cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distribution of chironomids in the littoral zone of Lake Texoma, Oklahoma and Texas

Lake Texoma in southcentral Oklahoma was formed by the impoundment of the Washita and Red Rivers. The Red River is more highly saline than the Washita and creates a complex salinity gradient across the reservoir. Populations of chironomids were monitored with multiple-plate samplers in areas of high (34–113 mg l−1 Cl−), intermediate (35–60 mg l−1 Cl−) and low (4–27 mg l−1 Cl−) salinity during the spring and summer of 1978. Food availability, temperature, salinity and wind direction influenced the distribution of the 14 genera and at least 22 species of chironomids which colonized the multiple-plate samplers. Filter-feeders attained their highest densities in the river-arm stations where levels of particulate organic matter (POM) were high. Algal grazers attained their highest densities in the clear intermediate area where the plates of the samplers were covered with algal mats. Most of the genera believed to be feeding primarily on POM decreased in density as the temperature and density of Glyptotendipes sp. rose. Certain species were restricted to either the Red River arm or the Washita River arm and this is probably a reflection of different salinity tolerances.
Definition, Incidence, Correlates, and Clinical Impact of “Nuisance” Bleeding in Patients Undergoing Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation

"Nuisance" bleeding, or superficial bleeding, after antiplatelet therapy is not well characterized despite its potential to affect patient compliance and premature cessation of oral antiplatelet therapy, which can lead to clinical events, such as stent thrombosis. In contrast to major, moderate, or minor bleeding, nuisance bleeding has never been included in the primary or secondary end points of antiplatelet and antithrombin trials and was not reported as an in-hospital or follow-up event in the pivotal pharmacology or device trials associated with percutaneous coronary intervention. Currently, the incidence and impact of these bleeds are not officially recorded and remain unknown. Indeed, there are challenges in the definition, in the acquisition of consistent phenomenon characteristics, and its attribution to major clinical adverse events. Nuisance bleeding is commonly seen in patients on dual antiplatelet therapy. It may be the cause of premature cessation of oral antiplatelet therapy, which is detrimental to prognosis after drug-eluting stent implantation. This article discusses the various definitions, incidence, correlates, and clinical impact of this phenomenon.
Contextual analysis of the adoption of a communications technology: the case of satellites in India

Abstract Using India as a case study, this article examines the factors which influence the decision by a developing country to adopt a new technology such as communication satellites. A detailed chronology of the planning and experimentation that preceded implementation of the INSAT system is presented. The political, economic, and socio-cultural factors that appear to have influenced the decision are discussed, and a general model of contextual elements that may influence adoption and utilization of satellites is presented.
Advanced displays for modeling and simulation

Is the Java 3D API able to support the visualization requirements of a complex Modeling and Simulation environment for the next generation of Collaborative Command and Control applications? As a simple test of its functionality, a demonstration application will be programmed to create a terrain, populate it with a number of primitive objects (radar, airplanes, etc..), and allow the user to navigate through the terrain.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Fine and hyperfine structure in highly excited states of sodium

Abstract The technique of double photon absorption spectroscopy without Doppler broadening is used to measure the hyperfine separation interval in the excited 6S state and the fine structure interval in the excited 5D state of sodium vapor.
Statistical learning of conditional orthographic correspondences

The English writing system deviates widely from the alphabetic ideal of uniform one-to-one correspondence between graphemes and phonemes, but its inconsistency is greatly reduced when conditional sound–spelling rules are applied. When reading or writing one part of a word, children and adults evinced knowledge of rules sensitive to the identity of other letters or phonemes, even those appearing much later in the word. Adults also showed sensitivity to the distinction between the basic and Romance subsystems of English (Albrow’s Systems 1 and 2). Children as young as 6 years applied conditional rules that they were not taught, indicating implicit statistical learning of patterns observed in text. But learning is imperfect, and even adults did not match the frequency with which the patterns are found in English words.
Probing Biosensor Interfaces by Multifrequency Phase and Modulation Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (MPM-TIRF)

The multifrequency phase and modulation (MPM) technique is used in concert with total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) to probe in situ the distribution of free and analyte-bound sites of a fluorescently labeled, silica-immobilized F(ab') antibody fragment. Using this new technique, one is able to recover the affinity constant (Kf) for the immobilized antibody, determine the effects of storage time on Kf and the excited-state fluorescence decay parameters, and follow time-dependent changes in antibody conformation at the silica substrata. This new technique adds a powerful tool to the study of biosensor interfaces.
Brevetoxin derivatives act as partial agonists at neurotoxin site 5 on the voltage-gated Na+ channel

