cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
When the Lesson Plan Fails: Reflecting on Teaching Lynn Nottage’s Play Las Meninas in Paris

This chapter chronicles my experience developing lesson plans and assessments for a study abroad course teaching Lynn Nottage’s play Las Meninas in Paris. Overall, this chapter explores various obstacles to a successful study abroad course including student behavioral issues, problems working with study abroad companies, and unexpected challenges that arise while away such as terrorist activity or natural disasters. This chapter ends with a proposal for inquiry-based instruction in study abroad courses versus site seeing expeditions.
Tibial bypass in patients with intermittent claudication is associated with poor outcomes.

Abstract Objective Given that intermittent claudication (IC) rarely progresses to chronic limb-threatening ischemia and limb loss, safety and durability of elective interventions for IC are essential. Whether patients with IC benefit from tibial intervention is controversial, and data supporting its utility are limited. Despite endovascular therapy expansion, surgical bypass is still commonly performed. We sought to assess outcomes of bypass to tibial arteries for IC. Methods The Vascular Quality Initiative (2003-2018) was queried for infrainguinal bypasses performed for IC. Perioperative and 1-year outcomes were compared between bypasses constructed to tibial and popliteal arteries. Results Of 5347 infrainguinal bypasses, 1173 (22%) and 4184 (78%) were tibial and popliteal bypasses, respectively. Overall, mean age was 65 ± 10 years, and patients were often men (72%) and current smokers (42%). Tibial bypasses commonly targeted posterior tibial (40%), tibioperoneal trunk (23%), and anterior tibial (19%) arteries. Great saphenous vein was more often used for tibial bypass than for popliteal bypass (78% vs 54%; P Conclusions In patients with IC, tibial bypass was associated with poor outcomes, including major amputation. Surgeons should exhaust nonoperative therapies and present realistic outcome expectations to their patients before offering such intervention.
The Futures of the Pandemic in the USA: A Timed Intervention Model

Abstract We propose a novel Timed InterventionS, P, E, I, Q, R, D model for projecting the possible futures of the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA. The proposed model introduces a series of timed interventions that can account for the influence of real time changes in government policy and social norms. We consider three separate types of interventions: Protective interventions. Where population moves from susceptible to protected corresponding to mask mandates, stay-at-home orders and/or social distancing. Release interventions. Where population moves from protected to susceptible corresponding to social distancing mandates and practices being lifted by policy or pandemic fatigue. Vaccination interventions. Where population moves from susceptible, protected, and exposed to recovered (meaning immune) corresponding to the mass immunization of the U.S. Population. By treating the pandemic with timed interventions, we are able to model the pandemic extremely effectively, as well as directly predicting of the course of the pandemic under differing sets of intervention schedules. We show that without prompt effective protective/vaccination interventions the pandemic will extend all the way into 2022 and result in many millions of deaths in the U.S.† Copyright Notice This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes. The Department of Energy will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan).
Biostatistics and Evaluating Published Studies

The purpose of this chapter is to provide guidance for interpreting the statistical results of published studies. This chapter gives explicit and practical guidance for assessing strength of study designs and interpreting p-values, confidence intervals, and several common statistical models such as logistic regression.
Towards Equitable Surgical Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review of Disparities in Surgery for Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND Existing evidence for disparities in inflammatory bowel disease is fragmented and heterogenous. Underlying mechanisms for differences in outcomes based on race and socioeconomic status remain undefined. We performed a systematic review of the literature to examine disparities in surgery for inflammatory bowel disease in the United States. METHODS Electronic databases were searched from 2000 through June 11, 2021, to identify studies addressing disparities in surgical treatment for adults with inflammatory bowel disease. Eligible English-language publications comparing the use or outcomes of surgery by racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, geographic, and/or institutional factors were included. Studies were grouped according to whether outcomes of surgery were reported or surgery itself was the relevant end point (utilization). Quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for observational studies. RESULTS Forty-five studies were included. Twenty-four reported surgical outcomes and 21addressed utilization. Race/ethnicity was considered in 96% of studies, socioeconomic status in 44%, geographic factors in 27%, and hospital/surgeon factors in 22%. Although study populations and end points were heterogeneous, Black and Hispanic patients were less likely to undergo abdominal surgery when hospitalized; they were more likely to have a complication when they did have surgery. Differences based on race were correlated with socioeconomic factors but frequently remained significant after adjustments for insurance and baseline health. CONCLUSIONS Surgical disparities based on sociologic and structural factors reflect unidentified differences in multidisciplinary disease management. A broad, multidimensional approach to disparities research with more granular and diverse data sources is needed to improve health care quality and equity for inflammatory bowel disease.
Greenhouse Data suggest that Growth Stage Impacts Phomopsis Stem Canker Severity Associated with Diaporthe gulyae on Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Diaporthe gulyae Shivas et al. was initially described as causing Phomopsis stem canker of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in the U.S. in 2010. In this study, the impact of growth stage on disease...
Property is the New Privacy: The Coming Constitutional Revolution

