices.
Sequestration of Adenoviral Vector by Kupffer Cells Leads to a Nonlinear Dose Response of Transduction in Liver

Systemic administration of a recombinant adenovirus encoding the human interferon-beta gene (H5.110CMVhIFN-beta) results in transduction of hepatocytes and detectable circulating levels of IFN-beta protein. In preclinical studies in mice, we noticed a distinctly nonlinear dose response, with low levels of virus (1-3 x 10(10) viral particles) yielding barely detectable levels of IFN-beta but with a higher viral dose (1 x 10(11) particles) resulting in disproportionately high IFN-beta levels. Further studies showed that transgene expression levels from low viral doses could be dramatically enhanced by coadministering an unrelated recombinant adenovirus (H5.110CMVlacZ), suggesting that there was a viral dose threshold effect for efficient viral transduction and/or IFN-beta expression. This enhancement of reporter expression by a nonreporter adenovirus, effective upon coadministration, was further enhanced by preadministration of H5.110CMVlacZ (up to 8 h), but was ineffective if the helper virus was administered as little as 5 min after the H5.110CMVhIFN-beta reporter virus. Our data suggest that the reticuloendothelial system plays a role in this threshold effect, such that low doses of virus are efficiently taken up by the RES/Kupffer cells without leading to appreciable transgene expression, whereas high doses saturate these cells and are able to productively transduce hepatocytes. A better understanding of this phenomenon could have an impact on gene therapy clinical trial safety and efficacy.
The Performance of the Firm's Marketing Activities by Consumers

When business writings note that marketing costs are a certain percentage of total business costs, that figure is underestimated because it does not include the costs of those marketing efforts performed by consumers for business firms. Precisely those activities that we collectively term marketing are performed in part by consumers for the benefit of the firm.
Visual prepotency and eye orientation

When simultaneously presented with a brief auditory and a brief visual stimulus of equal subjective magnitude, human subjects show a strong tendency to respond to the visual stimulus. The present experiments attempted to reduce or abolish this prepotency effect by manipulating the subject’s visual fixation point, based upon the idea that eye orientation plays an important part in attending to either a brief auditory or a brief visual stimulus. The results suggested that visual prepotency in human subjects persists even when peripheral rather than foveal vision is used.
Use of NDVI dataset for a GIS based analysis: A sample study of TAR Creek superfund site

Abstract Tar Creek is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated superfund site in Ottawa County, Oklahoma that is heavily polluted with acid mine drainage (AMD) and pollutant deposits in the form of mine tailings (chat piles). Among several residual heavy metal contaminants, zinc and lead are most prevalent in these chat piles. Approximately 50 million cubic yards or 75 million tons of chat remained in Ottawa County as a result of excessive mining in early 1900's to 1960's. This chat is in addition to the pollution that is leached from open mine shafts that drain contaminants into the groundwater, some of which flows directly into streams and creeks. This paper discusses a methodology for incorporating satellite data (MODIS NDVI) within a GIS framework to perform time series analysis in areas near Tar Creek. GIS functions in Map Algebra and Zonal Statistics were implemented to study changes in spectral reflectance due to vegetation at two locations. One of the locations is a sample plot where remedial action consisted of cleaning up of the chat pile and growing native grass. The second location is along Tar Creek and Elm Creek. The paper describes one of the methods that can be used to combine remotely sensed imagery data and spatial feature data within the GIS framework. The main advantages of combining the two datasets using the described process is that, powerful geoprocessing functions within GIS can be easily applied to remote sensing data and the analysis of vector and raster data can be performed in unison.
Postshield volcanism and catastrophic mass wasting of the Waianae Volcano, Oahu, Hawaii

