cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated Base Flow Separation and Recession Analysis Techniques

An automated base flow separation technique has been developed and tested. Base flow is considered to be the ground-water contribution to stream flow. Estimates of the amount of base flow can be derived from stream flow records. Such estimates are critical in the assessment of low flow characteristics of streams for use in water supply, water management, and pollution assessment. An automated base flow separation technique using a digital filter has been tested against three other automated techniques and manual separation methods. The filter appears to be comparable to other automated techniques in its ability to reproduce the results produced from graphical separation techiques. The filter technique is easy to use and has the added advantage in that it can be adjusted by the user to take into account personnel preferences in separation of stream flow into surface flow and base flow. The slope of the base flow recession has been used to estimate the volume of water in storage in the basin above the level of the stream channel, the amount of recharge to the shallow aquifer, and as an input into water budget models. A second automated technique was developed to calculate the slope of the base flow recession curve from stream flow record. This technique is an adaptation of the Master Recession Curve procedure. The results of this method were compared to manual estimates with an efficiency of 74 percent.
Activation of Matrix Metalloproteinases in the Failing Human Heart Breaking the Tie That Binds

The process of left ventricular (LV) remodeling has been shown to be an important predictor of morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure. Therefore, identifying the cascade of molecular and cellular events that contribute to LV remodeling is likely to provide new and novel targets for preventing disease progression in heart failure. In this issue of Circulation , Li and colleagues1 report that changes in the relative abundance of tissue inhibitors of the metalloproteinases (TIMPs) occur with the development of end-stage human heart failure, thus raising the important possibility that alterations in the extracellular matrix of the failing heart may contribute to disease progression in heart failure. The purpose of this editorial was to place the findings of the study by Li et al, as well as those of recently published reports, in perspective with what we know about myocardial extracellular remodeling in heart failure. The phenotype of dilated cardiomyopathic disease in humans can be characterized as a disproportionate increase in the ratio of LV ventricular chamber radius to wall thickness, with no increase in sarcomere length. The increased ratio of LV chamber radius to wall thickness is accompanied by increased myocardial wall stress, which can in turn promote further dilation and reduced pump function. Taken together, these observations would suggest that significant myocardial remodeling must occur within the LV free wall to allow for the chamber dilation and wall thinning that occur during the progression to severe LV dilation. Although the canonical view of LV remodeling has held that LV dilation occurs primarily as a result of an increase in myocyte size (hypertrophy), an increasing body of literature now suggests that the process of LV remodeling is far more complex than was once assumed and that important changes occur in the extracellular matrix components of the myocardium …
Memory-mapping support for reducer hyperobjects

Reducer hyperobjects (reducers) provide a linguistic abstraction for dynamic multithreading that allows different branches of a parallel program to maintain coordinated local views of the same nonlocal variable. In this paper, we investigate how thread-local memory mapping (TLMM) can be used to improve the performance of reducers. Existing concurrency platforms that support reducer hyperobjects, such as Intel Cilk Plus and Cilk++, take a hypermap approach in which a hash table is used to map reducer objects to their local views. The overhead of the hash table is costly --- roughly 12x overhead compared to a normal L1-cache memory access on an AMD Opteron 8354. We replaced the Intel Cilk Plus runtime system with our own Cilk-M runtime system which uses TLMM to implement a reducer mechanism that supports a reducer lookup using only two memory accesses and a predictable branch, which is roughly a 3x overhead compared to an ordinary L1-cache memory access. An empirical evaluation shows that the Cilk-M memory-mapping approach is close to 4x faster than the Cilk Plus hypermap approach. Furthermore, the memory-mapping approach admits better locality than the hypermap approach during parallel execution, which allows an application using reducers to scale better.
How to measure the information similarity in unilateral relations: the case study of Delicious

In this paper, I describe a better way to compute the information similarity between two users who are unilaterally connected. Unilateral relations are unidirectional connections and gain attention with the success of social tagging and microblogging systems. The relations are convenient and less bounded since people can make the connection without mutual agreement once they perceive that other users' information is worth. Using a social bookmarking data set, Delicious, I found that the traditional item unit-based similarity measures are not enough to show the common interests between a pair of unilaterally connected users. The similarity measure on the higher level such as metadata (root address of each URL) and macro-level tags (tags regardless of the annotated information item) showed better results. The significantly better results in metadata and macro-tag level similarity were also shown in the indirect relations, as well. I interpreted this result to mean that semantic information such as metadata and tags represent users' cognitive understanding of corresponding information. Therefore, in social tagging systems, it is better to match users not based on item-level similarity but based on the similarity on a higher level which embeds more semantic meanings.
ANALYTICAL FORMULATION OF THERMAL CONVECTION WITHIN A BODY OF SPHERICAL SHAPE

