cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-thermal distribution of O(1D) atoms in the night-time thermosphere

The 6300 A O(1D-3P) emission has been used for many years to remotely monitor the thermospheric temperature from the Doppler width of its line profile. The O(1D) atoms in the nighttime thermosphere are initially produced by the dissociative recombination of O2(+) ions with kinetic energy much greater than the thermal energy of the ambient neutrals. The validity of the technique to monitor neutral ambient temperature by measuring O(1D) 6300 A emission depends on the degree of thermalization of the O(1D) atoms. The object of this study is to calculate the velocity distribution of the O(1D) atoms and to examine the effect of nonthermal distribution on the nighttime thermospheric neutral temperature determined.
Differential expression of monoamine oxidase A, serotonin transporter, tyrosine hydroxylase and norepinephrine transporter mRNA by anorexia mutation and food deprivation

The Anorexia (anx) mutation causes reduced food intake in preweanling mice, resulting in death from starvation within 3-4 weeks. We have found serotonin (5HT) hyperinnervation in the anx brain; altered noradrenergic (NE) innervation may also mediate eating disorders. We examined the expression of synthetic or catabolic monoamine enzyme genes in brainstem nuclei: serotonin transporter (5HTT) and monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) in the raphe nuclei (RN), and MAOA, norepinephrine transporter (NET), and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the locus ceruleus (LC). We compared 3-week old anx with control and 24-h food-deprived wildtype littermates using in situ hybridization to measure mRNA levels by quantitative autoradiography. The anx mutation was correlated with decreased MAOA mRNA in the LC (but not RN), decreased 5HTT mRNA in the RN, and a trend towards lower NET mRNA in the LC. Food deprivation decreased MAOA mRNA in the LC (but not RN), increased TH mRNA in the LC, and did not alter NET or 5HTT mRNA levels. Thus, the effect of the anx mutation on MAOA expression in the LC paralleled the effect of food-deprivation, but the anx mutation and food-deprivation had differential effects on the expression of TH, NET, and 5HTT genes. Decreased 5HTT expression in the anx RN is consistent with upregulation of serotonergic neurotransmission that may accompany 5HT hyperinnervation. Central NE levels or innervation may be altered in anx mice by decreased expression of NET and MAOA and a lack of TH upregulation induced by food deprivation as in wild-type mice.
Time dependent nonlinear oscillations with many periodic solutions

We investigate the local structure of nonlinear operators defining time dependent nonlinear oscillations. We explicitly describe the local structure of such operators using as models stable mappings between finite-dimensional spaces. This structure theorem allows us to prove the existence of many periodic solutions for such nonlinear oscillations. We determine the maximum number of such periodic solutions occurring near equilibrium. As one consequence we deduce that there exist oscillations with polynomial nonlinear terms of degree $2n$ for which there exist $(n + 1)^2 $ periodic solutions.
Development and validation of the Alcohol Myopia Scale.

Alcohol myopia theory conceptualizes the ability of alcohol to narrow attention and how this demand on mental resources produces the impairments of self-inflation, relief, and excess. The current research was designed to develop and validate a scale based on this framework. People who were alcohol users rated items representing myopic experiences arising from drinking episodes in the past month. In Study 1 (N = 260), the preliminary 3-factor structure was supported by exploratory factor analysis. In Study 2 (N = 289), the 3-factor structure was substantiated with confirmatory factor analysis, and it was superior in fit to an empirically indefensible 1-factor structure. The final 14-item scale was evaluated with internal consistency reliability, discriminant validity, convergent validity, criterion validity, and incremental validity. The alcohol myopia scale (AMS) illuminates conceptual underpinnings of this theory and yields insights for understanding the tunnel vision that arises from intoxication. Language: en
Prospects for an HIV vaccine: leading B cells down the right path.

Until recently, few potent and broadly neutralizing HIV-specific antibodies had been identified, but recent findings have inspired optimism that an effective HIV vaccine can finally be developed. Here we review these studies, which used state-of-the-art high-throughput techniques to collectively describe hundreds of new potent and broad HIV-neutralizing antibodies isolated from HIV-infected individuals.
A photometric determination of twists in early-type galaxies. II

In continuation of previous work, detailed photometric data have been obtained for two elliptical galaxies by using the Mount Lemmon 1.5-m telescope and a large SEC television camera. As before, the aim of this photometry is to gain additional information on the occurrence of twists in such galaxies; i.e., on the change of the position angle of the major axes of the isophotes from the center outward. No significant twist was found in NGC 1052. However, NGC 584 was found to have a securely observed twist of about 10 deg within 10 kpc from its center. These data strengthen previous indications that many ellipticals contain twists in their inner, bright portions.
Pregnancy termination by prostaglandin F2α stimulates maternal behavior in the rat

Abstract Treatment with PGF2α resulted in the termination of pregnancy in 16- and 19-day pregnant rats, but not in 10- or 13-day pregnant rats. Rats that aborted displayed a rapid onset of maternal behavior when tested with foster pups. Aborted rats also displayed sexual receptivity and ovulation: these phenomena resemble the sequence of events following hysterectomy on the same days of pregnancy. Both can be related to the events surrounding normal parturition in the rat. The results are interpreted as due to a pregnancy-induced deactivation of the factor in the uterus that prevents estrogen from stimulating maternal behavior in nonpregnant females. In the absence of this factor, the PGF2α-induced rise in estrogen secretion facilitates maternal behavior and sexual behavior and induces ovulation.
Sedation with propofol for flexible bronchoscopy in children.

