cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intercostal nerve cryoablation is associated with lower hospital cost during minimally invasive Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum.

Abstract Minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (Nuss procedure) is associated with significant pain, and efforts to control pain impact resource utilization. Bilateral thoracic intercostal nerve cryoablation has been proposed as a novel technique to improve post-operative pain control, though the impact on hospital cost is unknown. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of patients undergoing a Nuss procedure from 2016 to 2019. Patients who received cryoablation were compared to those that received traditional pain control (patient-controlled analgesia or epidural). Outcome variables included postoperative opioid usage (milligram morphine equivalents, MME), length of stay (LOS), and hospital cost. Results Thirty-five of 73 patients studied (48%) received intercostal nerve cryoablation. LOS (1.0 vs 4.0 days, p Conclusion Bilateral intercostal nerve cryoablation is associated with decreased postoperative opioid usage and decreased resource utilization in pediatric patients undergoing a minimally invasive Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum. Level of Evidence Retrospective comparative study, level III.
Multi-band MR fingerprinting (MRF) ASL imaging using artificial-neural-network trained with high-fidelity experimental data.

Purpose We aim to leverage the power of deep-learning with high-fidelity training data to improve the reliability and processing speed of hemodynamic mapping with MR fingerprinting (MRF) arterial spin labeling (ASL). Methods A total of 15 healthy subjects were studied on a 3T MRI. Each subject underwent 10 runs of a multi-band multi-slice MRF-ASL sequence for a total scan time of approximately 40 min. MRF-ASL images were averaged across runs to yield a set of high-fidelity data. Training of a fully connected artificial neural network (ANN) was then performed using these data. The results from ANN were compared to those of dictionary matching (DM), ANN trained with single-run experimental data and with simulation data. Initial clinical performance of the technique was also demonstrated in a Moyamoya patient. Results The use of ANN reduced the processing time of MRF-ASL data to 3.6 s, compared to DM of 3 h 12 min. Parametric values obtained with ANN and DM were strongly correlated (R2 between 0.84 and 0.96). Results obtained from high-fidelity ANN were substantially more reliable compared to those from DM or single-run ANN. Voxel-wise coefficient of variation (CoV) of high-fidelity ANN, DM, and single-run ANN was 0.15 ± 0.08, 0.41 ± 0.20, 0.30 ± 0.16, respectively, for cerebral blood flow and 0.11 ± 0.06, 0.20 ± 0.19, 0.15 ± 0.10, respectively, for bolus arrival time. In vivo data trained ANN also outperformed ANN trained with simulation data. The superior performance afforded by ANN allowed more conspicuous depiction of hemodynamic abnormalities in Moyamoya patient. Conclusion Deep-learning-based parametric reconstruction improves the reliability of MRF-ASL hemodynamic maps and reduces processing time.
Retail Derivatives and Sentiment: A Sentiment Measure Constructed from Issuances of Retail Structured Equity Products

We use retail Structured Equity Product (SEP) issuances to construct a new sentiment measure for individual stocks. The SEP sentiment measure predicts negative abnormal returns on the SEPs’ reference stocks based on a variety of benchmarks including behavioral factor models and factors based on idiosyncratic volatility, short interest, and the 52-week high effect. Consistent with our interpretation that SEP issuances reflect investor sentiment, aggregate SEP issuances are highly correlated with the Baker-Wurgler sentiment index. Tobit regressions reveal that proxies for attention and sentiment predict demand for SEPs, providing additional evidence consistent with the hypothesis that SEP issuances reflect sentiment.
Interpregnancy Interval and Severe Maternal Morbidity in Iowa, 2009 to 2014

Abstract Introduction Maternal mortality and morbidity rates have risen significantly, yet little research has focused on how severe maternal morbidity (SMM) is associated with future reproductive health, such as birth spacing or the likelihood of subsequent SMM. This study focuses on the risk of SMM recurrence and the association of interpregnancy intervals with SMM. Methods This population-based, retrospective cohort study used Iowa hospital discharge data longitudinally linked to birth certificate data between 2009 and 2014. To examine recurrence of SMM, crude and adjusted multivariable logistic regression models were generated. The associations between varying interpregnancy intervals and subsequent SMM were examined. Crude, stratified, and adjusted risk ratios and their associated 95% confidence intervals were estimated. Results A total of 36,190 women were included in this study. Women with SMM in the index delivery had significantly higher odds of SMM in the subsequent delivery (adjusted odds ratio, 8.16; 95% confidence interval, 5.45–12.24) compared with women without SMM. Women with an interpregnancy interval of less than 6 months compared with 18 months or longer were more likely to experience SMM during their subsequent delivery, although the difference was not statistically significant (adjusted odds ratio, 1.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.99, 2.03). Conclusions This study demonstrates that women who experience SMM are at markedly increased risk of subsequent SMM. Further investigation is necessary to inform optimal interpregnancy interval recommendations based on prior maternal health outcomes.
Children are unsuspecting meat eaters: An opportunity to address climate change

Abstract Eating a plant-based diet is one of the most effective ways people can reduce their carbon footprint. However, global consumption of meat and other animal products is increasing. Studying children's beliefs about food may shed light on the relationship between eating behaviors and climate change. Here, we examined children's knowledge of the plant and animal origins of foods, as well as children's judgments of what can be eaten, using 2 dichotomous sorting tasks. The sample consisted of 4- to 7-year-old children from the United States. We found pervasive errors in their basic food knowledge. Foods derived from animals—especially, but not exclusively meats—were among those that children understood the least well. We suggest that the results may reveal a fundamental misunderstanding in children's knowledge of animal based foods, and we discuss reasons why the origins of meat may represent a particularly challenging concept for children to grasp. We end by considering the role that children may play as agents of environmental protection.
MARS via LASSO.

