cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quality of life outcomes following velopharyngeal insufficiency surgery

Abstract Objectives Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) may be due to functional or anatomic causes, and can lead to speech deficits, communication difficulty, and emotional strain on patients and their caregivers. The VPI Effects on Life Outcomes (VELO) instrument quantifies quality of life outcomes in VPI patients both before and after VPI surgery. This study aims to identify pre-operative patient characteristics associated with better post-operative quality of life. Methods This study is a retrospective chart review of 51 patients who underwent VPI surgery between 2009 and 2018 at a tertiary free-standing children's hospital. A 26-item parent-proxy VELO questionnaire was administered by telephone to parents to assess their child's quality of life post-VPI surgery. Results Twenty-seven parents responded to the VELO questionnaire. Average post-operative VELO score was significantly higher in non-syndromic patients as compared with syndromic patients. Average post-operative VELO score was not significantly different between patients with and without submucous cleft (SMC) or those with mild to moderate versus severe pre-operative hypernasality. On multivariate analysis, absence of genetic syndrome, lack of submucous cleft, and presence of severe-pre-operative hypernasality were significantly and positively associated with increased post-operative VELO scores. Conclusion Children who undergo VPI surgery are more likely to have better post-operative quality of life outcomes if their VPI was not associated with a genetic syndrome or submucous cleft. Non-syndromic and non-SMC patients with severe pre-operative hypernasality may benefit significantly from VPI surgery and have improved post-operative quality of life.
Human–Environment Interactions: Case Studies

A comparative case study is a research approach to formulate or assess generalizations that extend across multiple cases. The nature of comparative case studies may be explored from the intersection of comparative and case study approaches. Case studies and qualitative comparative analyses share a common explanatory limitation with quantitative models – they suggest reasonable explanations without being able to prove analytic assertions with scientific certainty. Strategies in comparative case studies include research on the basis of community, place, perspective, structure, system, scale, transects, gradients, time, events, analogs, or theory as organizing principles. However, the major organizing principle of a comparative case study often includes others that are subsidiary but inherent in the characteristics of the cases selected. There are no formal rules for evaluating comparative case studies, but reasonable criteria against which studies can be assessed do exist. The intriguing variety of strategies for organizing comparison means that this approach to understanding will continue to be a vital part of human–environment scholarship.
Contribution of religion/spirituality and major depressive disorder to altruism

Abstract Background In most studies, religiosity and spirituality (R/S) are positively associated with altruism, whereas depression is negatively associated. However, the cross-sectional designs of these studies limit their epidemiological value. We examine the association of R/S and major depressive disorder (MDD) with altruism in a five year longitudinal study nested in a larger prospective study. Methods Depressed and non-depressed individuals and their first- and second-generation offspring were assessed over several decades. At Year30 after baseline, R/S was measured using participants’ self-report; MDD, by clinical interview. At Year35, participants completed a measure of altruism. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were calculated using multivariate logistic regression; statistical significance, set at p Results In the overall sample, both R/S and MDD were significantly associated with altruism, AOR 2.52 (95% CI 1.15–5.49) and AOR 2.43 (95% CI 1.05–5.64), respectively; in the High Risk group alone, the corresponding AORs were 4.69 (95% CI 1.39–15.84) and 4.74 (95% CI 1.92–11.72). Among highly R/S people in the High Risk group, the AOR for MDD with altruism was 22.55 (95% CI 1.23–414.60) p Limitations Altruism is based on self-report, not observation, hence, vulnerable to bias. Conclusions MDD's positive association with elevated altruism concurs with studies of posttraumatic growth in finding developmental growth from adversity. The conditions that foster MDD's positive association with altruism and the contribution of R/S to this process requires further study.
Production of 230Pa by proton irradiation of 232Th at the LANL isotope production facility: Precursor of 230U for targeted alpha therapy.

Abstract Uranium-230 (t1/2 = 20.8 d) is an alpha-emitting radionuclide that has potential application in targeted alpha therapy (TAT) of cancer. Its parent isotope 230Pa (t1/2 = 17.4 d), can be produced by proton irradiation of thorium metal targets. Preliminary 230Pa production runs were performed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Isotope Production Facility (LANL-IPF) using thin thorium metal targets and a proton beam energy of 15–30 MeV, followed by radiochemical separation of 230Pa from the irradiated target matrix. The measured 230Pa production yields were found to exceed the predicted values in most of the experiments that were performed. This data will inform further production efforts for providing 230Pa/230U for clinical trials.
Genetic variation in the prebiotic carbohydrate and mineral composition of kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) adapted to an organic cropping system

