cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relative acute effects of low pH and high iron on the hatching and survival of the water mite (Arrenurus manubriator) and the aquatic insect (Chironomus riparius)

We investigated the relative effects of low pH and high iron on a water mite, Arrenurus manubriator and an aquatic insect, Chironomus riparius. Eggs and active stages were exposed in static renewal toxicity tests to pH 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2, made by adding sulfuric acid to reconstituted soft water, or to iron levels of 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1,000 mg/L, made by adding ferrous sulfate to soft water at pH 4. Experiments were conducted at 22°C with a 16:8-h photoperiod, and treatments were replicated three times with at least nine individuals per treatment. Data were analyzed with a logistic response function and one-way ANOVA for pH and iron tests, respectively. Egg hatching was reduced at pH 2 for midges and at pH 3 for mites. Iron had no effect on hatching for either species. Survival of midge larvae was partially reduced at pH 4, and survival of mite deutonymphs, larvae, female and male adults was reduced at pH 3. Survival of midge larvae, and mite deutonymphs and male adults was reduced at 400, 200, and 1,000 mg Fe/L, respectively. Mite female adults and larvae were unaffected by iron. Higher metabolic requirements of unfed immature stages, the gelatinous covering of mite and insect eggs, the longer incubation period of mite eggs, and the greater osmoregulatory potential of adult mites may have contributed to the differences observed.
Degradation of cement at the reservoir/cement interface from exposure to carbonated brine

Abstract As geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide moves from the laboratory to the field, it will become increasingly important to understand how cements react when exposed to carbonated brines. To gather relevant data, a year-long study was conducted that exposed Class H cement pastes embedded in sandstones and limestones (both likely host rocks for CO 2 sequestration) to brines, so that the reaction proceeded by diffusion of reactants and products through the pores of the stone. The experiments were conducted with pH values between 3 and 7 at 20 and 50 °C, conditions typical of sequestration at a depth of 1 km. The exposed samples and the reactor fluids were analyzed at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months using numerical modeling and multiple laboratory techniques including optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, EPMA, ICP-OES, and permeametry. The results indicate that cements in sandstone are more vulnerable to degradation (alteration that damages the cements’ strength of zonal isolation properties, e.g. permeability) than cements surrounded by limestone. The sandstone samples showed changes in the physical appearance and flow properties after one month, with an order of magnitude change in the permeability within 3 months of exposure. The samples exposed to the lowest pH conditions showed the greatest degradation throughout the experiment. The cements embedded in limestone remained undegraded throughout the experiment.
Intracellular labeling of afferents to the lateral superior olive in the bat, Eptesicus fuscus

An in vitro tissue slice preparation of the bat brain stem was used to label intracellularly individual axons projecting to the lateral superior olive from two different sources: the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) and the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN). The tracing of individually labeled MNTB axons into the lateral superior olive reaffirms the long accepted indirect route by which information from the contralateral ear reaches the lateral superior olive. While the MNTB appears to relay input from the contralateral AVCN, information from the ipsilateral ear reaches the lateral superior olive via a direct projection from the ipsilateral AVCN. Axons from the contralateral and ipsilateral pathways have different distribution patterns upon the fusiform cells of the lateral superior olive. Axon terminals of MNTB principal cells have a perisomatic and proximal dendritic distribution pattern. Axon terminal varicosities from the ipsilateral anteroventral cochlear nucleus are distributed primarily to more distal dendrites.
Optical probing of magnetic inert layers

The thickness of a magnetic inert layer on top of a ferrite head sample was measured by probing the longitudinal Kerr effect as a function of the angle of incidence of a laser beam. Our computerized measuring system used a simple single-detector setup to derive polarization information from a Kerr-reflected beam as the incident angle was scanned. The results were analyzed using a general theory of reflection from magnetic stratified media. The experimental results indicate that the possible inert-layer thickness values are given by (50 ± 10) + 60 × N nm, where the order N equals 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.
The Level of Substrate Deformation and not Traction Force Regulates Adhesion-Mediated Neuronal Growth Cone Advance

Although pulling forces have been observed in axonal growth for several decades, their exact roles are not fully understood. Here, we quantified retrograde traction forces in neuronal growth cones as they develop over time in response to an adhesion substrate using two different experimental approaches. In the first approach, we used force-calibrated glass microneedles coated with ligands for the Aplysia cell adhesion molecule apCAM to guide the advance of Aplysia Californica growth cones. The traction force exerted by the growth cone was measured by monitoring the microneedle deflection using an optical microscope. In the second approach, we developed a novel method for measuring traction forces using an atomic force microscope (AFM) with a static cantilever that contained a ligand-coated microbead and was monitored in real time. Both approaches showed that Aplysia growth cones can develop maximum traction forces up to 100 nN, which is an order of magnitude higher than previously reported for other experimental methods or growth cones. Moreover, our results suggest that the traction force is directly correlated to the stiffness of the microneedle, which is consistent with a reinforcement mechanism supported by other research. Contrary to our expectation, the level of force does not predict whether the growth cone will advance towards the adhesion site or not, but the level of microneedle deflection does. In cases of adhesion-mediated growth cone advance, the mean deflection was 1.07 ± 0.09 μm. By contrast, the mean deflection was significantly lower (0.49 ± 0.04 μm) when the growth cones did not advance in response to the adhesion substrate. In summary, our results provide novel insights into significance of substrate deformation as opposed to traction force for the regulation of adhesion-mediated directional growth cone advance.
High-spin studies of fission products in fusion-evaporation reactions

