cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hepatic vascular response to elevated intraperitoneal pressure in the rat.

The rat is increasingly being used to study the physiological response to elevated intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) during laparoscopic surgery. Although decreased portal venous flow associated with the elevated IAP has been reported in large animals, little information is available in rats. Furthermore, the relative blood flow changes in the hepatic artery and portal vein have not been reported. Therefore, this study was performed to elucidate the change in systemic and splanchnic circulation, including hepatic arterial and portal venular flow, during pneumoperitoneum in rats. Sprague–Dawley rats were assigned into either a ventilated or nonventilated group and then subjected to various levels of IAP (0, 5, 10, and 20 mm Hg) using carbon dioxide gas. At each pressure, both cardiac output and splanchnic organ flow were determined using fluorescent microspheres. There was no obvious hemodynamic difference between the ventilated and nonventilated groups. Mean arterial pressure and cardiac index were significantly lower with 20 mm Hg of IAP compared to 0 mm Hg in both groups. Flow to the spleen, stomach, duodenum, total intestine, and portal vein was all decreased by increasing IAP (P < 0.05 at 20 mm Hg compared to 0 mm Hg) and was significantly correlated to the decrease in cardiac index. However, the hepatic arterial flow was relatively preserved throughout all levels of IAP, suggesting activation of the hepatic arterial buffer response. We conclude that the decreased splanchnic flow during pneumoperitoneum largely depends on the decreased cardiac index. Hepatic artery flow, however, is selectively preserved and may provide protection for liver function during sustained elevations in IAP.
The significance of frequency gradients in binocular grating perception

Abstract It has previously been reported that when pairs of sinusoidal spatial gratings of slightly different frequencies are viewed stereoscopically, subjects perceive a plane tilted in depth. This result was assumed to provide evidence for the operation of a narrow band, Fourier analysis type of mechanism in binocular vision. When any uniformly textured surface is physically rotated in depth, however, texture gradients are introduced into the monocular projections. Experiments were performed to compare the tilt effect obtained with sinusoidal gratings to that obtained when appropriate spatial frequency gradients were present. In all cases the frequency gradient patterns were more effective in producing the tilt effect. As these patterns have broad band Fourier spectra, it is argued that the results cannot be accounted for by narrow band Fourier models of binocular vision. An explanation is then offered in terms of the spatial inhomogeneity of the human visual system.
Inpatient Rehabilitation of Cerebellopontine Angle Epidermoid Cysts: Report of 3 Cases.

OBJECTIVE Demonstrate the inpatient rehabilitation potential of cerebellopontine angle epidermoid cyst patients. Due to their location, symptoms may present with a complex combination of headache, cerebellar dysfunction, and cranial nerve deficits affecting functional status. METHODS This report describes the cases of 3 patients with cerebellopontine angle epidermoid cysts who underwent neurosurgical resection followed by inpatient rehabilitation. All 3 patients experienced gait instability and cranial nerve deficits before surgery, and 2 of the patients had mild cognitive deficits. A customized rehabilitation program for these patients can address these deficits. RESULTS Each patient showed demonstrable gains in function with inpatient rehabilitation and good outcomes at discharge. CONCLUSION When rehabilitating epidermoid cyst patients, the clinician must be aware of a higher likelihood of cranial neuropathies, need for increased psychosocial support, and the need for more vigilant long term medical monitoring to detect recurrence.
On a formulation for a multiscale atomistic-continuum homogenization method

Abstract The homogenization method is used as a framework for developing a multiscale system of equations involving atoms at zero temperature at the small scale and continuum mechanics at the very large scale. The Tersoff–Brenner Type II potential [Physical Review Letters 61(25) (1988) 2879; Physical Review B 42 (15) (1990) 9458] is employed to model the atomic interactions while hyperelasticity governs the continuum. A quasistatic assumption is used together with the Cauchy–Born approximation to enforce the gross deformation of the continuum on the positions of the atoms. The two-scale homogenization method establishes coupled self-consistent variational equations in which the information at the atomistic scale, formulated in terms of the Lagrangian stiffness tensor, concurrently feeds the material information to the continuum equations. Analytical results for a one dimensional molecular wire and numerical experiments for a two dimensional graphene sheet demonstrate the method and its applicability.
Elderspeak’s Influence on Resistiveness to Care: Focus on Behavioral Events