Background The purpose of this study was to report our experience with intravenous propofol (IVP) sedation for flexible bronchoscopy (FB) in children. Methods The following data were collected: demographics, pre- and post-procedure diagnoses, induction time (IT), sedation time (ST), procedure time (PT), time to discharge from the hospital (TTD), induction dose (ID) of IVP, total dose (TD) of IVP, and complications. HR, RR, systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and SpO2 were recorded every 5 min. Results One hundred three (66 males, 37 females) consecutive patients (age: 4.7 ± 4.3 years) and (weight: 21.2 ± 16 kg) were enrolled over a 3-year-period. Airway Abnormalities were diagnosed in 93 (90%) patients leading to a change in therapy in 68 (66%) patients. In 20 (19.4%) patients abnormalities unrelated to the primary indication for FB were found. IT was 4.64 ± 2 min, PT was 6.2 ± 3.1 min, ST was 27 ± 14 min, and TTD was 80 ± 44 min. The ID and TD for IVP were 2.8 ± 0.1 mg/kg, and 3.1 ± 0.1 mg/kg respectively. Patients 4–7 years of age required higher induction doses (IDs) of propofol (3.5 ± 1 mg/kg) compared to infants (2.8 ± 0.9 mg/kg), 1–3 years of age (2.7 ± 0.78 mg/kg) and 8–17 years of age (2.4 ± 0.7 mg/kg) (P < 0.001). There was a correlation between the TD of IVP and TTD from the hospital (r = 0.5, P < 0.01). The drop in SBP (104 ± 15 vs. 92 ± 13 mm Hg, P < 0.05) and DBP (57 ± 13 vs. 46 ± 9 mm Hg, P < 0.05) during IVP were statistically significant compared to baseline, however none of the patients met the criteria for hypotension. Two patients developed short (<20 sec) respiratory pauses without hypoxia. No patient required fluid resuscitation or endotracheal intubation. Conclusions FB may be performed successfully in children using IVP and is associated with insignificant cardio-respiratory complications. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2009; 44:373–378. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Understanding cultural aspects of health through photography.

Abstract Photography is used as a means to teach nursing students of varying learning styles and levels of cultural awareness about cultural aspects of health. Nurs Outlook 2001;49:50-4.
A New Look at TCF and β-Catenin through the Lens of a Divergent C. elegans Wnt Pathway

The canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway is extensively characterized, broadly conserved, and clinically important. In this review, we describe the C. elegans Wnt/β-catenin asymmetry pathway and suggest that some of its unusual features may have important implications for the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
A patch/subdomain iteration framework and algorithm class for error indicator and mesh reliability calculations

A patch iteration approach and class of algorithms are described for inexpensively enhancing error indicators based on residuals and local boundary-value problems. The scheme is applicable to finite element, finite volume, finite difference and similar discretization schemes. It exploits ideas from multicolor/multilevel iterative relaxation at the patch level and more generally overlapping Schwarz subdomain iteration concepts. The scheme can be ‘retrofitted’ to existing serial or parallel codes to enhance local indicators, reduce pollution effects, yield improved stopping criteria for refinement or even simply to assess the reliability of a computation on a given grid. Extrapolation techniques for further enhancing the patch iteration indicator and other extensions such as application to the adjoint solve step for dual formulations are also described. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Versatility of Supraclavicular Artery Island Flap in Head and Neck Reconstruction of Vessel-Depleted and Difficult Necks

Purpose The advent of microvascular free tissue transfer has given reconstructive surgeons a vast repertoire of treatment options for reconstruction of head and neck defects. However, the success of free flaps in head and neck reconstruction depends on the presence and quality of the recipient vessels in the neck for microvascular anastomosis. The supraclavicular artery island flap can be used to reconstruct a variety of head and neck defects, allowing the reconstructive surgeons to circumvent some of the problems inherent in vessel-depleted necks. The present study reports the use of the supraclavicular artery flap (SCAF) in the reconstruction of vessel-depleted neck and in difficult necks. Materials and Methods The present study was a retrospective study of patients who had undergone reconstruction with an SCAF and who also had a difficult neck or vessel-depleted neck in the head and neck surgery section from 2011 to 2012. Our inclusion criteria were patients treated at our institution with an SCAF who also had undergone multiple previous neck surgeries or patients with severely restricted donor options for soft tissue reconstruction. We excluded any patient for whom we did not have adequate follow-up or if the flap procedure was not performed by the faculty of the head and neck section. Results We identified 8 patients with a total of 9 SCAFs. One patient received bilateral SCAFs. Of the 8 patients, 6 were men and 2 were women. With the exception of 1 patient, all had received previous radiotherapy to the head and neck region. All the patients had undergone multiple surgical procedures. The flap survival was 100%. However, 2 patients had partial loss of the flap, and 2 had partial donor site wound dehiscence. Our overall complication rate was 38%, including dehiscence of the flap and partial loss of the flap. Conclusions The SCAF is a sound option for reconstructing defects in the head and neck region in patients with previous radiotherapy and in multiple neck surgeries. The surgeon and patient should be aware of the high incidence of complications associated with this reconstructive option.
Distribution of neurotensin-like immunoreactivity in rat and cat area postrema

