cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
778 Preclinical study using a glutamatergic signaling and immune-checkpoint inhibitors in a spontaneous melanoma prone mouse model

Background Much progress has been made in understanding melanoma pathogenesis within the last few years through targeted therapies and immunotherapies. However, resistance to small molecule inhibitors remains an obstacle. Immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors against PD-1/PD-L1 lead to durable responses but only in a subset of melanoma patients. Mouse models reflecting human cancers provide invaluable tools towards the translation of basic science discoveries to clinical therapies, but many of these in vivo studies are short-term and do not accurately mimic patient circumstances. Our lab has a melanoma-prone transgenic mouse model which is driven by ectopic expression of a normal neuronal receptor, metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (GRM1). This mouse model recapitulates melanoma development and progression frequently associated with melanoma patients, where aberrant GRM1 expression is detected. We have shown that in >90% of late-stage melanoma patients, there is atypical GRM1 mediated signaling and expression. Methods In this study, we are using these mice, TGS, to determine the long-term, 18-week, therapeutic consequences of troriluzole, a prodrug for riluzole, which is an inhibitor of glutamatergic signaling plus anti-PD-1, an immune-checkpoint inhibitor. Tumor burden is monitored every 6 weeks for 18 weeks using a small imaging system, IVIS and tumor burden is quantified using ImageJ software. Blood, lymphoid, and tumor samples were collected at several time points during the study for molecular, and immune analyses. Results Preliminary results suggest a gender-biased treatment response and that the combination of troriluzole and anti-PD-1 is more efficacious than either agent alone. In males, a 43.9% reduction in tumor burden was observed while in females there was a 29.6% increase in tumor burden in the combination group compared to vehicle. In concordance, after the removal of the treatment modality, the male mice in the combinatorial group survived 42 days longer compared to vehicle controls with sustained tumor reduction by 68.3%. In female mice no significant advantage in survival or reduction in tumor burden was noted. Conclusions N/A
Examining the potential impacts of processes associated with urbanization and land use changes on inundation depths in areas affected by Hurricane Harvey in Houston

This study explored to examine the potential impacts of population change and processes associated with urban development and land use changes on damage levels due to Hurricane Harvey in the greate...
Quantification of Compensatory Torso Motion in Post-Stroke Patients Using Wearable Inertial Measurement Units

Occupational Therapy (OT) tasks performed at home are not usually observable by a clinician. For remote environments, wearable sensor technologies could provide quantitative assessment of movement strategies to support clinical evaluation via telemedicine. This work presents an algorithm for estimating torso orientation and an individualized metric of compensatory torso motion for upper extremity tasks using an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) worn on the sternum. Two post-stroke males with hemiparesis and two healthy age-matched males were evaluated during a series of OT assessments, including active range of motion, pinch strength, standing balance, Moberg pick-up test, Nine-hole peg test, and a custom peg board grasp task. Torso orientation was estimated by decomposing IMU orientation into angles (pitch, roll, yaw) in each anatomical plane (sagittal, coronal, transverse) and referenced against standing balance posture. For each participant, a threshold of nominal torso motion was created from the variance in orientation for tasks performed with the Dominant or Unaffected arm. A percentage of time out of range (PTOR) of nominal variation was developed to distinguish operationally relevant differences. In this study, large PTOR values (greater than 30%) were consistent with OT observations of notable compensatory movement. IMU sensitivity to sensor-to-torso alignment was also evaluated in simulation and demonstrated interactions between pitch and roll angles when an IMU misalignment existed about the yaw axis. These case studies support the use of wearable IMUs to quantitatively assess compensatory torso motions and convey operationally relevant information about movement strategy to a clinician without the use of visual observation.
Integration of mouse ovary morphogenesis with developmental dynamics of the oviduct, ovarian ligaments, and rete ovarii.

The morphogenetic events that occur during fetal development of the mammalian ovary are crucial to the establishment of adult female fertility. While our knowledge of the cellular and molecular aspects of ovary development is increasing, the structural rearrangements that give rise to the cortex and medulla and the relation of other female reproductive tissues to the ovary have not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we used tissue clearing and lightsheet microscopy to investigate the stepwise morphogenesis of the ovary. We found that the ovary transitioned from an elongated to a crescent-shaped structure, suggestive of a folding mechanism. As this occured, the ovarian surface epithelium wrapped from the ventral to the dorsal side of the ovary, forming the ovarian cortex and engulfing the dorsal face of the ovary to form the medulla. To identify the tissue mechanics that drive ovary folding, we investigated proximate tissues closely associated with the ovary including the M&uumlllerian duct, the cranial suspensory ligament, and the rete ovarii. We found that relocation of the M&uumlllerian duct to the ventral aspect of the ovary was associated with expansion of mesonephric tissue that left the ovary fully encapsulated by birth. The cranial suspensory ligament, which tethers the ovary to the body wall and to the M&uumlllerian duct may exert mechanical tension that triggers ovarian folding. Finally, we found that the rete ovarii, a previously dismissed epithelial appendage of the ovary, significantly expanded during late gestation and may act to anchor the ovary to the mesonephros, leading to integration of extrinsic components into the ovarian medulla. This detailed atlas of ovary morphogenesis reveals novel relationships among the ovary and its surrounding tissues and paves the way towards the functional investigation of the relationship between architecture and differentiation of the mammalian ovary.
Communicating With Distant Others The Functional Use of Abstraction

