cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nornicotine pretreatment decreases intravenous nicotine self-administration in rats

Rationale: Nicotine has been shown to be effective as a treatment for reducing tobacco dependence. However, few studies have examined the effect of other nicotinic agonists to determine if they can also decrease nicotine self-administration. Objective: The present study determined if nornicotine, a tobacco alkaloid and major nicotine metabolite in brain, could reduce nicotine self-administration in rats. Methods: Each rat was prepared with an indwelling jugular catheter and trained to self-administer intravenous nicotine (0.03 mg/kg per infusion). After nicotine self-administration stabilized, rats were pretreated with either (–)-nicotine (0, 0.1, 0.3, and 1.0 mg/kg free base) or (±)-nornicotine (0, 1, 3, 5.6, and 10.0 mg/kg free base) and assessed for nicotine self-administration. A separate group of rats was maintained on sucrose reinforced responding and pretreated with nornicotine to determine the specificity of the pretreatment effect. In another group of rats, the time course of the pretreatment effect of either (–)-nicotine (0.56 and 1.0 mg/kg) or (±)-nornicotine (5.6 and 10.0 mg/kg) was examined. Results: Nicotine and nornicotine each produced a dose-dependent decrease in nicotine self-administration. Furthermore, the decrease in nicotine self-administration in response to the 5.6 mg/kg nornicotine pretreatment was specific to nicotine self-administration, as this dose did not decrease sucrose reinforced responding in tolerant animals. In addition, within the dose range tested, the suppressant effect of nornicotine had a two-fold longer duration than that of nicotine (120 versus 60 min). Conclusion: These results suggest that nornicotine may be an effective treatment for tobacco dependence.
Thermodynamic properties of aqueous solutions of hydrophobic solutes

Abstract The existence of hydrophobic hydration is well established. Examples are found for aqueous systems containing purely nonpolar groups (e.g., rare gases, alkanes and perflouroalkanes), poly-functional solutes (e.g., alcohols, ethers and ketones), and ionic solutes (e.g., tetraalkylammonium and azoniaspiroalkane ions). Influence of solute shape on the surrounding water structure is subtle but of particular interest. The ‘structure promotion’ effect in dilute aqueous solutions of hydrophobic groups is now firmly established, but the quantitative details are still incompletely understood. Recent advance in understanding the nature of hydrophobic hydration is made by Frank who pointed out that the hydrophobic hydration is not the cause of the low solubility of nonpolar gases in water. Hydrophobic bonding, which denotes the tendency of non polar groups in water to attract each other, is concentration dependent and not well characterized quantitatively. Several types of examples will be given in which the details of such interactions have been worked out.
Follow-up of benign results of stereotactic core breast biopsy.

Rationale and Objectives . The purpose of this study was to obtain long-term follow-up data on women with benign histologic results of a breast stereotactic core needle biopsy (CNB). Materials and Methods . Mammography charts of 300 consecutive women who underwent prone stereotactic CNB with digital radiography were reviewed. Women with frankly malignant or suspicious histologic findings (51 patients) or a technically unsuccessful stereotactic CNB (one patient) were excluded. The remaining 248 benign core biopsies in 229 women were included in the study. Results . Follow-up mammograms were obtained for 152 lesions with benign histologic results following stereotactic CNB. The mean length of follow-up after stereotactic CNB was 34.6 months. Cancer was diagnosed in six women who underwent surgical biopsies ½ to 30 months after benign stereotactic CNB. An initial chart review demonstrated that no follow-up data were available for 64 lesions, and information was missing for an additional seven. Conclusion . SCNB remains a sampling procedure that can result in false-negative histologic results. Intrinsic procedural issues were identified that could minimize the potential for missing a malignancy. Goals for patient compliance with follow-up recommendations fell short of expectations.
RNA Populations in Immunocompromised Patients as Reservoirs for Novel Norovirus Variants