We modify Chandrasekhar's 1961 theory on convective motion by introducing an equation of state which depends both on pressure and temperature. We use this formulation to study the thermal convection within planetary masses of spherical shape. We proceed analytically to show that the flow field and the other geophysically relevant variables can be represented in terms of series of Bessel functions of the radial distance for those regimes which satisfy eigenvalue relations between the Rayleigh number and another nondimensional parameter. We provide numerical values for these eigenfunctions corresponding to the first six orders of harmonics.
Relationship between Machiavellianism and Type A personality and ethical-orientation

Results of a study investigating the relation between personality traits and ethical-orientation indicate sex is not an good predictor for differences in Machiavellian-, Type A personality- or ethical-orientation. Intelligence is found to be positively associated with Machiavellian- and Type A personality-orientation but negatively associated with ethical-orientation. Machiavellians tend to have Type A personalities, but tend to be less ethically-oriented than Nonmachiavellians. Type A personalities are more ethically-orientated than Type B personalities.
Carnal teachings: raunch aesthetics as queer feminist pedagogies in Yo! Majesty's hip hop practice

This essay puts forward a notion of “raunch aesthetics,” theorizing raunch as an aesthetic, performative, and vernacular practice: an explicit mode of sexual expression that transgresses norms of privacy and respectability. Raunch aesthetics describe creative practices that often blend humor and sexual explicitness to launch cultural critiques, generate pleasure for minority audiences, and affirm queer lives. The author activates her formulation of raunch in analyzing Yo! Majesty, a hip hop group comprised of black female emcees who openly describe their sexual desire for women, and explores how the queer youth of color she works with have responded to their music. Working beyond the unexamined moralisms that give critiques of raunch culture their legitimacy, the author argues that Yo! Majesty's raunch aesthetics transmit queer and feminist teachings. While celebrating carnal pleasures, these artists critique heterosexism, subvert narratives about the incompatibility of belief in Christ and queer sexualit...
Microarray analysis of gene expression in adult retinal ganglion cells

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) transfer visual information to the brain and are known to be susceptible to selective degeneration in various neuropathies such as glaucoma. This selective vulnerability suggests that these highly specialized neurons possess a distinct gene expression profile that becomes altered by neuropathy-associated stresses, which lead to the RGC death. In this study, to identify genes expressed predominantly in adult RGCs, a global transcriptional profile of purified primary RGCs has been compared to that of the whole retina. To avoid alterations of the original gene expression profile by cell culture conditions, we isolated RNA directly from adult RGCs purified by immunopanning without prior sub-cultivation. Genes expressed predominantly in RGCs included: Nrg1, Rgn, 14-3-3 family (Ywhah, Ywhaz, Ywhab), Nrn1, Gap43, Vsnl1, Rgs4. Some of these genes may serve as novel markers for these neurons. Our analysis revealed enrichment in genes controlling the pro-survival pathways in RGCs as compared to other retinal cells.
Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) management combining nitrogen fertilizer rate and defoliation frequency to enhance forage production efficiency

Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) pastures are widespread in warm climates worldwide and respond to nitrogen (N) fertilizer. Nitrogen fertilization has recently decreased because of increased cost and concerns regarding excessive N in the environment. Responses of bahiagrass to treatments representing three alternative levels of pasture management were assessed. Treatments, each including 56 kg N ha−1 applied for each growth period, were as follows: (i) six harvests with a total of 336 kg N ha−1 annually (referred to as intensive management), (ii) three harvests with 168 kg N ha−1 annually (intermediate management) and (iii) two harvests with 112 kg N ha−1 annually (extensive management). The intensive management produced the most forage with the highest nutritive value. Intermediate management, with only half the amount of N fertilizer, produced at least 80% of the forage yield each year as the intensive management treatment (4-year average of 8236 vs. 9122 kg ha−1 for the intermediate and intensive management treatments respectively) with forage of acceptable nutritive value for some classes of livestock. Limited forage production from the last harvest each year restricts autumn management opportunities, even though crude protein concentration was usually sufficient for some classes of livestock. Extended growth periods, as those that occur with the less-intensive management treatments, provide opportunities to accumulate forage for late-season grazing. Matching livestock enterprises to the forage produced, particularly in terms of nutritive value, can contribute to favourable livestock production responses from a range of bahiagrass pasture management approaches.
Posix: a model for future computing

The author considers how the Posix reference model remains accurate while other standards are becoming obsolete. The reference model identifies four main interfaces at which standards really matter: application programming interface; user interface; data interface; and communications interface.
Coating a transparent substrate by a transparent thin film to produce a given transmission differential phase retardance without diattenuation for obliquely incident monochromatic light