Abstract Brevetoxins (PbTx-1 to PbTx-10) are potent lipid-soluble polyether neurotoxins produced by the marine dinoflagellate Karina brevis, an organism associated with ‘red tide’ blooms in the Gulf of Mexico. Ingestion of shellfish contaminated with K. brevis produces neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) in humans. NSP symptoms emanate from brevetoxin activation of neurotoxin site 5 on voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSC) [Toxicon 20 (1982) 457]. In primary cultures of rat cerebellar granule neurons (CGN), brevetoxins produce acute neuronal injury and death. The ability of a series of naturally occurring and synthetic brevetoxins to trigger Ca2+ influx in CGN was explored in the present study. Intracellular Ca2+ concentration was monitored in fluo-3-loaded CGN using a fluorescent laser imaging plate reader. The naturally occurring derivatives PbTx-1, PbTx-2 and PbTx-3 all produced a rapid and concentration-dependent increase in cytosolic [Ca2+]. The maximum response to PbTx-1 was approximately two-fold greater than that of either PbTx-2 or PbTx-3. Two synthetic derivatives of PbTx-3, α-naphthoyl-PbTx-3 and β-naphthoyl-PbTx-3, were also tested. Both α- and β-naphthoyl-PbTx-3 stimulated a rapid and concentration-dependent Ca2+ influx that was, however, less efficacious than that of PbTx-3. These data indicate that, analogous to neurotoxin site 2 ligands, activators of neurotoxin site 5 display a range of efficacies, with PbTx-1 being a full agonist and other derivatives acting as partial agonists.
Assessment of pain in the transport environment: a review of the literature.

Introduction Critically ill or injured patients who are transported experience pain. Pain is associated with multiple adverse affects including tachycardia, hypertension, anxiety, elevated blood glucose levels, and diaphoresis. Methods Using multiple search terms, the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature and MEDLINE databases as well as pertinent Web sites were searched for relevant information. Results An important component of pain management is pain assessment, yet little empirically based literature is available regarding pain assessment for patients who are transported. Discussion The purpose of this article is to review the literature regarding the transport nursing environment and barriers to pain assessment during transport.
Valproic Acid Increases Cerebrospinal Fluid Zidovudine Levels in a Patient With AIDS

Valproic acid is an anticonvulsant drug known to inhibit the glucuronidation of zidovudine (AZT) in human liver microsomes. Zidovudine is metabolized by glucuronidation to the inactive 5'-glucuronide with a short plasma half-life (1.0 +/- 0.2 hour). This case presentation confirms that valproic acid inhibits glucuronidation in vivo, and this is the first documented observation of increased cerebrospinal fluid levels of zidovudine because of an interaction with valproic acid in a patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The peak plasma AZT level for the control period was 119 ng/mL, which increased almost 3-fold to 344 ng/mL with valproic acid (1.5 g/day). The plasma AZT trough was 47 ng/mL, which also increased almost 3-fold to 124 ng/mL with valproic acid. The molar ratio of plasma 5'-glucuronide/AZT at the peak was reduced from 1.77 (control) to 1.07 with valproic acid. The 5'-glucuronide/AZT ratio at the trough was reduced markedly from 5.0 (control) to 0.93 with valproic acid, suggesting in vivo inhibition of glucuronidation. Cerebrospinal AZT levels, drawn 30 minutes after peak plasma levels, increased from 27 ng/mL for the control to 47 ng/mL with valproic acid, which paralleled the change in peak plasma concentrations. This interaction with valproic acid may contribute to higher AZT levels in the brains of patients with human immunodeficiency virus-related (HIV) encephalopathy.
Comparative analyses of B cell populations in trout kidney and mouse bone marrow; establishing “B cell signatures”

This study aimed to identify the frequency and distribution of developing B cell populations in the kidney of the rainbow trout, using four molecular B cell markers that are highly conserved between species, including two transcription factors, Pax5 and EBF1, recombination-activating gene RAG1, and the immunoglobulin heavy chain mu. Three distinct B cell stages were defined: early developing B cells (CLP, pro-B, and early pre-B cells), late developing B cell (late pre-B, immature B, and mature B cells), and IgM-secreting cells. Developmental stage-specific, combinatorial expression of Pax5, EBF1, RAG1 and immunoglobulin mu was determined in trout anterior kidney cells by flow cytometry. Trout staining patterns were compared to a well-defined primary immune tissue, mouse bone marrow, and using mouse surface markers B220 and CD43. A remarkable level of similarity was uncovered between the primary immune tissues of both species. Subsequent analysis of the entire trout kidney, divided into five contiguous segments K1-K5, revealed a complex pattern of early developing, late developing, and IgM-secreting B cells. Patterns in anterior kidney segment K1 were most similar to those of mouse bone marrow, while the most posterior part of the kidney, K5, had many IgM-secreting cells, but lacked early developing B cells. A potential second B lymphopoiesis site was uncovered in segment K4 of the kidney. The B cell patterns, or "B cell signatures" described here provide information on the relative abundance of distinct developing B cell populations in the trout kidney, and can be used in future studies on B cell development in other vertebrate species.
Factors Influencing Mortality of Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) during a Mass Downing

