cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epidemiological Features of Testicular Teratoma in a Prepubertal Population

AbstractPurpose: Prepubertal teratomas of the testis are rare benign tumors. Knowledge of the epidemiology of testicular teratomas and associated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels could assist in planning treatment for prepubertal patients suspected of having teratoma of the testis.Materials and Methods: We evaluated data on testicular teratoma from the Prepubertal Testis Tumor Registry of the Section on Urology of the American Academy of Pediatrics.Results: Median patient age at presentation was 13 months. Teratomas occurred equally in the right and left testes. Most patients presented with a scrotal mass. Preoperative AFP levels were elevated in 20 of the 34 patients and postoperative levels were elevated in 9 of 10. Most patients were treated with radical orchiectomy and no metastatic disease was reported.Conclusions: Data in the registry confirm the benign nature of this tumor. Normal AFP levels should not be expected in infants with teratoma.
Molecular and phenotypic characterization of transgenic soybean expressing the Arabidopsis ferric chelate reductase gene, FRO2

Soybean (Glycine max Merr.) production is reduced under iron-limiting calcareous soils throughout the upper Midwest regions of the US. Like other dicotyledonous plants, soybean responds to iron-limiting environments by induction of an active proton pump, a ferric iron reductase and an iron transporter. Here we demonstrate that heterologous expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana ferric chelate reductase gene, FRO2, in transgenic soybean significantly enhances Fe+3 reduction in roots and leaves. Root ferric reductase activity was up to tenfold higher in transgenic plants and was not subjected to post-transcriptional regulation. In leaves, reductase activity was threefold higher in the transgenic plants when compared to control. The enhanced ferric reductase activity led to reduced chlorosis, increased chlorophyll concentration and a lessening in biomass loss in the transgenic events between Fe treatments as compared to control plants grown under hydroponics that mimicked Fe-sufficient and Fe-deficient soil environments. However, the data indicate that constitutive FRO2 expression under non-iron stress conditions may lead to a decrease in plant productivity as reflected by reduced biomass accumulation in the transgenic events under non-iron stress conditions. When grown at Fe(III)-EDDHA levels greater than 10 μM, iron concentration in the shoots of transgenic plants was significantly higher than control. The same observation was found in the roots in plants grown at iron levels higher than 32 μM Fe(III)-EDDHA. These results suggest that heterologous expression of an iron chelate reductase in soybean can provide a route to alleviate iron deficiency chlorosis.
Choriocarcinoma and bilateral renal metastases.

Abstract A case of choriocarcinoma presenting with metastases to both kidneys is reported. The epidemiologic and pathologic aspects of gestational choriocarcinoma are briefly discussed. Prior reports of renal metastases with choriocarcinoma are reviewed, and the fairly typical clinical presentation of this entity is emphasized.
The composition of the inner nuclear layer of the cat retina.

The cellular composition of the inner nuclear layer (INL) is largely conserved among mammals. Studies of rabbit, monkey, and mouse retinas have shown that bipolar, amacrine, Muller, and horizontal cells make up constant fractions of the INL (42, 35, 20, and 3%, respectively); these proportions remain relatively constant at all retinal eccentricities. The purpose of our study was to test whether the organization of cat retina is similar to that of other mammalian retinas. Fixed retinas were embedded in plastic, serially sectioned at a thickness of 1 μm, stained, and imaged at high power in the light microscope. Bipolar, amacrine, Muller, and horizontal cells were classified and counted according to established morphological criteria. Additional sets of sections were processed for protein kinase C and calretinin immunoreactivity to determine the relative fraction of rod bipolar and AII amacrine cells. Our results show that the organization of INL in the cat retina contains species-specific alterations in the composition of the INL tied to the large fraction of rod photoreceptors. Compared with other mammalian retinas, cat retinas show an expansion of the rod pathway with rod bipolar cells accounting for about 70% of all bipolar cells and AII cells accounting for nearly a quarter of all amacrine cells. Our results suggest that evolutionary pressures in cats over time have refined their retinal organization to suit its ecological niche.
Using the Many-Faceted Rasch Model to Evaluate Standard Setting Judgments An Illustration With the Advanced Placement Environmental Science Exam

The many-faceted Rasch (MFR) model has been used to evaluate the quality of ratings on constructed response assessments; however, it can also be used to evaluate the quality of judgments from panel-based standard setting procedures. The current study illustrates the use of the MFR model for examining the quality of ratings obtained from a standard setting process employing the Multiple Yes-No, modified Angoff standard setting procedure to set the cut scores on the Advanced Placement Environmental Science exam. The panelists’ severity, judged item difficulties, rounds, and cut scores using the MFR model were examined, in addition to panelists’ characteristics (gender and level of course taught). Findings from the Rasch analyses conducted in this study provide evidence of acceptable quality of the ratings obtained from the panelists. Thus, the current study provides an important source of both internal and procedural validity evidence for the Advanced Placement Environmental Science standard setting as well...
Lens measurement in fundamental units of length and power

