cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sexual Challenges With Aging: Integrating the GES Approach in an Elderly Couple

An advantage of sexuality after 60 years of age is the increased need for couple involvement to promote desire, pleasure, eroticism, and satisfaction inherent to the healthy aging process. This case study clinically explores the complex psychobiosocial interactions for understanding, assessing, and treating sexual problems for couples age 60 years and older, emphasizing the Good Enough Sex approach of variable, flexible, and shared sexual pleasure. Aging couples are discouraged from appraising their sexual experiences within the parameters of the pass/fail binary of the traditional individual performance model and are instead encouraged to embrace the evolving elasticity of their sexual experiences. The Good Enough Sex model espouses an approachable and satisfying alternative for the promotion of sexual function and satisfaction throughout the life span, with particular interest in late adulthood sexual health.
A Subroutine for Computing Item Efficiency and Associated Probabilities.

A subroutine for use in any item analysis program is provided. This routine computes the efficiency of a test item, the exact probability of obtaining this efficiency, and the chance probability of obtaining a greater efficiency for an item, given its difficulty level, discrimination index, and sample size.
Expression of functional human chorionic gonadotropin/human luteinizing hormone receptor gene in human uterine arteries.

The present study investigated 1) whether extra- and intramyometrial arteries contain hCG/human LH receptor messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and receptor protein, 2) whether hCG can bind to its vascular receptors and regulate the formation of vasoactive eicosanoids, and 3) whether hCG administration for ovulation induction can affect the vascular resistance in uterine arteries. The uterine arteries contain multiple hCG/LH receptor mRNA transcripts in endothelial and smooth muscle cells. The uterine arteries also contain an 80-kilodalton immunoreactive receptor protein in endothelial and smooth muscle cells. The extra- and intramyometrial arteries and an 80-kilodalton receptor protein bind [125I]hCG, which is inhibited by excess unlabeled hCG. The receptor mRNA, receptor protein, and ligand binding are higher in smaller intramyometrial arteries than in larger extramyometrial arteries. Incubation of uterine arteries with highly purified hCG resulted in a dose-dependent increase in immunoreactive cyclooxyge...
Evolution in the rationales of foresight in Europe

Abstract The traditional mechanistic approach to Strategic Thinking influenced the rationales and consequently the early experiences of Technology Forecasting in Europe. On the other hand, the more recent dynamic non-linear approaches to Strategic Thinking and a gradual regionalization of the innovation policy have favoured the replacement of Forecasting with Foresight and, more recently, with Regional Foresight , where the complexity of phenomena is taken into greater account. In fact, during the last few decades, a transition has occurred from a mainly hierarchic capitalism to a flexible one. At micro-economic level, this has caused a gradual transition from hierarchical organisational models with tangible assets to network organisational models, which are knowledge-based and face complex and unsettled scenarios. This paper tries to demonstrate that the concepts of Forecasting and Foresight cannot be considered outside of this context and of changes that have occurred in Strategic Thinking , where the needs for more global and interdisciplinary views of problems are striving to integrate Strategic management and Entrepreneurship into the new concept of Strategic Entrepreneurship. In order to demonstrate this evolution in the rationales of foresight and in its applications, this work analyses and compares some among the more significant experiences of transition towards Regional Foresight in Europe.
Cocaine-induced c-Fos expression in rats selectively bred for high or low saccharin intake and in rats selected for high or low impulsivity

Sweet preference and impulsivity are predictors of cocaine self-administration; however, no research has been conducted to investigate neuronal activation in key brain reward areas after first time exposure to cocaine in rats that differ in their propensity for cocaine-seeking and -taking behavior. In this study we used rats that had been selectively bred for high vs. low saccharin intake and rats selected for high vs. low impulsivity for food. The goal of this study was to investigate whether there are differences of c-Fos reactivity between high and low phenotypes and determine whether these differences are similar between the two animal models. A group of rats was bred for high or low saccharin intake. Another group of rats was selected as high or low impulsive based on performance in a delay-discounting task. Subsequently, rats were given an acute injection of cocaine or saline and then c-Fos expression was observed and analyzed in several brain regions. The low reward-seeking phenotypes showed higher cocaine-induced c-Fos expression in several of these regions. Low saccharin preferring rats showed higher cocaine-induced c-Fos expression in the nucleus accumbens shell, and low impulsive rats showed higher cocaine-induced c-Fos expression in the orbitofrontal cortex and cingulate gyrus 1 area. In addition, both low impulsive and low saccharin rats had higher cocaine-induced c-Fos in the dorsal medial and dorsal lateral caudate putamen. The results indicate that individual differences in neuronal reactivity exist prior to chronic exposure to drugs of abuse. Furthermore, similar differences between the two animal models may be indicative of a common mechanism underlying vulnerability to drugs of abuse.
The effect of polymer adsorption on the electrokinetic stability of dilute clay suspensions