Noroviruses are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide. The majority of norovirus outbreaks are caused by genogroup II.4 (GII.4). Novel GII.4 strains emerge every 2 to 4 years and replace older variants as the dominant norovirus. Novel variants emerge through a combination of recombination, genetic drift, and selection driven by population immunity, but the exact mechanism of how or where is not known. We detected two previously unknown novel GII.4 variants, termed GII.4 UNK1 and GII.4 UNK2, and a diverse norovirus population in fecal specimens from immunocompromised individuals with diarrhea after they had undergone bone marrow transplantation. We hypothesized that immunocompromised individuals can serve as reservoirs for novel norovirus variants. To test our hypothesis, metagenomic analysis of viral RNA populations was combined with a full-genome bioinformatic analysis of publicly available GII.4 norovirus sequences from 1974 to 2014 to identify converging sites. Variable sites were proportionally more likely to be within two amino acids (P < 0.05) of positively selected sites. Further analysis using a hypergeometric distribution indicated that polymorphic site distribution was random and its proximity to positively selected sites was dependent on the size of the norovirus genome and the number of positively selected sites.In conclusion, random mutations may have a positive impact on driving norovirus evolution, and immunocompromised individuals could serve as potential reservoirs for novel GII.4 strains. IMPORTANCE Norovirus is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in the United States. Every 2 to 3 years novel norovirus variants emerge and replace dominant strains. The continual emergence of novel noroviruses is believed to be caused by a combination of genetic drift, population immunity, and recombination, but exactly how this emergence occurs remains unknown. In this study, we identified two novel GII.4 variants in immunocompromised bone marrow transplant patients. Using metagenomic and bioinformatic analysis, we showed that most genetic polymorphisms in the novel variants occur near 0 to 2 amino acids of positively selected sites, but the distribution of mutations was random; clustering of polymorphisms with positively selected sites was a result of genome size and number of mutations and positively selected sites. This study shows that immunocompromised patients can harbor infectious novel norovirus variants, and although mutations in viruses are random, they can have a positive effect on viral evolution.
Ground state of interacting electrons in an axial magnetic field

Abstract The ground state wave function and the energy eigenvalues of two interacting electrons on the surface of a sphere are calculated as functions of an external magnetic field along the polar axis as well as the radius of the sphere. Our results differ in a substantial way from those obtained for a planar two-dimensional electron gas in the presence of a uniform magnetic field perpendicular to the plane.
Negative images due to clofazimine crystals simulating mai infection in a bronchoalveolar lavage specimen

"Negative images" of bacilli in mycobacterial infections have been recently described in air-dried, Romanovsky-stained cytologic material. We report a case of negative images due to crystalline deposition of clofazimine, a drug used to treat Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex infection in AIDS patients. The negative images of clofazimine crystals seen in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) macrophages resemble the negative images of mycobacterial infection due to the pseudogaucher appearance of the cells. Crystals are distinguished by their refractile reddish appearance in unfixed, unstained smears, and by their birefringence on polarization. Crystals were found in both Pap-stained and Diff-Quik-stained smears and were negative with Ziehl-Neelsen stains. Clofazimine crystals in BAL specimens must be distinguished from the pseudogaucher type cells of mycobacterial infection in this patient population. We believe that this is the first report of clofazimine crystal deposition diagnosed in a BAL specimen along with electron microscopic examination of the cytologic material.
A Global Land Cover Climatology Using MODIS Data

AbstractGlobal land cover data are widely used in weather, climate, and hydrometeorological models. The Collection 5.1 Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Land Cover Type (MCD12Q1) product is found to have a substantial amount of interannual variability, with 40% of land pixels showing land cover change one or more times during 2001–10. This affects the global distribution of vegetation if any one year or many years of data are used, for example, to parameterize land processes in regional and global models. In this paper, a value-added global 0.5-km land cover climatology (a single representative map for 2001–10) is developed by weighting each land cover type by its corresponding confidence score for each year and using the highest-weighted land cover type in each pixel in the 2001–10 MODIS data. The climatology is validated by comparing it with the System for Terrestrial Ecosystem Parameterization database as well as additional pixels that are identified from the Google Earth proprietar...
Transition from boundary lubrication to hydrodynamic lubrication of slider bearings

The transition from boundary lubrication to fully hydrodynamic lubrication is investigated for air-lubricated slider bearings using the electrical resistance method. Intermittent contacts are shown to exist even under conditions for which the numerical solution of the Reynolds equation or white light interferometry predicts steady state spacings in the spacing region from 0.125 to 0.25 µm. The transition is similar to the one found in the presence of liquid films, being influenced for a given surface roughness of disk and slider by load, speed, and hydrodynamic design.
Solutions-driven marketing

Navigating the maze of options and providing a link between product customization and e-commerce.
PHOTO-FRIES REACTION OF NAPHTHYL ESTERS WITHIN ZEOLITES

Abstract Photolysis of naphthyl esters within zeolites leads to the photo-Fries rearrangements as in isotropic solution. However, a high level of product selectivity is obtained using ‘cation as the key’. A key component for predicting the selectivity of photoreactions within zeolites, namely the location of reactants, is missing at this stage.
Patterns of Failure After MammoSite Brachytherapy Partial Breast Irradiation: A Detailed Analysis

