cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients with Chronic Congestive Heart Failure: A 10-Year Experience with 203 Patients

Background Patients with Marfan syndrome frequently develop aneurysms or dissections involving multiple segments of the aorta; graft replacement of multiple aortic segments prolongs survival. Indications for graft replacement of the thoracoabdominal aortic segment include impending rupture, ischemic complications from dissection, or an aortic diameter measuring 5.5 cm or more. We retrospectively reviewed our experience with 50 consecutive thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repairs in Marfan patients to evaluate the results of surgery using contemporary techniques. Patients and methods From January 1986 through July 1996, 800 patients underwent graft replacement of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. Fifty patients (6.3%) had Marfan syndrome. Aneurysms without dissection were present in nine (18%) of the Marfan patients. The remaining 41 patients (82%) had chronic dissection. Both chronic dissection and Crawford extent II aneurysms were more prevalent in patients with Marfan syndrome than in non-Marfan patients. Extensive thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repairs (extents I and II) were performed in 72% of Marfan patients; atriodistal bypass was used in 22 patients (44%). Results The 30-day survival rate was 96%. Renal failure requiring hemodialysis occurred in three patients (6%). Two patients (4%) had postoperative lower extremity neurological deficits. No patient receiving atriodistal bypass developed paraplegia or paraparesis, versus two patients (7.1%) among the 28 who did not. Conclusion Patients with Marfan syndrome have a high prevalence of extent II aneurysms and associated dissection. Using contemporary surgical techniques, Marfan patients can undergo thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair with low mortality and morbidity, despite the extensive nature of their disease.
Novel perfluorinated ionomers and ionenes

Abstract Ongoing research in the synthesis and properties of novel polymeric materials containing superacid sulfonimide functions is discussed. Novel perfluorinated ionomers and ionene polymers have been prepared and characterized. These materials have high potential for electrochemical and other applications.
VDRL Antibodies Enhance Phagocytosis of Treponema pallidum by Macrophages

Although reactivity in nontreponemal tests develops in patients with untreated syphilis, no immunologic function has been ascribed to these antibodies. This study demonstrates that rabbit antibodies induced by immunization with VDRL antigen and VDRL antibodies affinity-purified from syphilitic rabbit serum enhance phagocytosis of Treponema pallidum. The proportion of macrophages ingesting treponemes in the presence of these antisera was 45% +/- 5% and 27% +/- 4%, respectively, versus 14% +/- 3% for normal serum (P < .001 and P < .01). Both IgG and IgM fractions contained opsonic activity. Absorption of VDRL antibodies from syphilitic serum diminished but did not eliminate opsonization, suggesting at least two classes of target molecules. Despite opsonic capacity, VDRL antibodies fail to facilitate macrophage-mediated killing of T. pallidum. Nevertheless, VDRL-immunized rabbits are partially protected against T. pallidum infection, developing fewer lesions (delayed and smaller) than do unimmunized controls. These results suggest a heretofore unrecognized functional role for VDRL antibodies in syphilis infection.
More On MITF

Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), a basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) and bHLH-leucine zipper transcription factor, is currently an intense focal point in pigment cell biology research. MITF is implicated as the master gene for survival of melanocytes, as well as a key transcription factor regulating the expression of major melanogenic proteins such as tyrosinase and the tyrosinase-related proteins TRP1 and TRP2 (Goding, 2000), via binding to a conserved consensus element, the so-called M-box, in the promoter region of each gene (Yasumoto et al, 1997). Mice bearing null alleles of the MITF gene display complete loss of neural crest-derived melanocytes, deafness and a failure of retinal pigment epithelium differentiation (Goding, 2000). At least two separate mechanisms mediate the diverse biological functions of MITF. First, sustained expression of MITF appears to be modulated through a cAMP-dependent pathway (Bertolotto et al, 1998;Price et al, 1998); and second, MITF function is transiently up-regulated via mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-dependent phosphorylation of MITF itself (Hemesath et al, 1998). Thus, -melanocyte stimulating hormone (-MSH) and other cAMP-elevating agents transcriptionally up-regulate the expression of MITF through a cAMP-response element (CRE) in the MITF promoter region (Goding, 2000). In contrast, c-kit transiently increases MITF function by a MAPK-mediated phosphorylation of MITF which recruits p300/CBP (CREB-binding protein), a coactivator family that in turn enhances the transcriptional activity of MITF (Hemesath et al, 1998). More recently, MITF was shown to promote survival of pigment cells by up-regulating the expression of the major antiapoptotic protein BCL2 (McGill et al, 2002).
Discrimination of noise spectra by memory in the barn owl

Barn owls can learn to remember complex noise spectra and distinguish them from slightly different spectral patterns.
Kinetics of microbial oxidation of n‐heptane. I. Characterization of the process

