cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disproportional cardiovascular depressive effects of isoflurane: Serendipitous findings from a comprehensive re-visit in mice

Employment of anesthetics, including isoflurane, though mandatory in animal experiments, is often regarded as a major limitation because results obtained with anesthetics may be different from those obtained under a conscious state. This study re-visits two issues related to the use of isoflurane. First, does isoflurane exert depression equally on all aspects of cardiovascular functions and their regulations? Second, is the circulatory supply of oxygen to brain tissues sufficient under isoflurane anesthesia? We determined in male C57BL/6J mice the temporal effects of 1.5% (vol/vol) isoflurane on blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), cardiac performance, baroreflex-mediated sympathetic vasomotor tone, cardiac vagal baroreflex, functional connectivity within the baroreflex neural circuits, carotid or cerebral blood flow, cortical tissue oxygen level, respiratory rate and blood gas. Over 150 min after exposure to 1.5% isoflurane, BP and HR were sustained at 71% and 79% of their awake levels amid a trend of progressive increase. Cardiac performance was within physiological ranges. Baroreflex-mediated sympathetic vasomotor tone gradually reversed from an 85% reduction toward the conscious level, alongside a parallel decrease in inhibitory connectivity between nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and rostral ventrolateral medulla. A decline in excitatory connectivity between NTS and nucleus ambiguus accompanied the decrease in cardiac vagal baroreflex. There were progressive increases in carotid or cerebral blood flow and tissue oxygen tension in cerebral cortex, alongside gradual hypoventilation, mild respiratory acidosis and hypercapnia. We conclude that, by eliciting disproportional depressive actions on cardiovascular functions and their regulations, which sustain circulatory supply of oxygen to brain tissues, 1.5% isoflurane is sufficient to maintain optimal cardiovascular functions in mice.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria and gut microbiome communities associated with wild-caught shrimp from the United States versus imported farm-raised retail shrimp.

In the United States, farm-raised shrimp accounts for ~ 80% of the market share. Farmed shrimp are cultivated as monoculture and are susceptible to infections. The aquaculture industry is dependent on the application of antibiotics for disease prevention, resulting in the selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We aimed to characterize the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and gut microbiome communities in commercially available shrimp. Thirty-one raw and cooked shrimp samples were purchased from supermarkets in Florida and Georgia (U.S.) between March-September 2019. The samples were processed for the isolation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and isolates were characterized using an array of molecular and antibiotic susceptibility tests. Aerobic plate counts of the cooked samples (n = 13) varied from < 25 to 6.2 log CFU/g. Isolates obtained (n = 110) were spread across 18 genera, comprised of coliforms and opportunistic pathogens. Interestingly, isolates from cooked shrimp showed higher resistance towards chloramphenicol (18.6%) and tetracycline (20%), while those from raw shrimp exhibited low levels of resistance towards nalidixic acid (10%) and tetracycline (8.2%). Compared to wild-caught shrimp, the imported farm-raised shrimp harbored distinct gut microbiota communities and a higher prevalence of antibiotic-resistance genes in their gut. The presence of antibiotic-resistant strains in cooked shrimps calls for change in processing for their mitigation.
Introduction to the Historical and Cultural Links Between the Spanish-Speaking World and Japan

This chapter offers a brief overview of the cultural history of the Spanish speakers in Japan from the sixteenth century to the present. Moreover, this chapter underlines that the main focus of this study is the cultural production of Spanish speakers in Japan (both Latin Americans and Spanish) who have lived in Japan from 1991 to the present. It covers how the New Migration and Aliens Act of 1991 permitted the entrance of all Japanese descendants (Nissei) and (Sansei) into Japan and how they were able to obtain permanent residency and work without restrictions. The arrival of thousands of Nissei or Sansei to Japan coincided with larger global transnational movements. Japan received not only these Japanese descendants but also Spanish speakers from the entire Hispanic world including Latin America and Spain. This study argues that the cultural production of Spanish speakers in Japan includes the output of both Latin Americans and Spaniards in Japan together because they are united by the same language, work for the same institutions, contribute to the same newspapers and magazines, and form part of the same public that attends cultural and artistic events.
Reinforcement of White Native-Speakerism: An Analysis of English Language Teacher Training Materials

This article draws awareness to Whiteness as a centered phenomenon in ELT which contributes to discriminatory practices through reliance on and privileging of White norms on a global scale. This study sought to address this issue through a critical discourse analysis of 14 English as a foreign language (EFL) open-source teacher training modules with the following guiding question: How are ideologies that reinforce White native-speakerism demonstrated in open-source English teaching methodology training materials designed for global ELT audiences? Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS; Nayak, 2007), the concept of native-speakerism (Holliday, 2006), and the ‘native speaker’ frame (Lowe, 2020) informed the theoretical assumptions of the study. Critical Discourse Studies (CDS; Wodak & Meyer, 2015) provided an analytical lens to examine discourses of power and framing of ideology in the texts. The main thread that emerged from the analysis was an avoidance of stance, demonstrated through contradictory, simultaneous representations of resistance to and reinforcement of ideologies of White native-speakerism. This avoidance of stance is exemplified through representation of language varieties, the emergence of a monolingual view of teaching, representations of culture, and the framing of authenticity. Keywords: White native-speakerism, Whiteness, English teacher training, training materials, English as a foreign language (EFL), English language teaching (ELT), reinforcement, resistance
Review of The Intimacy of Paper in Early and Nineteenth-Century American Literature., by Jonathan Senchyne