Abstract Kale is a nutrient-rich leafy green that is mostly grown in conventional agricultural systems. The demand for organic kale has increased in the U.S.; however, cultivars bred for conventional production are not suited to organic production in terms of yield and nutritional quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic variation in biomass, prebiotic carbohydrates, and minerals of 18 commercial cultivars and 35 PI accessions of kale adapted to the organic system. Significant genetic variation in both prebiotic carbohydrates and minerals was noted in both kale cultivars and PI accessions. In the kale cultivars, leaf biomass ranged from 41.4–271.2 g/plant, with kale cultivar “Frizzy Joe” being the highest and “Fizz” the lowest. A single 100-g serving from these kale cultivars provides mineral micronutrients (20–314 mg K; 95−539 mg Ca; 20−67 mg Mg; 13−87 mg P; 0.4−3.1 mg Fe; 0.3−0.9 mg Zn; 0.4−1.9 mg Mn; 20−1030 μg Cu; and 0–940 μg Se) and prebiotic carbohydrates, including sugar alcohols (1.7–26.9 mg), simple sugars (0.03–334 mg), and raffinose and fructooligosaccharides (0–11.2 mg). Compared to the commercial cultivars, the kale accessions had higher concentrations of minerals, except for magnesium (Mg) and manganese (Mn), and prebiotic carbohydrates, except for sucrose and verbascose + kestose. In the commercial cultivars, heritability estimates for prebiotic carbohydrates and minerals were relatively low except for sugar alcohols, Mg, and zinc (Zn). In the kale accessions, heritability estimates of glucose, fructose, potassium (K), and selenium (Se) were high. Overall, significant genetic variation exists among kale commercial cultivars and germplasm for prebiotic carbohydrates and minerals, indicating the nutritional quality of kale in organic production can be further improved by germplasm selection.
Challenges in management of nephrolithiasis in a patient with class III obesity (BMI 97).

Abstract Patients with severe obesity have an increased risk of renal and ureteral calculi formation, and therefore, increased risk of associated complications. Despite the expanding number of people with obesity, there remains a dearth of scientific literature and training in navigating the associated limitations of our healthcare system. We present a case of a patient with severe, class III obesity (BMI 97) who was transferred to our tertiary care center for treatment of obstructive kidney stone disease. We highlight challenges in caring for our patient and discuss our approach and lessons learned for care of this vulnerable bariatric population.
Priority Queues and Consumer Surplus

Problem definition: We examine whether priority queues benefit consumers relative to first-in first-out service. Academic/practical relevance: Priorities are a commonly recommend way to reduce waiting costs, but it is not clear whether they help customers. Methodology: We build an analytical model that assumes that consumers are privately informed of their waiting cost and cannot observe the queue. Results: Whether priorities increase consumer surplus relative to first-in, first-out service depends on the model of customer utility and on the distribution of waiting costs. If all customers have the same value of the service independent of waiting costs, priorities essentially always lower consumer surplus. If a customer’s value of the service is an increasing function of her waiting cost, priorities lower [increase] surplus if the waiting cost distribution has a decreasing [increasing] mean residual life. Priorities potentially make all customers worse off; low priority customers may pay a higher out-of-pocket price than they would under first-in, first-out service. Managerial implications: Decision makers – whether managers or policy makers – should be cognizant of how priorities impact consumers. While priorities have benefits, they often serve to shift value to from consumers to firms.
Indocyanine Green and Near Infrared Fluoroscopy in Emergency Pediatric Large Bowel Surgery: First Report

Abstract Introduction: Indocyanine green (ICG) has been in clinical use since 1956 for testing liver and heart function. It has also been used since the 1970s in ophthalmology. Over the past few ye...
Those Three Godfathers, After All

Nobody ever raised the question about who was the initiator of semiotics of law. The chapter answers that question and researches contextual critical approaches. The first forty or so publications on legal semiotics appeared under the name: ‘significs’ in the social and scientific context of the Amsterdam Signific Circle between 1915–1925, in Dutch written by the jurist Jacob Israel de Haan. Semiotic features functioning in theory and practices of law are from there on outlined in relation with two distinguishable semiotic traditions, a West-European and a North American. These traditions are based on different views on human relations, in which interpretations of the human face play a dominant and trans-cultural role—even with regard to justice. Semiotic approaches focus, via the CLS themes, on the one hand on law and politics, on the other on a lawyer’s words and their meanings.
Electrostatic Removal of Particles and its Applications to Self-Cleaning Solar Panels and Solar Concentrators

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the electrostatic removal of particles and its applications to self-cleaning solar panels and solar concentrators. Potential applications of self-cleaning solar panels in PV systems, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, are included, and the economic advantage in payback for the added cost is examined in this chapter. Dust deposition on solar panels obscures solar flux, significantly reducing the efficiency of the systems. An integrated electrodynamic screen (EDS) on each solar panel can provide automatic and continuous removal of dust from solar panels without requiring water or any moving parts. The basic principles of EDS operation for removing dust particles from solar panels. In most of tests three-phase operation produced better dust removal efficiency compared to the single-phase operation. It appears that the traveling wave plays an important role in dust removal. The mathematical analysis provides an outline for the operation of the EDS for charged and uncharged particles driven by traveling or standing wave voltages. The analysis presented here has made simplifying assumptions that environmental conditions are ideal for the EDS operation and that the self-field from the charged particles, including image forces, are negligible compared to the imposed fields from the traveling and standing wave voltages.
Aerobic Heterotrophic Bacterial Populations of Sewage and Activated Sludge IV. Adaptation of Activated Sludge to Utilization of Aromatic Compounds