Utilization of n-heptane by a Pseudomonad was studied in pilot-size butch cultures. Optimal pH and temperature were determined by a factorial design and a medium based upon mineral uptake rates was formulated. High cell yields were obtained by volatilizing heptane in the incoming air and thereby achieving good hydrocarbon dispersion. Hydrocarbon carried by effluent gases was recovered and recycled. In cultures where pH is not controlled, decrease in the electrolytic conductivity of the medium was found to be indicative of viable cells and was used in monitoring bacterial propagation. If not checked, increase in salinity in pH controlled cultures was found to affect cell production negatively. Viscosity changes were not very significant. Heptane to aqueous medium ratio was found to affect oxygen supply to the system due to higher dissolved oxygen concentrations associated with hydrocarbons.
Atmospheric neutrino event rates: the expectations

Naturally occurring energetic neutrinos produced by interactions of cosmic rays in the atmosphere produce a signal in deep underground detectors which is a convolution of neutrino flux, neutrino cross section and detection efficiency. The predicted ratio of events induced by v e as compared to v μ is relatively robust (because many sources of uncertainty cancel in the ratio), but it differs significantly from what is observed. Interpretations that involve new physics (e.g. neutrino oscillations or nucleon decay) have been proposed. One interpretation in terms of neutrino oscillations would imply a low value of neutrino-induced upward muons. Although there is no strong evidence for such a deficit, uncertainties in calculating the expected absolute rate prevent one from eliminating this interpretation at present. Precise measurement of muon fluxes at high altitude, as well as calibration of detectors with neutrino beams from accelerators, will help clarify the situation.
Ignition and combustion of coal particle streams

Abstract This paper presents a model for group combustion of a cylindrical stream of coal particles and preliminary experimental data. Results are obtained for transient ignition and combustion behaviour. It is found that homogeneous ignition (ignition of volatiles) occurs for a dense cloud, while heterogeneous ignition (ignition of carbon) occurs for a dilute cloud. Once ignited, the flame moves towards the cloud, reaches the cloud surface and then bifurcates into two flames, called the inner and outer flames. The inner flame propagates into an unburnt volatile-air mixture in the cloud, while the outer diffusion flame moves away from the cloud. The inner flame propagates at the laminar burning velocity and rapidly heats the particles. There is only a diffusion flame outside the cloud after all the oxygen in the cloud is consumed. The flame moves toward the cloud as the volatiles are depleted. The cloud, with the volatiles exhausted and starved of oxygen, burns slowly, controlled by diffusion into the cloud rather than to each particle in the cloud. Qualitative comparisons are given with preliminary experimental data obtained using a digital imaging system.
Using sulfur as a tracer of outdoor fine particulate matter.

Six homes in the metropolitan Boston area were sampled between 6 and 12 consecutive days for indoor and outdoor particle volume and mass concentrations, particle elemental concentrations, and air exchange rates (AERs). Indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios of nighttime (i.e., particle nonindoor source periods) sulfur, PM2.5 and the specific particle size intervals were used to provide estimates of the effective penetration efficiency. Mixed models and graphical displays were used to assess the ability of the I/O ratios for sulfur to estimate corresponding I/O ratios for PM2.5 and the various particle sizes. Results from this analysis showed that particulate sulfur compounds were primarily of outdoor origin and behaved in a manner that was representative of total PM2.5 in Boston, MA. These findings support the conclusion that sulfur can be used as a suitable tracer of outdoor PM2.5 for the homes sampled in this study. Sulfur was more representative of particles of similar size (0.06−0.5 μm), providing evidence that ...
Recession and the Risks of Illegality: Governing the Undocumented in the United States

Neoliberal policies generated the conditions for the Great Recession, an economic downturn that hit the housing and construction industries particularly hard, disproportionately impacting the foreign-born and the undocumented populations in the US. The recession also created new openings for states and localities to criminalize and make visible the unauthorized where they live, work, and move about in their everyday lives. This increasing criminalization of the undocumented in both labor markets and civil society creates new risks and vulnerabilities to deportation, making it more difficult and dangerous for the unauthorized to continue to live in and work in the shadows of the global cities, rural farms, and slaughterhouses of the United States.
Gas Bubble Formation in Stagnant and Flowing Mercury

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL) Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) facility uses a liquid mercury target that flows through a stainless steel containment vessel. As the SNS pulsed beam power level is increased, it is expected that the target vessel lifetime could become limited by cavitation damage erosion (CDE). Bubbles produced in mercury at an upwards-oriented vertical gas injector needle were observed with proton radiography (pRad) at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE). The comparison of volume-of-fluid (VOF) simulation results to the radiographic images reveals some aspects of success and some deficiencies in predicting these high surface tension, highly buoyant, and non-wetting fluid behavior. Although several gas flows were measured with pRad, this paper focuses on the case with a low gas flow rate of 1.66 mg/min (10 sccm) through the 0.2-mm-outer-diameter injector needle. The acoustic waves emitted due to the detachment of the bubble and during subsequent bubble oscillations were also recorded with a microphone, providing a precise measurement of the bubble sizes. When the mercury is also motivated coaxially, the drag on the bubble forces earlier detachment leading to smaller bubble sizes.
Top-down control of mesozooplankton by adult Mnemiopsis leidyi influences microplankton abundance and composition enhancing prey conditions for larval ctenophores