High-spin states of several isotopes in the mass A ≈ 100 region have been investigated following the fission of compound nuclei formed in three heavy-ion fusion-evaporation reactions. New sequences have been assigned to 91Sr, 107Ru, and 113, 115, 117, 119Cd isotopes using the complementary fission fragment technique. The ground-state bands have been extended to higher spins in 114, 116, 118, 120Cd. The level schemes of 88, 90, 92Sr and 101Tc have been considerably enriched. The plethora of results demonstrates the efficiency in which spectroscopic information can be collected on nuclei near the line of stability or slightly neutron-rich from studies of fission fragments following fusion-evaporation reactions. The prompt γ-ray intensity distributions of the fragments following the fission of the 197Pb compound nucleus are reported. The empirical distributions as a function of Z and A are not reproduced by expected yields of symmetric fission. Rather these distributions reflect the selectivity of Gammasphere to detect collective nuclei and to study high-spin excitations in fission fragments.
Tunable hydrogel-microsphere composites that modulate local inflammation and collagen bulking.

Abstract Injectable biomaterials alone may alter local tissue responses, including inflammatory cascades and matrix production (e.g. stimulatory dermal fillers are used as volumizing agents that induce collagen production). To expand upon the available material compositions and timing of presentation, a tunable hyaluronic acid (HA) and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microsphere composite system was formulated and assessed in subcutaneous and cardiac tissues. HA functionalized with hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HeMA) was used as a precursor to injectable and degradable hydrogels that carry PLGA microspheres (∼50 μm diameter) to tissues, where the HA hydrogel degradation (∼20 or 70 days) and quantity of PLGA microspheres (0–300 mg ml−1) are readily varied. When implanted subcutaneously, faster hydrogel degradation and more microspheres (e.g. 75 mg ml−1) generally induced more rapid tissue and cellular interactions and a greater macrophage response. In cardiac applications, tissue bulking may be useful to alter stress profiles and to stabilize the tissue after infarction, limiting left ventricular (LV) remodeling. When fast degrading HeMA–HA hydrogels containing 75 mg ml−1 microspheres were injected into infarcted tissue in sheep, LV dilation was limited and the thickness of the myocardial wall and the presence of vessels in the apical infarct region were increased ∼35 and ∼60%, respectively, compared to empty hydrogels. Both groups decreased volume changes and infarct areas at 8 weeks, compared to untreated controls. This work illustrates the importance of material design in expanding the application of tissue bulking composites to a range of biomedical applications.
Interactive dipole model for two-sphere system

Abstract Approximate “dipole” equations are derived for the interaction of two uncharged dielectric spheres immersed in a uniform electric field. Each sphere is treated as a point polarizable particle in a locally uniform field whose strength is that which would be present at the sphere's center if the sphere were removed. The response of each sphere is a dipole moment. In this way each sphere sees the uniform external field and the dipole field of the other sphere. These interactive dipole moments and forces are calculated for the two orientations of the spheres relative to the external field. Data are presented which show the range of validity of the results: the exclusion of all higher order multipoles is acceptable only as long as the spheres are separated by at least one radius.
Free-energy distribution of binary protein–protein binding suggests cross-species interactome differences

Major advances in large-scale yeast two-hybrid screening have provided a global view of binary protein–protein interactions across species as dissimilar as human, yeast, and bacteria. Remarkably, these analyses have revealed that all species studied have a degree distribution of protein–protein binding that is approximately scale-free (varies as a power law) even though their evolutionary divergence times differ by billions of years. The universal power law shows only the surface of the rich information harbored by these high-throughput data. We develop a detailed mathematical model of the protein–protein interaction network based on association free energy, the biochemical quantity that determines protein–protein interaction strength. This model reproduces the degree distribution of all of the large-scale yeast two-hybrid data sets available and allows us to extract the distribution of free energy, the likelihood that a pair of proteins of a given species will bind. We find that across-species interactomes have significant differences that reflect the strengths of the protein–protein interaction. Our results identify a global evolutionary shift: more evolved organisms have weaker binary protein–protein binding. This result is consistent with the evolution of increased protein unfoldedness and challenges the dogma that only specific protein–protein interactions can be biologically functional.
Sedative Hypnotic Medication Use and the Risk of Motor Vehicle Crash