We introduce the construct of relational scope to refer to the degree to which an individual engages in communication with a more or less distant audience, with a contractive relational scope indic...
The Corpus Luteum Studied In Vitro

In spite of the fact that the existence of the corpus luteum has been known for almost four centuries, relatively little is known about the basic mechanism controlling its formation, function, and regression. The current status of knowledge of the corpus luteum has been reviewed in a 1973 symposium volume of Biology of Reproduction as well as in the present volumes and by Nalbandov (1973). The formation of the corpus luteum from granulosa and thecal cells appears to have a similar mechanism in most mammalian species; however, the control of its life span varies from species to species. Part of this complex nature of control of luteal life span is due to fact that there are both intrinsic mechanisms within the gland and extragonadal factors such as a possible uterine luteolysin (for review, see Anderson, 1973), prostaglandins, and hormones which can shorten or prolong luteal life span. The problem addressed in this chapter is what are the intrinsic factors which control the formation and functional life span of the corpus luteum; particular reference will be made to the primate and the pig. Once the intrinsic mechanisms are understood, a proper basis will exist for examining and understanding the action of extragonadal influences. By necessity, an in vitro method of study of these intrinsic mechanisms must be employed, without the complicating variables encountered in the in vivo situation.
Glues, Solvents, and Aerosols

This short chapter deals with a heterogeneous group of industrial substances that share the ability to produce generalized central nervous system (CNS) depression and signs of confusion through disturbances in physiological functioning within neurons. 1–4 Although the intermittent use of solvents was noted in the last century,4 more widespread misuse began with the inhalation of model airplane glue in the early 1960s.4,5 Despite the efforts of the hobby industry to modify its products by removing some of the more toxic substances and adding an irritating smell, the abuses have continued, and intoxication through inhalation has spread to aerosol propellants and industrial solvents.4
Antonio Giustozzi. The Art of Coercion: The Primitive Accumulation and Management of Coercive Power

Antonio Giustozzi explores coercion in state-building with attention to the struggle of developing and maintaining the monopoly of violence. Clearly influenced by his earlier research in Afghanista...
2,3-Butanedione monoxime unmasks Ca2+-induced NADH formation and inhibits electron transport in rat hearts

We used 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM) to suppress work by the perfused rat heart and to investigate the effects of calcium on NADH production and tissue energetics. Hearts were perfused with buffe...
Analyzing the Empire State Building Project from the Perspective of Lean Delivery System—A Descriptive Case Study

The Empire State Building held the distinction for being the tallest building in the world for over 40 years since it was officially opened on May 1, 1931. In 20 months the building was designed, engineered, and constructed. In order to complete the Empire State Building under the schedule, the designers and the contractors in collaboration with other stakeholders of the project had employed a delivery method that bear close resemblances with lean delivery system. Interestingly, the Empire State Building was constructed at a time when the concept of “lean delivery systems” did not yet exist. The current article presents a descriptive case study of the delivery method of the Empire State Building project based on archival records and historical accounts. In the case study the authors have attempted to compare the delivery method with that of the lean delivery system and recognized similarities between the two. The current case study illustrates the ingenuity of the stakeholders of the Empire State Building...
Geographic Distance Is Not Associated with Inferior Outcome When Using Long-Term Transplant Clinic Strategy

Abstract The optimal healthcare model for follow-up of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients after day 100 is not clear. We previously demonstrated that longitudinal follow-up at the transplant center using a multidisciplinary approach is associated with superior survival. Recent data suggest that increased distance from the transplant center is associated with inferior survival. A dedicated long-term transplant clinic (LTTC) was established in 2006 at our center. We hypothesized that geographic distance would not be associated with inferior outcome if patients are followed in the LTTC. We studied 299 consecutive patients who underwent HSCT and established care in an LTTC. The median distance from the transplant center was 118 miles (range, 1 to 1591). The 75th percentile (170 miles) was used as the cut-off to analyze the impact of distance from the center on outcome (219 patients ≤75th percentile; 80 patients >75th percentile). The 2 groups were balanced for pretransplant characteristics. In multivariate analyses adjusted for donor type, Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research risk, and transplant regimen intensity, distance from transplant center did not impact outcome. Our study suggests that geographic distance from the transplant center is not associated with inferior outcome when follow-up care is delivered via a dedicated LTTC incorporating well-coordinated multidisciplinary care.
The Portrayal of Race and Crime on Television Network News