Richard Epstein’s new book, The Classical Liberal Constitution, is the latest entry in what might be called conservative foundationalist constitutional theory. The movement’s primary goal is to elevate judicial protection of economic rights to the same level that is currently accorded to non-economic or personal rights, and thus to make it much more difficult for the government to regulate economic activity. Freedom of contract, for these theorists, is on a par with freedom of speech, and property rights are as important as privacy rights. Epstein’s version of the theory, although sophisticated and nuanced, is ultimately unpersuasive for reasons I catalogue in Part I of this essay. But the book’s real flaw lies in the underlying belief that Epstein shares with other conservative foundationalists: that economic and personal rights are equivalent and should be treated accordingly. Indeed, as I suggest in Part II, even Epstein himself seems to occasionally hesitate to take this premise to its ultimate conclusion. And it turns out that the whole issue of the equivalence of economic and personal rights raises some very interesting questions about American constitutional scholarship of the last seventy-five years. Black-letter law since 1938 has unequivocally separated economic from personal rights, leaving the former largely to the mercy of the legislature while simultaneously zealously protecting the latter. Surprisingly, however, as I discuss in Part III, there has been almost no sustained academic defense of that post-New Deal status quo. The little that exists is no match for the comprehensive arguments of the conservative foundationalists. Epstein and his fellow-travelers are attempting to revolutionize constitutional law, with little or no serious scholarly opposition in the legal academy. That missing opposition, and not the book itself, is the real story.
Unraveling a Complex Transmission Cycle: Implications for Control

The ability of an arbovirus such as the West Nile virus to be transmitted depends on interactions among a large number of factors including host population structure and susceptibility, mosquito population structure, feeding patterns, and vectoral capacity and the genetic makeup of the virus. The interaction of these genetic components with environmental factors at any given time plays a significant role in viral transmission, as well as viral evolution and adaptation.
Adding Trust to P2P Distribution of Paid Content

While peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing is a powerful and cost-effective content distribution model, most paid-for digital-content providers (CPs) use direct download to deliver their content. CPs are hesitant to rely on a P2P distribution model because it introduces a number of security concerns including content pollution by malicious peers, and lack of enforcement of authorized downloads. Furthermore, because users communicate directly with one another, the users can easily form illegal file-sharing clusters to exchange copyrighted content. Such exchange could hurt the content providers' profits. We present a P2P system TP2P, where we introduce a notion of trusted auditors (TAs). TAs are P2P peers that police the system by covertly monitoring and taking measures against misbehaving peers. This policing allows TP2P to enable a stronger security model making P2P a viable alternative for the distribution of paid digital content. Through analysis and simulation, we show the effectiveness of even a small number of TAs at policing the system. In a system with as many as 60% of misbehaving users, even a small number of TAs can detect 99% of illegal cluster formation. We develop a simple economic model to show that even with such a large presence of malicious nodes, TP2P can improve CP's profits (which could translate to user savings) by 62% to 122%, even while assuming conservative estimates of content and bandwidth costs. We implemented TP2P as a layer on top of BitTorrent and demonstrated experimentally using PlanetLab that our system provides trusted P2P file sharing with negligible performance overhead.
Explaining Low-Level Brightness-Contrast Illusions Using Disinhibition

Conventional Difference of Gaussian (DOG) filter is usually used to model the early stage of visual processing. However, convolution operation used with DOG does not explicitly account for the effects of disinhibition. Because of this, complex brightness-contrast (B-C) illusions such as the White’s effect cannot be explained using DOG filters. We discovered that a model based on lateral disinhibition in biological retinas allows us to explain subtle B-C illusions. Further, we show that a feedforward filter can be derived to achieve this operation in a single pass. The results suggest that contextual effects can be processed through recurrent disinhibition. Such a context sensitive structure might be employed to improve network robustness of visual capturing or displaying systems. Another potential application of this algorithm could be automatic detection and correction of perceived incoherences where accurate perception of intensity level is critical.
Assessment Error in the Valuation of Owner-Occupied Housing

Assessed values of owner-occupied housing have been analyzed in this study to determine whether there is systematic error in the property valuation process by assessors. Sources of systematic error...
Quarter-stratifiability in ordered spaces

In this paper we study Banakh's quarter-stratifiability among generalized ordered (GO)-spaces. All quarter-stratifiable GO-spaces have a σ-closed-discrete dense set and therefore are perfect, and have a G δ -diagonal. We characterize quarter-stratifiability among GO-spaces and show that, unlike the situation in general topological spaces, quarter-stratifiability is a hereditary property in GO-spaces. We give examples showing that a separable perfect GO-space with a G δ -diagonal can fail to be quarter-stratifiable and that any GO-space constructed on a Q-set in the real line must be quarter-stratifiable.
Signal processing and coding for M-ary optical storage

