cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increase in plasma progestagen concentrations in the mare after foetal injection with CRH, ACTH or betamethasone in late gestation

Maternal plasma progestagen concentrations increase about 20 days before parturition. The major contributors to the increase are reduced metabolites (ie 5 alpha-pregnanes). Precocious increases (ie less than 310 days of gestation) in these metabolites may occur in abnormal pregnancies. The effects of CRH, ACTH or betamethasone administered to the foetus at gestational ages ranging from about 250 to 320 days were examined. Sixteen healthy pony mares were used for foetal injection employing aseptic techniques. Water or normal saline were used as controls. Maternal plasma progestagen concentrations were measured using a commercial radioimmunoassay (RIA) progesterone kit and results were confirmed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results demonstrated clearly that an increase in maternal plasma progestagen concentrations occurred after injection of ACTH, CRH or betamethasone to the foetus, irrespective of gestational age. A comparable increase was not observed in the control animals. Of the 16 mares in which the foetus was injected, 13 produced viable foals at gestational ages ranging from 307 to 339 days whereas 3 mares delivered non-viable foals at 284 to 306 days gestation. The results support the hypothesis that the pre-parturient rise in progestagens occurring in the mare is the result of foetal adrenocortical activity.
A note on estimating a non-increasing density in the presence of selection bias

Abstract In this paper we construct the non-parametric maximum likelihood estimator (NPMLE) f n of a non-increasing probability density function f with distribution function F on the basis of a sample from a weighted distribution G with density given by g(x)=w(x)f(x)/μ(f,w), where w(u)>0 for all u and μ(f,w)=∫w(u)f(u) d u is the normalizing constant. We show that the NPMLE of f is proportional to the Grenander (Skand. Akt. 39 (1956) 125) estimator of the density of transformed data using a simple transformation based on w. We explore some of the properties of f n and show that the Prakasa Rao Theorem (Sankhya A 31 (1969) 23) extends to the weighted case. We also give conditions under which the resulting distribution function F n is strongly uniformly consistent and show that a rate of convergence of order n−1/2 can be achieved under conditions on w. We also investigate estimation of f when a second sample directly from f is available and carry out a small-scale simulation study of the performance of two estimators in this case.
Effect of Shear's polysaccharide on plasma clotting

ONE of the agents most effective in causing regression of tumours is the polysaccharide which Shear and his associates were able, some years ago, to extract from the bacterium Serratia marcescens1. This polysaccharide causes a high percentage of regression in the tumours of mice, but unfortunately it is rather toxic for human beings. If more were known as to the exact nature of the polysaccharide, it might be possible to find other compounds similar in their action on tumours, but less toxic.
A new algorithm for computing the rank of a matrix

On presente un nouvel algorithme de calcul du rang d'une matrice qui ne necessite pas de division
The Filthiest Show in Town: Sex and Death

Reflexion et discussion des liens subconscients unissant les excrements et autres produits du corps, le sexe et la mort. Developpement des arguments exposes par A. S. Meigs a propos de la pollution en Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinee. Selon l'A., l'homme, qui a conscience et peur de la mort, associe de ce fait toutes les odeurs corporelles a la putrefraction, et le sexe a la mort du fait de la proximite de l'anus et des organes genitaux. De meme, la femme, qui enfante et allaite, et son sexe sont associes a la mort, source profonde de la misogynie
F-expansions of rationals

The ergodic theorem has been used to deduce results about theF-expansions of almost allx in (0, 1)n. A simple lemma from measure theory yields some corresponding statements about the expansions of the rationals, a set of measure zero.
Simulating extreme total water levels using a time-dependent, extreme value approach

Coastal flood hazard zones and the design of coastal defenses are often devised using the maximum recorded water level or a “design” event such as the 100 year return level, usually projected from observed extremes. Despite technological advances driving more consistent instrumental records of waves and water levels, the observational record may be short, punctuated with intermittent gaps, and vary in quality. These issues in the record often preclude accurate and robust estimates of extreme return level events. Here we present a total water level full simulation model (TWL-FSM) that simulates the various components of TWLs (waves, tides, and nontidal residuals) in a Monte Carlo sense, taking into account conditional dependencies that exist between the various components. Extreme events are modeled using nonstationary extreme value distributions that include seasonality and climate variability. The resulting synthetic TWLs allow for empirical extraction of return level events and the ability to more robustly estimate and assess present-day flood and erosion hazards. The approach is demonstrated along a northern Oregon, USA littoral cell but is applicable to beaches anywhere wave and water level records or hindcasts are available. Simulations result in extreme 100 year TWL return levels as much as 90 cm higher than those extrapolated from the “observational” record. At the Oregon site, this would result in 30% more coastal flooding than the “observational” 100 year TWL return level projections. More robust estimates of extreme TWLs and tighter confidence bounds on return level events can aid coastal engineers, managers, and emergency planners in evaluating exposure to hazards.
Chaos in the long-term behavior of some Bianchi-type VIII models