The 3.9- to 2.9-Ma Waianae Volcano is the older of two volcanoes making up the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Exposed on the volcanic edifice are tholeiitic shield lavas overlain by transitional and alkalic postshield lavas. The postshield "alkalic cap" consists of aphyric hawaiite of the Palehua Member of the Waianae Volcanics, overlain unconformably by a small volume of alkalic basalt of the Kolekole Volcanics. Kolekole Volcanics mantle erosional topography, including the uppermost slopes of the great Lualualei Valley on the lee side of the Waianae Range. Twenty new K–Ar dates, combined with magnetic polarity data and geologic relationships, constrain the ages of lavas of the Palehua member to 3.06–2.98 Ma and lavas of the Kolekole Volcanics to 2.97–2.90 Ma. The geochemical data and the nearly contemporaneous ages suggest that the Kolekole Volcanics do not represent a completely independent or separate volcanic event from earlier postshield activity; thus, the Kolekole Volcanics are reduced in rank, becoming the Kolekole Member of the Waianae Volcanics. Magmas of the Palehua and Kolekole Members have similar incompatible element ratios, and both suites show evidence for early crystallization of clinopyroxene consistent with evolution at high pressures below the edifice. However, lavas of the Kolekole Member are less fractionated and appear to have evolved at greater depths than the earlier Palehua hawaiites. Postshield primary magma compositions of the Palehua and Kolekole Members are consistent with formation by partial melting of mantle material of less than 5–10% relative to Waianae shield lavas. Within the section of Palehua Member lavas, an increase with respect to time of highly incompatible to moderately incompatible element ratios is consistent with a further decrease in partial melting by approximately 1–2%. This trend is reversed with the onset of eruption of Kolekole Member lavas, where an increase in extent of partial melting is indicated. The relatively short time interval between the eruption of Palehua and Kolekole Member lavas appears to date the initial formation of Lualualei Valley, which was accompanied by a marked change in magmatic conditions. We speculate that the mass-wasting event separating lavas of the Palehua and Kolekole Members may be related to the formation of a large submarine landslide west and southwest of Waianae Volcano. Enhanced decompression melting associated with removal of the equivalent volume of this landslide deposit from the edifice is more than sufficient to produce the modeled increase of 1–2% in extent of melting between the youngest Palehua magmas and the posterosional magmas of the Kolekole Member. The association between magmatic change and a giant landsliding event suggests that there may be a general relationship between large mass-wasting events and subsequent magmatism in Hawaiian volcano evolution.
Myocardial contractile function in aortic stenosis as determined from the rate of stress development during isovolumic systole.

Abstract To assess myocardial contractile function in the chronically hypertrophied human left ventricle, the rate of stress development ( dσ dt ) as a function of developed stress (σD) during isovolumic systole was examined. Results for eight patients with aortic stenosis were compared with those for seven subjects with normal left ventricular function and with those for five patients with idiopathic congestive cardiomyopathy. The rate of stress development ( dσ dt ) was nearly identical in patients with aortic stenosis and in normal subjects over a wide range of values of (σD) but was significantly lower in patients with cardiomyopathy (P dP dt ) was examined as a function of developed left ventricular pressure in normal subjects and patients with aortic stenosis or cardiomyopathy. These results indicate that contractile function as characterized by the isovolumic rate of stress development is not necessarily impaired in chronic pressure overload hypertrophy.
A comparison of modified runge-kutta formulas based on a variety of means

Several modified third order Runge-Kutta formulas based on a variety of means are developed. The arithmetic mean (AM) formula which shortens the process of calculations does not yield the highest degree of accuracy obtained by using some of the new formulas. The accuracy of the new formulas are numerically tested and compared.
Modeling of nanophotonics

The ability of photonic crystals to mold the flow of light in new ways can lead to a variety of novel and improved designs of optical nano-components and nano-devices in photonics. Two examples will be presented: a) Using linear materials, a polarization independent waveguide is designed in a 3D photonic crystal. It is demonstrated that this system provides lossless guiding of light at length-scales approaching the wavelength of the light itself, offering a promising platform for the design of integrated high performance polarization-insensitive waveguide networks. b) Using nonlinear materials, a cylindrical photonic crystal fiber is designed that can exhibit all-optical switching without the need for an axial periodicity. It is shown that this property stems from the unique structure of the cylindrical photonic crystal guided-mode dispersion relation, and can lead to significant improvements in manufacturing ease, operating power usage, and device size requirements, making such a system ideal for integrated all-optical signal processing.
The role of prefibrillar structures in the assembly of a peptide amyloid.