Objectives. We sought to estimate the association between sedative hypnotic use and motor vehicle crash risk.Methods. We conducted a new user cohort study of 409 171 adults in an integrated health care system. Health plan data were linked to driver license and collision records. Participants were aged 21 years or older, licensed to drive in Washington State, had at least 1 year of continuous enrollment between 2003 and 2008, and were followed until death, disenrollment, or study end. We used proportional hazards regression to estimate the risk of crash associated with 3 sedatives.Results. We found 5.8% of patients received new sedative prescriptions, with 11 197 person-years of exposure. New users of sedatives were associated with an increased risk of crash relative to nonuse: temazepam hazard ratio (HR) = 1.27 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.85, 1.91), trazodone HR = 1.91 (95% CI = 1.62, 2.25), and zolpidem HR = 2.20 (95% CI = 1.64, 2.95). These risk estimates are equivalent to blood alcohol concentrat...
Feasibility of High-Throughput Genome-Wide Genotyping using DnA from stored Buccal cell samples

It is unclear if buccal cell samples contain sufficient human DNA with adequately sized fragments for high throughput genetic bioassays. Yet buccal cell sample collection is an attractive alternative to gathering blood samples for genetic epidemiologists engaged in large-scale genetic biomarker studies. We assessed the genotyping efficiency (GE) and genotyping concordance (GC) of buccal cell DNA samples compared to corresponding blood DNA samples, from 32 Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) participants using the Illumina Infinium 660W-Quad platform. We also assessed how GE and GC accuracy varied as a function of DNA concentration using serial dilutions of buccal DNA samples. Finally we determined the nature and genomic distribution of discordant genotypes in buccal DNA samples. The mean GE of undiluted buccal cell DNA samples was high (99.32%), as was the GC between the paired buccal and blood samples (99.29%). GC between the dilutions versus the undiluted buccal DNA was also very high (.97%), though both GE and GC notably declined at DNA concentrations less than 5 ng/µl. Most (.95%) genotype determinations in buccal cell samples were of the “missing call” variety (as opposed to the “alternative genotype call” variety) across the spectrum of buccal DNA concentrations studied. Finally, for buccal DNA concentration above 1.7 ng/ul, discordant genotyping calls did not cluster in any particular chromosome. Buccal cell-derived DNA represents a viable alternative to blood DNA for genotyping on a high-density platform.
On some accurate finite‐difference methods for laminar flame calculations

SUMMARY The ozone-decomposition flame has been studied by means of fourth- and second-order accurate schemes. The fourth-order methods include a method of lines, a time-linearization algorithm, and a rnajorant operatorsplitting technique. The second-order schemes include two time-linearization methods which use different temporal approximations. It is shown that the fourth-order techniques yield comparable results to those obtained with very accurate finite element and adaptive grid finite-difference algorithms. The results of the second-order methods are in good agreement with second-order explicit predictor-corrector methods but predict a lower flame speed than that obtained by means of fourth-order techniques. It is also shown that the temporal approximations are not as important as the spatial approximations in flame propagation problems characterized by the presence of several small time scales.
Evaluating sampling designs by computer simulation: a case study with the Missouri bladderpod

To effectively manage rare populations, accurate monitoring data are critical. Yet many monitoring programs are initiated without careful consideration of whether chosen sampling designs will provide accurate estimates of population parameters. Obtaining accurate estimates is especially difficult when natural variability is high, or limited budgets determine that only a small fraction of the population can be sampled. The Missouri bladderpod, Lesquerella filiformis Rollins, is a federally threatened winter annual that has an aggregated distribution pattern and exhibits dramatic interannual population fluctuations. Using the simulation program SAMPLE, we evaluated five candidate sampling designs appropriate for rare populations, based on 4 years of field data: (1) simple random sampling, (2) adaptive simple random sampling, (3) grid-based systematic sampling, (4) adaptive grid-based systematic sampling, and (5) GIS-based adaptive sampling. We compared the designs based on the precision of density estimates for fixed sample size, cost, and distance traveled. Sampling fraction and cost were the most important factors determining precision of density estimates, and relative design performance changed across the range of sampling fractions. Adaptive designs did not provide uniformly more precise estimates than conventional designs, in part because the spatial distribution of L. filiformis was relatively widespread within the study site. Adaptive designs tended to perform better as sampling fraction increased and when sampling costs, particularly distance traveled, were taken into account. The rate that units occupied by L. filiformis were encountered was higher for adaptive than for conventional designs. Overall, grid-based systematic designs were more efficient and practically implemented than the others.
Automated left ventricle boundary delineation in left ventriculograms

Automated left ventricle (LV) boundary delineation from contrast ventriculograms (LVG) has been studied for decades. Unfortunately, no methods have ever been reported with sufficient accuracy evaluations. A new knowledge based multi-stage method to automatically delineate the LV boundary at end diastole (ED) and end systole (ES) is discussed here which has shown its robustness over a large LVG database. It makes extensive use of knowledge about LV shape and movement throughout its processing, including a regional pixel classification, a shape regression and a rejection classification. The method was trained and tested on a database of 375 studies whose ED and ES boundary have been manually traced. The cross-validated results are presented in the paper, showing that the accuracy was close to interobserver variability.
New directions in mobile radio spectrum efficiency &#8212; Amplitude companded sideband

