cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The professional voice: Part I. Anatomy, function, and general health

The subtle complexities and exacting demands of professional voice users create an exciting challenge and special responsibility for the otolaryngologist/head and neck surgeon. Professional voice users include not only singers and actors, but also politicians, attorneys, clergy, educators (including some physicians), telephone operators, and others. They encompass a broad range of focal sophistication and voice needs, but they have in common that they depend on vocal endurance and quality for their livelihoods. Professional singers are discussed at length in this article because they make the greatest demands on their voices and require the most sophisticated analysis. Mastery of the science and art of caring for singers generally provides the physician with sufficient expertise to treat other professional voice users. Most people appreciate singers' talent, but very few understand their craft. Although physicians frequently are called upon to care for professional singers with voice difficulties, most have little or no training in sophisticated analysis and treatment of subtle problems of the voice. Most successful singers work and study for years to master their art. Some of them earn hundreds of thousands of dollars with their voices. Consequently, physicians are faced with the challenge, responsibility, and liability of providing accurate diagnoses and treatment. This may be accomplished through thorough, systematic, inquiry and analysis based on understanding of the anatomy, physiology, psychology, and psychoacoustics of voice production. Hypochondriasis is uncommon among serious singers, In general, failure to establish a diagnosis for a professional singer with a voice complaint is a result of
Electromagnetic wave propagation in relativistic magnetized plasmas

Abstract An improved mathematical technique and a new code for deriving the conductivity tensor for collisionless plasmas have been developed. The method is applicable to a very general case, including both hot (relativistic) and cold magnetized plasmas, with only isotropic equilibrium distributions being considered here. The usual derivation starts from the relativistic Vlasov equation and leads to an integration over an infinite sum of Bessel functions which has to be done numerically. In the new solution the integration is carried out over a product of two Bessel functions only. This reduces the computing time very significantly. An added advantage over existing codes is our capability to perform the computations for waves propagating obliquely to the magnetic field. Both improvements greatly facilitate investigations of properties of the plasma under conditions hitherto unexplored.
Existence theorems for some nonlinear fourth order elliptic boundary value problems

The general outline of our method is to that of of the second author second order elliptic parabolic equations [S, 71. of our effort is in deriving estimates for linear equations which lead to for the FrCchet derivatives of the relevant nonlinear to which Section 2 devoted, appear to be sharp in to explained below, and feel are independent interest. are stated in and the existence theorems developed in 4. a concluding section, a comparison is made between our results and on the theory of and pseudomonotone operators. There is substantial overlap in classes of to which the results and those obtained by The latter generally allows much greater in the nonlinearity (without priori estimate being available) whereas our results allow for a certain amount of ‘nonmonotonicity’ in the nonlinear terms. Furthermore, here we obtain a constructive algorithm (a variation of Newton’s method) for the solution, and this is a large part of the motivation for this work. In fact, the second author has recently utilized the second order results in [5] to obtain numerical approximations by the finite element method in [2]. We anticipate that the present work can be similarly utilized.
Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome A genetic disorder of abnormal lymphocyte apoptosis

Fas-mediated apoptosis has an important role in the maintenance of a homeostatic balance between lymphocyte survival and death. This role is underscored by three consequences of a genetic disorder of abnormal Fas-mediated apoptosis, referred to as autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome. Abnormal proliferation of lymphocytes increases the risk for malignancies and results in lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly and hypersplenism, failure to remove autoreactive lymphocytes (associated with autoimmunity), and inappropriate survival of lymphocytes.
The Impact of Text versus Video Communication on Instructor Feedback in Blended Courses

In this study we examined student and instructor perceptions of text and video feedback in technology integration courses that combined face-to-face with online instruction for teacher candidates. Items from the Feedback Environment Scale (Steelman et al. 2004) were used to measure student perceptions of feedback quality and delivery. Independent sample t tests found no significant difference in perceptions of feedback quality and delivery between students who received video feedback and those who received text. End-of-semester student and instructor interviews identified several differences in the instructors’ feedback methods when they were communicating with text as compared to video. In general, students and instructors found that the affordances of text enabled more efficient and organized feedback, while the affordances of video encouraged more supportive and conversational communication. Analysis of actual feedback comments found video comments were longer and more supportive, while text feedback contained more specific critiques. When rating types of feedback, both students and instructors valued the efficiency of text over the more affective benefits of video. The article concludes with possible implications for future research and recommendations for practice that draw on the potential benefits of both feedback forms.
Radiation hardening in single crystal niobium—The temperature dependence of yielding☆