MARS is a popular method for nonparametric regression introduced by Friedman in 1991. MARS fits simple nonlinear and non-additive functions to regression data. We propose and study a natural LASSO variant of the MARS method. Our method is based on least squares estimation over a convex class of functions obtained by considering infinite-dimensional linear combinations of functions in the MARS basis and imposing a variation based complexity constraint. We show that our estimator can be computed via finite-dimensional convex optimization and that it is naturally connected to nonparametric function estimation techniques based on smoothness constraints. Under a simple design assumption, we prove that our estimator achieves a rate of convergence that depends only logarithmically on dimension and thus avoids the usual curse of dimensionality to some extent. We implement our method with a cross-validation scheme for the selection of the involved tuning parameter and show that it has favorable performance compared to the usual MARS method in simulation and real data settings.
Entrepreneurship, Hardship, and Gamesmanship: Modern Piracy as a Dry Endeavor

AbstractPiracy has reemerged in the past decade, but international laws lag behind. While modern - day piracy threatens lives and industries, antipiracy efforts are constrained by international legal definitions written centuries ago to address a crime that looked radically different from its twenty-first-century counterpart. Today, piracy networks are increasingly sophisticated and land-based, but piracy laws define the crime as one occurring on the high seas. Handcuffed by the high seas requirement, nations prosecute only junior pirates while pirate kingpins operate from the safety of land.In recent months, lower piracy rates have promised stability and masked the urgency of the threat. Although attacks have decreased, ransoms have skyrocketed and antipiracy successes come from methods resting on shaky legal foundations. The false sense of complacency in the antipiracy movement only heightens the need for a new definition of piracy.This Comment seeks a solution that will maintain existing international maritime laws but interpret them in a way that extends the piracy definition to land-based activities. These adjustments will efficiently deter pirates without the legal precariousness of existing antipiracy methods. It uses maritime treaties, counterterrorism tools, and familiar legal doctrines to pull pirate kingpins into the purview of piracy laws.Selina MacLaren*I. Introduction 348II. The Evolution of Piracy 350III. Existing Antipiracy Methods 352A. Multinational Navy Patrols 352B. Armed Security 353C. Land-Based Pursuit 354IV. Territorial Sovereignty and Jus Cogens 356A. Piracy as a Peremptory Norm 356B. Somali Territorial Sovereignty 357C. Universal Jurisdiction 360V. International Maritime Law 361A. UNCLOS and the Rome Convention Compared 361B. UN Security Council Resolutions Responding to Piracy 364C. Regional Piracy Laws 366VI. A New Approach 367A. Aiding and Abetting 3671. Aiding and abetting liability and its elements in existing international treaties 3682. Challenges in applying aiding and abetting to piracy 3693. A solution that permits aiding and abetting liability to apply in the piracy context 370B. Anticipatory Self-Defense and Counterterrorism 371C. From Definitions to Prosecutions 373VII. …
Reply to comment to article: Posterior component separation with transversus abdominis release successfully addresses recurrent ventral hernias following anterior component separation. Bruce Tulloh, Andrew Charles de Beaux, DOI 10.1007/s10029-015-1391-4.

Thank you for these comments. To clarify, in this manuscript, we do not promote anterior component separation (ACS) as the preferred method of closure for large abdominal wall defects for several of the reasons you have outlined; a high wound infection and seroma rate, a high recurrence rate, concerns for skin flap necrosis, as well as inapplicability to non-midline defects [1, 2]. For the management of large defects, we prefer posterior component separation with transversus abdominis release (PCS/TAR) due to a low recurrence rate, and applicability to hernias in every location in the abdominal wall [2–4]. But, having said that, there is little doubt that the popularization of ACS has made it a heavily utilized technique for definitive abdominal wall reconstruction [2]. While component separation methods are presumed to be destructive to the abdominal wall, there is excellent data that division of the external oblique aponeurosis in ACS and the division of the transversus abdominis muscle in PCS/TAR do not result in abdominal wall instability. Rather, the reapproximation of the linea alba afforded with these techniques results in improved abdominal wall function and quality of life [5]. The procedure you have described in 21 patients is a bridged repair covered with hernia sac, with no recreation of the linea alba [6]. While this procedure is an acceptable procedure for patients with no need for a functional abdominal wall (the elderly, those with limited life expectancy) it would not be the procedure of choice for definitive, functional reconstruction of the abdominal wall. Patients with bridged repairs of any type typically complain of persistent midline bulging where the mesh is unsupported and are at higher risk of hernia recurrences and central mesh fracture (depending on the type of mesh used) [7, 8]. We respectfully disagree with your assertion that PCS/ TAR is a salvage procedure. We believe that it is a reconstructive (not destructive) operation that should be considered the first-line procedure for the definitive closure of large abdominal wall defects as it permits wide defect overlap, with the mesh in the preferred sublay position and permits primary fascial closure in 95 % of cases [2, 4]. Bridged repair clearly has a role, but should be reserved for only the largest of hernias with massive loss of domain (in whom primary fascial closure is not feasible) or in patients who are not candidates for a definitive closure due to underlining comorbid conditions.
Physical Education and Athletics

