cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conception of the Tail in the Craniata

THE word ‘tail’ is used in the anatomy of the Craniata indiscriminately for two concepts: first, for the post-anal appendage, and secondly (especially in osteology) for the post-sacral region. While directing research on the anatomy of the Testudinata and other reptiles for many years past, I have often been struck by the unjustifiability and ambiguity of this usage and the confusion that results from it. Although in many vertebrates o the two regions commonly denoted by the term ‘tail’ may appear to be more or less co-extensive, careful observation reveals that they scarcely ever correspond with each other to such an extent as to be regarded as identical. The anus seldom if ever lies precisely at the hinder level of the sacrum. In some cases (testudinates, crocodilians, etc.) it is a longitudinal slit and may extend beyond the limits of a single vertebral segment, its anterior rim usually lying distinctly posterior to the hind face of the sacral (or the last sacral) vertebra.
Antarctic polar plateau snow surface conversion of deposited oxidized mercury to gaseous elemental mercury with fractional long-term burial

Abstract The role of the vast Antarctic polar plateau in the global mercury cycle was previously relatively unknown. Here, for the first time, mercury concentrations in snow and air, combined with vertical flux measurements at the South Pole (November–December 2003 and November 2005) have provided considerable insight into the cycling of this element through the Antarctic environment. These insights include observations showing atmospheric oxidized mercury depositing to the snow pack, subsequent photoreduction, and emissions of gaseous elemental mercury from the snow pack. Oxidized mercury (e.g., reactive gaseous mercury and fine particulate mercury) showed high concentrations (100–1000 pg m−3) in the near-surface air, with these concentrations strongly correlated with vertical mixing rates and showing rapid surface deposition. This suggests that the troposphere over Antarctica is enhanced in oxidized mercury, with mercury cycling between elemental and oxidized states, and between the atmosphere and snow pack. Based on these limited measurements at South Pole, we estimate that the Antarctic polar plateau could sequester as much as 60 metric tons of Hg annually. These data also suggest that there could be a seasonal cycling of atmospheric mercury oxidation, deposition, and re-emission via photoreduction of 490 metric tons annually. This cycling is restricted to the annual sunlit period and peaks 3–4 weeks after solar maximum. To our knowledge, these provisional values represent the first estimates of the mercury balance and cycling for the extensive Antarctic polar plateau.
Management of persistent post‐dural puncture headache after repeated epidural blood patch

We report a case of persistent post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) in a patient despite two epidural blood patches (EBPs). Successful resolution of headache was achieved with a third EBP performed under computed tomography (CT) guidance. A 38-year-old female had a total abdominal hysterectomy under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia with no complications. After surgery, she developed a postural headache consistent with PDPH. The first EBP was performed by injecting autologous blood through the epidural catheter that was in situ. The second EBP was performed under fluoroscopy. The patient continued to have a persistent headache. A computed tomography (CT) myelogram demonstrated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak at L3-4 level. A "directed" CT-guided blood patch was then performed successfully with resolution of the headache.
Occupational change, employer change, internal migration, and earnings.

Abstract In this paper I use microdata from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to measure the financial returns to intercounty and interstate migration for individuals in a temporal framework accounting for gains that accrue over time. Earnings are estimated for a pooled sample of migrants and non-migrants in a two-stage procedure correcting for a self-selection bias. To account for the indirect effects of migration on earnings, explanatory variables are created by interacting migration status with: (1) occupational change, (2) employer change and (3) changes in both occupation and employer. These interaction terms are then included in the earnings functions. Earnings are estimated for three years subsequent to the migration decision to account for the financial returns to migration accruing over time. Results indicate that, when estimating earnings, the use of a simple migration dummy variable will mask the indirect effects of migration on earnings.
Hepatic toxicity of unmodified and time-release preparations of niacin

Niacin (nicotinic acid) is used frequently in the treatment of hypercholesteremia. It is available in both unmodified and time-release preparations. The latter were developed in attempts to minimize the skin-flushing reaction that affects virtually all users and may limit acceptance. Adverse effects on the liver from both unmodified and time-release preparations have been recognized for many years. We reviewed the literature on the hepatic toxicity of both types of niacin preparations. Adverse reactions in six patients resulted from the exclusive use of unmodified niacin and in two patients from the exclusive use of time-release preparations. In 10 additional patients, adverse reactions developed after an abrupt change from unmodified to time-release preparations. Many of these patients were ingesting time-release niacin at doses well above the usual therapeutic doses currently recommended. Signs of liver toxicity developed in less than 7 days in four of these 10 patients. In doses that achieve equivalent reductions in serum lipids, hepatic toxicity occurred more frequently with time-release preparations than with unmodified preparations. An awareness of toxicity associated with ingestion of high doses of time-release niacin preparations is important because of their widespread availability and the potential for self-prescribed, unmonitored use.
Desiccation and Ventilatory Control of Water Loss in Locusta migratoria migratorioides R. and F.