Resistiveness to care (RTC) in older adults with dementia commonly disrupts nursing care. Research has found that elderspeak (infantilizing communication) use by nursing home (NH) staff increases the probability of RTC in older adults with dementia. The current analysis used general sequential querier (GSEQ) software to analyze behavior sequences of specific behavioral events. We found that older adults with dementia most frequently reacted to elderspeak communication by negative vocalizations (screaming or yelling, negative verbalizations, crying). Because negative vocalizations disrupt nursing care, reduction in elderspeak use by staff may reduce these behaviors thereby increasing the quality of care to these residents. The results clearly demonstrate that sequential analysis of behavioral events is a useful tool in examining complex communicative interactions and targeting specific problem behaviors.
Mechanism of oxidation-sulfation reactions of coo in the presence of na2so4

Sulfation studies were conducted on CoO samples coated with a thin film of Na2SO4 and exposed at 600 to 900 °C in O2-SO2-SO3 environments containing 0.02 to 2 pct (SO2+SO3). Within this range of conditions, Co3O4 (s), CoSO4 (s), and liquid Na2SO4-CoSO4 solutions were observed as reaction products. At lower concentrations of SO3 where CoSO4 (s) was unstable, the reaction product consisted of a thick Co3O4 layer close to the CoO, a layer of Na2SO4-CoSO4 liquid, and large Co3O4 particles at the gas/salt interface. At higher concentrations of SO3, the reaction procuct was a two phase mixture of solid CoSO4 and an Na2SO4-CoSO4 liquid. In gas mixtures containing 0.15 pct and 1 pct (SO2+SO3), the highest reaction rates were observed at about 750 to 800 °C. Some of these results are quite similar to those observed during low temperature hot corrosion of cobalt-base alloys. The overall reaction mechanism has been described in terms of two processes: oxidation of CoO to Co3O4 and sulfation of cobalt oxides.
A meta-analysis of infant outcomes after breech delivery

Objective To estimate the risks of neonatal morbidity and mortality associated with a trial of labor and with elective cesarean for the term breech infant. Data Sources Using the terms “breech,” “malpresentation,” and “external cephalic version,” we used the MEDLINE and Health Planning and Administration data bases to search the English-language literature from January 1981 to June 1993. The search was supplemented with a review of the reference lists of key articles and text chapters. Methods of Study Selection We included randomized trials or cohort studies that specified selection criteria for a vaginal delivery, provided detailed outcome data, and allowed for analysis by intended mode of delivery. Data Extraction and Synthesis Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. We pooled the weighted results from these studies to estimate the risks of birth injuries and perinatal death, and the risk differences between trial of labor and no trial of labor groups. The pooled risk for any injury was 1.00% after a trial of labor and 0.09% after elective cesarean. For any injury or death, the risk was 1.23% after a trial of labor and 0.09% after elective cesarean. The risk differences for injury and injury or death were 0.89 and 1.10%, respectively. These are significantly different from zero, suggesting an increased risk of injury and injury or death after a trial of labor. Conclusion When management decisions are made, the potential increased risk of neonatal morbidity after a trial of labor should be considered along with the increased maternal risk from cesarean delivery.
Preparation of [11C]‐thymidine and [11C]‐2′‐arabino‐2′‐fluoro‐β‐5‐methyl‐uridine (FMAU) using a hollow fiber membrane bioreactor system

A series of hollow fiber membranes containing immobilized enzymes were prepared and used in the synthesis of 11 C-labelled nucleosides. 11 C-Formaldehyde was produced in an alcohol oxidase/catalase bioreactor and circulated through a thymidylate synthase bioreactor with an appropriate substrate to produce the corresponding 11 C-nucleotide. These labelled nucleotides were subsequently dephosphorylated in an alkaline phosphatase bioreactor. The bioreactor approach was amenable to hot-cell conditions and yielded 11 C-products in higher yield and shorter synthesis times than conventional chemical approaches.
Nongenomic Activation of the Calcium Message System by Vitamin D Metabolites in Osteoblast-like Cells