A spectrum efficient modulation technique known as Amplitude Companded Sideband (ACSB) has recently been developed for land mobile radio. This technique uses single sideband modulation with baseband processing in the form of amplitude companding and spectral shaping, along with a pilot signal which provides AGC, AFC, squelch and selective call functions. The resulting system performs as well as or better than commercial FM systems and uses only one-fifth the bandwidth. In this paper, an efficient algorithm which incorporates the various factors affecting the performance of a mobile radio system is developed, and used to compare the efficiency and service quality of both FM and ACSB radios. The ACSB radios have 1.5 to 2 times the range of an FM radio with equal power. With regards to adjacent channel interference, ACSB with 5 kHz channel separation performs as well as FM with 20 or 25 kHz separation. When both co-channel and adjacent channel interference are taken into account, ACSB is about 6 to 8 times more efficient than FM in terms of maximizing the number of users supported per MHz in a given service area.
Flooded flatheads: evidence of increased growth in Mississippi River Pylodictis olivaris (Pisces: Ictaluridae) following the Great Midwest Flood of 1993

Both the Mississippi and Missouri rivers experienced major flooding in the spring and summer of 1993, inundating much of their floodplains for long periods, and allowing fish access to vast but previously inaccessible benthic foraging areas. In response to the latter, we hypothesized that flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) would exhibit altered post-flooding growth as compared to like-aged fish whose lives were flood-free. To test this hypothesis, we obtained the left pectoral fin spines from hoop-netted Mississippi River flathead catfish collected in the vicinity of Crystal City, Missouri, USA, and conducted an individual-based back-calculated growth comparison of individuals captured pre-flood (1991) and post-flood (1996). For like-aged cohorts, our back-calculated length-at-age data clearly show that the post-flooding growth in 1996-collected fish was superior to that of the 1991-collected fish that had experienced less exceptional flow regimes. This outcome suggests that increased forage or/and foraging opportunities can be a consequence of flooding, and that flathead catfish are able to capitalize on this. The natural flooding regime of big rivers may thus be an important contributor to the growth and success of certain fish species; consequently, modifying the river’s natural hydrograph and channel morphology may be detrimental.
Approaching Cosmic Consciousness via Hypnosis

An outline of a series of hypnotically induced events designed to depotentiate self-consciousness and organized awareness was presented to several volunteers. This series of events was hierarchical...
Trifunctional Chemical Probes for the Consolidated Detection and Identification of Enzyme Activities from Complex Proteomes

Chemical probes that covalently modify the active sites of enzymes in complex proteomes are useful tools for identifying enzyme activities associated with discrete (patho) physiological states. Researchers in proteomics typically use two types of activity-based probes to fulfill complementary objectives: fluorescent probes for rapid and sensitive target detection and biotinylated probes for target purification and identification. Accordingly we hypothesized that a strategy in which the target detection and target isolation steps of activity-based proteomic experiments were merged might accelerate the characterization of differentially expressed protein activities. Here we report the synthesis and application of trifunctional chemical proteomic probes in which elements for both target detection (e.g. rhodamine) and isolation (e.g. biotin) are appended to a sulfonate ester reactive group, permitting the consolidated visualization and affinity purification of labeled proteins by a combination of in-gel fluorescence and avidin chromatography procedures. A trifunctional phenyl sulfonate probe was used to identify several technically challenging protein targets, including the integral membrane enzyme 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ5-isomerase and the cofactor-dependent enzymes platelet-type phosphofructokinase and type II tissue transglutaminase. The latter two enzyme activities were significantly up-regulated in the invasive estrogen receptor-negative (ER(−)) human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 relative to the non-invasive ER(+) breast cancer lines MCF7 and T-47D. Collectively these studies demonstrate that chemical proteomic probes incorporating elements for both target detection and target isolation fortify the important link between the visualization of differentially expressed enzyme activities and their subsequent molecular identification, thereby augmenting the information content achieved in activity-based profiling experiments.
Evaluating a novel treatment for coronary artery inflammation in acute Kawasaki disease: A Phase I/IIa trial of atorvastatin

Introduction: Since the 1980s, the primary treatment of acute Kawasaki disease (KD) has been intravenous immunoglobulin and aspirin. However, 5 – 10% of children with acute KD will develop coronary artery abnormalities despite treatment within the first 10 days after fever onset. There is no approved adjunctive therapy to prevent progression of coronary artery damage in these patients.Areas covered: The rationale and study design of a Phase I/IIa trial of atorvastatin in children with acute KD and coronary artery inflammation is presented. The studies of host genetics and KD pathogenesis leading up to this trial are reviewed.Expert opinion: The repurposing of well-studied drugs used in the adult population is a cost-effective and efficient strategy to identify new therapies for pediatric diseases. Exploiting the anti-inflammatory, non-lipid-lowering effects of statins may open up new applications for this class of drugs for the pediatric age group.
Water activity and activation diameters from hygroscopicity data - Part II: Application to organic species

