cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Medial lemniscal and spinal projections to the macaque thalamus: an electron microscopic study of differing GABAergic circuitry serving thalamic somatosensory mechanisms

The synaptic relationships formed by medial lemniscal (ML) or spinothalamic tract (STT) axon terminals with neurons of the somatosensory ventroposterolateral thalamic nucleus of the macaque monkey have been examined quantitatively by electron microscopy. ML and STT axons were labeled by the anterograde axon transport of WGA-HRP following injection of the tracer into the contralateral dorsal column nuclei, or the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, respectively. Thalamic tissue was histochemically reacted for the presence of HRP. Serial thin sections were stained with a gold-labeled antibody to GABA, to determine which neuronal elements exhibited GABA immunoreactivity (GABA- ir). Serially sectioned thalamic structures were recorded in electron micrographs and reconstructed in three dimensions by computer. Individual ML axon terminals form multiple synaptic contacts with segments of the proximal dendritic trees of thalamocortical relay neurons and also synapse upon the dendritic appendages of GABA-ir interneurons (local circuit neurons). These GABA-ir dendritic appendages contain synaptic vesicles and are presynaptic (presynaptic dendrites) to the same segments of relay neuron dendrites that receive ML contacts. When analyzed in serial sections and reconstructed by computer, the ML terminals form triadic relationships (ML, GABA appendage, and relay neuron dendrite) or more complex glomerular arrangements involving multiple appendages, all of which then contact the relay neuron dendritic segment. In contrast, multiple STT terminals make synaptic contacts along segments of projection neuron dendrites and are usually the only type of profile to contact that segment of dendrite. More than 85% of the spinal afferents form simple axodendritic synapses with relay cells and do not contact GABA-ir appendages. The thalamic synaptic relationships of ML terminals are fundamentally different from those formed by the STT. Because STT neurons predominatly transmit information about noxious stimuli, the simple axodendritic circuitry of the majority of these spinal afferents suggests that the transmission of noxious information is probably not subject to GABAergic modulation by thalamic interneurons, in contrast to the GABAergic processing of non-noxious information carried by the ML afferents. The differences in the GABAergic circuits of the thalamus that mediate ML and STT afferent information are believed to underlie differential somatosensory processing in the forebrain. We suggest that changes in thalamic GABAergic dendritic appendages and GABA receptors following CNS injury may play a role in the genesis of some central pain states.
Utilization of GPS/MEMS-IMU for measurement of dynamics for range testing of missiles and rockets

Missile and rocket test and evaluation centers currently rely on expensive, and at times inaccurate, radar and/or video tracking equipment to provide position, velocity, attitude, and time information of the missiles/rockets during flight test. Additionally, launch scenarios must be limited to locations where radar/video tracking equipment is able to track the missile/rocket through the entire flight. This paper presents an alternative approach using a small, low cost, integrated GPS receiver and MEMS-IMU embedded in the missile/rocket to provide (via telemeter link) accurate position, velocity, attitude, and time information of the missile/rocket during test flights. An introduction to the problem and the challenges faced in placing a GPS/MEMS-IMU on a small, high g, high roll rate platform is presented. A description of the integrated GPS/MEMS-IMU is presented along with simulated performance results. Finally, the benefits of using the integrated GPS/MEMS-IMU in the test and evaluation environment is discussed.
Higher-order dynamics in lattice-based models using the Chapman-Enskog method

Abstract : In this paper, we investigate the existence of higher order dynamics in lattice-based models. We have identified two conditions that determine whether a model would allow some Burnett-like equations when the Chapman-Enskog expansion is used. These two conditions are the member of the conserved quantities as well as the space and time discretization. We shall demonstrate these conditions by discussing (1) pure diffusion equation, and (2) hydrodynamic equations. While the fact that diffusion equation allows the higher order dynamics can be shown easily, we will illustrate that care must be taken when deriving Burnett-like equations for lattice-based hydrodynamics models using the Chapman-Enskog method.
Functional Representation for the Born−Oppenheimer Diagonal Correction and Born−Huang Adiabatic Potential Energy Surfaces for Isotopomers of H3†

Multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) calculations of the Born−Oppenheimer diagonal correction (BODC) for H3 were performed at 1397 symmetry-unique configurations using the Handy−Yamaguchi−Schaefer approach; isotopic substitution leads to 4041 symmetry-unique configurations for the DH2 mass combination. These results were then fit to a functional form that permits calculation of the BODC for any combination of isotopes. Mean unsigned fitting errors on a test grid of configurations not included in the fitting process were 0.14, 0.12, and 0.65 cm−1 for the H3, DH2, and MuH2 isotopomers, respectively. This representation can be combined with any Born−Oppenheimer potential energy surface (PES) to yield Born−Huang (BH) PESs; herein, we choose the CCI potential energy surface, the uncertainties of which (∼0.01 kcal/mol) are much smaller than the magnitude of the BODC. Fortran routines to evaluate these BH surfaces are provided. Variational transition state theory calculations are presented comparing t...
Postviral Olfactory Dysfunction

Seventeen patients with varying degrees of olfactory dysfunction were studied at the Rocky Mountain Taste and Smell Center in Denver, Colorado. Detailed chemosensory testing was carried out, follow...
Undocumented source of pharmacy benefit manager revenue.