Abstract The ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi is a gelatinous predator capable of exerting strong regulatory control on the zooplankton community. Mnemiopsis populations are comprised of lobate adults and cydippid larvae. Since the larvae depend on microplankton for prey, its availability may determine the magnitude of larval survivorship and growth, and their subsequent recruitment into mesozooplankton-feeding adults. Ctenophore population data were used alongside mesozooplankton and microplankton abundances to interpret predatory impacts of M. leidyi in a Long Island, New York estuary over two years. Field data suggested significant top-down control of mesozooplankton and microplankton during peak abundances of adult and larval ctenophores, respectively. Abundances of dinoflagellates and ciliates declined by 45–56% and 83–97%, respectively, during highest larval abundances in 2008 and 2009. Furthermore, the dramatic reduction of mesozooplankton by adult M. leidyi resulted in a cascading effect on microplankton. A relationship between high adult M. leidyi/low mesozooplankton with high microplankton abundances was identified, and preceded an increase in ctenophore larvae. These data suggest that blooms of M. leidyi result in a direct feedback system, wherein intense feeding activity by adults on mesozooplankton releases certain microplanktonic taxa from predation pressure, enhancing prey conditions for larval ctenophores.
Crack-growth resistance in tantalum foil: The resistance curve is determined by videotaping stable crack growth using a straining stage in a scanning electron microscope

Centrally slit foils of high-purity tantalum have been loaded to fracture using an instrumented straining stage within a scanning electron microscope. By recording the tests on videotape, experimental records of both load and crack length were obtained. The resulting crack-growth-resistance curves can be understood in terms of the precrack plastic-deformation patterns.
Polarization of 4He(23S1) by optically pumped Rb

Abstract The Zeeman resonance in He(23S1) has been observed with narrow linewidth, ∼350 Hz, using a technique involving spin-dependent Penning collisions with optically pumped Rb. This linewidth is 100 times narrower than previously reported in determination of gJ(4He, 23S1).
Queues with State-Dependent Stochastic Service Rates

The standard M/G/1 queuing system is generalized so that the service time parameter becomes a stochastic process, {Mn, n = 1, 2, '}, indexed on the length of the queue at the moment service is begun. The service time, Ti, of a customer entering into service when a total of i customers are in the system is to be conditioned upon the random variable Mi. Some general theory is developed for the model and three specific cases are explored. For each of the examples, both the conditional service-time distributions, {BTnâ£Mntâ£µn, n = 1, 2, '}, and the prior distributions of {Mn}, {FMnµn, n = 1, 2, '}, are specified, and results are obtained that characterize queue behavior using the imbedded Markov chain approach. The first case is an illustration of a random, non-state-dependent parameter, while the other two describe different ways a service parameter may be state-dependent. In addition, an industrial example based on the third case is cited.
Cross-reaction of albumin with polyclonal LH antibody on western blots.

When pituitary tissue was subjected to Western blot analysis utilizing polyclonal antibody NIDDK-rLH-S-10, bands at 17 and 19 Kd representing LH subunits were identified. In addition, a high molecular weight 66 Kd band was seen. Surprisingly this high molecular weight band was also seen in rat cerebral cortex, brain stem, hypothalamus, spinal cord, lung, liver, pancreas, spleen, kidney, testis, and serum. Antibody preabsorbed with iodination grade rat LH antigen no longer recognized the 17 and 19 Kd bands in pituitary, but recognized the 66 Kd bands in pituitary and the other tissues examined. Since 66 Kd is the molecular weight of albumin, we found that antisera to rat albumin recognized this same high molecular weight band in the tissues examined. Preabsorption of LH antibody with albumin reduced the ability of that antibody to recognize this 66 Kd. A monoclonal antibody to bovine LH beta-subunit recognized only the LH protein in anterior pituitary, but no high molecular weight band
Temperature dependence of the strength-differential effect in hardened steels

The strength differential (SD) has been measured as a function of temperature in a fully hardened 0.2C, 6 Ni steel, quenched and then tempered at 250°C. It is found appropriate to express the results in terms of the intercept flow stresses as extrapolated back to zero plastic strain. The corresponding SD increases significantly with decreasing temperature below the ambient, and the data are well fitted by separating the SD into an athermal component (~3 pct) and a thermally activated component (up to ~15 pct at the liquid-nitrogen temperature). The latter type of contribution is thought to arise from a dilatation which occurs during the activation process for dislocation motion and which causes an increase in the activation energy under compressive loading and a decrease under tensile loading. The parameters obtained via this treatment are consistent with a double-kink Peierlsbarrier mechanism of plastic flow at low temperatures.
Kinetic studies of the reaction of atomic hydrogen with trifluoroiodomethane