(1955). Physical Education and Athletics. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 26, No. 8, pp. 27-28.
A behavior-analytic view of psychological health

This paper argues that a behavioral analysis of psychological health is useful and appropriate. Such an analysis will allow us to better evaluate intervention outcomes without resorting only to the assessment of pathological behavior, thus providing an alternative to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual system of conceptualizing behavior. The goals of such an analysis are to distinguish between people and outcomes using each term of the three-term contingency as a dimension to consider. A brief review of other efforts to define psychological health is provided. Laboratory approaches to a behavioral analysis of healthy behavior are presented along with shortcomings in our science that impede our analysis. Finally, we present some of the functional characteristics of psychological health that we value.
A variational derivation of LQR for piecewise time-varying systems

This paper provides a complete derivation for LQR optimal controllers and the optimal value function using basic principles from variational calculus. As opposed to alternatives, the derivation does not rely on the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equations, Pontryagin's Maximum Principle (PMP), or the Euler Lagrange (EL) equations. Because it requires significantly less background, the approach is educationally instructive. It provides a different perspective of how and why key quantities such as the adjoint variable and Riccati equation show up in optimal control computations and their connection to the optimal value function. Additionally, the derivation presented requires fewer regularity assumptions than necessary in applying the HJB or EL equations. As with PMP, the methods in this paper apply to systems and controls that are piecewise continuous in time.
Attribute Sampling: A Library Management Tool

Attribute sampling is a tool that librarians may use to estimate characteristics of their collection, such as the portion of boots needing repair, the accuracy of the circulation records, or the accuracy of cataloging activities. Because sampling always results in risk that the sample is not an accurate indicator of true conditions, one can establish the risk of an incorrect inference. This article describes the nature of attribute sampling and presents the process a librarian might use to mate a defensible inference
Molecular Composites from Liquid Crystalline Polymers and Liquid Crystalline Thermosets

ABSTRACT We propose a new approach to molecular composites. This approach uses a mixture of a liquid crystalline polymer and a liquid crystalline thermoset to enhance the miscibility. Preliminary neutron scattering data is presented on a system of short and long rod aromatic amides. The data is interpreted using the interpenetrating phase model of Debye and Bueche. The analysis indicates that the scattering is consistent with this model and shows a characteristic length scale in the range of 70 to 80 a. The intensity of the scattering is lower than calculated for the strong segregation limit, suggesting that there is some intermixing of the components.
Sanctifying Secrecy: The Mythology of the Corporate Attorney-Client Privilege

This article surveys the traditional justifications for giving corporations the benefit of attorney-client privilege. It rejects both moral and utilitarian explanations and argues that, far from being beneficial or benign, the privilege actually does great harm to the truth-seeking function of litigation and imposes tremendous transaction costs on the litigants and on the judicial system as a whole.
ATTACHMENT AND GROWTH OF BACTERIA ON SURFACES OF CONTINUOUS-CULTURE VESSELS

Don H. Larsen (Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah), and R. L. Dimmick. Attachment and growth of bacteria on surfaces of continuous-culture vessels. J. Bacteriol. 88:1380–1387. 1964.—Initial attempts to induce synchrony in a continuous culture of Serratia marcescens by alternating growth temperatures produced fluctuations in the population of a magnitude and at a density higher than predicted by theory. Without temperature change, the density in the 14-ml volume changed with dilution rate, but the total output of cells per hour remained constant, even at dilution rates greater than critical. When glass wool was added to the culture vessel, the total output per hour increased 30-fold. Nonlethal ultrasonic agitation applied to the vessel reduced the population density in continuous culture under both a static and a cyclic temperature program. The decrease in population density, when the washout rate was momentarily increased about tenfold, was less than theoretically predicted, and the subsequent rapid rise, when flow was terminated, indicated the presence of a reservoir of cells on the walls of the vessel continually discharging their progeny into the medium. Several genera were examined in the latter manner; it is estimated that in some cases as many as 90% (S. marcescens, Escherichia coli), and in others (Bacillus spp.) possibly none, of the cells in suspension arose from wall inhabitants. Growth of bacteria on the walls of continuous-culture vessels can significantly influence the population density and, hence, the kinetics of continuous growth.
Magnetic Fields in Dense Regions