The distribution of neurotensin-like immunoreactive (NT-LI) fibers and cell bodies in the area postrema (AP) of rat and cat, utilizing the peroxidase, antiperoxidase (PAP) technique, is described. In the rat, the greatest accumulation of NT-LI fibers were present along the borders of the AP, while there were very few NT-LI fibers in central regions. In the cat, scattered NT-LI fibers occupied the majority of the central AP, while moderate numbers of NT-LI fibers were present at the ventromedial border. In more rostral cat AP levels, the number of NT-LI fibers decreased. NT-LI somata were present in rat AP, but were lacking in cat AP. The localization of NT within the AP suggests that the cardiovascular and gastric effects attributed to NT may be mediated, in part, through the AP.
If Laboratory Research doesn't Square with you, then Qube it The Potential of Interactive TV for Social Psychological Research

Qube, a new form of interactive cable TV, was used to test hypotheses about social influence derived from social impact theory (Latane, 1973, 1981). Results showed that audience responses were affected as predicted by the number of persons advocating a position. However, predicted effects for the immediacy of the influence sources (close-ups versus distant shots) were not found. The potential and limitation of interactive television as a medium for fundamental research are discussed.
Texture development in two-pass ECAE-processed beryllium

Texture development and substructure evolution are described for pure beryllium given two-pass equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) processing following routes A and C. These routes impose different strain paths between the first and second passes—the former cross-shearing and the latter reversal. Polycrystal calculations that are in good agreement with the texture measurements suggest that basal slip and, secondly, prismatic slip are operative in both passes of both routes. Multi scale polycrystal modeling is shown to effectively predict texture evolution to strains of two caused by both ECAE processing routes. Shear-like deformation textures observed in the second pass of route C are explained by differences in deformation characteristics between the first and second passes.
Gravin-mediated Formation of Signaling Complexes in β2-Adrenergic Receptor Desensitization and Resensitization

Agonist-induced desensitization and resensitization of G-protein-linked receptors involve the interaction of receptors with protein kinases, phosphatases, β-arrestin, and clathrin organized by at least one scaffold protein. The dynamic composition of the signaling complexes and the role of the scaffold protein AKAP250 (gravin) in agonist-induced attenuation and recovery of β-adrenergic receptors were explored by co-immunoprecipitation of target elements, antisense suppression, and confocal microscopy. Gravin associated with unstimulated receptor, and the association was increased significantly after agonist stimulation for up to 60 min. Agonist stimulation also induced a robust association of the receptor-gravin complex with protein kinases A and C, G-protein-linked receptor kinase-2, β-arrestin, and clathrin. Confocal microscopy of the green fluorescence protein-tagged β2-adrenergic receptor showed that the receptor underwent sequestration after agonist stimulation. Suppression of gravin expression via antisense oligodeoxynucleotides disrupted agonist-induced association of the receptor with G-protein-linked receptor kinase-2, β-arrestin, and clathrin as well as receptor recovery from desensitization. Gravin deficiency also inhibited agonist-induced sequestration. These data reveal that gravin-mediated formation of signaling complexes with protein kinases/phosphatases, β-arrestin, and clathrin is essential in agonist-induced internalization and resensitization of G-protein-linked receptors.
Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS) And Raman Pumping Lineshapes In High Fields

We have used an injection-locked Nd:YAG laser/dye laser combination together with a frequency-narrowed argon-fluoride laser to simultaneously observe coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and stimulated. Raman pumping of oxygen. At high power densities, strong Raman pumping occurs leading to significant distortion of the CARS spectrum and a broadening of the Raman-pumped lineshapes. A simple saturation model has been used to fit these lineshapes with reasonable accuracy.
Function‐based flow modeling and animation

This paper summarizes a function-based approach to model and animate 2D and 3D flows. We use periodic functions to create cyclical animations that represent 2D and 3D flows. These periodic functions are constructed with an extremely simple algorithm from a set of oriented lines. The speed and orientation of the flow are described directly by the orientation and the lengths of these oriented lines. The resulting cyclical animations are then obtained by sampling the constructed periodic functions. Our approach is independent of dimension, i.e. for 2D and 3D flow the same types of periodic functions are used. Rendering images for 2D and 3D flows is slightly different. In 2D function values directly are mapped to color values. On the other hand, in 3D function values are first mapped to color and opacity and then the volume is rendered by our volume renderer. Modeled and animated flows are used to improve the visualization of operations of rolling piston and rotary vane compressors. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The RoboCup 2013 drop-in player challenges: Experiments in ad hoc teamwork