Abstract We determine the characteristics of transparent-layer coatings on planar dielectric substrates that produce specific transmission differential phase shifts (or retardances), without any accompanying diattenuation, for monochromatic (polarized) light at oblique incidence. Only fractional-wave retardances (e.g. λ/16 or λ/12) are attained per transmission and these require high-refractive-index substrates (e.g. Ge in the IR) and a large angle of incidence (e.g. 75°). However, because another (large) retardance value is available in reflection, this approach permits the design of novel dual and multi-value phase retarders.
Tapestry: a fault-tolerant wide-area application infrastructure

This abstract describes progress of the Tapeswy wide-area overlay network infrastructure, current experimental results on muting efficiency, locality and fanh-tolerante, along with the design and implementation of a wide-area multicast system called Bayeux. Tapestry is an infrastructure approach to solving several key challenges in building novel large-scale network applications, including scalability, fault-tolerance, and adaptability in the wide-area. Tapestry solves these issues as an overlay network application infrastructure. It provides network location services in the form of mapping globally unique object IDs to server locations, and message muting services given the unique ID of the destination node. Identifiers are randomly assigned 160 bit strings. Messages are routed using a hop-by-hop incremental m~rehing of node IDs to the destination node. Objects are dislributed acruss random embedded trees, and a fuuction maps each object-ID to the node-ID of its "root node.'" Insertion involves usin 8 inter-node muting pointers to find the root, while placing pointers to the object on intervening hops. Queries also use routing pointers to find the destination root, but terminate when they intersect hops with the desired object pointers. For each possible suffix length, each node keeps muting links m its "closest" neighbors with the common suffix that differs in the next digit. This results in good locality and distribution, and mutes with at most Lo~(# of Nodes) hops, where b is the base. This scheme simplifies corrupted pointer detection, scales via random object disIributinn, and has natural redundancy resulting in resilience against intermediate node failures and small network partitions. Compared to gimilar overlay systems like C.hord [3] and Content
Automated iterative noise filtering (image processing)

An iterative method for removing signal-independent, additive noise from digital images is described. The underlying concept of this fully automated method is noise filtering by use of local statistics. Assuming that the noise is statistically stationary, noise variance is estimated from an input image by utilizing its smallest local variances. Noise filtering is performed iteratively and terminates when the estimated noise variance converges to zero. The method successfully processes degraded images by filtering noise from regions of uniform intensity while preserving texture pixels and edges. >
Effect of reduced aft diameter and increased blade number of high-speed counterrotation propeller performance

Performance data of 0.17-scale model counterrotation pusher propeller configurations were taken in the NASA Lewis 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at Mach numbers of 0.66, 0.71, 0.75, and 0.79. These tests investigated the aerodynamic performance of the unducted fan (UDF) demonstrator propeller engine developed in a joint program by General Electric and NASA. Data were recorded to show the effect on counterrotation propeller cruise efficiency of two takeoff noise-reduction concepts. These two concepts are reduced aft blade diameter and increased forward blade number. The four configurations tested were a baseline (F1/A1 8/8) configuration, a reduced aft diameter (F1/A3 8/8) configuration, an increase forward blade number (F1/A1 9/8) configuration, and a combination of the latter two (F1/A3 9/8) configurations. Data were collected with a complex counterrotation propeller test rig via rotating thrust and torque balances and pressure instrumentation. Data comparisons documented the power differences between the baseline and the reduced aft diameter concepts. Performance comparisons to the baseline configuration showed that reducing the aft blade diameter reduced the net efficiency, and adding a blade to the front rotor increased the net efficiency. The combination of the two concepts showed only slightly lower net efficiency than the baseline configuration. It was also found that the counterrotation demonstrator propeller model (F7/A7 8/8) configuration outperformed the baseline (F1/A1 8/8) configuration.
Renal function in dogs with chronic moderate unilateral ureteral obstruction.

Partial obstruction of the left ureter was created in seven dogs. Renal function was studied 3 weeks later. Total renal blood flow (RBF) and intrarenal blood flow distribution were studied using the microsphere technique. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR), effective renal plasma flow (Cpah) and the excretion of sodium and osmolar substances were determined using the clearance technique.RBF, GFR and Cpah in the hydronephrotic kidney were reduced to approximately 30 % of the same parameters in the contralateral kidney. Urinary sodium excretion was consistently lower in the hydronephrotic than in the contralateral kidney. Volume expansion with isotonic saline solution revealed that this reduction of sodium excretion from the hydronephrotic kidney was out of proportion to the extent of GFR reduction. The contralateral unobstructed kidney did not compensate for this salt retention by increasing its sodium excretion.
Mucosal cysts of the maxillary sinus: A clinical and radiographic study

Of 4,546 patients examined, 73 had mucosal cysts in one or both maxillary sinuses. Distribution between sinuses was approximately equal. Most cysts appeared to arise from the floor of the sinus. Almost half of those with cysts reported an allergy of some type. No significant relationship to other medical problems was found. About one half of the patients had identifiable periodontal disease, and a trend toward larger cysts with increasingly severe periodontal disease was noted. Thirty-four patients were re-examined after 2 to 38 months, and 21 still had cysts unchanged in size. A trend toward higher occurrence of cysts during certain times of the year was also noted.
Analysis and experiments on peaking sidelobe and scanning behavior in planar random arrays