INVESTIGATIONS have shown that the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria migratorioides R. and F., is able to regulate its water loss according to its state of desiccation. Adult males of similar age and rearing conditions were starved for 24 h at either 96 per cent or 0 per cent relative humidity and 30° C before the experiments. In 1 h exposures to stirred air at 0 per cent relative humidity and 30° C the animals starved at 96 per cent relative humidity lost more water than those starved at 0 per cent relative humidity (Table 1). Possible error caused by adsorbed hygroscopic water on the cuticle was reduced by exposing all experimental animals to ambient (approximately 50 per cent relative humidity) for a brief period before the experiments.
Crowdsourcing for public safety

With advances in mobile technology, the ability to get real-time geographically accurate data, including photos and videos, becomes integrated into daily activities. Businesses use this technology edge to stay ahead of their competitors. Social media has made photo and video sharing a widely accepted and adopted behavior. This real-time data and information exchange, crowdsourcing, can be used to help first responders and personnel in emergency situations caused by extreme weather such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and snow storms. Using smartphones, civilians can contribute data and images to the recovery process and make it more efficient, which can ultimately save lives and decrease the economic impact caused by extreme weather conditions.
Can the procedure for prolapsing hemorrhoids (PPH) be done twice? Results of a porcine model.

Background: The procedure for prolapsing hemorrhoids (PPH) is a new surgical method for the treatment of symptomatic hemorrhoids. In cases of recurrent prolapse, the performance of a second PPH may result in a ring of mucosa and submucosa between the two circular staple lines. In this study, we used a porcine model to assess whether PPH can be safely performed twice. Methods: Five adult pigs underwent two PPH procedures in one session, leaving a ring of ~1 cm of mucosa between the two staple lines. One month later, the pigs were examined under anesthesia. The anal canal was assessed using the following four methods: (a) clinical examination, (b) evaluation of mucosal blood perfusion at different levels of the anal canal via a laser Doppler flow detector, (c) measurement of concentrations of hydroxyproline and collagen to check for fibrosis, and (d) histopathological examination. Results: At the completion of the study period, all five pigs showed no clinical evidence of anorectal dysfunction. On examination under anesthesia 1 month after surgery, there was no evidence of anal stenosis in any of the pigs. The mean mucosal blood flow between the two staple lines did not differ significantly from the flow measured proximally and distally (394 vs 363 and 339 flow units, respectively; p = NS). The collagen levels, based on hydroxyproline concentration, were 81 mcg/mg between the staple lines, compared to 82 and 79 proximally and distally, respectively (p = NS). There was no significant difference in degree of fibrosis, as assessed histopathologically, between specimens taken from the ring between the staple lines and specimens taken from the area external to the staple lines. Conclusions: The results of this porcine model suggest that a second synchronous PPH is feasible. A controlled experience involving human subjects is required to determine the safety and usefulness of this technique in cases of metachronous application for recurrent or residual hemorrhoids.
Thrombospondin 1 mediates angiotensin II induction of TGF-β activation by cardiac and renal cells under both high and low glucose conditions

Renal and cardiac fibrosis leading to organ failure are complications of both diabetes and hypertension. These disease processes, when combined, exacerbate development of fibrotic complications. Control of latent transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta activation is a potential determinant of fibrotic progression. Both glucose and angiotensin II (Ang II) upregulate thrombospondin-1 (TSP1), a major activator of latent TGF-beta, and stimulate increased TGF-beta activity. We previously showed that high glucose stimulated TSP1-dependent TGF-beta activation in rat mesangial cells (RMCs). In this paper, we examined whether Ang II similarly upregulates TSP1 production and TSP1-dependent TGF-beta activation alone or in combination with high glucose concentrations. Ang II and high glucose stimulated increases in TSP1 protein levels in the conditioned media of both rat cardiac fibroblasts (RCFs) and rat mesangial cells (RMCs). Meanwhile, Ang II stimulated increases in both TGF-beta activity and protein by RMCs, whereas, RCFs responded to both Ang II and high glucose with increased TGF-beta activity in the absence of altered TGF-beta protein levels. A combination of Ang II and high glucose induced synergistic TGF-beta activation by RCFs. Moreover, Ang II induction of TSP1 and increased TGF-beta activity were blocked by losartan, an antagonist of the Ang II type 1 (AT1) receptor. The increase in TSP1 expression leads to increased TGF-beta activity upon Ang II and/or glucose treatment, since peptide antagonists of TSP1-mediated TGF-beta activation blocked Ang II and glucose-induced TGF-beta activation. Our data support a role for TSP1 in the development and progression of renal and cardiac fibrosis in hypertension and diabetes.
Cantor set model of eolian dust deposits on desert alluvial fan terraces