As the prevalence of autonomous agents grows, so does the number of interactions between these agents. Therefore, it is desirable for these agents to be capable of banding together with previously unknown teammates towards a common goal: to collaborate without pre-coordination. While past research on ad hoc teamwork has focused mainly on theoretical treatments and empirical studies in relatively simple domains, the long-term vision has been to enable robots and other autonomous agents to exhibit the sort of flexibility and adaptability on complex tasks that people do, for example when they play games of “pick-up” basketball or soccer. This paper introduces a series of pick-up robot soccer experiments that were carried out in three different leagues at the international RoboCup competition in 2013. In all cases, agents from different labs were put on teams with no pre-coordination. This paper introduces the structure of these experiments, describes the strategies used by UT Austin Villa in each challenge, and analyzes the results. The paper’s main contribution is the introduction of a new large-scale ad hoc teamwork testbed that can serve as a starting point for future experimental ad hoc teamwork research.
Medication changes based on echocardiography in dialysis patients

Kidney/Disease Outcome Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) guidelines recommend baseline echocardiography at the initiation of dialysis and every 3 years thereafter in patients for early detection of cardiac disease to optimize medical therapy. Because dialysis patients are at increased cardiovascular risk and thus most are already on cardioprotective medications, we hypothesize that serial screening echocardiography will not alter cardioprotective medications in dialysis patients. Retrospective analysis of medication administration of 231 dialysis patients was conducted. Patients were divided into 2 groups, those with and those without echocardiograms. Medication changes post echocardiography were compared with subjects without echocardiograms at comparable time points. The primary end point was the number of medication class changes that occurred in 2 months post echocardiography. Medication classes examined were beta blockers (BB), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEI/ARB), nitrates, calcium channel blockers (CCB), and statins. In the Echo group, there were 29 (19%) subjects with at least 1 medication class change post echocardiography, compared with 121 (81%) subjects without change. The number of patients on specific medication classes before and after echocardiography were BB (90 [60%] vs. 97 [65%], P=0.05), ACEI/ARB (74 [49%] vs. 82 [55%], P=0.01), nitrates (34 [23%] vs. 33 [22%], P=0.56), CCB (77 [51%] vs. 79 [53%], P=0.56), and statins (69 [46%] vs. 70 [47%], P=0.71). When compared with the No Echo group, there was no significant change in number of any medication classes. The occurrence of medication changes post echocardiography in dialysis patients is low and is not different than changes in routine care of dialysis patients without echocardiograms. Thus, serial screening echocardiography may not have added benefit to optimizing medical management of cardiovascular disease in dialysis patients. Further studies are warranted to demonstrate evidence for the use of serial screening echocardiography in this high-risk population.
Shadowing by computable chaotic orbits

Abstract We report new results on the shadowing of computable nonperiodic pseudo-orbits by computable chaotic orbits. While ordinary machine truncation/roundoff decisions can produce only periodic pseudo-orbits, we show how nonperiodic pseudo-orbits of chaotic maps can be generated by using for the truncation decision an algorithm for a computable irrational number. The resulting nonperiodic pseudo-orbits are shadowed by unique chaotic orbits of the dynamical system. We illustrate this by constructing examples of nonperiodic pseudo-orbits along with their unique chaotic shadowing orbits for a hyperbolic system. We conclude that the β-shadowing lemma without additional hypotheses provides no information for inferring chaotic attractor statistics from pseudo-orbit statistics in computation.
Translation of the RNAs of brome mosaic virus: The monocistronic nature of RNA1 and RNA2☆

Abstract Each of the two largest brome mosaic virus RNAs, RNA1 and RNA2, directs the synthesis of a large protein in cell-free extracts derived from wheat embryo. The size of each protein represents the translation of almost the entire length of the corresponding RNA. It was shown previously that brome mosaic virus RNA4 directs the synthesis of the coat protein and that brome mosaic virus RNA3, although it also contains the coat protein cistron, is translated mostly into a single product unrelated to the coat protein (Shih & Kaesberg, 1973). Thus, the brome mosaic virus genome encodes a total of four proteins.
Rindless, Swiss-Type Cheese. II. Prevention of Surface Mold Growth during Curing and Storage