Abstract Neutron-irradiated single crystals of niobium were tensile tested over a range of temperatures from 93 to 298°K. The yield and flow stresses were increased upon irradiation, and the rate of work hardening, the uniform strain, and the fracture strain were reduced. Slip markings on polished surfaces were coarser and more inhomogeneous for the irradiated samples. The increase in the critical shear stress upon irradiation was approximately the same over the entire range of test temperatures, with perhaps a slight tendency for greater hardening at lower temperatures. The shape of the stress-temperature (τ vs. T) curve was analyzed according to several expressions discussed in the literature. A reasonably good fit to the Fleischer expression, ( τ/τ 0 ) 1 2 = 1 − (T/T 0 ) 1 2 , was obtained, but an equally good fit was found to the simpler relation (τ/τ0) = 1 + (T0/T). It is suggested that radiation-produced obstacles exert long-range stresses, giving rise to an athermal inhibition to dislocation motion. A simple analytical treatment is presented that illustrates conditions under which the radiation-hardening is expected to be athermal.
Analysis of the Internet Impact on the Real Estate Industry

Real estate is an information intensive industry where realtors/agents represent information intermediaries between buyers and sellers. This paper analyzes the evolution that the Internet brings to the real estate transactions at different levels. The authors discuss the stages of both traditional and internet based residential real estate transaction. The authors perform UML language modelling and analysis of the transactions in the real estate industry for both traditional and using Internet. The authors also compare their models to the frameworks in the service science area. Then the authors discuss how transactions costs may be reduced and provide competitive advantage for new services.
The Married Man Online: Ten Years Later

The information treated in the original article “The Married Man Online” (Journal of Bisexuality, Vol. 1, Numbers 2/3, 2001) is still relevant, but the societal context has changed. A number of articles appeared after the original article that discuss the phenomenon of married men coming out as bisexual or homosexual and three movies with mainstream actors treat the subject: Brokeback Mountain, Far From Heaven and Mulligans.
Novel Treatment Strategies for Liver Disease Due to a1-Antitrypsin Deficiency

Alpha1-antitrypsin (AT) deficiency is the most common genetic cause of liver disease in children and is also a cause of chronic hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma in adults. Recent advances in understanding how mutant AT molecules accumulate within hepatocytes and cause liver cell injury have led to a novel strategy for chemoprophylaxis of this liver disease. This strategy involves a class of drugs, which enhance the intracellular degradation of mutant AT and, because several of these drugs have been used safely in humans for other indications, the strategy can be moved immediately into clinical trials. In this review, we will also report on advances that provide a basis for several other strategies that could be used in the future for treatment of the liver disease associated with AT deficiency.
Non-Gaussian distributions in extended dynamical systems.

We propose a mechanism for the origin of non-Gaussian tails in the probability distribution functions of local variables in nonlinear, diffusive, dynamical systems including passive scalars advected by chaotic velocity fields: Intermittent fluctuations on appropriate time scales in the amplitude of the (chaotic) noise can lead to exponential tails in certain regimes. We provide numerical evidence for such behavior in deterministic, discrete-time passive scalar models. Different possibilities for probability distribution functions are also outlined.
The prepubertal ontogeny of neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity in the male Meishan pig brain

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is widely distributed in the mammalian brain and is involved in numerous functions including the control of feeding, growth and reproduction. Therefore, NPY may be an important peptide to study in agricultural species. This study describes the immunohistochemical localization of NPY throughout prepubertal development in the Meishan pig, a Chinese breed known for its superior reproductive characteristics. Brains of animals from gestational day (g) 30 through postnatal day (pn) 50 (duration of pregnancy averaged 114 days) were processed using a standard immunohistochemical technique utilizing a commercially available rabbit anti-porcine NPY antibody. Neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity (NPY-IR) in cell bodies and fibers is evident in many areas of the brain at g30, including the basal telencephalon, hypothalamus, mesencephalon, pons, and medulla. Throughout prenatal development, cell bodies containing NPY-IR generally increase in number and distribution in the brain. During postnatal development the number of cell bodies displaying NPY-IR decreases. The arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, shows a dramatic reduction in the number of immunoreactive cell bodies between pn1 (day of birth) and pn20, just before weaning. The distribution of NPY-IR in fibers becomes more widespread throughout gestational development, showing a pattern by g110 that was characteristic of postnatal ages. The intensity of NPY-IR in fibers also increases throughout gestation. Some additional increases in immunoreactivity occur postnatally, especially in the periventricular hypothalamus and the hippocampus. Other brain areas like the caudate nucleus and putamen show decreases in immunoreactivity postnatally. The distribution of NPY-IR in cell bodies and fibers is similar to that seen in other species, including the rat, and supports the hypothesis that NPY participates in controlling feeding, growth and reproduction in the pig.
Effects of 6-hydroxydopamine on sleep in the rat.