A lens configuration called the limiting lens has been studied which describes the highest power, shortest focal length system for a given cylindrical volume. We consider here the classification and study of lenses which are constrained to fit into small packages in terms of how close the configurations come to the limiting lens.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Renormalization and the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition in a two-dimensional superconductor

The nonlinear $I\ensuremath{-}V$ characteristics of thin high-sheet-resistance Hg-Xe alloy films are examined within the context of the Kosterlitz-Thouless theory of the superconducting transition. In the regime below the vortex-unbinding temperature ${T}_{c}$, where logarithmically bound vortices can be broken apart by a transport current, we find that $V\ensuremath{\sim}{I}^{a(T)}$. Comparison with theory allows us to infer the value of ${T}_{c}$ and the mean-field temperature ${T}_{c0}$ from $a(T)$, and the dependence of these temperatures on ${R}_{N}^{\ensuremath{\square}}$ appears in approximate agreement with the microscopic theory of dirty superconductors. A systematic deviation appears to be consistent with renormalization of the vortex interaction close to ${T}_{c}$ due to the presence of small polarizable vortex pairs, and can be described by an effective vortex dielectric constant ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{c}=1.2$. Further evidence for this renormalization, which is a key feature of the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition, is obtained by examining the curvature of the $logV$ vs $logI$ plot very close to ${T}_{c}$. The current dependence of $a(I,T)=\frac{d(logV)}{d(logI)}$ is a direct measure of the spatial dependence of the vortex interaction, allowing a direct comparison with the analytic predictions of the renormalization equations. Satisfactory agreement is obtained using physically reasonable parameters.
A family‐based paradigm to identify candidate chromosomal regions for isolated congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a developmental defect of the diaphragm that causes high newborn mortality. Isolated or non-syndromic CDH is considered a multifactorial disease, with strong evidence implicating genetic factors. As low heritability has been reported in isolated CDH, family-based genetic methods have yet to identify the genetic factors associated with the defect. Using the Utah Population Database, we identified distantly related patients from several extended families with a high incidence of isolated CDH. Using high-density genotyping, seven patients were analyzed by homozygosity exclusion rare allele mapping (HERAM) and phased haplotype sharing (HapShare), two methods we developed to map shared chromosome regions. Our patient cohort shared three regions not previously associated with CDH, that is, 2q11.2-q12.1, 4p13 and 7q11.2, and two regions previously involved in CDH, that is, 8p23.1 and 15q26.2. The latter regions contain GATA4 and NR2F2, two genes implicated in diaphragm formation in mice. Interestingly, three patients shared the 8p23.1 locus and one of them also harbored the 15q26.2 segment. No coding variants were identified in GATA4 or NR2F2, but a rare shared variant was found in intron 1 of GATA4. This work shows the role of heritability in isolated CDH. Our family-based strategy uncovers new chromosomal regions possibly associated with disease, and suggests that non-coding variants of GATA4 and NR2F2 may contribute to the development of isolated CDH. This approach could speed up the discovery of the genes and regulatory elements causing multifactorial diseases, such as isolated CDH.
Comments on: Intensity modulated radiation therapy treatment plan optimization

This review article is an excellent discussion of the state-of-the-art of mathematical optimization modeling in IMRT treatment plan design and delivery. Since the goals of treating the targets to a high uniform dose of radiation and entirely sparing surrounding critical organs and healthy tissue are inherently conflicting, perhaps the greatest challenges in designing and comparing treatment plans are (1) choosing performance metrics that adequately capture how well the plan achieves each of its goals, and (2) attaining a suitable trade-off between these goals and metrics. The authors first provide a survey of various evaluation criteria that can be used to assess how well the delivered dose distribution achieves the treatment goals (including a thorough and succinct discussion of biological metrics for an audience of operations researchers). They follow by providing a unified framework for formulating treatment planning problems as optimization models whose specific structure is determined by delivery technology, and in which the constraints and objectives are derived from the evaluation criteria above.
Subscale validity of the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale

The Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (DRS), a widely used dementia screening instrument, generates five subscale scores in the areas of Attention (ATT), Initiation-Perseveration (IP), Construction (CN), Conceptualization (CON), and Memory (MEM). The present study sought to determine the criterion validity of the DRS subscales in a sample of 50 patients with Alzheimer's disease (25 with mild and 25 with moderate dementia). Subject performance on the five DRS subscales was correlated with performance on five well-validated neuropsychological criterion measures using Pearson r and stepwise regression. On a univariate level, each DRS subscale correlated most strongly with its assigned neuropsychological criterion measure. On a multivariate level, each DRS subscale emerged as the Step 1 predictor of its assigned criterion measure, with the exception of DRS CN, which was the Step 2 predictor. The results suggested that overall the DRS subscales are valid measures of their respective constructs and have value for both clinical and research purposes in mild and moderate dementia.
On-the-fly variation tolerant mapping in crossbar nano-architectures