According to Jonathan Senchyne, while scholars have become increasingly interested in the physical book, they have repeatedly neglected to account for the material upon which those words usually ap...
Characterization of a Leptin Receptor Paralog and Its Response to Fasting in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Leptin is a cytokine that regulates appetite and energy expenditure, where in fishes it is primarily produced in the liver and acts to mobilize carbohydrates. Most fishes have only one leptin receptor (LepR/LepRA1), however, paralogs have recently been documented in a few species. Here we reveal a second leptin receptor (LepRA2) in rainbow trout that is 77% similar to trout LepRA1. Phylogenetic analyses show a salmonid specific genome duplication event as the probable origin of the second LepR in trout. Tissues distributions showed tissue specific expression of these receptors, with lepra1 highest in the ovaries, nearly 50-fold higher than lepra2. Interestingly, lepra2 was most highly expressed in the liver while hepatic lepra1 levels were low. Feed deprivation elicited a decline in plasma leptin, an increase in hepatic lepra2 by one week and remained elevated at two weeks, while liver expression of lepra1 remained low. By contrast, muscle lepra1 mRNA increased at one and two weeks of fasting, while adipose lepra1 was concordantly lower in fasted fish. lepra2 transcript levels were not affected in muscle and fat. These data show lepra1 and lepra2 are differentially expressed across tissues and during feed deprivation, suggesting paralog- and tissue-specific functions for these leptin receptors.
Pediatric Palliative Care Education Model in Low Resource Settings: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation.

Abstract Context : Globally, approximately 21.6 million children need pediatric palliative care (PPC). The greatest burden lies in low- and middle-income countries, where the demand for PPC exceeds available resources. Objectives : The objective of this study was to assess the impact of a PPC workshop on healthcare providers’ self-efficacy, comfort and confidence related to the provision of PPC in a Bhutanese referral-level hospital. Methods : This mixed-methods study included a one-and-a-half day PPC workshop with surveys administered to participants at three time points (before, immediately after, and 6-months after the workshop) to evaluate changes in self-efficacy, comfort and confidence. The study was conducted in January 2017 with healthcare providers at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital in Thimphu, Bhutan. Results : Forty-one providers participated in the workshop; 38 completed the post-workshop survey and 27 completed the 6-month post-workshop survey. Results showed statistically significant increases in comfort levels from pre- to post-workshop surveys across nearly all areas. Qualitative results supported these findings. Conclusions : The results of this study suggest that a short, interactive and interdisciplinary workshop, originally designed for the United States setting but adapted to a low resource context, is an effective way to improve providers’ self-efficacy, comfort and confidence in the provision of PPC in resource-limited settings.
Material responses at micro- and macro-scales

Abstract Material properties at micro- and macro-scales used in micromechanics and continuum mechanics are random and deterministic and so are the corresponding material responses. We view material properties and responses in continuum mechanics as approximations of those in micromechanics. Our premise is that solutions of problems using material properties at various scales must agree in some sense, e.g., continuum mechanics solutions should match on average micromechanics solutions. Continuum solutions with this property are said to be consistent. Theoretical arguments and numerical examples are presented to demonstrate that the continuum solutions may or may not be consistent and may miss essential features of material response depending on the problem and quantity of interest. The examples include beams with random stiffness and one- and two-dimensional specimens with random conductivity.
Stand-off molecular composition analysis

Molecular composition of distant stars is explored by observing absorption spectra. The star produces blackbody radiation that passes through the molecular cloud of vaporized material surrounding the star. Characteristic absorption lines are discernible with a spectrometer, and molecular composition is investigated by comparing spectral observations with known material profiles. Most objects in the solar system—asteroids, comets, planets, moons—are too cold to be interrogated in this manner. Molecular clouds around cold objects consist primarily of volatiles, so bulk composition cannot be probed. Additionally, low volatile density does not produce discernible absorption lines in the faint signal generated by low blackbody temperatures. This paper describes a system for probing the molecular composition of cold solar system targets from a distant vantage. The concept utilizes a directed energy beam to melt and vaporize a spot on a distant target, such as from a spacecraft orbiting the object. With sufficient flux (~10 MW/m 2 ), the spot temperature rises rapidly (to ~2 500 K), and evaporation of all materials on the target surface occurs. The melted spot creates a high-temperature blackbody source, and ejected material creates a molecular plume in front of the spot. Bulk composition is investigated by using a spectrometer to view the heated spot through the ejected material. Spatial composition maps could be created by scanning the surface. Applying the beam to a single spot continuously produces a borehole, and shallow sub-surface composition profiling is also possible. Initial simulations of absorption profiles with laser heating show great promise for molecular composition analysis.
A rapid shape acquisition method by integrating user touching input