We introduce the theoretical and practical concepts behind M-ary signaling on optical recording systems such as compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD) and evolving next generation blue laser formats. We show that there is sufficient signal-to-noise ratio on all recording formats (ROM, R and R/W) and give examples of how density and data transfer rate can be improved by two to three times with no changes in disc media or recorder.
ROM table reduction techniques for computing the squaring operation using modular arithmetic

Modular arithmetic is necessary when using the residue number system, which is suitable for high-speed signal processing, due to its carry-free and parallel nature. The author presents techniques for minimizing the size of the look-up table ROMs used for computing the squaring operation, when arithmetic modulo m is performed. Such squaring operations are necessary when implementing the quarter squared and the one over eight squared algorithms. These squared-law algorithms are useful in computing multiplicative intensive operations, such as convolutions, correlations and complex multiplications. The memory compression schemes presented can result in significant ROM savings, with the only extra cost of a small overhead. >
Energy generation and transport in an atmospheric pressure, audio frequency discharge

Summary form only given. Optical emission spectroscopy, using a neutral Bremsstrahlung technique, has been used to determine the plasma temperature and density in a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). The experimental test cell is designed to investigate the plasma behavior and thermal power when operated at atmospheric pressure. The cell operates at a potential between 2-4 kV. The operational frequency can be varied to explore the effect of frequency change on the discharge parameters. Helium is used as the seed gas; however, other gases or gas mixtures were also used. Using the neutral Bremsstrahlung technique, for a pure helium discharge, the obtained electron temperature was /spl sim/0.9 eV for all ranges of discharge current and frequencies (within range of applicability of frequency changes). The electron density is linearly proportional to the discharge current density, and ranges between 1.2(10)/sup 7/ to 2.1(10)/sup 8/ cm/sup -3/. Based upon these average measurements of electron density and temperature, the power and the heating of the discharge are not well accounted for. This is due to the time varying nature and strong dependence on filamentary discharges with in a dielectric barrier discharge.
Self-similar stochastic processes in solar wind turbulence

Abstract Solar wind data is used to estimate the autocorrelation function for the stochastic process x ( τ ) = y ( t + τ ) − y ( t ), considered as a function of τ , where y ( t ) is any one of the quantities B 2 ( t ), n p ( t ) V 2 ( t ), or n p ( t ). This process has stationary increments and a variance that increases like a power law τ 2 γ where γ is the scaling exponent. For the kinetic energy density and the proton density the scaling exponent is close to the Kolmogorov value γ = 1/3, for the magnetic energy density it is slightly larger. In all three cases, it is shown that the autocorrelation function estimated from the data agrees with the theoretical autocorrelation function for a self-similar stochastic process with stationary increments and finite variance. This is far from proof, but it suggests that these stochastic processes may be self-similar for time scales in the small scale inertial range of the turbulence, that is, from approximately 10 to 10 3 s.
Abstract 5374: Sulforaphane reactivates the expression of Nrf2 through CpGs demethylation in TRAMP C1 cells.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Prostate cancer is one of the most deadly malignancies among men in the United States. Recent evidence suggests epigenetic alteration is involved during the development and progression of prostate cancer. Previously we have demonstrated that Nrf2, a key regulator of cellular antioxidant defense systems, was epigenetically silenced in TRAMP prostate cancers, as well as tumorigenic TRAMP C1 cells. Sulforaphane (SFN), an isothiocyanate rich in cruciferous vegetables, has been shown to be a potent cancer prevention agent for years. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of SFN to reactivate the expression of Nrf2 in TRAMP C1 cells via epigenetic modifications. Bisulfite genomic sequencing (BGS) showed that treatment of SFN resulted in demethylation of the first 5 CpGs in the promoter region of Nrf2 gene. Methylation DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) analysis revealed that SFN significantly reduced the anti-mecyt antibody binding to the first 5 CpGs of the Nrf2 promoter, corresponding to the BGS results. Reversion of the methylation status was found to be associated with re-expression of Nrf2 and its downstream NQO-1 at the mRNA and protein levels. Further analysis showed that SFN treatment decreased the expression of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), particularly DNMT1 and DNMT3a. Though SFN treatment showed differential effects on the protein expression of various HDACs, it increased the global level of active chromatin marker acetyl-H3. Taken together, our study suggests that SFN may exert its chemoprevention effect through epigenetic regulation modification of Nrf2 gene with subsequent induction of its downstream anti-oxidative stress pathway. Citation Format: Chengyue Zhang, Zheng-Yuan Su, Tin Oo Khor, Ah-Ng Kong. Sulforaphane reactivates the expression of Nrf2 through CpGs demethylation in TRAMP C1 cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5374. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5374
Incorporation of fucose in the intact heart and dissociated heart cells of the chick embryo.