In hybrid nano-architectures, self-assembled nanoscale crossbars are fabricated on top of a reliable CMOS subsystem. Bottom-up self-assembly nanofabrication process, used in nano-architectures, yields nanodevices with significantly more variations compared to the conventional top-down lithography used in CMOS fabrication. This is in addition to an increased defect density expected for self-assembled nanodevices. Therefore, it is one of the major design challenges to tolerate variation and defects in emerging nano architectures. In this paper, we present an alternative approach for variation and defect tolerant mapping in which no application-independent test and characterization (defect and variation map) is required. The variation tolerant mapping is done on-the-fly which can ultimately be transformed into built-in self-mapping. Different mapping algorithms are presented and their efficiencies in terms of variation and defect tolerance as well as mapping time are compared. The experimental results show that the proposed heuristic mapping algorithm can achieve the same success rate with the exhaustive method in terms of meeting required timing constraints with orders of magnitude fewer reconfiguration retries.
Selective intrahepatic ductal cannulation during ERCP with a sphincterotome.

Background: Selective intrahepatic ductal cannulation during ERCP remains difficult, particularly when strictures involve the bifurcation and/or secondary intrahepatic branches. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of a cohort of 16 patients (stones 5, cholangiocarcinoma 5, primary sclerosing cholangitis 4, hepatoma 1, bile leak 1) in whom selective cannulation of the intrahepatic ducts with conventional techniques was unsuccessful and who underwent ERCP with a sphincterotome and a hydrophilic coated guidewire to achieve intrahepatic ductal access. Results: The procedure was technically successful in 15 patients and clinically successful in 12. In the 5 patients with bile duct stones, clearance was obtained in 3 and stents were placed in the other 2 patients; one died of cholangitis within 30 days and the other underwent surgery. The procedure was technically successful in 3 of the 5 patients with cholangiocarcinoma. One patient died and the procedure was technically unsuccessful in another. For all patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis, the endoscopic therapy was technically successful and clinical outcomes satisfactory. The patient with a hepatoma was treated successfully and subsequently died of hepatic failure. Conclusion: Use of a sphincterotome and hydrophilic-coated guidewire can significantly enhance the success rate for selective intrahepatic ductal access.
Ultrastructural immunohistochemical localization of Clara cell secretory protein in pulmonary epithelium of rabbits.

Highly purified Clara cells (93 +/- 3%) isolated from the lungs of rabbits were used to produce an antiserum against Clara cell secretory proteins. This antiserum was used to identify and study the...
Bayesian Spatial Survival Models for Political Event Processes

Research in political science is increasingly, but independently, modeling heterogeneity and spatial dependence. This article draws together these two research agendas via spatial random effects survival models. In contrast to standard survival models, which assume spatial independence, spatial survival models allow for spatial autocorrelation at neighboring locations. I examine spatial dependence in both semiparametric Cox and parametric Weibull models and in both individual and shared frailty models. I employ a Bayesian approach in which spatial autocorrelation in unmeasured risk factors across neighboring units is incorporated via a conditionally autoregressive (CAR) prior. I apply the Bayesian spatial survival modeling approach to the timing of U.S. House members' position announcements on NAFTA. I find that spatial shared frailty models outperform standard nonfrailty models and nonspatial frailty models in both the semiparametric and parametric analyses. The modeling of spatial dependence also produces changes in the effects of substantive covariates in the analysis.
Climate models as a test bed for climate reconstruction methods: pseudoproxy experiments

Millennium-length, forced transient simulations with fully coupled general circulation models have become important new tools for addressing uncertainties in global and hemispheric temperature reconstructions targeting the Common Era (the last two millennia). These model simulations are used as test beds on which to evaluate the performance of paleoclimate reconstruction methods using controlled and systematic investigations known as pseudoproxy experiments (PPEs). Such experiments are motivated by the fact that any given real-world reconstruction is the product of multiple uncontrolled factors, making it difficult to isolate the impact of one factor in reconstruction assessments and comparisons. PPEs have established a common experimental framework that can be systematically altered and evaluated, and thus test reconstruction methods and their dependencies. Although the translation of PPE results into real-world implications must be done cautiously, their experimental design attributes allow researchers to test reconstruction techniques beyond what was previously possible with real-world data alone. This review summarizes the development of PPEs and their findings over the last decade. The state of the science and its implications for global and hemispheric temperature reconstructions is also reviewed, as well as near-term design improvements that will expand the utility of PPEs. ! 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Yield and Cost Analysis of a Reliable NoC

The yield and cost of a multi-core chip improve significantly through the addition of some spare cores in the system [1]. In this paper, we model the manufacturing and service cost of an NoC with spare wires and routers as well as spare cores. We apply our analysis on an exemplary 9-core processor and on an Intel 80-core processor [2], and show that a spare scheme can significantly improve the reliability, reduce the cost, and substitute for the burn-in process.
Epac2-dependent mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ by glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist exendin-4 is disrupted in β-cells of phospholipase C-ɛ knockout mice