ABSTRACT During the fall, hundreds of thousands of Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) stage on the Great Salt Lake, Utah. Mortalities resulting from birds being forced to the ground (downings) during migration occur every few years. A large (>7,000 birds) die-off of migrating Eared Grebes occurred 12 December 2011 in and around Cedar City, Utah. We examined body condition, age, sex, and heavy metal concentrations among downed birds and those that still occupied the Great Salt Lake both pre- and post-downing. Eared Grebes that we collected pre-downing were heavier (523 g) than deceased birds (433 g). Body weight (g) and subcutaneous fat thickness (mm) were lower in downed birds than pre-downing birds, likely the result of the 400-km flight from the staging area to Cedar City. Liver, heart, and intestine weights were all significantly greater in both pre- and post-downing birds than downed birds. This may be because of tissue catabolism during flight or incomplete physiological changes before migration. Ad...
Lunar magnetometry and mantle convection

Lunar magnetometer data was used to indicate a lunar thermal boundary layer which is no more than 200 km thick and a lunar interior which is relatively isothermal. A direct comparison of temperature profiles with the experimental observations is used. It is assumed that the significant variation in lunar electrical conductivity is due to temperature alone and that it may be written in exponential form with a fixed and unknown activation energy and normalization constant. Experimental values of the lunar transfer function compared to theoretical curves generated by several temperature profiles show a significant temperature gradient only in the very outer portion of the moon. The steep curve of the variation of the transfer function with frequency implies an increase in electrical conductivity of no more than one order of magnitude with a depth between 1565 and 1000 km.
Frequency selectivity for hearing-impaired and broadband-noise-masked normal listeners.

When evaluating frequency selectivity, it is difficult to determine if the deviation from normal performance observed for hearing-impaired listeners reflects abnormal cochlear function or normal, level-dependent changes in frequency selectivity. This experiment was designed to investigate the dependence of frequency-selectivity measures on threshold and signal level. Auditory-filter characteristics, critical ratios, forward-masked psychophysical tuning curves, and narrowband-noise masking patterns were obtained from normal-hearing listeners in quiet and in the presence of broadband noise at five levels. These findings were then compared to previously obtained frequency-selectivity measurements for subjects with mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss whose absolute thresholds are comparable to the normal-hearing listeners' masked thresholds. The results suggest that frequency selectivity deterioriates as threshold increases for all subjects. However, the poor frequency selectivity exhibited by hearing...
An orthogonal subspace minimization method for finding multiple solutions to the defocusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation with symmetry

An orthogonal subspace minimization method is developed for finding multiple (eigen) solutions to the defocusing nonlinear Schrodinger equation with symmetry. As such solutions are unstable, gradient search algorithms are very sensitive to numerical errors, will easily break symmetry, and will lead to unwanted solutions. Instead of enforcing a symmetry by the Haar projection, the authors use the knowledge of previously found solutions to build a support for the minimization search. With this support, numerical errors can be partitioned into two components, sensitive versus insensitive to the negative gradient search. Only the sensitive part is removed by an orthogonal projection. Analysis and numerical examples are presented to illustrate the method. Numerical solutions with some interesting phenomena are captured and visualized by their solution profile and contour plots. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2013
Temporal aggregation in diffusion models of first-time purchase: Does choice of frequency matter?

Consistent with work in the advertising response literature, the author addresses the time-interval bias present when estimating innovation models of new product growth and diffusion with discrete time-series data. Specifically, the author explores the theoretical and empirical implications of using varying data frequencies when estimating diffusion models using both nonlinear least squares (NLLS) and ordinary least squares (OLS). Parameter estimates across five consumer durables are obtained using annual, quarterly, and monthly data. The central conclusion is that the information gained and bias minimized by using seasonally adjusted quarterly data results in empirical estimates that are an improvement over those obtained by using annual data. This is true for both the NLLS and OLS estimates. In contrast, the move from quarterly to monthly data produces only marginal statistical improvement.
Analytical model for chemical vapor deposition of SiO2 films using tetraethoxysilane and ozone

Abstract A theoretical model has been developed to analyze chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of SiO 2 from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and ozone. The model incorporates both homogeneous gas phase reactions and heterogeneous surface reactions. Two new kinetic mechanisms which include parasitic gas phase reactions are proposed to explain the observed decrease in deposition rate of SiO 2 films as the temperature is increased. The predicted values from the proposed model are found to agree well with all available experimental results over a wide range of experimental conditions. The effect of parasitic gas phase reactions becomes significantly more pronounced with increasing pressure and temperature. Correlations of experimental data on etch rate with surface concentrations predicted by the model at 60 Torr show that one can improve the film quality by increasing the ratio of O 3 to TEOS at the wafer surface, (O 3 /TEOS) wafer , and the wafer temperature.
From Disgust to Desire: Changing Attitudes toward Beringian Mushrooms