Abstract The incorporation of [ 3 H]fucose into cell-bound and medium-released TCA-precipitable fractions was determined in intact hearts and dissociated heart cells of the 4-day chick embryo. The amount of released label was found to be much greater in the dissociated cells than in intact hearts both in absolute quantities and in proportion to cell-bound label.
Estrogen and progesterone as neuroprotective agents in the treatment of acute brain injuries

Estrogen and progesterone are often thought of as steroid hormones that strongly influence reproductive and maternal behaviours. However, the steroids are now showing considerable promise as neuroprotective and neuroregenerative agents in stroke and traumatic brain injuries. Collectively, these two hormones have been reported to reduce the consequences of the injury cascade by enhancing anti-oxidant mechanisms, reducing excitotoxicity: altering glutamate receptor activity, reducing immune inflammation, providing neurotrophic support, stimulating axonal remyelinization and enhancing synaptogenesis and dendritic arborization. Estrogen has often been tried as a prophylactic treatment in females for ischemic brain injury, while progesterone has, thus far, been given as a post-injury treatment for both male and female subjects with acute, ischemic and traumatic injuries of the brain and spinal cord. This review compares and evaluates estrogen and progesterone as neuroactive agents in the acute treatment of brain damage caused by stroke and trauma.
Effects of Selective Autonomic Blockade on T-Wave Alternans in Humans

Background— T-wave alternans (TWA) is an important noninvasive measure of ventricular arrhythmia vulnerability. This study tested the hypothesis that the autonomic nervous system influences TWA measurement in high-risk subjects with coronary artery disease. Methods and Results— T-wave alternans was measured in 60 patients with coronary artery disease, left ventricular dysfunction, and inducible sustained ventricular tachycardia during electrophysiological studies. All patients had TWA measured at baseline with atrial pacing at 100 bpm (600 ms), 109 bpm (550 ms), and 120 bpm (500 ms). After a 10-minute recovery period, TWA was measured again after sympathetic blockade (esmolol, n=20), parasympathetic blockade (atropine, n=20), or no intervention (control subjects, n=20). The prevalence of significant TWA was unchanged compared with baseline after atropine infusion and in the control group. In contrast, the amplitude of TWA in the vector magnitude lead was significantly reduced after esmolol infusion (P<0.0...
Correlation of thrombosis growth rate to pathological wall shear rate during platelet accumulation.

Local hemodynamics may strongly influence atherothrombosis, which can lead to acute myocardial infarction and stroke. The relationship between hemodynamics and thrombosis during platelet accumulation was studied through an in vitro flow system consisting of a stenosis. Specifically, wall shear rates (WSR) ranging from 0 to 100,000 s(-1) were ascertained through computations and compared with thrombus growth rates found by image analysis for over 5,000 individual observation points per experiment. A positive correlation (P 6,000 s(-1) (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, growth rates at pathological shear rates were found to be two to four times greater than for physiological arterial shear rates below 400 s(-1). Platelets did not accumulate for the first minute of perfusion. The initial lag time, before discernible thrombus growth could be found, diminished with shear (P < 0.0001). These studies show the quantitative increase in thrombus growth rates with very high shear rates in stenoses onto a collagen substrate.
THE FLUX AND REFLUX OF THE LAW OF THE SEA

Recent developments in the law of the sea have resulted in the publication of a multitude of monographs on particular aspects of the subject, but very few general accounts. Two recent exceptions are The International Law of the Sea by D. P. O'Connell and The Law of the Sea by R. R. Churchill and A. V. Lowe.' The former is an ambitious and impressive, but ultimately only partially successful, attempt at a synoptic account; the latter has more modest aims which, on the whole, it achieves.
Incident coronary revascularization and subsequent mortality in chronic heart failure: A propensity-matched study

Introduction Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is common in heart failure (HF), yet the association between incident coronary revascularization and mortality in these patients has not been examined in a propensity-matched study.
Speaker presupposition and Mandarin Chinese sentence-final -le: a unified analysis of the “change of state” and the “contrary to expectation” reading

This paper addresses the connection between the “change of state” and the “contrary to expectation” interpretations through a study of Mandarin sentence-final particle -le (sentential -le), which along with English already and German schon are associated with these two interpretations. Making use of the notion of speaker presupposition and common ground (Stalnaker 1998, 1999, 2002), I propose an analysis of sentential -le whereby the “change of state” interpretation is associated with a change expressed by propositions within a common ground, while the “contrary to expectation” interpretation is associated with a change expressed by propositions across common grounds. Contrary to what is sometimes assumed, both the “change of state” and the “contrary to expectation” interpretations involve changes across a temporal domain. The proposal is supported by a restriction in the occurrence of sentential -le with downward-entailing quantifiers. The analysis supports Lobner’s (1989) insight that already/schon is associated with a presupposition about a prior “negative state”, and clarifies how the “change of state” associated with sentential -le is different from the one entailed by the occurrence of a telic situation.
Enhancement of varicella-zoster virus detection in A-549 shell vials by use of freeze-thawed specimens, extended incubation, and “a centrifuged, not incubated” direct detection method