This paper concentrates on reviewing magnetic fields in dense regions; see Heiles (1988, 90) for a review of fields in diffuse regions. The past few years have increased our observational knowledge of magnetic fields in dense regions by an enormous factor—not because there are many measurements, but because we started from zero. The observable is polarization, which is small and subject to systematic errors. The fact that the advances have occurred only recently is a result of several factors: technological development; the interest and commitment of experimentally-minded astronomers; and the maturing of molecular and infrared astronomy to the point that really new results require either new insights or more difficult techniques
The structure and function of ‘active zone material’ at synapses

The docking of synaptic vesicles on the presynaptic membrane and their priming for fusion with it to mediate synaptic transmission of nerve impulses typically occur at structurally specialized regions on the membrane called active zones. Stable components of active zones include aggregates of macromolecules, 'active zone material' (AZM), attached to the presynaptic membrane, and aggregates of Ca(2+)-channels in the membrane, through which Ca(2+) enters the cytosol to trigger impulse-evoked vesicle fusion with the presynaptic membrane by interacting with Ca(2+)-sensors on the vesicles. This laboratory has used electron tomography to study, at macromolecular spatial resolution, the structure and function of AZM at the simply arranged active zones of axon terminals at frog neuromuscular junctions. The results support the conclusion that AZM directs the docking and priming of synaptic vesicles and essential positioning of Ca(2+)-channels relative to the vesicles' Ca(2+)-sensors. Here we review the findings and comment on their applicability to understanding mechanisms of docking, priming and Ca(2+)-triggering at other synapses, where the arrangement of active zone components differs.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer students' sense of belonging in computing

The field of computing is rapidly developing, requiring a strong and diverse labor force. The current work assessed the relationship between Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) students' sense of belonging in computing and thoughts about leaving the field. The results of two studies indicated that among undergraduate students (Study 1) and graduate students (Study 2), thoughts about leaving one's computing program were associated with feeling a low sense of belonging in the computing community. These findings suggest that in order to capitalize on talent and perspective offered by the LGBTQ community, the field of computing should make greater strides towards inclusivity.
Positive peer pressure: Priming member prototypicality can decrease undergraduate drinking

In two field experiments, we manipulated the extent to which sorority members viewed themselves as prototypical group members before they learned social norm information. In Study 1 (n = 109), participants who learned that they closely matched the ideal group member's personality intended to drink less alcohol after reading about related group norms. In Study 2 (n = 155), participants primed to think of themselves as ideal group members reported drinking less alcohol in comparison to participants primed to think of themselves as unique individuals. Participants who heard a descriptive norm presentation reported drinking less alcohol in comparison to participants who heard injunctive or combined norm presentations. If speakers prime group member prototypicality before delivering normative information, their message can be more effective.
Fighting the Foreclosure Flu: A Proposal to Amend 11 U.S.C. § 1322(b)(2) to Authorize Residential Mortgage Modification in Bankruptcy

INTRODUCTION The days of soaring property values have been dislodged by the devastating collapse of the real estate market in 2007, leaving more than five million homeowners entangled in foreclosure proceedings.1 Foreclosures in 2009 reached recordbreaking heights and are forecast to increase every year.2 Even the most conservative estimates for the next few years presume at least six million more homes will follow in the foreclosure footsteps.3 By 2012, predictions contend that 8.1 million homes, or 16% of all residential mortgages, will go through foreclosure proceedings.4 Notwithstanding the idea that foreclosures are natural occurrences in a credit economy, the troubling aspect of the
The use of natural language processing of infusion notes to identify outpatient infusions.

Purpose Outpatient infusions are commonly missing in Veterans Health Affairs (VHA) pharmacy dispensing data sets. Currently, Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes are used to identify outpatient infusions, but concerns exist if they correctly capture all infusions and infusion-related data such as dose and date of administration. We developed natural language processing (NLP) software to extract infusion information from medical text infusion notes. The objective was to compare the sensitivity of three approaches to identify infliximab administration dates and infusion doses against a reference standard established from the Veterans Affairs rheumatoid arthritis (VARA) registry. Methods We compared the sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) of NLP to that of HCPCS codes in identifying the correct date and dose of infliximab infusions against a human extracted reference standard. Results The sensitivity was 0.606 (0.585-0.627) for HCPCS alone, 0.858 (0.842-0.873) for NLP alone, and 0.923 (0.911-0.934) for the two methods combined, with a PPV of 0.735 (0.716-0.754), 0.976 (0.969-0.983), and 0.957 (0.948-0.965) for each method, respectively. The mean dose of infliximab was 433mg in the reference standard, 337mg from HCPCS, 434mg from NLP, and 426mg from the combined method. Conclusions HCPCS codes alone are not sufficient to accurately identify infliximab infusion dates and doses in the VHA system. The use of NLP significantly improved the sensitivity and PPV for estimating infusion dates and doses, especially when combined with HCPCS codes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. key words—natural language processing; Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System; computerized medical records systems; pharmacoepidemiology
Elevated activity of a neutral proteinase in human muscular dystrophy