A uniformly distributed random planar array is analyzed using a unified probabilistic approach. The expected beam pattern and maximum peaking sidelobe is derived in closed form considering an arrangement of randomly distributed elements within a uniform distribution that are confined to a square geometry. Theoretical and numerical beampatterns are compared to simulated and experimental results of a sixteen-element electrically large planar square aperture using microstrip patch antennas. Results are also compared to a theoretical maximum peaking sidelobe analysis.
Nucleophilic attack at selenium in diselenides and selenosulfides. A computational study

Nucelophilic substitution at selenium is examined using the B3LYP and MP2 methods. Various nucleophiles (HS-, CH3S-, HSe-, and CH3Se-) and substrates (R1SSeR2 and R1SeSeR2 with R1 and R2 = H or Me) are used to model substitution at selenium in diselenides and selenosulfides. In all cases, the mechanism is addition−elimination. A stable hypercoordinate selenium intermediate lies in a well that is 8−14 kcal mol-1 deep. Nucleophilic attack at selenium is both kinetically and thermodynamically more favorable than at sulfur.
Prevention of eating disorders: challenges and opportunities.

Objective and Methods On April 25, 2000, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) convened a Roundtable on the Prevention of Eating Disorders to review the state of prevention science in eating disorders and formulate recommendations regarding future steps to be taken in this area of research. Results and Discussion This report summarizes the roundtable discussion. The discussion focused on four major areas: the state of the art of risk factors research, translational research, prevention research in related fields, and cutting-edge efforts in eating disorder prevention. Conclusions The report concludes with specific recommendations. © 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 31: 233–239, 2002; DOI 10.1002/eat.10014
Increased sulfate uptake in skin fibroblasts isolated from cystic fibrosis patients.

Sulfate uptake into skin fibroblasts from patients with cystic fibrosis is increased. Sulfate transport studies were carried out in skin fibroblasts isolated from age/sex matched cystic fibrosis and normal subjects. Sulfate transport occurred mainly via a carrier-mediated proton-stimulated SO 4 2 /Cl-exchange. The capacity (V max ) of the uptake system operating at physiological concentrations of sulfate was stimulated in cystic fibrosis, but the affinity of the carrier for sulfate was not altered.
An estimate for multivariate interpolation II

Suppose u is a function on a domain Ω in Rn all of whose mth order distributional derivatives are in Lp (Ω) and m is sufficiently large to imply that u is continuous. If the values of u on a sufficiently dense, but not necessarily regular, grid of points are in lp we obtain an estimate of the LP(Ω) norm of u in terms of the lp norm of these values and the Lp norms of its mth order derivatives. This result is useful in obtaining error estimates for certain interpolation schemes.
Allan‐herndon‐dudley syndrome: Clinical and linkage studies on a second family

We restudied a family with X-linked mental retardation (XLMR) originally reported in abstract form by Davis et al. [1981]. All 8 living affected males were examined. Characteristics included severe mental retardation, spastic paraplegia, dysarthria, muscle wasting, scoliosis, broad shallow pectus excavatum, long face, large ears with minor modeling anomalies, foot deformities, joint contractures, and neck drop. Stature, OFC, testicular volume, high resolution chromosome and fragile X studies, and plasma amino acids were all normal. Their manifestations closely resemble those of a large family with XLMR originally reported by Allan et al. [1944] and restudied by Stevenson et al. [1990]. This condition has been termed the Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome (AHDS). As AHDS has been mapped to Xq21, mapping studies were undertaken to determine if this family maps to the same location. These studies demonstrate tight linkage to Xq21, with a maximum lod score of 2.88 obtained with probe pX65H7 (DXS72). Multipoint analysis located the mutant gene quite close to pX65H7 (multipoint Z = 4.14), slightly more proximal in Xq21 than was suggested by the data from the original AHDS family. It appears likely that this family is the second reported family with AHDS.
The impact of cell phones on motor vehicle fatalities

This article develops a set of models for the determinants of automobile fatalities with particular attention devoted to the effects of increased cell phone usage. Cell phones have been associated with both life taking and life-saving properties. However, prior statistical evaluations of the effects of cell phones have led to fragile results. We develop in this article econometric models using time-series data, allowing for polynomial structures of the regressors. The models are evaluated with a set of specification error tests providing reliable estimates of the effects of the various policy and driving-related variables evaluated. The statistical results indicate the effect of cell phones is nonmonotonic depending on the volume of phones in use, first having a net life-taking effect, then a net life-saving effect, followed finally with a net life-taking effect as the volume of phone use increases.
Postcataract surgical inflammation.