An activated sludge from a sewage treatment plant and a laboratory activated sludge developed on an artificial waste were compared for their ability to utilize 11 aromatic compounds. There were several significant differences between them. The laboratory sludge contained higher numbers of organisms and metabolized the aromatics to a greater extent. Laboratory activated sludges acclimated to utilization of the aromatics differed from each other in population structure and the pattern of oxygen consumption with aromatic substrates. The oxidative patterns of uncontrolled mixed populations were unreliable for investigating metabolic pathways. Extracts of the various sludges elevated the plate counts of the sludges.
Lesbians over 65: a triply invisible minority.

Questionnaire responses from 50 lesbians, 65 to 85 years of age, were used to describe their presents status, their educational background, their economic and occupational condition, their personal and psycho/social concerns, as well as their perception of their own physical and mental health. The data suggests that the 65+ lesbians is a survivor, a balanced personality, coping with aging in a satisfactory manner.
Calculation of Cross Sections in Electron-Nuclear Dynamics

Abstract In this work, we present an overview of the study of total and differential cross section calculations within the electron-nuclear dynamics (END). END is a method to solve the time-dependent Schrodinger equation in a non-adiabatic approach to direct dynamics. The method takes advantage of a coherent state representation of the molecular wave function. A quantum-mechanical Lagrangian formulation is employed to approximate the Schrodinger equation, via the time-dependent variational principle, to a set of coupled first-order differential equations in time for the END. We obtain the final wave function for the system allowing the determination of collisional properties of interest, as for example, deflection functions, charge exchange probabilities and amplitudes, and differential cross sections. We discuss the use and selection of basis sets for both the electronic description of the colliding systems as well as for their importance in the description of electron capture. As quantum effects are important in many cases and lacking for classical nuclei, we discuss the Schiff methodology and its advantages over other traditional methods for including semiclassical corrections. Time-lapse rendering of the dynamics of the participating electrons and atomic nuclei provides for a detailed view of dynamical and reactive processes. Comparison to experimental and other theoretical results is provided where appropriate data are available.
Blood flow occlusion pressure at rest and immediately after a bout of low load exercise.

Summary The purpose of this study was to determine whether arm circumference is predictive of arterial occlusion in the standing position and to determine the change in pressure before and immediately after exercise. Thirty-one participants had their arm circumference, blood pressure and standing arterial occlusion determined before exercise. Participants then completed elbow flexions at 40% of resting arterial occlusion at 30% of their one repetition maximum (1RM). The goal repetitions for the exercise included one set of 30 repetitions followed by 3 sets of 15, with 30s rest between sets. Immediately following the last set, postexercise arterial occlusion was determined. Two different models of hierarchical linear regression were used to determine the greatest predictor of standing arterial occlusion. Our final model explained 69% of the variance in arterial occlusion with arm circumference (β = 0·639, part = 0·568) explaining more than brachial systolic blood pressure (β = 0·312, part = 0·277). Standing arterial occlusion increased from pre- [138 (15) mmHg] to post- [169 (20) mmHg] exercise (P<0·001). In conclusion, the cardiovascular response to blood flow restriction (BFR) in the upper arm following 4 sets of elbow flexion exercise decreases the relative arterial occlusion pressure. In addition, we confirm previous data that circumference explains the most unique variance in arterial occlusion pressure in the upper body. These findings are important as they provide additional insight into making the pressure more uniform between participants throughout exercise.
Measurements of weight and activity in male mice following inhalation of cannabis smoke in a controlled smoke exposure chamber.

A smoke exposure device delivering marijuana smoke to mice is described. Standardized smoking conditions were achieved with this unit yielding a concentration of 0.123 mg/liter of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in air. A significant (p < 0.05) decrease in locomotor activity in treated animals was seen following the fourth treatment in a 21-day study where animals were exposed three times weekly for 3 weeks. A significant decrease in body weight for marijuana-exposed animals was also noted. In another study, animals were exposed daily for 7 days. Locomotor activity was significantly decreased in marijuana-exposed animals on Days 6 and 7. There was no significant change in body weight. Following removal from the exposure chamber, the marijuana-exposed animals showed transient hyperactivity (1–3 min) followed by a period of depressed activity lasting 1 hr. Some tolerance to the placebo smoke was seen after the fourth treatment in both studies. Cumulative effects were seen following repeated exposures. These preliminary data suggest that inhalation of marijuana smoke will initiate behavioral changes in mice.
720-3 Predictors for Adverse Clinical Events are Different in Stents and PTCA: Results from the STent REStenosis Study