A method has been developed for using particle hygroscopicity measurements made with a humidified tandem differential mobility analyzer (HTDMA) to determine water activity as a function of solute weight percent. In Part I, the method was tested for particles composed of sodium chloride and ammonium sulfate. Here, we report results for several atmospherically-relevant organic species: glutaric acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid and levoglucosan. Predicted water activities for aqueous dicarboxylic acid solutions are quite similar in some cases to published estimates and the simplified predictions of Kohler theory, while in other cases substantial differences are found, which we attribute primarily to the semivolatile nature of these compounds that makes them difficult to study with the HTDMA. In contrast, estimates of water activity for levoglucosan solutions compare very well with recently-reported measurements and with published data for aqueous glucose and fructose solutions. For all studied species, the critical dry diameters active at supersaturations between 0.2 and 1% that are computed with the HTDMA-derived water activities are generally within the experimental error (~20%) estimated in previously-published direct measurements using cloud condensation nuclei counters. For individual compounds, the variations in reported solution water activity lead to uncertainties in critical dry diameters of 5-25%, not significantly larger than the uncertainty in the direct measurements. To explore the impact of these uncertainties on modeled aerosol-cloud interactions, we incorporate the variations in estimates of solution water activities into the description of hygroscopic growth of aerosol particles in an adiabatic parcel model and examine the impact on the predicted drop number concentrations. For the limited set of initial conditions examined here, we find that the uncertainties in critical dry diameters for individual species lead to 0-21% changes in drop number concentration, with the largest effects at high aerosol number concentrations and slow updraft velocities. Ammonium sulfate, malonic acid and glutaric acid have similar activation behavior, while glutaric acid and levoglucosan are somewhat less hygroscopic and lead to lower drop number concentrations; sodium chloride is the most easily activated compound. We explain these behaviors in terms of a parameter that represents compound hygroscopicity, and conclude that this parameter must vary by more than a factor of 2 to induce more than a 15% change in activated drop number concentrations. In agreement with earlier studies, our results suggest that the number concentration of activated drops is more sensitive to changes in the input aerosol size and number concentrations and the applied updraft velocity than to modest changes in the aerosol composition and hygroscopic properties.
REPLACEMENT PARTS MANAGEMENT: THE VALUE OF INFORMATION.

Exponential smoothing (ES) and weighted moving average (WMA) are the predominant methods used to predict future demand for replacement parts. They require simple calculations and make use of information readily available. By gathering more information and doing additional calculations, more accurate forecasts can be developed. However, the cost of collecting the additional data could exceed the inventory cost savings from the better demand forecast. This paper presents a straightforward method for determining when the benefits of a more complex forecasting method outweigh the total costs required to use the method.
Syncarcinogenic effect of the environmental pollutants cyclopenteno[cd]pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene in mouse skin

Benzo(a)pyrene (BP) and cyclopenteno(cd)pyrene (CPEP) are widespread environmental pollutants. CPEP is a relatively potent carcinogen in mouse skin with an activity second only to BP among environmental aromatic hydrocarbons. We have studied the combined application of BP and CPEP on mouse skin to determine their possible synergistic carcinogenic effect. Nine-week-old female Swiss mice in groups of 30 were treated on the back with high (H), medium (M) and low (L) doses, respectively, of 20 (H), 6.6 (M) or 2.2 (L) nmol BP or 200 (H), 66.6 (M) or 22.2 (L) nmol CPEP in 50 microliters acetone twice weekly for 48 weeks. Other groups received BP-H + CPEP-H, BP-M + CPEP-M, BP-L + CPEP-L, BP-H + CPEP-L, BP-M + CPEP-L, BP-L + CPEP-H, or BP-L + CPEP-M. A significant, 3- to 7-fold syncarcinogenic effect occurred when BP-M + CPEP-M were administered together. A smaller, but significant, synergistic effect (1.2- to 3.8-fold) was also observed when BP-M + CPEP-L or BP-L + CPEP-M was applied. Because of the syncarcinogenic effect of BP and CPEP, their abundance in engine emissions and ambient air samples may present a major source of carcinogenic risk.
Avoidable losses: High-stakes accountability and the dropout crisis.

In the state of Texas, whose standardized, high-stakes test-based accountability system became the model for the nation’s most comprehensive federal education policy, more than 135,000 youth are lost from the state’s high schools every year. Dropout rates are highest for African American and Latino youth, more than 60% for the students we followed. Findings from this study, which included analysis of the accountability policy in operation in high-poverty high schools in a major urban district, analysis of student-level data for more than 271,000 students in that district
On dichotomy of Riesz products

He also extended these results to more general innite products of functions. It follows from [3], proposition 2, that ( ) and ( ) are essentially the best possible conditions using the coecien ts an and bn alone. However, it is still not known whether two Riesz products on the circle over a general dissociate set are either equivalent or mutually singular.
Reconciling sensory cues and varied consequences of avian repellents.