The self-assembly of proteins into stable, fibrillar aggregates is a general property of polypeptides most notably associated with degenerative diseases termed amyloidoses. These nano- to micrometer scale structures are formed predominantly of β-sheets that self-assemble by a nucleation-dependent mechanism. The rate-limiting step of assembly involves stabilization of high-energy intermediates in a kinetic step termed nucleation. Determination of the structural characteristics of these high-energy intermediates has been elusive, as its members are the least populated states on the assembly pathway. Using a peptide derived from diabetes-related amyloid, we use electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and disulfide crosslinking to show that fibers are composed of parallel, in-register β-sheets. Kinetic studies are then used to infer the structural elements of the pre-nucleation intermediates. Notably, stabilization of this ensemble is shown to depend on the number but not the position of amide side chains within the primary sequence. Additionally, fiber formation is accelerated by constructs that mimic the intra-sheet structure of the fiber. Our data suggest that pre-nucleation intermediates sample intra- β-sheet structure and place bounds on the possible nucleation mechanisms for fiber assembly. Understanding the nucleation of fibrillogenesis is critical so that this process can be prevented in disease and productively controlled by design.
Through the Lens of Black Women: The Significance of Obama’s Campaign

For the first time in United States history, an African-American man has been elected to the United States Presidency. As African-Americans witness the manifestation of a long-held hope, some of us find ourselves wondering if the success of Obama’s campaign will pave the way for a woman of color to one day secure the nomination of a major political party in pursuit of the United States Presidency. Thus, one must ponder: 1) What socio-historical forces have facilitated this historical moment?; 2) Will these forces pave the way for a woman of color?; and 3) Will it happen in our lifetime? Two focus groups of African-American women were held to explore these questions. Their perceptions and responses are shared.
The AXAF high resolution camera.

The High Resolution Camera (HRC) [12] is one of four instruments selected for detailed design definition as a focal plane detector for an upcoming NASA mission - the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) [2], which is scheduled for launch at the end of calendar year 1996. The camera is a microchannel plate (MCP) based detector utilizing a CsI photocathode to enhance X-ray quantum efficiency in the 0.1 to 10.0 keV energy band. An electronic readout provides better than 25pm FWHM spatial resolution over a 100mm x 100mm active area. The HRC is closely related to the High Resolution Imaging Detector (HRI) which was successfully flown on the Einstein (HEAO-2) Observatory [3] from 1978 to 1981. A similar detector has been built for the ROSAT Observatory [4] which is scheduled to be launched in February of 1990. The major differences between the HRC and its predecessors are in overall size (20 times greater active area), quantum efficiency (3 to 4 times higher), count rate limitation ( 2 to 5 times greater count rate), background (3 to 5 times lower), and energy resolution below 2 keV (some compared to none). While ,the basic x-ray detector is similar to previous instruments, the electronic readout and processing chain of the HRC incorporate major im-
What Types of Linguistic Information Do Children Use in Spelling? The Case of Flaps.

We sought to determine what types of linguistic information children represent in their spelling by examining their performance on the flaps of words such as city and lady. In 4 experiments, children often misspelled flaps as d. This d bias was common until at least second grade, with few children showing a bias toward t. We found no evidence that children have an underlying representation of city as containing /t/, for children said such words with /d/ when speaking very slowly. Even kindergartners were more accurate at spelling the flaps of words such as dirty, which have a stem ending with /t/, than the flaps of words such as city. Thus, children use meaning relations among words to aid their spelling before they have formally been taught to do so. The results show that young children are not purely phonetic spellers as they are often portrayed. The results further suggest that phonology and orthography are closely related systems that interact during development.
Decade-scale changes of soil carbon, nitrogen and exchangeable cations under chaparral and pine