Abstract Human skeletal muscle homogenate was found to contain a neutral proteinase that catalyzes the hydrolysis of Z -Gly-Gly-Arg NNap, a sensitive substrate for trypsin-like enzymes. The enzyme activity was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, tosyllysine chloromethyl ketone, and benzamidine. It was not affected by known modifiers of thiol, metal-loproteinases or chymotrypsin-like enzymes. When the levels in patients were compared with those of the controls, a marked increase in muscle neutral proteinase activity was noted in patients with muscular dystrophies and polymyositis but not in certain denervating diseases. These results suggest the possibility that this proteinase may be involved in muscle breakdown in these disease states.
Oxide-ion conductivity of bismuth aluminates

Abstract Novel compounds in the Bi-Al-O and La-Bi-Al-O systems were prepared and tested for conductivity at high temperatures (500–800°C) in an oxygen gradient cell. The purpose is to develop an electrolyte material that will permit operation of a solid oxide fuel cell at 500–800°C instead of the 1000°C now used. The Bi-Al-O and La-Bi-Al-O compounds were found to have conductivities of about 10 −2 ohms −1 cm −1 and 10 −1 ohms −1 cm −1 at 800°C, respectively, in an oxygen gradient and ma y have the needed conductivity and stability toward humidified hydrogen for use as fuel cell electrolytes.
Platelet-rich plasma for pediatric tonsillectomy patients.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To determine if placement of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on the tonsil beds at the time of tonsillectomy would decrease postoperative pain and complications. Study Design: Double blind, randomized, prospective study. Methods: Seventy children were recruited to participate in the study, ranging in age from 4 to 15 years. They were randomized to treatment (PRP) or control groups. The parents, patients, and nurses were blinded as to which group they were in. Postoperative pain scores were obtained using the FACES pain scale and recorded in a home diary. Results: Seventy patients were recruited to the study, and 12 did not submit their diaries and were considered to drop out of the study. Demographic data were similar for both control and treatment groups. Median pain scores, medication use, days to normal diet, and office visits did not differ between the two groups. Conclusions: PRP applied once at the time of tonsillectomy does not improve postoperative pain or recovery in pediatric patients.
Malate dehydrogenases of leaf tissue from Spinacia oleracea: Properties of three isoenzymes

Abstract Starch-gel electrophoresis of leaf homogenates from Spinacia oleracea indicates four forms of malate dehydrogenase ( l -malate: NAD oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.37). Three of the isoenzymes (viz., microbody malate dehydrogenase, mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase, and soluble1 malate dehydrogenase) were completely separated by DEAE-cellulose anion-exchange column chromatography while a fourth isoenzyme (viz., soluble2 malate dehydrogenase) still contained soluble1 malate dehydrogenase as a contaminant. The electrophoretic and chromatographic properties of the isoenzymes are significantly different. Of the three resolvable isoenzymes, soluble1 malate dehydrogenase and microbody malate dehydrogenase are similar and differ from mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase in terms of pH-dependent substrate inhibition by oxaloacetate and in terms of their pH-dependent Michaelis constants (oxaloacetate). Soluble1 malate dehydrogenase and microbody malate dehydrogenase are inhibited less by oxaloacetate at pH 9.0 when compared to pH 6.0 or 7.5, while mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase is rather constant in its susceptibility to oxaloacetate inhibition at the same pH values. The oxaloacetate Michaelis constants of all the isoenzymes increase with increasing pH, however, soluble1 malate dehydrogenase and microbody malate dehydrogenase show a sharp increase at pH 9.0 which is not nearly so pronounced with mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase. The thermal stabilities of the isoenzymes are significantly different: soluble1 > mitochondrial > microbody. Based on gel filtration, the molecular weights of all four isoenzymes were estimated to be approximately identical, at 66,000. NAD analog experiments also suggested significant differences among the isoenzymes.
Stress reduces hemolymph ecdysteroid levels in the crab: Mediation by the eyestalks

In decapod crustaceans, molt hormone (ecdysone) production by Y-organs is suppressed by an eyestalk neurosecretory product, molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH). Environmental stressors are known to delay or prevent molting in crabs. The present study assesses the function of the MIH-Y-organ neuroendocrine system in the crab Cancer antennarius under conditions of daily handling stress. After three days, stressed crabs showed significant suppression of hemolymph ecdysteroid levels, which continued to fall to 20% of controls by day 14. Ecdysteroid titers of stressed crabs returned to prestress levels seven days after stress termination. Ecdysteroid levels in de-eyestalked (DES) crabs rose 160% within 48 hr post-DES. Stressing DES crabs over 16 subsequent days did not significantly alter ecdysteroid levels compared with unstressed DES controls. Handling stress thus depresses hemolymph ecdysteroid levels in the crab, a response that is mediated by eyestalks and appears to result from stress-induced MIH release.
NOC/oFQ contributes to hypoxic-ischemic impairment of N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced cerebral vasodilation.