Available data show that eolian dust accumulation rates on desert alluvial fan terraces are often inversely proportional to the square root of the terrace age for a given area. This temporal scaling is similar to that observed in fluvial and marine stratigraphic sequences in which a fractal distribution of hiatuses occurs (i.e., a Cantor set). Eolian dust accumulation on alluvial fan terraces is controlled by regional climatic influences on dust deposition (e.g., dessication of pluvial lakes in the early Holocene) and local surface characteristics (e.g., vegetation and pavement coverage) that control dust preservation. In order to interpret the observed scaling in terms of these relative influences I consider two end-member models: (1) a deterministic model in which dust deposition is controlled by cyclical climatic changes (i.e., glacial-interglacial cycles) and in which no erosion occurs, and (2) a stochastic model in which erosion and deposition take place with equal probability and magnitude during each time step (i.e., a bounded random walk). The observed temporal scaling is most consistent with the bounded random walk model, suggesting that long-term eolian dust accumulation is predominantly controlled by episodic changes in vegetation and pavement coverage over time and that eolian dust deposits are strongly punctuated by episodes of erosional reworking at a wide range of temporal scales.
Spin correlations and magnetoresistance in the bilayer manganite La1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7

Abstract We have studied the magnetic correlations in the x = 40% hole doped bilayer manganite La1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7 using neutron scattering. The in-plane correlations obey standard two-dimensional scaling above T C ∼113 K with a crossover towards three-dimensional critical behavior close to TC, consistent with quasi two-dimensional critical fluctuations. This suggests that conventional magnetism drives the phase transition while simultaneously destroying the charge correlations observed in the paramagnetic region.
Quantum conductance of multiwall carbon nanotubes

An analysis on the conductance of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNT's) is presented. Recent experiment indicated that MWNT's are good quantum conductors. Our theory shows that tunneling current between states on different walls of a defect-free, infinitely long MWNT is vanishingly small in general, which leads to the quantization of the conductance of the MWNT's. With a reasonable simple model, we explicitly show that the conductance of a capped MWNT can be determined by the outermost wall for an infinitely long nanotube. We apply the theory to finite MWNT's and estimate the generic interwall conductance to be negligible compared to the intrawall ballistic conductance.
The Comparability of Focus Group and Survey Results Three Case Studies

This article compares focus group findings with those of surveys on the same topics in three studies in order to determine the extent to which the two methodologces yield similar results. The studies included two follow-ups of tubal ligation acceptors (in Guatemala and Zaire) and research concerning attitudes toward vasectomy in Honduras. On 88% of the variables, the results from the two methods were similar; moreover, in half of the cases, the focus groups provided additional detail. The research suggests that focus groups and surveys provide consistent results on the types of variables for which focus groups are appropriate.
A structural requirement for processing the cardiac K+ channel KCNQ1.

Normal membrane protein function requires trafficking from the endoplasmic reticulum. Here, we studied processing of the KCNQ1 channel mutated in LQT1, the commonest form of the long QT syndrome. Serial C terminus truncations identified a small region (amino acids (aa) 610–620) required for normal cell surface expression. Non-trafficked truncations assembled as tetramers but were nevertheless retained in the endoplasmic reticulum. Further mutagenesis did not identify specific residues mediating channel processing; cell surface expression was preserved with the mutation of known trafficking motifs in the channel and with alanine scanning across aa 610–620. Structural prediction algorithms place aa 610–620 at the C-terminal end of an α-helix (aa 586–618) that includes a leucine zipper and is part of a coiled coil. Mutants disrupting the leucine zipper but preserving the predicted coiled coil reached the cell surface, whereas those disrupting the coil did not. These data suggest that specific protein-protein interactions are required for normal channel processing. Further biochemical studies ruled out three candidate proteins, namely KCNE1, yotiao, and KCNQ1 itself, as effectors of this coiled coil-mediated trafficking. Four LQT1 mutations within this helix generated little or no current and were not expressed on the cell surface, whereas LQT1 mutations in adjacent residues, which produce a milder clinical phenotype, generate only slightly reduced current and are expressed on the cell surface. These data suggest that mutations within this domain cause human disease by interfering with normal channel processing. More generally, we have identified a domain whose structural integrity is required for normal surface expression of the KCNQ1 channel.
Chambered capsule coatings

Abstract The sputter deposition of coatings onto polymer capsules is accomplished using a chambered substrate platform for qualitative comparison to a conventional, open bounce pan configuration. Metals are sputter deposited through an aperture onto a 1–2 mm diameter, hollow polymer sphere within a chamber that is 2–4 times the volume of the capsule. Two methods are assessed in a proof-of-principle demonstration to produce a random bounce of the capsules within each chamber in order to produce a coating with uniform thickness. The first is by ultrasonic vibration and the second through pulsed-gas levitation. Optical cross-sections of aluminum and nickel coated capsules prepared using the ultrasonic drive and pulsed-gas levitation, respectively, show that uniform coatings can be produced using a chambered substrate platform. For the examples of 1–2 μm aluminum and nickel coatings, the thickness variation is less than 30 nm. Potential advantages of the chambered approach include improved sample yield, reduced surface roughness, and waste minimization. For one example of an aluminum coating, the chambered configuration reduces the surface roughness by 300% in comparison to the open bounce pan.
High-yield synthesis of carbon coils on tungsten substrates and their behavior in the presence of an electric field