A total of 95 clinical samples were cultured for periods of 2 and 7 days in centrifuged A-549 shell vials before and after freezing and thawing of specimens. In addition, centrifuged A-549 shell vials were tested directly for varicella-zoster virus without incubation using a direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) technique. Twenty-seven specimens were positive by at least one method. The sensitivity for DFA on unincubated A-549 shell vials was 85.2%; for unfrozen 2-day cultures, 88.9%; for unfrozen 7-day cultures, 92.6%; for freeze-thaw 2-day cultures, 92.6%; and for freeze-thaw 7-day cultures, 96.3%. Freeze-thawed specimens cultured for 7 days yielded the highest number of positive results with conspicuous cell-to-cell spread as a sign of viral replication.
Emergence and deviation of follicles during the development of follicular waves in cattle

The nature of emergence and deviation of follicles during follicular waves in cattle was studied in 3 experiments by re-examining data from previous projects. Wave emergence was defined as the day or examination (when more than 1 examination per day) the future dominant follicle was 4 mm (Day 0 or Examination 0). Deviation was defined as the beginning of the greatest difference in growth rates between the 2 largest follicles and between 2 consecutive examinations. The search for deviation in an individual wave was done retrospectively from the examination with the maximum diameter of the second largest follicle. In Experiment 1, follicles were assessed ultrasonically for 28 waves every 8 h. The number of examinations that encompassed the emergence of all growing 3-mm follicles was 10.0 +/-0.5 (mean +/-SEM; equivalent to 3.3 d) and extended from mean Examination -3.1 +/-0.3 to mean Examination 6.0 +/-0.6. A mean of 24 growing 3-mm follicles was found, and the maximal attained diameters were 4 mm (46%), 5 mm (25%), and >/=6 mm (29%). More (P /=6 mm than to 4 or 5 mm, whereas more 3-mm follicles at Examinations 2 to 6 grew to only 4 mm. On average, the future dominant follicle appeared as a 3-mm follicle (Examination -2.1 +/-0.2) 6 and 10 h earlier (P<0.03) than for the largest (Examination -1.4 +/-0.3) and second-largest (Examination -0.8 +/-0.4) future subordinates, respectively. This result supported the hypothesis that the future dominant follicle has, on the average, an early developmental advantage. In Experiment 2 (n=33 waves), data were normalized to the day at the beginning of deviation (Day 2.8 +/-0.2) when the mean diameters of the dominant and largest subordinate follicle were 8.5 +/-0.2 mm and 7.2 +/-0.2 mm, respectively. This result suggests that the follicle selected to become dominant, as manifested by deviation, is the first follicle to develop to a decisive stage. In Experiment 3 (n=19 waves), FSH concentrations were lower (P<0.05) on the day at the beginning of deviation (8.5 +/-0.5 ng/ml) than on the day before (10.1 +/-0.8 ng/ml), with no continuing decrease after deviation. This temporal result suggests that the attainment of approximate basal levels of FSH is a component of the deviation mechanism.
Sodium-retaining bioassay of prolactin in the intact teleost Tilapia mossambica acclimated to sea water

Abstract A bioassay method for fish prolactin was developed based on the ability of prolactin to increase the plasma sodium concentration of intact Tilapia mossambica acclimated to sea water. The plasma sodium concentration is linearly related to log dose of ovine prolactin. Homogenates of whole pituitary gland from fresh water T. mossambica give a parallel dose response. A significant elevation of plasma sodium is elicited by 4 μg/g body wt of ovine prolactin. The same amount (wet wt) of whole pituitary gland from freshwater T. mossambica has equal potency, indicating that the assay is much more sensitive to at least some teleost prolactins than to mammalian prolactins. The assay is unaffected by ACTH, dexamethasone, bovine growth hormone, porcine prolactin, or human chorionic somatomammo-from Cichlasoma labiatum, Roccus saxatilis, Mugil cephalus, and Poecilia latipinna, In addition to Tilapia, sodium-retaining activity was detected in pituitaries from Cichlasoma labiatum, Roccuss saxatilis, Mugil cephalus, and Poecilia latipinna, but not in any of 13 other species of fish examined. This activity was restricted to the rostral pars distalis of Tilapia and Cichlasoma. It was localized in a single prominent band with a Rf of .47 after electrophoresis of Tilapia pituitaries. The sodium-retaining potency of seawater Tilapia pituitaries was about one-eighth that of freshwater Tilapia pituitaries.
Attenuated RhoA/Rho-kinase Signaling in Penis of Transgenic Sickle Cell Mice

Objectives The Ras homolog gene family, member A (RhoA) and its main downstream effector, Rho-kinase (ROCK) are important in maintaining the penis in the flaccid state. The pathophysiology of sickle cell disease-associated priapism is not well defined. We hypothesized that the RhoA/ROCK vasoconstrictive pathways might be involved in the development of priapism. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the molecular changes in RhoA and ROCK in an established transgenic sickle cell mouse model of priapism. Methods Two groups of mice were used: wild type (WT; C57BL/6) mice and transgenic sickle cell mice. We evaluated RhoA guanosine triphosphatase and total ROCK activities, as well as ROCK1 and ROCK2 protein expression, in WT and sickle mice penises. We also evaluated the in vivo erectile responses to cavernous nerve stimulation and the frequency and duration of spontaneous erections before and after cavernous nerve stimulation. Results Sickle mice demonstrated significantly ( P P P Conclusions These data suggest that sickle cell disease associated-priapism might be contributed by a lack of RhoA/ROCK-mediated vasoconstriction and highlight a novel molecular mechanism in the pathophysiology of priapism.
A thermodynamic analysis of hydrogen in metals in the presence of an applied stress field