We learned previously that red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) use affective processes to shift flavor preference, and cognitive associations (colors) to avoid food, subsequent to avoidance conditioning. We conducted three experiments with captive red-winged blackbirds to reconcile varied consequences of treated food with conditioned sensory cues. In Experiment 1, we compared food avoidance conditioned with lithium chloride (LiCl) or naloxone hydrochloride (NHCl) to evaluate cue-consequence specificity. All blackbirds conditioned with LiCl (gastrointestinal toxin) avoided the color (red) and flavor (NaCl) of food experienced during conditioning; birds conditioned with NHCl (opioid antagonist) avoided only the color (not the flavor) of food subsequent to conditioning. In Experiment 2, we conditioned experimentally naive blackbirds using free choice of colored (red) and flavored (NaCl) food paired with an anthraquinone- (postingestive, cathartic purgative), methiocarb- (postingestive, cholinesterase inhibitor), or methyl anthranilate-based repellent (preingestive, trigeminal irritant). Birds conditioned with the postingestive repellents avoided the color and flavor of foods experienced during conditioning; methyl anthranilate conditioned only color (not flavor) avoidance. In Experiment 3, we used a third group of blackbirds to evaluate effects of novel comparison cues (blue, citric acid) subsequent to conditioning with red and NaCl paired with anthraquinone or methiocarb. Birds conditioned with the postingestive repellents did not avoid conditioned color or flavor cues when novel comparison cues were presented during the test. Thus, blackbirds cognitively associate pre- and postingestive consequences with visual cues, and reliably integrate visual and gustatory experience with postingestive consequences to procure nutrients and avoid toxins.
Comparative effectiveness of advanced wound dressings for patients with chronic venous leg ulcers: a systematic review

The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature on the benefits and harms of advanced wound dressings on wound healing, mortality, quality of life, pain, condition of the wound bed, and adverse events for patients with chronic venous leg ulcers as compared with treatment with compression alone. We searched for primary studies in the databases of MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature(®) from January 1980 through July 2012. Each study title, abstract, and full article was evaluated by two independent reviewers. Thirty-seven studies met our specific search criteria, although most evidence was of low or insufficient quality. Cellular dressings, collagen, and some antimicrobial dressings may improve healing rates of chronic venous leg ulcers vs. compression alone or other dressings. Limited data were available on other outcomes. The poor quality of the literature limits conclusions and necessitates future, well-conducted studies to evaluate the effectiveness of advanced wound dressings on chronic venous ulcers.
Analyzing exotic instructions for a retargetable code generator

Exotic instructions are complex instructions, such as block move, string search, and string edit, which are found on most conventional computers. Recent retargetable code generator and instruction set analysis systems have not dealt with exotic instructions. A method to analyze exotic instructions is presented which provides the information needed by a retargetable code generator. The analysis uses source-to-source transformations to prove the equivalence of high-level language operators to exotic instructions. Examples are presented which illustrate the analysis process.
Model for laser Doppler measurements of blood flow in tissue.

A theory is developed which relates quasi-elastic light scattering measurements to blood flow in tissue microvasculature. We assume that the tissue matrix surrounding the blood cells is a strong diffuser of light and that moving erythrocytes, therefore, are illuminated by a spatially distributed source. Because the surrounding tissue is considered to be stationary, Doppler shifts in the frequency of the scattered light arise only from photon interactions with the moving blood cells. The theory implies that the time decay of the photon autocorrelation function scales proportionally with cell size and inversely with mean translational speed. Analysis of multiple interactions of photons with moving cells indicates the manner in which spectral measurements additionally are sensitive to changes in blood volume. Predictions are verified by measurements of particle flow in model tissues.
The Effects of Direct Source-to-Drain Tunneling and Variation in the Body Thickness on (100) and (110) Sub-10-nm Si Double-Gate Transistors

Using an atomistic quantum simulation based on sp $^{\mathrm { {3}}}\text{d}^{\mathrm { {5}}}\text{s}^\ast $ tight-binding bandstructure and ballistic nonequilibrium Green’s function, we have investigated the effects of sidewall orientation and the channel direction on transport characteristics of n- and p-type Si double-gate (DG) MOSFETs in sub-10-nm regime. Considering quantum confinement effects on average conductivity effective mass, $I_{\scriptscriptstyle\text{ON}}$ – $I_{\scriptscriptstyle\text{OFF}}$ ratio of (100)/ $\langle 100\rangle $ devices turns out better under iso- $I_{\scriptscriptstyle\text{OFF}}$ compared with (110)/ $\langle 110\rangle $ devices for both n- and p-type DG MOSFETs. This is due to the effective mass tradeoff between direct source-to-drain tunneling and carrier mobility, leading to different net effects on n- and p-type DG MOSFETs. It is also shown that (100)/ $\langle 100\rangle $ devices have an advantage over (110)/ $\langle 110\rangle $ devices with respect to body thickness variation since their effective mass is less sensitive to quantum confinement effect.
Papa's got a brand new bag: current trends in African English fiction