Although well established biologic, anatomic, and angiographic predictors of adverse clinical events are known for PTCA, there are a paucity of data after stent (S) implantation. Therefore we compared independent predictors for adverse clinical events (procedural failure, restenosis, and late complications) after S (N = 205) vs PTCA (N = 202) treatment from the randomized multicenter St ent Res tenosis S tudy (STRESS) by performing multivariate logistic analysis. Independent Predictors PTCA (OR, Pvalue) 5tent (OR, Pvalue) Procedure Failure: (final stenosis g 50% andlor death/MI/CABG andlor bailout S) Dissection (362, l 0.005) Final MLD (006, P l 0.005) Angiographic Restenosis: ( ≥ 50% diameter stenosis at follow-up angiogram) Diabetes (2.84, Pl 005) Relerence size (0.31, Pl 0.05) (0.47, P l 0.05) LAD (2.41, P l 005) Final MLD Late Complications: (out-ai-hospital death/ MI/CABG or repeat PTCA, mean follow-up time = 8.8 ± 3.4 months) None Final MLD (0.32, P l 005) Recent( l 6 weeks)M I (2.71, P l 005) In S pts, final minimal lumen diameter (MLD) strongly influenced procedure failure, angiographic restenosis, and late complications. In PTCA pts, postPTCA dissection predicted procedural failure; diabetes, reference size, and LAD predicted restenosis: there were no predictors of late complications. In conclusion The multivariate analysis of STRESS pt outcomes indicates 1) predictors for adverse clinical events were different for Sand PTCA, 2) S neutralized the deleterious impact of biologic and anatomic factors on angiographic restenosis and 3)final MLD after S placement, an operator-controlled variable, strikingly predicted all adverse clinical outcomes. Therefore, meticulous operator attention to optimize final MLD after S placement with appropriate adjunct PTCA may further improve clinical outcomes.
Comparison of the arrhythmogenic effect of myocardial infarction in the cat and dog

Myocardial infarction was produced in dogs and cats by occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Arrhythmia was present in dogs but not in cats 6 to 48 h after occlusion. The absence of arrhythmia in cats was not due to persistent myocardial depressant effects of anaesthesia administered during surgery. Studies in cats with surgically-induced heart block revealed multiple ventricular pacemakers but no change in average ventricular rate following coronary occlusion. These results suggest that sinus overdrive, although not elevated compared with the dog, is sufficient to suppress arrhythmia in the cat. Further, since small dogs developed significantly less arrhythmia than large dogs, heart size may be an additional factor in explaining the absence of arrhythmia in the cat.
Life Is Local in the Imagined Global Community: Islam and Politics in the Indonesian Blogosphere

The rapid expansion of the Internet, marked by a storm of blogs and social networking platforms, is perceived as an enabling instrument for Muslims to be engaged globally. In this regard, the blogosphere can be a vehicle for worldwide interactions and the formation of global Muslim community, the ummah. While this idea is enchanting, this article shows that such an idea needs judicious scrutiny. Using three prominent cases from Indonesia, this article tries to explore the ways in which Muslim bloggers in Indonesia use this new flexible form to be engaged in conversations that are related to Islam and to answer the following questions: How do the features of the blogosphere influence discussions on Islam related issues? Does the promise of a “global village” change the dynamics of Muslim communities in Indonesia? Does the blogosphere perpetuate a sense of ummah consciousness or does it reinforce nationalism? Does the blogosphere offer promising possibilities for new types of Muslim communities to emerge in...
Generalization of backpropagation with application to a recurrent gas market model

Abstract Backpropagation is often viewed as a method for adapting artificial neural networks to classify patterns. Based on parts of the book by Rumelhart and colleagues, many authors equate backpropagation with the generalized delta rule applied to fully-connected feedforward networks. This paper will summarize a more general formulation of backpropagation, developed in 1974, which does more justice to the roots of the method in numerical analysis and statistics, and also does more justice to creative approaches expressed by neural modelers in the past year or two. It will discuss applications of backpropagation to forecasting over time (where errors have been halved by using methods other than least squares), to optimization, to sensitivity analysis, and to brain research. This paper will go on to derive a generalization of backpropagation to recurrent systems (which input their own output), such as hybrids of perceptron-style networks and Grossberg/Hopfield networks. Unlike the proposal of Rumelhart, Hinton, and Williams, this generalization does not require the storage of intermediate iterations to deal with continuous recurrence. This generalization was applied in 1981 to a model of natural gas markets, where it located sources of forecast uncertainty related to the use of least squares to estimate the model parameters in the first place.
Generation of a Semi-Dominant Mutation with Temperature Sensitive Effects on Both Locomotion and Phototransduction in Drosophila Melanogaster

A novel Drosophila mutant named Tripped-and-fell (Taf)) was isolated in a F1 screen for dominant temperature sensitive paralytics. Recombination mapping using multiply marked chromosomes and P elements have pinpointed the locus of Taf to polytene band 93 on the right arm of the third chromosome (3R). When exposed to restrictive temperatures, both Taf heterozygotes and homozygotes paralyzed; however, homozygotes paralyzed at lower temperatures and took longer to recover than heterozygotes. There are also positive correlations between recovery time from paralysis and both duration and temperature of exposure. Electroretinograms (ERGs) revealed that both homozygotes and heterozygotes have a grossly normal light response at 22°C, but at 37°C, the ERGs from both homozygotes and heterozygotes are unable to maintain a normal sustained depolarization and have ar educed off-transient potential. The severity of the ERG repolarization phenotype is greater in homozygotes than in heterozygotes.
Efficient distribution estimation for data with unobserved sub-population identifiers.