We report an effective procedure for fabricating carbon microcoils and nanocoils with three-dimensional spiral structures in high yield by nickel (Ni)-catalyzed thermal decomposition of acetylene. The Ni catalyst particles used in this preparation were electrochemically deposited onto tungsten substrates. Springlike coils having low pitch and micrometer-scale diameters and ropelike coils having higher pitch and nanometer-scale diameters were observed. Electrical and optical properties were investigated by employing a field-emission probe system equipped with an optical spectrometer. In an applied field above 1.5 V/μm, significant electron emission was observed from individual ropelike nanocoils. The approximately linear slope of the corresponding Fowler-Nordheim plot denotes predominately field-emission behavior. During measurement, individual carbon coils aligned themselves along the electric field, exhibiting a natural resonance on some occasions. As the field strength increased above 2.5 V/μm, the emission-current density for a single nanocoil was measured to be on the order of 10 4 A/cm 2 . This high-current density caused Joule heating, resulting in strong photon emission by incandescence.
Partial purification of human lymphocyte activating factor.

Abstract Lymphocyte Activating Factor (LAF) is a T lymphocyte stimulant released by human monocytes cultured for 18–24 hours in tissue culture medium containing 5% human serum and the non-specific immunostimulant lipopoly-saccharide. The purification of LAF is essentially the separation of low MW LAF (∼13.000) from the human serum proteins required for production of the activity. Hollow fiber ultrafiltration has been found to effect a rapid separation of low MW LAF from serum proteins, but with a yield of only 20% of the original activity. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) efficiently separates LAF from all traces of human serum, resulting in a purified sample containing no measurable protein and revealing no bands on polyacrylamide gels. The IEF purified material is about 2% of the low MW activity present in the unfractionated culture medium and is highly active in the biological assay system.
Attacking or Self-Promoting? The Influence of Tone of Advertising and Issue Relevance on Candidate Evaluations and the Likelihood of Voting for an Emerging Challenger in Korea

This experimental study examines the effectiveness of attacking strategy for a challenger candidate, and the moderating role of issue relevance in negative political advertising. Results indicate that the effects of negative advertising on the sponsoring candidate's personal attributes depend on issue relevance. That is, participants gave the highest evaluations of the sponsoring candidate's personal attributes when exposed to positive advertising with low-relevance issues. When it comes to the sponsoring candidate's qualification attributes, participants were more likely to give higher evaluations when issue relevance was high regardless of the tone of the advertising. As would be expected, the emerging challenger encountered unintended consequences in terms of participants' likelihood of voting when employing negative advertising to attack the leading candidate. Participants exposed to negative ads were less likely to vote for the sponsoring candidate than those who were exposed to positive ads.
Synthesis and characterization of mono-, bi- abd tetra-ruthenium (II) phenanthroline complexes with dipyrido (2,3-a; 2′,3′-h)phenazine (dpop)

Abstract A series of coordination complexes, [(phen)2Ru(dpop)](PF2)2, [((phen)2Ru)2(dpop)](PF6)4 and [((phen)2Ru(dpop))3Ru] (PF6)8 (dpop = dipyrido(2.3-a; 2′,3′-h)phenazine) were synthesized, and their properties characterized. Electronic absorption spectra display intense metal-to-ligand charge transfer absorptions in the visible spectrum at wavelegnths longer than reported for similar complexes with other bridging ligands. Cyclic voltammograms show reversible waves associated with ruthenium oxidation and dpop reductions. The cyclic voltammogram of the tetra-ruthenium complex shows two sets of dpop reduction waves which are separated from the phen reductions. Electrolysis of the multi-ruthenium complexes produces mixed valent species that display absorptions in the near-IR associated with intervalence transfer (IT) transitions. Spectroelectrochemical data are presented and used to support transition assignments.
17O MAS NMR study of the oxygen local environments in the anionic conductors Y2(B1−xB′x)2O7(B, B′=Sn, Ti, Zr)

Abstract The local environments for oxygen in yttrium-containing pyrochlores and fluorites, Y2(B1−xB′x)2O7 (B=Ti, B′=Sn, Zr) are investigated by using solid state 17O MAS NMR spectroscopy. The quadrupolar coupling constants of the I= 5 2 nucleus, 17O are sufficiently small for these ionic oxides, that high-resolution spectra are obtained from the MAS spectra. Different oxygen NMR resonances are observed due to local environments with differing numbers of metal cations (Y3+, Sn4+, Ti4+ and Zr4+), allowing the numbers of different local environments to be quantified and cation mixing to be investigated. Evidence for pyrochlore-like local ordering is detected for Y2Zr2O7, which nominally adopts the fluorite structure.
“He Will Crush You Like an Academic Ninja!”: Exploring Teacher Ratings on Ratemyprofessors.com

