cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determinants of aerosolized albuterol delivery to mechanically ventilated infants

An in vitro lung model and a volume ventilator were used to evaluate the delivery of aerosolized albuterol through an infant ventilator circuit. We compared the following: continuous nebulization (CNA) and intermittent nebulization (INA); various nebulizer gas flows, 5.0, 6.5, and 8.0 L/min; and duty cycle of 33% and 50%. The efficiency and consistency of aerosol delivery by metered-dose inhaler (MDI) with four different spacer devices and by nebulizer positioned at the manifold and at the same position as the MDI were also evaluated. A volume ventilator (Servo 900B) was used with settings selected to reflect those of a moderately to severely ill 4-kg infant. A 3.5-mm endotracheal tube was used in all experiments. A specific type of nebulizer used (Airlife Misty Neb; Baxter; Valencia, Calif) and several spacers were studied (Aerochamber and Aerovent, Diemolding Healthcare Div, Canastota, NY; ACE, Monaghan Medical Corp, Plattsburgh, NY; and an in-line MDI adapter, Instrumentation Industries Inc, Pittsburgh). CNA delivered significantly more aerosol to the lung model (4.8±0.6% of the starting dose) than INA (3.8±0.3%; p
Ex situ wafer surface cleaning by HF dipping for low temperature silicon epitaxy

Abstract Ex situ silicon wafer cleaning by HF dipping has been studied in terms of cleaning efficiency. Silicon epitaxial layers were deposited in the MC-CVD (Multi-Chamber Chemical Vapor Deposition) reactor, which had a Load Lock Chamber. In situ cleaning was performed with an ECR (Electron Cyclotron Resonance) hydrogen plasma exposure. The XTEM (Cross-sectional Transmission Electron Microscopy) was performed to investigate the structural qualities of the epitaxial layer and the epilayer/substrate interface. The SIMS (Secondary Ion mass Spectroscopy) was performed to investigate their interfacial carbon and oxygen concentrations. HF dipping without water rinsing, followed by thermal heating up to 660°C provided the best results in terms of contamination. Rinsing seemed to help the surface natural oxide grow, but it improved the surface smoothness of the epitaxial layer. Blow-drying by nitrogen was important in reducing the interfacial oxygen concentration of the deposited epitaxial layer. Spin-drying turned out to be efficient in removing hydrocarbons or organic species. The ex situ cleaning played a major role in reducing the amounts of surface contaminants.
Theory of plasma simulation using multipole-expansion scheme

Abstract Nonphysical grid effects in plasma simulation using the Multipole-Expansion scheme and Gaussian-shape charge particles are studied analytically in one dimension. General expressions for the linear dispersion relation, fluctuation spectra, energy, and momentum conservations are derived and then compared with those of the Cloud-in-Cell (CIC) scheme using cell-size clouds. The results indicate that the Dipole-Expansion scheme and its subtracted version have, in general, grid effects comparable to CIC. Grid effects, however, are greatly reduced in schemes keeping higher-order moments, such as the Quadrupole-Expansion scheme.
Integrated sample preparation and sensing: Microresonator optical sensors embedded in digital electrowetting microfluidics systems

The intimate integration of digital electrowetting microfluidics and optical microcavity sensors results in an excellent platform for low power consumption, high sensitivity integrated sample preparation and testing, which is particularly useful for medical diagnostics and water quality testing. In this work, a microresonator structure with a buried channel waveguide (resulting in an external Q factor of 28,000 in silicone oil and 17,000 in water) was embedded in the top plate of a digital electrowetting system, enabling sensing with a single droplet of &#60;100 nL volume. The integrated system was used to successfully demonstrate resonant optical wavelength shifts proportional to index of refraction changes of the liquid actuated to the sensor.
Mechanisms of gene regulation by vitamin D3 receptor: a network of coactivator interactions

Abstract The vitamin D3 receptor regulates transcription in direct response to its cognate hormonal ligand, 1,25(OH)2D3. Ligand binding leads to the recruitment of coactivators. Many of these factors, acting in large complexes, have emerged as chromatin remodelers partly through intrinsic histone modifying activities. In addition, other ligand-recruited complexes appear to act more directly on the transcriptional appartus, suggesting that transcriptional regulation by VDR and other nuclear receptors may involve a process of both chromatin alterations and direct recruitment of key initiation components at regulated promoters.
Complementary approaches to investigating cancer cell dynamics in the tumor microenvironment