The easiness of creating three-dimensional (3D) models from physical objects is one of the core challenges that remain to be addressed in reverse engineering. In this paper, a touch-based 3D shape acquisition method is presented that is easy and intuitive to use. Based on the method, a user can easily interact with both real and virtual objects and directly generate feature-based CAD models. The key technical challenges associated with developing the related hardware and software systems are discussed. By using widely available consumer electronic devices, a low-cost prototype system is designed and built. Based on the designed system, a novel 3D coordinate computation method is developed to obtain the touching point positions. Related challenges on using such a system in generating 3D models are also discussed. Multiple examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the developed method.
New Er-based materials for active magnetic refrigeration below 20K

High magnetic field (0 to 9.85 T) low temperature (1.2 to 30 K) heat capacity of five as-cast alloys: Er3AlC, Er3AlC0.5, Er3AlC0.25, Er3AlC0.1 and ErAgGa revealed that four of them can be used as efficient active magnetic regenerators for magnetic refrigerators at low temperature. Only one of the carbide phases (Er3AlC) is a single phase material, while the remaining three alloys are found to be two-phase equilibrium mixtures of Er3AlC and Er2Al. Er3AlC probably orders antiferromagnetically, and ErAgGa forms a low temperature (∼3 to ∼5 K) non-magnetic atom disorder (NMAD) spin glass system. All alloys (except Er3AlC0.1) show a sufficiently high magnetocaloric effect in a range 4 to 20 K with a maximum adiabatic temperature rise of ∼12.5 K at ∼5 K for Er3AlC for magnetic field change from 0 to 7.5 T. In the carbides series, the maximum adiabatic temperature change gradually decreases from ∼12.5 K to ∼6 K and the magnetocaloric peak temperature increases from ∼5 K to ∼9 K with decreasing carbon content. The adiabatic temperature rise for the ErAgGa is ∼10% higher and covers a wider range of useful temperatures than that of the ∼50: 50 mixture of Er3AlC and Er2Al (Er3AlC0.5).
Lexical Acquisition for Lexical Databases

This paper describes our lexical acquisition system, which supplements knowledge in the lexical database with knowledge acquired from human informants. The database is organized to support the needs of natural language processing applications and facilitate the operation of acquisition system.
DIRECT ACTION OF MALE SEX HORMONE ON THE ADRENAL CORTEX

THE interrelationship between the adrenals and the reproductive system has been well studied, experimentally as well as clinically, as regards the influence of the adrenals on the sexual organs. The other aspect of the problem, that is, the effect of the gonads on the adrenals, has not been given as much attention. The action of the androgenic substances on the adrenals seems, in particular, somewhat obscure and contradictory. In 1938 Cutuly and McCullagh noted that in hypophysectomized rats an increase of the adrenals resulted from injections of testosterone propionate. They thought that “the unexpected high weight of these glands was probably due to variable quantities of lipoidal material since it has been demonstrated that the medulla does not change greatly in weight after hypophysectomy.” In 1943 Leathern and Brent showed that there was a decreased rate of atrophy of the cortex in hypophysectomized male rats if androgens were injected.
Relationship between the progesterone, androgen, and glucocorticoid receptor and response rate to endocrine therapy in metastatic breast cancer.

The influence of steroid hormone receptors on response rate to endocrine therapy in 85 patients with metastatic breast cancer was determined in a retrospective study. We have previously reported that estrogen receptor status has an over-whelming influence on predicting response to therapy when compared to other prognostic variables. In the present study, we expand our analysis to include the results of progesterone, androgen, and glucocorticoid receptors. Of 18 patients whose tumors contained progesterone receptor, 11 responded to endocrine therapy, compared to 8 of 26 patients with low or absent progesterone receptor. Progesterone receptor increased the predictive index of the estrogen receptor in a group of patients who had received no prior therapy, but it did not help in patients who had received prior endocrine therapy. None of four patients whose tumors were estrogen receptor negative but progesterone receptor positive responded to endocrine therapy. At the present time, there are trends suggesting a possible association between androgen and glucocorticoid receptor and response to endocrine therapy. These trends are apparent only with a cutoff value of 10 fmol/mg cytoplasmic protein, and the distributions of androgen and glucocorticoid receptor values for responders and nonresponders are not significantly different. Knowledge of androgen receptor status does not increase the predictive index in estrogen receptor-positive tumors or estrogen receptor-negative tumors. Glucocorticoid receptor positivity may increase the predictive index in estrogen receptor-positive tumors, but not in estrogen receptor-negative tumors.
Improvement in the One‐Carbon Chain Extension of Esters with Dimethylsulf­oxonium Methylide

