cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electromyographic study of the velum during speech

Abstract: Electromyographic recordings of the levator palatini were obtained to investigate the relationship between velar movement and its motor command. Two Japanese subjects read a list of meaningful disyllabic test words. There was no systematic difference in EMG level between either voiced and voiceless or stop and fricative consonants. Rather, the activity level for a given nonnasal consonant varies with its phonetic environment. Electromyographically, anticipatory nasal coarticulation generally followed the so-called look-ahead mechanism, although in some examples there seemed to be a restriction of the anticipatory effect. On the other hand, carry-over nasal coarticulation was not as pervasive as the anticipatory effect, as the carry-over effect was present for vowel segments following syllable-initial nasals, while it was absent for vowel segments following syllable-final nasals.
Risikomanagement in der energieorientierten Produktionsplanung und -steuerung

Kurzfassung Stromkosten stellen im Rahmen der Energiewende einen zunehmend wichtigen Wettbewerbsfaktor fur die Industrie dar. Der durch die energieorientierte Produktionsplanung ermittelte Strombed...
A Robust Statistical method to Estimate the Intervention Effect with Longitudinal Data

Segmented regression is a standard statistical procedure used to estimate the effect of a policy intervention on time series outcomes. This statistical method assumes the normality of the outcome variable, a large sample size, no autocorrelation in the observations, and a linear trend over time. Also, segmented regression is very sensitive to outliers. In a small sample study, if the outcome variable does not follow a Gaussian distribution, then using segmented regression to estimate the intervention effect leads to incorrect inferences. To address the small sample problem and non-normality in the outcome variable, including outliers, we describe and develop a robust statistical method to estimate the policy intervention effect in a series of longitudinal data. A simulation study is conducted to demonstrate the effect of outliers and non-normality in the outcomes by calculating the power of the test statistics with the segmented regression and the proposed robust statistical methods. Moreover, since finding the sampling distribution of the proposed robust statistic is analytically difficult, we use a nonparametric bootstrap technique to study the properties of the sampling distribution and make statistical inferences. Simulation studies show that the proposed method has more power than the standard t-test used in segmented regression analysis under the non-normality error distribution. Finally, we use the developed technique to estimate the intervention effect of the Istanbul Declaration on illegal organ activities. The robust method detected more significant effects compared to the standard method and provided shorter confidence intervals.
Pediatric post-traumatic headache and implications for return to sport: a narrative review

BACKGROUND Headache attributed to mild traumatic injury of the head (aka: mild traumatic brain injury, mTBI), frequently abbreviated to Post-Traumatic Headache (PTH), is one of the most common and disabling symptoms after a head injury. PTH often phenotypes to migraine. Evidence for treating PTH in the pediatric population is limited. Widely accepted guidelines do not exist to aid the clinician and there are currently no placebo-controlled trials for the pharmacologic management of PTH in this age group. Recommendations for when to return a child or adolescent to sport if they develop and/or are being treated for persistent PTH (PPTH) are lacking. The objective of this narrative review is to review the implications of returning an adolescent with PPTH to sport. METHODS Pediatric neurologists with special qualification in headache collaborated on this narrative review. Literature was searched up until Oct 2019 for articles pertaining to PTH, concussion, mTBI, and the return of a pediatric athlete to sport after mTBI. Article inclusion was at the discretion of the authors. There was author consensus regarding all recommendations made. CONCLUSION The authors recommend that strict adherence to the guidelines that return to sport cannot occur until a child is symptom free at rest, off any medication, may be unreasonable in certain situations. Symptom stability is the proposed new concept for return to sport.
Statistical Methods for Processing Neuroimaging Data from Two Different Sites with a Down Syndrome Population Application

Harmonization of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans from multi-scanner and multi-site studies presents a challenging problem. We applied the Removal of Artificial Voxel Effect by Linear regression (RAVEL) method to normalize T1-MRI intensities collected on two different scanners across two different sites as part of the Neurodegeneration in Aging Down syndrome (NiAD) study. The effects on FreeSurfer regional cortical thickness and volume outcome measures, in addition to FreeSurfer-based regional quantification of amyloid PET standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) outcomes, were evaluated. A neuroradiologist visually assessed the accuracy of FreeSurfer hippocampus segmentations with and without the application of RAVEL. Quantitative results demonstrated that the application of RAVEL intensity normalization prior to running FreeSurfer significantly impacted both FreeSurfer volume and cortical thickness outcome measures. Visual assessment demonstrated that the application of RAVEL significantly improved FreeSurfer hippocampal segmentation accuracy. The RAVEL intensity normalization had little impact on PET SUVR measures.
Exercise or Movement Based Therapies for Chronic Pain

Exercise and movement based therapies are effective for various chronic pain conditions. It is unclear if any form of exercise is superior to another for treating chronic pain. Most of the adverse events were worsening muscle pain.
Power dynamics in international development evaluations: A case study of the Girls Education Challenge programme