A content analysis of television network news was conducted to assess the portrayal of race and criminal behavior. Findings revealed that Whites were more likely than African Americans to appear as perpetrators, victims, and officers. Both African Americans and Whites were more likely to appear as perpetrators than as victims and officers. African American and White law-breakers were represented in a way consistent with their perpetration rates. However, Whites were overrepresented while African Americans were underrepresented as victims of violent crime. Furthermore, Whites were over represented and African Americans were under-represented as police officers. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Process Systems for Conversion of Difficult Fuels to Synthetic Fuels for Baseload Gas Turbines

Rapid changes in the fuel availability and cost picture, coupled with environmental concerns, emphasize the need to consider new concepts for power generation by industrial plants and electrical utilities. A number of processes are now being developed to produce clean gaseous and liquid fuels from coal and low-grade petroleum products which offer potential for use in gas turbine-based power generating systems. This paper reviews several of the processes and considers the economic and environmental factors affecting their application to power generation systems.Copyright © 1975 by ASME
The relationship between performance on the Shipley Institute of Living Scale (SILS) and hepatitis C infection among active injection drug users in Baltimore, Maryland.

Background: Hepatitis C represents a significant public health problem, particularly among injection drug users. Other than injection drug practices, little is understood about individual level characteristics that may place some injection drug users at particularly high risk. Objectives: The current study sought to examine two associations among active, regular heroin injection drug users. The first was to determine whether there was an association between two scales from the Shipley Institute of Living Scale (SILS: a neuropsychological measure used to estimate cognitive impairment/intellectual functioning) and self-reported preexisting conditions independent of years of drug use. The second was to examine whether performance on the scales was associated with hepatitis C infection. Methods: Data from 260 HIV negative injection drug users from the Baltimore metropolitan region were used. Participants completed a risk behavior interview, brief neuropsychological battery, and were tested for Hepatitis C. Re...
Global breast cancer mortality statistics

Breast cancer mortality is declining in the United States, as well as in certain other industrialized areas—such as Canada, Austria, Germany, and the United Kingdom—possibly due to increased utilization of mammographic screening, early detection of disease, and availability of improved therapies. At least some of the decline has been attributed, however, to the higher fertility rates of the cohort of women born between 1924 and 1938 who bore children during the post-World War II period. In contrast, certain European nations—Spain, Portugal, Greece, Hungary, Poland, and Italy—have not reported these favorable trends. The lowest breast cancer mortality rates are reported in Asian regions, leading researchers to speculate that dietary, cultural, and/or environmental factors might be implicated in the etiology of the disease. (CA Cancer J Clin 1999;49:138–144.)
Coordinated activity of neuron pairs in anesthetized rat dorsal cochlear nucleus.

We have recorded from small groups of neurons in the dorsal cochlear nucleus of anesthetized rats in an effort to study neuronal interactions. Multi-unit recordings on each single electrode were sorted by waveform into spike trains from individual neurons using a principal components spike sorter. Pairs of such sorted spike trains were studied with cross-correlation analysis to detect excitatory and/or inhibitory interactions. In a few cases recordings were obtained from two electrodes simultaneously, thus allowing cross-correlation studies without the consequences of spike train waveform sorting. All neurons were characterized by their strongest response frequency (at a fixed sound pressure level) and peristimulus histogram responses to 55 ms tone bursts. Fifty-eight percent of the neuron pairs studied showed peaks in their cross-correlograms indicative of coordinated neural activity. Of these pairs, 86% showed peak configurations (i.e. correlograms with asymmetrically located peaks) consistent with the interpretation that one cell induced the other to discharge. The remaining correlograms contained symmetric peaks which were centrally located, possibly due to shared input to these neuron pairs. Latencies of asymmetric peaks in cross-correlograms were typically 2 ms; consequently, an intervening excitatory synapse may be involved. Similar results were obtained from at least one pair of neurons where each neuron was recorded by a separate electrode. Strongest response frequencies of each neuron pair, for which they could be determined, were within 0.17 log units. Peristimulus histograms from each neuron in these pairs revealed that it was common for adjacent cells to respond with differing time patterns under the same stimulus conditions. The variations in histogram patterns of interconnected neurons suggests some relatively complex integrative function for these circuits.
The de novo synthesis of tyrosine hydroxylase in rat superior cervical ganglia in vitro: the effect of nerve growth factor.