: This paper examines some new trends in African English creative writing as they are manifest in the following novels: The Gunny Sack by M. G. Vassanji (1989); To Every Birth Its Blood by Mongane Serote (1990); Matigari by Ngũg? wa Thiong'o (1989); The Last Harmattan of Alusine Dunbar by Syl Cheney-Coker (1990); and The General Is Up by Peter Nazareth (1991). There are some major differences between African English novels written just before and after the end of colonialism. Once they rejected what came from outside Africa as alien and alienating. That rejection is no more true: current African fiction includes a whole range of characters and ideas that would have been rejected once as alien. In thematic terms new African fiction embraces everything; being half-caste is positive; writing about the past is a way of transforming it. The stylistic experimentation also uses new devices drawing from comics and the radio (see Nazareth, 1993). The novels examined in this paper bring the oral and written tradition together and give birth to the worlds of all the people. The paper provides a critical summary of recent trends in the African variety of literature in English.
Automata for learning sequential tasks

This dissertation describes a system that is capable of learning both combinational and sequential tasks. The system learns from sequences of input/output examples in which each pair of input and output represents a step in a task. The system uses finite state machines to represent learned models. The resultant learned models are often deterministic finite state machines which often contain minimal number of states. Thus, the resultant learned models can easily and economically be implemented in VLSI. On the contrary, neural network models are more difficult to be implemented in hardware. This dissertation proposes a method for inferring finite state machines from sequences of input/output examples. The system is often capable of inferring a reasonable finite state machine from just one sequence of examples. On the contrary, recurrent neural networks often require thousands of sequences. New algorithms are developed for modifying the finite state machines to allow the system to learn new information when additional examples are available. In addition, new algorithms are developed to allow the system to handle inconsistent information that may result from noise in the training examples. A simulation program is developed to test the system and several application examples are provided.
Parameterized block-based statistical timing analysis with non-gaussian parameters, nonlinear delay functions

Variability of process parameters makes prediction of digital circuit timing characteristics an important and challenging problem in modern chip design. Recently, statistical static timing analysis (statistical STA) has been proposed as a solution. Unfortunately, the existing approaches either do not consider explicit gate delay dependence on process parameters (Liou, et al., 2001), (Orshansky, et al., 2002), (Devgan, et al., 2003), (Agarwal, et al., 2003) or restrict analysis to linear Gaussian parameters only (Visweswariah, et al., 2004), (Chang, et al., 2003). Here the authors extended the capabilities of parameterized block-based statistical STA (Visweswariah, et al., 2004) to handle nonlinear function of delays and non-Gaussian parameters, while retaining maximum efficiency of processing linear Gaussian parameters. The novel technique improves accuracy in predicting circuit timing characteristics and retains such benefits of parameterized block-based statistical STA as an incremental mode of operation, computation of criticality probabilities and sensitivities to process parameter variations. The authors' technique was implemented in an industrial statistical timing analysis tool. The experiments with large digital blocks showed both efficiency and accuracy of the proposed technique.
Pharmacologic considerations in treating depression: a patient-centered approach.

OBJECTIVE: To review the tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and dually acting antidepressants and their economic and treatment implications. SUMMARY: Major depressive disorder’s cost to the U.S. economy is staggering, but the selection of drugs available to treat it has expanded to include drugs that have better side-effect profiles. Regardless, remission rates are high, and, often, patients are not treated aggressively enough. Somatic presentations are more common than previously thought, and pain, in particular, may be associated with depression. Pain and depression are both regulated by serotonin and norepinephine, and several studies suggest that using dual-action antidepressants may be helpful in patients who have an element of pain to their disorder. Titration to an adequate dose of any antidepressant is important, as is sustaining treatment for months to years, depending on the patient’s history.
A Study of Structural Behavior in Osteoporotic Trabecular Bone: Comparison Between Finite Element Analysis and Experiments With Fused Deposition Models

This project combines the topics of a) modern prototyping methods, b) studies on osteoporotic trabecular bone and c) engineering analysis using Finite Element Methods. The results are preliminary and serve as a basis for futures studies in bone mechanics. Specifically, the prototyping method of Fused Deposition Modeling was used to create a ‘scaled up’ model of a human trabecular bone. This type of bone was chosen because it is often afflicted by osteoporosis, a human condition that draws significant research attention. Thus the study described here was in part motivated by a larger research investigation into the structural behavior of degenerating human bones. The goal was to build and test a physical model and compare its behavior against a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the same structure. First, the model material was mechanically tested to determine Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio for input values to the FEA. An existing micro CT file was then adjusted for the first successful scaled bone model built on Fused Deposition Modeling. This physical model was equipped with strain gauges to determine localized strains, and successively tested in compression. (see Figure1.) The results were finally compared to the FEA, and an extensive error analysis was performed to relate physical analysis to computational assumptions.© 2002 ASME
Linear PNP Silicon EO Modulator for Analog Applications

In this paper we analyze the linearity of a PNP structure based silicon electro-optic modulator. This modulator has shown a high spur free dynamic range (SFDR) of 99.8dB and a relatively low optical loss of 4dB.
VEGF: From Discovery to Therapy: The Champalimaud Award Lecture.