Metastatic cancer cells respond to chemical and mechanical stimuli in their microenvironment that guide invasion into the surrounding tissue and eventually the circulatory/lymph systems. The NANIVID is designed to be an in vivo device used to collect metastatic cancer cells by providing a gradient of epidermal growth factor through the controlled release from a customized hydrogel. The model cells, MTLn3 and Mena Inv , both derived from a rat mammary adenocarcinoma, will migrate toward the device and be collected in the chamber. A set of electrodes inside the chamber will provide real-time data on the density of cells collected in the device. The characterization and optimization of the electrodes in vitro will be reported, as will the development of an equivalent circuit model used to describe electrode behavior. The ultimate goal of this work is for the NANIVID to be used for in vivo investigations of a rat model of mammary cancer. Furthermore, since the morphology, mechanical properties, and movement of cells are influenced by the microenvironment, a combined scanning confocal laser microscope and atomic force microscope will be used to study these relationships. This work will further the understanding of the dynamics and mechanics of metastatic cancer cells as they leave the primary tumor and metastasize.
Abstract 5360: Ethanol enhances arsenic-induced mutagenesis in colon

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Health effects due to environmental exposure to arsenic are a major health concern world-wide. Arsenic has been known to induce carcinogenesis and enhance tumor development via complex and unclear mechanism. As one of the common nutritional factors, ethanol is also a well-documented risk factor for many malignancies. However, little is known on the effects of co-exposure to arsenic and ethanol in mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. In this study, we investigate the mutagenic effect of co-exposure to arsenic and ethanol in vivo and in vitro. Results show that ethanol could markedly enhance arsenic-induced mutagenesis in colon in Big Blue Mice. This response related to intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, NAPDH oxidase activation, and DNA damage/repair functional changes. We conclude that ethanol enhances arsenic-induced mutagenesis in colon in vivo. These results indicated that alcohol consumption should be taken into consideration in the investigation on arsenic-induced carcinogenesis in arsenic-exposure population. Citation Format: Lei Wang, Lisha Kuang, Young-Ok Son, John Andrew Hitron, Pratheeshkumar Poyil, Zhuo Zhang, Jia Luo, Zhigang Wang, Xianglin Shi. Ethanol enhances arsenic-induced mutagenesis in colon. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 5360. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-5360
Working with the labor movement : A personal journey in organic public sociology

Dans cet article, l'A fait part de sa vocation a etudier et enseigner la sociologie publique. L'A revient sur son parcours personnel et professionnel, et discute de la place de la sociologie organique publique au sein de la discipline sociologique
Electrochemically controlled swelling properties of nanoporous templated polypyrrole and layer by layer polypyrrole

Abstract Electrochemically controlled swelling properties of polypyrrole (PPy) are investigated by comparing the performance of layer-by-layer (LbL) assembled and nanoporous templated (NT) systems. The swelling behavior was improved for the NT and LbL systems over that of unmodified PPy. Reversible swelling of about 20% in 120 s on the first cycle was measured with the NT PPy via the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM). The changes in the morphology and roughness that occur with swelling and shrinking were measured using in situ electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements showed that both the LbL and NT systems exhibited increased surface area relative to unmodified PPy thin films. The understanding of the changes occurring due to molecular and nanostructural reconfiguration in response to electrochemical stimuli may lead to potential applications in the development of a new generation of smart materials, in particular, more effective switchable materials.
Use of a collagen shield to treat a glaucoma filter bleb leak.

T he J ournal welcomes letters that describe unusual clinical or pathologic findings, experimental results, and new instruments or techniques. The title and the names of all authors appear in the Table of Contents and are retrievable through the Index Medicus and other standard indexing services. Letters must not duplicate data previously published or submitted for publication. Each letter must be accompanied by a signed disclosure statement and copyright transfer agreement published in each issue of T he J ournal . Letters must be typewritten, double-spaced, on 8 1/2 × 11-inch bond paper with 1 1/2-inch margins on all four sides. (See Instructions to Authors.) They should not exceed 500 words of text. A maximum of two black-and-white figures may be used; they should be cropped to a width of 3 inches (one column). Color figures cannot be used. References should be limited to five. Letters may be referred to outside editorial referees for evaluation or may be reviewed by members of the Editorial Board. All letters are published promptly after acceptance. Authors do not receive galley proofs but if the editorial changes are extensive, the corrected typescript is submitted to them for approval. These instructions markedly limit the opportunity for an extended discussion or review. Therefore, T he J ournal does not publish correspondence concerning previously published letters.
Outing the Imposter: A Study Exploring Imposter Phenomenon among Higher Education Faculty.