From Disgust to Desire: Changing Attitudes toward Beringian Mushrooms. Separated by national borders and the International Dateline, the native communities inhabiting the Bering Strait regions of Russia and Alaska share a common natural environment, myriad cultural similarities, and long-standing social ties. Their subsistence diets also are similar, except that wild mushrooms are revered on the Russian side of the Bering Strait (Chukotka) and are feared and avoided in Alaska. This paper explores the origins of this dietary difference and probes the social dimensions of food and cuisine with respect to the culinary utilization of wild mushrooms.
Fold shape and rheology: The folding of an isolated viscous-plastic layer

Abstract A numerical study of the finite-amplitude folding of a thin, free, viscous-plastic layer brings to light two distinct types of instability. (A viscous-plastic material deforms viscously when the stresses are lower than a certain threshold and yields plastically when they are higher.) 1. (1) A physical instability, associated with the plastic properties of the layer, gives rise to very large shortening velocities if the load on the layer is constant. 2. (2) A geometrical instability, associated with the finite-amplitude shape of the layer and therefore present even for a viscous layer, makes the stresses at the crest of a layer decrease when the layer is folded under conditions of constant shortening strain-rate. Because of the interplay between the two instabilities the amount of plastic yielding in the history of a given fold is strongly dependent on the variation of the external load with time. The geologically most reasonable loading history is constant load in the low-amplitude stages, where the shortening rate is small, and constant shortening strain-rate at higher amplitudes. With this load history, a layer will deform viscously in the early stages of folding, then yield plastically, and finally deform viscously again in the later stages. An important geologic consequence of this behavior is that the resistance of a volume of layered rocks to deformation will vary markedly during the course of the deformation; the volume will become progressively “weaker” as the folding proceeds. The shape of a viscous-plastic fold depends primarily on the fraction of the folding history during which plastic yielding occurs. If this fraction is large, the resulting fold will have longer straight limbs, a higher amplitude, and a higher curvature at the fold crest than will a viscous fold with the same interlimb angle.
DLGH1 is a negative regulator of T-lymphocyte proliferation

Discs large homolog 1 (DLGH1), a founding member of the membrane-associated guanylate kinase family of proteins containing PostSynaptic Density-95/Discs large/Zona Occludens-1 domains, is an ortholog of the Drosophila tumor suppressor gene Discs large. In the mammalian embryo, DLGH1 is essential for normal urogenital morphogenesis and the development of skeletal and epithelial structures. Recent reports also indicate that DLGH1 may be a critical mediator of signals triggered by the antigen receptor complex in T lymphocytes by functioning as a scaffold coordinating the activities of T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling proteins at the immune synapse. However, it remains unclear if DLGH1 functions to enhance or attenuate signals emanating from the TCR. Here, we used Dlgh1 gene-targeted mice to determine the requirement for DLGH1 in T-cell development and activation. Strikingly, while all major subsets of T cells appear to undergo normal thymic development in the absence of DLGH1, peripheral lymph node Dlgh1(-/-) T cells show a hyper-proliferative response to TCR-induced stimulation. These data indicate that, consistent with the known function of Discs large proteins as tumor suppressors and attenuators of cell division, in T lymphocytes, DLGH1 functions as a negative regulator of TCR-induced proliferative responses.
Potentiation of CCl4 and CHCl3 hepatotoxicity and lethality by various alcohols.

Abstract Various aliphatic alcohols potentiate the toxicity of a wide range of xenobiotics including several haloalkanes. The present series of experiments were designed to test: (i) whether a single subtoxic dose of alcohol can potentiate CCl 4 and CHCl 3 hepatotoxicity, and (ii) whether this potentiation leads to greater animal lethality. Selected members of a homologous series of straight chain alcohols were chosen for this study. Methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, t -butanol, pentanol, hexanol, octanol, decanol, and eicosanol at equimolar doses (10 mmol/kg) were tested in the present investigation. Each alcohol was administered orally to male Sprague-Dawley rats (175–250 g) 18 hr prior to a single oral administration of CCl 4 or CHCl 3 . Liver injury was assessed by plasma transaminases (alanine aminotransferase, ALT; aspartate aminotransferase, AST) and histopathological examination of liver sections 24 hr after the halomethane treatment. None of these alcohols alone increased plasma ALT or AST significantly, whereas CCl 4 or CHCl 3 administration to alcohol-treated animals resulted in significant elevation of plasma transaminases. Eicosanol (20-carbon alcohol) did not potentiate the toxicity of either halomethane. Methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and decanol in combination with CCl 4 caused massive liver damage but failed to augment CCl 4 lethality. t -Butanol, pentanol, hexanol, and octanol significantly decreased the LD50 of CCl 4 . The hepatotoxic effects of CHCl 3 were potentiated by all of the alcohols and the LD50s were also decreased significantly. On a comparative basis, alcohol-potentiated CHCl 3 toxicity was greater than the toxicity of CCl 4 . These findings indicate that even though halomethane liver injury might be potentiated by alcohols, the underlying mechanisms differ among alcohols since not all alcohols potentiate the lethal effects of these halomethanes.
Bone marrow transplantation in hematologic malignancies.Current status