Background: Low-income countries receive millions of dollars of aid each year in support of international development programmes. These programmes often have a requirement for evaluation. Evaluators are therefore uniquely placed to contribute to the social and economic development of these countries by conducting useful evaluations. This study elaborates on the power dynamics involved in international development evaluations so that evaluators can be better positioned to conduct impactful evaluations. Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore how power is configured and distributed amongst key stakeholders and how power imbalances impact evaluations. Method: The study utilized the Girls Education Challenge (GEC) programme as a case study. GEC was a multi-million-dollar program that supported 37 education projects in 18 countries in Africa and South Asia. Interviews were conducted with 13 evaluators and 10 programme representatives - staff from organizations that were part of the GEC programme. Results: The study concluded that donors wield significant power over evaluations and there are few avenues for less powerful stakeholders to speak truth to power. At best, donors can help to increase the quality and utilisation of evaluations. At worst, they can hinder culturally responsive evaluation practices. Furthermore, the status quo favours international evaluators and utilises local researchers merely as hired hands – overseeing the logistics of data collection. Conclusion: The main implication of this study is that evaluators need to conduct formal or informal power analyses in order to identify power asymmetries and potential power sharing opportunities and strategies.
A Polynomial Time Algorithm for Learning Halfspaces with Tsybakov Noise.

We study the problem of PAC learning homogeneous halfspaces in the presence of Tsybakov noise. In the Tsybakov noise model, the label of every sample is independently flipped with an adversarially controlled probability that can be arbitrarily close to $1/2$ for a fraction of the samples. {\em We give the first polynomial-time algorithm for this fundamental learning problem.} Our algorithm learns the true halfspace within any desired accuracy $\epsilon$ and succeeds under a broad family of well-behaved distributions including log-concave distributions. Prior to our work, the only previous algorithm for this problem required quasi-polynomial runtime in $1/\epsilon$. Our algorithm employs a recently developed reduction \cite{DKTZ20b} from learning to certifying the non-optimality of a candidate halfspace. This prior work developed a quasi-polynomial time certificate algorithm based on polynomial regression. {\em The main technical contribution of the current paper is the first polynomial-time certificate algorithm.} Starting from a non-trivial warm-start, our algorithm performs a novel "win-win" iterative process which, at each step, either finds a valid certificate or improves the angle between the current halfspace and the true one. Our warm-start algorithm for isotropic log-concave distributions involves a number of analytic tools that may be of broader interest. These include a new efficient method for reweighting the distribution in order to recenter it and a novel characterization of the spectrum of the degree-$2$ Chow parameters.
High-speed axially swept light sheet microscopy using a linear MEMS phased array for isotropic resolution

Significance: Axially swept light sheet microscopy is used for deconvolution-free, high-resolution 3D imaging, but usually the axial scan mechanism reduces the top imaging speed. Phased arrays (PAs) for axial scanning enable both high resolution and high speed. Aim: A high-speed PA with an update rate faster than the camera row read time is used to track the rolling shutter at camera-limited rates. Approach: The point spread function is evaluated to ensure sub-micron isotropic resolution, and the technique is demonstrated on a live Drosophila embryo. Results: Isotropic resolution is shown down to 720 ± 55 nm in all three spatial dimensions. With an update rate of 2.85 μs, the PA tracks the camera sensor rolling shutter at camera-limited rates. Features in the Drosophila embryo are resolved clearly compared with the equivalent static light sheet case. The random-access nature of the PA enables a camera sensor readout in the same direction for each frame to maintain even temporal sampling in image sequences with no speed loss. Conclusions: Use of PAs is compatible with axially swept light sheet microscopy and offers significant improvements in speed.
A classification scheme for identifying snowstorms affecting central New York State

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Hartnett, J.J. A classification scheme for identifying snowstorms affecting central New York State. International Journal of Climatology, 2020, 1-19, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.6922. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.
The Creation of a Novel Low-Cost Bench-Top Kidney Transplant Surgery Simulator and a Survey on Its Fidelity and Educational Utility.

Introduction Resident inexperience during time-sensitive vascular anastomoses of a kidney transplant can negatively impact outcomes. In light of this, we created a low-cost bench-top kidney transplant surgery simulator to help residents practice vascular anastomoses. Methods We searched for inexpensive materials to design an iliac fossa and kidney allograft. Eighteen residents with real-life kidney transplant experience trialed the simulator and scored its fidelity and educational utility on a 0-100 visual analog scale (VAS) survey. Results A 35.9 x 19.4 x 12.4 cm plastic box mimicked the iliac fossa. Hooks attached to the box's sidewall held under tension 1.27 and 0.64 cm diameter Penrose drains to replicate the external iliac vein and artery. A modified kidney-shaped stress ball with 1.27 x 4, 0.64 x 4, and 0.64 x 15 cm Penrose drains replicated a kidney allograft with its vein, artery, and ureter, respectively. Residents performed and assisted in vascular anastomoses on the simulator. The iliac fossa and allograft cost $20.20 and each practice run cost $7.20. Residents thought that the simulator was less difficult than real-life procedure, had acceptable fidelity levels, and they highly rated its educational utility. Conclusion Our novel low-cost bench-top kidney transplant surgery simulator focusing on vascular anastomoses received positive educational feedback from residents.
Seed Dormancy and Preharvest Sprouting in Quinoa ( Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a culturally significant staple food source that has been grown for thousands of years in South America. Due to its natural drought and salinity tolerance, quinoa has emerged as an agronomically important crop for production in marginal soils, in highly variable climates, and as part of diverse crop rotations. Primary areas of quinoa research have focused on improving resistance to abiotic stresses and disease, improving yields, and increasing nutrition. However, an evolving issue impacting quinoa seed end-use quality is preharvest sprouting (PHS), which is when seeds with little to no dormancy experience a rain event prior to harvest and sprout on the panicle. Far less is understood about the mechanisms that regulate quinoa seed dormancy and seed viability. This review will cover topics including seed dormancy, orthodox and unorthodox dormancy programs, desiccation sensitivity, environmental and hormonal mechanisms that regulate seed dormancy, and breeding and non-breeding strategies for enhancing resistance to PHS in quinoa.
Clinical and MRI features of spinal intradural extramedullary capillary hemangioma