Attention to faculty development, especially factors influencing faculty satisfaction and performance, has increased in the last decade. While a significant focus has been on contextual factors (i.e., tenure policies, mentoring, work-life integration), fewer studies have examined individual psychological factors especially in the field of human resource development. This descriptive study addresses a particular focus in faculty development by examining the prevalence of faculty experiences of imposter phenomenon, IP, (the experience of fraudulent thoughts and feelings and the inability to attribute and internalize personal achievement), how it affects their perceived emotional exhaustion (a dimension of job burnout) and their reported coping skills. Results of the study suggest that faculty (n=61) do experience moderate levels of IP with the highest reported by untenured faculty. Results also indicate that faculty emotional exhaustion is positively related to IP, and faculty reporting moderate-high levels of IP also reported greater use of adaptive coping skills to address imposter thoughts. Faculty also identified the important role of mentoring at tempering imposter tendencies.
An APL batch scheduler improves service and system management

An APL.MS2 system is described which enhances the behavior of the batch task scheduler for the Univac 90 series system: VS/9. In addition to permitting customized task control on a per-shift basis the system manager can interactively tune the system's batch load. The workspace communicates through operator commands and implements a simple algorithm which spreads the batch load so that both large and small tasks can execute. This work is an instance of the application of APL to systems programming in order to provide elegant interactive operating system tools.
Differential diagnosis of cervicofacial swellings.

Abstract The diagnosis of a cervicofacial swelling depends on a thorough and adequate history, on a complete examination of the region, and sometimes on a thorough physical examination. Accurate diagnosis is especially important if the lesion persists for any length of time. The various most common cervicofacial lesions that present clinically as swellings have been reviewed in order to facilitate the differential diagnosis of these lesions. The fact that many cervicofacial swellings may be malignant is emphasized, as is the idea that biopsy should be performed only after a careful search for a possible site of the primary cancer.
Effects of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine liposomes on high affinity transport of choline and synthesis of acetylcholine in cerebral cortical synaptosomes in the rat

Abstract The presynaptic cholinergic effects of the phospholipid dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine were investigated in non-depolarized synaptosomes from the cerebral cortex of the rat. This naturally-occurring phospholipid, in the form of small unilamellar vesicles (3.0 mg/ml), inhibited both high affinity uptake of [ 3 H] choline and the synthesis of [ 3 H] acetylcholine. This lipid-induced inhibition was apparently competitive, since it was observed at 1 μM but not 20μM extracellular concentration of choline. These results indicate that dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine may reduce the synthesis of acetylcholine in resting nerve terminals.
Active capture: integrating human-computer interaction and computer vision/audition to automate media capture

While the devices for media capture have advanced from mechanical to computational since the invention of photography and motion pictures in the 19th century, their underlying user interaction paradigms have remained largely unchanged. Current interaction techniques for media capture do not leverage computation to solve key problems: the skill required to capture high quality media assets; the effort required to select useable assets from captured assets; and the lack of metadata describing the content and structure of media assets that could enable them to be retrieved and (re)used. We describe a new interaction and processing paradigm for media capture that redefines capture as a control process with feedback. By integrating human-computer interaction and computer vision and audition into an "active capture" process, we overcome the limitations of current media capture devices, algorithms, and interaction techniques. Active capture leverages media production knowledge to automate direction and cinematography and thus enables the automated production of annotated, high quality, reusable media assets.
Ultrasonography of the prostate and testes.

The first application of ultrasound in medical diagnosis occurred in 1942 when Karl Dussik placed transducers on patients’ craniums and recorded the throughtransmission of the sound beam in an attempt to localize a brain tumor.1 In 1949, the first successful pulse echo system, which could record echoes from tissue interfaces, was developed by Douglas Howry and W. Roderic Bliss at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.2 In 1951, Wild and Neal3 of St Martin’s Hospital reported that Amode display sonography was capable of showing differences between normal and abnormal tissues, and the following year, Wild and Reid4 published the first twodimensional echograms of biological tissues (kidney cortex and myoblastoma of the thigh). In 1963, Takahashi and Ouchi5 were the first investigators to report the use of ultrasound to image the prostate via an abdominal approach, but, unfortunately, these A-mode display images were difficult to interpret and not clinically useful. A year later, these investigators successfully obtained tomographic pictures of the prostate with the use of a transrectal probe equipped with a radical scanning device. Although resolution improved, the images also were of poor quality and thought to be of no clinical value.6 Watanabe and associates,7 using a chair device, are credited with obtaining the first clinically useful transrectal ultrasonographic images of the prostate in 1967 (Fig. 1). Remarkable improvement in ultrasonography of the prostate was obtained with the use of a transrectal radial probe with a special concave 3.5-MHz transducer covered with a water-filled balloon.8 A B-mode display was used, and reproducible transverse prostate images were visualized on a black-and-white screen. It is important to recognize that transrectal ultrasound scanning was also evaluated by VonMicsky,9 a gynecologist who developed an ultrasound scanning device in conjunction with a sigmoidoscope to visualize the pelvic structures. The first reports of investigators in the United States using transrectal ultrasound for evaluation of the prostate came in 1972, and the images shown in the cathode ray tube (CRT) were recorded with a Polaroid camera (Fig. 2).10,11 These initial reports were the culmination of a number of experiments that were conducted beginning in 1968 at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine under the direction of William H. Boyce, who described these early developments.12–14 Initially studies were carried out with skincoupled B-mode transducers through the perineum and other portals before the final decision was made to use an intrarectal balloon-coupled rotational array transducer.
Assessment of Impacts of Hurricane Katrina on Net Primary Productivity in Mississippi