Four large lysimeters on the San Dimas Experimental Forest, each filled with similar parent material and planted with monocultures of native species in 1946, provide a unique opportunity to quantify short-term effects of plant species on soil properties. The four species under which soils were investigated are scrub oak (Quercus dumosa Nutt.) , chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum Hook. and Am.), ceanothus (Ceanothus crassifolia Torr.), and Coulter pine (Pinus coulteri B. Don). A mass-balance approach was used to measure changes in C, N, exchangeable base cations, and exchangeable acidity to a depth of 1 m in the mineral soils over a 41-year period. The C content increased in all of the soils, but the greatest change was in the soil under oak (3.7 kg mm3). more than doubling the original amount. Since the source of C in these soils is the photosynthetic fixation of atmospheric CO,, the mass of C accumulated reflects the magnitude of the CO2 sink provided by chaparral soils in their initial stages-of formation. The calculated rate of soil C accumulation is as much as 0.09 kg mm3 yr-‘ .The increase in N was highest in the soil under ceanothus (0.12 kg mP3), the only Nz-fixing species in this study. Exchangeable Ca increased by 25.7 mol mm3 in the soil under oak, while the maximum increase in exchangeable Mg was 5.5 mol m -3 also under oak. Exchangeable Na was leached from all of the soils (a maximum of 2.4 mol mP3 lost from under chamise and ceanothus) and K was slightly depleted.
Model of ion intensity from tandem mass spectra for improved peptide identification and simulation

In tandem mass spectrometry experiments, the spectra relating peak intensity to the mass-to-charge of the ions is used to identify the peptides in a sample. However, multiple factors influence the spectra profile. An all-encompassing model that describes tandem mass spectra intensity and can offer insights into the factors that influence ion intensity was developed and applied to 61,543 mouse peptides. Several factors had a significant association with the intensity of ions formed. Among these factors are: the type of ions formed after the fragmentation of peptides, the residue content of the fragmenting peptide, proton mobility, neutral mass loss and peptide-ion charge combination. The results from our model support the precise prediction and realistic simulation of mass spectra and augment the understanding of the factors influencing ion intensity in mass spectrometry experiments.
Nanofibers, nanofluidics, nanoparticles and nanobots for drug and protein delivery systems

Several inter-related issues relevant for the development of novel drug delivery systems are covered in the talk. [...]
Ultraviolet absorption sensors for precursor delivery rate control for metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of multiple component oxide thin films

Abstract We report the development of sensors for measuring the concentration of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate (thd) complexes of yttrium and copper in-situ, in the gas delivery system of a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) reactor. The gas delivery system was modified to incorporate dual-beam ultraviolet absorption sensors accessed remotely with fiber optics. Spectral data were acquired for individual precursors at 4 s intervals using spectrograph/photodiode arrays. The measured absorption for individual precursors was used to determine concentration in the gas stream. Using the measured concentration, feedback control of the yttrium and copper thd complex molar flow rates was demonstrated to be better than one-half of one percent of the desired molar flow rate.
Equation of state and electrical conductivity of "synthetic Uranus," a mixture of water, ammonia, and isopropanol, at shock pressure up to 200 GPa (2 Mbar)

Equation-of-state, temperature, and electrical-conductivity data were measured for a solution of water, ammonia, and isopropanol at shock pressures up to 200 GPa. The chemical composition is similar to that of the fluid mixture thought to be the major constituent of the giant planets Uranus and Neptune.
Not all CD4+ memory T cells are long lived.