This study examines students' motives for use and perceptions of the web site http://www.ratemyprofessors.com, one of the main sites that allow students to post anonymous ratings of college professors in the United States and Canada. The contents of comments posted to the web site are examined for relationships to numerical ratings on the site and motivations expressed by students for participating in the rating process. Qualitative (focus group interviews) and quantitative (content analysis) investigations are presented. Students' motives for accessing Ratemyprofessors.com include information seeking, convenience, and interpersonal utility. As regards teacher ratings, the results indicate that students were primarily concerned with issues such as instructor competence and the classroom experience.
Generating charge densities of fullerenes

A simple procedure is presented to generate the occupied electron charge density of an arbitrary fullerene structure. The generated charge density has an error of $\ensuremath{\sim}1%$ compared to the ab initio self-consistently calculated charge density, and it leads to an error of $\ensuremath{\sim}50 \mathrm{meV}$ for the eigenenergy spectrum and $\ensuremath{\sim}5 \mathrm{meV}$ per atom error for the total energy.
Convergence under ×q of ×p Invariant Measures on the Circle

Abstract Consider the semigroup of maps {Tn}n∈ N where Tn(x) = nx mod 1. Suppose p and q are multiplicatively independent integers in that they are not both powers of the same integer. Further suppose that μ is a Borel probability measure, invariant, ergodic, and of positive entropy for Tp. We show that the sequence of measures Tiq(μ) converges weak* to Lebesgue measure on a subsequence of values i of uniform full density.
Interaction and Physiology

In Body and Mind (Garden City, N.Y., I970) Keith Campbell argues that there is no dualist interaction between the mental and the physical. Given recent advances in brain physiology, he says, it is very likely that 'for explaining events in the brain, physiology is, in principle, complete' (P. 52). The completeness of physiology is, however, 'incompatible with matter-spirit interaction' (p. 40). Thus it is very likely that dualist interactionism is false. In this paper I hope to show that Campbell's argument does not succeed. Campbell construes the completeness of physiology in at least three different ways. At times he envisages the possibility of explaining (and thus predicting and retrodicting) every brain happening using purely physical laws, i.e. laws referring only to physical states or events. Thus, given a complete physiology, every brain event would 'follow recognized physical laws' (p. 5I), and no brain event would involve a 'departure from physical law' (p. i8). But if every brain event can be explained using purely physical laws, interactionism is, he claims, false: 'If the brain's activities of a physical kind all occur in accordance with physical laws, suffering a burn, tasting the sweetness of sugar, or smelling the piquancy of cloves are processes in which experience of the quality in question is inoperative in behaviour' (p. i iI). IEven if it should prove possible to provide purely physical explanations of every brain event, however, it does not follow, as Campbell claims, that interactionism is false. Suppose a purely physical law correlating successive brain states of kinds B1 and B2, and having the form: B1 if, and only if, B2. Suppose, too, a psychophysical law correlating the simultaneous occurrence of mental states of kind M1 and brain states of kind B1, and having the form: M1 if, and only if, B1. For example, suppose that pain of a certain kind (M1) occurs if, and only if, the brain is simultaneously in a certain physical state (B1), and the brain is in that state if, and only if, it is subsequently in another particular kind of physical state (B2). Now in the situation supposed one can explain the occurrence of a B2 using only the purely physical law B1 if, and only if, B2. But one can also explain the occurrence of a B2 using the psychophysical law M1 if, and only if, B2. One can explain the subsequent brain state by referring either to the prior brain state or to the prior pain (or to both, for that matter). Purely physical explanations are not, then, incompatible with psychophysical ones. It follows that the possibility of a complete physiology, in the present sense, does not rule out interactionist explanations of events in the brain. This is not, of course, to say that psychophysical explanations must be interactionist, for epiphenomenalism is a possibility here. More of this later.
The Cartesian Masculinization of Thought

Les " Meditations " de Descartes comme miroir de l'anxiete epistemique de son epoque et comme reponse a cette inquietude contemporaine de la separation entre monde " interieur " et monde exterieur. Analyse de cette separation en termes de psychologie du developpement : c'est l'univers maternel du Moyen Age, l'unite homme-nature, qui se scinde, permettant l'acces a l'individuation. Descartes repond a l'anxiete nee de cette separation par une fuite du feminin, une " virilisation " du monde et de la pensee. Separe de la mere-nature et des illusions de l'enfance, l'homme de raison se pose comme son propre pere, " rene " qu'il est dans un monde objective et mecanique
Suicidal and depressive feelings among college students.