Abstract Southern forests contribute significantly to the carbon sink for the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) associated with the anthropogenic activities in the United States. Natural disasters like hurricanes are constantly threatening these forests. Hurricane winds can have a destructive impact on natural vegetation and can adversely impact net primary productivity (NPP). Hurricane Katrina (23–30 August 2005), one of the most destructive natural disasters in history, has affected the ecological balance of the Gulf Coast. This study analyzed the impacts of different categories of sustained winds of Hurricane Katrina on NPP in Mississippi. The study used the Carnegie–Ames–Stanford Approach (CASA) model to estimate NPP by using remote sensing data. The results indicated that NPP decreased by 14% in the areas hard hit by category 3 winds and by 1% in the areas hit by category 2 winds. However, there was an overall increase in NPP, from 2005 to 2006 by 0.60 Tg of carbon, in Mississippi. The authors found t...
Shear wave anisotropy imaging

Shear wave anisotropy imaging is a novel method that images local variations in tissue shear wave velocity. A commercial ultrasound scanner is used to generate and track propagating shear waves. Radiation force from a brief high-energy pulse generates shear waves. The pulses are steered in order to launch the waves at oblique angles. The Helmholtz equation is used to extract the shear propagation velocity. Depending on the direction of shear wave propagation, the velocity changes and images are formed from the ratio and directions of the maximum and minimum shear wave speeds. The beam sequence and data acquisition are real time processes, however, data analysis and anisotropy imaging are performed off-line. We describe simulation and experimental studies of this method in phantoms. Finite element methods were employed to test the feasibility and calibration of the method. A homogeneous phantom was imaged and isotropy was observed. Simulation results of an anisotropic medium provided an estimate of anisotropy consistent with expectations. Shear wave speed images were made for each sample in all three planes and inspected for shear speed variations between propagation angles. Shear wave speeds in the homogeneous phantom were quite uniform with an average level of anisotropy of 1.15, indicating little organization within the sample. Upon a ninety degree rotation of the transducer, the average level of anisotropy was 1.14.
Low phase-noise UHF thin-film piezoelectric-on-substrate LBAR oscillators

This paper reports on the first demonstration of a low phase-noise 467 MHz temperature-compensated oscillator based on a ZnO-on-nanocrystalline diamond lateral bulk acoustic resonator (LBAR). The temperature compensation is achieved by using a thin silicon-dioxide buffer layer on the surface of the diamond film. The oscillator performance is compared with an uncompensated 496 MHz AIN-on-silicon oscillator. The sustaining circuitry is comprised of a 9.4 mW tunable transimpedance amplifier (TIA) in 0.18 mum CMOS. The phase-noise is measured below -80dBc/Hz at 1kHz offset with temperature drift of < -4ppm/degC from -5degC to 90degC.
Orthovoltage intraoperative radiation therapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Purpose To analyze the outcomes of patients from a single institution treated with surgery and orthovoltage intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Constraints on the merging time-scale of luminous red galaxies, or, where do all the haloes go?

In the A cold dark matter cosmology, dark matter haloes grow primarily through the accretion of smaller haloes. Much of the mass in a halo of 10 14 M ⊙ comes in through accretion of ∼10 13 M ⊙ haloes. If each such halo hosted one luminous red galaxy (LRG) then the accretion of so many haloes is at odds with the observed number of LRGs in clusters unless these accreted LRGs merge or disrupt on relatively short time-scales (∼2 Gyr). These time-scales are consistent with classical dynamical friction arguments, and imply that two to three LRGs have merged or disrupted within each halo more massive than 10 14 M ⊙ by z= 0. The total amount of stellar mass brought into these massive haloes by z = 0 is consistent with observations once the intracluster light (ICL) is included. If disrupted LRGs build up the ICL, then the hierarchical growth of massive haloes implies that a substantial amount of ICL should also surround satellite LRGs, as suggested by recent observations of the Virgo cluster. Finally, we point out that these results are entirely consistent with a non-evolving clustering strength and halo occupation distribution, and note that observations of the latter in fact support the hypothesis that merging/disruption of massive galaxies does indeed take place at late times.
A brief review of procedures and potential problems associated with the diagnosis of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome

Experience has shown that, for a number of reasons, a diagnosis of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is sometimes difficult. In this review we discuss: (1) field observations and laboratory tests that are useful in arriving at a definitive diagnosis; (2) the impact of so-called atypical PRRS on diagnostic procedures in North America; (3) the means by which diagnostic problems can often be circumvented by appropriate sample selection; and (4) methods used for presumptive identification of PRRS virus strains.
Handling the Data Growth with Privacy Preservation in Collaborative Filtering