Purpose. The difference between what pharmacy benefit management companies (PBMs) charge prescription benefit plan sponsors and what dispensing pharmacies are paid (“spread”) was studied. Methods. Data from prescription transaction invoices from two large employer groups, each using a different PBM, and 84 community pharmacies (which differed for each employer group due to clear geographic separation) participating in these plans between October 1, 2002, and December 31, 2004, were studied. Detailed community pharmacy payment transaction records were compared with PBM claim records from two employers. One employer provided 49,633 prescription claim records, and the other employer provided 120,684 prescription claim records. Spread between amount due billed to the employer by the PBM and amount due paid to the dispensing pharmacy by the PBM for all prescriptions, for brand-name prescriptions, and for generic prescriptions was analyzed. Results. For the two PBMs combined, the mean ± S.D. spread for 20,376 paid transactions was $1.82 ± $8.26 per prescription. The mean ± S.D. spread for brand-name prescriptions was $0.07 ± $5.18 and for generic medications was $4.20 ± $10.69 per prescription. The two PBMs differed significantly in their spread for all drugs ($2.30 ± $6.17 and $1.78 ± $8.40) and for brand-name drugs ($0.47 ± $3.21 and $0.04 ± $5.30). The difference between PBMs for spreads on generic medications did not achieve statistical significance. Conclusion. Wide variations in spread pricing existed between two PBMs and between brand-name and generic medications. Pharmacists and prescription benefit plan sponsors should be aware of this discrepancy and seek a more transparent contract with PBMs.
On the measurement of the neutron lifetime using ultracold neutrons in a vacuum quadrupole trap

We present a conceptual design for an experiment to measure the neutron lifetime (~886 s) with an accuracy of 10(-4). The lifetime will be measured by observing the decay rate of a sample of ultracold neutrons (UCN) confined in vacuum in a magnetic trap. The UCN collaboration at Los Alamos National Laboratory has developed a prototype UCN source that is expected to produce a bottled UCN density of more than 100/cm(3) [1]. The availability of such an intense source makes it possible to approach the measurement of the neutron lifetime in a new way. We argue below that it is possible to measure the neutron lifetime to 10(-4) in a vacuum magnetic trap. The measurement involves no new technology beyond the expected UCN density. If even higher densities are available, the experiment can be made better and/or less expensive. We present the design and methodology for the measurement. The slow loss of neutrons that have stable orbits, but are not energetically trapped would produce a systematic uncertainty in the measurement. We discuss a new approach, chaotic cleaning, to the elimination of quasi-neutrons from the trap by breaking the rotational symmetry of the quadrupole trap. The neutron orbits take on a chaotic character and mode mixing causes the neutrons on the quasi-bound orbits to leave the trap.
Getting it right generally, but not precisely: learning the relation between multiple inputs and outputs

In real-world situations, people are often faced with the complex task of deciding which of many potential variables are affecting their own or others’ behavior, as well as noting which specific aspects of behavior are being affected. Although it is common for professionals who encounter such conditions to claim that they acquire accurate and specific knowledge from their experience, it is unclear that such confidence is justified. Using a managerial task, we examined participants’ ability to learn how various interventions affect various aspects of their employees’ performance. The results of three experiments reveal that although participants appear to avoid prescribing an intervention that has a positive effect on a primary performance measure and a negative side effect on a secondary measure, when asked directly about the impact of the intervention, they respond by reducing their judgments of its positive impact. This was true regardless of whether participants indicated clear knowledge of its negative side effect (Experiment 3) or did not (Experiments 1 and 2). Thus, participants appear to be automatically integrating across the effects on different outcome measures.
British Romantic Melancholia Charlotte Smith’s Elegiac Sonnets, medical discourse and the problem of sensibility

In the context of increasing British discomfort with the cult of sensibility in the 1790s, medical writers redefined the profile of the melancholic as a highly rational, rather than emotional, literary man. Charlotte Smith’s representation of melancholia in her Elegiac Sonnets returns to the mid-eighteenth-century understanding of the illness, which portrayed the melancholic as a person of both sensibility and rationality. In her attempt to claim melancholia and its association with literary genius, Smith profoundly influenced the content of what was to be called Romantic poetry.
Effect of filler shape, volume fraction and loading rate on dynamic fracture behavior of glass-filled epoxy