We study efficient nonparametric estimation of distribution functions of several scientifically meaningful sub-populations from data consisting of mixed samples where the sub-population identifiers are missing. Only probabilities of each observation belonging to a sub-population are available. The problem arises from several biomedical studies such as quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis and genetic studies with ungenotyped relatives where the scientific interest lies in estimating the cumulative distribution function of a trait given a specific genotype. However, in these studies subjects’ genotypes may not be directly observed. The distribution of the trait outcome is therefore a mixture of several genotype-specific distributions. We characterize the complete class of consistent estimators which includes members such as one type of nonparametric maximum likelihood estimator (NPMLE) and least squares or weighted least squares estimators. We identify the efficient estimator in the class that reaches the semiparametric efficiency bound, and we implement it using a simple procedure that remains consistent even if several components of the estimator are mis-specified. In addition, our close inspections on two commonly used NPMLEs in these problems show the surprising results that the NPMLE in one form is highly inefficient, while in the other form is inconsistent. We provide simulation procedures to illustrate the theoretical results and demonstrate the proposed methods through two real data examples.
Cholinergic neurochemical development of normal and deafferented antennal lobes during metamorphosis of the moth, Manduca sexta.

Abstract Sensory neurons with somata in the antennae of the moth, Manduca sexta, make synapses in the antennal lobes of the brain. These lobes develop during metamorphosis of the pupa to the adult while the antennae themselves develop and send presumably cholinergic sensory fibers into the lobes. Levels of acetylcholine, choline acetyltransferase, and acetylcholinesterase rise dramatically in the lobes as sensory axons grow from the antennae to the lobes through the antennal nerves. An [125I]α-bungarotoxin-binding activity, which may represent ACh-receptors, develops in the lobes with a time course different from that of the other cholinergic components, rising gradually throughout metamorphosis. This activity is specific to nervous tissue and is blocked by cholinergic agents (carbamylcholine, atropine, curare, and nicotine). Levels of acetylcholine, choline acetyltransferase, and acetylcholinesterase, but not of toxin-binding activity, are greatly reduced in lobes deafferented by amputation of developing antennae.
Effects of Religiosity and Problem Type on Counselor Description Ratings

This analogue study examines the interaction between precounseling information, religiosity, and problem type and its subsequent effect on counselor ratings of social influence and willingness to seek help. Using an inventory of Christian beliefs, the authors assess college students' religiosity. After providing a presenting problem and reading a description of a secular (nonreligious), religious-empathic, or Christian counselor, participants responded to the Counselor Rating Form—Short and Willingness to Seek Help scale. Based on an Aptitude × Treatment interaction design using hierarchical multiple regression, the interactions between participant religiosity and counselor description, as well as participant religiosity, counselor description, and participant problem type, were predictive of counselor social influence and willingness to seek help ratings only with respect to the Christian counselor description. Implications of these results for research and practice are discussed.
Optimal Orifice Geometry for a Hydraulic Pressure-Reducing Valve

In this paper, the flow gain of a hydraulic pressure-reducing valve is examined. It is noted that classical linear-analysis is typically used to optimize the flow gain of hydraulic control-systems and that in practice this parameter is usually nonlinear. For this reason, it is important that a designer know how to reconcile the optimization using linear analysis with the implementation of the nonlinear physical design. In particular, this paper concerns itself with the steady-state flow gain and the shape of the flow passage that contributes to the nonlinear flow-gain characteristics. The shapes of a circle, a rectangle, a diamond, and a triangle are discussed and it is shown that a triangular shape provides an optimal flow passage compared to other shapes of similar size.
Less is more: improving proteostasis by translation slow down

Protein homeostasis, or proteostasis, refers to a proper balance between synthesis, maturation, and degradation of cellular proteins. A growing body of evidence suggests that the ribosome serves as a hub for co-translational folding, chaperone interaction, degradation, and stress response. Accordingly, in addition to the chaperone network and proteasome system, the ribosome has emerged as a major factor in protein homeostasis. Recent work revealed that high rates of elongation of translation negatively affect both the fidelity of translation and the co-translational folding of nascent polypeptides. Accordingly, by slowing down translation one can significantly improve protein folding. In this review, we discuss how to target translational processes to improve proteostasis and implications in treating protein misfolding diseases.
Methods for applied mobile digital library research: a framework for extensible wayfinding systems

Navigation within the physical library building can be supported with mobile computing technology; specifically, a path suggestion software application on a patron's mobile device can direct her to the location of the physical item on the shelf. This is accomplished by leveraging existing WiFi access points within a library building as well as supplementing wireless infrastructures with additional wireless beacons for collections-based wayfinding.
Comparison of bioassay and immunoassay measurements of serum thyrotropin (TSH) and study of TSH levels by immunoassay of serum concentrates.