Memory T cells are thought to have several properties that distinguish them from their naive precursors. They are found in parts of the body that rarely house naive cells, they respond to antigen with faster proliferation and more rapid progression to effector function, they are less sensitive to the absence of their selecting major histocompatibility complex (MHC), and, above all, they are long lived. Here we show that this last property may not be universal. Some CD4+ T cells that have surface proteins characteristic of memory cells have the same half-life in vivo as naive cells. The description of these cells as memory cells therefore depends on our definition of the word 'memory'.
Role of Transesophageal Echocardiography Among Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Electrophysiology Testing

External or internal shocks administered to terminate ventricular arrhythmias as a part of electrophysiology or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator testing, can inadvertently cardiovert atrial fibrillation (AF). Moreover, anticoagulation therapy is often withheld in these patients in anticipation of an invasive procedure. The risk of embolic events during these procedures has not been well described. Accordingly, the present study was a prospective evaluation of the incidence of left atrial (LA) thrombus and AF cardioversion among patients undergoing ventricular arrhythmia assessment. Transesophageal echocardiography was routinely performed on 44 consecutive patients in AF with subtherapeutic anticoagulation undergoing electrophysiology or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator testing. Arrhythmia induction was not performed when LA thrombus was present. The incidence and clinical predictors of thrombus, the inadvertent cardioversion of AF, and adverse events related to the procedure were assessed during the subsequent 4 to 6 weeks. Left atrial thrombus was observed in 12 patients (27%). Sinus rhythm was restored in 29 patients (91%), at least transiently, who underwent testing with a shock delivered. No adverse neurologic or hemorrhagic complications were observed. Univariate analysis identified no predictors of LA thrombus or cardioversion to sinus rhythm. In conclusion, LA thrombus and cardioversion to sinus rhythm are common among patients with AF undergoing an evaluation of ventricular arrhythmias. Transesophageal echocardiography performed before the procedure in patients with subtherapeutic anticoagulation is warranted to minimize embolic complications. This strategy appears to be a safe method to guide diagnostic testing in this patient population.
The spectral sensitivity of the turtleChrysemys picta picta

The scotopic spectral sensitivity curve ofChrysemys picta picta was determined, using an instrumental technique. The results showed a maximum in the region of 460–500 nm, with a second maximum at about 640 nm in the red. There was also a significant interaction between the effects of wavelength and intensity on the rate of response. At low intensities, the rate of response was highest in the blue (460–500 nm), but at higher intensities it was greatest in the red (about 640 nm). These results show that the turtle retina is not a single-mechanism retina, but contains at least two receptors. One of these, most sensitive in the red, agrees with electrophysiological data on related species, and is probably a result of the oil droplets shifting the photopic sensitivity into the red. The second receptor, which has a lower threshold, is maximally sensitive in the blue.
Characteristic frequency of force variations in continuous crushing of sheet ice against rigid cylindrical structures

Abstract The ice forces generated during continuous crushing of an ice sheet against a cylindrical vertical structure vary with time, according to the resistance offered by ice as it fails and clears from the path of the structure. Small-scale experiments were performed to measure the ice forces by pushing rigid cylindrical structures of different diameters at different velocities through an ice sheet. The dominant frequency of ice force variations, defined as the characteristic frequency, was determined from the frequency spectra of the force records. The characteristic frequency plot with respect to the velocity-to-thickness ratio reveals a linear relationship, which implies that the average length of the damage zone is proportional to the ice thickness. On the basis of the data presented here, the average length of the damage zone is about one-third of the ice thickness.
Pneumocephalus following mastoid surgery: A report of two cases

Two cases of spontaneous pneumocephalus following mastoid surgery are presented. In both cases a fistula from the mastoid ended blindly in an area of cerebritis without any definite abscess formation. Etiological factors are discussed with congenital dural defects suspected as the precipitating factor.
Adverse drug event monitoring at the Food and Drug Administration

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible not only for approving drugs but also for monitoring their safety after they reach the market. The complete adverse event profile of a drug is not known at the time of approval because of the small sample size, short duration, and limited generalizability of pre-approval clinical trials. This report describes the FDA's postmarketing surveillance system, to which many clinicians submit reports of adverse drug events encountered while treating their patients. Despite its limitations, the spontaneous reporting system is an extremely valuable mechanism by which hazards with drugs that were not observed or recognized at the time of approval are identified. Physicians are strongly encouraged to submit reports of adverse outcomes with suspect drugs to the FDA, and their reports make a difference. The FDA is strengthening its postmarketing surveillance with access to new data sources that have the potential to further improve the identification, quantification, and subsequent management of drug risk.
Gene-lifecourse interaction for alcohol consumption in adolescence and young adulthood: five monoamine genes.