Purpose of review To describe the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and recent developments in the diagnosis and management of postcataract surgery inflammation. Recent findings In patients with pre-existing uveitis, control of inflammation with topical and/or systemic therapy for 3 months preoperatively continues to be important in lessening the risk of postoperative inflammation and complications. During cataract surgery, intraocular lens selection in these patients is important. Recent literature suggests that modern intraocular lenses (IOLs), particularly hydrophilic or hydrophobic acrylic lenses, generally have good uveal biocompatibility in uveitic patients. The postoperative course can be complicated by inflammation and cystoid macular edema (CME), and in uveitic patients, intensive perioperative steroid treatment can lessen these complications. Recent studies show that in uveitic patients, the improvement in CME and inflammation after intravitreal triamcinolone is better than after orbital floor triamcinolone injection, but that a single intraoperative orbital floor injection of triamcinolone is as effective as a 4-week course of postoperative oral prednisolone. Although postoperative inflammation in uveitic patients may be due to recurrence of uveitis, one must recognize other important potential causes of postoperative inflammation and treat accordingly. Summary Most patients with postcataract inflammation have good visual outcomes provided that the cause is recognized and that there is adequate perioperative planning in patients predisposed to inflammation.
The evolution of the albedo of dark spots observed on Mars polar region

Abstract We present a methodology to remove atmospheric effects from High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment data in order to calculate the albedo of the martian surface in the near infrared (0.8–1 μ m), red (0.55–0.85 μ m), and blue green (0.4–0.6 μ m) spectral bands. The application of our methodology results in corrections of up to 20 % in the albedo measured by the satellite. Time evolution of the surface albedo is used to study dark spots observed in Richardson Crater, on Mars south polar region. These dark spots form in late winter and vanish in late spring. They are of high scientific interest because they appear to be caused by the flow of granular material, liquid, or a combination of both. Besides images, the following data are used as ancillary information in our study: dust optical depth derived from measurements by the Thermal Emission Imaging System, the detection of the presence of either CO2 ice or H2O ice by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometers for Mars, surface pressure and temperature values derived from measurements by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer, and finally kinetic calculations and numerical modeling. Our results support the gas venting hypothesis previously proposed to explain the formation of dark spots. We show that the ejection of CO2 gas and accompanying loose material through cracks in the translucent CO2 ice layer, suggested by this hypothesis, is consistent with the time evolution of the surface albedo. Once dark spots form, surface albedo values indicate that they have three distinct areas: a dark core at their center, a brighter zone surrounding them (referred to as bright halo by various authors), and an optically distinct intermediate area separating the dark core from the bright halo. Our analysis indicates that these three areas are physically distinct and that the deposition and sublimation of CO2 and H2O ices are necessary to explain the time evolution of the albedo of the dark spots and the areas surrounding them. However, these conventional mechanisms cannot explain some observed features such as an unexpected decrease and subsequent increase in albedo while the surface temperature raises continuously. We hypothesize that this unexpected decrease in albedo is caused by brine formation and propose a mechanism to explain it. A new ejection of dark material or dust deposition could also explain this decrease. However, we show that these processes are unlikely to be the cause of the albedo decrease. The hypothesis that the dark spots observed in Richardson Crater contain liquid brines can be tested with laboratory experiments or in situ measurements by future landers.
Antibodies against N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus without major neuropsychiatric syndromes

Abstract Purpose Approximately 14–54% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus without a history of major neuropsychiatric syndromes (nonNPSLE) have cognitive deficits. Elevated N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antibodies (anti-NR2) have been reported in 35% of patients with SLE, but few studies have utilized controls or a composite memory index. We hypothesized that serum anti-NR2 would be elevated in nonNPSLE compared to healthy controls, and that elevated anti-NR2 would be associated with memory dysfunction and depression. Methods Subjects included 43 nonNPSLE patients with a mean age of 36.5 (SD = 9.0) and mean education level of 14.7 years (SD = 2.5). Twenty-seven healthy control subjects with similar demographic characteristics were also enrolled in this study. A global Cognitive Impairment Index (CII) and a Memory Impairment Index (MII) were calculated using impaired test scores from the ACR–SLE neuropsychological battery. Serum samples were analyzed using a standard ELISA for anti-NR2. Results Elevations of serum anti-NR2 were found in 14.0% of the nonNPSLE and 7.4% of the controls (p = 0.47). There was no relationship between elevated anti-NR2 status and higher CII or performance on the MII. No relationship between levels of depressive symptoms and anti-NR2 was found. Conclusions The frequency of elevated anti-NR2 was low (14.0%) in this sample of SLE patients and not significantly different from controls. A relationship was not found between the presence of anti-NR2 in serum and global cognitive or memory indices, or with depression. Results suggest that serum anti-NR2 is not likely related to mild cognitive dysfunction in SLE patients without a prior history of NPSLE.
Synthesis and Properties of Some 13-cis- and All-trans-retinamides