Abstract The thermodynamics of a two component system of metal-hydrogen, oriented towards obtaining a suitable relationship for the evaluation of the pmv of the mobile component (H), in presence of an externally applied uniform hydrostatic stress field has been considered in detail. In the present analysis the central difficulty of maintaining constancy of the amount of the mobile component (H) in the system for obtaining the pmv has been overcome, for those metals which have very small solubility of hydrogen.
On bacteriocin delivery systems and potential applications

Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides produced by a variety of bacteria. These peptides can act as antibiotic synergists or alternatives to enhance the therapeutic effects of current infection treatments and decrease the prevalence of resistant strains. Two bacteriocins, namely nisin and pediocin PA-1, are currently being used by the food industry; however, the introduction of these and others into the biomedical industry, and further development of food applications, have been challenged by the slow development of reliable delivery systems. For bacteriocins, these systems rely on novel and pre-existing technologies. Many essential variables need to be accounted for to formulate successful delivery methods. In this review, documented and potential bacteriocin delivery systems are examined, with special attention paid to how those systems are being implemented in the food and medical industries.
A comparative study of 4 strains of hartmannellid amoebae.

SYNOPSIS. The biologic characteristics of 4 strains of hartmannellid amoebae were compared. All contained cytoplasmic DNA, degraded thymidine to CO2 and killed chick embryos at 32 C. All except H. glebae secreted a lipogenic toxin and contained antigen(s) capable of sensitizing erythrocytes. A. castellanii, unlike the other 3, also killed chick embryos at 37 C. The Fernald strain of H. rhysodes differed from the other 3 in its higher cytoplasmic grain count of cells labelled with 3H-thymidine and in its ability to induce the appearance of amoebic antigen within human cells. Increased nuclear labelling in the Fernald strain was observed with increasing concentrations of 3H-thymidine.
Spinal phobia: Survey results of patient attitudes and preferences regarding anesthesia

Abstract Study Objective: To determine unbiased patient preferences for either spinal or general anesthesia for upcoming surgeries. Design: Prior to contact with anesthesia personnel, a simple questionnaire was completed by surgical patients to determine their demographic characteristics and previous anesthetic experiences. Their concerns regarding a list of complications of general and spinal anesthesia and their preferences for general or spinal anesthesia if either method could be used were also determined. Setting: University-affiliated suburban community hospital. Measurements and main results: The survey was completed by 254 patients. A preference for general over spinal anesthesia was expressed by 80.2% of the patients responding. They expressed significantly more concerns regarding nausea/vomiting, sore throat, feeling sleepy, and death with general anesthesia than with spinal anesthesia. Concerns of back pain, nerve damage and paralysis were statistically related to spinal anesthesia. Conclusions: This survey shows a strong patient preference for general anesthesia and a phobia for spinal anesthesia.
The chick embryo in toxicology: an alternative to the rabbit eye

The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of the chick embryo is readily accessible for experimentation. It is a complete tissue that responds to injury with classical inflammatory reactions. It is limited to the late phase of embryologic life, and is without the sense of pain. Focal topical application of various household products onto the CAM results in local injury and reactions that differ in severity from one product to another. For any single product, tested as a sequence of dilutions on a series of membranes, the CAM responds with decreasing intensity that parallels the decreasing dosage. The membrane is prepared for study according to the method of Zwilling (Transplantn Bull 1959, 6, 115). The test material is applied in a Teflon ring to the 14-day-old CAM, to localize the application site. The macroscopic response is scored on day 17 of incubation. The results of analysis of histological preparations are found to correlate with macroscopic appearance. When a series of preparations was ranked according to the severity of the response each induced on the CAM, there was a good correlation with the ranking of the same preparations in the Draize test.
ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS ON THE DIFFERENTIATION AND RELEASE OF SPERMATIA IN THE MARINE RED ALGA POLYSIPHONIA HENDRYI (CERAMIALES, RHODOMELACEAE)

Spermatial differentiation in Polysiphoiia hendryi begins after nonpolar, avacuolate spermatia are cleaved from their mother cells. The spermatia and their mother cells are embedded within the spermatangium, a confluent wall matrix of the male branch. As the young spermatium enlarges and becomes ellipsoid, the wall fibrils of the spermatangium are compressed, forming a separating layer. Spermatia become polar with rough endoplasmic reticulum coalescing to form a large, fibrillar spermatial vacuole that becomes extracytoplasmic in later development. Following spermatial vacuole formation, dictyosomes form and deposit a spermatial wall, severing the spermatial mother-cell pit connection. Enlargement of younger spermatia, which are lateral to the older ones, squeezes the maturing spermatia, pushing them from the male branch, and leaving a scar that compresses and heals. Through this release mechanism, new sites are created for additional spermatial proliferation.
65.4: Printable Electronic Material Sets for Flat‐Panel Display Manufacturing