The emergence of electric business facilitates people in purchasing merchandises over the Internet. To sell the products better, online service providers use recommender systems to provide recommendations to customers. Most recommender systems are based on collaborative filtering (CF) technique. This technique provides recommendations based on users’ transaction history. Due to the technical limitations, many online merchants ask a third party to help develop and maintain recommender systems instead of doing that themselves. Therefore, they need to share their data with these third parties and users’ private information is prone to leaking. Furthermore, the fast data growth should be handled by the data owner efficiently without sacrificing privacy. In this chapter, we propose a privacy preserving data updating scheme for collaborative filtering purpose and study its performance on two different datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed scheme does not degrade recommendation accuracy and can preserve a satisfactory level of privacy while updating the data efficiently.
Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 with NS-398 and the prevention of radiation-induced transformation, micronuclei formation and clonogenic cell death in C3H 10T1/2 cells.

Purpose: Abnormally high levels of the cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2 isozyme as well as the prostaglandin metabolites produced by the COX pathway have been observed in a variety of malignancies, including cancers of the skin, pancreas, colon, breast, cervix, prostate, and head and neck. Furthermore, exogenous genotoxic agents, including ionizing radiation (IR), have been shown to induce cellular transformation and to elevate COX‐2 activity, whereas exposure to agents that specifically inhibit COX‐2 activity have been shown to inhibit transformation. These data suggest a possible role of COX‐2 both in IR‐mediated cellular transformation processes and cell death.Materials and methods: C3H 10T1/2 and/or HeLa cells were treated with N‐[2‐(cyclohexyloxy)‐4‐nitrophenyl]‐methanesulfonamide (NS‐398) and/or exposed to IR. Following treatment, cells were assayed for neoplastic transformation, clonogenicity, growth rates, cell cycle distribution, micronuclei formation and DNA damage by established methodologies. Statistica...
Higher Education and Income Distribution in a Less Developed Country

THREE competing hypotheses have been advanced concerning the effect of government education spending and finance on income distribution. One hypothesis is that educational spending leads to income redistribution in favour of the poor. The alternative hypothesis is that educational spending results in an even wider gap between rich and poor. Finally, there is the null hypothesis, which holds that the aggregate distribution of income is determined by many things other than education which, by this hypothesis, has little or no effect. These hypotheses apply to the effects of education spending and finance on the size distribution of income within a generation and to the effects upon movement between (relative) income classes between generations. The primary purpose of this paper is to empirically test among both the intraand the inter-generational version of these three hypotheses for higher (i.e. post-secondary)" levels of education for one less developed country, Kenya.2 A secondary purpose is to investigate other economic aspects of spending on higher education, most notably the question of horizontal equity in school finance. Before proceeding, a methodological point is in order. There is no consensus in the public economics literature on what is a suitable criterion for assessing the equitability of a fiscal programme.3 At least three criteria may be distinguished (the terminology is my own): (1) The Equal
Treatment of Adenovirus Infections in Patients Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Retrospective analysis of 303 patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation identified 35 (11.5%) with adenovirus infection. Among them, 22 received specific therapy. As first-line therapy, 18 were treated with intravenous ribavirin, 3 with cidofovir, and 1 with vidarabine. Moreover, 2 received donor leukocyte infusion in combination with ribavirin, and 1 received it after failing to respond to other therapies. Seven survived (31.8%; 3 of 13 who received ribavirin alone and 2 of 3 who received cidofovir). Among the 5 patients treated with combined strategies, 2 who received donor leukocyte infusions showed clearance of all symptoms. Acute graft-versus-host disease grade > or = 3 (P = .01) and a long delay between infection and treatment (P = .05) correlated with a greater risk of treatment failure. In conclusion, ribavirin and vidarabine are ineffective options, particularly for patients at who are high risk of acquiring disseminated adenovirus disease. Conversely, cidofovir or donor leukocyte infusions seem to be encouraging approaches if initiated early.
Teaching in Northwestern China Under a Market Economy: Opportunities and Challenges

This article discusses a case study that explored the impacts of a market economy on some Northwestern Chinese teachers’ working and living conditions as well as opportunities and challenges the new economy presented from teachers’ perspectives. Analysis of surveys, interviews, and documents revealed that the participants believed they had benefited from the market economy, citing pay raises as well as improved working and living conditions. Participants thought opportunities under the market economy included additional earnings as well as improved national and international professional development. However, the participants found the shift from the traditional teacher-centered pedagogy to a more student-centered approach and working with more resourceful students and their parents required constant professional development and overtime work which was challenging and stressful. Findings indicate that the Hanyu (national language also referred to as Putonghua) medium of instruction for minority students, another pedagogical change under the market economy, presented additional challenges to minority teachers who were concerned that the Hanyu medium of instruction may have been an impediment to minority students’ educational achievement and presented serious issues that deserved urgent attention.
The rabbit as a model for neurourologic studies of the lower genitourinary tract