Objective To explore the clinical and MRI features of spinal intradural extramedullary capillary hemangioma.Methods The clinical data and MRI findings of five patients with spinal intradural extramedullary capillary hemangioma proved by surgical pathology were retrospectively analyzed.Results Four patients presented with upper back pain/numbness and weakness in lower extremities,and one with pain in posterior neck and upper extremities.On MR imaging,a total of five single intradural extramedullary capillary hemangiomas were found posterior to the spinal cord,four of which were at the thoracic level and one at the cervical level.The lesions showed iso-or hypointensity on T1 WI and hyperintensity on T2 WI.After constrast administration,four cases showed typical strong homogeneous enhancement.Dural tail sign(n=1),draining vessels(n=1)and rim of hemosiderin(n=1)were found in these tumors.Conclusion Intradural extramedullary hemangioma typically occurs in the posterior aspect of the spinal cord in middle-aged adults.On MR imaging,it is characterized by draining vessels,rim of hemosiderin,dural tail sign and strong homogeneous enhancement after contrast administration.
A New Method for Automatic Translation Scoring-HyTER

It is common knowledge that translation is an ambiguous, 1-to-n mapping process, but to date, our community has produced no empirical estimates of this ambiguity. We have developed an annotation tool that enables us to create representations that compactly encode an exponential number of correct translations for a sentence. Our findings show that naturally occurring sentences have billions of translations. Having access to such large sets of meaning-equivalent translations enables us to develop a new metric, HyTER, for translation accuracy. We show that our metric provides better estimates of machine and human translation accuracy than alternative evaluation metrics using data from the most recent Open MT NIST evaluation and we discuss how HyTER representations can be used to inform a data-driven inquiry into natural language semantics.
The Echoes of Conjure in African American Christianity as Enfleshed Memory

This essay explores Conjure, a magical tradition unique to the African American Diaspora in the United States. Conjure exemplifies the religio-ethical significance of what this essay names enfleshe...
Spatially developing supersonic turbulent boundary layer subjected to static surface deformations

Abstract The effects of static surface deformations on a spatially developing supersonic boundary layer flow at Mach number M = 4 and Reynolds number R e δ i n ≈ 49300 , based on inflow boundary layer thickness ( δ i n ), are analyzed by performing large eddy simulations. Two low-order structural modes of a rectangular clamped surface panel of dimensions ≈ 33 δ i n × 48 δ i n are prescribed with modal amplitudes of δ i n . The effects of these surface deformations are examined on the boundary layer, including changes in the mean properties, thermal and compressibility effects and turbulence structure. The results are analyzed in the context of deviations from concepts typically derived and employed for equilibrium turbulence. The surface deflections, to some degree, modify the correlations that govern both Morkovin’s hypothesis and strong Reynolds analogy away from the wall, whereas in the near-wall region both the hypotheses breakdown. Modifications to the turbulence structure due to the surface deformations are elucidated by means of the wall pressure two-point correlations and anisotropy invariant maps. In addition to the amplification of turbulence, such surface deformations lead to local flow separation, instigating low-frequency unsteadiness. One consequence of significance to practical design is the presence of low frequency unsteadiness similar to that encountered in impinging or ramp shock boundary layer interactions.
Retrodirective wireless power transfer for short and long range applications

This paper applies the phase conjugation method which is equivalent to time reversal in the time, to wireless power transfer using two different retrodirective array configurations: linear uniform transmitting array and non-planar random transmitting array. The method is based on the reciprocity property of the wave equation. The idea is validated by employing 10 transmitting retrodirective antenna array (Tx) placed on the walls of a cubical room and one receiving antenna (Rx) in free space. In the retro-reflective beamforming, wireless power transmission is guided by pilot signals. The Rx broadcasts pilot signals to its surroundings, and based on analyzing these signals, a wireless power transmitter delivers focused power beam onto the Rx. The study is performed for line of sight and non-line of sight (NLOS) locations for the Rx. We calculate the received (Rx) power for different array configurations, and the power flow density inside the room. Simulation results show that applying the reciprocity theorem in both configurations provides significant enhancement in power transfer system efficiency at different Rx locations. Furthermore, results demonstrate that the power beam in reaction to the pilot signal is capable of tracking the mobile device’s location dynamically even if it resides in a NLOS location. When the wireless power receiver resides in the far-zone, a linear array and a random array produce the same power level at the near-zone focal point, but the maximum far-zone gain associated with the random array is on the average 1.5 dB lower than that of the linear array.
The elusive ESOP—productivity link