Calcium can be mobilized in pancreatic β-cells via a mechanism of Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR), and cAMP-elevating agents such as exendin-4 facilitate CICR in β-cells by activating both protein kinase A and Epac2. Here we provide the first report that a novel phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C-ɛ (PLC-ɛ) is expressed in the islets of Langerhans, and that the knockout (KO) of PLC-ɛ gene expression in mice disrupts the action of exendin-4 to facilitate CICR in the β-cells of these mice. Thus, in the present study, in which wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mouse β-cells were loaded with the photolabile Ca2+ chelator NP-EGTA, the UV flash photolysis-catalysed uncaging of Ca2+ generated CICR in only 9% of the β-cells tested, whereas CICR was generated in 82% of the β-cells pretreated with exendin-4. This action of exendin-4 to facilitate CICR was reproduced by cAMP analogues that activate protein kinase A (6-Bnz-cAMP-AM) or Epac2 (8-pCPT-2′-O-Me-cAMP-AM) selectively. However, in β-cells of PLC-ɛ KO mice, and also Epac2 KO mice, these test substances exhibited differential efficacies in the CICR assay such that exendin-4 was partly effective, 6-Bnz-cAMP-AM was fully effective, and 8-pCPT-2′-O-Me-cAMP-AM was without significant effect. Importantly, transduction of PLC-ɛ KO β-cells with recombinant PLC-ɛ rescued the action of 8-pCPT-2′-O-Me-cAMP-AM to facilitate CICR, whereas a K2150E PLC-ɛ with a mutated Ras association (RA) domain, or a H1640L PLC-ɛ that is catalytically dead, were both ineffective. Since 8-pCPT-2′-O-Me-cAMP-AM failed to facilitate CICR in WT β-cells transduced with a GTPase activating protein (RapGAP) that downregulates Rap activity, the available evidence indicates that a signal transduction ‘module’ comprised of Epac2, Rap and PLC-ɛ exists in β-cells, and that the activities of Epac2 and PLC-ɛ are key determinants of CICR in this cell type.
Community Engagement Project for Preservice Early Childhood Students.

This article describes how a preservice early childhood program collaborates with a local agency in a community engagement project. The project was implemented in a family–community partnership class for preservice teachers. There were three purposes for this project. First, to build a partnership between the University of Alaska Anchorage Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood (BAEC) program and a local child care center; second, to provide support for the child care center’s administration and teachers based on their needs and interests; and third, to offer authentic opportunities and experiences for preservice BAEC students to work with the children and their families. This project was a semester-long endeavor, which evolved through rich collaborative experiences.
Cux2 (Cutl2) integrates neural progenitor development with cell-cycle progression during spinal cord neurogenesis.

Neurogenesis requires the coordination of neural progenitor proliferation and differentiation with cell-cycle regulation. However, the mechanisms coordinating these distinct cellular activities are poorly understood. Here we demonstrate for the first time that a Cut-like homeodomain transcription factor family member, Cux2 ( Cutl2 ), regulates cell-cycle progression and development of neural progenitors. Cux2 loss-of-function mouse mutants exhibit smaller spinal cords with deficits in neural progenitor development as well as in neuroblast and interneuron differentiation. These defects correlate with reduced cell-cycle progression of neural progenitors coupled with diminished Neurod and p27 Kip1 activity. Conversely, in Cux2 gain-of-function transgenic mice, the spinal cord is enlarged in association with enhanced neuroblast formation and neuronal differentiation, particularly with respect to interneurons. Furthermore, Cux2 overexpression induces high levels of Neurod and p27 Kip1 . Mechanistically, we discovered through chromatin immunoprecipitation assays that Cux2 binds both the Neurod and p27 Kip1 promoters in vivo, indicating that these interactions are direct. Our results therefore show that Cux2 functions at multiple levels during spinal cord neurogenesis. Cux2 initially influences cell-cycle progression in neural progenitors but subsequently makes additional inputs through Neurod and p27 Kip1 to regulate neuroblast formation, cell-cycle exit and cell-fate determination. Thus our work defines novel roles for Cux2 as a transcription factor that integrates cell-cycle progression with neural progenitor development during spinal cord neurogenesis.
Characterization of Charge Separation in Membrane Spanning Protein Reaction Centers of Bacterial Photosynthesis