Immunoassay measurements of serum thyrotropin (TSH) levels in hypothyroid and severely iodine-deficient patients showed good agreement with values obtained by use of the McKenzie mouse bioassay. On direct immunoassay, serum from a small group of euthyroid U. S. or New Zealand subjects contained from <2 to 5.3, mean 3.05, μU/ml TSH. Treatment of the donors with thyroid hormone lowered the TSH level in these subjects only slightly. In contrast, when extracts of serum, concentrated 10–20 times, were assayed, thyroid hormone treatment had a readily demonstrable effect. From assay of extracts the mean serum TSH was 1.01 assay of extracts the mean serum TSH was 1.01 assay of extracts the mean serum TSH was 1.01 μU/ml in the euthyroid subjects and 0.28 μU/ml after thyroid hormone treatment. Similar values were found in pools of serum from normal subjects and thyroxine-treated euthyroid subjects after more extensive concentration and immunoand bioassay. These results indicate that direct immunoassay of serum over...
Effects of 6-hydroxydopamine and alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine on the acoustic startle response in rats☆

Abstract The acoustic startle response was measured in rats after depletion of central catecholamines either chronically (through intraventricular injection of 6-hydroxydopamine) or acutely (through intraperitoneal injections of alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine). Chronic depletion resulted in an augmented startle response which could not be attributed to a failure of habituation or enhanced sensitization, while acute depletion depreseed startle amplitude. The results were interpreted as evidence that catecholamines normally exert a facilitatory influence on the startle response and that the enhanced response seen in the chronically lesioned animal reflects the potentiation of the role of catecholamine-containing neurons through the development of denervation supersensitivity. This interpretation is consistent with other observations which suggest that catecholamines play a general role in modulating thresholds to aversive events.
Rand et al. reply

replying to G. Tinghog et al. Nature498,http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature12194(2013) Tinghog et al.1 take issue with two of the ten experiments in our paper2 (studies 6 and 7). Here we reanalyse the data from these experiments as suggested by Tinghog et al.1, and demonstrate that our reported positive effect of time pressure on cooperation is not an artefact. Furthermore, an aggregate analysis based on fifteen studies and 6,910 decisions also replicates this effect3.
What Is Life

Some standard ideas about the origin of life based on classical physics and chemistry are described. The subject of the quantum world and growing evidence for quantum biology is broached, and the apparently real Poised Realm, hovering reversibly between quantum and “classical” worlds, is discussed.
Microbial degradation of14C-diphenylamine in a laboratory model sewage sludge system

A description is given of the biodegradation of diphenylamine (DPA) in a laboratory model sewage system. Ten ..mu..Ci /sup 14/C-DPA and 7.5 mg unlabeled DPA in 5 mL acetone were added to 1.5 L sludge mixed liquor in the incubation flask to produce a solution containing DPA at the 5 ppm level. Extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. Radioactive extracts were counted with a liquid scintillation spectrometer. DPA was degraded in the model sewage sludge system. Results using 3 different 1.5 L batches of sludge were virtually identical. With our extraction procedure, the average recovery of added radioactivity was 82%. When 300 mL of the sludge mixed liquor was boiled for 5 min before 24 h incubation with 5 ppm DPA, 98% of the radioactivity, as unchanged DPA, was recovered. Ninety-seven percent of the radioactivity, as unchanged DPA, was recovered from 300 mL of nutrient medium alone after 24 h incubation with DPA. These data indicate that the sludge microorganisms alone caused the degradation of DPA. (JMT)
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Assessment of Regional Cerebral Blood Flow after Asphyxial Cardiac Arrest in Immature Rats

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) alterations after asphyxial cardiac arrest (CA) are not defined in developmental animal models or humans. We characterized regional and temporal changes in CBF from 5 to 150 mins after asphyxial CA of increasing duration (8.5, 9, 12 min) in postnatal day (PND) 17 rats using the noninvasive method of arterial spin-labeled magnetic resonance imaging (ASL-MRI). We also assessed blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, and evaluated the relationship between CBF and mean arterial pressure after resuscitation. After all durations of asphyxia CBF alterations were region dependent. After 8.5- and 9-min asphyxia, intense subcortical hyperemia at 5 min was followed by return of CBF to baseline values by 10 mins. After 12-min asphyxia, hyperemia was absent and hypoperfusion reached a nadir of 38% to 65% of baselines with the lowest values in the cortex. BBB was impermeable to gadoteridol 150 mins after CA. CBF in the 12-min CA group was blood pressure passive at 60 min assessed via infusion ...
The role of mindfulness facets in affective forecasting