Abstract This paper investigates whether employee participation in ownership or profit-sharing in publicly held firms through an ESOP or profit-sharing plan was positively associated with productivity measures. The sample consists of firms that adopted such plans during 1982 through 1987. Production function models augmented with age variables for ESOP and profit-sharing plans were estimated using panel data procedures. The productivity effect increased with the age of the ESOP at the rate of 1.8 to 2.7 percent per annum and with the age of the profit sharing plan at the rate of 3.9 to 4.6 percent per annum.
Permanganate ion oxidations: IX. Manganese intermediates (complexes) in the oxidation of 2,4(1H,3H)-pyrimidinediones

Abstract Uniquely stable manganese intermediates (complexes) are formed from the permanganate ion oxidation of the 5,6-carbon-carbon double bond in several 2,4(1H,3H)-pyrimidinediones [uracil, (compound 7), 5-methyluracil (thymine, compound 5), and 6-methyluracil (compound 8)]. These manganese complexes, which represent some of the most stable intermediate manganese species observed thus far in the oxidation of carbon-carbon double bonds, show absorption maxima in the 285–296 nm region (ϵmax ≈4500). The relative reactivities of 6-methyluracil : uracil : thymine are 1 : 23 : 194 and the bimolecular oxidation process is characterized by relatively small ΔH ‡ values and large negative ΔS ‡ values.
Sequence studies of poliovirus RNA. I. Characterization of the 5'-terminus.

Abstract The 5′-terminus of poliovirus RNA was characterized by two different methods. In one case, the alkaline hydrolysate of viral RNA labeled in vivo with 32 P was separated by ehromatography and electrophoresis. No nucleotides with 5′-triphosphates or -diphosphates were detected, but pAp was found along with lesser amounts of pUp and pGp. For the second method, unlabeled RNA was treated with polynucleotide kinase and [γ- 32 P]ATP. Dephosphorylation with alkaline phosphatase was found to be necessary for the RNA to accept 32 P. The 5′-[ 32 P]RNA was degraded with alkali yielding mainly labeled pAp. This establishes that the 5′-end of poliovirus RNA is pAp …
The Weak Decay of S Shell Hypernuclei and the ∆I=1/2 Rule

This paper summarizes the available information on S-shell hypernuclei, particularly with respect to their weak decays. It is also pointed out that a measurement of the branching ratios in the non-mesonic weak decay of Λ 4 H is crucial in order to test the ΔI=1/2 rule in the strangeness changing non-leptonic weak decay process. We emphasize that collectively, the S-shell hypernculei provide a unique system which can be used to test few body (A=l−5) calculations and extract new physics information.
Question Ranking and Selection in Tutorial Dialogues

A key challenge for dialogue-based intelligent tutoring systems lies in selecting follow-up questions that are not only context relevant but also encourage self-expression and stimulate learning. This paper presents an approach to ranking candidate questions for a given dialogue context and introduces an evaluation framework for this task. We learn to rank using judgments collected from expert human tutors, and we show that adding features derived from a rich, multi-layer dialogue act representation improves system performance over baseline lexical and syntactic features to a level in agreement with the judges. The experimental results highlight the important factors in modeling the questioning process. This work provides a framework for future work in automatic question generation and it represents a step toward the larger goal of directly learning tutorial dialogue policies directly from human examples.
Phase I dose-escalation study of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for poor surgical candidates with localized renal cell carcinoma

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the tolerability of escalating doses of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for primary treatment of localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in poor surgical candidates. Patients and methods Eligible patients included those with clinically staged radiographic and or pathologically confirmed RCC who had not undergone previous abdominal or pelvic radiotherapy. All patients had comorbid medical conditions which precluded surgery. Median (range) patient age was 77.6years (range 59–89) years and all patients had Karnofsky Performance Status of ⩾60. Median tumor volume was 57.9cm 3 (range 13.8–174.7cm 3 ). Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was defined as grade 3 or worse gastrointestinal/genitourinary toxicity by Common Terminology Criteria of Adverse Events (version 4). Tumor response was assessed by imaging results using Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) measurement and percutaneous biopsy. Results A total of 19 patients (13 men and 6 women) were treated on protocol from June 2006 through August 2011. Groups of 3–6 patients received 24, 32, 40, and 48Gy in 4 fractions. Median (range) follow-up was 13. 7months (5.9–34.7months). For possibly treatment-related acute toxicities, one patient developed grade 2 fatigue and one developed grade 4 duodenal ulcer. For possibly treatment-related late toxicities, 2 patients experienced grade 3 renal toxicity (worsening chronic kidney disease), one reported grade 2 urinary incontinence and one developed grade 4 duodenal ulcer. Among the 15 patients with evaluable response, 3 and 12 had partial response and stable disease, respectively, utilizing RECIST criteria. Among the 11 patients who had post-SBRT biopsy, only one (9%) was negative on first biopsy and an additional one (9%) turned negative without further therapy on second biopsy. Conclusions Dose escalation to 48Gy in 4 fractions has been achieved successfully without dose-limiting toxicities. A planned extension of this phase I trial is currently underway treating patients to 60Gy in 3 fractions to further evaluate this experimental therapy.
Apparatus for Observation and Analysis of Floc Blanket Formation and Performance