We evaluated the rabbit as an animal model for the elucidation of the neurophysiology of erection, ejaculation, and bladder function. In 24 rabbits, stimulation of the hypogastric nerves resulted in penile tumescence and contraction of the seminal vesicles and vasa deferentia. Stimulation of the sympathetic trunks induced contraction of the penis, seminal vesicles, and vasa deferentia. Cavernous nerve stimulation induced penile erection with a mean intracavernous pressure of 113 cm H2O. Pelvic nerve stimulation elicited bladder contraction, but the intraluminal pressure was low (mean, 9.6 cm H2O) in comparison with that in other species. Our results indicate that the rabbit may be an appropriate, relatively inexpensive, and readily available model for the study of ejaculatory and erectile systems in man. However, because of anatomic variations, the rabbit bladder appears to be unsuitable for comparative studies in humans.
Consensus-based distributed expectation-maximization algorithm for density estimation and classification using wireless sensor networks

The present paper develops a decentralized expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm to estimate the parameters of a mixture density model for use in distributed learning tasks performed with data collected at spatially deployed wireless sensors. The E-step in the novel iterative scheme relies on local information available to individual sensors, while during the M-step sensors exchange information only with their one- hop neighbors to reach consensus and eventually percolate the global information needed to estimate the wanted parameters across the wireless sensor network (WSN). Analysis and simulations demonstrate that the resultant consensus-based distributed EM (CB-DEM) algorithm matches well the resource- limited characteristics of WSNs and compares favorably with existing alternatives because it has wider applicability and remains resilient to inter-sensor communication noise.
Consumer acceptance of ‘Brooks’ and ‘Bing’ cherries is mainly dependent on fruit SSC and visual skin color

During two seasons, ‘in-store’ consumer acceptance tests were performed to determine the relationship between soluble solids concentration (SSC), titratable acidity (TA) and visual skin color on ‘Brooks’ and ‘Bing’ cherry consumer acceptance. For this, approximately 600 consumers were presented cherry samples at targeted skin colors with SSC in the range of ca. 13.0 � /20.0% and TA in the range of ca. 0.50 � /1.00%. For each cherry sample, one half of the whole cherry was tasted and the other half was used to determine SSC and TA. TA � /0.60% reduced consumer acceptance on ‘Brooks’ cherries with B/16.0% SSC compared to cherries with 5/0.60% TA, while in ‘Bing’ the same situation only occurred on cherries with 5/13.0% SSC. High consumer acceptance was determined on ‘Brooks’ and ‘Bing’ cherries when SSC were � /16.0% without regard to TA. For both cultivars, the highest percentage of American consumers would buy cherries based on dark skin color without regard to ethnic group (Caucasian, Asian American, Hispanic, or Black) or gender. However, consumer age was related to making the ‘buy’ or ‘not to buy’ decision based on cherry skin color. Consumers under 18 years old were less biased to buy cherries based on visual skin color. Thus, this work demonstrated that for ‘Brooks’ and ‘Bing’ cherries, a full bright red or dark mahogany skin color should be reached, respectively, in addition to a minimum SSC of 16.0% to satisfy the majority of American consumers. # 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Emerging bone problems in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus

Recently, a high incidence of osteopenia and osteoporosis has been observed in individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This problem appears to be more frequent in patients receiving potent antiretroviral therapy. Other bone-related complications in HIV-infected individuals, including avascular necrosis of the hip and compression fracture of the lumbar spine, have also been reported. People living with HIV have significant alterations in bone metabolism, regardless of whether they are receiving potent antiretroviral therapy. The underlying mechanisms to account for these observations remain unknown, although studies are underway to examine the relationship between the bone abnormalities and other complications associated with HIV and antiretroviral therapy. HIV-infected patients with osteopenia or osteoporosis should be treated similarly to HIV-seronegative patients with appropriate use of nutritional supplements (calcium and vitamin D) and exercise. Hormone replacement and antiresorptive therapies might be also indicated.
Pericardioscopic imaging findings in cadaveric dogs: Comparison of an apical pericardial window and sub‐phrenic pericardectomy