— An immunoprecipitation technique has been employed to measure the rate of synthesis of tyrosine hydroxylase in organ cultures of rat superior cervical ganglia and the effect of nerve growth factor on that rate. Ganglia which have been maintained in culture for 16 h without nerve growth factor synthesize tyrosine hydroxylase; the hydroxylase comprises approx 0.2% of the newly synthesized soluble protein. While the total amount of tyrosine hydroxylase synthesized de novo increases in the presence of physiological levels of nerve growth factor, the differential rate of tyrosine hydroxylase synthesis is essentially unchanged. At higher levels of nerve growth factor (3–10 μg/ml) there is a small increase in the differential rate of tyrosine hydroxylase synthesis. The major action of nerve growth factor appears to be on the survival of the tissue, but a small effect on the induction of tyrosine hydroxylase is evident at high levels of nerve growth factor.
Monitoring Inflammation (Including Fever) in Acute Brain Injury

Inflammation is an important part of the normal physiologic response to acute brain injury (ABI). How inflammation is manifest determines if it augments or hinders the resolution of ABI. Monitoring body temperature, the cellular arm of the inflammatory cascade, and inflammatory proteins may help guide therapy. This summary will address the utility of inflammation monitoring in brain-injured adults. An electronic literature search was conducted for English language articles describing the testing, utility, and optimal methods to measure inflammation in ABI. Ninety-four articles were included in this review. Current evidence suggests that control of inflammation after ABI may hold promise for advances in good outcomes. However, our understanding of how much inflammation is good and how much is deleterious is not yet clear. Several important concepts emerge form our review. First, while continuous temperature monitoring of core body temperature is recommended, temperature pattern alone is not useful in distinguishing infectious from noninfectious fever. Second, when targeted temperature management is used, shivering should be monitored at least hourly. Finally, white blood cell levels and protein markers of inflammation may have a limited role in distinguishing infectious from noninfectious fever. Our understanding of optimal use of inflammation monitoring after ABI is limited currently but is an area of active investigation.
Effect of liver volume in morbidity and mortality after elective transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt

Background: To study the effect of liver volume (LV) in the morbidity and mortality after elective transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). Methods: A retrospective review was performed in patients admitted for elective TIPS between 2003 and 2009. Eighty patients were included in the study. LV was measured by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging performed 1–3 months prior to the procedure. A possible correlation between LV and major adverse events [hepatic encephalopathy (HE) requiring hospital admission, increase in >2 points in MELD (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease) score >18 points, need for emergent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and/or death] within 6 months after TIPS was studied. Results: MELD score ranged from 7 to 23 (median: 14) prior to, and from 7 to 43 (median: 17) after TIPS. Post-MELD score and severe HE varied significantly with death status in crude analysis. Pre-MELD score and HE were revealed to be significant predictors of death from an adjusted logistic model. No significant associations were found when modeling LV in terms of death or HE. LV was significantly smaller in patients that underwent OLT (n ¼ 18) than those who did not undergo OLT after TIPS (n ¼ 62; P ¼ 0.04). Furthermore, the LV of patients who required emergency OLT for liver failure after TIPS (n ¼ 10), was significantly decreased compared to patients that underwent elective TIPS without OLT (P ¼ 0.03). Conclusion: Overall, LV was not correlated with major adverse events within 6 months after elective TIPS. However, those patients requiring OLT after TIPS had significantly smaller LV than those not requiring OLT after TIPS. Copyright 2014, Society of Gastrointestinal Intervention. Published by Elsevier. All rights reserved.
Structural and electrical properties of beryllium metal to 66 GPa studied using designer diamond anvils

The structural and electrical properties of alkaline-earth metal beryllium were studied to 66 GPa using designer diamond anvils. The ambient pressure hexagonal close-packed phase was found to be stable to the highest pressure of 66 GPa and the measured static equation of state differs substantially from the one derived from the existing shock wave data. The electrical resistance data at high pressure shows a gradual decrease in resistance to pressure up to 25 GPa followed by a slight increase to 53 GPa. The axial ratio $(c/a)$ remains strongly nonideal with $c/a=1.562$ at ${V/V}_{0}=0.708,$ indicating that deviations from nearly free electron behavior are still dominant at high compressions.
A CLOCK GATED SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATION REGISTER FOR A/D CONVERSIONS

A novel low power clock gated successive approximation register (SAR) is proposed. The new register is based on gating the clock signal when there is no data switching activity. It operates with fewer transistors and no redundant transitions which makes it suitable for low power applications. The proposed register consisting of 8 bits has been designed up to the layout level with 1 V power supply in 90 nm CMOS technology and has been simulated using SPECTRE. Simulation results have shown that the proposed register saves up to 75% of power consumption.
THE THEORY OF LOCAL ADVECTION: I