Abstract A detailed study has been made of the destabilization of dilute clay suspensions with a cationic polymer under controlled conditions of pH, ionic strength, initial clay concentration, and intensity and duration of agitation. A C 14 -labeled cationic polymer was added to each concentration of kaolinite and montmorillonite clay suspended in a slightly buffered synthetic water (ph = 7; μ = 1.15 (10) −3 ), and the clay-polymers systems were mixed at a given intensity of agitation for a predetermined period of time, following which they were allowed to sediment. The degree of destabilization of the system was evaluated by residual turbidity measurements of the settled suspensions. Polymer residuals in the supernatant liquid were determined by liquid scintillation counting techniques and electrophoretic mobility measurements were made on the clay-polymer systems. The destabilization of dilute clay suspensions (i.e., It is postulated that the cationic polymer acts both as a coagulant, in compressing the double layers of the clay particles, and as a flocculant, in bridging the particles, the latter process being controlled by the initial clay concentration of the suspension.
Generalized Langevin equation for an oscillator.

A central oscillator coupled to a bath of harmonic oscillators with a two-dimensional Debye spectrum is set up as a model for the dynamics of strongly coupled linear systems. The bath oscillators are eliminated from the central oscillator's equation of motion, other than for initial conditions. The resulting Langevin equation is solved analytically for two different initial conditions for the bath. In one case, the bath oscillators are started at finite temperature and the coupling is turned on suddenly, and in the other they are adiabatically heated with constant coupling. The problem of equipartitioning of the kinetic energy, the velocity autocorrelation function of the central oscillator, and its spectral distribution are examined for various values of the physical parameters. The analytical results of the sudden case are compared with molecular-dynamics calculations and excellent agreement is found.
The use of low-molecular-weight heparins in acute coronary syndromes

This is a systematic review abstract, a regular feature of the Annals’ Evidence-Based Emergency Medicine (EBEM) series. Each features an abstract of a systematic review from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and a commentary by an emergency physician knowledgeable in the subject area. The source for this systematic review abstract is: Magee KD, Sevcik W, Moher D, Rowe BH. Low molecular weight heparins versus unfractionated heparin for acute coronary syndromes (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library. Issue 1. Oxford, United Kingdom: Update Software; 2004. The Annals’ EBEM editors helped prepare the abstract of this Cochrane systematic review as well as the Evidence-Based Medicine Teaching Points.
Thermal Effects of Three Dimensional Integrated Circuit Stacks

Thermal effects on different tiers of wafer-scale three dimensional (3D) integrated circuits were examined. The temperature was measured using pn diodes, and the heating effects on the characteristics of MOSFETs were compared. It is found that the circuit at the top of the 3D stack is the hottest. Adding metal plugs through the buried oxide or placing metal heat sink at the top surface improves heat dissipation.
Deactivation of accelerated engine-aged and field-aged Fe–zeolite SCR catalysts

Abstract A single-cylinder diesel engine with an emissions control system – diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), Fe–zeolite selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst, and diesel particulate filter (DPF) – was used to perform accelerated thermal aging of the SCR catalyst. Cyclic aging is performed at SCR inlet temperatures of 650, 750 and 850 °C for up to 50 aging cycles. To assess the validity of the implemented accelerated thermal aging protocol, a field-aged SCR catalyst of similar formulation was also evaluated. The monoliths were cut into sections and evaluated for NO x performance in a bench-flow reactor. While the rear section of both the field-aged and the accelerated engine-aged SCR catalysts maintained high NO x conversion, 75–80% at 400 °C, the front section exhibited a drastic decrease to only 20–35% at 400 °C. This two-tiered deactivation was also observed for field-aged samples that were analyzed in this study. To understand the observed performance changes, thorough materials characterization was performed which revealed two primary degradation mechanisms. The first mechanism is a general Fe–zeolite deterioration which led to surface area losses, dealumination of the zeolite, and Fe 2 O 3 crystal growth. This degradation accelerated above 750 °C, and the effects were generally more severe in the front of the catalyst. The second deactivation mechanism is linked to trace levels of Pt that are suspected to be volatizing from the DOC and depositing on the front section of the SCR catalyst. Chemical evidence of this can be seen in the high levels of NH 3 oxidation (80% conversion at 400 °C), which coincides with the decrease in performance.
Massively parallel computation of lattice associative memory classifiers on multicore processors