Abstract The effect of filler shape and filler volume fraction on the dynamic fracture behavior of particulate polymer composites (PPC) has been studied. Mode-I dynamic fracture experiments were carried out on pre-notched glass-filled epoxy. An experimental setup comprising of a gas-gun and a long-bar was used to deliver one-point impact loading to unconstrained specimens. Pulse shapers were utilized to control the loading rate during impact loading. The dynamic crack initiation and propagation events were captured using high-speed photography (∼300,000 frames per second). Digital Image Correlation (DIC) method was utilized to measure in-plane displacement fields around the crack-tip and extract fracture parameters including stress intensity factor histories to examine the filler shape, volume fraction and loading rate effects. The results showed a pronounced improvement in crack initiation toughness for rod-shaped fillers producing ∼145% increase over unfilled epoxy at 15% V f with flakes and spherical fillers showing ∼97% and ∼67% improvement, respectively. For all three different volume fractions – 5%, 10%, and 15% – considered, the rod-shaped fillers produced the highest crack initiation toughness as well as post-initiation stress intensity factors followed by flakes and spheres, respectively. A linear relationship between crack initiation toughness and log of filler aspect ratio was also recorded. In addition, for 10% V f rod-shaped filler case, the effect of loading rate on dynamic fracture behavior has been examined. The loading rate study showed ∼113% and ∼50% increase in crack initiation toughness for the lowest and the highest loading rate cases, respectively, compared to that of neat epoxy.
Friction Modeling of a Free-Spinning Bicycle Wheel

An experiment is conducted in which a free-standing bicycle wheel is given an initial angular speed and then allowed to slow down to rest. Measurements of the wheel speed, using a magnetic sensor, during the decay are compared to predictions from a model accounting for a combination of viscous and dry friction at the wheel bearing. The time history data indicate two dynamic regimes: (i) a higher speed phase corresponding to the first part of the motion for which a simple viscous friction model applies, and (ii) a slower speed phase corresponding to low speed to stop behavior for which a model involving both viscous and dry friction is proposed. A method is presented for finding the viscous and dry friction coefficients of the two phases.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Rupture Termination and Jump on Parallel Offset Faults

Proper evaluation of seismic hazard depends on accurate estimates of potential earthquake size. In areas with complex, multisegment fault systems, such an estimate in turn depends on an ability to predict the circumstances under which rupture may jump between fault segments. Many observational and numerical studies have analyzed the phenomenon of jumping rupture, but none has focused on how the process of rupture termination on the primary (nucleating) fault segment affects the ability of rupture to jump to a secondary fault segment. In the current study, I model the dynamics of a simple 2D strike-slip fault system with two parallel segments arranged with either a compressional or extensional stepover. I vary the suddenness with which the initial shear stress tapers to zero on the primary section. If the initial shear stress goes to zero over a very small (100 m) distance, rupture readily jumps both compressional and extensional stepovers of 1 km. If the initial shear stress tapers to zero over 1 km, rupture can jump the compressional stepover, but not the extensional stepover. If the initial shear stress tapers to zero over 2.5 km, rupture cannot jump either the compressional or the extensional stepover. The results illustrate the importance of the slip gradient (and the resultant static stress field) and the acceleration of the rupture front (and the resultant generation of stopping phases) in determining the probability of jumping rupture.
Transfection of the human insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 gene into Balb/c fibroblasts inhibits cellular growth.

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are potent mitogens with both endocrine and autocrine-paracrine effects on cell growth. The IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) are found in many human biological fluids and in the conditioned media of many cell cultures. These molecules are ontogenically and hormonally regulated. Nevertheless, the biological role(s) of the IGFBPs remain controversial. Both inhibitory and stimulatory effects of IGFBPs on cell growth have been suggested. In order to evaluate the actions that endogenously produced IGFBPs have on cell growth, we constructed a mammalian expression vector containing the human IGFBP-3 cDNA and transfected the murine Balb/c cell line. While plasmid-transfected control Balb/c cells (Tx-P) produced only small amounts of a 28-kilodalton IGFBP, the IGFBP-3-transfected Balb/c cells (Tx-BP-3) additionally expressed readily detectable amounts of the characteristic 40- to 44-kilodalton human IGFBP-3 protein doublet and its mRNA. Growth of Tx-BP-3 in serum-containing medi...
In Love I Am More God: The Centrality of Love in Meister Eckhart's Mysticism

In his German sermon 5a, Meister Eckhart (d. 1328), a Dominican teacher, preacher, and mystic, asks whether we can claim that the human being who loves God becomes God. Though he concedes that such a statement may appear impious, he asserts that in love only one exists, not two, because “in love I am more God than I am in myself.” “It sounds wondrous,” he admits, “that the human being is thus able to become God in love; however, it is true in the eternal truth.” Eckhart spools the metaphor of love into a supple descriptor that includes God, the human being, and the unifying force that transforms the relationship between human and divine. I contend that the multivalent signifier of love lies at the heart of Eckhart’s mysticism and constitutes a central topos that discloses the substance of his mystical theology. Such a perspective, however, is not widely shared, for Eckhart is commonly characterized as a speculative thinker—that is, as one who privileges the terms of being and knowledge in mapping the mystical journey— and as the father of German speculation. In this article, I want to
The behavioral and somatic effects of ovariectomy and replacement therapy in female collared lemmings (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus).