A recent report suggests that the reaction of dimethylsulfoxonium methylide with esters does not produce a chain-extended sulfur ylide as previously reported, but rather affords the corresponding carboxylate salt. We have investigated this assertion by using a combination of ab initio molecular orbital calculations, spiking studies, and isotopic labeling. The formation of carboxylate is unambiguously demonstrated to arise through hydrolysis involving adventitious water, principally derived from moisture in commercial trimethylsulfoxonium chloride. Careful vacuum drying of this reagent diminishes the competing hydrolytic pathway resulting in higher yields for the chain-extension reaction than previously reported.
The Cauchy-Davenport Theorem for Finite Groups

The Cauchy-Davenport theorem states that for any two nonempty subsets A and B of Z/pZ we have |A+B| >= min{p,|A|+|B|-1}, where A+B:={a+b (mod p) | a in A, b in B}. We generalize this result from Z/pZ to arbitrary finite (including non-abelian) groups. This result from early in 2006 is independent of Gyula Karolyi's 2005 result.
Biological invasion hotspots: a trait-based perspective reveals new sub-continental patterns

Invader traits (including plant growth form) may play an important, and perhaps overlooked, role in determining macroscale patterns of biological invasions and therefore warrant greater consideration in future investigations aimed at understanding these patterns. To assess this need, we used empirical data from a national-level survey of forest in the contiguous 48 states of the USA to identify geographic hotspots of forest plant invasion for three distinct invasion characteristics: invasive species richness, trait richness (defined as the number of the five following plant growth forms represented by the invasive plants present at a given location: forbs, grasses, shrubs, trees, and vines), and species richness within each growth form. Three key findings emerged. 1) The hotspots identified encompassed from 9 to 23% of the total area of our study region, thereby revealing many forests to be not only invaded, but highly invaded. 2) Substantial spatial disagreement among hotspots of invasive species richness, invasive trait richness, and species richness of invasive plants within each growth form revealed many locations to be hotspots for invader traits, or for particular growth forms of invasive plants, rather than for invasive plants in general. 3) Despite eastern forests exhibiting higher levels of plant invasion than western forests, species richness for invasive forbs and grasses in the west were respectively greater than and equivalent to levels found in the east. Contrasting patterns between eastern and western forests in the number of invasive species detected for each growth form combined with the spatial disagreement found among hotspot types suggests trait-based variability invasion drivers. Our findings reveal invader traits to be an important contributor to macroscale invasion patterns.
Community standards, conservatism, and judgments of pornography

Abstract In an attempt to determine if a community standard existed and to relate judgments of pornography to conservatism, scores on Wilson and Patterson's Conservatism Scale, yes‐no judgments on whether 25 pictures were or were not pornographic, and demographic data were obtained from a random sample (N = 114) of a community. Results were as follows: (1) suggestive evidence for the existence of a community standard; (2) the c‐scale correlated .57 (N = 114, p < .01) with number of pictures judged pornographic; (3) the 25 pictures met Guttman requirements of unidimensionality (reproducibility of .925); and (4) factor analysis of the pornography judgments yielded three clear‐cut factors and one ambiguous factor which were ordered along the Guttman dimension.
A review of ultrawideband antennas

Conventionally, the design of antennas is narrowband and little attention is paid to the phase responses of the devices as functions of frequency. Even the use of the term broadband is misleading as one essentially takes a narrow band signal and sweeps it across the band of interest. In fact, it is not necessary to pay too much attention to the phase for narrowband signals, as the role played by the frequency factor is that of a scalar multiplier. However, if one now wants to use multiple frequencies and attempts to relate the data obtained at each frequency, then this frequency term can no longer be ignored. Depending on the application, this scale factor can actually have significant variations, which also depend on the size and the shape of the bandwidth over which the performance of the system is observed. In the time domain, the effect of this frequency term creates havoc as it provides a highly nonlinear operation and hence must be studied carefully. By broadband we mean temporal signals with good signal integrity. When it comes to waveform diversity, which implicitly assumes time-dependent phenomena, it is not possible to do any meaningful system design unless the effects of the antennas are taken into account. These effects will be illustrated in terms of the responses of the antennas and on the applicability of the current popular methodology of time reversal for the vector electromagnetic problem.
EFFECT OF DEGREE OF CONCENTRATION AND OF HEAT TREATMENT ON CONSISTENCY OF TOMATO PASTES AFTER DILUTION

Concentrated tomato products require dilution to 12% natural tomato soluble solids (NTSS) before consistency can be determined using the Bostwick consistometer. The data show that the measured value is dependent upon the amount of added water required to reach the specified solids content. The extent of desiccation of the water insoluble fraction of the solids and their inability to resorb maximally is proposed as the cause of the phenomenon. Heating is suggested as an additional step in the determination of consistency of tomato products to reduce the error caused by inefficient resorption of water at ambient temperatures.
An axiomatic foundation for poisson frequency analyses of weakly interacting populations