Abstract Rate constants for the reaction of H atoms with CF3I have been measured using the flash-photolysis/resonance fluorescence technique over 295–730 K. The results are k=(6.7±0.3)×10−11 exp[(−3.8±0.2) kJ mol−1/RT] cm3 molecule−1 s−1, where the uncertainties represent ±1σ in the Arrhenius parameters. Error limits for k are ±10%. The reaction is shown to be the dominant pathway for consumption of CF3I in a stoichiometric methane/air flame.
The Magnetic Nature of Coronal Holes

Solar wind streams originate from low-density, magnetically open regions of the sun's corona, known as coronal holes. The locations, areal sizes, rotation, and solar-cycle evolution of these regions can be reproduced and understood by applying simple extrapolation models to measurements of the photospheric magnetic field. The surprisingly rigid rotation displayed by many coronal holes suggests that field-line reconnection occurs continually in the corona, despite the high electrical conductivity of the coronal plasma. The magnetic field strengths and field-line divergence rates in coronal holes can be related empirically to the bulk speed and the mass and energy flux densities of the solar wind plasma. Such relations may help to illuminate the physical processes responsible for heating the corona and driving the solar wind.
Some Problems of Statistics and Everyday Life

(1979). Some Problems of Statistics and Everyday Life. Journal of the American Statistical Association: Vol. 74, No. 365, pp. 1-4.
Chemical fractionations in meteorites—III. Major element fractionations in chondrites

Abstract Some 20 elements, including the major constituents of chondritic matter, are fractionated among the several chondrite classes. We have tried to explain these fractionations on the assumption that they occurred in the solar nebula, starting from material of carbonaceous chondrite composition. 1. (1) Lithophile elements (Al, Ca, Cr, Hf, Mg, Sc, Si, Th, Ti, U, Y, Zr, and lanthanides) may have been fractionated at 1300–1350°K by partial loss of an early condensate, consisting of minerals such as MgAl2O2, Mg2SiO4, CaTiO3, Ca2Al2SiO7, etc. 2. (2) Siderophile elements (Fe, Co, Ni, etc.) apparently were fractionated between 680 and 1050°K, by partial separation of metal and silicate. Redox conditions at this stage seem to have varied from class to class, as indicated by the Fe 2+ Mg 2+ ratio in the silicates during fractionation: 0.14 ±0.02 for ordinary, 0.00 ± 0.07 for enstatite, and 0.14 ± 0.08 or 0.08 ± 0.07 for carbonaceous chondrites. This fractionation may have been based on the ferromagnetic properties of the metal, since it apparently took place below the Curie point. 3. (3) Chondrule formation does not seem to have been causally related to either of these fractionations. It may have occurred at ~700°K during or after metal-silicate fractionation, presumably by partial remelting of the dust. It was followed by further condensation of volatiles and accretion.
Endoscopic therapy of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in humans.

Medical distinctions were so much clearer then. If a digestive complaint didn’t get better on its own (which it usually did), or if a pill or medical counsel couldn’t relieve the symptoms, you called a surgeon, a radiotherapist, or a clergyman. That was the old days. Now there are two new players in the gamethe interventional radiologist (who drains pus, decompresses obstructed bile ducts, and embolizes bleeding vessels) and his gastroenterologic equivalent, the therapeutic endoscopist. The latter is a hybrid internist-surgeon, often credentialed in one specialty or the other, though it hardly matters. Clearly the dramatic technologic advances that have been woven into the diagnostic and therapeutic fabric of medicine have quite literally changed the ballgame. In no area has the change been more dramatic than in the management of gastrointestinal diseases. Coupled with numerous radiologic advances, fiberoptic endoscopy has already revolutionized the diagnostic assessment of patients with digestive diseases. The logical extension of that tool is the delivery of therapy via the endoscope. One of the key areas in which developments have occurred is the treatment of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. It has been almost a full decade since Katon (1) reviewed the progress in this field in this Journal. The purpose of the present article is to critically review the
Crossing the divide: gene flow produces intergeneric hybrid in feral transgenic creeping bentgrass population

Gene flow is the most frequently expressed public concern related to the deregulation of transgenic events (Snow 2002; Ellstrand 2003). However, assessing the potential for transgene escape is complex because it depends on the opportunities for unintended gene flow, and establishment and persistence of the transgene in the environment (Warwick et al. 2008). Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.), a turfgrass species widely used on golf courses, has been genetically engineered to be resistant to glyphosate, a nonselective herbicide. Outcrossing species, such as creeping bentgrass (CB), which have several compatible species, have greater chances for gene escape and spontaneous hybridization (i.e. natural, unassisted sexual reproduction between taxa in the field), which challenges transgene containment. Several authors have emphasized the need for evidence of spontaneous hybridization to infer the potential for gene flow (Armstrong et al. 2005). Here we report that a transgenic intergeneric hybrid has been produced as result of spontaneous hybridization of a feral-regulated transgenic pollen receptor (CB) and a nontransgenic pollen donor (rabbitfoot grass, RF, Polypogon monspeliensis (L.) Desf.). We identified an off-type transgenic seedling and confirmed it to be CB × RF intergeneric hybrid. This first report of a transgenic intergeneric hybrid produced in situ with a regulated transgenic event demonstrates the importance of considering all possible avenues for transgene spread at the landscape level before planting a regulated transgenic crop in the field. Spontaneous hybridization adds a level of complexity to transgene monitoring, containment, mitigation and remediation programmes.
Design and Simulation of a Hybrid Entrained-Flow and Fluidized Bed Mild Gasifier: Part 1—Design Considerations and Development of a Multiphase Model