AbstractFloc blankets are fluidized beds of aggregated suspended particles utilized in some upflow sedimentation tanks for drinking water treatment. Floc blankets can significantly enhance particle removal and may reduce operation and maintenance costs. An experimental apparatus was built with the goal of developing an understanding of floc blanket physics and to establish a mechanistic basis for optimizing floc blanket performance. Visual insights into floc blanket mechanics are obtained by analyzing transmitted light intensity through a 1.3-cm-thick section of a floc blanket. Floc blankets were formed under simulated raw water conditions of 100 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU), an alum coagulant dose of 45 mg/L (4.1 mg/L as Al), and at sedimentation tank upflow velocities ranging from 0.4 to 1.8 mm/s. This study presents nondestructive methods for measuring floc blanket concentration and position of the floc-water interface, steady-state performance data from the experimental apparatus, and the ef...
Kinetics of iron oxidation upon polyphenol binding

Polyphenol prevention of iron-mediated DNA damage occurs primarily through iron binding. Once bound, iron in the Fe2+-polyphenol complex autooxidizes to Fe3+ in the presence of O2. To determine the correlation between the rate of Fe2+-polyphenol autooxidation and polyphenol antioxidant ability, kinetic studies at pH = 6.0 in the presence of oxygen were performed using UV-vis spectrophotometry. Initial rates of iron-polyphenol complex oxidation for epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), methyl-3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate (MEGA), gallic acid (GA), epicatechin (EC), and methyl-3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (MEPCA) were in the range of 0.14–6.7 min−1. Polyphenols with gallol groups have faster rates of iron oxidation than their catechol analogs, suggesting that stronger iron binding results in faster iron oxidation. Concentrations of polyphenol, Fe2+, and O2 were varied to investigate the dependence of the Fe2+-polyphenol autooxidation on these reactants for MEGA and MEPCA. For these analogous gallate and catecholate complexes of Fe2+, iron oxidation reactions were first order in Fe2+, polyphenol, and O2, but gallate complexes show saturation behavior at much lower Fe2+ concentrations. Thus, gallol-containing polyphenols promote iron oxidation at a significantly faster rate than analogous catechol-containing compounds, and iron oxidation rate also correlates strongly with polyphenol inhibition of DNA damage for polyphenol compounds with a single iron-binding moiety.
Algorithms for the rapid simulation of Rutherford backscattering spectra

Abstract A computer program which simulates Rutherford backscattering spectra is currently in use at Cornell University and other institutions. Straggling and detector resolution are among the effects included. Samples are considered to be made up of a finite number of layers, each with uniform composition. The emphasis in the mathematics is on accuracy beyond that of iterated surface approximation methods. Thicker layers can thus be analyzed without a net loss in accuracy. The mathematical description of the sample can then have fewer layers and fewer calculations are required. This paper provides estimates of the number of arithmetic operations used by the program for any simulation to demonstrate the tradeoffs between accuracy, computation time, and algorithm sophistication.
On the Any-Thesis and the Methodology of Linguistics

In earlier publications, I have outlined a largely novel approach2 to the semantics of certain formal languages and the semantics of certain fragments of natural languages.3 In this approach, the truth of a sentence S is defined as the existence of a winning strategy for one of the two players, called Myself, in a certain two-person game G(S) associated with S.4 Intuitively, G(S) may be thought of as an attempt on the part of Myself to verify S against the schemes of an actively resistant opponent who is called Nature. On the basis of this idea, most of the game rules can be anticipated. For instance, I win if the game ends with a true primitive sentence, and Nature wins if it ends with a false one. For quantifier phrases like “any Y who Z” and “every Y who Z”, the game rules can also be anticipated. As special cases we have the following rules:
Selective pharmacological agents implicate mitochondrial but not sarcolemmal K(ATP) channels in ischemic cardioprotection.