Purpose To report the results of a detailed analysis of treatment failures after MammoSite breast brachytherapy for partial breast irradiation from our single-institution experience. Methods and Materials Between October 14, 2002 and October 23, 2006, 78 patients with early-stage breast cancer were treated with breast-conserving surgery and accelerated partial breast irradiation using the MammoSite brachytherapy applicator. We identified five treatment failures in the 70 patients with >6 months' follow-up. Pathologic data, breast imaging, and radiation treatment plans were reviewed. For in-breast failures more than 2 cm away from the original surgical bed, the doses delivered to the areas of recurrence by partial breast irradiation were calculated. Results At a median follow-up time of 26.1 months, five treatment failures were identified. There were three in-breast failures more than 2 cm away from the original surgical bed, one failure directly adjacent to the original surgical bed, and one failure in the axilla with synchronous distant metastases. The crude failure rate was 7.1% (5 of 70), and the crude local failure rate was 5.7% (4 of 70). Estimated progression-free survival at 48 months was 89.8% (standard error = 4.5%). Conclusions Our case series of 70 patients with >6 months' follow-up and a median follow-up of 26 months is the largest single-institution report to date with detailed failure analysis associated with MammoSite brachytherapy. Our failure data emphasize the importance of patient selection when offering partial breast irradiation.
Customer involvement in the selection of service specifications

Many types of services involve a sequence in which customers choose a service provider followed by selection of service specifications, that is selecting when and how the service will be performed. Specifications selection can be dominated by the provider, the customer or the customer and provider can jointly select specifications. Customer satisfaction results if specifications selection meets customer expectations of the provider‐customer role. Specifications selection unfolds as a process where information is exchanged between the customer and provider and the provider can be more or less customer oriented. Effective information exchange and a strong customer orientation by the provider contribute to customer satisfaction. Customers make attributions of provider or customer responsibility for specifications selection depending on the type of specifications selection that occurs and provider provision of specifications information. Customers who attribute specification selection to their decisions assume responsibility for the specifications selected.
Progression of human bone ingrowth into porous-coated implants: Rate of bone ingrowth in humans

We report the measured progression of human cancellous bone ingrowth into load-bearing porous-coated titanium implants over 5 time periods (0,3,6, 9, and 12 months). There was a statistically significant progression of bone ingrowth into the implants over a 9-month period, but the 9- and 12-month data were not different. Investigators are advised to analyze time “0” implants in order to distinguish mechanical impaction of bone from the biological process of bone ingrowth.
Why Men Matter: Mating Patterns Drive Evolution of Human Lifespan

Evolutionary theory predicts that senescence, a decline in survival rates with age, is the consequence of stronger selection on alleles that affect fertility or mortality earlier rather than later in life. Hamilton quantified this argument by showing that a rare mutation reducing survival is opposed by a selective force that declines with age over reproductive life. He used a female-only demographic model, predicting that female menopause at age ca. 50 yrs should be followed by a sharp increase in mortality, a “wall of death.” Human lives obviously do not display such a wall. Explanations of the evolution of lifespan beyond the age of female menopause have proven difficult to describe as explicit genetic models. Here we argue that the inclusion of males and mating patterns extends Hamilton's theory and predicts the pattern of human senescence. We analyze a general two-sex model to show that selection favors survival for as long as men reproduce. Male fertility can only result from matings with fertile females, and we present a range of data showing that males much older than 50 yrs have substantial realized fertility through matings with younger females, a pattern that was likely typical among early humans. Thus old-age male fertility provides a selective force against autosomal deleterious mutations at ages far past female menopause with no sharp upper age limit, eliminating the wall of death. Our findings illustrate the evolutionary importance of males and mating preferences, and show that one-sex demographic models are insufficient to describe the forces that shape human senescence.
Soluble CD163 Made by Monocyte/Macrophages Is a Novel Marker of HIV Activity in Early and Chronic Infection Prior to and After Anti-retroviral Therapy

CD163, a monocyte- and macrophage-specific scavenger receptor, is shed during activation as soluble CD163 (sCD163). We have previously demonstrated that monocyte expansion from bone marrow with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection correlated with plasma sCD163, the rate of AIDS progression, and the severity of macrophage-mediated pathogenesis. Here, we examined sCD163 in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. sCD163 was elevated in the plasma of individuals with chronic HIV infection (>1 year in duration), compared with HIV-seronegative individuals. With effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), sCD163 levels decreased in parallel with HIV RNA levels but did not return to HIV-seronegative levels, suggesting the presence of residual monocyte/macrophage activation even with plasma viral loads below the limit of detection. In individuals with early HIV infection (≤1 year in duration), effective ART resulted in decreased sCD163 levels that were comparable to levels in HIV-seronegative individuals. sCD163 levels in plasma were positively correlated with the percentage of CD14+CD16+ monocytes and activated CD8+HLA-DR+CD38+ T lymphocytes and were inversely correlated with CD163 expression on CD14+CD16+ monocytes. With ART interruption in subjects with early HIV infection, sCD163 and plasma virus levels spiked but rapidly returned to baseline with reinitiation of ART. This study points to the utility of monocyte- and macrophage-derived sCD163 as a marker of HIV activity that links viral replication with monocyte and macrophage activation. These observations underscore the significance of monocyte and macrophage immune responses with HIV pathogenesis.
Light and Nitrate Requirements for Induction of Nitrate Reductase Activity in Hordeum vulgare