Over the past quarter century, concepts and theory derived from neural networks (NNs) have featured prominently in the literature of pattern recognition. Implementationally, classical NNs based on the linear inner product can present performance challenges due to the use of multiplication operations. In contrast, NNs having nonlinear kernels based on Lattice Associative Memories (LAM) theory tend to concentrate primarily on addition and maximum/minimum operations. More generally, the emergence of LAM-based NNs, with their superior information storage capacity, fast convergence and training due to relatively lower computational cost, as well as noise-tolerant classification has extended the capabilities of neural networks far beyond the limited applications potential of classical NNs. This paper explores theory and algorithmic approaches for the efficient computation of LAM-based neural networks, in particular lattice neural nets and dendritic lattice associative memories. Of particular interest are massively parallel architectures such as multicore CPUs and graphics processing units (GPUs). Originally developed for video gaming applications, GPUs hold the promise of high computational throughput without compromising numerical accuracy. Unfortunately, currently-available GPU architectures tend to have idiosyncratic memory hierarchies that can produce unacceptably high data movement latencies for relatively simple operations, unless careful design of theory and algorithms is employed. Advantageously, some GPUs (e.g., the Nvidia Fermi GPU) are optimized for efficient streaming computation (e.g., concurrent multiply and add operations). As a result, the linear or nonlinear inner product structures of NNs are inherently suited to multicore GPU computational capabilities. In this paper, the authors' recent research in lattice associative memories and their implementation on multicores is overviewed, with results that show utility for a wide variety of pattern classification applications using classical NNs or lattice-based NNs. Dataflow diagrams are presented in terms of a parameterized model of data burden and LAM partitioning.
Slight Renal Effect of Mercury from Amalgam Fillings

The current study was to answer the question: Is enough mercury absorbed from dental amalgam fillings to produce renal damage? One hundred healthy adults (18-44 years old) filled out health questionnaires and voided urine samples. Urine mercury concentration and N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) were measured. Subjects were grouped into those having amalgam fillings (N = 66) and those without (N = 34). Median (95% Confidence Interval) urine mercury was 1 (1-2) and 0 (0-0.6) ng/ml (P < 0.01) and median urine NAG was 23 (18-27) and 16 (11-18) units (P < 0.05) in the two groups respectively. People with mercury amalgam fillings excreted slightly more mercury than people without them, and have a very small increase in urinary NAG excretion that is probably of no clinical significance. This dose of mercury absorbed from amalgam appears to be too little to be a public health hazard for renal injury.
Nigerian football: Interests, marginalization, and struggle

Nigerian football has achieved a long line of success at both continental and global levels. A significant part of that has occurred through its local clubs and players. However, while player labour has sustained Nigerian football in many ways, the increasing capital interests of administrators have created a situation of marginalization and domination, which not only leads to player flight but also has threatened the sustainability of the league itself. Using critical theory, this paper exposes the structure of power, interests, and marginalization that define local football in Nigeria today. In so doing, it also identifies player resistance in a struggle for emancipation. Administrators have used several instruments to affirm power including withholding of wages and bonuses and denial of free agency. In the struggle for emancipation, players have chosen strikes, petitions, violence, and flight. Ultimately, the paper argues that adoption of a discursive public sphere as advanced by Habermas may place the...
Magnetopneumography as a tool for the study of dust retention in the lungs.

Magnetopneumography is a sensitive non-invasive technique for measuring the concentration and distribution of the magnetizable ferrimagnetic fraction of occupationally acquired lung dust. It was used to measure pulmonary retention of ferrimagnetic dust in several different occupational groups. Data from a study of deep bituminous miners indicated ferrimagnetic dust accumulation in 17 of 71 miners at a level greater than 22 of 23 control subjects. Magnetopneumographic measurement of 26 steel arc welders revealed marked pulmonary retention of welding fume in all workers at concentrations far above that seen in 26 control subjects (p < 0.001). Ferrimagnetic dust content in welders correlated with years of welding and radiographic abnormality (p < 0.01), but not with smoking history. Accumulation of ferrimagnetic dust above normal was also noted in seven machinists (p<0.01), but was not found in a group of 16 insulators with remote exposure to asbestos. All subjects with elevated levels of ferrimagnetic dust manifested a pattern of hilar concentration. Magnetic mapping of freeze-dried autopsied lungs from nine coal miners and four non-miners confirmed the pattern of lymphatic accumulation of ferrimagnetic dust. The capabilities and uses of magnetopneumography will be discussed.
SU-FF-J-82: Use of CT Based IGRT for Daily Set-Up of Frameless Fractionated Stereotactic Patients

Purpose: To compare orthogonal port films against CT based Image Guided Radiation Therapy(IGRT) for patient isocenter verification and assess the use of CT based IGRT for daily patient set‐up. Method and Materials: Eleven patients with brain metastases were CT'd for each of their fractionated radiosurgerytreatments. The patients were immobilized in the supine position with a stereotactic head cast. Two of the patients had a bite block in their cast to minimize rotational movement. The daily CT was taken on a SOMATON Emotion Duo CT on rails and the treatment was delivered by a SIEMENS PRIMUS linear accelerator(linac). The daily CTimages were then fused to the planning CT using fiducial markers and anatomy as guides. The shifts in the X, Y, and Z directions were computed by the CoherenceDosimetry Workstation and the patient was shifted accordingly to within 1 millimeter accuracy. Results: We assessed the accuracy of the orthogonal port film technique against the CT based IGRT for 8 frameless stereotactic treatments. The implementation of IGRT increased the importance of patient immobilization while decreasing the need for accurate initial patient set‐up since the patient would be imaged immediately prior to treatment and corrections could then be made to the set‐up. Furthermore it was observed that using a bite block inside the head cast significantly improved patient immobilization and decreased the magnitude of IGRT shifts. Conclusion: Orthogonal port film validation of the isocenter is adequate for an accuracy of 5mm for frameless stereotactic treatments.CT based IGRT provides an adequate verification of the isocenter for frameless stereotactic treatments to within 2–3mm accuracy. Furthermore, CT proves to be of clinical benefit to the patient since the mean dose used for each CT was only .7cGy where port films use 3cGy each for the two orthogonal images.
Signaling in markets with two-sided adverse selection