Abstract Reproductive behavior and organ weights in intact estrous and diestrous, and in ovariectomized treated and untreated female collared lemmings ( Dicrostonyx groenlandicus ) were examined. Sexual behavior of intact diestrous and untreated ovariectomized females was similar, and females in both groups behaved differently from intact estrous females in scores for lordosis and mounting the male. Receptivity was observed in some females within 3 days after the first daily dose of as little as 0.1 μg of estradiol benzoate (EB) and in 83% of all females treated with 0.1 μg or more of EB for 5 days. Vaginal perforation and cornification were related to the dose of EB and length of treatment. The doses of EB used were not related to the lordosis quotient. Ovariectomy and subsequent EB treatment influenced uterine but not preputial gland weight. Adrenal weight was not influenced by ovariectomy or EB treatment, but the increased adrenal weights observed may have been related to the daily pairing of females with males.
Uptake, intracellular binding, and excretion of polyamines during growth of Neurospora crassa

In Neurospora crassa mycelia, the amounts of the main polyamines, putrescine and spermidine, are approximately 0.8 and 18 nmol/mg, dry weight. We wished to know what determines these pool sizes. In the growth medium, externally added polyamines enter cells largely by a nonsaturable, diffusional system. In a mutant unable to polyamines, internal and external spermidine appear to equilibrate across the cell membrane during growth. However, this was true only after an intracellular "sink," with a capacity equal to the amount of spermidine found in wild-type cells, had been saturated. We speculate that internal anionic binding sites, detectable in permeabilized cells, sequester virtually all of the spermidine normally found in exponentially growing N. crassa. Further evidence for this view was that in mature, stationary cultures, excess spermidine is excreted. Putrescine is also excreted if its concentration in the cell is abnormally high. The control of pool size by intracellular binding and excretion may be an advantage in this pathway, because feedback inhibition does not prevail, enzyme regulation is by comparison slow, and excessive polyamines are toxic.
Temporal decoupling of oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin hemodynamic responses detected by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)

Article discussing temporal decoupling of oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin hemodynamic responses detected by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)
Continuous flow left ventricular pump support and its effect on regional left ventricular wall stress: finite element analysis study

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support unloads left ventricular (LV) pressure and volume and decreases wall stress. This study investigated the effect of systematic LVAD unloading on the 3-dimensional myocardial wall stress by employing finite element models containing layered fiber structure, active contractility, and passive stiffness. The HeartMate II(®) (Thoratec, Inc., Pleasanton, CA) was used for LV unloading. The model geometries and hemodynamic conditions for baseline (BL) and LVAD support (LVsupport) were acquired from the Penn State mock circulatory cardiac simulator. Myocardial wall stress of BL was compared with that of LVsupport at 8,000, 9,000, 10,000 RPM, providing mean pump flow (Q(mean)) of 2.6, 3.2, and 3.7 l/min, respectively. LVAD support was more effective at unloading during diastole as compared to systole. Approximately 40, 50, and 60% of end-diastolic wall stress reduction were achieved at Q(mean) of 2.6, 3.2, and 3.7 l/min, respectively, as compared to only a 10% reduction of end-systolic wall stress at Q(mean) of 3.7 l/min. In addition, there was a stress concentration during systole at the apex due to the cannulation and reduced boundary motion. This modeling study can be used to further understand optimal unloading, pump control, patient management, and cannula design.
An Experimental Investigation of the Heat Transfer to a Turbine Vane at Simulated Engine Conditions

Full application of 2D boundary layer calculations for heat transfer predictions during turbine vane design still awaits verification against relevant data. Although there are a few data sets in the literature, there is a definite need for basic vane heat transfer data under conditions that fully simulate the aerodynamic and thermal conditions of a modern turbine. Accordingly, an experiment was performed to obtain the local heat transfer distribution on a typical engine vane in an aerothermodynamic cascade facility. Heat transfer data were obtained for a range of Mach and Reynolds numbers. The cascade was closely coupled behind the facility burner so that the test included the effects of high free-stream turbulence. Turbulence data were obtained by LDV and are included.Copyright © 1979 by ASME
Child Welfare Workers' Training, Knowledge, and Practice Concerns Regarding Child Maltreatment Fatalities: An Exploratory, Multi-State Analysis

Research has rarely focused on child welfare professionals as agents of prevention for maltreatment fatalities. This study presents results on 426 child welfare workers' training, knowledge, and practice concerns regarding fatalities. Workers' knowledge of risk varied and revealed deficits in knowledge of parent and household risk factors. Receipt of training had a minor impact on knowledge. More than 25% of workers reported that a parent had disclosed potential intent to kill his/her child. Workers worried that a child will die on their caseloads; they reported assessing for risk, but wanting additional training. Implications are discussed for both research and practice communities.
Recovery Performance for Vertical and Horizontal Wells Using Semianalytical Simulation