Direct printing processes such as inkjet or gravure represent a paradigm shift in flat panel display manufacturing. The reduced process complexity and associated reduction in materials consumption can significantly reduce the cost of large format flat panel TV's to a level where broad market penetration can be realized. Cabot Corporation is developing complementary sets of printable materials with electrical performance properties, adhesion, printing performance, and process compatibility that will enable low cost direct deposition processes such as inkjet.
Admission Insular Infarction >25% Is the Strongest Predictor of Large Mismatch Loss in Proximal Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke

Background and Purpose—Previous univariate analyses have suggested that proximal middle cerebral artery infarcts with insular involvement have greater severity and are more likely to progress into surrounding penumbral tissue at risk. We hypothesized that a practical, simple scoring method to assess percent insular ribbon infarction (PIRI score) would improve prediction of penumbral loss over other common imaging biomarkers. Methods—Of consecutive acute stroke patients from 2003 to 2008, 45 with proximal middle cerebral artery–only occlusion met inclusion criteria, including available penumbral imaging. Infarct (diffusion-weighted imaging), tissue at risk (magnetic resonance mean transit time), and final infarct volume (magnetic resonance/computed tomography) were manually segmented. Diffusion-weighted imaging images were rated according to the 5-point PIRI score (0, normal; 1, <25%; 2, 25%–49%; 3, 50%–74%; 4, ≥75% insula involvement). Percent mismatch loss was calculated as an outcome measure of infarct ...
Sleep states attenuate the pressor response to central amygdala stimulation.

Abstract We examined the cardiovascular response to electrical stimulation of the region of the central nucleus of the amygdala during sleep and waking states in the intact cat. Stimulation for 0.5 s produced a profound pressor response in the awake animal. This response was attenuated by quiet sleep and greatly attenuated during REM sleep. The attenuation was present even when the animal aroused from the sleep state in which the stimulus was delivered. The degree of sinus arrhythmia during the bradycardia associated with the hypertensive phase was greater during waking than during quiet sleep. We speculate that REM sleep entails a “functional dissociation” between forebrain and brain stem systems involved in cardiovascular regulation.
Fulminant neonatal sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis associated with a "nonenteropathogenic" strain of Escherichia coli.

During 1973 a nonendemic mucoid strain of Escherichia coli entered the nursery of a hospital in Houston. This organism caused septicemia and was associated with a high incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis. The illness was fulminant and characterized by apnea, abdominal distension, and shock. Diarrhea was not a feature of the symptom complex. The epidemic organism was nontypable. Assays for invasiveness, enterotoxin production, and K1 antigen were negative. Surveillance revealed a colonization rate of 14%, an attack rate in colonized infants of 19.5%, and a mortality rate of 87.5%. These data suggest that in certain instances the specific bowel flora may increase the incidence and severity of NEC.
VAN earthquake predictions‒An attempt at statistical evaluation

Statistical verification of the VAN or SES (seismic electric signals) predictions from 1987–1989 is considered. The test is carried out with the updated rules proposed by Varotsos et al. [1996]. Although for the Greek (SI-NOA) earthquake catalog the VAN method formally is successful, this high rate of success is due either to the retroactive adjustment of prediction rules or to the non-randomness of seismicity. A simple prediction algorithm accounting for earthquake clustering (foreshock-mainshock-aftershock sequences), yields similar or even better forecast results. If we remove dependent events from the catalog, the ‘prediction effect’ becomes statistically insignificant. For the PDE (NOAA) catalog the test shows that the VAN predictions' rate of success can be attributed to chance.
Properties of cells projecting rostrally from the superficial layers of the cat's superior colliculus

Abstract Cells projecting rostrally from the cat's superior colliculus were identified by antidromic activation from the posterior thalamus. These cells occurred principally in the stratum griseum superficiale and stratum opticum, although some were also encountered in deeper laminae. The rostrally projecting neurons of the superficial laminae formed a heterogeneous group with respect to axonal conduction velocity, receptive field dimensions and special response properties, such as directional and velocity sensitivity. No correlation was detected between receptive field size and estimated axonal conduction velocity in these units. Cells with the smallest receptive fields were rarely excited antidromically from the thalamus.
Considerations on parametric instability in Fabry–Perot interferometer

We evaluate the parametric phenomenon for the main optical mode coupled to other resonant waves excited by acoustic interaction with the mirrors of a Fabry–Perot. We apply this to the arm cavity of a gravitational wave antenna. Under certain assumptions we find that the amplitude of these parasitic modes is expressed by analytic solutions that are always damped. We analyze both the zero detuning and the detuned case and solve the equations. The form of the solution shows that for equally spaced and excited cavity modes the instability is expressed by a threshold condition, which is well approximated for LIGO arm resonator parameters.
A gel-holding device for use with a guillotine-type gel slicer.