Abstract This paper is the first of a series in which the theory of local advection (the exchange due to horizontal heterogeneity) of energy and moisture will be developed and applied to a number of problems of practical and theoretical interest. The paper provides an introduction to the practical implications and physical basis of local advection, but it is mainly devoted to developing methods of analysis to be applied in later papers. The treatment aims to provide simple and rapid numerical procedures for the solution of advection problems. Methods are given for solving the two-dimensional atmospheric-diffusion equation subject to “concentration,” “flux,” and “radiation” types of boundary conditions. Appendices give discussions of the properties of the functions entering the solutions and provide simple means for their computation. Extensive tables of the relevant functions are given for the case m = 1/7, n = 6/7 (m, n being the exponents in the power-law approximations to the vertical profiles of mean ...
Practice project management in website design: an experiential learning simulation

The current literature suggests that experiential learning is a necessary component of formal instruction in higher education. The purpose of this project is to detail research how to blend experiential learning principles with project management into a real case of website design practice for the new age of electronic learning. Based on the conceptualization in experiential learning and Internet technology development, a teaching and learning project flows in the practice of web design development is designed to facilitate students in this process. A cohort group of students in Web Design class join this experimental scenario to implement the assigned project of creating a new website design. A total of six learning objectives were initiated, evaluated, and interpreted: creativity, skill sets, productivity, team work, deadlines, and client skills.
Differential acute effects of phenobarbital and 3-methylcholanthrene pretreatment on CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Abstract Phenobarbital (PB) pretreatment significantly enhanced the rise in SGOT and SGPT activity immediately after a 3 hr exposure of rats to CCl 4 by inhalation. However, these parameters of hepatotoxicity were significantly lower in rats pretreated with 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) when compared to rats pretreated with the vehicle and exposed to CCl 4 vapor. Hepatic microsomal NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity and the amount of CO-binding pigment were elevated by PB pretreatment, but MC had no effect on hepatic microsomal NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity. Although CCl 4 exposure reduced CO-binding pigment content by 61% in PB pretreated and by 39% in MC-pretreated rats, microsomal NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity was reduced by only 6% and 20%, respectively. At 21 hr after exposure to CCl 4 , the difference in SGOT and SGPT values of the PB and MC pretreated rats was more divergent. Histologic evidence at this time revealed extensive damage in the PB pretreated animals and a sparing effect in the MC pretreated animals. The differential effects of MC and PB pretreatment on NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity and CO-binding pigment content may be responsible for the observed protective effect of MC in CCl 4 exposed rats.
Constant-coverage, configurational heat capacities for two-dimensional, hexagonal-cell Ising lattices

Abstract Utilizing eigenvalues of transfer matrices, generated by the shift operator matrix (SOM) method, we calculate and compare the constant-coverage, configurational heat capacities (as a function of coverage and reduced temperature) for nearest-neighbor-interacting, simple particles distributed on M × ∞ planar and cylindrical, hexagonal-cell lattices. We find that for relatively small values of M [≈8–10], the temperature at which the maximum heat capacity occurs (at half coverage) for cylindrical, hexagonal-cell lattices, approaches the critical temperature obtained by Wannier et al. , for ∞ × ∞ hexagonal-cell lattices. The activities which constitute the matrix elements of the transfer matrix for planar lattices, may be identified in such a way that the local values of the coverage, density of nearest neighbor pairs and heat capacity as well as their respective temperature-dependences can be determined for specific positions relative to the lattice edges. These computed quantities exhibit a richness and complexity undetected by finite scaling techniques and to some extent not present in square-cell lattices. For example, the temperature-rate-of-change of the density of vacancy pairs along lattice edges shows a double sign reversal. In addition, the heat capacity signatures of semi-infinite planar, hexagonal-cell lattices exhibit two maxima, one associated with nearest neighbor pairs that reside along lattice edges and the other with internal particle-pairs. There is also a heretofore, unreported rapid decrease in the heat capacity which becomes more precipitous as the overall lattice coverage approaches unity and which occurs at a temperature that decreases with increasing lattice coverage.
Theoretical Models for Regulation of Blood Flow

Blood-flow rate in the normal microcirculation is regulated to meet the metabolic demands of the tissues, which vary widely with position and with time, but is relatively unaffected by changes of arterial pressure over a considerable range. The regulation of blood flow is achieved by the combined effects of multiple interacting mechanisms, including sensitivity to pressure, flow rate, metabolite levels, and neural signals. The main effectors of flow regulation, the arterioles and small arteries, are located at a distance from the regions of tissue that they supply. Flow regulation requires the sensing of metabolic and hemodynamic conditions and the transfer of information about tissue metabolic status to upstream vessels. Theoretical approaches can contribute to the understanding of flow regulation by providing quantitative descriptions of the mechanisms involved, by showing how these mechanisms interact in networks of interconnected microvessels supplying metabolically active tissues, and by establishing relationships between regulatory processes occurring at the microvascular level and variations of metabolic activity and perfusion in whole tissues. Here, a review is presented of previous and current theoretical approaches for investigating the regulation of blood flow in the microcirculation.
Non-bridging oxygen sites in barium borosilicate glasses: results from 11B and 17O NMR