Summary Methods of preventing mold growth on the surface of rindless Swiss-type cheese, cured in an unsealed film wrap, were investigated. Painting the cheese with a 15 to 20% aqueous solution of potassium sorbate, 1 oz/20-lb. block, resulted in very slight mold growth and small cleaning losses during curing periods up to 9.5 mo. Holding for longer periods allowed slightly more extensive mold growth and cleaning losses. The use of 10% solutions of this compound was less effective. A 1 or 2% solution of sorbic acid in propylene glycol failed to inhibit mold growth sufficiently to be acceptable. The use of oils or greases was unsatisfactory. Mold growth occurred on all blocks treated with Confecto grease, a candy-slab releasing agent. Mineral oil was inconsistent in its ability to protect the cheese surface against mold growth; at times its use resulted in extensive cleaning losses. The use of Saran film dusted with 2.0 mg. of sorbic acid per 100 sq. in. consistently failed to inhibit mold growth. Cryovac film was preferred slightly over Saran for wrapping the cheese because the former, after shrinking, maintained a closer contact with the cheese surface.
Rhamnolipids Modulate Swarming Motility Patterns of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is capable of twitching, swimming, and swarming motility. The latter form of translocation occurs on semisolid surfaces, requires functional flagella and biosurfactant production, and results in complex motility patterns. From the point of inoculation, bacteria migrate as defined groups, referred to as tendrils, moving in a coordinated manner capable of sensing and responding to other groups of cells. We were able to show that P. aeruginosa produces extracellular factors capable of modulating tendril movement, and genetic analysis revealed that modulation of these movements was dependent on rhamnolipid biosynthesis. An rhlB mutant (deficient in mono- and dirhamnolipid production) and an rhlC mutant (deficient in dirhamnolipid production) exhibited altered swarming patterns characterized by irregularly shaped tendrils. In addition, agar supplemented with rhamnolipid-containing spent supernatant inhibited wild-type (WT) swarming, whereas agar supplemented with spent supernatant from mutants that do not make rhamnolipids had no effect on WT P. aeruginosa swarming. Addition of purified rhamnolipids to swarming medium also inhibited swarming motility of the WT strain. We also show that a sadB mutant does not sense and/or respond to other groups of swarming cells and this mutant was capable of swarming on media supplemented with rhamnolipid-containing spent supernatant or purified rhamnolipids. The abilities to produce and respond to rhamnolipids in the context of group behavior are discussed.
ATP sensitive K+ conductance in pancreatic zymogen granules: Block by glyburide and activation by diazoxide

The properties of transporters (or channels) for monovalent cations in the membrane of isolated pancreatic zymogen granules were characterized with an assay measuring bulk cation influx driven by a proton diffusion potential. The proton diffusion potential was generated by suspending granules in an isotonic monovalent cation/acetate solution and increasing the proton conductance of the membrane with a protonophore. Monovalent cation conductance had the sequence Rb+ > K+ > Na+ > Cs+ > Li+ > N-methyl glucamine+. The conductance could be inhibited by Ca2+, Mg2+, Ba2+, and pharmacological agents such as quinine, quinidine, glyburide and tolbutamide, but not by 5 mm tetra-ethyl ammonium or 5mm 4-aminopyridine, when applied to the cytosolic surface of the granule membrane. Over 50% of K+ conductance could be inhibited by millimolar concentrations of ATP or MgATP. The inhibition by MgATP, but not by ATP itself, was reversed by the K+ channel opener diazoxide. The inhibitory effect is probably by a noncovalent interaction since it could be mimicked by nonhydrolyzable analogs of ATP and by ADP. The reversal of MgATP inhibition by diazoxide may be mediated by phosphorylation since it was not affected by dilution, and was blocked by the protein kinase inhibitor H7. The properties of the K+ conductance of pancreatic zymogen granule membranes are similar to those of ATP-sensitive K+ channels found in the plasma membrane of insulin-secreting islet cells, neurons, muscle, and renal cells.
Sleep Disturbance Among Older Adults in Long-Term Care: A Significant Problem in an Important Clinical Setting

Sleep disturbance is common among communitydwelling older adults, particularly those with comorbid medical and psychiatric illness. 1 Conversely, healthy older men and women often may have good nighttime sleep quality and little daytime sleepiness, both of which may be markers of, or may actually promote, successful aging. 2 Sleep disturbance is particularly common and important in the growing population of older adults in long-term care settings. Due to a high prevalence of psychiatric illness among these individuals, 3 mental health professionals have an important role in the care of older adults in long-term care and need to be aware of unique aspects of sleep disturbance in these settings. Long-term care involves a variety of services designed to meet a person’s health or personal care needs when they can no longer perform activities of daily living independently. 4 Such services may be provided in the home, in the community, or in facilities. Most home-based services involve provision of personal care or supervision by formal or informal, paid or unpaid caregivers. Community-based long-term care includes services such as adult day healthcare programs, senior centers, transportation assistance, meals programs, and respite care. Facility-based longterm care includes services such as adult foster care, board and care homes or assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and similar facilities. It has been estimated that 9 million older adults currently need longterm care services; this number is expected to rise to 12 million by 2020. Those who reach age 65 years have a 40% chance of entering a nursing home, and 10% of those who enter a nursing home will stay there for 5 years or more. 5 International consensus documents and existing guidelines can help focus efforts of mental health professionals who care for older adults in long-term care settings, particularly nursing homes and similar facilities. These guidelines suggest that there should be a continuum of services available based on the needs of the patient, there should be explicit focus on quality of care, and quality of life should be a primary objective in many of these individuals. 6 Important
THE PROCEDURE OF TRANSRECTAL ULTRASOUND GUIDED BIOPSY OF THE PROSTATE: A SURVEY OF PATIENT PREPARATION AND BIOPSY TECHNIQUE

Purpose: We surveyed urologists in community and academic practice regarding their standard approach to patient preparation and their technique of transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy.Materials and Methods: We mailed 110 surveys to community urologists in Florida and urological oncologists at academic centers across the United States. Responses were calculated per group.Results: Of the 88 respondents 34% were at academic centers and 66% were community urologists. Overall 79% of respondents prescribe an enema in preparation for biopsy, 81% administer an oral fluoroquinolone before biopsy, 50% give some type of analgesia, usually an oral agent, 63% obtain 8 or more cores per biopsy session, 36% biopsy the lateral and midline locations, and 83% do not use prostate specific antigen density to plan the biopsy strategy.Conclusions: The majority of urologists who responded to our survey ask their patients to use an enema in preparation for a transrectal biopsy procedure, prescribe an oral antibiotic and...
In vitro effects of live and killed Brucella abortus on bovine cytokine and prostaglandin E2 production.