Abstract Various methods have been proposed for sectioning polyacrylamide disc gels (1–12). A modification of the McIlwain tissue chopper (13) is commercially available (Brinkman Instruments, Inc., Westbury, New York). Following the method of Loening (14), the manufacturer recommends the use of Dry Ice to attach the frozen gel cylinder to the slicing platform of the device. In our experience the technique is tedious and requires constant monitoring to maintain the gel at the correct temperature for slicing. This report describes a simple, efficient, and inexpensive device for attaching unfrozen polyacrylamide gel cylinders to the platform of the guillotine-type gel slicer (14).
Synthesis and analgesic activity of human .beta.-endorphin

The solid-phase synthesis of human beta-endorphin is described. A yield of 32% is achieved based on starting resin. The synthetic product behaves as a homogeneous peptide in partition chromatography, paper electrophoresis, thin-layer chromatography, disc electrophoresis, amino acid composition, and a tryptic map. The synthetic beta h-endorphin possesses antinociceptive properties as estimated by the tail-flick, hot-plate, and writhing tests in mice. When applied centrally, beta h-endorphin is 17-48 times more potent than morphine. It is 3.4 times more potent than morphine when injected intravenously. The analgesic responses are blocked by the specific opiate antagonist, naloxone.
Interference Alignment under Training and Feedback Constraints

We consider the \emph{effective} degrees of freedom (DoF) achieved by interference alignment when channel state information (CSI) is acquired by training and feedback. For a flat block-fading $K\times K$ interference channel with power $P$ per transmitter and $M$ antennas per node, we show that interference alignment achieves higher DoF than orthogonal transmission (e.g., TDMA) only if the channel coherence time is large and the capacity of feedback link is at least as $\Theta(\log P)$. Under this condition, to maximize the effective DoF, each receiver needs to feed back CSI via $(M^2- 1)\log P$ bits per coherence interval; smaller growth rate of feedback bits will decrease the effective DoF. We also show that in the presence of training and feedback cost, $K=3$ achieves the optimal DoF for a broad range of channel characteristics; with larger number of user pairs, the DoF falls short of its optimum and beyond a certain point becomes a decreasing function of $K$.
Effects of osteoarthritis on load transfer after cemented total shoulder arthroplasty

Background Total shoulder arthroplasty is commonly performed to treat glenohumeral osteoarthritis (OA); however, little is understood of the mechanics of the reconstructed OA shoulder. We sought to establish the effects of OA-induced changes in bone density and retroversion angle on load transfer and stress distribution in the bone-implant system of the scapula. Methods We developed finite element models of reconstructed healthy and OA scapulas with a virtually implanted glenoid prosthesis design. For the OA scapula, models with uncorrected and corrected retroversion were created. Loads were applied at the center or posteriorly on the glenoid surface. Results Our results suggest that with reconstruction of the corrected glenoid with a contemporary implant, cement stresses increase and the load transfer pattern changes with eccentric loads. The load transfer and local stresses in the bone-implant system in the retroverted glenoid are less sensitive to changes in loading location. Furthermore, the load transfer in the OA glenoid is less sensitive to the effect of peg proximity to the cortical shell than in the healthy glenoid. Conclusion We provided evidence of how load sharing is altered among healthy, corrected OA, and retroverted OA glenoids. We demonstrated that correction of retroversion in OA glenoids may actually increase the risk for stress shielding and cement failure compared with retroverted glenoids, and OA patients can accommodate shorter pegs because of the higher glenoid bone stiffness in the OA glenoid.
Fibre optical parametric amplifiers with circularly-polarised pumps

A fibre optical parametric amplifier with orthogonal circularly-polarised pumps requires only half the pump power of an amplifier with linearly-polarised pumps to achieve a given gain. The gain is also independent of the polarisation of the input signal.
CO2 Snow on Mars and Early Earth: Experimental Constraints

Greenhouse warming due to carbon dioxide atmospheres may be responsible for maintaining the early Earth's surface temperature above freezing and may even have allowed for liquid water on early Mars. However, the high levels of CO2 required for such warming should have also resulted in the formation of CO2 clouds. These clouds, depending on their particle size, could lead to either warming or cooling. The particle size in turn is determined by the nucleation and growth conditions. Here we present laboratory studies of the nucleation and growth of carbon dioxide on water ice under Martian atmospheric conditions. We find that a critical saturation, S = 1.34, is required for nucleation, corresponding to a contact parameter between solid water and solid carbon dioxide of m = 0.95. We also find that after nucleation occurs, growth of CO2 is very rapid and proceeds without a surface kinetic barrier. Because growth would be expected to continue until the CO2 pressure is lowered to its vapor pressure, we expect particles larger than those being currently suggested for the present and past Martian atmospheres. Using this information in a microphysical model described in a companion paper, we find that CO2 clouds are best described as "snow", having a relatively small number of large particles.