Abstract The concentration and structural role of non-bridging oxygen (NBO), defined as oxygen bonded to one framework cation, play a major role in the physical properties of glasses and liquids. In this study, the distribution of NBO connected to either silicon and boron was investigated in a borosilicate glass system using 17 O magic-angle spinning (MAS) and triple quantum (3QMAS) nuclear magnetic resonance. In order to obtain better separation of different 17 O NBO resonances, barium borosilicate glasses were chosen and measured by MAS and 3QMAS. The two-dimensional 3QMAS spectra show clear resolution between peaks for Si–NBO and B–NBO, allowing their relative proportions to be at least roughly quantified for the first time. The NMR parameters for these sites were also determined and are consistent with previous studies of binary barium borate and silicate systems. Site populations are significantly different from predictions of conventional models based on alkali borosilicates, which suggests a more disordered nature for these barium borosilicate systems. In order to explain the anomalously high NBO concentrations, we hypothesize that a few percent of the oxygens may have three network cation neighbors, forming ‘triclusters’.
LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS OF FOOD SELECTION BY THE ASIAN SHORE CRAB, HEMIGRAPSUS SANGUINEUS: ALGAL VERSUS ANIMAL PREFERENCE

The Asian shore crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus (De Haan, 1853), is an opportunistic omnivore with well-developed predatory tendencies and a strong preference for animal food items over algae. In laboratory experiments, 71 percent (319/448) of the crabs given a choice between macroalgae (Enteromorpha spp. and/or Chondrus crispus) and benthic invertebrates (Mytilus edulis and/or Semibalanus balanoides) consumed animals only. There were no significant differences in food preference between sexes or between juvenile and adult crabs. Relative abundance of food type, either algal or animal, in small food patches did not affect crab food preference. Crabs with prolonged starvation periods (5-d), however, consumed both food types more often than those that had been starved for 1-d only. Experiments to determine the effect of conspecifics on food selectivity showed that increased crab density leads to increased diet breadth, suggesting that competition for food can alter food selection patterns of H. sanguineus. Results reported here and in previous studies provide strong evidence that predation pressure exerted by H. sanguineus could play an important role in structuring the post-settlement population dynamics of its invertebrate prey, possibly leading to population declines of commercial shellfish, especially blue mussels.
Impact of Tropical SST on Stratospheric Planetary Waves in the Southern Hemisphere

AbstractThe impact of tropical sea surface temperature (SST) on stratospheric planetary waves in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) is investigated in austral spring using observed SST and reanalysis data for the past three decades. Maximum covariance analysis indicates that the tropical SST and the SH stratospheric planetary wave activity are primarily coupled through two modes. The leading two modes show the La Nina–like and the central-Pacific El Nino–like SST anomalies in their positive polarities, respectively, which each are related to enhanced stratospheric planetary wave activity. These two modes also introduce phase shifts to the stratospheric stationary planetary waves: a westward shift is seen for La Nina and an eastward shift for warm SST anomalies is seen in the central Pacific. The Eliassen–Palm fluxes associated with the two modes indicate that the anomalous stratospheric wave activity originates in the troposphere and propagates upward over the mid–high latitudes, so that the linkages between tr...
Selective monotonicity preservation in scalar advection

An efficient method for scalar advection is developed that selectively preserves monotonicity. Monotonicity preservation is applied only where the scalar field is likely to contain discontinuities as indicated by significant grid-cell-to-grid-cell variations in a smoothness measure conceptually similar to that used in weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) methods. In smooth regions, the numerical diffusion associated with monotonicity-preserving methods is avoided. The resulting method, while not globally monotonicity preserving, allows the full accuracy of the underlying advection scheme to be achieved in smooth regions. The violations of monotonicity that do occur are generally very small, as seen in the tests presented here. Strict positivity preservation may be effectively and efficiently obtained through an additional flux correction step. The underlying advection scheme used to test this methodology is a variant of the piecewise parabolic method (PPM) that may be applied to multi-dimensional problems using density-corrected dimensional splitting and permits stable semi-Lagrangian integrations using CFL numbers larger than one. Two methods for monotonicity preservation are used here: flux correction and modification of the underlying polynomial reconstruction.
Physiological and pathophysiological roles of excitatory amino acids during central nervous system development