THERE is evidence that biogenic amines are involved in the mechanisms of sleep1,2. Although the exact relationship is not clear, recent results suggest that decreases in the concen-tration of catecholamines (noradrenaline or dopamine) in the brain cause increased desynchronized sleep (D) (sleep with rapid desynchronized cortical activity, also known as paradoxical or REM sleep), whereas increases in the concentration of catecholamines decrease D3–5. Not all the results, however, are in agreement1,2,6.
Picosecond investigation of the effect of solvent on the photochemistry of benzoin

Abstract Picosecond transient absorption studies of the Type 1 α-cleavage of the triplet state of benzoin and two derivatives have been investigated as a function of solvent polarity and solvent temperature. The rate of α-cleavage of the triplet state of benzoin increases by a factor of about 50 from hexanes as the solvent to acetonitrile or methanol. Solvent mixtures of hexanes and methanol yield median rates of α-cleavage. The roles of polar and steric factors on the α-cleavage reaction are discussed.
Carbon-Dioxide-Based Microsortation of Postconsumer Polyolefins and its Effect on Polyolefin Properties

Abstract Postconsumer polyolefin flake has been sorted using liquid carbon dioxide as a float-sink medium. This separation of PP and LDPE from HDPE was conducted at ambient temperature and a pressure that yielded a CO2 specific gravity of 0.955, causing the HDPE to sink and the LDPE and PP to float. Although this process provided a high-purity (99+%) HDPE product stream, the effect of immersing the plastics in liquid carbon dioxide at these conditions was not previously measured. Therefore, six HDPE samples, two LDPE samples, and five PP samples were exposed to high-pressure carbon dioxide for 20 min. After this exposure, the polyolefins did not foam when the carbon dioxide was rapidly vented from the vessel. The weight reduction averaged 0.17%, which was attributed to the dissolution of low-molecular-weight additives or contaminants present on the surface of the plastics. No significant change in the melting point or latent heat of melting was observed, indicating that the degree of crystallinity was not...
Advanced motor protection and communications with solid state motor protective devices

Recent advances in technology and motor control design have resulted in the use of electronic components in motor starters and specifically overload relays. The benefits of utilizing electronics in motor starters includes: enhanced protection against various types of faults, improved features, and communication between a programmable logic controller or other host control system and a motor starter. This combination of enhanced protection, improved features and communication provides users, especially in the process control field, with the opportunity to directly control and monitor process elements. Control and monitoring can provide warning of impending problems, minimize downtime, and improve process results.
The Teacher Research Movement: A Decade Later

In this article, we discuss the latest renewal of interest in the U.S. in teacher research and other forms of practitioner inquiry, a movement that is now a little more than a decade old. We argue that part of what makes the current wave of interest a movement and not just the latest educational fad is that teacher research stems from several different, but in some ways compatible, intellectual traditions and educational projects. We identify five major trends that characterize the current U.S. movement: (a) the prominence of teacher research in teacher education, professional development, and school reform; (b) the development of conceptual frameworks and theories of teacher research; (c) the dissemination of teacher research beyond the local level; (d) the emergence of critique of teacher research and the teacher research movement; and (e) the transformative potential of teacher research on some aspects of university culture. Based on our own teacher research experiences and understandings of teacher re...
Genetic control of the immune response to nuclease. V. Genetic linkage and strain distribution of anti-nuclease idiotypes.

Rat antisera raised against anti-nuclease antibodies from mouse strains A/J and SJL detect strain-specific idiotypic determinants related to the antigen-combining site. These antisera have been used to investigate the genetic linkage and strain distribution of the anti-nuclease idiotypes. Despite the existence of an H-2-linked immune response gene controlling the humoral response to nuclease, expression of the A/J anti-nuclease idiotype has been shown to be independent of genes in the H-2 region: the A/J idiotype was present in immune sera from strains A/J (H-2a) and A.BY (H-2b) but absent in sera from strains B10 (H-2b) and B10.A (H-2a). An analysis of the segregation of the A/J idiotype in offspring of the backcross (A/J x B10.A) x B10.A demonstrated linkage to the Ig-1e heavy chain allotype markers. In a small sample of backcross animals a very high apparent recombination frequency was observed, but further backcross analyses and progeny testing of putative recombinant animals will be required to substantiate this observation. Analysis of the A/J and SJL anti-nuclease idiotype markers in the BALB/c, CB.20, and BAB.14 strains indicate that these idiotypic markers may permit mapping of distinct variable region genes.
Differential Antiproliferative Effects of Calcitriol on Tumor-Derived and Matrigel-Derived Endothelial Cells