The paper analyzes an economy with two-sided adverse selection, focusing on equilibria that satisfy a refinement based on the notion of strategic stability. In the familiar case of one-sided adverse selection, agents reveal all of their private information as long as the contract space is rich enough. However, with twosided adverse selection, the sufficient conditions for separation are much stronger.
The influence of midlatitude and tropical overturning circulation on the isotopic composition of atmospheric water vapor and Antarctic precipitation

[1] While isotope records from ice cores are known to reflect temperature, this must be associated with zonally symmetric circulation. A new conceptual depiction of the isotopic cycling is established by considering the overturning circulation in isentropic coordinates. In this depiction, poleward transport of air and water vapor is non-diffusive, in a way that is similar to that depicted by Rayleigh models. However, the equatorward return flow is also important since it is this which is supplied with water by surface evaporation. The isotopic state emerges as a balance between evaporative supply and poleward advection, and removes the need to assume some initial source condition for an open distillation. Model experiments that simulate a wide range of circulation strengths show the isotopic composition of Antarctic snow is strongly linked to the strength of midlatitude (eddy driven) circulation, which in turn is driven by meridional temperature differences. Antarctic isotopes are largely independent of the tropical (Hadley) circulation because the rate of advective transport from the tropics to the polar region exceeds the rate at which surface sources replenish the poleward moving air stream. Across all simulations and between seasons, the relationship between d 18 O in Antarctica above 1500 m and local surface air temperature is found to be remarkably robust at around 0.69%/K in winter, 0.85%/K in summer and with a seasonal slope of 0.60%/K. Because these slopes result from changes in circulation, isotope records from the continent interior can be considered indicative of the history of overturning circulation.
Role of mixing in the structure and evolution of a buoyant discharge plume

[1] A field study to examine the near-field structure of a buoyant discharge plume, and the turbulent mixing associated with its evolution, was conducted in Mount Hope Bay near Somerset, Massachusetts. The study focused on a 50 m3/s thermal discharge, approximately 5° C warmer than ambient waters, emanating from an electrical generating facility. The discharge enters the Bay through a 10 m wide surface canal creating a plume that has many attributes in common with larger scale river plumes. At a distance of 200 m, the plume was characterized by a core with high velocity and 2 ∼ 3°C higher temperature than ambient water. At this location the core of the plume was observed with a width of approximately 150 m during ebb tide, remaining bottom attached along the plume centerline. Analysis of the temperature budget with respect to specific isotherms yielded values of Reynolds temperature flux , on the order of 10−2°C m/s, suggesting buoyancy flux values (B = gα ) of order 10−5 m2/s3. These values are consistent with the turbulent energy expected to enter the system as a result of bottom stress, implying that mixing across the first 200 m is driven by bottom friction and is most active along the edges of the plume where thermal gradients are strong. The industrial plume studied here is dynamically similar to larger geophysical plumes, such as river plumes. However, the aspect ratio is critical in determining whether mixing driven by bottom friction is important in the overall evolution of the plume.
Health status, community integration, and economic risk factors for mortality after spinal cord injury.

Abstract Krause JS, DeVivo MJ, Jackson AB. Health status, community integration, and economic risk factors for mortality after spinal cord injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004;85:1764-73. Objective To examine the association of health, community integration, and economic status with subsequent mortality and life expectancy among persons with spinal cord injury. Design Cohort study. Setting Model Spinal Cord Injury Systems (MSCIS) hospitals. Participants A total of 5947 persons injured since 1973 who were enrolled in the National Spinal Cord Injury Database and who were still alive and received an annual evaluation from November 1995 through March 2002. Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measure Mortality was determined by routine follow-up supplemented by information from the Social Security Death Index. A logistic regression model based on the full set of predictor variables was developed to estimate the chance of dying in any given year. Results After adjusting for demographic characteristics and injury severity, health status indicators, measures of community integration, and economic status indicators all had relatively small but statistically significant effects (20%–70% increases) on the likelihood of dying during the next year. Inclusion of these factors may result in higher life expectancy estimates under highly favorable conditions. Conclusions Whereas previous reports of the MSCIS data have identified the life expectancies associated with a particular set of demographic (eg, age, gender) and injury-related characteristics (level and completeness of injury; ventilator dependence), the current analysis suggests that consideration of health, economic, and psychosocial factors may make computations of life expectancy more accurate.
Synthesis, characterization and degradation of biodegradable thermoplastic elastomers from poly(ester urethane)s and renewable soy protein isolate biopolymer