A questionnaire concerning their suicidal and depressive thoughts was administered to a sample of university students Over 40% had thought of killing themselves and less than 10% denied at least having felt deeply discouraged and unhappy. Religion was related to the presence of suicidal thoughts, and sex to reported frequency of such thoughts. Students were most likely to tell a friend of such thoughts, and, at a significant level, the friend was of the same sex as the respondent. Scores on locus of control, social desirability, and test anxiety measures were unrelated to suicidal and depressive thoughts. Results are compared with findings from other studies. The utility of reported depressive and suicidal thoughts as predictors of suicidal behavior is questioned.
Vitamin E, signalosomes and gene expression in T cells

CD4+T cells from aged humans or mice show significant reductions in IL-2 production upon activation. The resulting decreased proliferation is linked to higher risks of infection in the elderly. Several lines of evidence indicate that intrinsic defects preferentially affecting the naive subset of CD4+T cells contribute to this reduced IL-2 production. Comparison of the biochemical pathways that transduce activation signals from the T cell receptor to the IL-2 promoter in young and old CD4+T cells has demonstrated age-related impairments at initial molecular events, in particular the phosphorylation of kinases and adapter proteins involved in the formation of signalosomes - complex multiprotein assemblies that provide the framework for effective signal transduction. Confocal microscopy has demonstrated a series of age-related impairments in effective immune synapse formation. Vitamin E can reverse many of these CD4+T cell age-associated defects, including reduced levels of phosphorylation of critical signaling/adapter proteins as well as defective immune synapse formation. Vitamin E also enhances IL-2 production, expression of several cell cycle control proteins, and proliferation. Although the precise mechanisms underlying this effect are not understood, it is possible that this antioxidant lipophilic vitamin can prevent the propagation of polyunsaturated fatty acid peroxidation in the cell membrane, influence the biochemical characteristics of specific lipid bilayer microdomains involved in signal transduction, modulate the activity of kinases/phosphatases, or interact with intracellular receptors.
Pulmonary metastases of endocrine origin: the role of surgery.

Purpose To determine the clinical course and outcome of patients undergoing pulmonary resection for metastatic endocrine tumors. Methods Retrospective review of 47 patients with known endocrine tumors and pulmonary metastases who were evaluated for surgical resection between 1975 and 1996. Results Tumors evaluated included the following: carcinoid (16), thyroid (12), pancreatic adenocarcinoma (10), adrenocortical carcinoma (6), pheochromocytoma (2), and parathyroid (1). Thirty-three patients were asymptomatic. Hormone secretion was noted in five patients. Twenty-five patients, who had isolated lung metastases, good control of the primary tumor, and no medical contraindication had surgical resection. The number of pulmonary nodules was not a limiting factor as long as all disease could be resected with adequate residual pulmonary function. CT was successful in directing resection in all patients. Twenty-six operations were performed in 25 patients and 22 patients were treated medically. Wedge resection was performed for lesions Conclusion Patients with endocrine tumors and pulmonary metastases are usually asymptomatic, their conditions are diagnosed accurately with CT, and they can achieve long-term survival comparable to other tumors (sarcoma) after pulmonary metastasectomy. Clinical implications Patients with carcinoid, thyroid, pheochromocytoma, and parathyroid tumors with pulmonary metastases should undergo surgical resection if there is the following: (1) no evidence of extrathoracic disease; (2) good control of the primary tumor; (3) no medical contraindications for surgery; and (4) pulmonary function that can tolerate resection of all documented disease. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with positive lymph nodes needs further study.
Behavioral and Emotional Adjustment of School-Aged Children from Methamphetamine-Producing Homes: A Rural Tennessee Sample

ABSTRACT The effects of a methamphetamine (meth) environment on child outcomes are still unknown. The objective of this study was to gather data on children who lived in meth-producing (MP) homes to determine whether they are at increased risk for developing psychosocial adjustment problems. The 78 participants were 8- and 9-year-old Caucasian children; 40 lived in MP homes and 38 lived in non-producing (NP) homes. The groups were similar in age, gender, and socioeconomic background. Ratings of the children using the Behavior Assessment System for Children Self-Report (BASC-SRP) were compared for both groups. The children from the MP homes were at increased risk for school maladjustment. This preliminary result documents the need for further studies in this population.
Composite Higgs bosons in the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model.

If more than one doublet of composite Higgs bosons is formed with quarks and antiquarks alone in the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model, their couplings to quarks are subject to interesting constraints. The Higgs doublets orthogonal to the linear combination responsible for mass generation almost decouple with the right-handed {ital t} quark, but couple with one or more of the right-handed {ital u}, {ital d}, {ital s}, {ital c}, and {ital b} quarks with Yukawa coupling constants of order 1. If there are only two light doublets, the doublet orthogonal to the mass-generating combination is likely to couple with the right-handed {ital b} quark with a Yukawa coupling constant {congruent}{ital m}{sub {ital t}}/{ital v}.
An overview of hydrogen safety sensors and requirements

Internationally, there is a commitment to increase the utilization of hydrogen as a clean and renewable alternative to carbon-based fuels. Hydrogen safety sensors are critical to assure the safe deployment of hydrogen systems; but, because there exists a broad range of sensor options, selecting an appropriate sensor technology can be complicated. Some sensor technologies might not be a good fit for a specific application. Facility engineers and other end-users, however, are expected to select the optimal sensor for their systems. Making informed decisions requires an understanding of the general analytical performance specifications that can be expected for a given sensor technology. Although there are many commercial sensors, most can be classified into relatively few specific sensor types. Each specific platform has characteristic analytical trends, advantages, and limitations. Knowledge of these trends can guide the selection of the optimal technology for a specific application.
Malignant fibrous histiocytoma two years after autologous stem cell transplant for Hodgkin lymphoma: Evidence for genomic instability