The most active metabolite of vitamin D, calcitriol, is growth inhibitory for various tumor types in vitro and in vivo and inhibits the growth of endothelial cells freshly isolated from tumors [tumor-derived endothelial cells (TDEC)]. We compared the effects of calcitriol on Matrigel-derived endothelial cells (MDEC) and TDEC isolated from Matrigel plugs and squamous cell carcinoma tumors, respectively. TDEC and MDEC expressed vitamin D receptor (VDR) and responded to calcitriol by increasing VDR protein expression. Although no mutations were found in VDR from either cell type, Scatchard plot analysis revealed a higher ligand-binding affinity in TDEC (K(d), 0.26 nmol/L) than MDEC (K(d), 0.65 nmol/L). The VDR signaling axis in both cells was intact as shown using nuclear translocation and 24-hydroxylase promoter-luciferase reporter assays. However, unlike TDEC, MDEC were resistant to calcitriol-induced growth inhibition. Calcitriol (10 nmol/L) resulted in a 12.3% growth inhibition of MDEC compared with 47% in TDEC. In TDEC, calcitriol resulted in induction of G(0)/G(1) arrest (10.75%) and reduction of S-phase cells (6.8%) with induction of p27 and down-regulation of p21 protein expression. Apoptotic effects, determined by Annexin V staining were also observed in calcitriol-treated TDEC (38.6%). Calcitriol caused reduced expression of p-Erk and p-Akt and an increase of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and caspase-3 cleavage in TDEC. By contrast, none of these effects on cell cycle or apoptosis were seen in calcitriol-treated MDEC. These results show that TDEC were more sensitive than MDEC to the antiproliferative effects of calcitriol despite apparently normal VDR content and structure of signaling axis in both cell types.
The Value of Fluorescein Angiography in Sickle Cell Retinopathy

Sickle cell retinopathy comprises a constellation of abnormal signs in the retinas of patients who inherit hemoglobinopathy genes. Proliferative changes (neovascularization) and visual disability are most characteristic of the doubly heterozygous hemoglobinopathies, sickle cell-hemoglobin C disease (SC) and sickle cell beta-thalassemia (S-thal), although patients with the homozygous form,sickle cell anemia (SS), are also affected (GOLDBERG, in press). Most retinal changes occur in the fundus periphery, although the posterior pole may also show abnormalities. Beginning with erythrocytic occlusion of retinal arterioles, sickle cell retinopathy proceeds naturally through the stages of arteriolar-venular anastomosis, neovascularization (sea fan formation), vitreous hemorrhage, and retinal detachment.
Direct Simulation of Evolution and Control of Three-Dimensional Instabilities in Attachment-Line Boundary Layers

The spatial evolution of three-dimensional disturbances in an attachment-line boundary layer is computed by direct numerical simulation of the unsteady, incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. Disturbances are introduced into the boundary layer by harmonic sources that involve unsteady suction and blowing through the wall. Various harmonic- source generators are implemented on or near the attachment line, and the disturbance evolutions are compared. Previous two-dimensional simulation results and nonparallel theory are compared with the present results. The three-dimensional simulation results for disturbances with quasi-two-dimensional features indicate growth rates of only a few percent larger than pure two-dimensional results; however, the results are close enough to enable the use of the more computationally efficient, two-dimensional approach. However, true three-dimensional disturbances are more likely in practice and are more stable than two-dimensional disturbances. Disturbances generated off (but near) the attachment line spread both away from and toward the attachment line as they evolve. The evolution pattern is comparable to wave packets in at-plate boundary-layer flows. Suction stabilizes the quasi-two-dimensional attachment-line instabilities, and blowing destabilizes these instabilities; these results qualitatively agree with the theory. Furthermore, suction stabilizes the disturbances that develop off the attachment line. Clearly, disturbances that are generated near the attachment line can supply energy to attachment-line instabilities, but suction can be used to stabilize these instabilities.
Risk assessment and genetic testing for ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE. Prevention of ovarian cancer starts with identifying women at high risk for this deadly disease. Once identified, these women can be offered risk-reducing options such as oral contraceptives and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. In this review, strategies for identifying high-risk individuals and the clinical utility of genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 will be discussed.CONCLUSION. To offer potentially life-saving interventions for at-risk family members, we propose that every woman newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer be offered genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes because mutations in these genes are the strongest known predictors of ovarian cancer risk.
MAUI: enabling fiber-to-the-Processor with parallel multiwavelength optical interconnects

The Multiwavelength Assemblies for Ubiquitous Interconnects (MAUI) program is a collaboration between Agilent Laboratories, Palo Alto, CA, and the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, with the goal of enabling fiber-to-the-processor by developing very-high-density optical interconnects and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) interface electronics. This paper focuses on the parallel wavelength-division-multiplexed optical interconnect technologies and their potential impact on computer systems.
Cell cycle behavior of laboratory and field populations of the Florida red tide dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis

As a component of the ECOHAB Florida Regional Field Program, this study addresses cell cycle behavior and its importance to bloom formation of the Florida red tide dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis. The cell cycle of K. brevis was first studied by flow cytometry in laboratory batch cultures, and a laboratory mesocosm column, followed by field populations over the 5-year course of the ECOHAB program. Under all conditions studied, K. brevis displayed diel phased cell division with S-phase beginning a minimum of 6 h after the onset of light and continuing for 12–14 h. Mitosis occurred during the dark, and was generally completed by the start of the next day. The timing of cell cycle phases relative to the diel cycle did not differ substantially in bloom populations displaying radically different growth rates (mmin 0.17–0.55) under different day lengths and temperature conditions. The rhythm of cell cycle progression is independent from the rhythm controlling vertical migration, as similar cell cycle distributions are found at all depths of the water column in field samples. The implications of these findings are discussed in light of our current understanding of the dinoflagellate cell cycle and the development of improved models for K. brevis bloom growth. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Herman Award Lecture, 1995: infection-induced malnutrition--from cholera to cytokines.

Infection-induced malnutrition, the most common form of cytokine-induced malnutrition, results from the actions of proinflammatory cytokines, ie, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukins 1, 6, and 8 (IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8). During acute generalized infections, these cytokines initiate the acute-phase reaction. This reaction is quite stereotyped, and includes fever, malaise, myalgia, headaches, cellular hypermetabolism, and multiple endocrine and enzyme responses. In addition, there is heightened catabolism of muscle proteins and many amino acids ; flux of free amino acids into the liver ; hepatic synthesis of acute-phase plasma proteins ; sequestration of iron and zinc ; gluconeogenesis; insulin resistance ; impaired cellular uptake of fatty acids from plasma triglycerides ; sizable losses of body nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, phosphate, and zinc ; retention of body salt and water ; heightened metabolic degradation and/or loss of vitamins ; and an activation of the immune system. The pathogenesis of cytokine-induced malnutrition is thus vastly different from the malnutrition caused by uncomplicated starvation. Cytokine-induced malnutrition can have a devastating effect on the immune system and its functions. Although proinflammatory cytokines are found in mucosal fluids, where they contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases, it is not known whether cytokines play a role in toxigenic, secretory diarrheas such as cholera, which cause huge losses of body water, electrolytes, and bicarbonate while exhibiting no systemic manifestations of an acute-phase reaction.
Surface tension effects of heparin coating on arterial line filters

An investigation was conducted to determine the effects that heparin-coated screen arterial line filters have on the surface tension of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) priming solution. Five brands of non-heparin coated arterial line filters (Bard H625, Bentley AF1040, Intersept 40mum, Pall EC3840 and Pall SP3840) and four brands of heparin-coated filters (Bard H640, Bentley AF1040C and AF1040D and Intersept 40mum) were tested in a closed-loop circuit containing two litres of Plasma-Lyte A and pumped at a rate of five litres per minute. Samples were collected at 0.5, 20, 60 and 120 minutes to determine the surface tension of the recirculated solution. The non-heparin coated arterial line filters showed no significant changes in surface tension, either between the individual groups or over time. The benzalkonium-heparin coated filters (Bard H640, Bentley AF1040C and Intersept 40mum) all showed significant decreases in surface tension when compared to zero circulation time or to the noncoated groups. The largest drop in surface tension occurred within the first five minutes of recirculation. The circuit with a Bentley AF 1040D (a new nonbenzalkonium process) coated filter showed no significant change in surface tension.
A Computational Implementation of a Human Attention Guiding Mechanism in MIDAS v5

In complex human-machine systems, the human operator is often required to intervene to detect and solve problems. Given this increased reliance on the human in these critical human-machine systems, there is an increasing need to validly predict how operators allocate their visual attention. This paper describes the information-seeking (attention-guiding) model within the Man-machine Integration Design and Analysis System (MIDAS) v5 software - a predictive model that uses the Salience, Effort, Expectancy and Value (SEEV) of an area of interest to guide a person's attention. The paper highlights the differences between using a probabilistic fixation approach and the SEEV approach in MIDAS to drive attention.
How Washington Abetted the Bank Job

How the myriad bank regulatory agencies, including the Fed, SEC, FDIC, OCC, helped unleash the banks to create more and more destructive derivatives by bending to the pressure of banks, their law firms and lobbyists by passing a joint resolution at end of 2006 (a watered down version of reform that was to be enacted after Enron collapse due to massive hiding of debt through, inter alia, credit default swaps, cds) and how we tried, unsuccessfully, to warn those agencies not to do this.
Jury Research in America