New biodegradable poly(ester urethane)/soy protein isolate (PEU/SPI) hybrids were prepared by in situ polymerization. The chemical incorporation of the SPI into the backbone chain of the PEU was facilitated by the reaction of the amine functional groups of SPI with methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). X-ray diffraction results showed that the chemical incorporation of SPI into PEU significantly changed the molecular structure of the PEU. The PEU/SPI hybrids exhibited higher thermal decomposition temperature and significant increase in the modulus compared with that of pure PEU. Microscopic examination of the morphology of PEU/SPI hybrids confirmed very fine and homogeneous SPI dispersion in PEU. The hydrolytic degradation of the PEU in a phosphate buffer solution was accelerated by incorporation of SPI, which was confirmed by water absorption and scanning electron microscopy of the samples after up to 10 weeks immersion in the buffer solution. This study provides a facile and innovative method of controlling the biodegradation rate of pure PEU with the additional advantage of environmentally-benign biodegradation of the hybrid PEU/SPI polymer, making the concept potentially widely applicable.
Wetting characteristics of liquid drops at heterogeneous surfaces

Abstract Well-defined heterogeneous surfaces consisting of hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions were prepared on gold (a 2000 A gold film supported on an Si/SiO2/Ti substrate) by patterning self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), using an elastomer stamp. One surface was composed of alternating and parallel hydrophobic (2.5 μm) and hydrophilic (3 μm) strips, and the second surface consisted of alternating hydrophilic squares (3 μm × 3 μm) separated by hydrophobic strips (2.5 μm). The wetting characteristics of these well-defined heterogeneous solid surfaces were examined by contact angle measurements. The contact angles for water drops, which varied in pH from 5.8 to 10.0, were measured with the strips both tangential to and normal to the three-phase contact line. The experimental contact angles are in good agreement with theory as calculated from the Cassie equation when the three-phase contact line is non-contorted (i.e. the three-phase contact line is situated along the hydrophobic strip). On the other hand, when the strips are normal to the drop edge, corrugation of the three-contact line affects the contact angle significantly. Contact angles, measured with the strips normal to the drop edge, were lower by 7–16° than those calculated from the Cassie equation. Analysis of these measurements, together with contact angle/drop size measurements for fully hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces, demonstrate the validity of a modified Cassie equation that includes a term describing the line tension contribution.
High dose systemic methotrexate‐associated acute neurologic dysfunction

Two patients treated with high dose methotrexate otrexate with citrovorum rescue (HDMTX-CF) for osteogenic sarcoma developed the acute onset of neurologic deficits. Prior to the onset of symptoms, one child suffered brief episodes of altered consciousness. Both patients developed hemiparesis and then steadily improved over 72 hours. Laboratory evaluations disclosed normal coagulation parameters and nontoxic serum methotrexate levels at onset of symptoms. Computed tomography in one child disclosed a large low absorption abnormality. This patient represents the first reported case of positive radiologic findings associated with this syndrome. The two patients recovered completely and received further HDMTX-CF without sequelae. This condition may result from transient demyelination or embolic cerebrovascular disease.
I-125 labelled thyroid hormones in cultured mammalian nerve tissue.

Cultures of embryonic mouse and rat spinal cord-dorsal root ganglion combinations, and of newborn hamster and rat cerebellum were treated with 5×10-6M I-125 thyroxine and I-125 triiodothyronine. Autoradiographic studies on glutaraldehyde-osmium tetroxide fixed tissue indicated that these hormones were located predominantly in neurons, but could be found in glia cells as well. This pattern was observed in cultures treated for 2 hours to 4 days. Some of the effects of thyroid hormones on the developing nervous system were therefore linked to a direct action of these hormones on nerve cells.
The carbon cycle and carbon dioxide over Phanerozoic time: the role of land plants