The long-term behavior of Bianchi-type VIII models with three different types of stress-energy tensors are examined and compared. The vacuum model, a matter-filled model, and a model with an electromagnetic field are considered. In each case the existence of chaotic behavior and transitions to chaotic behavior are discussed.
Electron dynamics of solvated titanium hydroxide

Increasing interest in the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 has led to the consideration of using TiO2 nanoparticles in renewable energy generation. In order to better understand the electronic properties of nanoscale TiO2 structures, it is important to understand fundamental components that serve as synthesis precursors of TiO2 nanomaterials. Knowing the properties of basic building blocks of TiO2 materials, such as titanium hydroxide, Ti(OH)4, helps in a better understanding of the properties of larger scale structures. Titanium hydroxide is simulated in an explicit aqueous environment by density functional theory with hybrid functionals to model realistic conditions and to gain insight on mechanisms of how the charge carriers relax and recombine. Computed on-the-fly non-adiabatic couplings are determined from the first principles molecular dynamics calculations and allow the application of reduced density matrix formalism to calculate electron dynamics and dissipation times. An ultrafast charge transfer...
Using Available Evidence to Estimate the Cost of Educational Adequacy

Abstract This article seeks to move the adequacy issue forward by demonstrating that under a certain set of assumptions, it is possible to provide a set of programmatic offerings that corresponds well with what we consider to be an emerging, research-based consensus about what constitutes best practices. We do this by showing what could be purchased with the national average expenditure per pupil if it were to be applied to one adequacy approach, the evidence-based approach, and how these resources have been linked to increases in student performance.
Crack Branching in All‐Oxide Ceramic Composites

The existence of oxidation embrittlement in previously developed ceramic-matrix composite (CMC) systems at intermediate temperatures (500--900 C) has motivated the development of all-oxide CMCs. Studies of the damage tolerance of an all-oxide CMC suggest that it relies on distributing fiber bundles heterogeneously in a porous matrix with a thin matrix-only region surrounding each bundle. For such composites, loading in the direction of the fibers causes cracks to first commence in the fiber bundles, breaching both the matrix and fibers within each bundle. These fiber-bundle cracks then branch in the matrix-rich region, parallel to the load, forming stable H-shaped cracks. The mechanics behind one mechanism controlling the competition between branching and continued extension of a preexistent fiber-bundle crack in a unidirectional all-oxide CMC are provided in this paper. Both plane-strain and axisymmetric cases are studied using an integral equation method as well as a numerical method based on finite elements. With no elastic mismatch assumed between the fiber and matrix, a single nondimensional combination, E{Omega}/{sigma}{sub {infinity}}, emerges as the key parameter that governs the tendency of the crack to branch (where E is Young`s modulus, {Omega} is the thermal misfit strain between the fiber bundle and matrix, and {sigma}{sub {infinity}} ismore » the stress applied parallel to the fiber axis). Quantitative estimates of the conditions under which the branching of the bundle crack is favored are presented.« less
Child custody evaluations

Approximately half of the marriages in the United States end in divorce, which affects more than 1 million children a year. Because approximately 10% of divorces involve litigation over custody or visitation, approximately 100,000 children a year are the subjects of legal battles. Custody and visitation disputes may involve mental health professionals in at least six different ways, which may be complementary or mutually exclusive. (1) The most frequent possibility is that a child is already in psychotherapy when his or her parents decide to separate or divorce. In that instance the role for the therapist is not to make recommendations regarding the child’s custody but rather to help the child cope with the changes in the family [1]. (2) Another possibility is that the court might order that a child receive therapy as part of its custody decree. Likewise in that instance, the therapist’s job is not to influence the outcome of the legal dispute but to help the child adapt to the court’s decision and, hopefully, have a good relationship with both parents. (3) The mental health professional might serve as a mediator for divorcing parents, offering an alternative to the adversarial process that frequently characterizes custody disputes [2–4]. (4) The therapist may serve as a counselor for the mother and father, helping them learn to parent their child in a cooperative rather than hostile manner [5]. (5) The person might be the therapist for the mother or the father if that individual has an emotional disorder that requires treatment. (6) Finally, the mental health professional (usually a psychologist or psychiatrist with child training) may perform a custody and visitation evaluation. These evaluations usually consist of psychiatric or psychological assessments or both of the child and both parents, with conclusions and recommendations that are intended to be in the best interests of the child. In performing custody evaluations, the psychiatrist or psychologist may be an employee or consultant to the court or may be an independent professional who has been invited to conduct the evaluation by one or both of the parents. The methodology for a custody evaluation is the topic of this article. Because the practice of forensic child psy
Exercise Doppler: Functional Evaluation of Right Heart Hemodynamics