A semianalytical transient expression was used to evaluate the performance of a finite-length horizontal well as compared to a vertical well in a hypothetical recovery scenario. Recovery was simulated in two hypothetical confined aquifers to study the effect of aquifer thickness and well orientation on recovery performance. The results show that horizontal wells can initially mobilize larger volumes of ground water (and contaminants) but that vertical wells have the same ultimate recovery ability in a homogeneous, isotropic medium.
Effects of 2‐methoxyethanol on mouse neurulation

The potent developmental toxicant, 2-methoxyethanol (2-ME), elicits exencephaly in near-term mouse fetuses following a single maternal treatment early on gestation day (gd) 8. Deleterious morphological consequences to the neurulating embryo shortly after exposure have not been reported. The present study was designed to fill this gap and to investigate the impact of 2-ME treatment on cell death patterns in the embryonic neural folds. Dams were injected subcutaneously with saline, 250 or 325 mg 2-ME/kg 2 hr prior to the beginning of gd 8. The effect of 2-ME on gross and microscopic neural development was examined in conceptuses on gd 9, 6 hr (9:6), 10:6, and 18:0. Compared to saline, 2-ME treatment increased the percentage of embryos with open neural tubes (ONTs) at all gestation days. Although few statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) existed among the ONT rates on the 3 observation days, an interesting biological response occurred. Both high and low 2-ME doses appeared to elicit the greatest incidence of neural tube patency on gd 9:6 (affecting approximately 27% of embryos). During the subsequent 24 hr, recovery occurred and many neural folds apparently closed. Consequently, the ONT incidences on gd 10:6 (approximately 11%) were quite similar to the gd 18 exencephaly rates elicited by both chemical treatments (approximately 15%). A dose response was not seen due to a substantial increase in resorption rates following the 325 mg/kg dose. Compared to the other treatment groups, the low 2-ME dose significantly inhibited embryonic growth as indicated by reduced crown-rump and head lengths and increased incidence of developmentally delayed brain maturation. To evaluate chemically induced changes in cell death, neurulating embryos were collected on gd 8:6 and either immersed in the vital dye, Nile blue sulfate (NBS), or processed for histopathology. In 2-ME-exposed embryos, excessive NBS uptake occurred in neural fold neuroepithelium at sites of nonclosure. Using histopathology, the extent of cell death in the cephalic neural folds was dependent on the 2-ME dose, and the neuroepithelium was more severely affected than the mesenchyme. These observations suggest 1) a trend toward repair and catch-up growth later in gestation which may ameliorate the overt early effects of 2-ME, and 2) an association between enhanced cell death and regions of the neural tube particularly vulnerable to nonclosure.
Experiments to increase red grouse stocks and improve the Irish Bogland environment

Abstract Blanket bog in western Ireland is a wet infertile habitat, heavily grazed by sheep and cattle, and supporting very low densities of Red Grouse and other wild birds and mammals. An experiment using phosphatic fertilizers increased the growth of vegetation and the nutritive value of the Heather. There followed an increase in the population density of Grouse: territories became smaller and the Grouse reared bigger broods. An experiment in which sheep were excluded led to better growth of Heather and colonization by Grouse.
Probing the lower size limit for protein-like fold stability: ten-residue microproteins with specific, rigid structures in water.

Mutational optimization of two long-range interactions first observed in Ac-WINGKWT-NH2, (a) bifurcated H-bonding involving the threonine amide HN and side chain OH and the N-terminal acetyl carbonyl and (b) an H-bond between the entgegen-HN of the C-terminal amide and the indole ring of Trp6 that stabilizes a face-to-edge indole/indole interaction between Trp1 and Trp6, has afforded ≤10 residue systems that yield a remarkably stable fold in water. Optimization was achieved by designing a hydrophobic cluster that sequesters these H-bonds from solvent exposure. The structures and extent of amide H/D exchange protection for CH3CH2CO-WIpGXWTGPS (p = d-Pro, X = Leu or Ile) were determined. These two systems are greater than 94% folded at 298 K (97.5% at 280 K) with melting temperatures >75 °C. The fold appears to display minimal fluxionality; a well-converged NMR structure rationalizes all of the large structuring shifts observed, and we suggest that these designed constructs can be viewed as microproteins.
Using Self-Assembled Monolayers Exposed to X-rays To Control the Wetting Behavior of Thin Films of Diblock Copolymers

The wetting behavior of thin films of symmetric poly(styrene-block-methyl methacrylate) was investigated on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) that were chemically modified by exposure to X-rays in the presence of air. The concentration of aldehyde and hydroxyl groups on the surface of exposed OTS increases with increasing dose. The polarity and surface tension of the SAMs were tuned to control the wetting behavior of the polymer films. Symmetric, neutral, and asymmetric wetting of the films were observed for doses of 400−1000, 1200, and 1400−2000 mJ/cm2, respectively. The wetting behavior was qualitatively described by estimating the interfacial energies between each block of the copolymer and exposed SAMs and the surface tensions of both blocks using the Fowkes−van Oss−Chaudhury−Good model of surface tension. These results lay the foundation for controlling the morphology of thin films of block copolymers over macroscopic dimensions by nanopatterning substrates with regio...
Localization of acid phosphatase in Acanthamoeba castellanii with light and electron microscopy during growth and after phagocytosis.