The importance of light to the induction of nitrate reductase activity in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was studied. Activity in etiolated leaves in darkness stayed at a low endogenous level even while large amounts of nitrate were actively accumulated. Light was required for any increase in activity, though the requirement may be satisfied to a limited extent before nitrate is available. Nitrate reductase activity was induced in the dark in green leaves which had not previously had nitrate but were supplied nitrate at the beginning of the dark period. If the nitrate then made available was sufficient, nitrate reductase activity increased until the effect of the previous light treatment was exhausted. Activity then decreased even though nitrate uptake continued. Upon returning the leaves to light, enzymatic activity increased again, as expected. Nitrate uptake was eliminated as an experimental variable by giving dark-grown plants nitrate, then detaching the leaves for induction studies. Under these conditions light saturation occurred between 3600 and 7700 lux at exemplary periods of illumination. At intensities of 3600 lux and above, activity increased sharply after a 6-hour lag period. As light intensity was decreased below 3600 lux the lag period became longer. Thus, when sufficient nitrate was available, the extent of induction of nitrate reductase activity was regulated by light.
The pattern of projection of cortical areas 17, 18, and 19 onto the laminae of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus in the cat

The projection of cortical areas 17, 18, and 19 onto the laminar part of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus was investigated with degeneration methods and with the autoradiographic axon tracing method. In agreement with previous accounts, degenerating cortical axons stained by the Nauta method were restricted to laminae A, A1, C and to the interlaminar zones. In contrast, adjacent sections stained with the Fink-Heimer method showed fine dust like degeneration throughout all of the laminae of the nucleus. Comparisons of Fink-Heimer degeneration resulting from lesions of area 17 with that resulting from lesions of areas 18 and 19 further suggested that the area 17 projection is heavier and more uniform than the projections from areas 18 and 19. Autoradiographic tracing of axons after intracortical injections of 3H-proline provided detailed demonstrations of the cortical projection patterns that confirmed the Fink-Heimer results. Following restricted injections of areas 17 or 18 the termination zones in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus consisted of columns of labeled tissue oriented perpendicular to the laminae of the nucleus. Area 17 was found to project heavily and uniformly throughout all of the laminae of the nucleus. The projection from area 18 also extended throughout all of the laminae of the nucleus, but was sparser and less uniformly distributed than that from area 17. Projections from area 18 distributed more heavily to the interlaminar zones and to lamina C than to laminae A, A1, C1, C2, or C3. A projection from area 19 to laminae C1, C2, and C3 was also demonstrated autoradiographically.
Aluminum in-use stocks in China: a bottom-up study

Characterization of the in-use stocks of a resource provides a perspective on the relationship between the amount of materials providing services and the state of development of a country or region. In this regard, we have performed what we believe to be the first aluminum in-use stock study for a developing country: China in 2000 and 2005. We found the in-use stocks to be 29 Tg Al (2000) and 49 Tg Al (2005), or 23 kg Al/capita (2000) and 37 kg Al/ capita (2005). These are lower limits because data were not available for all aluminum-containing products. The 2005 per-capita figure is roughly half that of the global average in-use aluminum stock, and about one-tenth that of highly developed countries such as Japan and the United States.
A change impact dependency measure for predicting the maintainability of source code

We first articulate the theoretic difficulties with the existing metrics designed for predicting software maintainability. To overcome the difficulties, we propose to measure a purely internal and objective attribute of code, namely change impact dependency, and show how it can be modeled to predict real change impact. The proposed base measure can be further elaborated for evaluating software maintainability.
Efficient balanced codes

Coding schemes in which each codeword contains equally many zeros and ones are constructed in such a way that they can be efficiently encoded and decoded.
Microbial Metabolism and Nutrient Cycling in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River Plumes

Spatial distributions of chlorophyll, bacterial abundances and production, community respiration, and dissolved C, N, P and Si were measured in the Mississippi River (MRP) and Atchafalya River (ARP) plumes during July 1993. Dark bottle incubations were used to estimate net flux rates of inorganic nutrients, community respiration, and changes in chlorophyll concentrations in unfiltered water samples. Concentrations of total dissolved N (TDN) and soluble reactive P (SRP) in the Mississippi River were 55 μM and 3 μM higher, respectively, compared with those in the Atchafalaya River. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON) in the Atchafalaya River, however, were 35 and 11 μM higher, respectively than in the Mississippi River. Elevated chlorophyll concentrations, bacterial abundances and production, and community respiration rates were observed at intermediate (5–25) salinities of both plumes. Property-salinity plots indicated net sinks of dissolved N, P and Si at intermediate salinities consistent with photosynthetic utilization of these substances within the plumes. The distribution of dissolved P, N and chlorophyll suggested phytoplankton-mediated transformation of riverine-NO−3 to DON at intermediate salinities of the MRP, and a similar transformation of riverine SRP to dissolved organic P (DOP) at intermediate salinities of the ARP. Net regeneration of dissolved Si and NH+4 was observed in regions of elevated chlorophyll concentrations and net removal rates in both plumes. Nitrification rates in the MRP were c. 10-fold higher than in the ARP. Estimates of C fixation by nitrifying bacteria equalled or exceeded heterotrophic bacterial C production in the low salinity region of the MRP, but were negligible compared to heterotrophic bacterial production in the ARP. Dissolved inorganic N:P, Si:P and DOC:DON:DOP ratios suggested the potential for P limitation in both plume systems during the period investigated.
Parametric regression on cumulative incidence function