A mild gasification process has been developed to provide an innovative form of clean coal technology, which can be utilized to build a new, highly efficient, and compact power plant or to retrofit an existing coal-fired power plant in order to achieve lower emissions and significantly improved thermal efficiency. The core technology of the mild gasification power plant lies on the design of a compact and effective mild gasifier that can produce synthesis gases with high energy volatiles through a hybrid system: utilizing the features of both entrained-flow and fluidized bed gasifiers. The objectives of this study are to (a) describe the features and design considerations of this mild gasifier and (b) develop a multiphase computational model to guide the design of the mild-gasifier by investigating the thermal-flow and gasification process inside a conceptual mild gasifier. Due to the involvement of a fluidized bed, the Eulerian-Eulerian method is employed to calculate both the primary phase (air) and the secondary phase (coal particles). Multiphase constitutive equations developed from kinetic theory are employed for calculating the effective shear viscosities, bulk viscosities, and effective thermal conductivities of granular flows to simulate the hydrodynamic and thermal interactions between the solid and gas phases. Multiphase Nativer-Stokes equations and seven global reaction equations with associated species transported equations are implementd to simulate the mild gasification process. Part 1 of this paper documents the design principle of the mild gasifier as well as the development of the computational model starting from single phase, then using multiple phases, and finally including all reactions in the multiphase flow. NOMENCLATURE c concentration (mass/volume, moles/volume) cp heat capacity at constant pressure (J/kg-K) cv heat capacity at constant volume (J/kg-K) D mass diffusion coefficient (m
Electrowetting optics and displays: Materials implications on performance and reliability

Careful selection of all three electrowetting materials: dielectric, polar phase, and non-polar phase, allows for increased performance and reliability for electrowetting devices.
High-speed monorail rocket sleds for aerodynamic testing at high Reynolds numbers.

The use of a monorail rocket-sled system is detailed and recommended as a method of obtaining aerodynamic data in a regime of high Mach and Reynolds numbers. Sled designs and the data collection system are discussed in detail. The system has been used successfully to acquire pressure data on cone-cylinders. These data are compared with data from free-flight rockets, wind-tunnel tests, and computer calculations. The sled-testing technique appears to be the most promising method of simulating flight conditions at low altitudes at Mach numbers up to M = 8. A principal advantage is the high degree of accuracy possible in determining actual test conditions, which include Mach number, static pressure, and static temperature. Exploratory tests indicate that sleds may be used to collect other types of experimental data such as heat-transfer and boundary-layer transition. To date, excellent data have been obtained at 7430 fps (M = 6.53), which to our knowledge is the highest velocity ever attained by a rocket sled. At this speed, and the Holloman Air Force Base track altitude, the Reynolds number was 42 X 106/ft, and the dynamic pressure was 55,000 psf. Nomenclature CD, CL = drag and lift coefficients, respectively, based on sled cross-sectional area M = Mach number Pm = measured model surface pressure POO = freestream ambient pressure Re = freestream Reynolds number To, Tw, Tm = total, wall, and freestream temperatures, respectively U = freestream velocity, fps
Effect of prepartum grouping strategy on displacements from the feed bunk and feeding behavior of dairy cows

The objective of the current study was to determine whether providing stable pen management affected displacements from the feed bunk and feeding behavior of prepartum dairy cows. Two hundred and twenty-four nonlactating Jersey primiparous and multiparous cows were enrolled in the study. The 2 treatments were all-in-all-out (AIAO; 44 cows were moved into the close-up prepartum pen as 1 group, with no additions during the 5-wk repetition) or traditional (TRD; with weekly entrance of new cows to maintain a pen density of 44 cows). Cows (253 ± 3 d of gestation) were balanced for parity and projected 305-d mature-equivalent milk yield and assigned randomly to either AIAO or TRD treatments. At enrollment, cows with a body condition score 4 (1-5 scale; 1 = emaciated and 5 = obese) or with a locomotion score >3 (1-5 scale; 1 = normal gait and 5 = severely lame) were not included. Displacements from the feed bunk were measured weekly for both treatments when TRD cows were moved into the close-up pen (d 0) and additionally on d 1, 2, 3, and 7 for 3h after fresh feed delivery. A displacement rate was created to take into account differences in stocking density throughout the experiment. Displacement rate was calculated as the number of displacements divided by the number of cows in the pen at that time. Feeding behavior was measured using video 10-min scan sampling for 24-h periods at d 0, 1, 2, and 7. Displacements and feeding behavior were recorded for all 5 wk of each repetition. Treatment × week interactions were detected for number of displacements and displacement rate. The TRD treatment had more displacements from the feed bunk than AIAO in wk 1, 3, and 5, with no differences in wk 2 and 4. Similarly, the TRD treatment had a greater displacement rate than the AIAO treatment in wk 1 and 5, with a tendency in wk 3. No differences between the treatments were detected in wk 2 and 4. A treatment × week interaction existed for feeding time. Cows housed in the AIAO treatment had longer average feeding times in wk 2 with a tendency in wk 3, but spent 39 fewer minutes eating than those in the TRD treatment during the wk 1 of the study. Housing prepartum close-up cows with stable pen management reduced displacements from the feed bunk and altered average daily feeding times.
Temporal bone characterization and cochlear implant feasibility in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