A model (GEOCARB) of the long-term, or multimillion year, carbon cycle has been constructed which includes quantitative treatment of (1) uptake of atmospheric CO2 by the weathering of silicate and carbonate rocks on the continents, and the deposition of carbonate minerals and organic matter in oceanic sediments; and (2) the release of CO2 to the atmosphere via the weathering of kerogen in sedimentary rocks and degassing resulting from the volcanic-metamorphic-diagenetic breakdown of carbonates and organic matter at depth. Sensitivity analysis indicates that an important factor affecting CO2 was the rise of vascular plants in the Palaeozoic. A large Devonian drop in CO2 was brought about primarily by the acceleration of weathering of silicate rock by the development of deeply rooted plants in well-drained upland soils. The quantitative effect of this accelerated weathering has been crudely estimated by present-day field studies where all factors affecting weathering, other than the presence or absence of vascular plants, have been held relatively constant. An important additional factor, bringing about a further CO2 drop into the Carboniferous and Permian, was enhanced burial of organic matter in sediments, due probably to the production of microbially resistant plant remains (e.g. lignin). Phanerozoic palaeolevels of atmospheric CO2 calculated from the GEOCARB model generally agree with independent estimates based on measurements of the carbon isotopic composition of palaeosols and the stomatal index for fossil plants. Correlation of CO2 levels with estimates of palaeoclimate suggests that the atmospheric greenhouse effect has been a major factor in controlling global climate over the past 600 million years.
Dark matter from an oscillating Brans-Dicke scalar in the extended inflation model.

We consider the possibility that the discrepancy between the dynamical estimate of the density of matter in the Universe OMEGA almost-equal-to 0.2 and the prediction of inflation OMEGA = 1 can be accounted for by oscillation of the Brans-Dicke scalar of the simplest extended inflation model. It is shown that such an explanation requires an extremely small self-coupling for the Brans-Dicke scalar (lambda <10(-60)) as well as an apparent fine-tuning of the initial amplitude of the Brans-Dicke scalar at the end of inflation, which may however be understood by the anthropic principle. The requirement that the anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background radiation induced by quantum fluctuations of the Brans-Dicke field during inflation are acceptably small constrains the coupling of the Brans-Dicke scalar to the Ricci scalar to be not much greater than approximately 0.01, which is close to the lower limit allowed in the simplest extended inflation model. It is also shown that if one imposes the constraint that the spatial fluctuations of the Brans-Dicke scalar induced by bubble growth during the first-order phase transition do not give too large a contribution to the energy density at present, then the frequency of the oscillations has an upper bound, which is typically approximately 10(6) GHz. This significantly reduces the range of frequencies allowed, which would otherwise have an upper bound approximately 10(12) GHz coming from the stability of the Brans-Dicke oscillations, while leaving a range of frequencies above the approximately 1 GHz observational limit coming from terrestrial experiments designed to observe deviations from Newtonian gravity. Thus the constraints from spatially varying fluctuations of the Brans-Dicke scalar do not rule out the model.
Binding of Guanylyl Cyclase Activating Protein 1 (GCAP1) to Retinal Guanylyl Cyclase (RetGC1) THE ROLE OF INDIVIDUAL EF-HANDS

Guanylyl cyclase activating protein 1 (GCAP1), after substitution of Ca2+ by Mg2+ in its EF-hands, stimulates photoreceptor guanylyl cyclase, RetGC1, in response to light. We inactivated metal binding in individual EF-hands of GCAP1 tagged with green fluorescent protein to assess their role in GCAP1 binding to RetGC1 in co-transfected HEK293 cells. When expressed alone, GCAP1 was uniformly distributed throughout the cytoplasm and the nuclei of the cells, but when co-expressed with either fluorescently tagged or non-tagged RetGC1, it co-localized with the cyclase in the membranes. The co-localization did not occur when the C-terminal portion of RetGC1, containing its regulatory and catalytic domains, was removed. Mutations that preserved Mg2+ binding in all three metal-binding EF-hands did not affect GCAP1 association with the cyclase in live cells. Locking EF-hand 4 in its apo-conformation, incapable of binding either Ca2+ or Mg2+, had no effect on GCAP1 association with the cyclase. In contrast to EF-hand 4, inactivation of EF-hand 3 reduced the efficiency of the co-localization, and inactivation of EF-hand 2 drastically suppressed GCAP1 binding to the cyclase. These results directly demonstrate that metal binding in EF-hand 2 is crucial for GCAP1 attachment to RetGC1, and that in EF-hand 3 it is less critical, although it enhances the efficiency of the GCAP1 docking on the target enzyme. Metal binding in EF-hand 4 has no role in the primary attachment of GCAP1 to the cyclase, and it only triggers the activator-to-inhibitor functional switch in GCAP1.
Finite difference three-dimensional solution of stresses in adhesively bonded composite tubular joint subjected to torsion

Traditionally, the adhesive layer in adhesively bonded joints is simplified as having constant shear and peel stresses across the thickness. In this study, it is modeled as a separate 3D elastic body without the uniform stress assumption. The stress state in an adhesively bonded fiber-reinforced composite tubular joint subjected to a torsional load is theoretically analyzed. A finite difference method is utilized to solve the system of equilibrium equations. The solution is validated by comparison with data found in the literature. The effects of fiber orientation, composite laminate stacking sequence, overlap length, adhesive layer thickness, and adhesive stiffness on the shear and peel stress distribution are evaluated and presented. The results show that all the six stress components are present and they vary considerably across the adhesive layer thickness; 3D analysis is desired, especially for general laminated composite adherends.
Regional anesthesia for hand surgery