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) after supralethal cytoreductive therapy in the acute leukemias, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and the lymphomas may be curative in 50% to 60% of patients. The donor may be a human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matched family member (allogeneic), an identical twin (syngeneic), or the patient (autologous). In general, the outcome is best in younger patients and those transplanted early in their disease (i.e., in the first remission for acute leukemia and in the chronic phase of the disease in CML). Solutions to the major problems of allogeneic BMT, such as graft-versus-host disease and viral infections, are being actively pursued. Syngeneic and autologous BMT avoids some of the above problems, but relapses appear to be greater. Despite this problem, a significant number of cures have been accomplished. Newer methods of purging autologous marrow and newer preparative regimens promise to reduce the problem of relapses.
Delegation, Ratification, and U.S. Trade Policy: Why Divided Government Causes Lower Tariffs

Recent research on executive-legislative relations concludes that divided government causes higher tariffs and inhibits international cooperation. I find that divided government leads to lower U.S....
Prediction of oscillating thick cambered aerofoil aerodynamics by a locally analytic method

The effects of mean-flow incidence, airfoil camber, and airfoil thickness on the incompressible aerodynamics of an oscillating airfoil are investigated theoretically, developing and applying a first-order FEM based on locally analytical solutions (LASs). Laplace equations are used to describe the steady and unsteady harmonic velocity potentials; a body-fitted computational grid is employed; grid-element solutions for both potentials are determined using a numerical LAS method; and the LASs are then assembled to obtain a complete solution. Results for a series of flat-plate and Joukowski airfoils are presented in extensive graphs and discussed in detail.
Hadron masses in lattice QCD with internal fermion loops

Abstract Results are presented for light hadron and quark masses in lattice quantum chromodynamics with fermion vacuum polarization effects. A lattice of size 10×10×10×30 is used with a gauge coupling g 2 =1.111 and n f =3. Previous qualitative results obtained with Wilson fermions on a smaller lattice at the same value of the coupling constant are confirmed and extended. The values for the hadron masses in units of the lattice spacing are significantly affected by the inclusion of three light fermion flavors, but the change can be reabsorbed to a large degree in a rescaling of the cutoff. For small quark mass the physical hadron mass estimates are comparable to the results with no loops and in reasonable agreement with phenomenology. Fermion loop effects on the other hand tend to change the dependence of the physical hadron masses on the quark mass, which in turn affects the estimates for the quark masses. These are found to be smaller than had previously been estimated. By considering heavy valence and light sea quarks, light quark masses are directly compared to the heavier quark masses.
Efficient resource provisioning in compute clouds via VM multiplexing

Resource provisioning in compute clouds often require an estimate of the capacity needs of Virtual Machines (VMs). The estimated VM size is the basis for allocating resources commensurate with workload demand. In contrast to the traditional practice of estimating the VM sizes individually, we propose a joint-VM sizing approach in which multiple VMs are consolidated and provisioned, based on an estimate of their aggregate capacity needs. This new approach exploits statistical multiplexing among the workload patterns of multiple VMs, i.e., the peaks and valleys in one workload pattern do not necessarily coincide with the others. Thus, the unused resources of a low utilized VM can be directed to the other co-located VMs with high utilization. Compared to individual VM based provisioning, joint-VM sizing and provisioning may lead to much higher resource utilization. This paper presents three design modules to enable the concept in practice. Specifically, a performance constraint describing the capacity need of a VM for achieving a certain level of application performance; an algorithm for estimating the size of jointly provisioning VMs; a VM selection method that seeks to find good VM combinations for being provisioned together. We showcase that the proposed three modules can be seamlessly plugged into existing applications such as resource provisioning, and providing resource guarantees for VMs. The proposed algorithms and applications are evaluated by monitoring data collected from about 16 thousand VMs in commercial data centers. These evaluations reveal more than 45% improvements in terms of the overall resource utilization.
SH wave in a cylindrically anisotropic elastic solid A general solution for a point source

Abstract Propagation of a transient SH wave in a cylindrically anisotropic solid is considered and an exact solution is obtained as a general solution for an arbitrary cylindrical anisotropy. In the special case, where the ratio of radial and circumferential velocity is an integer or one half, the solution is reduced to a closed form involving simple algebraic functions. When the velocity ratio is not an integer, a circular wavefront appears as if the wave were scattered by a wedge. This is because the wavefront, when it first hits the origin, forms a wedge-like angle there. This new wave phenomenon was originally found by Bostrom et al. [6]. But, the present paper gives its analytical base and the general feature of wave phenomena in the cylindrical anisotropy.
Lesotho's food priorities

Abstract Lesotho is a small independent nation completely surrounded by South Africa. Of its 33000 km2, 87% is peaks and high mountain pastures, leaving only one km2 of arable land for each 325 people. Low yields on limited arable land leave the country serious food deficit. Production shortfalls are overcome with large commercial imports and substantial concessional food aid. Commercial imports through retail channels are financed by migrant remittances. Nearly half of the male labour force work in South Africa. Their repatriated wages contribute 40% of gross national income and 63% of rural household income.1 Thus consumer markets are relatively well monetized and 55% of migrant remittances is spent on food.2
Variation in the shape and length of the branches of a thoracoabdominal aortic stent graft: implications for the role of standard off-the-shelf components.