Association analysis has suggested that common sequence variants of genes that affect monoamine function can affect substance use and abuse. Demonstration of these associations has been inconsistent because of limited sample sizes and phenotype definition. Drawing on the life course perspective, we predicted a stronger association between the polymorphisms in 5HTT, DAT1, DRD4, DRD2, and MAOA and alcohol consumption in young adulthood than adolescence. This analysis tested for the gene–lifecourse interaction for the frequency of alcohol consumption in a nationally representative non-alcohol-dependent sample of 2,466 individuals that were visited during adolescence and young adulthood for four times between 1994 and 2002. All five genes are significantly associated with the frequency of alcohol consumption, with the genotype effects ranging 7%–20% of the mean score of alcohol consumption and their P values being 0.014, 0.0003, 0.003, 0.007, 0.005, and 0.003, respectively. The association is only observed in the life stage of young adulthood and not in adolescence. This analysis has demonstrated the potential usefulness of the life course perspective in genetic studies of human behaviors such as alcohol consumption. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
User‐adaptive control of a magnetorheological prosthetic knee

A magnetorheological knee prosthesis is presented that automatically adapts knee damping to the gait of the amputee using only local sensing of knee force, torque, and position. To assess the clinical effects of the user‐adaptive knee prosthesis, kinematic gait data were collected on four unilateral trans‐femoral amputees. Using the user‐adaptive knee and a conventional, non‐adaptive knee, gait kinematics were evaluated on both affected and unaffected sides. Results were compared to the kinematics of 12 age, weight and height matched normals. We find that the user‐adaptive knee successfully controls early stance damping, enabling amputee to undergo biologically‐realistic, early stance knee flexion. These results indicate that a user‐adaptive control scheme and local mechanical sensing are all that is required for amputees to walk with an increased level of biological realism compared to mechanically passive prosthetic systems.
Rabbit blastocoele pH

Antimony pH microelectrodes were used to measure the pH of blastocoele fluid (pHb) of the six-day intact rabbit blastocyst. The average pHb of blastocysts measured a short time after collection in a medium containing 25 mM HCO3− at 5% CO2 in air was 7.49 ± 0.03 (S.E.). The pHb of blastocysts incubated in vitro was affected by changes in P and external bicarbonate ion concentration. In general, variations of pH of the medium bring about changes in pHb in the same direction. On the assumption that the changes in pHb were due to H+ movement across the blastocoele wall, a H+ flux of 1.8 × 10−8 mole/cm2/sec was calculated. The corresponding H+ permeability coefficient was 8 × 10−2 cm/sec. It is concluded that H+ is passively distributed across the blastocoele wall.
Function of a Glutathione-Dependent Formaldehyde Dehydrogenase in Rhodobacter sphaeroides Formaldehyde Oxidation and Assimilation†

Despite its reactivity with many biological molecules, formaldehyde can be commonly encountered by virtually all cells. The widespread existence of glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenases (GSH-FDH) in procaryotes and eucaryotes suggests this enzyme plays a central and universal role in biological formaldehyde oxidation. This work sought to determine the role of GSH-FDH in the facultative phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Growth phenotypes of wild-type and mutant cells, changes in enzyme specific activities, and the pattern of 13C-labeled compounds detected by NMR spectroscopy cumulatively suggest that R. sphaeroides GSH-FDH can play a critical role in formaldehyde metabolism under both photosynthetic and aerobic respiratory conditions. In photosynthetic cells, the data indicate that GSH-FDH generates reducing power, in the form of NADH, and one-carbon skeletons that are oxidized to carbon dioxide for subsequent assimilation by the Calvin−Benson−Bassham cycle. For example, use of me...
Random activation energy model and disordered kinetics, from static to dynamic disorder.