Previous studies in piglets show that either hypoxia, ischemia–reperfusion (I+R) or combined hypoxia–ischemia–reperfusion (H+I+R) attenuated N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-induced pial artery dilation. This study was designed to determine the contribution of the newly described opioid nociceptin orphanin FQ (NOC/oFQ) to hypoxic–ischemic impairment of NMDA induced cerebral vasodilation in piglets equipped with a closed cranial window. Global cerebral ischemia was produced via elevated intracranial pressure. Hypoxia decreased PO2 to 35±3 mmHg with unchanged PCO2. I+R elevated CSF NOC/oFQ from 67±4 to 266±29 pg/ml (≈10−10 M) while H+I+R elevated CSF NOC/oFQ to 483±67 pg/ml within 1 h of reperfusion. Such elevated NOC/oFQ levels returned to control within 4 h in I+R animals and within 12 h in H+I+R animals. Topical NOC/oFQ (10−10 M) had no effect on pial artery diameter by itself but attenuated NMDA (10−8, 10−6 M) induced pial dilation (control, 9±1 and 16±1; coadministered NOC/oFQ, 5±1 and 10±1%). NMDA induced pial artery dilation was attenuated by I+R or H+I+R; but such dilation was partially restored by pretreatment with the putative NOC/oFQ antagonist [F/G] NOC/oFQ (1–13) NH2 (10−6 M) (control, 9±1 and 16±1; I+R, 3±1 and 5±1; I+R+NOC/oFQ antagonist, 6±1 and 11±1%) Similar results were obtained for glutamate. These data suggest that NOC/oFQ release contributes to impaired NMDA and glutamate-induced cerebrovasodilation following I+R or H+I+R.
Involving Parents at Step One in the Freshman Engineering Experience

The transition from high school to college can be very difficult for many students. The authors believe that parents can advocate on behalf of their children by educating themselves on particular transitional challenges their children potentially face, as well as by helping these freshmen daughters and sons establish realistic educational and social goals. Parents can assist their children by helping them to anticipate the significant transitions that occur during the freshman year. This paper will acquaint the reader with three key transitional challenges new college students face, and offer an approach to productive interactions between the Swanson Schoolâ??s orientation facilitators/freshmen faculty and the parents to ease these challenges. The paper will demonstrate the importance of making parents part of the first year orientation and educational process. Steadily improving persistence rates at the University of Pittsburghâ??s Swanson School of Engineering indicate that educating new students and parents in realistically anticipating first year challenges allows first year to successfully work through key freshman year challenges.
Kinetics and Thermochemistry of SiH3 + NO and SiD3 + NO Reactions: Pressure Falloff and SiH3−NO Bond Energy

The reactions of silyl and silyl-d3 radicals with nitric oxide, SiH3 + NO → SiH3NO (1) and SiD3 + NO → SiD3NO (2), have been studied using pulsed excimer laser photolysis coupled with time-resolved photoionization mass spectrometry over the temperature range 301−817 K. The rate constants were measured in the ranges 0.75 × 1016 ≤ [He] ≤ 32.0 × 1016 molecules cm-3 and 301 ≤ T ≤ 611 K. Both reactions are in the pressure falloff regions considerably far from the true low-pressure limit. RRKM fittings using the Troe factorization approach yielded the low-pressure limit and high-pressure limit rate constants: k1,tri = (3.12 ± 0.12) × 10-29(T/298)-2.96±0.09 cm6 molecule-2 s-1, k2,tri = (9.02 ± 0.40) × 10-29(T/298)-3.36±0.11 cm6 molecule-2 s-1, k1,inf = (3.9 ± 1.1) × 10-11(T/298)-1 cm3 molecule-1 s-1, and k2,inf = (5.0 ± 1.3) × 10-11(T/298)-1 cm3 molecule-1 s-1. Equilibrium constants were measured in the temperature range 711−817 K. The standard enthalpies of reactions 1 and 2 were determined using the third law...
Influence of non-Gaussian wind characteristics on wind turbine extreme response

The wind turbulence inflows specified in current wind turbine design standards and turbine response simulation tools are usually modeled as stationary random Gaussian processes. Field measurement data, however, suggest that wind turbulence in complex terrain exhibits non-Gaussian characteristics. This study presents a comprehensive investigation on extreme response of operational and parked wind turbines to non-Gaussian wind field. The non-Gaussian wind fields with specified non-Gaussian statistics and power spectral characteristics are generated using translation process theory and spectral representation method. The wind turbine response time histories at each wind speed bin are simulated. The turbine response statistical moments influenced by the non-Gaussian wind inflow are examined. The extreme response distributions conditional on wind speeds are determined from the simulation data using global maxima method and random process model method. The overall extreme response distribution is then calculated by further integrating the distribution of mean wind speed, which is used to quantify the extreme responses with various mean recurrence intervals (MRIs). The results showed that the non-Gaussian characteristics of wind inflows can result in noticeably larger extremes of blade root edgewise and tower base fore-aft bending moments of operational turbine, and blade root flapwise bending moment of parked turbine. The responses with larger MRIs are more sensitive to the non-Gaussian characteristics of wind inflows. The responses of parked turbine are less sensitive to non-Gaussian, especially, the tower base side-to-side bending moment is almost not affected by non-Gaussian. New insights on the determination of extreme response distribution from random process method are also presented focusing on a better modeling of the response distribution tail.
Flocking for multi-agent systems with unknown nonlinear time-varying uncertainties under a fixed undirected graph