Purpose To describe variations in the shape, orientation, and length of the branches of multi-branched thoracoabdominal stent grafts. Method The branches were constructed in situ by attaching a covered stent (Fluency Plus Tracheobronchial Stent Graft; Bard Peripheral Vascular, Tempe, Ariz) to each of four caudally-oriented cuffs on custom-made stent grafts. Pre- and postoperative computed tomography (CT) scans of 38 consecutively treated patients were analyzed using a three-dimensional work station to give the orientation of celiac, superior mesenteric, and right renal and left renal orifices relative to the centerline of the aorta (planned cuff orientation [PCO]) and relative to the centerline of the stent graft (actual vessel orientation [AVO]). The orientation of each cuff (actual cuff orientation [ACO]) was also measured relative to the centerline of the stent graft. These values were used to assess the degree of stent graft malorientation (ACO-PCO), or cuff-to-artery misalignment (ACO-AVO), and combined with measurements of branch length to calculate the resulting lateral displacement (arc distance [AD]) between each cuff and its corresponding arterial orifice and the angle (longitudinal branch angulation [LBA]) between the long axis of the branch and the long axis of the aorta, all in the plane of the aortic surface. Results All 136 branches were inserted as intended. None has since migrated, disconnected, or kinked. In most cases, stent graft orientation was accurate, with a mean ACO-PCO of 18.4 + 12.1 degrees. Cuff-to-artery misalignment was correspondingly low, with a mean ACO-AVO of 19.8 + 14.0 degrees. More than 30 degrees of misalignment was present in 23.2% of branches, yet only 9% (n = 12) had an LBA of >30 degrees. Conclusion Moderate degrees of cuff-to-artery misalignment had no effect on the feasibility of multi-branched stent graft insertion.
Emergency department visits for traumatic brain injury in a birth cohort of Medicaid-insured children.

AbstractObjectives: To analyse emergency department-based data on paediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI).Methods: This study constructed a retrospective cohort of 493 890 children who were born in New York City between 1999–2007 and who were enrolled in the New York Medicaid programme at the time of their birth and followed these children from birth to the end of 2007.Results: There were 62 089 injury-related emergency department visits, of which 1290 had ICD-9 codes consistent with TBI. Children with TBI were more likely to be male (59.4% vs 51.4%) and Hispanic (43.9% vs 26.3%) than those in the underlying birth cohort and were more than twice as likely to be admitted to the hospital for inpatient care (RR = 2.4, 95% CI = 2.2, 2.6). The most commonly listed cause of injury was falls (58.3%). Spatially-smoothed risk estimates indicated that some areas of the city are associated with a greater risk of paediatric TBI than others.Conclusions: Emergency department data can be used to describe paediatric TBI ...
State-Level Interagency Agreements for Supported Employment of People With Disabilities:

Supported employment for people with disabilities has been a national policy since the late 1980s. Because its implementation usually requires the resources of at least 2 funding and service state agencies, written interagency agreements have been a formal strategy for policy implementation. This qualitative study analyzes interagency agreements for supported employment and the resulting collaborations of 6 states to identify the crucial characteristics that reinforce their utility and value. Commonalities and differences indicated three broad categories: outcomes, characteristics of the written agreements, and characteristics of the midlevel staff. Specific elements are discussed to improve creation and implementation of interagency agreements to expand supported employment for people with disabilities.
Intima-media thickness and age of first depressive episode

Abstract Background Late life depression, including patients with vascular depression, has been associated with higher levels of intima-media thickness (IMT). Although individuals with vascular depression tend to report a later onset of depression, the relationship of IMT and age of first depressive episode is uncertain in younger adults. We therefore investigated the relationship between IMT and age of first depressive episode in a sample of 202 adults (age range 40–81 years) with major depression (MDD). Methods Depression status was assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview Schedule and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Patients underwent a physical examination in which a medical history was obtained. IMT was measured from the left and right common carotid arteries. Simple regression analyses were used to investigate the association between IMT and self-reported age of first depressive episode. Results IMT was associated with a later onset of first major depressive episode ( b = .225, P = .0005) and this association remained significant after controlling for age, Framingham Stroke Risk Profile, smoking pack years, physical activity, high- and low-density lipoprotein, body mass index, triglyceride levels, and history of chronic medical conditions ( b = .142, P = .028). Each .10 mm increase in IMT was associated with a 2.6-year later reported occurrence of first major depressive episode (MDE). Similarly, higher levels of IMT were associated with fewer previous MDEs ( b = −.149, P = .020) and this effect remained significant in our multivariate model ( b = −.140, P = .030). In contrast, IMT was not associated with current depressive severity ( b = −.024, P = .720). Conclusions Greater levels of IMT are associated with a later onset of depression and fewer previous depressive episodes among middle-aged and older adults, independent of cardiovascular co-morbidities. These findings provide preliminary evidence that increased vascular burden may be associated with a later onset of depression.
Antiviral agents in the critically ill child.