Abstract Live and γ-irradiated-killed Brucella abortus strain 2308 increased interleukin 1 (IL-1), but not interleukin 2 (IL-2), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), or prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) production when incubated with normal bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Live B. abortus was more effective than killed B. abortus in stimulating IL-1 production by normal PBMC. Both live and killed B. abortus were equally effective in suppressing IL-2 and IFN-γ production by Concanavalin A-stimulated PBMC. Incubation of PBMC with the cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, blocked PGE 2 synthesis, but did not further enhance IL-1 production or prevent suppressed IL-2 and IFN-γ production that was induced by live and killed B. abortus . These results suggest that B. abortus -induced suppression of IL-2 and IFN-γ production did not appear to be mediated by the suppressive prostaglandin, PGE 2 , or other cyclo-oxygenase metabolites.
The Case For The Inexperienced User: Rethinking Filter Questions in Citizen Satisfaction Surveys

Most citizen satisfaction surveys use filter questions to limit satisfaction responses to only those citizens with direct, personal experience with the service. The resulting small response set is ...
The Value of Surgery for Retroperitoneal Sarcoma

Introduction. Retroperitoneal sarcomas are uncommon large malignant tumors. Methods. Forty-one consecutive patients with localized retroperitoneal sarcoma were retrospectively studied. Results. Median age was 58 years (range 20–91 years). Median tumor size was 17.5 cm (range 4–41 cm). Only 2 tumors were 𝑃 = . 0 0 6 ). Complete surgical resection improved overall survival for high-grade tumors ( 𝑃 = . 0 3 ). Conclusions. Tumor grade/stage and complete surgical resection for high-grade tumors are important prognostic variables. Radiation therapy or chemotherapy had no significant impact on overall or recurrence-free survival. Complete surgical resection is the treatment of choice for patients with initial and locally recurrent retroperitoneal sarcoma.
Isolating the systematic and unsystematic components of a single stock’s (or portfolio’s) standard deviation

This article revisits the roots of modern portfolio theory. Instead of isolating the systematic component of risk by recasting the risk in terms of a stock’s beta coefficient, I decompose the SD directly into its systematic and unsystematic components. From this decomposed SD, an ‘adjusted capital market line (CML)’ can be derived. It is easily shown that the adjusted CML is equivalent to Sharpe’s security market line (SML). I evaluate the effectiveness of these alternative measures of systematic and unsystematic risk using empirical data and find that beta often deviates from my systematic risk measure and, in general, tends to overestimate a portfolio’s risk. This alternative way of looking at systematic and unsystematic risk offers easily accessible insights into the very nature of risk. Implications include reducing the computational complexities in calculating the relevant portion of a portfolio’s volatility, facilitating sophisticated dispersion trades, estimating risk-adjusted returns and improving...
Correlation between Polyribosome Level and the Ability to Induce Nitrate Reductase in Dark-grown Corn Seedlings

Nitrate reductase can be induced in excised shoots of 3-day-old dark-grown Zea mays (var. WF9 × M14) seedlings in the absence of light. In contrast, leaves of 10-day-old dark-grown seedlings require a light treatment in order to induce enzymatic activity. Leaves of 10-day-old dark-grown seedlings contain a very low level of polyribosomes while 3-day-old shoots contain a very high level of polyribosomes. There is a gradual loss of polyribosomes from 3 to 10 days and a gradual loss of in vitro protein synthetic activity of the ribosome preparations. The loss of polyribosomes and decrease in their amino acid-incorporating activity correlate positively with the loss of ability to induce nitrate reducase activity as leaves of dark-grown corn seedlings age. These results corroborate and extend our previous results, in that light is not required for nitrate reductase induction per se in leaves of dark-grown seedlings but is required to reactivate the protein synthetic apparatus of older leaves.
G-6A polymorphism of the angiotensinogen gene and its association with left ventricular mass in asymptomatic young adults from a biethnic community: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

Background Angiotensinogen (AGT), the precursor of angiotensin II and a rate limiting factor in the renin-angiotensin system, is implicated in left ventricular hypertrophy, as angiotensin II is a potent stimulator of cardiac growth. A genetic variant (G-6A) in the proximal promoter region of the AGT gene may be particularly important for changes in left ventricular mass (LVM). However, previous findings associating this variant with LVM among relatively older adults with cardiovascular morbidity are inconsistent and contradictory. Methods This study examined the effect of G-6A polymorphism on LVM in a biethnic (African American and white), community-based sample of 362 asymptomatic younger adults (mean age 32.5 years, 71% white, 39% male). Two-dimensional M-mode echocardiography was used to assess LVM, and the indexation of LVM for height2.7 (LVMI) was used to adjust for body size. Results The frequency of the variant A(-6) allele was higher in subjects of African American than in white ethnicity (0.819 v 0.439, P Conclusions These results indicate that the A(-6) allele frequency differs markedly between African Americans and white individuals, and that the variant allele modulates LVM and LVMI in a beneficial manner in asymptomatic young adults of white and African American ethnicities.
Defining Effective College Teaching.