Secondary malignancies (SMs) in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) are thought to be related to exposure to alkalating agents, topoisomerase II inhibitors and ionizing radiation, and tend to occur a decade after initial therapy. We report a 14 year old autistic male, who developed malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) two years after autologous stem cell transplantation for advanced stage HL. The MFH and post-surgical reactive tissues exhibited multiple clonal abnormalities. In addition, PHA-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes showed increased frequency of non-clonal chromosomal aberrations. The potential role of genomic instability in early onset of SM in our patient is discussed. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2011;56:1143–1145. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Metaphors and Stories in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Children

Despite the recent proliferation of material on cognitive behavioral approaches with children and adolescents and the call for these approaches to be more child-friendly, there is scant attention paid to the use of metaphors with youngsters. This paper emphasizes the value metaphors add to cognitive behavioral therapy with children and adolescents. The advantages which recommend metaphor use for cognitive behavioral therapy with children are delineated. Further, seven guidelines for clinical practice are outlined. Examples of both clinician-generated and patient-generated metaphors are also presented.
Simulation in corporate decision making: then and now

We present the results of a 1985 study, which replicates a 1975 study by Cox, Ledbetter, and Smith (1977), and attempt to mea sure the use of simulation modeling to support decision-making in major U.S corporations. Specifically, the purposes of the paper are to (1) measure the development and use of simulation models at all levels of decision-making (operational, tactical, and stra tegic) ; (2) examine the use of simulation within each functional area; (3) identify specific application areas within each functional area where simulation is being used; and (4) compare this study's results with those from the Cox, Ledbetter, and Smith (1977) study.
The Necessity and Reliability of Intraoperative Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) Testing in Patients with Mild Hyperparathyroidism and PTH Levels in the Normal Range

Intraoperative parathyroid hormone (IoPTH) testing is useful in the management of hyperparathyroidism. The successful removal of hypersecreting parathyroids is indicated by a decrease in PTH levels >50% within 15 min. A subset of patients with mild hyperparathyroidism will actually have starting PTH levels in the normal range. We sought to determine if IoPTH testing is necessary in these patients and if the 50% rule delineating surgical cure is reliable. A retrospective review was performed on all patients who underwent parathyroidectomy for hyperparathyroidism at a single institution from 3/2001 to 8/2008. Of the 1,001 patients, 142 (14%) had mild hyperparathyroidism and normal baseline PTH levels ( 50% decline in PTH levels after resection of hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands, and their operations were terminated. In contrast, 37 (26%) patients did not have a >50% decline in PTH levels leading to further surgical exploration. In these 37 patients, the PTH levels fell by >50% after the removal of the additional glands in 25 patients (17.6%) and dropped after 20 min in 7 patients (4.9%). In 5 patients (3.5%) the IoPTH did not drop. Of the 142 total patients, 91 had single adenomas and 51 patients had multi-gland disease. All patients (100%) were cured (normal serum calcium after 6 months). Intraoperative PTH testing plays an important role in the operative management in 14% of patients with mild hyperparathyroidism. Importantly, a 50% decline in IoPTH level within 15 min of parathyroidectomy is 96.5% reliable in predicting cure in these patients with PTH starting in the normal range.
Distinct neurobehavioral dysfunction based on the timing of developmental binge-like alcohol exposure

Gestational exposure to alcohol can result in long-lasting behavioral deficiencies generally described as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). FASD-modeled rodent studies of acute ethanol exposure typically select one developmental window to simulate a specific context equivalent of human embryogenesis, and study consequences of ethanol exposure within that particular developmental epoch. Exposure timing is likely a large determinant in the neurobehavioral consequence of early ethanol exposure, as each brain region is variably susceptible to ethanol cytotoxicity and has unique sensitive periods in their development. We made a parallel comparison of the long-term effects of single-day binge ethanol at either embryonic day 8 (E8) or postnatal day 7 (P7) in male and female mice, and here demonstrate the differential long-term impacts on neuroanatomy, behavior and in vivo electrophysiology of two systems with very different developmental trajectories. The significant long-term differences in odor-evoked activity, local circuit inhibition, and spontaneous coherence between brain regions in the olfacto-hippocampal pathway that were found as a result of developmental ethanol exposure, varied based on insult timing. Long-term effects on cell proliferation and interneuron cell density were also found to vary by insult timing as well as by region. Finally, spatial memory performance and object exploration were affected in P7-exposed mice, but not E8-exposed mice. Our physiology and behavioral results are conceptually coherent with the neuroanatomical data attained from these same mice. Our results recognize both variable and shared effects of ethanol exposure timing on long-term circuit function and their supported behavior.
Synthesis of arenes from phenols by coupling of aryl triflates with organocopper reagents

Abstract Aryl triflates react with higher order mixed cuprates R2Cu(CN)Li2 to produce arenes in good yield. The aryl ring may have either an electron-donating or an electron-withdrawing substituent; the organocuprate may be either primary, secondary, tertiary, aryl, or vinyl.
Perinatal Tobacco Smoke Exposure Increases Vascular Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Damage in Non-Human Primates