We propose parametric regression analysis of cumulative incidence function with competing risks data. A simple form of Gompertz distribution is used for the improper baseline subdistribution of the event of interest. Maximum likelihood inferences on regression parameters and associated cumulative incidence function are developed for parametric models, including a flexible generalized odds rate model. Estimation of the long-term proportion of patients with cause-specific events is straightforward in the parametric setting. Simple goodness-of-fit tests are discussed for evaluating a fixed odds rate assumption. The parametric regression methods are compared with an existing semiparametric regression analysis on a breast cancer data set where the cumulative incidence of recurrence is of interest. The results demonstrate that the likelihood-based parametric analyses for the cumulative incidence function are a practically useful alternative to the semiparametric analyses.
Critical Care Clinical Trials: Getting Off the Roller Coaster

Optimizing care in the ICU is an important goal. The heightened severity of illness in patients who are critically ill combined with the tremendous costs of critical care make the ICU an ideal target for improvement in outcomes and efficiency. Incorporation of evidence-based medicine into everyday practice is one method to optimize care; however, intensivists have struggled to define optimal practices because clinical trials in the ICU have yielded conflicting results. This article reviews examples where such conflicts have occurred and explores possible causes of these discrepant data as well as strategies to better use critical care clinical trials in the future.
Obturation of root canals using the single cone gutta‐percha technique and dentinal bonding agents

Summary. The quality of the apical seal using the single cone gutta-percha obturation technique with four different dentinal bonding agents was assessed by measuring the linear penetration of methylene blue dye. No leakage was measurable in 75 per cent of the canals sealed with Scotchbond, 70 per cent of canals sealed with Restodent, 60 per cent of canals sealed with Dentin-Adhesit, and in 30 per cent of canals sealed with GLUMA. The mean linear dye penetration in canals sealed with these agents was 0.32, 1.95, 0.57 and 2.41mm, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the single cone gutta-percha technique and the laterally condensed gutta-percha technique when Scotchbond was used as sealer (P > 0.01).
Approaches to Research in Second Language Learning

Part 1 Contexts for L2 research: introduction to L2 research some developments in L2 research. Part 2 Approaches to research: correlation approaches case-study approaches survey research ethnographic research experimental research multisite, multimethod and large-scale research researchers, teachers and inquiry concluding remarks.
Upper extremity deep vein thrombosis in hospitalized patients: A descriptive study

Increasingly, there is a focus on the prevention of hospital-acquired conditions including venous thromboembolism. Many studies have evaluated pulmonary embolism and lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, but less is known about upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT) in hospitalized patients. The objective of this study was to describe UEDVT incidence, associated risks, outcomes, and management in our institution. Using an information technology tool, we reviewed records of all symptomatic adult inpatients diagnosed with UEDVT at an academic tertiary center between September 2011 and November 2012. Fifty inpatients were diagnosed with 76 UEDVTs. Their mean age was 49 years; 70% were men. Sixteen percent had a history of venous thromboembolism; 20% had a history of malignancy. The mean length of stay (LOS) was 24.6 days (range, 2-91 days); 50% were transferred from outside hospitals. Thirty-eight percent of UEDVTs were in internal jugular veins, 21% in axillary veins, and 25% in brachial veins. Forty-four percent of patients had UEDVT associated with central venous catheters (CVCs). During hospitalization, 78% were fully anticoagulated; 75% of survivors at discharge. Only 38% were discharged to self-care; 10% died during hospitalization. Patients with UEDVT were more likely to have CVCs, malignancy, and severe infection. Many patients were transferred critically ill with prolonged LOS and high in-hospital mortality. Most UEDVTs were treated even in the absence of concurrent lower extremity deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Additional research is needed to modify risks and optimize outcomes. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2014;9:48-53. © 2013 Society of Hospital Medicine.
MOM-4, a MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase–Related Protein, Activates WRM-1/LIT-1 Kinase to Transduce Anterior/Posterior Polarity Signals in C. elegans

yet known. Here we show that mom-4, a genetically place this gene in both the MOM-2 and LIN-44 Wnt/WG defined effector of polarity signaling, encodes a MAP signaling systems in C. elegans. In the embryo, LIT-1 kinase kinase kinase‐related protein that stimulates appears to function along with WRM-1 in a process that the WRM-1/LIT-1-dependent phosphorylation of POP-1. reduces POP-1 levels or activity in posterior daughters LIT-1 kinase activity requires a conserved residue of AP divisions (Rocheleau et al., 1999). The LIT-1 protein analogous to an activating phosphorylation site in is related to serine/threonine protein kinases and is most other kinases, including MAP kinases. These findings similar to the Drosophila tissue polarity protein, Nemo suggest that anterior/posterior polarity signaling in (Choi and Benzer, 1994), and to the mouse protein Nlk C. elegans may involve a MAP kinase‐like signaling (Brott et al., 1998). WRM-1 and LIT-1 appear to form
High-voltage device modeling for SPICE simulation of HVIC's