Abstract An axiomatic foundation is developed for Poisson frequency analyses of population processes. In particular it is shown that for a wide range of population processes, Poisson frequencies can be characterized in terms of two simple independence axioms: (i) independence of the individual states of population members for any given population size, and (ii) independence of the population frequencies within any given partition of states. Hence, for all independent population processes satisfying these two conditions, one must necessarily employ the Poisson distribution for all frequency analyses. More generally, it is shown that for a variety of weakly interacting populations in which these conditions are approximately satisfied, the Poisson distribution continues to provide a natural framework for analysis. In addition, it is shown that this notion of independent population processes yields a new characterization of classical spatial Poisson processes. Finally, these results are applied to a specific class of population processes involving spatial flow phenomena.
Penetration With High-Speed Friction

Work on friction dates back more than two hundred years. Some of the work applies to dynamic situations in which the influence of speed may be a factor (see Kragelskii [5]). But, most of the work does not apply to the velocity regime observed in high-speed penetration problems. This has become an issue because of the Air Force’s interest in smaller and more versatile air launched weapons. Earlier work focused on conventional friction models. Jones and Rule [2] considered optimal design of the penetrator nose in a high friction environment using Coulomb friction. Later, Jones, et al [3] used constant friction equivalent to target shear strength. While the results of these analyses were largely satisfactory, they did not completely capture the essence of the work done by friction. Recently, the authors [4] proposed a simple velocity-dependent engineering model to account for friction in high-speed penetration events. A critical velocity controlled the initiation of friction and the amount of work done by friction. The results were very satisfactory and correlated very well with experimental observations from range tests. However, there were a number of tedious integrations and numerical evaluation of some difficult integrals. In this paper, several simplifying assumptions are made which replace the numerical integration with closed form solutions. The results, while somewhat different, agree in principle with those given earlier. The same trends are observed and the correlation with independently performed experiments is excellent. Additionally, the zero asymptotic limit is replaced and its effect is considered.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Electrophysiological effects of lidocaine on distal Purkinje fibers of canine heart.

Abstract These studies were designed to examine the electrophysiological effects of lidocaine on distal Purkinje fibers of the canine heart. Standard microelectrode techniques were used to record transmembrane action potentials from the right bundle branch, free running strands of Purkinje tissue, and ventricular muscle. The duration of action potentials was maximal in the distal Purkinje fibers. The long duration of action potentials in these distal fibers determined the functional refractory period of the Purkinje-muscle junction. Early premature beats initiated on either side of the distal Purkinje fibers propagated with decrement or were blocked. Lidocaine shortened the action potential of Purkinje fibers but had little effect on muscle. The effect of lidocaine on action potential duration was dose dependent and was maximal in these distal Purkinje fibers. As a consequence of its ability to shorten action potential duration, lidocaine reduced the degree of nonuniformity of recovery of excitability. Lidocaine shortened the functional refractory period of distal Purkinje fibers and abolished decremental conduction of early premature beats. These effects may contribute to the antiarrhythmic actions of lidocaine.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Ground Data System, Receivables and Deliverables (REC/DELs)

This paper presents one JPL element manager's approach to describe a complex Ground Data System (GDS) with its receivables and deliverables (REC/DEL). The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Ground Data System is the integrated set of ground software, hardware, facilities and networks that support mission operation. REC/DEL is a powerful tool for specifying hierarchy of commitments among systems and teams. Receivable of a system is a deliverable of another system. Focusing on tangible products enables the manager to objectively measure progress in a schedule. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory mandates the use of REC/DEL for flight projects. Tutorial and training is provided for managers to create an integrated REC/DEL database using automated systems. Project schedules are based on REC/DELs. This paper is not focusing on the mechanics of REC/DEL database creation, but it provides a guideline how one systematically creates categories of deliverables and receivables for ground data system components...
Correcting lifetime measurements for temperature

Abstract Typical pressure sensitive paint (PSP) methods use intensity measurements to predict the pressure. Unfortunately, there are a number of difficulties that arise when using intensity measurements, such as: uneven illumination conditions, photodegradation, inhomogeneous paint coatings, and thickness effects. On the other hand, lifetime measurements are free of these problems. In addition, lifetime methods may be able to eliminate the troublesome `wind-off' condition by using the internal reference τ vac (the vacuum lifetime of the sensor). However, both methods require correction due to the temperature dependence of the paint. We propose a method of correcting lifetime measurements for temperature. A non-oxygen quenched, temperature-dependent phosphor is added to the standard UW paint. The temperature is determined from the lifetime of the phosphor. Then, using the lifetime of PtTFPP and the temperature-selected pressure calibration curve, the pressure can be calculated more accurately.
Calibration method for division of focal plane polarimeters in the optical and near-infrared regime