Exercise echocardiography is a versatile technique that includes not only two-dimensional imaging, but also Doppler of aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valves. Doppler echocardiography can be useful in the evaluation of global left ventricular systolic and diastolic function, valvular function, transvalvular gradients, and pulmonary artery pressure. The technique lends itself to the study of the cardiac response to exercise in a variety of disease states, including pulmonary, coronary artery, valvular, and congenital heart disease. We review our experience using agitated saline-enhanced Doppler of tricuspid insufficiency to determine pulmonary artery pressure throughout exercise in chronic lung disease.
How to Encourage and Publish Reproducible Research

I discuss the "what", "why" and "how" of reproducible research, a concept that emerged recently in computational sciences. It refers to the idea that the ultimate product is not a published paper only, but the data, software and everything else needed to produce that paper. In signal processing, the discussion just started, and this paper attempts to add to the current efforts of bringing the issue to the forefront and looking for solutions to make it happen.
Study of the mechanisms underlying the fresh-state response of cementitious materials modified with nanoclays

The fresh-state properties of concrete can be tailored to meet the needs of specific applications, such as reduced formwork pressure for self-consolidating concrete (SCC), which requires high flowability, and slipform paving concrete, which requires compactibility during casting followed by enhanced green strength immediately after placement. Small additions of clays (especially nanoclays) have been found to be very effective in achieving these properties. The purpose of this study was to examine concentrated cement–clay systems at multiple scales to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying this behavior. This was done by investigating the macroscopic flow properties over time through a shear rheological approach, where the viscosity evolution under a constant applied shear rate and a measure of structural rebuilding over time were obtained. The measured flow parameters were used to describe the microstructure in the plastic state through the Krieger–Dougherty model. This was then tied in with results obtained previously through scanning laser microscopy, a direct measure of the microstructure by focus beam reflectance method (FBRM). The dominating mechanisms behind the stiffening behavior were determined, and ultimately used to explain the response of SCC for lab-scale simulations of formwork pressure. The effective solid volume fraction and maximum packing density were found to be useful parameters in doing so, and helped to explain why nanoclays are an effective mineral admixture in modifying SCC for reducing formwork pressure.
The Relationship Among Firm Characteristics and Design of Strategic Planning Systems in Large Organizations

This article investigates the relationships among severalfirm characteristics and some design parameters of strategic planning processes in 115 large U.S. corporations. The purpose is to increase our knowledge of the strategic planning process and to confirm several propositions developed in previous studies. The findings point out that firms tend to adopt a more flexible planning system as the level of environmental complexity increases. Other hypotheses relating the organization's size, structure, capital intensity, and market life cycle to strategic planning processes are tested, with mixed results.
HaploReg: a resource for exploring chromatin states, conservation, and regulatory motif alterations within sets of genetically linked variants

The resolution of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) is limited by the linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure of the population being studied. Selecting the most likely causal variants within an LD block is relatively straightforward within coding sequence, but is more difficult when all variants are intergenic. Predicting functional non-coding sequence has been recently facilitated by the availability of conservation and epigenomic information. We present HaploReg, a tool for exploring annotations of the non-coding genome among the results of published GWAS or novel sets of variants. Using LD information from the 1000 Genomes Project, linked SNPs and small indels can be visualized along with their predicted chromatin state in nine cell types, conservation across mammals and their effect on regulatory motifs. Sets of SNPs, such as those resulting from GWAS, are analyzed for an enrichment of cell type-specific enhancers. HaploReg will be useful to researchers developing mechanistic hypotheses of the impact of non-coding variants on clinical phenotypes and normal variation. The HaploReg database is available at http://compbio.mit.edu/HaploReg.
Fish Species Composition in Two Second-Order Headwater Streams in the North Central Appalachians Ecoregion

ABSTRACT Fish species composition was determined for two second-order headwater streams within the North Central Appalachians ecoregion in northern Pennsylvania. The two streams were widely spaced geographically (over 193 km apart) and occurred in different drainage systems. Streams were sampled in the spring and fall over two years (1996–98) yielding similar fish assemblages. A total of five species was collected. Mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdli), slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus), brook trout (Salvetinus fontinalis), and brown trout (Salmo trutta) were the dominant adult fishes. Two creek chubs (Semotilus atromaculatus) were also collected. No significant differences were found in sculpin weight, sculpin length, salmonid length, or brook trout length between streams. Paired t-tests detected eight significant seasonal differences within sites. Brook trout and mottled sculpin lengths were significantly greater in fall versus spring, while the reverse was found with slimy sculpins. Catches per unit effort we...
Rethinking Auricular Trauma