Several 13-cis-retinamides were synthesized from 13-cis-retinoic acid via either 13-cis-retinoyl chloride or 13-cis-1-retinoylimidazole. All-trans-retinoylglycine was prepared from all-trans-retinoyl chloride and ethyl glycinate. Detailed procedures were developed for the preparation of other all-trans-retinamides on a large scale for studies of the chemoprevention of cancer.
Effects of acute digitalization on cardiovascular dynamics in experimental, surgically induced heart block

Abstract In 10 dogs with surgically induced heart block, acute digitalization significantly improved over-all cardiovascular dynamics without altering the heart rate. Peripheral vascular resistance, mean systemic pressure, and left ventricular pressure were significantly increased after the administration of acetylstrophanthidin. There was no significant change in cardiac output or left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. These findings indicate a beneficial effect of digitalization in acute surgically induced heart block.
Myocardial capillaries in the fetal and the neonatal rat: a morphometric analysis of the maturing myocardial capillary bed

Developing myocardial capillaries from 16-day-gestation fetus to adult undergo several morphological changes including a thinning of the lateral extensions of the capillary endothelial cells, the formation of a basal lamina, and an increase in the number of plasmalemmal vesicles. A decrease in the extracellular space, an increase in the number of capillaries, and a decrease in the capillary diameter were also observed during the developmental period. In view of these ultrastructural changes, a morphometric analysis was made on the developing myocardial wall to demonstrate specific quantitative changes. The volumes which were occupied by capillary endothelial cells, capillary lumina, extracellular space, and myocardial myocytes within a reference volume of myocardium were measured; and we found that 8% of the reference myocardial volume was occupied by capillary endothelial cells, 85% was occupied by myocardial myocytes, 4% was occupied by capillary lumina, and, except for a significant change in extracellular space at 16 days gestation, 3% was occupied by extracellular space. Each volume ratio was found to be nearly constant throughout the studied period. In contrast to this constancy in the volume ratios, other parameters which were measured demonstrated significant changes during the developmental period studied. These overall changes include a 135% increase in capillary density, a 63% increase in luminal surface area of capillary endothelial cells, a 24% decrease in capillary diameter, a 12% decrease in diffusion distance, and a 35% decrease in the diameter of the erythrocyte population. The decrease in capillary diameter occurs concomitantly with and may be correlated to the decrease in erythrocyte diameter. Also, the increasing number of capillaries offset the effect of the decrease in capillary diameter, resulting in constant volume ratios. This constancy in the volumes of the measured myocardial compartments during development, despite the considerable changes in morphology and in the other measured parameters which are occurring in the myocardial wall, can be interpreted to mean that some functional constraints are operating to maintain capillary-to-myocardium volume ratios within very narrow limits.
Tuning Stubs as an Aid to Coupling RF Energy to Electrodeless Discharge Lamps

Efficient coupling of rf energy to an rf excited electrodeless discharge lamp is an important procedure frequently overlooked by spectroscopists. If incorrect coupling of the rf energy (via the usual coaxial transmission line) occurs, several undesirable conditions result: (1) The energy transfer is inefficient and the coaxial transmission line will dissipate some of the energy as heat, and (2) some of the rf energy will be reflected back to the rf generator with possible damage to the generator, particularly the magnetron oscillator tube.
Paralabral rupture of the proximal biceps tendon from light weightlifting.

ABSTRACT Rupture of the long head of the biceps is usually seen in older adults, in conjunction with rotator cuff tears or tenosynovitis secondary to chronic subacromial impingement; it is rarely seen as a result of trauma. We present the case of a young active patient who denied prodromal symptoms but ruptured the long head of the biceps brachii tendon (LHB) while performing 25-pound biceps curls. Upon examination, the patient was noted to have a readily apparent biceps defect and decreased strength. He was brought to the operating room, where open subpectoral tenodesis of the LHB was performed. At the 6-week follow-up evaluation, the patient had regained full range of motion. By 6 months, he had regained his previous strength. This case demonstrates an unusual presentation of a LHB rupture in a young healthy man with no prodromal symptoms.
Friction and wear performance of ion-beam-deposited diamond-like carbon films on steel substrates