A novel methodology for flexible SPICE implementation of physical models for high-voltage power devices, accounting for their unique characteristics, is presented and demonstrated. The implementation is achieved without modifying the simulator code by utilizing user-defined controlled sources that reference a subroutine that defines the system of model equations. The simultaneous solution of the equations, which describe the integrated charges in the device and the quasistatic terminal currents in the terms of the terminal voltages, is effected by the SPICE2 nodal analysis. The methodology is exemplified by modeling the insulated-gate transistor (IGT). SPICE simulations of DC and transient characteristics of IGT switching circuits are discussed and shown to be representative of measurements. The flexibility of the modeling methodology for high-voltage integrated-circuit (HVIC) CAD is demonstrated by simulating effects of both static and dynamic latch-up in the merged bipolar/MOS structure of the IGT. >
Multi-variate Mutual Information for Registration

An extension of the mutual information metric to a three-variate cost function for driving the registration of a volume to pair of co-registered volumes is presented. While mutual information has typically been applied to pairs of variables, it is possible to compute multi-variate mutual information. The implementation of multi-variate mutual information is described. This metric is demonstrated using the problem of registering a deformed t2 slice of the visible male magnetic resonance data set to either a single t1 slice or a pair of co-registered t1 and proton density slices. Two-variable and three-variable metric registration results are compared. Adding the extra proton density information to the registration cost metric leads to faster optimization convergence and better final accuracy. Multi-variate mutual information has potential application in problems where the addition of more information can lead to solution convergence or improve accuracy.
NF-κB but not FoxO sites in the MuRF1 promoter are required for transcriptional activation in disuse muscle atrophy

The muscle-specific ring finger protein 1 (MuRF1) gene is required for most types of skeletal muscle atrophy yet we have little understanding of its transcriptional regulation. The purpose of this study is to identify whether NF-κB and/or FoxO response elements in the MuRF1 promoter are required for MuRF1 gene activation during skeletal muscle atrophy due to the removal of hindlimb weight bearing (“unloading”). Both NF-κB -dependent and FoxO-dependent luciferase reporter activities were significantly increased at 5 days of unloading. Using a 4.4-kb MuRF1 promoter reporter construct, a fourfold increase in reporter (i.e., luciferase) activity was found in rat soleus muscles after 5 days of hindlimb unloading. This activation was abolished by mutagenesis of either of the two distal putative NF-κB sites or all three putative NF-κB sites but not by mutagenesis of all four putative FoxO sites. This work provides the first direct evidence that NF-κB sites, but not FoxO sites, are required for MuRF1 promoter activation in muscle disuse atrophy in vivo.
Effects of transient intrathoracic pressure changes (hiccups) on systemic arterial pressure

Mathew, Oommen P. Effects of transient intrathoracic pressure changes (hiccups) on systemic arterial pressure.J. Appl. Physiol. 83(2): 371–375, 1997.—The purpose of the study was to determine the e...
The Application of Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithms to an Educational Computational Model of Science Information Processing: a Computational Experiment in Science Education

Conflicting explanations and unrelated information in science classrooms increase cognitive load and decrease efficiency in learning. This reduced efficiency ultimately limits one’s ability to solve reasoning problems in the science. In reasoning, it is the ability of students to sift through and identify critical pieces of information that is of paramount importance in science and learning. Unfortunately, the ability to accomplish the identification of critical ideas is not one that develops without practice and assistance form teachers or tutors in the classroom. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the application of an evolutionary algorithm works within a cognitive computational model to solve problems in the science classroom and simulate human reasoning for research purposes. The research question is: does the combination of optimization algorithms and cognitive computational algorithms successfully mimic biological teaching and learning systems in the science classroom? Within this computational study, the author outlines and simulates the effects of teaching and learning on the ability of a “virtual” student to solve a science task. Using the STAC-M computational model the author completes a computational experiment that examines the role of cognitive retraining on student learning. The author also discusses the important limitations of this powerful new tool.
Rate equation model of laser induced bias in uranium isotope ratios measured by resonance ionization mass spectrometry

Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry (RIMS) has been developed as a method to measure uranium isotope abundances. In this approach, RIMS is used as an element-selective ionization process between uranium atoms and potential isobars without the aid of chemical purification and separation. The use of broad bandwidth lasers with automated feedback control of wavelength was applied to the measurement of the 235U/238U ratio to decrease laser-induced isotopic fractionation. In application, isotope standards are used to identify and correct bias in measured isotope ratios, but understanding laser-induced bias from first-principles can improve the precision and accuracy of experimental measurements. A rate equation model for predicting the relative ionization probability has been developed to study the effect of variations in laser parameters on the measured isotope ratio. The model uses atomic data and empirical descriptions of laser performance to estimate the laser-induced bias expected in experimental measurements of the 235U/238U ratio. Empirical corrections are also included to account for ionization processes that are difficult to calculate from first principles with the available atomic data. Development of this model has highlighted several important considerations for properly interpreting experimental results.
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex: A Bottom-Up View

The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) has attracted great interest from neuroscientists because it is associated with so many important cognitive functions. Despite, or perhaps because of, its rich functional repertoire, we lack a single comprehensive view of its function. Most research has approached this puzzle from the top down, using aggregate measures such as neuroimaging. We provide a view from the bottom up, with a focus on single-unit responses and anatomy. We summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the three major approaches to characterizing the dACC: as a monitor, as a controller, and as an economic structure. We argue that neurons in the dACC are specialized for representing contexts, or task-state variables relevant for behavior, and strategies, or aspects of future plans. We propose that dACC neurons link contexts with strategies by integrating diverse task-relevant information to create a rich representation of task space and exert high-level and abstract control over decision and a...
Visual and acoustic information supporting a happily expressed speech-in-noise advantage

There was an advantage found for recognizing happily expressed audio and audio-visual speech-in-noise relative to speech spoken with neutral or sad expressions. The advantage of happily expressed speech was explored in a set of visual and acoustic manipulations designed to isolate the potential contributions from each signal. For this research, a replication of previous research with the happily expressed speech advantage was completed with a novel inclusion of a learning paradigm. Additional experiments directly investigated the role of the fundamental frequency of the voice for affect, and the affective facial components with the eyes and mouth. We found that the happily expressed speech advantage persisted despite constraints to the amount of frequency modulation and with distortions to the talker's face. These findings seem largely attributable to the influences of affect on low-level acoustical and articulatory information, with only a very subtle role of approach/withdrawal motivation.
Modeling effects of fiber rigidity on thickness and porosity of virtual electrospun mats

Abstract Despite the widespread applications of electrospun fibers, there is still no accurate method to measure the thickness or porosity of thin electrospun mats. The current study is devised to develop a modeling approach toward solving this problem by simulating the 3-D structure of nanofiber mats. The uniqueness of our algorithm is in its ability to capture how the fibers conform to the geometry of the surface on which they deposit. This feature is important for predicting how the thickness of a nanofiber mat grows as fibers continue to deposit on the collector. Our algorithm is implemented in a C ++ computer program, and is used to study the effects of fiber rigidity, fiber diameter(s), and fiber orientation on the thickness and porosity of electrospun mats. Contrary to the common belief, it was shown that reducing fiber diameter, while maintaining the total weight of the material constant, does not necessarily lead to an increase in the thickness and porosity of the resulting mat. The thickness and porosity of electrospun mats were shown to depend on fibers' tendency to bend at the fiber–fiber crossovers, which may vary depending on the properties of the fibers and the electrospinning process conditions.
Radiative capture reaction He-3 (alpha, gamma) Be-7 at low energies

The radiative capture reaction $^{3}\mathrm{He}(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\gamma})^{7}\mathrm{Be}$ at low energies has been analyzed on the basis of the direct capture model in order to provide a theoretical estimate of the stellar reaction rate. The scattering wave functions of $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ by $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ and the bound state wave functions of $^{7}\mathrm{Be}$ were constructed by the empirical model, the phenomenological Woods-Saxon potential model, and the orthogonality condition model; these models account for the measured elastic scattering and excitation energies of the low-lying states of $^{7}\mathrm{Be}$. The total cross section factors $S({E}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.})$ of the $E1$, $M1$, and $E2$ capture from the $l=0\ensuremath{-}3$ partial waves clearly show a rising behavior as the incident energy goes lower, which agrees with the experimental data. The negative scattering phase shifts, which can be associated with the presence of almost energy-independent inner oscillations in the relative wave function between $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ and $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ due to the Pauli exclusion principle, seem to be responsible for this behavior.NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{3}\mathrm{He}(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\gamma})^{7}\mathrm{Be}$ at low energies; direct capture model analysis; othogonality condition model; calculated $\ensuremath{\sigma}(E)$, $S(E)$, and branching ratios.
Generation of void in a molten-metal bath by gas injection from below