Abstract Mindfulness is a nonjudgmental, present-centered attention to one’s thoughts and emotions. Using a sample of 188 young adults who forecasted their emotions for the weeks following the 2008 Presidential election, we tested our prediction that facets of mindfulness would decrease the impact bias, a well-known error in affective forecasting. Mindfulness was measured with the Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire ( Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, & Toney, 2006 ). One facet of mindfulness, observing one’s internal state, was associated with more moderate affective forecasts as well as a decreased susceptibility to the impact bias. Findings highlight sources of individual differences in susceptibility to the impact bias and shed light on how to improve people’s ability to forecast for emotional experiences.
Mechanical performance and reliability of Corning Titan SMF CPC5 fiber after exposure to a variety of environments

As the fiber-optic revolution moves from the long-haul telco environment into the pedestal environment, mechanical performance requirements on optical fiber will be more rigorous. This will require fiber and fiber coatings which can withstand a wider variety of environments and possess improved handling properties. Corning Titan™ SMF CPC5 fiber was specifically designed to meet such new demands on the mechanical performance of optical fibers. The performance improvement was realized through modifying the silica glass surface with titania, along with the use of a new acrylate coating. This paper reports the experimental results of testing the strip force, coating abrasion resistance, strength, and dynamic fatigue before and after prolonged exposure to salt water, acidic and basic solutions, hot-dry environment and temperature-humidity cycling.
Renal Medullary Countercurrent System Studied with Hydrogen Gas

The renal countercurrent exchange mechanism was studied by recording the removal of hydrogen gas from the medulla of dogs. Hydrogen was administered by respiration or by intra-arterial infusion of hydrogen-saturated saline. Simultaneous desaturation curves were recorded polarographically by means of two or three needle-shaped platinum electrodes inserted into various positions in the medulla. It was found that the desaturation rate in the inner medulla was mainly dependent on urine flow, in such a way that the fractional rate of removal increased from 0.05 to 0.75 min-1 when urine flow was raised from 0.1 to 5 cc/min/kidney. Saline, mannitol and water diuresis had the same effect. On the basis of pelvic urine desaturation curves, which were practically identical to desaturation curves from the tip of the papilla, it was calculated that as much as two-thirds of the medullary hydrogen content may be removed by urine. The clearance rate was higher in the outer medulla and less dependent on urine flow. No consistent correlation with effective renal blood flow could be demonstrated in any segment of the medulla. The results indicate a very high efficiency of the countercurrent exchange mechanism with respect to hydrogen, and recordings from the corticomedullary border gave direct evidence for a high degree of hydrogen shunting across the vessel loops. Physiological implications of the findings with respect to oxygen and sodium chloride are discussed.
Mercury and monomethylmercury in fluids from Sea Cliff submarine hydrothermal field, Gorda Ridge

[1] Submarine hydrothermal systems are hypothesized to be a potentially important source of monomethylmercury (MMHg) to the ocean, yet the amount of MMHg in vent fluids is unknown. Here, we report total Hg and MMHg concentrations in hydrothermal vent fluids sampled from the Sea Cliff site on the Gorda Ridge. MMHg is the dominant Hg species, and levels of total Hg are enhanced slightly compared to seawater. Hg is enriched in deposits surrounding the site, suggesting near-field deposition from fluid plumes, with rapid MMHg demethylation and scavenging of Hg(II) complexes. Assuming the flux of MMHg from Sea Cliff is representative of global submarine hydrothermal inputs, we estimate a flux of 0.1–0.4 Mmoles y−1, which may be attenuated by scavenging near the vents. However, deep waters are not typically known to be elevated in Hg, and thus we suggest that hydrothermal systems are not significant sources of MMHg to commercial fisheries.
A methodology for manufacturing process signature analysis

Abstract Improvement of control systems entails collection of more information about the process and/or more effective use of that information. We present manufacturing process signature analysis to construct a relationship between collected information (process signatures) and the quality of process output, which can be used for on-line monitoring and control. The general procedure consists of feature extraction, feature selection, and classification. Extraction of large sets of features from signatures is straightforward, and several classification schemes are available, with neural networks being the most general and powerful. Feature selection, however, is generally quite difficult for complex data structures. We present several feature extraction methods and show that neural networks can be useful in choosing different feature sets. Using a data set from an automated solder joint inspection system, we demonstrate the unique capabilities of neural networks for both feature selection and classification, using more traditional statistical classification techniques as a benchmark.
Effector protein modulation of host cells: examples in the Chlamydia spp. arsenal.