Background—Pharmacological evidence has implicated ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels as the effectors of cardioprotection, but the relative roles of mitochondrial (mitoKATP) and sarcolemmal (surfaceKATP) channels remain controversial. Methods and Results—We examined the effects of the KATP channel blocker HMR1098 and the KATP channel opener P-1075 on surfaceKATP and mitoKATP channels in rabbit ventricular myocytes. HMR1098 (30 μmol/L) inhibited the surfaceKATP current activated by metabolic inhibition, whereas the drug did not blunt diazoxide (100 μmol/L)-induced flavoprotein oxidation, an index of mitoKATP channel activity. P-1075 (30 μmol/L) did not increase flavoprotein oxidation but did elicit a robust surfaceKATP current that was completely inhibited by HMR1098. These results indicate that HMR1098 selectively inhibits surfaceKATP channels, whereas P-1075 selectively activates surface KATP channels. In a cellular model of simulated ischemia, the mitoKATP channel opener diazoxide (100 μmol/L), but not P...
Regeneration of Multilineage Skin Epithelia by Differentiated Keratinocytes

Although homeostasis of rapidly renewing tissues like skin epithelia is maintained by stem cells, the committed progeny of stem cells in the basal layer of epidermis retain regenerative potential and are capable of forming epidermis in response to environmental cues. It is not clear, however, at what point within the epidermal lineage keratinocytes lose this regenerative potential. In this study, we examined the extent of tissue formation by post-mitotic differentiated keratinocytes. We show that cultures of mouse keratinocytes that were, by all measures, differentiated were able to reform a self-renewing, hair-bearing skin when transplanted onto suitable sites in vivo. Genetic labeling and lineage-tracing studies in combination with an involucrin-driven Cre/lox reporter system confirmed that transplanted differentiated keratinocytes were indeed the source of the regenerated skin. More importantly, analysis of early stages of skin regeneration showed hallmarks of dedifferentiation of transplanted differentiated keratinocytes. These data indicate that commitment to differentiation does not prohibit cells from re-entering the cell cycle, de-differentiating, and acquiring "stemness". These findings suggest that epidermis can use different strategies for homeostasis and tissue regeneration.
Incremental training increases the plasticity of the auditory space map in adult barn owls

The plasticity in the central nervous system that underlies learning is generally more restricted in adults than in young animals. In one well-studied example, the auditory localization pathway has been shown to be far more limited in its capacity to adjust to abnormal experience in adult than in juvenile barn owls. Plasticity in this pathway has been induced by exposing owls to prismatic spectacles that cause a large, horizontal shift of the visual field. With prisms, juveniles learn new associations between auditory cues, such as interaural time difference (ITD), and locations in visual space, and acquire new neurophysiological maps of ITD in the optic tectum, whereas adults do neither. Here we show that when the prismatic shift is experienced in small increments, maps of ITD in adults do change adaptively. Once established through incremental training, new ITD maps can be reacquired with a single large prismatic shift. Our results show that there is a substantially greater capacity for plasticity in adults than was previously recognized and highlight a principled strategy for tapping this capacity that could be applied in other areas of the adult central nervous system.
Word order variation and ba sentences in Chinese

Despite extensive research on ba sentences in Chinese, the issue of when ba sentences are used in discourse has received little attention. This study examines the word order variation involving ba sentences by comparing three word orders: the canonical postverbal form, the ba form, and the topicalized preposed form. I show that the choice of the ba form depends on multiple factors, including information status, weight and topicality. The ba form is more likely to be used under two conditions: (a) when the ba NP carries old information but is not highly topical, (b) when the ba NP carries new information and is heavy. Further, my findings raise doubts on the ba NP’s role as a topic in discourse.
The ACP Evidence-Based Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is no longer new terminology in the healthcare system but, evidence-based CAM is still an unfamiliar term. Evidence-based medicine, a practice of medicine based on the recommendation derived from a systematic, scientific study of published data, is accepted as the standard in the healthcare. ACP Evidence-Based Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Bradly Jacobs and Katherine Gundling is reviewed. Up-to-date reference books like the ACP Evidence-Based Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine is an essential tool for improving quality of care when the providers aim to practice evidence-based medicine.
Pre‐Mesozoic Ice Ages: Their Bearing on Understanding the Climate System

It is a pleasure to read a book that summarizes a well-respected scientist's lifetime experience with a subject. In this particular case the subject involves pre-Mesozoic glaciations, and the author, John Crowell, has played a key role over the last few decades in both fundamental research and synthesizing our understanding of this interesting and important topic. Crowell's book, which is a monograph in the true sense of the word, summarizes in considerable detail the various types of geologic evidence for glaciations in the Late Paleozoic (256–338 Ma), Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous (353–363 Ma), Late Ordovician-Early Silurian (429–445 Ma), Early Cambrian/Neoproterozoic (∼520–950 Ma), Early Proterozoic (2200–2400 Ma), and the earliest glaciation recognized so far, in the Archean of South Africa (∼2950 Ma). There is also a brief but valuable discussion of the nature of evidence for cooling in the Cretaceous.
Surgical Correction of Refractory Reflux Esophagitis Using the Standard Unmodified Belsey Mark IV Technique