The detailed description and understanding of membrane bound proteins has greatly increased in the past decade. In large part this advancement resulted from the investigation of the structure-function relationship for the photosynthetic electron transfer process occurring in bacterial reaction center proteins. The most important development was the growth of reaction center protein crystals (Michel, 1982) and the following structure determination for this reaction center protein complex (Deisenhofer et al., 1984; Chang et al., 1986; Allen et al., 1987; Chang et al., 1991; El-Kabbani et al., 1991). The second important breakthrough was the expression of the genes encoding for the reaction center (Youvan et al., 1984) and the subsequent development of site-specific mutagenesis (Zoller and Smith, 1982; Bylina and Youvan, 1987). These genetic techniques, in conjunction with the x-ray structure, have allowed the alteration of a specific amino acid in the reaction center protein. Thus a method for directly testing proposed mechanisms of function involving the protein environment has been developed. For example, the mechanisms for controlling electron transfer, redox potential, optical properties, the role of symmetry, etc. can now be investigated rather routinely. Consequently,the bound proteins as well as electron transfer reactions.
Advanced application of bem to wave barriers in multi-layered three-dimensional soil media

An advanced application of BEM to the problem of wave screening by barriers is described. The BEM formulation has been developed by utilizing advanced surface modelling, automatic (self-adaptive) error control in the numerical integration. The soil is modelled as a layered, isotropic and linear elastic or viscoelastic medium. The results of the analysis have been compared with full scale test data.
Nash Equilibrium Approach to Dynamic Power Control in DS-CDMA System

This papers aims at the power control aspect of Resource allocation for wireless data via employing microeconomics concepts of utility and pricing in relation to the non-cooperative game theory and Nash Equilibrium. Specifically, an efficient algorithm based on stochastic gradient formulation is proposed to adaptively converge to arrive at optimal power set with higher utilities with the pricing factor is a parameter. Both single cell and multi-cell are presented in this paper. Comparative numerical and graphical results provided attest to practical usefulness of the proposed power control algorithm.
Waiting for Merlot Anticipatory Consumption of Experiential and Material Purchases

Experiential purchases (money spent on doing) tend to provide more enduring happiness than material purchases (money spent on having). Although most research comparing these two types of purchases has focused on their downstream hedonic consequences, the present research investigated hedonic differences that occur before consumption. We argue that waiting for experiences tends to be more positive than waiting for possessions. Four studies demonstrate that people derive more happiness from the anticipation of experiential purchases and that waiting for an experience tends to be more pleasurable and exciting than waiting to receive a material good. We found these effects in studies using questionnaires involving a variety of actual planned purchases, in a large-scale experience-sampling study, and in an archival analysis of news stories about people waiting in line to make a purchase. Consumers derive value from anticipation, and that value tends to be greater for experiential than for material purchases.
VIBRATIONAL ECHO STUDIES OF MYOGLOBIN-CO

The first picosecond infrared vibrational echo experiments on a protein, myoglobin−CO, are described. These vibrational dephasing experiments examine the influence of protein dynamics on the CO ligand bound to the active site of the protein at physiologically relevant temperatures. The experiments were performed with a mid-IR free electron laser tuned to the CO stretch mode at 1945 cm-1. The vibrational echo results are combined with infrared pump−probe measurements of the CO vibrational lifetime to yield the homogenous pure dephasing, the Fourier transform of the homogeneous line width with the lifetime contribution removed. The measurements were made from 60 to 300 K. The results show that the CO vibrational spectrum is inhomogeneously broadened, even at room temperature. Above the glycerol/water solvent's glass transition temperature, ∼185 K, the temperature dependence can be fit as an activated process with ΔE ≈ 1000 cm-1. Below 185 K, the pure dephasing displays a power law temperature dependence, T1...
An introduction to observers

Observers which approximately reconstruct missing state-variable information necessary for control are presented in an introductory manner. The special topics of the identity observer, a reduced-order observer, linear functional observers, stability properties, and dual observers are discussed.
Property and microstructure evaluation as a function of processing parameters: Large HY-80 steel casting for a US Navy submarine

Abstract Processing techniques can significantly alter the properties of a material and can ultimately determine whether a component will perform its function safely. This effort involves the investigation of the processing parameters of HY-80 steel castings; specifically a large HY-80 submarine casting that failed while in service due to improper processing. Samples taken from the failed casting were evaluated in the as-received condition and after exposures to various improper quench and temper scenarios that were possible during casting production. Microstructural examination and hardness measurements were used to evaluate the condition of the high strength steel and these results were correlated to Charpy impact toughness. One important result of this work indicates that hardness alone is not a good indication of material condition: the same measured hardness values yielded very different fracture behavior. The window of favorable processing parameters as defined by heat treatment temperature was clarified based on the specification requirements set by the US Navy for HY-80 castings.
A Systems Model for Teaching Human Resource Management

Efficient and effective human resource management is a complex, involved, and interactive process. This article presents and discusses a unique systems approach model for teaching human resource (people) management processes, and the important inter-relationships within that process. The model contains two unique components related to key sub-processes: incentives management and performance evaluation. We have not observed a model applying a systems thinking paradigm presented in any textbook, journal article, business publication, or other literature addressing the topic. For nearly three decades, the model has been used in teaching a comprehensive, meaningful understanding of the human resource management process that can be effectively implemented in both corporate and academic learning venues.
Convective dispersion of blood gases in curved channel exchangers