The treatment for most viral infections in children primarily is supportive. Severe viral illnesses and significant secondary complications that require treatment in the intensive care unit may occur in immunocompromised patients and also in infants and children who were previously healthy. Antiviral agents with specific activity against certain respiratory viruses, herpesviruses, and enteric viruses are available. New drugs are under development, and their use in pediatric patients is a subject of active research. The clinician's knowledge of the mechanisms of action, spectrum of activity, and side effects of these drugs is an important tool for their judicious use in the treatment of the critically ill child. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.
Statistics of the temperature and its derivatives at the surface of a wind‐driven air‐water interface

[1] The statistics of the temperature and its spatial derivatives at a wind-driven air-water interface were obtained from a comprehensive data set of high resolution infrared imagery for wind speeds ranging from 2 ms−1 to 10 ms−1. We focus our effort on considerations of the anisotropy, symmetry, and intermittency of the surface turbulence. The analysis reveals that the root-mean-square surface temperature, when made nondimensional by using the surface heat flux and friction velocity, is nearly independent of Richardson number (Ri, defined in section 2). In addition, the derivatives of the thermal field appear also to converge to a limiting value at low Ri. The skewness of the temperature field, though slightly positive for the lowest wind speed (2 ms−1), is otherwise negative. On the other hand, the skewness of the derivative of the temperature field in the along-wind direction is strictly positive, while the skewness in the cross-wind direction is essentially zero, owing to the spanwise symmetry of the flow. This has the consequence that wind direction can be estimated by computing the skewness of the directional derivative of the temperature field. The flatness of the temperature field is observed to be near the Gaussian value of 3 throughout the wind speed range, while the along-wind and cross-wind derivatives show non-Gaussian behavior, indicating the presence of intermittency in the thermal fields at small scales. All probability density functions of the temperature derivatives are seen to have Gaussian cores, with distinct exponential tails.
Scattering Corrections To Extinction Coefficients Measured In Falling Snow

A method is presented for extracting extinction coefficients from transmittance measurements in a scattering atmosphere. Computation of unscattered, first-order scattered, and second-order scattered contributions to received power are calculated by using the phase function of the scattering particles and the optical characteristics of the measuring system. The method has been applied to measurements at 0.6328 and 8 to 12 micrometers made in a falling snow consisting mainly of needle-type crystals 1.5 mm in length and 100 micrometers radius. The resulting extinction coefficients at the two wave-lengths were found to be equal.
Determinants of the perception of choice

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to investigate possible determinants of perceived choice. The first experiment employed an observer paradigm and the second employed an actor paradigm. The results of both studies provided evidence for the hypotheses that perceived choice will be greater when there is a small difference in attractiveness between outcome alternatives than when there is a large difference and under conditions of low certainty about the attractiveness of each outcome alternative than under conditions of high certainty. Also, the results of both studies provided some evidence for the hypothesis that the effect of the relative difference in attractiveness upon perceived choice will be greater under conditions of low certainty than under conditions of high certainty. The hypothesis that perceived choice will be less when there is no difference in attractiveness between outcome alternatives than when there is a small difference was not supported by the results of the first experiment but was supported by the results of the second experiment. The hypothesis that perceived choice will be greater the more time a person takes to select an action from possible actions was supported by results of the first experiment but not by those of the second experiment. The results for the relative difference and certainty variables were discussed in terms of a theoretical analysis of perceived choice.
Electrical and chemical potentials in a quantum-mechanical conductor

Abstract A time-dependent fully quantum response theory for mesoscopic systems is developed in the Heisenberg representation rather than the usual interaction representation. In the mesoscopic system itself, the difference between μ + and μ - quasi-chemical potentials for forward-direction and backward-direction current carriers is shown to be equal to the electron charge times the line integral of the transport electric field through the system.
THE OCCURRENCE AND FUNCTION OF OIDIA IN THE HYMENOMYCETES