Objectives/Hypothesis: An unrecognized auricular hematoma can lead to a disfiguring deformity, the cauliflower ear, but it can be prevented with prompt and comprehensive management. Fine needle aspiration with pressure bandages remains the mainstay treatment but will occasionally fail. We review our experience with recurrent or recalcitrant auricular hematomas in terms of their pathophysiology and revision surgery. Study Design: Retrospective chart review. Methods: A review of patients undergoing surgical incision, drainage, and debridement secondary to recurrent auricular hematomas was conducted. Demographic data was collected, intraoperative notes were reviewed, and follow-up results were obtained. Our management included an open incision, aggressive debridement, and long term bolsters to the ear. Results: Ten patients presented with a persistent auricular hematoma and deformity following outpatient management with either incision and drainage or fine needle aspiration. All were male with a mean age of 25 years, presenting for surgery on average 19 days following initial trauma. The location of the hematoma within this group was not limited to the potential space between the cartilage and perichondrium. The hematoma was clearly located within the cartilage itself and it is postulated that this is one of the primary reasons for initial failure. Following surgical incision and drainage there were no recurrences or complications. Conclusion: There is a select group of patients with refractory auricular hematomas that require more aggressive treatment over a fine needle aspiration. Open debridement is indicated for this group. The location of the hematoma, granulation tissue, and neo-cartilage is found to be within the cartilage itself rather than between the cartilage and perichondrium, thus explaining why a needle aspiration alone can be ineffective.
Do we need preemptive analgesia for the treatment of postoperative pain

Preemptive analgesia means that an analgesic intervention is started before the noxious stimulus arises in order to block peripheral and central nociception. This afferent blockade of nociceptive impulses is maintained throughout the intra-operative and post-operative period. The goals of preemptive analgesia are, first, to decrease acute pain after tissue injury, second, to prevent pain-related pathologic modulation of the central nervous system, and third, to inhibit the persistence of postoperative pain and the development of chronic pain. So far, the promising results from animal models have not been translated into clinical practice. Therefore, clinicians should rely on conventional anaesthetic and analgesic methods with proven efficacy, i.e. a multimodal approach including the combination of strong opioids, non-opioid analgesics, and peripheral or neuraxial local anaesthetics that act at different sites of the pain pathways.
Earthquake-Induced Landslides and Their Effects on Alluvial Fans

ABSTRACT Earthquakes as small as magnitude 4.0 may dislodge landslides from susceptible slopes, and larger earthquakes can generate tens of thousands of landslides throughout areas of hundreds of thousands of square kilometers, producing billions of cubic meters of loose, surficial sediment. These landslides can have significant geomorphic effects that vary depending on the landslide characteristics and materials, and on the settings in which the landslides occur. A review of data from historical earthquakes indicates that the landslides they generated can be classified into 14 different types. These include highly disaggregated and fast-moving falls, disrupted slides, and avalanches; more coherent and slower-moving slumps, block slides, and earth slides; and lateral spreads and flows that involve partly to completely liquefied material. Rock falls, disrupted rock slides, and disrupted slides of earth and debris are the most abundant types of earthquake-induced landslides, whereas earth flows, debris flows, and avalanches of rock, earth, or debris typically transport material the farthest. Because of their abundance or long distances of transport, these landslides generally have the greatest effects on the landscape during and after earthquakes. Landslide effects on alluvial fans include direct deposition of material on fan surfaces; fissuring and displacement of fan materials; alterations in drainage basins such as devegetation, denudation, and changes in channel networks; and generation of large amounts of sediment that may be transported to fans by post-earthquake water flows or debris flows.
Biological stoichiometry from genes to ecosystems.

Ecological stoichiometry is the study of the balance of multiple chemical elements in ecological interactions. This paper reviews recent findings in this area and seeks to broaden the stoichiometric concept for use in evolutionary studies, in integrating ecological dynamics with cellular and genetic mechanisms, and in developing a unified means for studying diverse organisms in diverse habitats. This broader approach would then be considered “biological stoichiometry”. Evidence supporting a hypothesised connection between the C:N:P stoichiometry of an organism and its growth rate (the “growth rate hypothesis”) is reviewed. Various data indicate that rapidly growing organisms commonly have low biomass C:P and N:P ratios. Evidence is then discussed suggesting that low C:P and N:P ratios in rapidly growing organisms reflect increased allocation to P-rich ribosomal RNA (rRNA), as rapid protein synthesis by ribosomes is required to support fast growth. Indeed, diverse organisms (bacteria, copepods, fishes, others) exhibit increased RNA levels when growing actively. This implies that evolutionary processes that generate, directly or indirectly, variation in a major life history trait (specific growth rate) have consequences for ecological dynamics due to their effects on organismal elemental composition. Genetic mechanisms by which organisms generate high RNA, high growth rate phenotypes are discussed next, focusing on the structure and organisation of the ribosomal RNA genes (the “rDNA”). In particular, published studies of a variety of taxa suggest an association between growth rate and variation in the length and content of the intergenic spacer (IGS) region of the rDNA tandem repeat unit. In particular, under conditions favouring increased growth or yield, the number of repeat units (“enhancers”) increases (and the IGS increases in length), and transcription rates of rRNA increase. In addition, there is evidence in the literature that increased numbers of copies of rDNA genes are associated with increased growth and production. Thus, a combination of genetic mechanisms may be responsible for establishing the growth potential, and thus the RNA allocation and C:N:P composition, of an organism. Furthermore, various processes, during both sexual and asexual reproduction, can generate variation in the rDNA to provide the raw material for selection and to generate ecologically significant variation in C:N:P stoichiometry. This leads us to hypothesize that the continuous generation of such variation may also play a role in how species interactions develop in ecosystems under different conditions of energy input and nutrient supply.
Polymerase Chain Reaction–Based Assays for the Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Infections