This paper presents a flocking algorithm for networked multi-agent systems with unknown, nonlinear, time-varying uncertainties by integrating cooperative control and L1 adaptive control methods. An ideal multi-agent system without uncertainties is introduced first. The cooperative control law, based on an artificial potential function, is designed to make the ideal multi-agent system achieve flocking under a fixed and connected undirected graph. Information of ideal states, instead of real states, is exchanged among agents through a communication network. The presence of uncertainties will lead to the degeneration of the performance or even destabilize the entire multi-agent system. The L1 adaptive control law is therefore introduced to handle unknown, nonlinear, time-varying uncertainties. By integrating the cooperative control law with the adaptive control law, the real multi-agent system stays close to the ideal multi-agent system which achieves flocking asymptotically under a connected graph. Simulati...
Loss of low-density lipoprotein utilization by regressing porcine luteal cells: effects of protein kinase C activation.

We recently reported a decline in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake by regressing porcine luteal cells that correlated with diminished LDL stimulation of progesterone (P) production. The objectives of the present study were to determine 1) whether loss of LDL utilization is a specific lesion in the steroidogenic pathway in regressing luteal cells and 2) whether in vitro activation of protein kinase C (PKC) in mid-cycle luteal cells acutely suppresses LDL utilization. Dispersed cells (4 x 104/0.2 ml) from mid- (Days 6-10, estrus = Day 0; n = 5) or late- (Days 15-18; n = 7) cycle porcine CL were cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle/F-12 medium supplemented with insulin, transferrin, sodium selenite, and aprotinin for 24 h with human (h) LDL (0-100 $zg/ml), 22(R)-hydroxycholesterol (22[OH]-C; 0-25 g/ml), or pregnenolone (0-1000 nM). P production by midcycle luteal cells was dose-dependently increased (p 3-fold). In contrast, LDL (10-100 pg/ml) failed to stimulate P production by late-cycle luteal cells. But 22(OH)-C (up to 4-fold) and pregnenolone (> 10-fold) were as effective in promoting (p < 0.05) steroidogenesis relative to basal levels in late luteal cells as in mid-cycle cultures. The PKC activator, TPA (12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate; 10 ng/ml), inhibited (-20%;p < 0.01) basal and LDL-supported steroidogenesis, but did not suppress 22(OH)-C-stimulated P secretion. Since the kinetics and degree of suppression of basal and LDL-stimulated P production were identical, the data argue against a specific action on LDL metabolism. The data suggest that regressing porcine luteal cells lose their ability to utilize LDL as a source of cholesterol in the presence of continued steroidogenic enzyme activity. PKC activation does not appear to acutely alter LDL uptake or degradation.
Home: palliation for dying undocumented immigrants.

What Cifuentes wanted more than pain medicines or chemotherapy was to die at home. But he was an undocumented immigrant, and home was a ranchito in Guatemala. What should the U.S. health care system do for dying people who live in the country illegally?
Delayed onset of single dose tolerance to morphine analgesia.

Abstract Rats received either 20 mg/Kg of morphine sulfate I.P. or 5 μgm of morphine sulfate microinjected into the periaqueductal gray area of the brain. The analgesic effect of the morphine was determined by comparing pre- and postinjection tailflick latencies. To test for tolerance following a single injection, the procedure was repeated 6, 12 or 24 hours after the first injection and tests. Tolerance was not observed 6 hours after the original injection, tolerance was observed at 12 hours and increased tolerance was present at 24 hours. Single dose tolerance to morphine appears to develop slowly over a period of several hours and during much of this time, the amount of opiate present in the brain was insufficient to produce analgesia. Similarity between central and peripheral administration suggests a central mechanism of single dose tolerance.
Isolated calcification in a dilated left atrial appendage in the absence of mitral stenosis.

Abstract An unusual case of isolated calcification in a dilated left atrial appendage in the absence of mitral stenosis is reported. Dilation of the left atrial appendage in this case may be idiopathic but more likely represents herniation of the atrial appendage through a partial defect of the left pericardium. Calcification of the left atrial appendage in either of these conditions is unusual and, to our knowledge, has not been reported. The nature of the calcification is obscure but probably represents organization of a thrombus.
Myrtle McGraw's Neurobehavioral Theory of Development

Abstract Myrtle McGraw's contribution to understanding infant growth and development is undisputed, but controversy stubbornly persists regarding her views about how the brain contributes to behavioral development. McGraw conducted a more complex analysis of neurobehavior than is generally acknowledged by those who characterize her position as maturationist. McGraw drew on several streams of scientific knowledge and philosophy in a collaboration that included John Dewey to advance a unique analysis of the ontogeny of the brain and consciousness that singled-out the reciprocal relationship between neural growth processes and experience in early development. McGraw's studies of the role of gravity, inhibition, and judgment in the integration of behavior particularly remain pertinent to researchers examining the neurobiological and quantum processes through which brain and behavior undergo transformation.
Science at the service of government: California tries to exploit an unnatural resource