We suggest a unified path integral approach for random rate processes with random energy barriers, which includes systems with static and dynamic disorder as particular cases. We assume that the random component of the activation energy barrier can be described by a generalized Zubarev−McLennan nonequilibrum statistical ensemble that can be derived from the maximum information entropy approach by assuming that the time history of the fluctuations of the random components of the energy barrier are known. We show that the average survival function, which is an experimental observable in disorderd kinetics, can be computed exactly in terms of the characteristic functional of this generalized Zubarev−McLennan nonequilibrium statistical ensemble. We investigate different types of disorder described by our approach, ranging from static disorder with infinite memory to random processes with long or short memory, and finally to rapidly fluctuating independent random processes with no memory. We derive expressions of the average survival function for all these types of disorder and discuss their implications in the evaluation of kinetic parameters from experimental data. We illustrate our approach by studying a simple model of dynamic disorder of the renewal type. Finally we discuss briefly the implications of our approach in molecular biology and genetics.
Urology resident publication output and its relationship to future academic achievement.

Purpose: Scholarly research is considered by many to be an important component of residency training but little is known about the quantity and types of publications produced by urology residents. To our knowledge whether publication efforts during residency predict future academic publication performance is also unknown. We evaluated resident productivity, as measured by peer reviewed publication output, and determined its relation to future publication output as junior faculty.Materials and Methods: We assembled a list of graduating residents from 2002 to 2004 who were affiliated with the top 50 urology hospitals, as ranked in 2009 by U.S. News&World Report. PubMed® was queried to determine the publication total in the last 3 years of residency of each individual and during years 2 to 4 after residency graduation. Resident publication output was stratified by research time and fellowship training. The relationship between resident productivity and future achievement was assessed.Results: We assessed the...
HEXOSE INHIBITION OF AMINO ACID UPTAKE IN THE RAT-KIDNEY-CORTEX SLICE.

Abstract Glucose, galactose and fructose have been shown to inhibit the intracellular accumulation of amino acids by the rat-kidney-cortex slice. The uptake of glycine, α-amino- [1−14C]isobutyric acid, valine and cycloleucine was inhibited by these hexoses but the accumulation of lysine, histidine and phenylalanine was unaffected. The inhibitory effect has been shown to be dependent upon the length of incubation and upon the sugar concentration. Evidence has been presented to indicate that sugars reduce the rate of influx of amino acid into cells but have no effect upon the apparent affinity of transport sites for amino acids.
Weak coupling theory of the mobility of a two-dimensional Wigner lattice above a liquid helium substrate

A weak coupling theory of the ripplon-limited mobility of a two-dimensional electron lattice above a liquid helium surface is presented. The one-ripplon-n-phonon scattering contributions are calculated by first-order perturbation theory to all ordersn. The effects of the reduction of the phonon character of the coupled modes and the shift in the coupled mode frequencies on the scattering rate are shown to approximately cancel in the limit of weak coupling. The Debye-Waller factor limits the momentum transfer at large ripplon wave vectors and high temperatures, resulting in a maximum in the scattering as a function of temperature. The helium vapor limited mobility is also calculated. This theory exhibits the qualitative features of experimental data taken in the strong coupling limit.
Effects of different formulations of granular pesticides on birds

Fensulfothion was formulated on granular pesticide carriers to evaluate the effects of carrier type (silica, clay, and corncob), pesticide load per granule (½, ⅛, and 1/32 of the LD50), granule size (0.2 to 0.6 and 1.0 to 1.4 mm), and granule color (white and blue) on avian risk from granular pesticides. Carrier type and pesticide load per granule were evaluated in a separate experiment from granule size and color. In both experiments, captive house sparrows (Passer domesticus) were offered the granular pesticide formulations in bands on soil surfaces. Bird behavior, body weight, survival, and brain and plasma cholinesterase activity were used to assess pesticide exposure. Silica and clay carrier types posed a greater risk to birds than corncob granules. Exposure also was greater with a higher pesticide load per granule. Findings were inconclusive regarding the effect of granule size and color on avian exposure to granular pesticides. Precipitation seemed to increase the possibility of dermal exposure to the pesticide. It is important to consider factors in addition to those used currently by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency when evaluating the risk to birds from granular pesticides.
Bacteriuria and antibiotic resistance in catheter urine specimens following radical prostatectomy.