IN THI, latter half of the eighteenth century the early mycologists, influenced by their knowledge of higher plants, searched for sexual organs in the fungi analogous to those with which they were familiar among the phanerogams. Micheli (1729) had declared that the cystidia in the hymenium of a mushroom are apetalous flowers. Bulliard (1791) believed the cystidia to be male organs and described the manner in which their seminal fluid poured out over the basidia to fertilize the basidiospores. It has long been known that the mycelium of many fungi breaks up into short segments generally called oidia. Such commonly occurring structures as oidia did not pass unnoticed in the search for sexual organs and the questions of the significance and probable funietion of oidia engaged the attention of a number of workers. Tulasne (1851) discovered in the lichens and in many of the Ascomycetes structures in which were borne small spores usually incapable of germination. These spores he called spermatia and he considered that they are male cells. Later he discovered similar structures in the Tremellales and concluded that the pycniospores of the Uredinales are also true male cells (Tulasne, 1859). Hofmeister (1852) showed that in ferns the sex organs are developed not on the spore-bearing generation but on the prothallium which is independent of the sporophyte. This discovery provided mycologists with, a new clue and they began to search for sexual organs in the higher fungi not on the pileus but on the vegetative mycelium. Karsten (1860) described finding on the mycelium of Psalliota carmpestris reniform " female " cells which were fertilized by " male " elements. At the same time Oersted (1865) thought he saw female cells fertilized by ordinary hyphae. The suggestion that the commonly occurring oidia might be male cells was made again by Rees (1875), who germinated basidiospores of Coprinus stercorarius 2 and observed that, on the young mycelia, there were developed short branches bearing small cells which became detached from the parent filament. These cells failed to germinate and Rees believed that they must be spermatia. Seeing large vesicular cells on the same mycelium, he thought he had also found the female organs. Van Tieghem (1875a, b) reported similar spermatia and female organs in Coprinus ephemeroides and C.
Sequestosome 1/p62: across diseases

Sequestosome 1/p62 is a signal modulator or adaptor protein involved in receptor-mediated signal transduction. Sequestosome 1/p62 is gaining attention as it is involved in several diseases including Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, liver and breast cancer, Paget's disease of bone, obesity and insulin resistance. In this review, we will focus on the most recent advances on the physiological function of p62 relevant to human diseases.
The intestinal fatty acid binding protein: The role of turns in fast and slow folding processes

The intestinal fatty acid binding protein is one of a family of proteins that are composed of two beta-sheets surrounding a large interior cavity into which the ligand binds. Glycine residues occur in many of the turns between adjacent antiparallel beta-strands. In previous work, the effect of replacing these glycine residues with valine has been examined with stopped flow instrumentation using intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy [Kim and Frieden (1998) Protein Sci. 7, 1821-1828]. To resolve the burst phase missing in the stopped flow measurements, these valine mutants have been reexamined with sub-millisecond continuous flow instrumentation. Some of the glycine residues have also been replaced with proline, and the folding reactions of these proline mutants have been compared with those of their valine counterparts. In all cases, the stability of the protein is decreased, but some turns appear to be more critical for final structure stabilization than others. Surprisingly, the rate constants observed for all the mutants measured by sub-millisecond continuous flow methods are quite similar (1400-3000 s(-1)), and in all the mutants, there is a shift in the fluorescence emission maximum from that of the unfolded protein to lower wavelengths, suggesting some collapse of the unfolded state within 200 micros. In contrast to the rate constants observed for the initial folding events measured by the sub-millisecond continuous flow method, the rate constants for the slower phase observed in the stopped flow instrument vary widely for the different mutants. The latter step appears to be related to side chain stabilization rather than secondary structure formation. It is also shown that the ligand binds tightly only to the native protein and not to any intermediate forms.
Degradation of carbon reinforced polymer composites under galvanic coupling conditions

Carbon re inforced polyes ter and vinyl e s t e r composi tes form blisters when galvanically coupled. S c a n n i n g e l e c t r o n m i c r o s c o p e s t u d i e s r e v e a l d e b o n d i n g a t f ibe r lmat r ix in te r face which is related to cathodic reaction(s) at the interface. A cathode with a polymer f i lm on i t can produce galvanic b l i s t e r s w h i c h e l i m i n a t e s t h e influence of coupling agents, etc. on the blistering. Polymer degradation on platinum cathode suggests that the polymer may involve in the blistering reaction. Electrochemical s tudies reveal that at a s ing le potential, the cathodic current under polymer f i lm is two orders of magni tude l o w e r than tha t o n uncoated carbon fiber. Even the low current density is sufficient to cause galvanic degradation. The t ime for b l is ter ing i s sens i t ive to smal l changes in galvanic currents.
Plasma beta-endorphin and natural killer cell activity in major depression: A preliminary study

Low concentrations of beta-endorphin have been found to enhance human natural killer (NK) cell activity in vitro. Both beta-endorphin and NK activity are changed by clinical depression. To evaluate whether circulating concentrations of beta-endorphin have a role in the in vivo modulation of cellular immunity in humans, we measured plasma beta-endorphin and NK cell activity in 14 depressed patients and 14 age-matched control subjects. In the depressed patients, both plasma beta-endorphin and NK cell activity were reduced to 76% and 57%, respectively, of the mean levels in the control subjects. In addition, beta-endorphin showed a significant positive correlation with lytic units of NK cell activity in the combined group of all subjects and in the patient group (p = 0.04), but not in the control group. The study supports the hypothesis that circulating endorphin is correlated with NK cell activity in vivo. This correlation may be higher in the depressed patient group.