As obligate intracellular parasites, Chlamydia spp. must create and maintain a specialized intracellular niche while simultaneously contending with potent host defenses. Discoveries that chlamydiae deploy an array of anti-host proteins have placed new emphasis on deciphering the impact of host cell biology on chlamydial development and virulence. Recent advances in the understanding of chlamydial pathogenesis are exemplified by work describing potential roles of (i) chlamydial Tarp in invasion, (ii) Inc proteins in modulation of vesicular interactions, and (iii) chlamydial proteins in disregulation of NF-κB signal transduction. Characterization of these chlamydial effector proteins promises to answer old questions and reveals previously unappreciated biology. The challenge will be to determine how these molecular mechanisms mesh together and collectively contribute to Chlamydia-mediated disease.
Preliminary report on the effects of hyperoxia on cochlear potential in chinchilla.

Anesthestized chinchilla with round window electrodes were placed in a Plexiglas chamber. When they inhaled 100% oxygen at 1 atm, two types of neural effects were observed: 1. fast and reversible AP depression in response to brief exposure to 100% O2; and 2. a slowly developed chronic depression of AP and latency shift due to multiple hyperoxic exposures. The severity of the latter is a function of the dosage of the O2 inhaled, i.e., the concentration of oxygen and the length of time of exposure. For the type-1 effect, carbon dioxide deprivation is felt to be the immediate cause while the type-2 effect is mainly due to O2 toxicity developed at the intracellular level by high O2 concentration. The possible role of superoxide in the auditory O2 toxicity was discussed.
PSA screening and prostate cancer incidence.

To the Editor. —The report by Dr Jacobsen and colleagues 1 on the changing incidence of prostate cancer with the introduction of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening may lead the unwary reader to conclude that there are early signs that screening will reduce prostate cancer morbidity and mortality. The article contains no indication that this is the case. It is well known that many older men have occult prostate cancer and that serum PSA is elevated in at least some patients with organ-confined disease. Given widespread PSA screening, it would be surprising not to find an increase in incidence, especially of cases in early stages. The authors' assertion that this increase should be transient warrants comment. If an active screening program leads to the identification of an increased proportion of many small prostate cancers that are known to be present at autopsy, a long-term elevation in observed incidence should be expected
Low latitude negative bays

Negative bays caused by growth of asymmetric storm time radiation belt, noting relation between auroral substorm, polar magnetic substorm and ring current
More than dotting the i's --- foundations for crossing-based interfaces

Today's graphical interactive systems largely depend upon pointing actions, i.e. entering an object and selecting it. In this paper we explore whether an alternate paradigm --- crossing boundaries --- may substitute or complement pointing as another fundamental interaction method. We describe an experiment in which we systematically evaluate two target-pointing tasks and four goal-crossing tasks, which differ by the direction of the movement variability constraint (collinear vs. orthogonal) and by the nature of the action (pointing vs. crossing, discrete vs. continuous). We found that participants' temporal performance in each of the six tasks was dependent on the index of difficulty formulated in the same way as in Fitts' law, but that the parameters differ by task. We also found that goal crossing completion time was shorter or no longer than pointing performance under the same index of difficulty. These regularities, as well as qualitative characterizations of crossing actions and their application in HCI, lay the foundation for designing crossing-based user interfaces
Hypersensitivity to plasma exchange in a patient with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

To a limited extent, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) in addition to its clinical features is being defined nowadays with laboratory tests such as the assay for the Von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease (ADAMTS 13) and its antibody. We present a case report of a patient with TTP and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) who had an elevated inhibitor level after plasma exchange. After instituting plasma exchange, patient improved clinically with a platelet count in the normal range. Subsequently, she developed an elevated ADAMTS antibody titer accompanied by a decline in platelet count despite continued exchange. She was successfully treated with a combination of steroids, rituximab and increased dose plasmapheresis. Based on this experience, we conclude that a drop in platelet count while patient is undergoing plasma exchange especially in an initial episode of TTP needs prompt institution of additional therapy to improve outcomes. This case also brings to attention the possibility of an underlying ITP in a patient with an initial diagnosis of TTP. J. Clin. Apheresis, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Progesterone Levels in the Cyclic and Pregnant Hamster

Progesterone levels were determined for cyclic and pregnant hamsters by the competitive binding technique. On day 1 of the estrous cycle (metestrus) the corpora lutea (CL) contained progesterone despite the fact that luteinization had not yet occurred. Peak luteal and arterial plasma values of progesterone were reached on day 2 of the cycle, followed by an abrupt drop in activity on day 3. Progesterone was also low on the morning of day 4, but beginning in the afternoon (4 pm) there was a surge in ovarian progesterone culminating in the highest blood and ovarian levels at 8 PM of day 4. Several lines of evidence suggest that the progesterone was derived from nonluteal sources, with the interstitium as a major contributor. The critical stage during the estrous cycle for CL progesterone falls between days 2 and 3. In the pregnant hamster, progesterone levels are maintained on day 3 but at the same rate as the first 2 days of the cycle. Thus, the transformation of the cyclic CL to that of pregnancy was not c...
Frame-Up: An Analysis of Arguments For and Against Municipal Wireless Initiatives

Dozens of North American cities have announced plans to build and manage wireless broadband networks. This textual analysis is a side-by-side comparison of documents used to build up and break down...