Abstract Objective There are increasing reports of infectious complications following prostate biopsy due to fluoroquinolone resistance. To determine infectious complications at catheter removal following radical prostatectomy (RP), another setting in daily urological practice where fluoroquinolone prophylaxis is frequently used. Materials and methods We prospectively examined urine culture results collected from 334 RP patients immediately prior to catheter removal. Patients received prophylactic antibiotics 1 day before, the day of, and for 5 days after catheter removal. Culture results were reviewed for bacterial species and antimicrobial susceptibilities. Patients with positive urine cultures resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic were switched to culture-specific antibiotic therapy and underwent follow-up culture. The frequency of urinary tract infection (UTI), complications, additional antibiotic therapy, and repeat urine cultures was determined within 60 days. Results Of the 334 patients identified, 203 (61%) had cultures with no bacterial growth, and 48 (14%) had colony counts of Candida albicans and received no further antibiotics. The remaining 83 (25%) had positive culture results, of which 7% were resistant to ciprofloxacin. Twenty-four bacterial species were identified, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5%) Escherichia coli (4%), and Staphylococcus epidermidis (3%) being the most frequent. Only two (0.6%) men developed clinical symptoms consistent with UTI (i.e., suprapubic pain, fever) prior to catheter removal, and no serious complications occurred. Conclusions A substantial proportion of RP patients have positive urine cultures at the time of catheter removal, despite the administration of prophylactic fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Potentially virulent organisms are commonly cultured, and ciprofloxacin resistance is frequent. However, outcomes are favorable when culture-specific oral antibiotic therapy is initiated.
Establishing the statistical relationship between population size and UCR crime rate: Its impact and implications

The fact that the volume of crime is related to the size of a jurisdiction's population has been well established. The relationship between crime rate and population size, however, is less clear. Crime rate presents crime on a per capita basis, and is intended to adjust for population size so that comparisons can be made. In this article, the author first establishes the statistical relationship between crime rate and population size. Once established, he conducted an analysis of crime rates in jurisdictions of various sizes and in a variety of population-based strata using data obtained from the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR). Based on his findings, the author discusses implications for research and analysis, database management, and making jurisdictional comparisons of crime rates.
A Glucose Sensing Contact Lens: A Non-Invasive Technique for Continuous Physiological Glucose Monitoring

We have developed a range of glucose sensing contact lenses, using a daily, disposable contact lens embedded with newly developed boronic acid containing fluorophores. Our findings show that our approach may be suitable for the continuous monitoring of tear glucose levels in the range 50–1000 μM, which typically track blood glucose levels, which are ≈5–10 fold higher. Our non-invasive approach may well offer an alternative solution to current invasive glucose monitoring techniques for diabetes, such as “finger pricking.”
Citizen Willingness to Participate in Police-Community Partnerships: Exploring the Influence of Race and Neighborhood Context

Since community policing emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, it has been common for police departments to use police—community partnerships as a strategy for improving public satisfaction with the police. Yet very little is known about what predicts citizen willingness to participate in these types of community policing initiatives. In this study, the authors use the results of an anonymous mailed survey (n = 16,193) conducted in a large Western city to examine individual and community-level relationships between race/ethnicity and willingness to work with the police in a community anticrime initiative. Contrary to previous research, but consistent with Blumer’s group position thesis, African Americans who responded to the survey report a greater willingness to work with the police than do White respondents. Neighborhood-level variables show mixed results, with concentrated disadvantage having a minor statistical effect on increasing citizen willingness to participate in partnership initiatives. The discussion considers the theoretical, methodological, and policy implications of these observed differences.