Purpose Intraocular vascular diseases are leading causes of adult vision loss, and in the mid-1900s, I. C. Michaelson postulated that the retina releases a soluble, diffusible factor that causes abnormal vascular growth and leakage. What became known as "Factor X" eluded investigators for decades. Methods The field of cancer research, where Judah Folkman pioneered the concept of angiogenesis, provided the inspiration for the work honored by the 2014 Champalimaud Vision Award. Recognizing that tumors recruit their own blood supply to achieve critical mass, Dr Folkman proposed that angiogenic factors could be therapeutic targets in cancer. Napoleone Ferrara identified vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as such an angiogenic agent: stimulated by hypoxic tumor tissue, secreted, and able to induce neovascularization. VEGF also was a candidate for Factor X, and the 2014 Champalimaud Laureates and colleagues worked individually and collaboratively to identify the role of VEGF in ocular disease. Results The Champalimaud Laureates correlated VEGF with ocular neovascularization in animal models and in patients. Moreover, they showed that VEGF not only was sufficient, but it also was required to induce neovascularization in normal animal eyes, as VEGF inhibition abolished ocular neovascularization in key animal models. Conclusions The identification of VEGF as Factor X altered the therapeutic paradigms for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, and other retinal disorders. Translational relevance The translation of VEGF from discovery to therapy resulted in the most successful applications of antiangiogenic therapy to date. Annually, over one million patients with eye disease are treated with anti-VEGF agents.
The Effect of Prolonged Feeding of Antibiotics upon the Performance of Laying Hens

Abstract THE role of vitamin B12 as an essential factor in reproduction of poultry was established by Lillie, Olsen and Bird (1949) and Olcese and Couch (1950). Carver and McGinnis (1950) and Olcese, Couch and Lyman (1950) showed that hatchability was improved by a fermentation product now known to contain an antibiotic as well as vitamin B12. Olcese et al. (1950) reported that a definite peak of embryonic mortality occurred at the 17th day of incubation in eggs from hens fed a diet deficient in vitamin B12. Elam, Gee and Couch (1951a) reported that penicillin increased egg production and hatchability. Lillie and Bird (1952) reported that the presence of an antibiotic in the vitamin B12-aureomycin supplement appeared to have no influence on hatchability. Streptomycin and aureomycin did not improve hatchability when fed to hens receiving a sub-optimum amount of vitamin B12 (Petersen et al., 1952). Sunde et al. (1952) reported that …
Inheritance of Congenital Myasthenic Syndromes

Two novel slow-channel congenital myasthenic syndromes (SCCMS) with mutations in the AChR e subunit are reported from the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
A comparison of infection rates among older and younger patients on continuous peritoneal dialysis.

ObjectiveTo determine if peritoneal dialysis -related infection rates are higher in older patients compared with younger patients.DesignA retrospective review of prospectively collected data. Contr...
Evaluation of 10-minute versus 30-minute tourniquet time for intravenous regional limb perfusion with amikacin sulfate in standing sedated horses

The objective of the article is to determine the synovial fluid concentrations of amikacin sulfate (AS) after performing an intravenous regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) with the tourniquet in place for 10 minutes and compare this with 30 minutes. This is a randomised crossover experimental design. Animals were seven healthy adult horses. Horses underwent two IVRLP procedures in a randomised, crossover design. The horses received IVRLP with 2 g AS diluted to 60 ml using 0.9% saline in the cephalic vein of alternate limbs with the tourniquet in place for either 10 or 30 minutes, with a washout period between procedures. Movement of the horses was recorded. Synovial fluid was collected from the radiocarpal and metacarpophalangeal joints at five minutes and 24 hours after IVRLP, and amikacin concentration was compared between groups. Amikacin was quantified by a fluorescence polarisation immunoassay. There was no significant difference between the synovial amikacin concentrations noted between 10 minute and 30 minute IVRLP. Horses in the 30 minute tourniquet application group demonstrated more movement than the 10 minute tourniquet group. There was a significant difference between groups with regard to the systemic venous blood concentration of amikacin one minute after tourniquet release with mean systemic venous blood concentrations of AS being higher (P=0.001) in the 10 minute group. Ten minute application of a wide elastic tourniquet may be sufficient when performing IVRLP in standing sedated horses.