Recent studies suggest that excitatory amino acids (EAAs) have a wide variety of physiological and pathophysiological roles during central nervous system (CNS) development. In addition to participating in neuronal signal transduction, EAAs also exert trophic influences affecting neuronal survival, growth and differentiation during restricted developmental periods. EAAs also participate in the development and maintenance of neuronal circuitry and regulate several forms of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity such as LTP and segregation of converging retinal inputs to tectum and visual cortex. Pre- and post-synaptic markers of EAA pathways in brain undergo marked ontogenic changes. These markers are commonly overexpressed during development; periods of overproduction often coincide with times when synaptic plasticity is great and when appropriate neuronal connections are consolidated. The electrophysiological and biochemical properties of EAA receptors also undergo marked ontogenic changes. In addition to these physiological roles of EAAs, overactivation of EAA receptors may initiate a cascade of cellular events which produce neuronal injury and death. There is a unique developmental profile of susceptibility of the brain to excitotoxic injury mediated by activation of each of the EAA receptor subtypes. Overactivation of EAA receptors is implicated in the pathophysiology of brain injury in several clinical disorders to which the developing brain is susceptible, including hypoxia-ischemia, epilepsy, physical trauma and some rare genetic abnormalities of amino acid metabolism. Potential therapeutic approaches may be rationally devised based on recent information about the developmental regulation of EAA receptors and their involvement in the pathogenesis of these disorders.
Bilirubin in Amniotic Fluid Does Not Interfere with the Abbott TDx FLM II Assay

Bilirubin, a breakdown product of lysed red blood cells, is present in amniotic fluid in very small concentrations relative to serum (1). In an uncomplicated pregnancy, bilirubin in amniotic fluid peaks at ∼19–22 weeks of gestation at concentrations of 1.6–1.8 mg/L (1). Rh isoimmunization and its severe manifestation, erythroblastosis fetalis, are associated with intrauterine hemolysis, which leads to increases in amniotic fluid bilirubin concentrations (2) up to 9.6 mg/L (3)(4). The assessment of fetal lung maturity (FLM) in these pregnancies is sometimes necessary, but the ability to utilize current methods in the presence of increased bilirubin concentrations is unclear. The commercial TDx FLM II assay (Abbott Laboratories), which is based on fluorescence polarization technology and the dye PC-16 (5), is the most commonly used method to assess FLM (6). Although the manufacturer does not recommend testing icteric amniotic fluid samples, nothing has been published about the nature or quantification of their interference with the TDx FLM II assay. Our objective was to examine the effect of bilirubin on TDx FLM II concentrations. Frozen leftover amniotic fluid samples sent to the laboratory for physician-ordered FLM testing …
Assessing marine ecosystem acoustic diversity across ocean basins

Abstract Concurrent with the elevation of the concern over the state of sound in the ocean, advances in terrestrial acoustic monitoring techniques have produced concepts and tools that may be applicable to the underwater world. Several index values that convey information related to acoustic diversity with a single numeric measurement made from acoustic recordings have been proposed for rapidly assessing community biodiversity. Here we apply the acoustic biodiversity index method to low frequency recordings made from three different ocean basins to assess its appropriateness for characterizing species richness in the marine environment. Initial results indicated that raw acoustic entropy (H) values did not correspond to biological patterns identified from individual signal detections and classification. Noise from seismic airgun activity masked the weaker biological signals and confounded the entropy calculation. A simple background removal technique that subtracted an average complex spectrum characteristic of seismic exploration signals from the average spectra of each analysis period that contained seismic signals was applied to compensate for salient seismic airgun signals present in all locations. The noise compensated (HN) entropy index was more reflective of biological patterns and holds promise for the use of rapid acoustic biodiversity in the marine environment as an indicator of habitat biodiversity and health.
Knowledge-based expert systems: critiquing versus conventional approaches

Abstract A critiquing expert system was developed to assist in operations of the San Francisco Water Supply System. Using the same body of domain knowledge, a conventional expert system was also developed. Both systems were used and evaluated by operators to determine ways in which the critiquing system or conventional expert system was preferred. In these evaluation studies, operators preferred the critiquing system over the conventional expert system on each criterion of user acceptability and desirability. In particular, the critiquing system was rated highest in its potential as an instructional tool. This study supports the claims in the literature that the critiquing approach can provide benefits over the conventional approach in terms of user acceptance and training.
Pion-Pion Scattering and K ± → 3 π Decay

The effects of final state pion-pion interactions on the spectrum of ${K}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3\ensuremath{\pi}$ decay is studied by dispersion relation methods. In the approximations adopted we are led to a set of linear integral equations for the amplitudes of the ${K}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3\ensuremath{\pi}$ decay. The kernels in these equations depend on the pion-pion $S$-wave scattering amplitudes. An approximate solution for these equations is obtained by iteration and the departures from a purely statistical spectrum for the decay are related to pion-pion $S$-wave scattering. The latter in turn is assumed to be well represented with a scattering length structure. The ${K}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3\ensuremath{\pi}$ spectrum then is parametrized by two quantities, the $T=0$ and $T=2$ pion-pion $S$-wave scattering lengths, ${a}_{0}$ and ${a}_{2}$. Such experimental results as presently exist indicate that ${a}_{2}\ensuremath{-}{a}_{0}$ is positive and that roughly ${a}_{2}\ensuremath{-}{a}_{0}\ensuremath{\approx}0.7$, in units of the pion Compton wavelength.
Factors That Affect Students' Capacity to Fulfill the Role of Online Learner.