Abstract The marmoset ( Callithrix jacchus ) is a valuable non-human primate model for studying behavioral and neural mechanisms related to vocal communication. It is also well suited for investigating neural mechanisms related to cochlear implants. The purpose of this study was to characterize marmoset temporal bone anatomy and investigate the feasibility of implanting a multi-channel intracochlear electrode into the marmoset scala tympani. Micro computed tomography (microCT) was used to create high-resolution images of marmoset temporal bones. Cochlear fluid spaces, middle ear ossicles, semicircular canals and the surrounding temporal bone were reconstructed in three-dimensional space. Our results show that the marmoset cochlea is ∼16.5 mm in length and has ∼2.8 turns. The cross-sectional area of the scala tympani is greatest (∼0.8 mm 2 ) at ∼1.75 mm from the base of the scala, reduces to ∼0.4 mm 2 at 5 mm from the base, and decreases at a constant rate for the remaining length. Interestingly, this length–area profile, when scaled 2.5 times, is similar to the scala tympani of the human cochlea. Given these dimensions, a compatible multi-channel implant electrode was identified. In a cadaveric specimen, this electrode was inserted ¾ turn into the scala tympani through a cochleostomy at ∼1 mm apical to the round window. The depth of the most apical electrode band was ∼8 mm. Our study provides detailed structural anatomy data for the middle and inner ear of the marmoset, and suggests the potential of the marmoset as a new non-human primate model for cochlear implant research.
CHANGES IN AN ASSEMBLAGE OF TEMPERATE REEF FISHES ASSOCIATED WITH A CLIMATE SHIFT

Substantial changes have occurred in assemblages of nearshore reef fishes in the Southern California Bight during the past two decades. At two sites off Los Angeles, California, species richness of reef fishes fell 15-25%, and composition shifted from dom- inance by northern to southern species. Additionally, by 1993, 95% of the fish species had declined in abundance by an average of 69%. Concurrent declines of similar magnitude were observed for several trophic levels of the benthic ecosystem farther north at Santa Cruz Island where populations of surfperches (Pisces: Embiotocidae), the standing stock of their crustacean prey, and the biomass of understory macroalgae all declined by -80%. Abundances of fishes fell because declining recruitment of age-0 fish was insufficient to compensate for losses of older age classes. Annual levels of recruitment of age-0 fishes at all reefs examined fell more than one order of magnitude over two decades and was correlated among years with a broad indicator of Bight-wide productivity, the biomass of macrozooplankton in the California Current. Lower productivity of the coastal marine ecosystem, associated with a climate regime shift in 1976-1977, likely caused large, but unforeseen, impacts on population abundances and trophic structure in nearshore benthic communities.
Hot electrons in quantum cascade lasers

We have developed a theory describing the operation of lasers based on intersubband transitions in a quantum well. The theory combines a first-principles description of the intersubband lineshape and the optical gain with kinetic models for carrier heating. The theory is consistent with the experimental data available and suggests new ways of improving the laser design for room temperature operation with high output power. At low carrier concentrations, it is possible to achieve positive values of the gain at room temperature even in the absence of an overall population inversion between quantum well subbands. For higher (but still moderate) concentrations, the theory predicts a peculiar dependence of the output wavelength on the pump current, including a regime where the lasing wavelength switches "digitally" between two stable values.
Primary Prevention Mental Health Programs for Children and Adolescents: A Meta‐Analytic Review

Used meta-analysis to review 177 primary prevention programs designed to prevent behavioral and social problems in children and adolescents. Findings provide empirical support for further research and practice in primary prevention. Most categories of programs produced outcomes similar to or higher in magnitude than those obtained by many other established preventive and treatment interventions in the social sciences and medicine. Programs modifying the school environment, individually focused mental health promotion efforts, and attempts to help children negotiate stressful transitions yield significant mean effects ranging from 0.24 to 0.93. In practical terms, the average participant in a primary prevention program surpasses the performance of between 59% to 82% of those in a control group, and outcomes reflect an 8% to 46% difference in success rates favoring prevention groups. Most categories of programs had the dual benefit of significantly reducing problems and significantly increasing competencies. Priorities for future research include clearer specification of intervention procedures and program goals, assessment of program implementation, more follow-up studies, and determining how characteristics of the intervention and participants relate to different outcomes.
The eosinophilic response to infection with the cattle lungworm, Dictyocaulus viviparus.