The rates of hemoglobin saturation and carbon dioxide reduction in blood flowing in a curved channel membrane exchanger were studied theoretically by considering the fluid-limited process and the wall-limited process. The fluid-limited process was studied for laminar flows with and without secondary circulations. The relatively nontraumatic centrifugally induced circulations in the curved channel can reduce the required channel length to less than 1/500 that required for unperturbed flow. Such improvement, however, is practical only if very permeable membranes are available. If the PO2 = 715 mm. Hg and PCO2 = 0 mm. Hg at the walls, the fluid-limited analyses show oxygenation to be the slower process and the wall-limited analyses indicate CO2 removal to be the limiting process. If the best available silicone rubber membranes are used, the process will be fluid limited for the unperturbed flow and wall limited for the flow with secondary circulations.
Development and Feasibility of an HIV and IPV Prevention Intervention Among Low-Income Mothers Receiving Services in a Missouri Day Care Center

This article outlines the development and feasibility of an HIV and IPV prevention intervention. Researchers formed a partnership with a group of women representative of the population that the intervention was intended to reach using methods derived from participatory action research. The use of health protective behaviors changed from pre- to postintervention in the clinically desirable direction. Results indicated that intervention delivery was feasible in the novel setting of a large urban day care center. This intervention has promise as a strategy to reduce HIV among low-income women; however, a controlled study is indicated to further examine intervention efficacy.
Recovery from neuromuscular block in dogs: restoration of spontaneous ventilation does not exclude residual blockade

Abstract Objective To evaluate if return of spontaneous ventilation to pre-relaxation values indicates complete recovery from neuromuscular blockade. Study design Prospective, with each individual acting as its own control. Animals Ten healthy adult female Beagle dogs weighing 6.2–9.4 kg. Methods Dogs were anesthetized with propofol, dexemedetomidine and isoflurane. Spontaneous ventilation was assessed by measuring end-tidal CO2, expired tidal volume, peak inspiratory flow, respiratory rate and minute ventilation. Vecuronium 25 μg kg−1 IV was administered and neuromuscular block was evaluated by measuring the train-of-four (TOF) ratio with acceleromyography in the hind limb. During spontaneous recovery from neuromuscular block, the TOF ratio when each ventilatory variable returned to baseline was recorded. Results This dose of vecuronium produced moderate neuromuscular block in all dogs, with TOF ratio values of 0–18% at maximal block. Expired tidal volume, peak inspiratory flow and minute ventilation returned to pre-relaxation values when the median TOF ratio was ≤ 20%. The median TOF ratio was 42% when the end-tidal CO2 returned to pre-relaxation values. Conclusions and clinical relevance Significant residual neuromuscular block could be measured at the hind limb with acceleromyography when ventilation had spontaneously returned to pre-vecuronium values. Monitoring spontaneous ventilation, including end-tidal CO2, expired tidal volume, peak inspiratory flow or minute ventilation cannot be used as a surrogate for objective neuromuscular monitoring, and this practice may increase the risk of postoperative residual paralysis.
Voronoi Toolpaths for PCB Mechanical Etch: Simple and Intuitive Algorithms with the 3D GPU

We describe VIsolate (Voronoi Isolate), a system which performs geometric computations associated with toolpath planning for mechanical etch (also called isolation routing) of printed-circuit boards, including the computation of a novel Voronoi-based toolpath with some advantages over the current industry practice. We highlight how we use the 3D Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) to implement simple, intuitive algorithms in VIsolate, including polygon overlap detection, 2D offset, and constrained generalized Voronoi diagram computation, building on a method from [1]. Thus, this work also illustrates how we can employ the GPU as a rudimentary ‘ mind’s eye’ for the machine, allowing us to rapidly implement visually-intuitive geometric algorithms.
Computer Simulation for Solar Cell Applications: Understanding and Design

Computer device transport simulation can be a very powerful tool for device physics understanding, design, and optimization. This is especially true when it is done with a PC version that can be easily run on the desktop. However, like any powerful tool, computer simulation must be used with care and appreciation. Using our newest version of our AMPS (Analysis of Microelectronic and Photonic Structures) [1,2] transport physics code, AMPS for Windows 95/NT, we discuss using solar cell simulations for increased understanding, for materials evaluation, and for device design and optimization.
Evaluation of resin radius and column diameter for the implementation of extractive scintillating resin in flow-cell detectors

This contribution details the application of extractive scintillating resin with covalently bound fluorophore, v-NPO, and ligand, methyl phosphonic acid, in flow-cell experiments utilizing varying column diameters, resin diameters and diffusion times. The detection efficiency was evaluated by standard offline liquid scintillation counting methods. Diffusion experiments were conducted to determine the effect of the location of the alpha decay on detection efficiency, and the data were compared to a diffusion model to assess the feasibility of relying on diffusion-enhanced detection efficiency in an online measurement.
REDESCRIPTIONS OF HAEMONCHUS MITCHELLI AND HAEMONCHUS OKAPIAE (NEMATODA: TRICHOSTRONGYLOIDEA) AND DESCRIPTION OF A UNIQUE SYNLOPHE FOR THE HAEMONCHINAE