An experimental apparatus for investigating the injection of nitrogen gas and water into the base of a steel tank containing molten tin has been developed. A first set of experiments based on only gas injection has been used to develop a diagnostic technique using continuous high-energy X rays and digital imaging to observe the mixing process and to measure local and average void fractions in the test section as a function of time and space. This unique application of real-time, high-energy, X-ray imaging has been used to generate two-dimensional mappings of the chordal-average void fraction with spatial resolution corresponding to a 0.43-mm 2 cross-sectional area perpendicular to the X-ray path and time resolutions of <5 ms. Void fraction measurements with superficial gas injection velocities from 0.07 to 0.14 m/s into a 0.08-m-deep pool of 683 K molten tin indicate that the time and spatial average integral void fraction at these gas injection rates is relatively constant, in the range from 0.26 to 0.31. Similar injections into pools of 0.14- and 0.15-m depths have also exhibited relatively constant average integral void fractions in the range from 0.18 to 0.26. These values are in good agreement with past integral experimental measurements in mercury, Wood's metal, and molten steel.
Transvenous coil embolization of an intraorbital arteriovenous fistula: case report and review of the literature.

Background and importance Purely intraorbital arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs), which are rare vascular malformations that clinically mimic carotid-cavernous fistulas (CCFs), involve a fistula from the ophthalmic artery to 1 of the draining ophthalmic veins. We describe a case of an intraorbital AVF treated with transvenous endovascular coil embolization via the inferior petrosal sinus (IPS) route and review the literature on this rare entity. Clinical presentation An 81-year-old woman sought treatment after 7 days of progressive left-sided visual acuity loss, chemosis, and lateral rectus palsy. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated dilated vascularity in the left orbit raising suspicions for a CCF. Cerebral angiography showed a purely intraorbital AVF with a fistula between the left ophthalmic artery and superior ophthalmic vein (SOV). Transvenous selective catheterization of the fistula was performed by successfully navigating the ipsilateral IPS to the cavernous sinus and SOV. The fistula was then embolized using detachable coils. The patient was discharged the next day. Three weeks after embolization, her ocular symptoms and findings had resolved. Conclusion Intraorbital AVFs are a rare type of AVF that can be treated by direct surgical ligation, transarterial embolization, or transvenous embolization. We successfully navigated the IPS, which is frequently stenotic or occluded secondary to chronically increased fistulous drainage, and utilized this route to embolize the fistula with detachable coils.
Role of percutaneous abscess drainage in the management of young patients with Crohn disease

Intra-abdominal abscess is a common complication of Crohn disease in children. Prior studies, primarily in adults, have shown that percutaneous abscess drainage is a safe and effective treatment for this condition; however, the data regarding this procedure and indications in pediatric patients is limited. Our aim was to determine the success rate of percutaneous abscess drainage for abscesses related to Crohn disease in pediatric patients with a focus on treatment endpoints that are relevant in the era of biological medical therapy. We retrospectively reviewed 25 cases of patients ages ≤20 years with Crohn disease who underwent percutaneous abscess drainage. Technical success was defined as catheter placement within the abscess with reduction in abscess size on post-treatment imaging. Clinical success was defined as (1) no surgery within 1 year of drainage or (2) surgical resection following drainage with no residual abscess at surgery or on preoperative imaging. Multiple clinical parameters were analyzed for association with treatment success or failure. All cases were classified as technical successes. Nineteen cases were classified as clinical successes (76%), including 7 patients (28%) who required no surgery within 1 year of percutaneous drainage and 12 patients (48%) who had elective bowel resection within 1 year. There was a statistically significant association between resumption of immunosuppressive therapy within 8 weeks of drainage and both clinical success (P < 0.01) and avoidance of surgery after 1 year (P < 0.01). Percutaneous abscess drainage is an effective treatment for Crohn disease-related abscesses in pediatric patients. Early resumption of immunosuppressive therapy is statistically associated with both clinical success and avoidance of bowel resection, suggesting a role for percutaneous drainage in facilitating prompt initiation of medical therapy and preventing surgical bowel resection.
Early Work and Workers in American Hemipterology.

Although isolated species of American Hemiptera had been previously described by Linnaeus and others, the real beginning upon the American fauna must be considered as dating from the work of the Danish entomologist, Fabricius, a student under Linnaeus, appearing in the “Systema Entomologia” (1775) and later collected and amplified with many additional species into the “Systema Rhyngotorum” (1803).
Flyover Celebrity with Poor Living Environment——"Su Shi Li clog map" Collected in Su Temple Museaum

The story of Su Shi Li clog as painting subjects is "Su Shi Li clog map",complicated but not bad,loved by artists for the ages and many of them are famous people.They use light color or line drawing or use fine brushwork impressionistic form to show the idle and wild personality of Su Shi Li clog,which has become a bright spot on the traditional painting subject.In Su Temple museums there are wooden characterization,rubbings,ink stones engraved line drawings and the artist's handwriting."Su Shi Li clog map" totaled more than 10 pieces.Now the background of Li clog map,inscriptions,classification and widespread reasons of Li clog have been studied systematically in order to carry forward Dongpo's romances and expand his broad-minded sentiments.