Differential white-cell counts were made on the blood of 17 test cattle and 3 uninfected controls. The controls and 16 of the test cattle were Holsteins; the other one was a Sindhi-Jersey. The test cattle were 2 to 7 months old when initially infected. No animal was reexposed to infection unless its feces were repeatedly found negative for first-stage larvae. Generally, successive exposures to infection were separated by intervals of 3 to 4 months. The usual observational period after an initial or subsequent exposure to infection was approximately 2 months. Five of the test cattle were bled only after they had received immune serum and an initial dose of infective larvae, as reported elsewhere;3 the average eosinophilic response of this group is shown in figure 1 only. Four of the remaining 12 test animals, which are identified by number in table 1, also were bled after initial exposure to infection; they received no serum and their average eosinophilic response is shown both in figure 1 and in table 1. Two of these four animals were bled again after certain subsequent exposures to infection. The other eight test cattle were first bled after they had
An entropy-based metric for product remanufacturability

Manufacturing contributes heavily to environmental life cycle measures such as energy, material use, and water consumption through depletion and pollution. To lessen the environmental impacts, a number of initiatives have been developed. One of such initiatives is the used product take back, a process through which manufacturers collect used products and remanufacture them to like-new condition. However, remanufacturing of the used products at a modest cost is becoming a daunting task for many manufacturers due to the increasing complexity in many products. To mitigate this remanufacturing challenge, this paper develops a metric to quantify the remanufacturability incorporated into the new product at the design stage. The metric is based on entropy, a phenomenon well known in engineering.
N-Acetyl-l-Cysteine Enhances Interleukin-1β–Induced Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression

The effect of N-acetyl-L-cysteine on interleukin-1beta-induced nitric oxide synthase expression was studied in rat vascular smooth muscle cells to determine if the reduction/oxidation state would modulate cytokine-induced changes. Interleukin-1beta induced the production of nitrite, a stable metabolite of nitric oxide in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Cytokine-induced nitrite production was enhanced by the addition of N-acetyl-L-cysteine in a dose-dependent manner, with a >50% increase produced by the addition of 1 mmol/L N-acetyl-L-cysteine. There was no influence on nitrite production when the cells were treated with N-acetyl-L-cysteine alone. Northern and Western blot analyses revealed that the upregulation of interleukin-1beta-induced nitric oxide production by N-acetyl-L-cysteine resulted from an enhanced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase. Interferon-gamma or tumor necrosis factor-alpha when used alone had no influence on nitrite production in the absence or presence of N-acetyl-L-cysteine. Nitrite accumulation was higher by the cells treated with interleukin-1beta combined with either interferon-gamma or tumor necrosis factor-alpha compared with those treated with interleukin-1beta alone. N-Acetyl-L-cysteine upregulated nitrite production and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression induced by combination treatment with interleukin-1beta and either interferon-gamma or tumor necrosis factor-alpha. However, N-acetyl-L-cysteine had no significant influence in cytokine-induced activation of nuclear factor-kappaB or signal transducer and activator of transciption-1, as assessed by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. These results demonstrate that N-acetyl-L-cysteine possibly acted as a thiol-containing reducing agent and facilitated the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in rat vascular smooth muscle cells by cytokines through a mechanism that is independent of nuclear factor-kappaB or signal transducer and activator of transciption-1.
Disaster planning for pediatrics.

Natural and man-made disasters are inevitable and appear to be more common in the current age. Substantial time and effort have been invested and millions of dollars spent on disaster prevention and management. An important oversight in this planning has been the special needs of children. The vulnerability of children and their physiologic characteristics place them at increased risk during a disaster. Importantly, reunification with family and assurance of safety in this vulnerable group is a priority. This paper addresses issues related to pediatric needs, the medical system's shortcomings in caring for children, and recommendations for action.
Ionic pores, gates, and gating currents.

The current phase of axon physiology began with the invention of the voltage clamp by Cole (1949) and its use by Hodgkin & Huxley (1952d) to produce an astonishingly complete analysis of the ionic permeabilities that are responsible for the action potential. Their description did notcontain much in the way of molecular detail, and left open such questions as whether ions cross the membrane by way of pores or carriers, and the nature of the ‘gating‘ processes that increase ordecrease ion permeability in response to changes of the membrane potential. In the last few years our picture of the ionicchannels has grown considerably more tangible, though it still falls far short of a detailed molecular description. This article describes this sharpened picture and reviews the evidence for it. The viewpoint expressed is a very personal one, andno attempt has been made to review the literature of axonology comprehensively.
THE STOCHASTIC STRUCTURE OF DOWNSTREAM PRESSURE FROM AN AXIAL COMPRESSOR—I. A PERIODIC TIME–FREQUENCY SPECTRAL DESCRIPTION