Abstract In this study, we investigated the friction and wear performance of ion-beam-deposited diamond-like carbon (DLC) films (1.5 μm thick) on AISI 440C steel substrates. Furthermore, we performed a series of long-duration wear tests under 5, 10 and 20 N loads to assess the load-bearing capacity and durability limits of these films under each load. Tests were performed on a ball-on-disk machine in open air at room temperature, about 22 ± 1 °C, and humidity, about 30% ± 5%. For the test conditions explored, we found that (1) the steady state friction coefficients of pairs without a DLC film were in the range 0.7–0.9 and the average wear rates of 440C balls (9.55 mm in diameter) sliding against uncoated 440C disks were on the order of 10−5 mm3 N−1 m−1, depending on contact load; (2) DLC films reduced the steady state friction coefficients of test pairs by factors of 6–8, and the wear rates of pins by factors of 500–2000; (3) the wear of disks coated with a DLC film was virtually unmeasurable whereas the wear of uncoated disks was quite substantial; (4) the DLC films were able to endure the range of loads, 5–20 N, without delamination, and to last over 1 000 000 cycles before wearing out. During long-duration wear tests, the friction coefficients were initially on the order of 0.15, but decreased to some low values of 0.05–0.07 after sliding for 15–25 km, depending on the load, and remained low until wearing out. This low friction regime was correlated with the formation of a carbon-rich transfer film on the wear scar of 440C balls. Microlaser Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to examine the structure and chemistry of worn surfaces and to elucidate the wear- and friction-reducing mechanisms of the DLC film.
The seroprevalence of canine influenza virus H3N8 in dogs participating in a flyball tournament in Pennsylvania in 2010: a follow-up study.

Background Canine influenza virus (CIV) H3N8 infection is thought to be highly contagious and potentially deadly. Low seroprevalence in dogs participating in the sport of flyball in 2009 was reported. It remains unknown if prevalence is changing in dogs at risk. Objective To determine seroprevalence of antibodies to CIV H3N8 in a population of pet dogs that participated in an indoor flyball tournament in Pennsylvania in November 2010. Animals Dogs participating in a flyball tournament. Methods Medical, travel, and activity histories for previous 10.5 months were obtained from consenting owners and serum samples were collected from dogs. Antibodies to CIV H3N8 were measured using hemagglutination inhibition. Results Of 251 competing dogs, 103 dogs were tested. Overall, seroprevalence of CIV H3N8 in dogs participating in flyball was 1.9% (95% CI, 0.05–6.8%). Thirty-five dogs were tested in both 2009 (all titers 8) and both had been vaccinated twice in the previous month. Titers in remaining 8 vaccinated dogs were undetectable. Seroprevalence in vaccinated dogs was 20% (95% CI, 5.7–50.1%), whereas in unvaccinated dogs it was 0% (95% CI, 0–4.0%). Although 7 dogs had history of respiratory signs, only 1, which was vaccinated, was serologically positive for CIV H3N8. Conclusions Consistent with low prevalence of CIV H3N8 exposure previously reported in flyball dogs, unvaccinated dogs had 0% prevalence, suggesting a stable exposure rate. However, low seroprevalence may result in unprotected flyball dogs at risk for developing CIV H3N8.
Evidence for a pivotal role of platelets in vascular reocclusion and restenosis

Reocclusion and restenosis continue to be the major clinical complications following emergency and elective coronary interventions. Reocclusion ultimately occurs in more than 25% of patients after successful thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction [l] and may have major adverse consequences, ranging from mortality to compromised cardiac function. After percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), the risk associated with acute occlusion leading to myocardial infarction, emergency repeat PTCA, or coronary bypass surgery, may occur in up to 8% of patients [2]. Even more frequent and to date resistant to therapy is the possibility of restenosis, which occurs in 30-40% of patients after PTCA and requires an additional percutaneous intervention or bypass operation within the following year. Substantial evidence directly implicates platelets in reocclusion and restenosis. In fact, current clinical data suggest that platelets represent the most beneficial therapeutic target to reduce the risk of reocclusion and restenosis. In line with this “controversy series” thrombin is being considered the alternative to platelets in the pathogenesis of vascular reocclusion and restenosis. By virtue of its capacity to mediate fibrin formation, platelet activation and cellular migration and proliferation, thrombin undoubtedly is an important player in reocclusion and restenosis. Nevertheless, thrombin inhibitors have yet to match the dramatic effects of platelet antagonists in patients.
A Three-Dimensional Anelastic Model Based on the Vorticity Equation

Abstract A three-dimensional anelastic model has been developed using the vorticity equation, in which the pressure gradient force is eliminated. The prognostic variables of the model dynamics are the horizontal components of vorticity at all heights and the vertical component of vorticity and the horizontally uniform part of the horizontal velocity at a selected height. To implement the anelastic approximation, vertical velocity is diagnostically determined from the predicted horizontal components of vorticity by solving an elliptic equation. This procedure replaces solving the elliptic equation for pressure in anelastic models based on the momentum equation. Discretization of the advection terms uses an upstream-weighted partially third-order scheme. When time is continuous, the solution of this scheme is quadratically bounded. As an application of the model, interactions between convection and its environment with vertical shear are studied without and with model physics from the viewpoint of vorticity...
Nonredundant roles for hippocampal and entorhinal cortical plasticity in spatial memory storage.