Regional anesthetic techniques are ideally suited for surgery of the arm and hand. In addition to providing excellent postoperative analgesia and decreased recovery time, they may be associated with reduced perioperative cost when compared with general anesthesia. This chapter will review regional anesthetic techniques that are appropriate for surgery of the hand and arm and will discuss the common surgical procedures performed on the upper extremity.
Quantum-kinetic calculation for net acceleration of high-energy electrons by a transverse undulating magnetic field and an electromagnetic wave

Abstract The average force acting on a highly relativistic electron beam traveling in a laser wave and a transverse undulating magnetic field (magnetic wiggler) is calculated using quantum kinetics. The quantum-kinetic calculation shows that the net dc force due to net inverse bremsstrahlung in the magnetic wiggler (“inverse free electron lasing”) increases linearly with the beam energy, and can be greater than the Lorentz force of the laser wave.
Microbial Conversion of Methane into poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB): Growth and intracellular product accumulation in a type II methanotroph

Abstract The biochemical pathways of methane to poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) in type II methanotrophs have been analyzed and used to propose stoichiometric equations for cell biomass and PHB. Conditions necessary for PHB accumulation in a batch culture of Methylocystis parvus OBBP were studied. In nitrogen limited cultures PHB started accumulating in the declining growth phase and maximum rate of PHB formation occurred during the late growth and early stationary phases. Inoculum age had an effect on maximum level of intracellular PHB, which increased with inoculum age up to ca. 70% of the cell dry weight using a 70 h inoculum. It has been shown that oxygen and methane requirements are high and pose a great stress on the mass transfer in the system; this limits the obtainment of high cell concentrations. When conditions for increased mass transfer of both CH 4 and O 2 were used, 5 g/ l of cells could be produced. Finally an enrichment strategy was investigated so that cells would start accumulating PHB earlier during the growth phase. Alternatives to increase cell mass concentrations are discussed.
Assignment of the gastric inhibitory polypeptide receptor gene (GIPR) to chromosome bands 19q13.2-q13.3 by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

The gastric inhibitory polypeptide receptor gene (GIPR) was localized, using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), to human chromosome bands 19q13.2-q13.3. Gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) is a potent stimulator of insulin secretion and mutations in the GIPR gene may be related to non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). 13 refs., 1 fig.
Assessment of Infant Pain in Clinical Settings

Abstract Issues related to the concept of the infant pain are discussed. It is argued that the existence of the infant pain experience should be assumed. Measurement of pain is difficult with infants because of the lack of language ability. Attention to multiple indicators of pain is necessary. Heart rate and crying have proven efficacy in the measurement of infant pain in clinical settings. Attention to other infant responses and contextual cues are also helpful in the measurement of infant pain.
Collisional features in a model of a planetary ring

Images taken by the Cassini spacecraft display numerous “propellers”, telltale disturbances detected in Saturn’s outer A ring. In conventionally accepted models (Seis, M., Spahn, F., Sremcevic, M., Salo, H. [2005]. Geophys. Res. Lett. 32, L11205; Lewis, M., Stewart, G. [2009]. Icarus 199, 387–412), unseen moonlets are considered to generate these structures by gravitationally stirring the shearing Kepler flow of ring particles. The morphology and scale of these structures likely depend on both gravity and collisions. However, with a goal to understand one aspect of the development of real propellers, and motivated by similar features observed in terrestrial granular systems, we here study only the collisional effects on propeller-like feature formation, entirely omitting the gravitational attraction between the moonlet and the particles. Our investigation employs a combination of simulation and continuum analysis to examine the extent to which dissipative collisions between ring particles and with a large obstacle might cause such features to form. Our simple, heuristic two-dimensional numerical simulations demonstrate that propeller-like features having many of the features seen in gravitating systems can form. Our continuum theory predicts that, at observed ring densities, the magnitudes of relative particle speeds and thermal speeds (i.e., kinetic granular temperatures) imply that the flow with respect to the moonlet is supersonic. As a consequence, these propeller-like features could be interpreted as the locus of a granular shock across which the flow experiences significant, almost discontinuous, changes in flow properties
Enzyme co-localization with transketolase, xylulose-5-P 3-epimerase and phosphoriboisomerase in pea leaf chloroplasts

Nearest neighbor analyses of immunocytolocalization experiments indicate that glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase subunit B, aldolase and phosphoriboisomerase are located close to transketolase, that glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase and phosphoribulokinase are located close to xylulose-5-P 3-epimerase, and that phosphoriboisomerase is located close to phosphoribulokinase and to Rubisco, in the pea leaf chloroplast stroma. Spatial organization of these enzymes may be important for efficient carbon metabolism in photosynthetic organisms. In contrast, neither fructose bisphosphatase, sedoheptulose bisphosphatase, the A subunit of glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase or xylulose-5-P 3-epimerase is co-localized with transketolase.
Electronic Portfolios in Teacher Education: A Case Study of Early Childhood Teacher Candidates