In the course of a revision of Haemonchus Cobb, 1898 (Nematoda), commonly referred to as large stomach worms, significant new morphological information was discovered that allows the recognition of 2 species believed for more than 50 yr to be synonymous. Both species, Haemonchus mitchelli Le Roux, 1929, from the eland Taurotragus oryx and other African ruminants and H. okapiae van den Berghe, 1937, from the okapi Okapia johnstoni, have a synlophe of 42 ridges, but the synlophe of H. mitchelli is longer than that of H. okapiae. The distal tip of the left spicule of H. mitchelli bears a barb that is about twice as long as the short barb and half as long as the long barb on the right spicule. In contrast, the barb on the left spicule of H. okapiae is similar in size to the short barb and about 25% as long as the long barb of the right spicule. The dorsal ray of H. mitchelli is bifurcated distally for 25-39% (32%) of its length and its stem is expanded proximally, but the dorsal ray of H. okapiae is bifurcated 37-50% (42%) and its stem is of uniform thickness.
Reduction of herpes simplex virus type-2 replication in cell cultures and in rodent models with peptide-conjugated morpholino oligomers.

BackgroundGenital herpes, caused by herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2), is a recurrent, lifelong disease affecting tens of millions of people in the USA alone. HSV-2 can be treated therapeutically...
Spin Resonance of V 2 + , V 3 + , V 4 + in α - Al 2 O 3

The electron-spin resonance absorption properties of vanadium sapphire are reported. It is shown that normally vanadium is predominantly trivalent with a small amount in the tetravalent state. After x or gamma irradiation, vanadium is converted to the divalent state. The hfs component separations for ${\mathrm{V}}^{2+}$, ${\mathrm{V}}^{3+}$, and ${\mathrm{V}}^{4+}$ are about 88, 110, and 140 gauss, respectively. Because of its readily recognizable spin resonance signature, due to its nuclear spin and because of the ease of producing different oxidation states, it is suggested that vanadium may be a suitable probe to study ionization effects in certain solids.
Three new species of Hyphodontia with poroid hymenial surface

Three new species of Hyphodontia with poroid hymenial surface are reported. All specimens of the three new species (Hyphodontia hallenbergii, H. poroideoefibulata, and H. taiwaniana) were collected...
GIS-based Database and Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Human Mortality in Shanghai,China

Using all-cause mortality datasets in the year of 2003,Shanghai and meteorological data,an urban human mortality geodatabase was established based upon the geographic information system. The geodatabase has fundamental functions of data inquiry and statistics,dynamic monitoring and thematic mapping. The spatial characteristics of all-cause mortality was further analyzed utilizing the geodatabase,the results shows that the daily all-cause mortality exhibited a W-shape over time,i.e. the higher values occurred in winter and summer,but lower values in spring and autumn. The all-cause mortality was higher in urban area than that in suburban and rural areas. The cardiovascular mortality rate in urban area was higher than that in suburban and rural areas,while respiratory mortality rate in urban area was lower than that in suburban and rural areas. The all-cause mortality declined with the distance from urban center to rural area in Shanghai which can be well fitted with cubic polynomial.
Theses on the critique of “religion”

Those of us who study the history and politics of the concept of religion and its related terms often find that our peers in adjacent disciplines or subdisciplines do not take into account our find...
Haemodynamic responses to static and dynamic handgrip before and after autonomic blockade.

1. Six healthy men performed static and dynamic handgrip to local muscular fatigue in approximately 6 min under control conditions, i.e. without drugs and after combined parasympathetic and beta-adrenergic blockade with atropine and metoprolol. 2. From rest to exercise at fatigue, systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressures increased by 32 +/- 4 and 39 +/- 3 mmHg, 24 +/- 3 and 26 +/- 4 mmHg, and 26 +/- 3 and 30 +/- 3 mmHg respectively for static and dynamic handgrip. There were no significant differences between the pressor responses for the two modes of contraction. Cardiac output increased significantly only during dynamic exercise. Total peripheral resistance increased by 2.3 +/- 1.0 units for static handgrip (P less than 0.05) and by 0.7 +/- 0.8 unit (P greater than 0.05) for dynamic handgrip. Autonomic blockade abolished the heart rate response to both static and dynamic handgrip. For both modes of contraction the systolic arterial pressure responses were 9-12 mmHg lower (P less than 0.05) after autonomic blockade, but the diastolic and mean pressure responses were not significantly affected. A significant increase in cardiac output persisted during dynamic exercise. The increase in peripheral resistance during static exercise tended to be greater after blockade. Plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline levels showed only minor elevations in response to static and dynamic handgrip and were not changed by autonomic blockade. 3. These data indicate that when performed to a common end-point with identical small muscle groups static and dynamic exercise produce an equally large pressor response, which is only slightly attenuated by autonomic blockade.
Comparison of consensus value methods used to compile on-axis gain measurement results