Because most undergraduate students are digital natives, it is widely believed that they will succeed in online courses. But factors other than technology also affect students’ ability to fulfill the role of online learner. Self-reported data from a sample of more than 200 undergraduates across multiple online courses indicate that students generally view themselves as having attributes that equip them for online learning. Additionally, course-level factors affect students’ online learning experiences. Specifically, students in qualitative (vs. quantitative) courses and in introductory (vs. advanced) classes reported more positive perceptions of their online learning and various aspects of their coursework.
Men and Women in He Longxiang's Nüdan hebian

This article is an exploration of a tradition of Daoist self-cultivation, directed exclusively to women, which flourished in China from the seventeenth century. Nudan, or female alchemy, is described here through the close analysis of one of its more representative collections, the Nudan hebian, first printed in Chengdu, Sichuan, in 1906. The detailed discussion of its editorial history, its contents and its preface, as well as the presentation of its editor, He Longxiang, shed light on the interrelated issues of gender, religion and visions of the body in late imperial China.
Epidemiology, determinants, and consequences of cigarette smoking in African American women: an integrative review.

Tobacco smoking is a national public health problem that has been associated with numerous adverse health effects, including increased disease and cancer rates. Previous review articles on smoking in specific demographic populations have focused on smoking in women and on smoking in African Americans, but have not considered the dual roles of ethnicity and gender in smoking behavior. African American women (AAW) are an important subgroup to study because they are distinct from non-AAW and their male African American counterparts on biopsychosocial factors that are relevant to smoking behavior. The purpose of the present review paper is to integrate and summarize the current literature on the epidemiology, determinants, and consequences of cigarette smoking among AAW, by contrasting them to relevant comparison groups (non-AAW and African American men). Evidence suggests that AAW are generally more likely to be light smokers and initiate smoking later. The prevalence rates of AAW smokers have decreased over the past 25 years, yet AAW are disproportionately affected by several smoking-related illnesses when compared to their ethnic and gender comparison groups. AAW smokers are distinct from relevant comparison groups in metabolic sensitivity to nicotine, aspects of smoking topography, and several psychosocial factors that influence smoking. Although a small literature on smoking in AAW is emerging, further empirical research of AAW smokers could inform the development of tailored interventions for AAW.
The assignment axiom and programming language design

One way to approach software reliability is to design programming languages that satisfy criteria which ensure that undesirable semantic effects cannot occur. The effect of using the assignment rule of Hoare as such a criterion on the design of procedure-oriented, block-structured programming languages is investigated; after details of the Hoare formalism are discussed, language design guidelines derived from formal studies are informally presented and justified.
Calculation of the Ionization Energies of the Amidogen and Methyl-Substituted Amidogen Radicals: NH2, CH3NH, and CH3NCH3

Despite considerable attention over the years, the claimed ionization energies of the methyl- and dimethyl-substituted amidogen radicals are surprisingly diverse. In this paper, the available evidence is reviewed and the controversies are highlighted. New ab initio calculations have been performed, using the ACES2 package and the G1 and G2 methodologies, and evaluated for the amidogen radical, NH2. It is concluded that the inexpensive G1 and G2 calculations, including scaling, allow a confident prediction of the ionization energies of CH3NH (9.8 ± 0.1 eV) and CH3NCH3 (9.1 ± 0.1 eV).
Recent technical developments and intensification system studies with the LLL streak camera

Experiments verify that spectral matching factors for cathodes and phosphors can be used successfully to predict the important "film gain" for image intensifiers used in streak cameras when the luminous or other gains are known. A Pll spectral source made from filters and a white light source allows a simple Pll gain measurement to be made. This measurement is useful for direct calculation of film gain, independent of intensifier cathode spectral variations. Because of lower noise, proximity focused microchannel intensifiers have a definite advantage over electrostatic and magnetically focused intensifiers for streak-camera use. Other developments are discussed.© (1979) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Electrical Injury through the Eyes of Professional Electricians

This paper presents the first results of an attitudinal survey that was conducted among professional electricians in order to explore their knowledge and beliefs related to occupational electrical injury. Four hundred eighty-one out of 1200 questionnaires were returned and analyzed. The presented statistical and qualitative data reflect electricians' personal experiences with electrical injury, their communication patterns around electrical trauma, their understanding of possible electrical injury sequelae, their safety beliefs and attitudes towards occupational dangers, and the reasons for their occupational choice. We expect that the results of this study will enhance our understanding of the psychological profile, environment, and culture of electrical workers. The collected data may also help to identify those at risk for poor outcome after electrical injury and determine a new set of risk factors to be taken into account by medical professionals, social workers, and union/utility training officers. Language: en