Abstract This work investigates the potential of recently developed spectral analysis methods for non-stationary periodic random processes for extracting information associated with the downstream pressure signature of a single row 36 blade axial compressor. First, it is shown that the pressure signature is not wide sense stationary (wss) when collection and processing are carried out in a way synchronous with the shaft speed, as is usually the case. This suggests that traditional spectrum estimation methods commonly used may lead to ambiguous, if not misleading results. To accommodate the non-stationarity associated with synchronous data collection, while adhering to the periodic nature of the phenomena, recently developed signal processing tools for spectra analysis of periodic random processes are applied. It is shown that these tools can provide notably more detailed information about the intracycle structure of the pressure signature than can be provided by traditional methods of analysis.
Causal assessment of surrogacy in a meta-analysis of colorectal cancer trials

When the true end points (T) are difficult or costly to measure, surrogate markers (S) are often collected in clinical trials to help predict the effect of the treatment (Z). There is great interest in understanding the relationship among S, T, and Z. A principal stratification (PS) framework has been proposed by Frangakis and Rubin (2002) to study their causal associations. In this paper, we extend the framework to a multiple trial setting and propose a Bayesian hierarchical PS model to assess surrogacy. We apply the method to data from a large collection of colon cancer trials in which S and T are binary. We obtain the trial-specific causal measures among S, T, and Z, as well as their overall population-level counterparts that are invariant across trials. The method allows for information sharing across trials and reduces the nonidentifiability problem. We examine the frequentist properties of our model estimates and the impact of the monotonicity assumption using simulations. We also illustrate the challenges in evaluating surrogacy in the counterfactual framework that result from nonidentifiability.
The Information Content of Receptive Fields

The nervous system must observe a complex world and produce appropriate, sometimes complex, behavioral responses. In contrast to this complexity, neural responses are often characterized through very simple descriptions such as receptive fields or tuning curves. Do these characterizations adequately reflect the true dimensionality reduction that takes place in the nervous system, or are they merely convenient oversimplifications? Here we address this question for the target-selective descending neurons (TSDNs) of the dragonfly. Using extracellular multielectrode recordings of a population of TSDNs, we quantify the completeness of the receptive field description of these cells and conclude that the information in independent instantaneous position and velocity receptive fields accounts for 70%-90% of the total information in single spikes. Thus, we demonstrate that this simple receptive field model is close to a complete description of the features in the stimulus that evoke TSDN response.
The pressures of suction feeding: the relation between buccal pressure and induced fluid speed in centrarchid fishes

Suction feeding fish rapidly expand their oral cavity, resulting in a flow of water directed towards the mouth that is accompanied by a drop in pressure inside the buccal cavity. Pressure inside the mouth and fluid speed external to the mouth are understood to be mechanically linked but the relationship between them has never been empirically determined in any suction feeder. We present the first simultaneous measurements of fluid speed and buccal pressure during suction feeding in fishes. Digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) and high-speed video were used to measure the maximum fluid speed in front of the mouth of four largemouth bass and three bluegill sunfish by positioning a vertical laser sheet on the mid-sagittal plane of the fish. Peak magnitude of pressure inside the buccal cavity was quantified using a transducer positioned within a catheter that opened into the dorsal wall of the buccal cavity. In both species the time of peak pressure preceded the time of peak fluid speed by as much as 42 ms, indicating a role for unsteady flow effects in shaping this relation. We parameterized an existing model of suction feeding to determine whether the relationship between peak pressures and fluid speeds that we observed could be predicted using just a few kinematic variables. The model predicted much higher fluid speeds than we measured at all values of peak pressure and gave a scaling exponent between them (0.51) that was higher than observed (0.36 for largemouth bass, 0.38 for bluegill). The scaling between peak buccal pressure and peak fluid speed at the mouth aperture differed in the two species, supporting the recent conclusion that species morphology affects this relation such that a general pattern may not hold.
Evidence against integration of spatial maps in humans.

A dynamic 3-D virtual environment was constructed for humans as an open-field analogue of Blaisdell and Cook's (2005) pigeon foraging task to determine if humans, like pigeons, were capable of integrating separate spatial maps. Participants used keyboard keys and a mouse to search for a hidden goal in a 4×4 grid of raised cups. During Phase 1 training, a goal was consistently located between two landmarks (Map 1: blue T and red L). During Phase 2 training, a goal was consistently located down and left of a single landmark (Map 2: blue T). Transfer trials were then conducted in which participants were required to make choices in the presence of the red L alone. Cup choices during transfer assessed participants’ strategies: association (from Map 1), generalization (from Map 2), or integration (combining Map 1 and 2). During transfer, cup choices increased to a location which suggested an integration strategy and was consistent with results obtained with pigeons. However, additional analyses of the human data suggested participants initially used a generalization strategy followed by a progressive shift in search behavior away from the red L. This shift in search behavior during transfer was responsible for the changes in cup choices across transfer trials and was confirmed by a control condition. These new analyses offer an alternative explanation to the spatial integration account proposed for pigeons.