A modified form of the Delphi Technique was used within the School of Education at the University of Northern Colorado to formulate a definition of effective college teaching. The resulting definition contained five major categories. These results were used to develop twenty-five profiles of fictitious faculty members. Participants were asked to separate these twenty-five profiles into five sets according to those most deserving of a promotion. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze these judgments to determine the priority placed on each of the major categories of the definition of effective teaching.
Transmission through dielectric-filled slots in a conducting cylindrical shell of arbitrary cross section: TE case

A simple moment solution is summarized for the problem of electromagnetic transmission through dielectric-filled slots in a conducting cylindrical shell of arbitrary cross section. The system is excited by a plane-wave polarized transverse electric (TE) to the axis of the shell. The equivalence principle is used to replace the shell and the dielectric by equivalent electric and magnetic surface currents radiating into an unbounded medium. Two different sets of coupled integral equations involving the surface currents are obtained by enforcing the boundary conditions on the tangential components of the total electric and magnetic fields. The method of moments is used to solve the integral equations. Pulses are used for both expansion and testing functions. Special attention is paid to circular and rectangular shells. Results for shell surface current, the internal field, and the aperture field are presented. For the case of air dielectric filling, the results computed using the electric field and/or the magnetic field formulation are in very good agreement with published data. In general, it is observed that the effect of filling a slot with a dielectric is not predictable from a simple theory. >
Distinguishing Between Casual Talk and Academic Talk Beginning in the Preschool Years: An Important Consideration for Speech-Language Pathologists

Purpose The need for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to consider an academic talk (AT) register in addition to an everyday casual talk (CT) register of oral language with children beginning in ...
From autonomy to cooperative traded control of humanoid manipulation tasks with unreliable communication: System design and lessons learned

In this paper, we report lessons learned through the design of a framework for teleoperating a humanoid robot to perform a manipulation task. We present a software framework for cooperative traded control that enables a team of operators to control a remote humanoid robot over an unreliable communications link. The framework produces statically-stable motion trajectories that are collision-free and respect end-effector pose constraints. After operator confirmation, these trajectories are sent over the data link for execution on the robot. Additionally, we have defined a clear operational procedure for the operators to manage the teleoperation task. We applied our system to the valve turning task in the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC). Our framework is able to perform reliably and is resilient to unreliable network conditions, as we demonstrate in a set of test runs performed remotely over the internet. We analyze our approach and discuss lessons learned which may be useful for others when designing such a system.
True quadrature taps for s.a.w. delay lines

A novel technique is described in which a combination of geometrically symmetric and antisymmetric interdigital transducers may be employed to produce a constant 90° phase difference between two taps on a surface-acoustic-wave delay line. This relative phase difference is maintained at 90° over the whole transducer bandwidth.
Response to letter to the editor by Cohen et al. (2014) “Re: Waalkes et al.: Lung tumors in mice induced by “whole-life” inorganic arsenic exposure at human-relevant doses, Arch Toxicol, 2014”

We appreciate the interest of Cohen et al. (2014) in our recent research on inorganic arsenic carcinogenesis in mice after whole-life exposure (Waalkes et al., 2014). However, we strongly disagree with their conclusion that this study does not show an arsenic-related lung tumor response because of comparison to historical controls in CD1 mice (Cohen et al., 2014). Cohen et al. (2014) assert this lack of an association despite the facts that our study includes fully satisfactory concurrent male and female control groups that show lung tumor rates equivalent to historical controls and that specific treatment groups show robust differences in lung tumor incidences when compared in a statistically appropriate fashion to these concurrent controls.
Promoter DNA methylation regulates murine SUR1 (Abcc8) and SUR2 (Abcc9) expression in HL-1 cardiomyocytes.