Abstract Recently, it has been demonstrated that targeted blockade of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) cascade in either the entorhinal cortex (EC) or hippocampus (HIP) results in spatial memory deficits. However, it is unclear if ERK-mediated plasticity in these structures has redundant functions or unique roles. In this report, we contrast the role of long-term plasticity in these two structures with side-by-side comparisons of the effects of PD098059 infusion following water maze training. Analysis of performance during the long-term retention test indicates a role for plasticity in the EC in storing broad location information. In contrast, blocking plasticity in the HIP resulted in deficits in indices of precise location information and goal-directed navigational error. To distinguish between a navigational and location deficit, a “two-room” experimental design was employed. Training in the first room allowed animals to consolidate information regarding navigational strategies prior to training and drug infusion in the second room. Hippocampal-PD098059-infused animals demonstrated behavior suggestive of an expanded representation of the platform location and, thus, a loss of precise location information, suggesting that plasticity in these structures is involved in nonredundant, but complementary, processes necessary for spatial memory.
Altered replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in T cell lines retrovirally transduced to express Herpesvirus saimiri proteins StpC and/or Tip.

Human peripheral blood T lymphocytes are transformed in vitro to continuous proliferation by Herpesvirus saimiri subgroup C strains. It has been previously shown that H. saimiri-transformed human T cell lines are a permissive system for HIV-1 and 2 replication and are highly susceptible to infection by HIV-1 and 2. Two open reading frames of H. saimiri, StpC and Tip, are required for T cell transformation and are unique to this herpesvirus. The successful transduction of human T cells with retroviral vectors expressing H. saimiri proteins StpC and Tip has allowed us to extend the previously mentioned observations and investigate the role of StpC and Tip in replication of HIV-1 T-tropic strains (IIIB, MN, and RF) in human T cell lines. StpC expression in Molt4 dramatically enhanced HIV-1 replication as measured by Tat protein expression, syncytia formation, and accumulation of reverse transcriptase activity. In contrast, Tip expression in Molt4 cells inhibited HIV-1 replication and cytopathic effects relative to Molt4 cells transduced with the empty vector alone. The StpC-induced phenotype dominated in Molt4 cells transduced to express both StpC and Tip, suggesting that StpC is responsible for facilitating HIV-1 replication in H. saimiri-transformed T cells. Colony-forming ability of Tip-expressing Molt4 cells following HIV-1 infection was greatly enhanced over Molt4 cells expressing either StpC or no H. saimiri proteins at all. HIV-1 proviral DNA could be detected by PCR in surviving Molt4 cells expressing StpC or Tip, indicating that a persistent infection was established. A better understanding of the effects of Tip and StpC proteins on the biology of human hemopoietic stem cells may lead to novel therapeutic interventions for the treatment of AIDS.
Editorial Overview: Immune Senescence

Advanced age is associated with a decline in immune fitness commonly referred as “immune senescence”. Despite considerable advances in the medical field, infections continue to seriously compromise quality of life of the elderly. Indeed, infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumonia and influenza remain amongst the 10 leading causes of mortality amongst the elderly in the US. Given that the World Health Organization predicts that by 2050, 2 billion people will be at least 60 years of age (http://www.who.int/ageing/ en/), there is an urgent need to better understand the causes and consequences of immune senescence. The articles in this special issue of Open Longevity Sciences provide an excellent overview of the age-related changes in both the adaptive and the innate branches of the immune system, as well as the impact of these on the host response to infectious agents. This issue also examines the impact of neuroendocrine changes on immune senescence and reviews the current field of immune restorative approaches in the elderly.
Nerves and muscles of the pregenital abdominal segments of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (L.)†‡

The muscles and motor and sensory nerves of the pregenital abdominal segments were described and discussed in relation to the nerves and muscles of the thorax, as described by other workers. Each of the integumental muscles was named and described with regard to its location, function and innervation. Differences among segments of the same sex and between sexes were noted. A description of a longitudinal muscle, named here the hyperneural muscle, was included. The muscle overlies the abdominal portion of the nerve cord and may be derived from the ventral diaphragm. The most notable features of its structure are chiasmata of fibers which occur at points along its length and which show consistent relationships to the nerve cord and median nerve. A previously undescribed organ, located ventrally at the intersegmental fold, having dual innervation and showing stretch receptor function was described.
Some Unsolved (And Partially Solved) Problems In Holography

Various unsolved problems in holography are described, along with some long-standing problems that have been at least partially solved in recent years. In particular, the problems of making holograms in white light are discussed.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Becoming a Reader: The Experience of Fiction from Childhood to Adulthood

Introduction 1. Early childhood: the reader as player 2. Later childhood: the reader as hero and heroine 3. Adolescence: the reader as thinker 4. College and beyond: the reader as interpreter 5. Adulthood: the pragmatic reader.