Objective To compare the pericardioscopic cardiovascular anatomy visible between apical pericardial window (PW) and sub-phrenic pericardectomy (SPP). Study Design Experimental study. Animals Canine cadavers (n = 5). Methods Thoracoscopy was performed using a transdiaphragmatic subxyphoid and right and left intercostal portals. A 4 cm × 4 cm apical PW was created with endoscopic scissors. The intra-pericardiac structures were then pericardioscopically assessed using a subjective ordinal scale (0: not visible, 1: 50% seen) before SPP. Assessment was repeated after SPP. Results An apical PW provided limited access to the cardiac structures, with only the right ventricle >50% visible in all cadavers. The right atrium, right auricle, left ventricle, right coronary artery, and interventricular paraconal branch of the left coronary artery were observed but were typically <50% visible after apical PW. The left atrium and auricle, and heart base could not be consistently seen through an apical PW. Sub-phrenic pericardectomy significantly improved observation of all intrapericardiac structures assessed, except for the right atrium and right ventricle. Conclusions PW centered over the cardiac apex limits evaluation of the pericardial space during pericardioscopy compared to SPP in cadaveric dogs.
Evidence for two types of allelic recombination in yeast.

T is now well established that recombination can occur between allelic mutants I of independent origin. Allelic recombination differs, however, from classical crossing over in that it is frequently nonreciprocal and has a lower than expected correlation with the exchange of outside markers. The relationship of nonreciprocal to reciprocal recombination is not yet understood (cf. ROMAN 1963). Models have been suggested which ascribe different mechanisms to the two types of recombination (STADLER 1959; ST. LAWRENCE 1959), or a common mechanism to both (FREESE 1957; PRITCHARD 1960). In either case, it is generally thought that nonreciprocal recombination is the result of an interaction between DNA molecules at a time when replication is occurring. The present study deals with allelic recombination in diploid yeast cells undergoing sporulation. It had previously been shown (ROMAN 1956) that the frequency of allelic recombination rises sharply during meiosis compared with the frequency in mitotically dividing cells, In theory, there should be one cycle of DNA replication during meiosis of yeast. It was our purpose to see if we could determine the period of replication and to find if this period could be correlated with the time of occurrence of allelic recombination.
Identifying the Publics in Water Resource Planning

The public is not a unitary mass, but rather is comprised of segments (publics) of the general public. Identification includes locating the publics, determining their interests and their social and demographic characteristics, and learning how to communicate with them. Publics are identified to increase the range and richness of issues and concerns brought to salience in the planning process. Identification techniques are divided into three groups: (1) Self-identification; (2) third-party identification; and (3) staff identification. Self-identification is done through correspondence, petition, appeal, public hearing, election, suit, protest, and publicity. These processes may be enhanced by providing structures for self-identification. Third-party identification is done by asking some person or group to identify those groups or individuals who should be involved. Staff identification includes analysis of associations, geographic analysis, demographic analysis, historical and comparative analysis, the use of general lists, field interviews, and analysis of affected publics.
Mutagenesis and More: umuDC and the Escherichia coli SOS Response

The cellular response to DNA damage that has been most extensively studied is the SOS response of Escherichia coli. Analyses of the SOS response have led to new insights into the transcriptional and post-translational regulation of processes that increase cell survival after DNA damage as well as insights into DNA-damage-induced mutagenesis, i.e., SOS mutagenesis. SOS mutagenesis requires the recA and umuDC gene products and has as its mechanistic basis the alteration of DNA polymerase III such that it becomes capable of replicating DNA containing miscoding and noncoding lesions. Ongoing investigations of the mechanisms underlying SOS mutagenesis, as well as recent observations suggesting that the umuDC operon may have a role in the regulation of the E. coli cell cycle after DNA damage has occurred, are discussed.
Body Mass and Physical Activity Uniquely Predict Change in Cognition for Aging Adults

Physical activity and body mass predict cognition in the elderly. However, mixed evidence suggests that obesity is associated with poorer cognition, while also protecting against cognitive decline in older age. We investigated whether body mass independently predicted cognition in older age and whether these associations changed over time. A latent curve structural equation modeling approach was used to analyze data from a sample of aging adults (N = 8442) split into two independent subsamples, collected over 6 years. Lower baseline Body Mass Index (BMI) and higher physical activity independently predicted greater baseline cognition (p < 0.001). Decreases in BMI and physical activity independently predicted greater decline in the slope of cognition (p < 0.001). Our results support the obesity paradox in cognitive aging, with lower baseline body mass predicting better cognition, but less decline over time protecting against cognitive decline. We discuss how weight loss in the elderly may serve as a useful indicator of co-occurring cognitive decline, and we discuss implications for health care professionals.
Hipaa as a Political Football and its Impact on Informal Discovery in Employment Law Litigation