Two mammalian genes encode the SURx (SUR1, Abcc8 and SUR2, Abcc9) subunits that combine with Kir6.2 (Kcnj11) subunits to form the ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel in cardiac myocytes. Different isoform combinations endow the channel with distinct physiological and pharmacological properties, and we have recently reported that the molecular composition of sarcolemmal KATP channels is chamber specific in the mouse heart. KATP channel composition is determined by what subunits are expressed in a cell or tissue. In the present study, we explore the role of CpG methylation in regulating SUR1 and SUR2 expression. In HL-1 cardiomyocytes, as in atrial myocytes, SUR1 expression is markedly greater than SUR2. Consistent with CpG methylation-dependent silencing of SUR2 expression, bisulfite sequencing of genomic DNA isolated from HL-1 cells demonstrates that 57.6% of the CpGs in the promoter region of the SUR2 gene are methylated, compared with 0.14% of the the CpG residues in the SUR1 sequence. Moreover, treatment with 10 µM 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (Aza-dC) significantly increased both the unmethylated fraction of the SUR2 CpG island and mRNA expression. However, we cannot rule out additional mechanisms of Aza-dC action, as Aza-dC also causes a decrease in SUR1 expression and lower doses of Aza-dC do not alter the unmethylated DNA fraction but do elicit a small increase in SUR2 expression. The conclusion that DNA methylation alone is not the only regulator of SUR subunit expression is also consistent with observations in native myocytes, where the CpG islands of both SUR genes are essentially unmethylated in both atrial and ventricular myocytes. Collectively, these data demonstrate the potential for CpG methylation to regulate SURx subunit expression and raises the possibility that regulated or aberrant CpG methylation might play a role in controlling channel structure and function under different physiological conditions or different species.
Downregulation of connexin40 is associated with coronary endothelial cell dysfunction in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice

Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) play a major role in regulating vascular tone and in revascularization. There is increasing evidence showing endothelial dysfunction in diabetes, although little is...
A pharmacological comparison of parathyroid hormone receptors in human bone and kidney.

While abundant information is available characterizing PTH receptor properties in other species, data on human PTH receptors is very limited. We have been interested in the possibility that tissue-specific differences among human PTH receptors (i.e. bone vs. kidney) might exist. We have, therefore, compared pharmacological profiles for a wide array of PTH and PTH-related peptide (PTHrP) analogs in human osteoblast-like cells (SaOS-2) and human renal cortical membranes (RCM) using radioiodinated (Tyr36)hPTHrP(1-36)NH2 as a probe for PTH receptor function. The rank order of receptor affinity for 10 PTH/PTHrP receptor agonists tested was very similar in the bone and kidney assay systems. Binding affinity for these peptides was greater in human (h)RCMs and SaOS-2 membranes than in SaOS-2 intact cells. The relative binding affinities for (Tyr36)hPTHrP(1-36)amide, hPTH(1-34), bovine (b)PTH(1-34), and rat PTH(1-34) were similar in human RCMs, SaOS-2 membranes, and SaOS-2 cells. bPTH(1-84) and hPTHrP(1-74) both m...
Permeabilization of Plant Tissues by Monopolar Pulsed Electric Fields: Effect of Frequency

Pulsed electric fields (PEF) nonthermally induce cell membrane permeabilization and thereby improve dehy- dration and extraction efficiencies in food plant materials. Effects of electrical field strength and number of pulses on plant tissue integrity have been studied extensively. Two previous studies on the effect of pulse frequency, however, did not provide a clear view: one study suggested no effect of frequency, while the other found a greater impact on tissue integrity at lower frequency. This study establishes the effect of pulse frequency on integrity of onion tissues. Changes in electrical characteristics, ion leakage, texture parameters, and percent weight loss were quantified for a wide range of pulse frequencies under conditions of fixed field strength and pulse number. Optical microscopy and viable-cell staining provided direct visualization of effects on individual cells. The key finding is that lower frequencies (f < 1 Hz) cause more damage to tissue integrity than higher frequencies (f = 1 to 5000 Hz). Intriguingly, the optical microscopy observations demonstrate that the speed of intracellular convective motion (that is, cytoplasmic streaming) following PEF application is strongly correlated with PEF frequency. We provide the first in situ visualization of the intracellular consequence of PEF at different frequencies in a plant tissue. We hypothesize that cytoplasmic streaming plays a significant role in moving conductive ionic species from permeabilized cells to the intercellular space between plant cells, making subsequent pulses more efficacious at sufficiently low frequencies. The results suggest that decreasing the pulse frequency in PEF may minimize the number of pulses needed to achieve a desired amount of permeabilization, thus lowering the total energy consumption.
Preliminary report on a determination of comparative infiltration‐rates on some major soil‐types

Infiltration-rates for different soil-types undoubtedly vary by wide margins. It is also evident that any given soil-type may have a rather wide range of infiltration-rate under different conditions. Many factors influence the rate In rather large degrees [see 1 of references at end of paper] including: (a) Soil-structure (total amount and average size of pore-space occurring naturally or, as modified for example by tillage or the incorporation of coarse organic matter). (b) Soil-moisture (as in the case of the presence of considerable amounts of colloids which swell in the presence of water, or in the filling of pore-space by water). (c) Turbidity of the water which is applied to the profile. Other factors which affect the infiltration-rate but whose effects usually are of lesser magnitude are: (a) The degree and kind of cation saturation. (b) Temperature in its effects upon the viscosity of water. (There is also the case, of course, where frozen-ground conditions either completely inhibit infiltration or, if dry at time of freezing, greatly Increase the rate. High-intensity rains occur upon frozen-ground conditions only at rare intervals, and the frequency of occurrence of this effect is not great, although upon occasion it is of large magnitude.)