Advances in nanofabrication allow for the creation of metallic nanowires acting as linear polarizers in the visible and near infrared regime. The monolithic integration of silicon detectors and pixelated nanowire metallic polarization filters allows for an efficient realization of high resolution polarization imaging sensors. These silicon sensors, known as division of focal plane polarimeters, capture polarization information of the imaged environment from ~400nm to 1050nm wavelength. The performance of the polarization sensor can be degraded by both irregularities in the fabrication of the nanowires and possible misalignment errors during the final deposition of the optical nanowire filters on the surface of the imaging sensor. In addition, electronic offsets due to the readout circuitry, electronic crosstalk, and optical crosstalk will also negatively affect the quality of the polarization information. Partial compensation for many of these post-fabrication errors can be accomplished through the use of a camera calibration routine. This paper will describe one such routine, and show how its application can increase the quality of measurements in both the degree of linear polarization and angle of polarization in the visible spectrum. The imaging array of the division of focal plane polarimeter is segmented into two by two blocks of superpixels. The calibration method chooses one of the four pixels as a reference, and then a gain and offset for each of the remaining three is computed based on this reference. The output is a calibration matrix for each pixel in the image array.
Unified model for conductance through DNA with the Landauer-Büttiker formalism

In this work, we model the zero-bias conductance for the four different DNA strands that were used in conductance measurement experiment [A. K. Mahapatro, K. J. Jeong, G. U. Lee, and D. B. Janes, Nanotechnology 18, 195202 (2007)]. Our approach consists of three elements: (i) ab initio calculations of DNA, (ii) Green's function approach for transport calculations, and (iii) the use of two parameters to determine the decoherence rates. We first study the role of the backbone. We find that the backbone can alter the coherent transmission significantly at some energy points by interacting with the bases, though the overall shape of the transmission stays similar for the two cases. More importantly, we find that the coherent electrical conductance is tremendously smaller than what the experiments measure. We consider DNA strands under a variety of different experimental conditions and show that even in the most ideal cases, the calculated coherent conductance is much smaller than the experimental conductance. To understand the reasons for this, we carefully look at the effect of decoherence. By including decoherence, we show that our model can rationalize the measured conductance of the four strands, both qualitatively and quantitatively. We find that the effect of decoherence on $G:C$ base pairs is crucial in getting agreement with the experiments. However, the decoherence on $G:C$ base pairs alone does not explain the experimental conductance in strands containing a number of $A:T$ base pairs. Including decoherence on $A:T$ base pairs is also essential. By fitting the experimental trends and magnitudes in the conductance of the four different DNA molecules, we estimate for the first time that the deocherence rate is 6 meV for $G:C$ and 1.5 meV for $A:T$ base pairs.
Use of time-trend curves to interpret depositional environments in portions of the Chickamauga Group carbonates (Middle Ordovician, northeastern Alabama)

Data from point counts of 376 thin sections from six stratigraphic sections in the Chickamauga Group carbonates (Middle Ordovician of northeastern Alabama) were smoothed by time-trend methods. The resulting curves were plotted against the stratigraphic sections to show depositional trends and to facilitate interpretation of depositional environments. The depositional environments in the lower third of the sequence studied were dominantly subtidal; in the middle portions they were interbedded subtidal, intertidal, and supratidal; in the lower upper third they were supratidal; and in the uppermost portions they were interbedded subtidal, intertidal, and supratidal. Time-trend methods proved to be useful in this study, for they are easy to use and eliminate much noise observed in the data, whereas preserving major trends. Correlation between outcrops was by means of two continuous bentonites; comparison of the time-trend curves show that they would have been useful for correlation if the bentonites had been absent, although small differences in the vertical positions of beds between localities (indicating lateral migration of environments) would not have been detected by time-trend methods.
Mood and behavior (smoking and sugar snacking) following moderate exercise: A partial test of self-regulation theory

Abstract To study the effect of moderate exercise on self-rated mood and other behaviors, 5-min brisk walks were taken by smokers before a desired cigarette (Experiment 1; N = 16), or by frequent snackers before a sugar snack (Experiment 2; N = 18) on multiple occasions over 3-week periods. Self-ratings before and after exercise indicated that walks produced increased energy and reduced urge to smoke or snack. Also, the walks approximately doubled the time before smoking the next cigarette, or eating the next snack in free smoking and snacking conditions. This research provides some evidence for a self-regulation of mood model in which moderate exercise may sometimes be substituted for smoking or snacking on the basis of common mood effects.
A Greener Synthesis of Core (Fe, Cu)-Shell (Au, Pt, Pd, and Ag) Nanocrystals Using Aqueous Vitamin C