Currently accepted fungal diagnostic techniques, such as culture, biopsy, and serology, lack rapidity and efficiency. Newer diagnostic methods, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays, have the potential to improve fungal diagnostics in a faster, more sensitive, and specific manner. Preliminary data indicate that, when PCR-based fungal diagnostic assays guide antifungal therapy, they may lower patient mortality and decrease unnecessary antifungal treatment, improving treatment-associated costs and avoiding toxicity. Moreover, newer PCR techniques can identify antifungal resistance DNA loci, but the clinical correlation between those loci and clinical failure has to be studied further. In addition, future studies need to focus on the implementation of PCR techniques in clinical decision making and on combining them with other diagnostic tests. A consensus on the standardization of PCR techniques, along with validation from large prospective studies, is necessary to allow widespread adoption of these assays.
New Approaches to Disclosure Limitation While Answering Queries to a Database: Protecting Numerical Confidential Data against Insider Threat Based on Data or Algorithms

Confidentiality via Camouflage (CVC) is a practical method for giving unlimited, correct, numerical responses to ad-hoc queries to an on-line database, while not compromising confidential numerical data . Responses are in the form of intervals that are guaranteed to contain the exact answer. Virtually any imaginable query type can be answered and although sharing of query answers among users presents no problem, the threat of insider information is real. In this work we identify two distinct types of insider information, depending on whether the knowledge is of data in the confidential field or of the algorithmic process that is used to answer queries. We show that different realizations of CVC can protect against one type of insider threat or the other, while a combination of realizations can be used if the database administrator is not able to specify the type of threat that is present. Various strategies for dealing with cases where a user poses both types of threats are also presented. Computational experience relates the degradation of answer intervals that can be expected based on the type of threat that is protected against and indicates that, in general, algorithmic threat causes the greatest degradation.
CYP1A1 Val462 and NQO1 Ser187 polymorphisms, cigarette use, and risk for colorectal adenoma

Cigarette use is a risk factor for colorectal adenoma, a known precursor of colorectal cancer. Polymorphic variants in NQO1 and CYP1A1 influence the activation of carcinogenic substances in tobacco smoke, possibly impacting on tobacco-associated risks for colorectal tumors. We investigated the association of cigarette smoking with risk for advanced colorectal adenoma in relation to the CYP1A1 Val(462) and NQO1 Ser(187) polymorphic variants. Subjects were 725 non-Hispanic Caucasian cases with advanced colorectal adenoma of the distal colon (descending colon, sigmoid and rectum) and 729 gender- and ethnicity-matched controls, randomly selected from participants in the prostate, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancer screening trial. Subjects carrying either CYP1A1 Val(462) or NQO1 Ser(187) alleles were weakly associated with risk of colorectal adenoma; however, subjects carrying both CYP1A1 Val(462) and NQO1 Ser(187) alleles showed increased risks (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.1-4.5), particularly among recent (including current) (OR = 17.4, 95% CI = 3.8-79.8, P for interaction = 0.02) and heavy cigarette smokers (>20 cigarettes/day) (OR = 21.1, 95% CI = 3.9-114.4, P for interaction = 0.03) compared with non-smokers who did not carry either of these variants. These genotypes were unassociated with risk in non-smokers. In analysis of adenoma subtypes, the combined gene variants were most strongly associated with the presence of multiple adenoma (P = 0.002). In summary, joint carriage of CYP1A1 Val(462) and NQO1 Ser(187) alleles, particularly in smokers, was related to colorectal adenoma risk, with a propensity for formation of multiple lesions.
SUPERSYMMETRY AND PARASTATISTICS

Abstract An analysis is made of the supersymmetry of parafields in Wess-Zumino-type models with two cases in which parabosons and parafermions form a supermultiplet. In case one the symmetry is realized by either the normal superalgebra or an infinite Lie algebra as in ordinary supersymmetry. In case two the infinite Lie algebra is intrinsic to the supersymmetry. With appropriate symmetry breaking, formulations of these types may be used to explain the generation problem by postulating unobserved parabosons as supersymmetric partners. The relevance to these models of an infinite Lie algebra constructed from supersymmetry is mentioned.
Carbon Nanotubes Induce Growth Enhancement of Tobacco Cells