The use of electronic portfolios is increasingly becoming popular in teacher education programs. The electronic portfolio allows learners to express their work and take ownership over their own ability to plan and assess and reflect upon their learning during a specific period of time. While many teacher education programs have adopted electronic portfolios in order to meet accreditation requirements, others use electronic portfolios to develop and improve on students’ technology skills—train students on how to better use technology in instruction and student assessment. Irrespective of the reasons for adoption, there is the need to assess students’ perceptions of electronic portfolios, and especially to explore the benefits and challenges students face in using electronic portfolios in their course work. Using a qualitative research design, the current study explored teacher candidates’ attitudes toward electronic portfolios and the differences that electronic portfolios bring to their profession. Such a study is necessary to help administrators identify students’ needs to ensure that they are gaining the maximum benefits from the use of electronic portfolios in their programs of study.
Characteristics of Nuclepore filters with large pore size—II. Filtration properties

Abstract The filtration efficiencies of 5, 8 and 12 μm pore size Nuclepore filters have been measured by detecting the penetration of monodisperse particles with an optical counter. Within a filter lot, the standard deviation of efficiency near the 50 % cutpoint is less than 1 %, whereas the variation is much larger between lots. For liquid particles the filtration efficiency increases slowly with face velocity showing that the principal filtration mechanism is interception. At low face velocity the data agree with a theoretical calculation of interception in the creeping flow approximation, and at higher face velocity the data agree with a numerical calculation by Parker and Buzzard including particle inertial effects. The filtration efficiencies for solid particles decrease with increasing face velocity, indicating the occurrence of particle bounce. Coating the filters with grease reduces but does not completely eliminate particle bounce. Both the filter efficiency and pressure drop change significantly for loadings of only a few particles per pore. For ambient sampling, optimum results were obtained with an 8 μm grease-coated filter at 1.8 cm s−1 face velocity.
Overwintering site of Culex pipiens pallens in an urban environment of Saitama Prefecture in Japan

Abstract: Cu l ex pi nsa is am eb r of th C . c pl x nJ . ecological conditions favorable for overwintering of Cx. p. pallens in urban areas are un-known. In two culverts of an urban environment in Saitama Prefecture, we collected 163 and 65 overwintering Culex adult mosquitoes in February 2005, and 133 and 51 in early March 2006, respectively. Molecular identication of 89 mosquitoes collected from culvert A in 2005 showed that all specimens were Cx. p. pallens . Our nding shows that the overwinter-ing sites of Cx. p. pallens in an urban environment. It is important to understand the ecology of overwintering of Cx. p. pallens in an urban areas and consequently contribute to control of overwintering mosquitoes.Key words: Culex pipiens pallens , overwintering site, urban environment, culvert I˜ˇ˜Members of the Culex pipiens complex are potential vectors of human lymphatic laria-sis, dog heart worm and various viruses caus-ing encephalitis such as St. Louis encephalitis, equine encephalitis and West Nile fever. In the United States, a West Nile fever epidemic has been ongoing since 1999, and patients have exceeded 30,000, with more than 1,200 fatalities in the last 11 years (CDC, 2011). West Nile virus (WNV) is maintained in na-ture by many species of birds as amplifying hosts, and the virus has been detected in more than 326 species of birds in the United States, although there are great dierences in the viremia level among bird species (CDC, 2009; Wheeler et al., 2009). WNV has also been detected in 64 mosquito species, includ-ing genera
Patterns in Holocene Colluvium and Alluvial Fans Across the Prairie- Forest Transition in the Midcontinent USA

The sediments composing alluvial fans and colluvial slopes harbor some of the most wellpreserved and continuous records of human habitation on the North American continent. Geoarchaeological investigations in the midcontinent of North America have revealed spatial and temporal patterns of sedimentation that control regional and local visibility, preservation, and distribution of archaeological deposits in colluvial slope and alluvial fan settings. Regional colluvial slope and alluvial fan sedimentation began ca. 8,500 yr B.P. Two major fan and slope building episodes are represented in most areas: 8500– 6500 and 6000– 2000 yr B.P. Within each of the major aggradation episodes, sedimentation was episodic, with shorter intervening periods of reduced sedimentation and soil formation. Late Holocene shifting of feeder stream trenches removed earlier apex and mid-fan fan sediments, formed a complex series of cutand-fill fan-trench sequences, and deposited a series of coalescing distal fan lobes. Archaeological deposits older than approximately 8500 yr B.P. pre-date aggradation of Holocene alluvial fans and colluvial slopes and are not found in these landforms, while archaeological deposits younger than 2000 yr B.P. are shallowly buried on colluvial slopes and alluvial fans except in filled fan-head trenches and distal fan lobes. The challenge for interpreting and managing cultural resources in alluvial fan and colluvial slope settings is to properly evaluate how geologic processes have modified cultural patterns and affected the visibility of the archaeological record. 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.