A greener method to fabricate novel core (Fe and Cu)-shell (noble metals) metal nanocrystals using aqueous ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is described. Transition metal salts such as Cu and Fe were reduced using ascorbic acid, a benign naturally available antioxidant, and then addition of noble metal salts resulted in the formation of the core–shell structure depending on the core and shell material used for the preparation. Pt yielded a tennis ball kind of structure with a Cu core, whereas Pd and Au formed regular spherical nanoparticles. Au, Pt, and Pd formed cube-shaped structures with Fe as the core. Inversely, transition metals with noble metals, such as Pd, as the core also formed interesting structures; these structures were brushlike with indium as the shell and needle-like when Cu was employed as the shell. The method is general uses no surfactant or capping agent and can be extended to noble metals as cores and transition metals as shells. The core–shell nanocrystals were characterized using transmis...
Characterization of a stable eukaryotic cell line expressing the rous sarcoma virus integrase

Abstract The Rous sarcoma virus integration protein (IN) is required for efficient integration of viral DNA into the host genome. IN was expressed in mouse C127 cells using a bovine papillomavinus vector. This system utilizes the mouse metallothionein promoter and the SV40 late polyadenylation signal for efficient expression of IN. A stable cell line derived from a single hygromycin-resistant colony was characterized. The expression of IN increased significantly upon Zn 2+ induction of the metallothionein promoter, but did not respond to “superinduction” protocols. Full-length nonphosphorylated IN was the major product of expression. A minor product resulting from initiation of translation at an internal Met codon was also produced. The expressed IN did not exhibit the polypeptide heterogeneity at its COOH-terminus nor phosphorylation as is seen when IN is immunoprecipitated from virions. Using subcellular fractionation and indirect immunofluorescence, IN was primarily localized to nuclei and in some cells appeared to concentrate at discrete loci within the nuclei.
Erythrocyte Velocity in Vascular Networks of Young Noninflamed Dog Gingiva

Measurements of erythrocyte velocity in vascular networks of noninflamed gingiva of deciduous canines of four young dogs were obtained using vital microscopy and highspeed cinePhotomicrograPhy. Mean erythrocyte velocity in small gingival vessels was 1.59 ± 0.29 mm/sec. Differences in erythrocyte velocity of vessels comprising a gingival microcirculation and of vessels within different gingival samples were not significant.
Forecasting demands for inpatient services in a large public health care delivery system.

Abstract This paper studies the use of autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) time-series models for forecasting demands for inpatient services in a large public health care delivery system. Here, demands are measured in terms of monthly admissions and patient days by services and forecasts are made yearly. This paper emphasizes the implementation aspect of ARIMA models when they are used on a large scale basis in an institutional setting, and compares forecasts with actuals. For forecasting patient days, the adequacy of an indirect approach using the formula L = λ W is also evaluated. Finally, we briefly describe how the forecasts are used in the context of resource allocation.
Hormone dependent changes in the apical connective tissue during early stages of forelimb regeneration in the hypophysectomized newt, Notophthalmus viridescens.

When a newt is hypophysectomized prior to or at the time of forelimb amputation a dermal barrier eventually forms between the apical cap of epithelium and the underlying mesenchymal tissues, and the typical regeneration response is transformed to a wound-healing morphology. When hypophysectomized newts are injected on continuous alternate days beginning either at the time of amputation or following a fifteen-day delay, with either growth hormone (GH) or prolactin in combination with thyroxine (PLT4 ), normal regeneration occurs. Our experiment was designed to examine critically the early changes occurring in apical connective tissue that had been allowed to form as a consequence of hypophysectomy prior to forelimb amputation. Adult newts were hypophysectomized and five days later both forelimbs were amputated distal to the elbow. Following a delay of eight days, to permit the formation of connective tissue beneath the apical epithelium, they were injected intraperitoneally on successive alternate days with GH or with PL in combination with T4 in the aquarium water. The apical connective tissue of the limb stumps underwent a progressive erosion and became discontinuous by day 4. The limb morphology of hypophysectomized newts receiving ACTH or PL or maintained in thyroxine was virtually identical to sham-injected hypophysectomized controls. It appears that an initial effect of GH or PLT4 therapy is to establish the epithelial-mesenchymal interface that previously has been suggested to be a requisite for the regenerative event.
Probing, assessment and management during interactions between ground squirrels (Rodentia: Sciuridae) and rattlesnakes (Squamata: Viperidae). 2: Cues afforded by rattlesnake rattling

The predator-prey relationship between California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi) and northern Pacific rattlesnakes (Crotalus riridis oreganus) is a useful system in which to explore risk assessment and management. Rattlesnakes are major predators of ground-squirrel pups, but pose only a sublethal threat to adult squirrels. Adults approach, harass, and even attack rattlesnakes when confronted with them. A rattlesnake's response to such harassment can include rattling and striking. Not all rattlesnakes pose the same risk to an adult squirrel. Larger, warmer rattlesnakes strike in ways that may be more effective at overwhelming the defensive leaps of squirrels, and larger snakes can inject more venom if they are successful in landing a bite. It would therefore benefit squirrels to assess and respond appropriately to rattlesnakes of different body size and temperature. We looked for cues in rattling upon which such assessments might be based. We recorded and digitally analyzed the rattling sounds of snakes of different sizes, each tested at four different body temperatures — 10, 18, 27, and 35°C. Results indicate that warmer snakes rattle with faster click rates, higher amplitudes, and shorter latencies. Similarly, larger snakes produce rattling sounds of higher amplitude and lower dominant frequencies. Thus, rattling provides reliable cues about rattlesnake dangerousness. Nevertheless, this highly ‘informative’ characteristic of rattling has its origins in physical and physiological constraints, not in specialization for communication. Ground squirrels appear to probe for the information extractable from rattling, for example by pushing loose substrate at the snake and thus inducing it to rattle. Future reports will discuss the degree to which ground squirrels actually exploit these cues.
Calcium-strontium discrimination by rat salivary glands.