Carbon nanotubes have shown promise as regulators of seed germination and plant growth. Here, we demonstrate that multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have the ability to enhance the growth of tobacco cell culture (55-64% increase over control) in a wide range of concentrations (5-500 μg/mL). Activated carbon (AC) stimulated cell growth (16% increase) only at low concentrations (5 μg/mL) while dramatically inhibited the cellular growth at higher concentrations (100-500 μg/mL). We found a correlation between the activation of cells growth exposed to MWCNTs and the upregulation of genes involved in cell division/cell wall formation and water transport. The expression of the tobacco aquaporin (NtPIP1) gene, as well as production of the NtPIP1 protein, significantly increased in cells exposed to MWCNTs compared to control cells or those exposed to AC. The expression of marker genes for cell division (CycB) and cell wall extension (NtLRX1) was also up-regulated in cells exposed to MWCNTs compared to control cells or those exposed to activated carbon only.
Regulation of μ‐Opioid Receptor mRNA in Rat Globus Pallidus: Effects of Enkephalin Increases Induced by Short‐ and Long‐Term Haloperidol Administration

The mRNA encoding mu-opioid receptors is expressed in neurons of the globus pallidus, a region of the basal ganglia that receives a dense enkephalinergic innervation from the striatum. The regulation of the mRNAs encoding the opioid peptide enkephalin in the striatum and the mu-opioid receptor in the globus pallidus was examined with in situ hybridization histochemistry following short- or long-term haloperidol treatments, which alter striatal enkephalin mRNA levels. Animals were administered haloperidol daily for 3 or 7 days (1 mg/kg, s.c.) or continuously for 8 months (1 mg/kg, depot followed by oral). Enkephalin and mu-opioid receptor mRNA levels were unchanged after 3 days of haloperidol treatment. In contrast, the enkephalin mRNA level was increased in the striatum, and mu-opioid receptor mRNA levels were markedly decreased in the globus pallidus after 7 days of haloperidol administration. Similar effects were observed in rats treated with haloperidol for 8 months. The results provide the first evidence of regulation of mu-opioid receptor mRNA in vivo.
Forum Domination: Religious Speech in Extremely Limited Public Fora

In the United States there are a large number of religious communities that do not have the resources to obtain a meeting place of their own. Frequently, these groups meet in public schools, taking advantage of liberal rental policies that provide inexpensive space to community groups. Not surprisingly, this kind religious use of public space has generated much First Amendment litigation.It is now settled law under the Public Forum Doctrine that such religious groups must have access to public facilities on an equal footing with non-religious groups. Nonetheless, the Supreme Court has expressed concern that First Amendment problems could arise if a religious group dominated the available rental space in such a forum.Although the forum domination problem is one that the Supreme Court has discussed in several opinions, it has never faced the question directly. In spite of the Court’s speculation on the matter, and although the specter of forum domination is often raised, cases of courts actually finding forum domination have been quite rare. More recently, however, the Second Circuit has shown a willingness to find domination in a wider range of scenarios. This note will argue that the Second Circuit has taken an overly broad view of forum domination that does not comport with the Supreme Court’s cases. Properly understood, forum domination occurs only when one group uses a forum’s resources to the exclusion of others who actually seek access to them.Although forum domination is a problem of narrower scope than the Second Circuit has held, it still is a genuine problem. Forum domination may result in impermissible government aid to, or endorsement of, religion. This note will argue, however, that the most plausible reading of the Supreme Court’s cases is that the forum domination problem presents a limit, not on private speech, but on the government’s administration of public fora. This note will also evaluate several of the policy options available to local governments to avoid the forum domination problem.Finally, this note will conclude that although courts have discussed the forum domination problem primarily in the context of the use of a forum by religious speakers, it may arise regardless of the religiosity of a forum’s participants. Consequently, enacting policies to ensure the equitable treatment of all speakers is critical in any forum with limited space.
The feeding behaviour of Rumina decollata (Subulinidae: Gastropoda) raises questions about its efficacy as a biological control agent for Cornu aspersum (Helicidae: Gastropoda)

ABSTRACTThe facultative predatory snail Rumina decollata (L.) has been used as a biological control agent for Cornu aspersum (Muller) in Californian citrus orchards for almost half a century despite there being little laboratory and field evidence of its efficacy. We have demonstrated that R. decollata can only successfully kill C. aspersum that are <13 mm (shell diameter) and if given a choice between a known food plant (carrot roots) and C. aspersum within this vulnerable size range, the majority of R. decollata (∼93%) chose carrots. Adult R. decollata will feed on C. aspersum eggs and mean total consumption per individual was ∼3 eggs over a 7-day period. These experimental results support previous anecdotal suggestions that R. decollata may not be an effective snail predator.
Selection bias in case-control studies of severe varicella infection.