Epidemiological studies suggest that events occurring during fetal and early childhood development influence disease susceptibility. Similarly, molecular studies in mice have shown that in utero exposure to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) increased adult atherogenic susceptibility and mitochondrial damage; however, the molecular effects of similar exposures in primates are not yet known. To determine whether perinatal ETS exposure increased mitochondrial damage, dysfunction and oxidant stress in primates, archived tissues from the non-human primate model Macaca mulatta (M. mulatta) were utilized. M. mulatta were exposed to low levels of ETS (1 mg/m3 total suspended particulates) from gestation (day 40) to early childhood (1 year), and aortic tissues were assessed for oxidized proteins (protein carbonyls), antioxidant activity (SOD), mitochondrial function (cytochrome oxidase), and mitochondrial damage (mitochondrial DNA damage). Results revealed that perinatal ETS exposure resulted in significantly increased oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and damage which were accompanied by significantly decreased mitochondrial antioxidant capacity and mitochondrial copy number in vascular tissue. Increased mitochondrial damage was also detected in buffy coat tissues in exposed M. mulatta. These studies suggest that perinatal tobacco smoke exposure increases vascular oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage in primates, potentially increasing adult disease susceptibility.
Research on Performance of Current Transformer Affected by DC Bias

This paper expatiates on the transfer characteristics of current transformer (CT) affected by DC bias. It explains the causations and approaches of the DC bias established, base on equivalent circuit models, electromagnetic equations and results of test analyze the effects of CT by DC bias. Result indicates that, the DC bias current will move error curve of instrument CTs to negative coordinate, and accelerate initial saturation time of protective CTs. Finally, simulation has been done to prove theory analysis. The presented result provides consultation for proper selection of both instrument and protective CTs.
Transductal Fluxes of Water and Monovalent Ions in Ferret Salivary Glands

The net transductal fluxes of water and monovalent ions were measured in the parotid and submandibular salivary glands of the ferret, Mustela putorius furo, during stimulation of secretion with pilocarpine. The duct systems of these glands were found to be impermeable to water using the split-oil droplet method for stationary microperfusion of lobular and main ducts. The net transductal fluxes of Na+, K+, Cl-, and HCO3- were characterized by analysis of ductal fluid samples obtained simultaneously from the intercalated, lobular, and main ducts of these glands.
Effect of Substrate Roughness on D Spacing Supports Theoretical Resolution of Vapor Pressure Paradox

The lamellar D spacing has been measured for oriented stacks of lecithin bilayers prepared on a variety of solid substrates and hydrated from the vapor. We find that, when the bilayers are in the L(alpha) phase near 100% relative humidity, the D spacing is consistently larger when the substrate is rougher than when it is smooth. The differences become smaller as the relative humidity is decreased to 80% and negligible differences are seen in the L(beta') phase. Our interpretation is that rough substrates frustrate the bilayer stack energetically, thereby increasing the fluctuations, the fluctuational repulsive forces, and the water spacing compared with stacks on smooth surfaces. This interpretation is consistent with and provides experimental support for a recently proposed theoretical resolution of the vapor pressure paradox.
The Gingrich Senators and Party Polarization in the U.S. Senate

The political parties in the Senate are almost as polarized at they are in the House. Nevertheless, the explanations for party polarization work better in the House than they do in the Senate. In this article, we argue that the polarization in the House has directly contributed to polarization in the Senate. We find that almost the entire growth in Senate party polarization since the early 1970s can be accounted for by Republican senators who previously served in the House after 1978—a group we call the “Gingrich Senators.” While our analysis indicates that part of this effect has its roots in the senators’ constituencies, the experience of these representatives serving in the House continues to exert a real and substantial effect on their voting behavior in the Senate.
Vehicle–Vehicle Channel Models for the 5-GHz Band

In this paper, we describe the results of a channel measurement and modeling campaign for the vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) channel in the 5-GHz band. We describe measurements and results for delay spread, amplitude statistics, and correlations for multiple V2V environments. We also discuss considerations used in developing statistical channel models for these environments and provide some sample results. Several statistical channel models are presented, and using simulation results, we elucidate tradeoffs between model implementation complexity and fidelity. The channel models presented should be useful for system designers in future V2V communication systems.
Spatial and Temporal Variations in Electronic Transport Through a CdTe-Based Schottky Barrier

We study the electric current through metal-semiconductor junctions of a type used in thin-film PV for back contacts. To concentrate on one type of junction we used the symmetric structures of rf-sputtered CdTe layer sandwiched between two Cr contacts. Along with the conventional measurements, the current-sensing contact mode AFM was employed to measure the current-voltage characteristics and current variations with time under fixed voltage. We found that (i) the electric current flow is laterally strongly nonuniform; (ii) it chaotically varies over time; (iii) this behavior did not correlate with surface topography. We interpret our observations in terms of defect assisted tunneling through time-dependent defect pathways.