This paper compares methods for computing consensus values of data sets. Three methods are used to analyze multiple data sets. The data sets are, on-axis gain measurements that have a large range of values and uncertainties. The appropriate method is dependent on characteristics of the data sets such as, the number of data sets, the spread of the data set values and spread of the uncertainty values for each data set. One method computes a weighted mean where the weights are chosen as the inverses of the fractional error in the data values. A second method removes data sets that are determined to be outliers, then computes an unweighted mean. A third computes a simple unweighted mean. The results of this comparison show that the method chosen to compute a consensus value is fairly independent of the data sets.
Interactions Between Reappraisal and Emotional Nonacceptance in Psychopathology: Examining Disability and Depression Symptoms in Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Recent research has emphasized the importance of studying the interaction between adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies in predicting mental health. In this respect, putatively maladaptive strategies (e.g., avoidance) have been found to moderate the link between putatively adaptive strategies (e.g., reappraisal) and psychopathology symptoms (e.g., Aldao and Nolen-Hoeksema in J Abnorm Psychol 121(1):276–281, 2012; Aldao et al. in J Anxiety Disord 28(4):382–389, 2014). Moreover, this line of work suggests that the direction of this moderation might vary as a function of symptom severity. However, research has yet to: (1) simultaneously examine how this interaction differs between clinical and non-clinical groups, and (2) test the interaction between specific emotion regulation strategies rather than composite scores of adaptive and maladaptive strategies. Doing so is essential in order to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the disturbances in the use of emotion regulation strategies in psychopathology. To that end, we investigated the interaction between reappraisal and emotional nonacceptance in participants diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and non-anxious controls. In the GAD group, there was a negative association between reappraisal and disability only when the use of nonacceptance was low, suggesting that the use of maladaptive strategies might interfere with the benefits typically associated with utilizing adaptive strategies. In the non-anxious group, there was a negative association between reappraisal and disability and depression symptoms, only when the use of nonacceptance was high, likely reflecting a compensatory and flexible use of regulation strategies. These findings highlight the importance of modeling interactions between specific emotion regulation strategies when seeking to understand their relationship to psychological functioning in GAD.
Vehicle Tracking for Bridge Load Dynamics Using Vision Techniques

Structural health monitoring for bridges is an important field that is growing in necessity in the United States with the aging of the interstate and highway system. Most health monitoring systems rely on detecting the motion of the bridge through strain gauges, accelerometers and GPS units. These sensors are very good at measuring the output motion of the bridge, but do not take into account the input signal from the vehicles. Adding the ability to directly measure the location of the input forces on the bridge would improve the ability to model the bridge dynamics. In this paper we propose a system that can identify a vehicle on a bridge and track its location through multiple video frames. Previous work in vehicle tracking has focused on traffic pattern research but has not been adequately translated into a sensing application for structural dynamics. The algorithm was tested and the results show that vehicles are able to be tracked along a bridge with acceptable error in the location output. This method allows a researcher to provide a dynamic input load to his model, rather than estimating or using some load distribution. Combining this with the structural sensing on the bridge will allow for more accurate modeling of the bridge dynamics.
A Six Sigma approach to collection of critical geospatial infrastructure data

Coastal communities along the Gulf Shores in Alabama, USA and other neighbouring states are frequently impacted by natural calamities such as hurricanes. Such disasters cause damages that affect critical infrastructures such as gas valves and meters, electric transformers, water valves and meters, fire hydrants, and sewer manholes. Further, sand and debris may cover up such infrastructure fixtures after a disaster, causing difficulty in timely recovery. Damage to critical infrastructure inflicts an estimated 50% or more of the clean-up costs, increases time to recovery, and delays the normal functioning of local business/tourism. An objective of the project was to create a database of the geospatial data of the critical infrastructure. Collecting this data is a labour-intensive and error-prone process. A Six Sigma approach was used to guide the execution of the project and provide control measures to improve the effectiveness of data collection.
Zeitmessung im System Erde

Philosophen hatten wahrend der gesamten Menschheitsgeschichte und bis in die jungste Vergangenheit hinein mit dem Begriff „Zeit“ ihre Probleme, denn sie hatten zu wenige Daten, um ihre Betrachtungsweise enger zu definieren. Die schiere Unermesslichkeit der Zeit, die in Milliarden gemessene „Tiefenzeit“, war eine der grosen Entdeckungen der Geologie, die unser Denken uber die Ablaufe des Systems Erde grundlegend verandert hat.
Inversion mobility and gate leakage in high-k/metal gate MOSFETs

For the first time, we show with simulation that the use of a metal gate/high-k stack offers improved mobility over polysilicon/high-k gates stacks while maintaining decreased gate leakage compared to conventional SiO/sub 2/ stacks, thus allowing high-performance transistor scaling to continue.