Two features of the case-control study by Dowell and Bresee1 on severe varicella as a possible adverse consequence of using corticosteroids limit the inferences that can be drawn from the results: 1. The investigators identified only 19 children with severe varicella who did not have leukemia or a history of renal transplantation, conditions associated with substantial immune suppression; 2. Other conditions associated with immune suppression may have been present in those 19 children to a greater extent than in control children.
Brief of Amicus Curiae, Warren v. Seidel, United States District Court for the District of Ohio, Case No. 2:10-cv-01049-MHW (2010)

This amicus brief supports a bankruptcy court's order imposing sanctions on an attorney who, among other things, failed to appear at the debtor's confirmation hearing and encouraged the debtor to pay his fees by credit card prior to filing her petition.
Photon Statistics of Pulsed, Vertical-Cavity, Surface-Emitting Lasers

Because of their low threshold and high efficiency, vertical-cavity, surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are very interesting from both fundamental and application-minded perspectives. From the fundamental perspective, it has been demonstrated that VCSELs can emit light with a variance that is below the shot-noise level, a purely quantum mechanical effect.[l]
Effects of insulin and phospholipase C in control and denervated rat skeletal muscle

Phospholipase C (PLC), an enzyme that increases endogenous 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG), caused dose-dependent stimulation of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) uptake in rat soleus muscles; the maximal effect was less than that of insulin. In denervated muscles the effect of insulin on 2-DG uptake was markedly reduced, whereas the response to PLC was identical to that of control muscles. Both PLC and insulin stimulated glucose incorporation into glycogen in control but not in denervated solei. Amino acid transport was unaffected by PLC; however, the enzyme completely inhibited the stimulation of amino acid transport by insulin. PLC did not activate the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase but decreased activation of the receptor by insulin in vivo. Basal muscle DAG content increased after denervation. Incubation with PLC markedly increased DAG in control and in denervated muscle. Insulin increased total DAG mass less than PLC in control muscles and did not affect DAG in denervated muscles. In media without added Ca2+, PLC stimulation of DAG production was impaired, and 2-DG uptake was unresponsive to PLC. The data are consistent with, but do not prove, that a subpopulation of DAGs may participate in insulin-mediated stimulation of glucose transport. They also suggest that the denervation-induced insulin resistance of glucose transport may reflect impaired generation of certain DAGs involved in the signaling cascade.
Density Effects on the Size Structure of Annual Plant Populations: An Indication of Neighbourhood Competition

Size variability among plants has been observed to increase with stand density, leading to the speculation that resource distribution among competing plants is primarily asymmetric rather than symmetric. The relationships between size variability, stand density, and type of resource distribution among competiting plants were investigated using a spatially explicit, individual-plant model of annual plant population dynamics. When plants varied in neighbourhood competition, size variability increased with higher stand densities whether shared resources were symmetrically or asymmetrically distributed among competing plants (...)
Technical Note: Dose gradients and prescription isodose in orthovoltage stereotactic radiosurgery.

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to examine the trade-off between prescription isodose and dose gradients in orthovoltage stereotactic radiosurgery. Methods: Point energy deposition kernels (EDKs) describing photon and electron transport were calculated using Monte Carlo methods. EDKs were generated from 10 to 250 keV, in 10 keV increments. The EDKs were converted to pencil beam kernels and used to calculate dose profiles through isocenter from a 4π isotropic delivery from all angles of circularly collimated beams. Monoenergetic beams and an orthovoltage polyenergetic spectrum were analyzed. The dose gradient index (DGI) is the ratio of the 50% prescription isodose volume to the 100% prescription isodose volume and represents a metric by which dose gradients in stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) may be evaluated. Results: Using the 4π dose profiles calculated using pencil beam kernels, the relationship between DGI and prescription isodose was examined for circular cones ranging from 4 to 18 mm in diameter and monoenergetic photon beams with energies ranging from 20 to 250 keV. Values were found to exist for prescription isodose that optimize DGI. Conclusions: The relationship between DGI and prescription isodose was found to be dependent on both field size and energy. Examining this trade-off is an important consideration for designing optimal SRS systems.
Cross-Linguistic Influence in the Bilingual Mental Lexicon: Evidence of Cognate Effects in the Phonetic Production and Processing of a Vowel Contrast.

The present study examines cognate effects in the phonetic production and processing of the Catalan back mid-vowel contrast (/o/-/ɔ/) by 24 early and highly proficient Spanish-Catalan bilinguals in Majorca (Spain). Participants completed a picture-naming task and a forced-choice lexical decision task in which they were presented with either words (e.g. /bɔsk/ ‘forest’) or non-words based on real words, but with the alternate mid-vowel pair in stressed position (*/bosk/). The same cognate and non-cognate lexical items were included in the production and lexical decision experiments. The results indicate that even though these early bilinguals maintained the back mid-vowel contrast in their productions, they had great difficulties identifying non-words and real words based on the identity of the Catalan mid-vowel. The analyses revealed language dominance and cognate effects: Spanish-dominants exhibited higher error rates than Catalan-dominants, and production and lexical decision accuracy were also affected by cognate status. The present study contributes to the discussion of the organization of early bilinguals’ dominant and non-dominant sound systems, and proposes that exemplar theoretic approaches can be extended to include bilingual lexical connections that account for the interactions between the phonetic and lexical levels of early bilingual individuals.
Photodeoxygenation of dinaphthothiophene, benzophenanthrothiophene, and benzonaphthothiophene S-oxides.