By use of light and electron microscopes the localization of acid phosphatase was determined by cytochemical reaction in Acanthamoeba castellanii (Neff strain), during axenic growth and during phagocytosis. The cell density of the cultures was found to have a marked effect on the ease of cytochemical demonstration of acid phosphatase. During axenic growth, this enzyme was found in about half of the cytoplasmic vacuoles, in some vesicles of the Golgi apparatus, and in mitochondria-like structures in the cytoplasm. A quantitative study made during phagocytosis of the changes in number of acid phosphatase-positive vacuoles and -positive phagosomes gave new data on the digestive system of this amoeba and on its behavior during axenic growth and during phagocytosis. Biochemical assays indicated no induction of acid phosphatase by phagocytosis and no external release of hydrolase during phagocytosis.
Outcomes of Percutaneous Management of Anastomotic Ureteral Strictures in Renal Transplantation: Chronic Nephroureteral Stent Placement with and without Balloon Dilatation

This study was designed o evaluate outcomes of percutaneous management of anastomotic ureteral strictures in renal transplants using nephroureteral stents with or without balloon dilatation. A retrospective audit of 1,029 consecutive renal transplants was performed. Anastomotic ureteral strictures were divided into two groups: nephroureteral stent only (NUS) and NUS+PTA (nephroureteral stent plus percutaneous transluminal angioplasty), with each cohort subdivided into early versus late presentation (obstructive uropathy occurring 90 days from transplant, respectively). Overall and 6-month technical success were defined as removal of NUS any time with 6 months, respectively. Patency was evaluated from NUS removal to last follow-up for both groups and compared. Sixty-seven transplant patients with 70 ureteric anastomotic strictures (6.8 %, n = 70/1,029) underwent 72 percutaneous treatments. 34 % were late (>90 days, n = 24/70), and 66 % were early (<90 days, n = 46/70). Overall technical success was 82 % (n = 59/72) and 6-month success was 58 % (n = 42/72). Major and minor complications were 2.8 % (n = 2/72), and 12.5 % (n = 9/72). NUS+PTA did not improve graft survival (p = 0.354) or patency (p = 0.9) compared with NUS alone. There was no difference in graft survival between treated and nontreated groups (p = 0.74). There is no advantage to PTA in addition to placement of NUS, although PTA did not negatively impact graft survival or long-term patency and both interventions were safe and effective. Neither the late or early groups benefited from PTA in addition to NUS. Earlier obstructions showed greater improvement in serum creatinine than later obstructions.
The 63 μm radiation field in the earth's thermosphere and its influence on the atomic hydrogen temperature

The thermal escape of hydrogen from the earth's atmosphere is strongly affected by its temperature at the exobase. It has been suggested recently that the hydrogen temperature might be significantly lower than the thermospheric temperature as a result of a collisional exchange of energy with atomic oxygen. The tendency is to cool the hydrogen since the energy of the excited 3P1 level of oxygen can be lost from the atmosphere via magnetic dipole emission of the micron line (3P2-3P1). A detailed calculation of the net cooling effect as a function of altitude throughout the thermosphere is presented. The calculations have been performed for both day and night conditions and for periods of maximum and minimum solar activity conditions. It is found that its effect on Delta T/T varies from a very small value to a maximum of about 3%. The theoretical framework for describing deviations of the 63 micron emission from local thermodynamic equilibrium is given and it is shown that these effects can cause the emission to be reduced by as much as 40% near 500 km.
Single Photon Imaging with Electronic Collimation

A unique 4×4 germanium detector array has been fabricated to image single photon emitters. Collimation is achieved electronically from a sequential interaction of the emitted radiation between the germanium detector and a scintillation camera. An iterative reconstruction algorithm has been used to remove multiplexing in the acquired counts, thereby producing a conical projection image from multiple views. Computer simulation studies indicate that even though the degradation in signal to noise ratio during the demultiplexing step would reduce the sensitivity by about a factor of two, a large gain in sensitivity over conventional SPECT systems would result from electronic collimation.
Thermally reversible surface morphology transition in thin diblock copolymer films.