Percent of administered dose in blood, kidney, and salivary gland was determined from 6 minutes to 16 hours after intravenous injection of a mixture of Ca/sup 45/ Sr/sup 85/. Salivary glands retained Ca/sup 45/ in preference to Sr/ sup 85/, reaching a ratio of 4.6: 1 at 16 hours. However, the glands showed a distinct retention of Sr/sup 85/ and contained 3.1 times the concentration in kidney 8 hours after injection. In secretion of saliva, the salivary glands showed less discrimination against Sr in favor of Ca than did uptake by the gland. After administration of tracer amount of Sr/sup 85/ or of 2.5 meq/kg of normal Sr, ratio of Ca/Sr was only slightly greater in saliva than that in serum. (auth)
A novel &#x201C;divide and conquer&#x201D; testing technique for memristor based lookup table

The recently proposed nanoscale asynchronous crossbar architecture based on memristor-based look up table (MLUT) combines the advantages of memristor technology and asynchronous design for viable nanoscale computing. In spite of having numerous merits over the clocked counterparts and previous asynchronous designs, it is bound to have inevitable defects due to nondeterministic nanoscale assembly. In order to assess the reliability of MLUT, there is a need to develop efficient testing techniques. Typical approach so far has been to test every crosspoint on each crossbar MLUT exhaustively; this is not only tedious but is also prohibitively time consuming for designs involving large number of MLUTs. This paper introduces a novel testing scheme based on “Divide and Conquer” approach to efficiently locate the defective memristors in a MLUT. The proposed testing scheme leverages upon a special current additive property of the memristor based multiplexer. It performs binary isolation of regions, reducing the search space by half whenever applicable. Numerical simulations clearly demonstrate that the approach is generic, deterministic, and scalable.
Preoperative Positron Emission Tomography to Evaluate Potentially Resectable Hepatic Colorectal Metastases

Hypothesis Positron emission tomography (PET) influences clinical management in the preoperative evaluation of patients with hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Academic tertiary care center. Patients From January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2002, 71 consecutive patients referred with potentially resectable hepatic metastases based on conventional imaging findings underwent PET or PET with computed tomography in the subsequent preoperative evaluation. Intervention Performance of hepatic resection was based on the results of the overall preoperative evaluation. Main Outcome Measures Concordance with conventional imaging findings, identification of additional findings, and change in clinical management were analyzed. Results The PET findings confirmed the lesions identified by conventional imaging techniques in 64 (90%) of the patients. Additional lesions were identified on PET in 23 patients (32%). The information obtained by PET resulted in a change in clinical management in 17 cases (24%). False-positive PET findings occurred in 6 patients (8%), whereas false understaging occurred in 11 (15%). In no cases did PET findings have an adverse impact on patient outcome. Conclusions Postiron emission tomography provides useful information in the selection of patients with hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer being considered for surgical therapy. Such improved selection may serve to reduce the number of unnecessary surgical explorations and result in improved long-term survival in patients undergoing resection. Positron emission tomography should be integrated into the routine preoperative evaluation of patients being considered for hepatic resection of colorectal metastases.
PHYSIOLOGICAL ONTOGENY : A. CHICKEN EMBRYOS. XI. THE PH, CHLORIDE, CARBONIC ACID, AND PROTEIN CONCENTRATIONS IN THE TISSUES AS FUNCTIONS OF AGE.

INVESTIGATIONS OF THE CHICKEN EMBRYO DURING ITS INCUBATION PERIOD SHOW THAT: 1. The pH and the chloride concentration of the tissues decrease with age; the fall is most rapid between the 10th and the 13th days of incubation. 2. The concentration of total CO(2) increases with age. This fact is not considered inconsistent with a possible decrease in the concentration of active bicarbonate ions, since the increased CO(2) might well be the result of absorption of calcium carbonate from the shell and its precipitation as bone in the embryo. 3. The concentration of protein increases with age, especially between the 12th and the 16th days of incubation. The fact that the electrolytes change with the greatest rapidity at about 11(1/2) days, the protein at 14 days, and the fat at 16(1/2) days might be taken as a demonstration of the phenomenon of unequal development in the realm of biochemical differentiation and consequently that some notion of order, depending upon molecular reactivity and mobility would describe the process better than any concept of dynamic equilibrium.