This paper is an attempt to review the body of social science writings of the last four and one-half decades on the petit jury. The major portion of this presentation will be limited to organizing the findings on the jury around the two major themes - competence and representation - which are most often discussed in empirical literature. A concluding section will offer some evaluative comments and present some tentative proposals for a new perspective on the sociological study of the jury.
Ca-Homeostasis and Heart Failure: Focus on the Biophysics of Surface Membrane Ca-Fluxes

In cardiac myocytes calcium (Ca) entry over the plasma membrane plays a crucial role in the cells electrophysiological properties. It determines the plateau of the cardiac action potential and forms the essential trigger that initiates Ca-induced Ca release and thereby cardiac excitation-contraction coupling. Ca can enter the cardiomyocyte during the action potential by the activation of voltage-dependent L-type and T-type Ca channels. While the electrogenic sodium-calcium exchanger (NCX) predominantly extrudes Ca from the cytoplasm, its dependence on the electrochemical driving force allows for Ca entry during depolarizing voltages when NCX operates in the reverse mode. In a ventricular myocyte the extend of Ca movement across the plasma membrane predominantly regulates cardiac contractility; however, these Ca-fluxes can also promote spontaneous activity. This can occur under physiological conditions during the diastolic depolarization of a cardiac pacemaker cell or under pathophysiological conditions when a dysregulation of Ca-fluxes allows for the generation of early or delayed after depolarizations. This kind of dysregulation can be observed during cardiac remodeling in the state of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. In this chapter the molecular and functional basis of Ca-fluxes across the plasma membrane and their changes during the cardiac remodeling process that leads to heart failure will be presented. We will discuss the importance of these changes for the increased propensity to arrhythmia as well as their contribution to the cardiac remodeling process itself.
Strain-induced excess loss in coated waveguides

A series of experiments has been performed to determine the effect of axial strain on the optical properties of waveguides coated with various materials. Two sets of experimental data were obtained, stress versus strain and excess optical loss versus strain. The results indicate that the excess loss induced by axial strain depends critically on the mechanical properties of the coating and that the excess loss mechanism is microbending generated at the waveguide-coating interface.
Raman Studies of the Crystallization of As2Se3

Raman spectra of the photocatalyzed crystallization process of amorphous As2Se3 between the glass-transition temperature and the melting point were studied. The relationship between the crystalline and amorphous vibrational spectra is discussed, and conclusions are drawn about the phonon dispersion in crystalline As2Se3.
Comparison of the electromechanical properties of embedded and surface-mounted piezoelectric transducers

An experimental and computational comparison of the structural and electromechanical coupling properties of composite beams with surface-mounted and embedded piezoelectric disks shows that the embe...
Using OligoWalk to Identify Efficient siRNA Sequences

RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as an important tool in science and in medicine. Small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) can be used to knockdown gene expression of specific mRNAs. In practice, a number of factors influence whether an siRNA sequence will elicit RNAi and knockdown target gene expression. One factor that significantly influences the efficiency of an siRNA is the effect of RNA secondary structure. Self-structure in either the siRNA sequence or the target mRNA at the binding site may prevent gene silencing. This chapter provides protocols for using the OligoWalk software package to design efficient siRNAs. OligoWalk considers the effect of target and guide strand self-structures and also local sequence features in siRNA design. OligoWalk can be run either locally by compiling the software or through a convenient web interface. OligoWalk is freely available at http://rna.urmc.rochester.edu/cgi-bin/server_exe/oligowalk/oligowalk_form.cgi .
Intra-Amniotic Prostaglandin F2α and Urea for Midtrimester Abortion *†

Intra-amniotic prostaglandin F2α, in doses of 2.5 to 20 mg, combined with 80 gm of urea, was an effective, safe, simple, and economical midtrimester abortifacient in 115 patients. The mean abortal time, 15.8 hours, was significantly less than that in prior series in which intra-amniotic hypertonic saline or urea was administered together with constant, intravenous oxytocin infusion. The use of intracervical laminaria tents did not shorten the abortal time. Only eight patients had not aborted within 30 hours; only two had not aborted within 36 hours; and only six received a second intra-amniotic injection. Operative removal of the placenta, when necessary, was accomplished under intravenous sedation in a treatment room. The incidence of infection, nausea, vomiting, and other complications was low.
Rawls, Republicanism, and the Adequacy-Equity Debate.

In this article, I critique the foremost proponents of the adequacy and equity approaches to educational equality. I identify tensions within the adequacy approach related to positionality in education, fostering a democratic elite through higher education, and its defense of private schooling. In contrast, equity theorists are vulnerable to the leveling down critique and place too much emphasis on education as a private good. This article sketches out strategy for integrating these principles inspired by Rawls’ lexically ordered two principles of justice. Concerns about the bases of equal status as citizens can ground an adequacy standard and prevent leveling down, while a ‘level playing field’ conception for educational opportunities addresses positional competition and promotes the long-term stability of favorable background conditions. The privileging of the first principle of justice over the second also emphasizes education as a public good.
In Situ Measurement of Voltage-Induced Stress in Conducting Polymers with Redox-Active Dopants.