Abstract The treatment of symptomatic hiatus hernia unresponsive to medical treatment has been refined in the last decade. The work of Hill and colleagues in investigating the pathophysiology of this problem, and the anatomical techniques developed by Dr. Nissen and Mr. Belsey, have reduced the recurrence rate in the surgical management of symptomatic hiatus hernia to the point where it is at least as low as that for surgically treated duodenal ulcer. The most commonly employed methods of surgical repair for symptomatic hiatus hernia are those advocated by Drs. Nissen and Hill and Mr. Belsey, which are superior to the many unmonitored methods employed in the past. Recently, the use of modifications of these techniques has been reported in the literature with short follow-up studies. The current communication relates one surgeon's experience treating 85 consecutive patients with refractory reflux esophagitis using the standard unmodified Belsey Mark IV repair as originally described by Mr. Ronald Belsey of Bristol, England. Details of this repair are presented.
Phaeochromocytoma: inherited associations, bilaterality and cortex preservation

Background Hereditary phaeochromocytoma (HP) is characterized by early onset, bilateral adrenal involvement, low malignancy rate and genetic linkage with certain familial syndromes. This retrospective review was intended to show the high yield of surveillance, predictable bilaterality and the challenge of cortex-sparing adrenalectomy. Methods From 1964 to 1999, 32 patients with HP (mean age 29 years) were treated at a single institution and followed for a mean of 7 (range 0·5–24) years. There were 15 patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN2A), 12 with von Hippel–Lindau disease (VHLD), three with von Recklinghausen's disease (VRD) and two patients with familial phaeochromocytoma (FP). Twenty-six of 32 patients underwent bilateral adrenalectomy (12 metachronous). Subtotal resection with orthotopic cortex preservation was performed in four patients and heterotopic autografting in 14 patients. Subcapsular segments were harvested and implanted into the rectus muscle after histological confirmation of the absence of medullary tissue. The following variables were assessed: presenting signs, interval of metachronous disease, recurrence, outcome of cortex preservation and survival. Results Phaeochromocytoma was the first manifestation in six of 12 patients with VHLD and four of 15 with MEN2A. Surveillance uncovered medullary thyroid cancer in five of 15 patients with MEN2A, and haemangioblastomas, renal cell carcinoma and islet cell tumours in seven of 15 patients with VHLD and VRD. HP was bilateral in 26 of 32 cases (14 of 15 MEN2A, eight of 12 VHLD, two of three VRD and both FP). In 12 cases of metachronous HP, the mean interval between adrenalectomy was 67 (range 9–156) months. Three of four patients who underwent orthotopic preservation of the adrenal cortex developed recurrence compared with none of 14 patients with heterotopic autotransplantation of cortical tissue. Four patients in this latter group had normal serum cortisol levels and required no exogenous replacement therapy. There was one case of malignant HP and there was no surgical death. Conclusion Inherited bilateral phaeochromocytoma is derived from medullary hyperplasia. The long interval of metachronous phaeochromocytoma argues against prophylactic removal of the contralateral ‘normal’ adrenal gland. Phaeochromocytoma frequently heralds coexisting silent VHLD or MEN-2, mandating surveillance for inherited associations. Total adrenalectomy and heterotopic autotransplantation of medulla-free cortex may diminish the need for lifelong steroid substitution and eliminates recurrence. © 2000 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd
Three-dimensional instabilities of counterpropagating light waves in homogeneous plasma

A study is made of the three-dimensional instabilities of two light waves counterpropagating in homogeneous plasma. Such instabilities involve from one to four near-resonant electromagnetic sidebands, which interact with each other and the pump waves by scattering from four different ion-acoustic gratings. These gratings can be driven either resonantly, as in stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS), or nonresonantly, as in filamentation. No restrictions are placed on the instability geometry. Within the framework of an infinite-medium analysis, the only four-sideband instability is the cooperative filamentation of both light waves, which is absolute in nature. SBS involves a single Stokes sideband and is usually convective. With the sole exception of sideward SBS, each light wave scatters independently. For parameters typical of current inertial-confinement-fusion experiments, the cooperative filamentation of both light waves should be dominant when the light waves have comparable intensities and the ion-acoustic wave damping is strong, while the SBS of the more intense light wave should be dominant when the light waves have disparate intensities and the ion-acoustic wave damping is weak.
Preservation of antithrombin III activity in stored whole blood

Antithrombin III (AT-III) is the major inhibitor of thrombin, Factor Xa, and other coagulation enzymes. Congenital and acquired deficiencies of AT-III are thought to contribute to thrombosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Because a recent report suggested reduced AT III in stored blood, we evaluated blood bank storage effects. Serial samples were taken from 6 units of whole blood drawn into citrate-phosphate-dextrose-adenine over 42 days, and assays for AT-III functional activity were performed on the same day. The values (mean +/- SD) were as follows: day 0,91.8 +/- 10.7 percent; day 2, 101.9 +/- 10.7 percent; day 8, 107.3 +/- 7.4 percent; day 15, 118.9 +/- 11.1 percent; day 22, 105.4 +/- 9.8 percent; day 35, 93.4 +/- 8.8 percent; and day 42, 97.4 +/- 7.5 percent. The rise from day 0 to day 15 was significant but presumably secondary to interassay variation because analysis of frozen aliquots showed no significant change when all samples from each unit were assayed in one batch. Immunoassay of AT-III also showed no change with storage. The results indicate AT-III retains functional activity in whole blood stored at 2 to 6 degrees C for 42 days, and AT-III replacement does not require fresh blood or fresh-frozen plasma. Low values may reflect individual donor differences or dilution of plasma by anticoagulant.
Succeeding in a modern online travel marketplace: what do consumers need from a travel reservation web site?