Photoinduced deoxygenation of dibenzothiophene S-oxide (DBTO) has been suggested to release atomic oxygen [O(3P)]. To expand the conditions and applications where O(3P) could be used, generation of O(3P) at longer wavelengths was desirable. The sulfoxides benzo[b]naphtho-[1,2,d]thiophene S-oxide, benzo[b]naphtho[2,1,d]thiophene S-oxide, benzo[b]phenanthro[9,10-d]thiophene S-oxide, dinaphtho[2,1-b:1′,2′-d]thiophene S-oxide, and dinaphtho[1,2-b:2′,1′-d]thiophene S-oxide all absorb light at longer wavelengths than DBTO. To determine if these sulfoxides could be used to generate O(3P), quantum yield studies, product studies, and computational analysis were performed. Quantum yields for the deoxygenation were up to 3 times larger for these sulfoxides compared to DBTO. However, oxidation of the solvent by these sulfoxides resulted in different ratios of oxidized products compared to DBTO, which suggested a change in deoxygenation mechanism. Density functional calculations revealed a much larger singlet–triplet gap for the larger sulfoxides compared to DBTO. This led to the conclusion that the examined sulfoxides could undergo deoxygenation by two different mechanisms.
Auxiliary equipment adaptability for capacity enlargement of a 300MW unit

According to the experimental and operation data of a 300 MW unit before its capacity increase retrofitting,the main auxiliaries' performances were checked to determine their adaptability on the transformation.Results indicate that,the air volume of forced draft fan doesn't satisfy the requirement while that of the induced draft fan does.The air preheater's heat exchange performance under the flue gas and air condition of retrofitted unit meets the adjustment requirement.Both the feed water pump and condensate pump satisfy the requirements while the circulating water pump needs reform.Neither the heat exchange area of No.1 nor No.3 high pressure heater meets the requirement after retrofitting,while that of No.2 high pressure heater does,but its excess area fails to reach 10% of the value that general design requires.The condenser meets the requirement when increasing the flow rate of cooling water to 39 000 m3/h.
Pulmonary embolism: dilemmas in diagnosis and therapy.

SUMMARY The diagnosis and therapy of pulmonary embolism is one of the most difficult problems in pulmonary medicine. The clinical presentation, laboratory data, electrocardiogram and chest roentgenogram are nonspecific and classical findings are rare. This leads to both overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of this entity. The minimum requirement for diagnosis is a positive lung scan in the appropriate setting. However, in the most difficult cases, the lung scan is seldom diagnostic. The pulmonary arteriogram is currently the best procedure to diagnose or to rule-out pulmonary embolism. The information on optimal administration of heparin and coumadin in proven pulmonary embolism is incomplete, but current methods are very effective in preventing further embolization. The potential for drastically reducing the total incidence and mortality from pulmonary embolism via low-dose heparin prophylaxis is immense. Improvements in nonsurgical techniques of venous interruption may eventually replace operative intervention. Pulmonary embolectomy is rarely performed today because of the uncertain indications for the procedure and its high mortality rate.
Guidelines for research recruitment of underserved populations (EERC)

Abstract Purpose Despite concerted efforts to establish health equity, significant disparities persist. One roadblock to eliminating health disparities is the inadequate recruitment of underserved populations, which prevents researchers from creating culturally-tailored interventions. To further develop the science of recruitment, we argue that a systematic approach should be applied to research participant recruitment. Given the lack of practical and comprehensive recruitment conceptual frameworks or guidelines in the literature, the authors propose newly synthesized guidelines for research recruitment of underserved populations: EERC (evaluate, engage, reflect, and carefully match). Methods The EERC guidelines are delineated, and the application of these guidelines is illustrated through a study recently conducted by the authors. Results The guidelines consist of the following four components: 1. E valuate the composition of the research team; 2. E ngage fully with the community by working with key informants and cultural insiders; 3. R eflect the unique cultural characteristics of the community in the research conduct; and 4. C arefully use a matching technique. The application component of the article demonstrates concrete examples of how the guidelines can enhance research recruitment for an underserved population. Conclusion The authors intend these guidelines to be broadly applicable for research teams regardless of research design or characteristics of the underserved population. Application of these guidelines in nursing and health science will contribute to increasing research recruitment of underserved populations, with the goal of reducing health disparities and achieving health equity for all persons.