Minimization of stress-induced mechanical rupture and delamination of conducting polymer (CP) films is desirable to prevent failure of devices based on these materials. Thus, precise in situ measurement of voltage-induced stress within these films should provide insight into the cause of these failure mechanisms. The evolution of stress in films of polypyrrole (pPy), doped with indigo carmine (IC), was measured in different electrochemical environments using the multibeam optical stress sensor (MOSS) technique. The stress in these films gradually increases to a constant value during voltage cycling, revealing an initial break-in period for CP films. The nature of the ions involved in charge compensation of pPy[IC] during voltage cycling was determined from electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) data. The magnitude of the voltage-induced stress within pPy[IC] at neutral pH correlated with the radius of the hydrated mobile ion in the order Li+ > Na+ > K+. At acidic pH, the IC dopant in pPy[IC] u...
Persistent atrial standstill following the Cox-maze III procedure: reversal with sustained atrial pacing

Atrial standstill is a rare disorder of cardiac rhythm that is characterized by total absence of electrical activity in one or both atria. We report herein the case of a patient with atrial fibrillation and symptomatic 4.0 s pauses who received a ventricular demand pacemaker. The patient later underwent mitral valve replacement with a pericardial tissue valve and the Cox-maze III procedure for symptomatic mitral stenosis and atrial fibrillation. Following surgery, he developed atrial standstill and became pacemaker dependent. The pacemaker was later revised to an atrioventricular sequential pacemaker. Twelve hours after revision, atrioventricular sequential pacing was noted and mechanical function of the atria was confirmed by Doppler echocardiography.
In vivo17O MRS imaging - Quantitative assessment of regional oxygen consumption and perfusion rates in living brain.

In the last decade, in vivo oxygen-17 (17O) MRS has evolved into a promising MR technique for noninvasively studying oxygen metabolism and perfusion in aerobic organs with the capability of imaging the regional metabolic rate of oxygen and its changes. In this chapter, we will briefly review the methodology of the in vivo17O MRS technique and its recent development and applications; we will also discuss the advantages of the high/ultrahigh magnetic field for 17O MR detection, as well as the challenges and potential of this unique MRS method for biomedical research of oxygen metabolism, mitochondrial function and tissue energetics in health and disease.
Discovery of alkenones with variable methylene interrupted double bonds: implications for the biosynthetic pathway

Alkenones (C37 to C40) are highly specific biomarkers produced by certain haptophyte algae in ocean and lacustrine environments and have been widely used for paleoclimate studies. Unusual shorter-chain alkenones (e.g., C35 and C36) have been found in environmental and culture samples but the origin and structures of these compounds are much less understood. The marine alkenone producer, Emiliania huxleyi CCMP2758 strain was reported with abundant C35:2Me (∆12, 19) alkenone when cultured at 15°C (Prahl et al. 2006). Here we show, when this strain is cultured at 4 to 10°C, CCMP2758 produces abundant C35:3Me, C36:3Me and small amount of C36:3Et alkenones with unusual double bond positions of ∆7, 12, 19. We determine the double bond positions of the C35:3Me and C36:3Me alkenones by GC-MS analysis of the dimethyl disulfide and cyclobutylimine derivatives, and provide the first temperature calibrations based on the unsaturation ratios of the C35 and C36 alkenones. Previous studies have found C35:2Me (∆14, 19) and C36:2Et (∆14, 19) alkenones with three-methylene interruption in the Black Sea sediment, but this is the first reported instance of alkenones with a mixed three- and five-methylene interruption configuration in the double bond positions. The discovery of these alkenones allows us to propose a novel biosynthetic scheme, termed shorter-chain alkenone (SCA) biosynthesis pathway that simultaneously rationalizes the formation of both the C35:3Me (∆7, 12, 19) alkenone in our culture and the ∆14, 19 alkenones in the Black Sea type alkenones without invoking new desaturases for the unusual double bond positions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Modulation of Kv7 channels and excitability in the brain

Neuronal Kv7 channels underlie a voltage-gated non-inactivating potassium current known as the M-current. Due to its particular characteristics, Kv7 channels show pronounced control over the excitability of neurons. We will discuss various factors that have been shown to drastically alter the activity of this channel such as protein and phospholipid interactions, phosphorylation, calcium, and numerous neurotransmitters. Kv7 channels locate to key areas for the control of action potential initiation and propagation. Moreover, we will explore the dynamic surface expression of the channel modulated by neurotransmitters and neural activity. We will also focus on known principle functions of neural Kv7 channels: control of resting membrane potential and spiking threshold, setting the firing frequency, afterhyperpolarization after burst firing, theta resonance, and transient hyperexcitability from neurotransmitter-induced suppression of the M-current. Finally, we will discuss the contribution of altered Kv7 activity to pathologies such as epilepsy and cognitive deficits.
Asynchronous computation with molecular reactions