Plaintiffs in many litigated employment cases hire medical or psychological experts to buttress their claims of physical or mental injuries. Prior to HIPAA's 1996 enactment, many jurisdictions explicitly permitted a defendant-employer to engage in various degrees of ex parte contact with a plaintiff-employee's treating physicians. Such informal discovery was much faster and cheaper than formal discovery by deposition and expert reports, and arguably helped dampen the overall cost of litigation. However, HIPAA changed this dynamic profoundly: the statute sets a high standard of privacy protection, and broadly preempts contrary state law. Moreover, while plaintiff-employees can use HIPAA to thwart informal discovery by defendant-employers, defendant-employers cannot use HIPAA's privacy shield to thwart discovery by plaintiff-employees of the defendant-employers' human resource records. In this way, HIPAA acts as both shield and sword in favor of plaintiff-employees. Some courts have held that HIPAA flatly prohibits ex parte contacts with a party's treating physician. This approach has three policy advantages: it (1) promotes frank and earnest discussion between patient and physician; (2) provides a clear, bright-line rule; and (3) curtails informal fishing expeditions by defendants. However, this approach also has three drawbacks: it (1) increases litigation costs by limiting the parties to expensive formal discovery; (2) prolongs the discovery process; and (3) promotes trial inefficiency, taxing the courts in time and oversight. This article argues that courts should adopt a compromise position by carefully balancing the privacy expectations and standardization interests on the one hand with cost effectiveness and judicial expediency on the other. Courts should do so by permitting defendant-employers to engage in ex parte contacts with treating physicians, but only within the protective controls afforded by state law. This approach would cohesively blend federal privacy concerns with state procedural independence, generating a salutary spirit of cooperative federalism.
Pool Boiling Heat Transfer of Highly Wetting Fluids on Smooth Metallic Surfaces

The nucleate pool boiling heat transfer characteristics of smooth metallic surfaces were investigated using two highly wetting fluids. Perfluoro-n-hexane and n-hexane were chosen as the test fluids. Two single crystal metal surfaces (Copper and Aluminum) of two different crystal plane orientations in addition to two polycrystalline metal surfaces (Nickel and Titanium) were studied. Three different orientations of a non-metal surface (Silicon) were also studied. Heat transfer is seen to increase with increasing thermal conductivity for both single crystal and polycrystalline surfaces. For the single crystal metal surfaces, heat transfer slightly increases with decreasing planar density. For the silicon surfaces heat transfer increases with increasing planar density. Film boiling at incipience was observed for some of the surfaces. A plausible criterion for predicting the onset of film boiling at incipience is discussed.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Oncogenic transformation potentiates apoptosis, S-phase arrest and stress-kinase activation by etoposide

The exact mechanisms for the selective toxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs against tumor cells are not fully understood. We designed a series of experiments to test the possibility that the positive proliferative signal initiated by oncogenes might change the sensitivity for apoptosis induction by the anticancer drug etoposide (VP16), an inhibitor of topoisomerase II (Topo II). Treatment with VP16 induced significantly increased apoptosis in NIH3T3 cells transformed by oncogenic src, ras or raf, compared with the normal 3T3 cells. Apopototic changes involved nuclear DNA fragmentation, morphological alterations and decreased viability. Furthermore it was shown that stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) was activated much more strongly in all three transformed lines compared to untransformed cells by VP16 treatment, while slight activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1) was observed in all four cell lines. In addition, the transformed cells displayed arrest in mid-S-phase following the treatment, whereas NIH3T3 cells were primarily arrested in late S and G2/M phase. Finally, the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 WAF1 was induced in all four cell lines, although induction of p53 was not detected in any of these cell lines. Taken together our results demonstrated that oncogenic transformation can sensitize the cells to apoptosis induction, stress kinase activation and cell cycle arrest in response to VP16 treatment. These results may have important implications for understanding the selective toxicity of anti-cancer drugs in tumor cells.
Children and Youth With Disabilities and Public Health: A Model Syllabus for Health Professionals

Programs and services traditionally included in the purview of public health—such as Medicaid and Title V of the Social Security Act—have an important role to play in services to people with disabilities. More recently, the educational system under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has emerged as the major service delivery system, including many healthcare services, for children and youth with disabilities. Public health professionals are often called upon by the special education system to support, evaluate, refer, or provide direct interventions for children and youth with disabilities as part of an early intervention or special education program. Yet many public health professionals have limited or no training in public policies related to children and youth with disabilities, service delivery models that have proven effective, or their role in support and providing family-centered, community-based care for children and youth with disabilities. This model syllabus is primarily designed as a survey course to provide students in schools of public health with a broad-based overview of public policies, service delivery systems, and familycentered approaches to care for children and youth with special healthcare needs. This model syllabus could also serve as a framework for a survey course for students in medical schools and schools of allied healthcare professionals, and other professional development programs for individuals in health, human service, and education professions—many of whom are also called upon to provide services to children and youth with special healthcare needs in conjunction with public systems.
The Consequences of Electronic Health Record Adoption for Physician Productivity and Birth Outcomes

The authors use a mixed-methods approach to investigate how the integration of electronic health records between ambulatory and hospital practices affected physician productivity and birth outcomes...