Online travel industry has been growing at a fast pace over the last several years and is expected to grow at a steady rate in the future. Since this market is very attractive, it becomes very competitive. In order to survive the competition, online travel providers need to make sure that their sites offer features that are critical to consumers.This paper reports on results of an empirical pilot study that identified dimensions consumers use when selecting travel reservation web sites for their travel needs. Using current literature, a set of characteristics or features of travel reservation web sites was identified. Then a survey was constructed for subjects to rate these characteristics/features against each other. Data was analyzed using multidimensional scale analysis. As a result of statistical analysis, critical dimensions online consumers use to purchase travel packages on the Internet were identified.This research identified two such dimensions: 1) Reliability & Information, and 2) Ease of Use & Reassurance. Consumers need to be confident that the site is reliable and their personal information is being handled adequately. In addition, there is an urge to get more information, whether it is related to their traveling destination or, simply, consists of comments and opinions of fellow travelers. Moreover, consumers are looking for intuitive and user-friendly web site interfaces as it has always been the case in the past while preferring to have a choice of using advanced search capabilities when needed. Finally, as it was critical in the past, consumers wish to get reassured that adequate secure technologies were utilized in the transmission of sensitive data when interacting with the web site. Another interesting observation is that security-related features remain to be critical to online consumers as it was in the past.
Age-related expression patterns of Bag-1 and Bcl-2 in growth plate and articular chondrocytes.

Aging cartilage displays increased chondrocyte apoptosis and decreased responsiveness of chondrocytes to growth factors. The molecular mechanisms responsible for these changes have not been identified. Bag-1 is a Bcl-2-binding protein that promotes cell survival, interacts with a diverse group of cellular proteins, and may integrate multiple pathways involved in controlling cell survival, growth, and phenotype. Bcl-2 is important for maintaining chondrocyte phenotype and delaying terminal differentiation and apoptosis of chondrocytes. Comparatively little is known about the role of Bag-1 in cartilage. Here we show that both growth plate and articular chondrocytes in the mouse express the Bag-1 protein. In the growth plate, Bag-1 expression is prominent in the late proliferative and prehypertrophic chondrocytes, displaying a pattern similar to what has been reported for Bcl-2. Further, the expression of both Bcl-2 and Bag-1 declines with age in the articular cartilage. Growth assays demonstrate that knocking down Bag-1 expression causes a decrease in growth rate. These results suggest that Bag-1 is involved in the regulation of chondrocyte phenotype and cartilage aging. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Chain folding in oriented nylon 66 fibers

When heated to high temperatures under zero tension, some of the molecules in oriented nylon 66 filters change from the elongated to the folded conformation, with no change in crystal orientation. This transformation is shown by a combination of structural and physical property measurements: wide and small angle x-ray diffraction, broad and narrow line nuclear magnetic resonance, sonic modulus, density, shrinkage, and tensile properties. A fortyfold increase of the intensity of the discrete small angle x-ray diffraction is obtained for treatments between 160-and 255°C. as well as an increase of the length of the long period and a change from a smeared four-point to a sharp two-point diagram. Wide angle x-ray measurements show little change in crystallite orientation for treatments up to 250°C. even though much shrinkage occurs. Disruption of some type is observed by sonic measurements, as would be expected if new folds occurred. An increase of density and x-ray crystallinity confirms that heating causes much additional crystallization. The high temperature NMR spectra for these more crystalline yarns show a much larger proportion of fluidlike segments. Shrinkage of the yarns during the heating appears to be governed by the number of folds which are introduced. Tensile strength is reduced by this introduction of folded chains.
Circadian Mitotic Rhythm as a Guide for the Administration of Antimetabolites

SummaryResults are presented to indicate that the time of day in which the administration of cytosine Arabinoside, 5-fluorouracil, and actinomycin D is made, is critical insofar as their capacity to inhibit mitosis in the corneal epithelium of rats is concerned. The possible usefulness of these results in cancer chemotherapy is discussed.
The effect of kepone exposure during gestation and lactation on the metabolism of lindane by weanling rats

Abstract Pregnant rats received daily p.o. doses of 0, 0.1, 1.0 or 1.5 mg Kepone/kg from day 2 of gestation to day 21 postpartum. On day 21 postpartum, five randomly selected female pups from each treatment group were transferred to individual metabolism cages and were dosed p.o. with 1.66 mg of lindane (containing 1.81 μCi of [ 14 C] lindane). A significant dose-related increase in excreted radioactivity was observed. Furthermore, there were significant dose-related alterations in the relative proportions of excreted lindane metabolites. Results indicate that exposure to Kepone during gestation and lactation can significantly alter the metabolism of another environmental toxicant.