Mass-action kinetics of chemical reaction networks (CRNs) is powerful to describe computations through transfers of chemical concentrations. Here we present methods for asynchronously implementing digital signal processing (DSP) operations such as filtering with CRNs. We first review an implementation of DSP operations using molecular reactions based on a three-phase transfer scheme. This is an example of a locally asynchronous, globally synchronous implementation. We then present a fully asynchronous method that transfers signals based on absence of other signals. We illustrate our methodology with the design of finite impulse response (FIR) filters. The computation is exact and independent of specific reaction rates. Although conceptual for the time being, the proposed methodology has potential applications in domains of synthetic biology such as biochemical sensing and drug delivery.
Improving Admission of Low-SES Students at Selective Colleges: Results From an Experimental Simulation

Low-socioeconomic status (SES) students are underrepresented at selective colleges, but the role that admissions offices play is poorly understood. Because admissions offices often have inconsistent information on high school contexts, we conducted a randomized controlled trial to determine whether providing detailed information on high school contexts increases the likelihood that admissions officers (n = 311) would recommend admitting low-SES applicants. Admissions officers in the detailed-information condition were 13 to 14 percentage points (i.e., 26%–28%) more likely to recommend admitting a low-SES applicant from an underserved high school than those in the limited-information condition, although the limited-information condition provided significant details about family SES and high school context. These findings were consistent regardless of the selectivity of the college, admissions office practices, and participant demographics.
Students’ conceptual performance on synthesis physics problems with varying mathematical complexity

Synthesis problems in introductory physics support the development of expertlike problem solving approaches by requiring students to focus on the underlying concepts and their application.
Moderators and Mediators: The MacArthur Updated View

The terms “moderators” and “mediators” have been used in both behavioral and medical research for at least the last half century. Early on, however, the terms were typically used idiosyncratically, meaning whatever seemed to be implied from the context of the statement in which they were used. The approach of Baron and Kenny (1986) provided strong conceptual definitions, but their mathematical approach to documenting which definitions applied, proved problematic. The MacArthur approach appearing around 2000 was an update to deal with those problems and is here presented, with illustrations and comments. Also discussed is how this approach resolves current conceptual problems such as “backward” and “reciprocal” causation. There are, however, as yet unresolved problems in its application, such as how to convey the clinical significance of moderation and mediation.
Explicit and implicit emotion regulation: a multi-level framework

The ability to adaptively regulate emotion is essential for mental and physical well-being. How should we organize the myriad ways people attempt to regulate their emotions? We explore the utility of a framework that distinguishes among four fundamental classes of emotion regulation strategies. The framework describes each strategy class in terms their behavioral characteristics, underlying psychological processes and supporting neural systems. A key feature of this multi-level framework is its conceptualization of the psychological processes in terms of two orthogonal dimensions that describe (i) the nature of the emotion regulation goal (ranging from to implicit to explicit) and (ii) the nature of the emotion change process (ranging from more automatic to more controlled). After describing the core elements of the framework, we use it to review human and animal research on the neural bases of emotion regulation and to suggest key directions for future research on emotion regulation.
The Forensic Detective as Panic Figure

Public identification of the mentally ill revolves around four markers: “labels … (people who are publically known as mentally ill), “bizarre behavior … poor social skills … and physical appearance” (Schumacher et al. 2003, p. 469).
Pacific Islands and the Politics of Fertilizer

Seabirds by the millions inhabit the islands of the tropical Pacific, especially in the equatorial regions of Peru where their phosphate-rich excrement (guano) has accumulated for thousands of years. The discovery of guano’s use as a fertilizer in the 1840s led to commercial mining of it, especially along the coast of Peru where it had dramatic economic, social and political effects, including the use of slaves in the mining industry, declarations of war, and permanent border changes. The United States responded to its essential exclusion from this market by the approval of the Guano Islands Act of 1856, which enabled American business interests to claim uninhabited Pacific Islands with guano deposits. This led to claims and counterclaims between businesses as well as among competing countries. The island landscape changed on many island groups along with issues of ownership. The end of the guano trade was ushered in by the discovery of superphosphate deposits on certain isolated islands, and as the resource was being exploited, the strategic position of islands across the Pacific was becoming evident as the world prepared for war.
Mixed Signal ASIC Design

This paper will describe some of the building blocks used in the design of mixed signal BiCMOS ASICs, including D/A and A/D converters, Sample/Holds, Comparators, and Bias Generators.