An inquiry is made into California's efforts to utilize the blessings of science and systematic analysis in formulating public policy. Four alternate sources of scientific and analytic help have received the State's attention: profit-seeking firms, not-for-profit research organizations, universities, and in-house scientific staffs or advisory boards. Potentialities and limitations of each of the four sources are reviewed.
A model for nitrogen chemisorption in ion thrusters

A theoretical model describing the formation of nitrogen species subject to chemisorption on ion thruster discharge chamber surfaces is presented. Molecules, atoms, atomic ions and molecular ions are identified as the important species in the analysis. Current densities of the atomic and molecular ions predicted by the model are compared to current densities measured in the beam of a SERT II thruster. The predicted and measured values of these two current densities are shown to agree within about + or - 100%. The mechanisms involved in the erosion of a surface subjected to simultaneous nitrogen chemisorption and sputter erosion by high energy ions are also discussed.
The Future of HCV Therapy: NS4B as an Antiviral Target

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major worldwide cause of liver disease, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. It is estimated that more than 170 million individuals are infected with HCV, with three to four million new cases each year. The current standard of care, combination treatment with interferon and ribavirin, eradicates the virus in only about 50% of chronically infected patients. Notably, neither of these drugs directly target HCV. Many new antiviral therapies that specifically target hepatitis C (e.g. NS3 protease or NS5B polymerase inhibitors) are therefore in development, with a significant number having advanced into clinical trials. The nonstructural 4B (NS4B) protein, is among the least characterized of the HCV structural and nonstructural proteins and has been subjected to few pharmacological studies. NS4B is an integral membrane protein with at least four predicted transmembrane (TM) domains. A variety of functions have been postulated for NS4B, such as the ability to induce the membranous web replication platform, RNA binding and NTPase activity. This review summarizes potential targets within the nonstructural protein NS4B, with a focus on novel classes of NS4B inhibitors.
First report of stem and foliar blight of sunflower caused by Alternariaster helianthi in Louisiana.

During the fall of 2009, sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) planted at the LSU AgCenter's Burden Center in Baton Rouge, LA exhibited severe stem and foliar blight symptoms. Symptoms on stems and petioles included elongated, slightly sunken lesions with dark brown margins. Leaf symptoms included irregular to circular, dark brown lesions with white centers and surrounded by a yellow halo. Several spots often coalesced to form large, blighted areas, and severely affected leaves turned yellow, followed by defoliation. The corolla and calyx exhibited similar lesions except for the yellow halo. Disease developed rapidly and the whole (100% disease incidence) field was blighted within a week following a rain (4 mm). Infected leaf and stem tissue was surface disinfested and plated on ¼-strength potato dextrose agar (PDA). Both leaf and stem tissue consistently produced dark olivaceous-to-black fungal colonies at room temperature under 12 h of fluorescent light per day. Conidia were 53 to 128 × 10 to 26 μm, borne si...
Level sets for the stationary solutions of the Ginzburg-Landau equation

We establish an upper bound of the measure of any level set of a stationary solution \(u\) of theGinzburg-Landau equation \(\) subject to periodic boundary conditions. The obtained bound depends polynomially on the parameter \(a\).
Experiments on axisymmetrically pulsed turbulent jet flames

An experimental study of the effects of strong axisymmetric pulsing on a free, vertical turbulent jet diffusion flame is presented. The jet flame was pulsed over the frequency range of 2-1300 Hz with amplitudes ranging from 0.13-0.89 of the centerline jet velocity. Conditionally averaged centerline velocity measurements and flame photographs were obtained to characterize the pulsed jet flames. The centerline evolution of the pulse waveforms was examined and found to be dependent on the pulse frequency; the centerline decay of the pulse amplitude increased with increasing pulse frequency. The visual dimensions of the pulsed flame were also frequency dependent. Significant changes in the local flame structure were observed, which exhibited a constant local nondimensional frequency of about 0.2, consistent with a preferred-mode coupling between the pulsing and the jet flame structure. Several features of the results also suggest a coupling between the forcing and low frequency structure in the outer preheat layer surrounding the jet flame.
Nonlinear Vibration Response of a Beam With a Breathing Crack

In this paper, a single degree of freedom system was used to model a beam with a breathing crack. Then analytical approximate solution approach was employed to solve this nonlinear vibration equation based on the Homotopy Perturbation Method (HPM). Nonlinear free vibration frequencies under different crack depth to thickness ratios were calculated and compared to the results that were predicted by the bilinear oscillator model. Both predictions were validated experimental data. It has been clearly shown that the fundamental frequency of a beam with a breathing crack is lower than the case in which the crack is assumed to be open and remains open. Nonlinear forced vibration responses containing all harmonics were determined analytically. Numerical simulation results were used to validate our analytical approximation solutions. A damage detection scheme was proposed to relate the crack depth to thickness ratio with a damage index, which is derived from the nonlinear forced responses. This damage index is able to accurately assess the breathing crack condition even for a very small crack depth.Copyright © 2012 by ASME