Many phase transitions exhibit ordering transitions at the boundary of the material that are distinct from its interior where intermolecular interactions can be significantly different. The present work considers the existence of a surface thermodynamic order−order transition between two distinct morphologies in thin block copolymer (BCP) films that are of interest in nanomanufacturing applications. Specifically, we find a thermally reversible interfacial transition between sphere-like structures and cylinders in flow-coated films of poly(styrene-block-methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA), where the BCP forms a cylinder microphase in the bulk. We present direct evidence from atomic force microscopy (AFM) of ion-etched films and grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) on films without etching, which shows that the order−order transition is restricted to the outer layer of the film, while the film interior remains in the cylinder state. Moreover, we find this order−order transition to be insensi...
Psychotherapy Training for Residents: Reconciling Requirements With Evidence-Based, Competency-Focused Practice

Objective The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) changed the training requirements in psychotherapy, moving toward evidence-based therapies and emphasizing competence and proficiency as outcomes of training. This article examines whether the therapies selected for training are evidence based and the authors review research concerning methods for training and assessment that effectively lead to competence in these psychotherapies.
Toward a thermally robust operando surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy substrate

The work presented here describes the first steps toward designing a thermally robust surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate with the potential to conduct in situ monitoring of catalytic reactions. Nanosphere lithography (NSL) fabricated SERS substrates were coated with thin (0.2−1.0 nm) films of atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3. The thermal stability of these substrates was examined at various temperatures (100−500 °C) and over time (up to 6 h) in nitrogen. The results showed that ALD Al2O3 coated nanoparticles maintained their original geometry significantly better than the bare Ag nanoparticles. While experiments showed that thicker ALD Al2O3 coatings resulted in the most stable nanoparticle structure, ALD Al2O3 coatings as thin as 0.2 nm resulted in thermally robust nanostructures as well. Additionally, the ALD Al2O3 coated nanoparticles were heated under propane to mimic reaction conditions. These experiments showed that while the nanoparticle geometries were not as stable under reduc...
Successful Treatment of Bizarre Ritualistic Behavior With Serotonergic Medications

The study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of serotonergic medications on atypical Obsessive Compulsive (OCD) cases. The Global Assessment of Functional Scale (GAF) was used to evaluate the patients' mental condition. For many years 3 patients with bizarre ritualistic behavior received various kinds of diagnoses and treatments without success. The 1st patient had unusual slowness of initiation & movement and was kept alive by gastrostomy. The 2nd patient was very ambivalent and could not make decision and had 7 year unsuccessful treatment history. The 3rd patient had Tourette' syndrome. Her ritualistic behavior interferred her daily living. All 3 patients showed much improvement after 2 months of serotonergic medication treatment. Their GAF were changed from 30 to 60. They would be best classified as atypical OCD cases, i.e. obsessive compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSD). Most biological models of OCD center around the role of serotonin in pathophysiology. This model stems primarily from the finding that serotonin reuptake inhibitors are highly effective in the treatment of OCD & OCSDs.
Longitudinal screening for prostate cancer with prostate-specific antigen.

Objective. —To determine for the first 4 years of serial prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening trends in compliance, prevalence of abnormal screening test results, cancer detection rates, and stage and grade of cancers detected. Design. —A community-based study of serial screening for prostate cancer with serum PSA measurements. Setting. —University medical center. Subjects. —A total of 10 248 male volunteers at least 50 years old who were screened at 6-month intervals for a minimum of 48 months. Main Outcome Measures. —The proportion of men who returned for serial screening, the proportion with elevated PSA levels, the proportion with newly elevated PSA levels, prostate cancer detection rates, and the distribution of tumor stages and grades at diagnosis. Results. —At 48 months, 79% of volunteers returned for screening. During this interval there was a decrease in the proportion of volunteers with serum PSA levels higher than 4.0 ng/mL (from 10% to 6%-7%), in cancer detection rates (from 3% to Conclustons. —With serial PSA-based screening, the proportion of men with abnormal test results decreased, and the prostate cancer detection rate decreased to near the reported population-based incidence rate. There was also a shift to detection of cancers at an earlier clinical stage and detection of lower-grade cancers. If PSA screening is ultimately shown to be beneficial, then appropriate cost-benefit analyses will be required to determine how the shifts in cancer detection rate and cancer stage will affect the economics of serial PSA-based screening.
A TREE‐RING RECONSTRUCTION OF DROUGHT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

ABSTRACT: Indices of annual diameter growth of trees were used to reconstruct drought in southern California back to A.D. 1700. A regional Palmer Drought Index served as predictand and tree-ring indices from eight sites as predictors in multiple linear regression analyses that yielded the prediction (reconstruction) equations. The regression explained 69 percent of the variance in Palmer Index in the period of calibration. The long-term reconstruction indicated that drought was rare in the first half of the current century relative to other discrete 50-year periods, and that based on evidence to date the last half of the 20th century may well turn out to be the most drought prone since A.D. 1700 in southern California.
At-level neuropathic pain is induced by lumbosacral ventral root avulsion injury and ameliorated by root reimplantation into the spinal cord

Neuropathic pain is common after traumatic injuries to the cauda equina/conus medullaris and brachial plexus. Clinically, this pain is difficult to treat and its mechanisms are not well understood. Lesions to the ventral roots are common in these injuries, but are rarely considered as potential contributors to pain. We examined whether a unilateral L6-S1 ventral root avulsion (VRA) injury in adult female rats might elicit pain within the dermatome projecting to the adjacent, uninjured L5 spinal segment. Additionally, a subset of subjects had the avulsed L6-S1 ventral roots reimplanted (VRA+Imp) into the lateral funiculus post-avulsion to determine whether this neural repair strategy elicits or ameliorates pain. Behavioral tests for mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia were performed weekly over 7 weeks post-injury at the hindpaw plantar surface. Allodynia developed early and persisted post-VRA, whereas VRA+Imp rats exhibited allodynia only at 1 week post-operatively. Hyperalgesia was not observed at any time in any experimental group. Quantitative immunohistochemistry showed increased levels of inflammatory markers in laminae III-V and in the dorsal funiculus of the L5 spinal cord of VRA, but not VRA+Imp rats, specific to areas that receive projections from mechanoreceptive, but not nociceptive, primary afferents. These data suggest that sustained at-level neuropathic pain can develop following a pure motor lesion, whereas the pain may be ameliorated by acute root reimplantation. We believe that our findings are of translational research interest, as root implantation surgery is emerging as a potentially useful strategy for the repair of cauda equina/conus medullaris injuries.
Probabilistic dominance criteria for comparing uncertain alternatives: A tutorial

This paper is a tutorial which demonstrates the current state-of-the-art methods for incorporating risk into project selection decision making. The projects under consideration might be R&D, IT, or other capital expenditure programs. We will show six decision making methods: 1. mean-variance (MV), 2. mean-semivariance, 3. mean-critical probability, 4. stochastic dominance, 5. almost stochastic dominance (ASD), and 6. mean-Gini. We will also describe the assumptions about the risk attitudes of the decision maker which are associated with each of the techniques. While all these methods have been previously applied elsewhere, this is the first paper which shows all of their applications in the project selection context, together with their interrelationships, strengths and weaknesses. We have applied all six techniques to the same group of five hypothetical projects and evaluated the resulting nondominated sets. Among the methods reviewed here, stochastic dominance is recommended because it requires the least restrictive assumptions. ASD and mean-Gini are recommended when stochastic dominance is not practical or when it does not yield definitive choices. MV, mean-semivariance, and mean-critical probability are shown to be flawed.
Nonlinear refractive index of IV-IV compound semiconductors.

An Eg−4 scaling law is used to estimate the intensity-dependent refractive index n2 of the new binary zinc blende semiconductors GeC, β-SiC, SiGe, SnC, SiSn, and GeSn from known n2 values for Si and Ge.
Navigating a Changing Continuum of Care With Heart

Background: The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the most significant change in healthcare since the implementation of Medicare. In the face of reductions in reimbursement, healthcare organizations are seeking creative ways to reduce the cost of care delivery. The Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) mission is to provide high-quality, affordable healthcare and to improve the health of the members and the communities it serves. In alignment with this work, KPNC values the importance of excellence in care as well as the nurturing of the mind and spirit. The continuum of care, including home health and hospice services, are at the center of the evolving environment. Uncertainties and fast-paced innovations create tension and stress for home care leaders responsible for responding to and implementing change. Meeting these challenges requires incredible creativity and resilience. The framework that best meets these diverse needs is CaritasHeart.1 CaritasHeart brings together the philosophy, theory and framework of Watson's Caring Science,2 the “heart” of Caritas, and the scientifically validated methods of HeartMath.3
SU(3) breaking in the two-body decays of the Ψ(3100)

Motivated by the experimental fact that the ψ(3100) does not appear to behave like an SU(3) singlet when it decays into a vector pseudoscalar final state, we propose a model for SU(3) breaking in ψ decays. In the model we envision the ψ decay as a two-stage'process. In the first stage the quark-antiquark pair which comprises the ψ annihilate via a Zweig rule violating interaction to create a pair of “ordinary” quarks. We allow this interaction to violate SU(3) invariance so that all quarks may not be created equally. In stage two the quark pair turns itself into hadrons via a Zweig-allowed, SU(3)-invariant interaction. The data for the vector-pseudoscalar decays seem to indicate that the intermediate quark pair behaves like a heavy ω. We then use this “fact”. to make predictions for the baryon-antibaryon and the tensor-vector decays.
A Sectoral Approach to the Study of Gender Constraints on Economic Opportunities in the Informal Sector in India

This article examines the contribution of a sectoral approach to understanding gender constraints on economic success in the informal sector, using the example of self-employed women in home-based garment production in Ahmedabad, India. The author assesses whether all the constraints laid out in the gender and microenterprise development literature affect women in this sector and, if not, suggests how theory on gender inequality in the microenterprise sector needs to be rethought to address variation by sector. Constraints are disaggregated into women intensive, women exclusive, and sector specific. The results show that the women-exclusive constraints all hold within this sector, that there is variation among the women-intensive constraints in their differential gender effect, and that some sector-specific constraints tend to be more intense for women relative to men. The latter two results suggest that variation by economic activity must be accounted for in understanding the sources and extent of gender...