1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25(OH)2D3) rapidly affects calcium (Ca2+) transport in several cell systems, suggesting physiological actions independent of genomic activation. To test this hypothesis, we studied immediate to early effects (0.5-300 sec) of 1,25(OH)2D3 on cytosolic Ca2+ [Ca2+]i in single osteogenic sarcoma ROS 17/2.8 cells loaded with fura-2. An acute rise in [Ca2+]i was observed in 40% of the cells following addition of 1,25(OH)2D3, with a threshold concentration of 10(-11) M. In most cases, the [Ca2+]i rise was transient, with return to baseline within 1 min; less frequently a more prolonged effect was observed, with variable recovery times. 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25(OH)D3) reproduced the effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on [Ca2+]i, with equal potency and similar responses, whereas 24,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, 1 alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol, and 22 oxa-1,25(OH)2D3 were not effective. 1,25(OH)2D3 also increased [Ca2+]i in ROS 24/1 cells, which are defective of receptors for the vitamin D metabolites. At high doses (10(-8)-10(-7) M) of 1,25(OH)2D3 the [Ca2+]i rise in ROS 17/2.8 cells was due to both influx of extracellular Ca2+ and release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores, as the effect was only partially inhibited by Ca2(+)-channel blockade by nifedipine. At low doses (10(-9)-10(-10) M), the effect was entirely dependent on extracellular Ca2+. 1,25(OH)2D3 also increased the production of inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate (Ins(1, 4, 5)P3) and diacylglycerol, at a threshold dose of 10(-9) M, indicating activation of phospholipase C (PLC). In two thirds of the cells studied, a second addition of 1,25(OH)2D3 within 5 min to cells prestimulated with equimolar doses of the vitamin D metabolite resulted in a [Ca2+]i transient of higher amplitude than the first, a phenomenon occurring at all doses of the hormone, and associated with production of Ins(1, 4, 5)P3. This response amplification was not produced by 25(OH)D3, and pretreatment with 1 alpha(OH)D3 did not significantly enhance 1,25(OH)2D3-induced production of Ins(1, 4, 5)P3. In conclusion, activation of the Ca2+ message system by vitamin D metabolites is a rapid, nongenomic effect; 1,25(OH)2D3 specifically activates both PLC and dihydropyridine-sensitive Ca2+ channels, and "primes" the cells to respond with an enhanced [Ca2+]i rise to a subsequent homologous stimulation; the presence of both the 1 alpha and 25 hydroxyl groups is necessary to express the full hormonal action of vitamin D on [Ca2+]i.
Thermal, Chemical and Mechanical Stability of HPV L1 VLP Vaccines: A Multiscale All-Atom Simulation Study

Recently Virus-like-Particles (VLPs) have been used as vaccines against viral diseases. It is the structural similarity of VLPs, and the surface proteins (epitopes) that evokes a neutralizing antibody response. We present a novel computational approach which may ultimately be applied in cell-free synthesis of VLP-based vaccines that are stable over wide range of external environmental conditions (e.g. temperature). Moreover, we aim to construct VLPs that can be stored and dressed later with different epitopes depending on the target virus, addressing wide range of viral diseases in a fast, cost-effective manner in unfolding pandemic scenarios.Here we present computational studies on VLPs constructed from a major capsid protein (L1) of human papilloma virus (HPV). The thermal stability and structural dynamics of these VLPs was studied using our novel multiscale all-atom approach. We probed mechanical stability via a bottom-up approach starting from major L1 protein going eventually up to the complete VLPs. External force was applied to each of these systems to probe their response to external tension. We have found the unfolding pathways of L1 proteins. Forces were applied to probe the strength of interface interactions between (1) L1 proteins and (2) pentameric assemblies of these protomers that form the subunits of a complete VLP. Finally we performed fully atomistic force-probe MD simulations of the complete VLPs in explicit solvent. Forces were applied at different positions on the viral surface. A detailed picture of the spatial distribution of elastic constants and yielding forces was obtained.All these results together helped us to understand thermal, chemical and mechanical stability of HPV VLPs. These will be used to make appropriate predictions of mutations in the structures to achieve our long term goal of constructing more stable VLPs.
Prediction of Individual Cow Milking Time for Milking Parlor Simulation Models

Abstract A prediction method for individual cow milking time for use in milking parlor simulation models was formulated as a function of pulsation ratio, vacuum, and milk yield per cow per milking. Milking time was divided into two components: lag time, consisting of time from milking unit attachment to initiation of milk flow, and milk flow time, consisting of time from initiation of milk flow to end of measurable milk flow. Least squares ANOVA indicated that linear effects of pulsation ratio, vacuum, and milk yield and quadratic and cubic effects of milk yield affected milk flow time and lag time. Quadratic effects of pulsation ratio and vacuum and the interaction between pulsation ratio and vacuum only affected milk flow time. Small but significant effects on milk yield per milking were due to pulsation ratio (linear), vacuum (linear and quadratic), and pulsation ratio x vacuum interaction. Based on the analysis, a prediction equation for milking time was formulated, tested, and found to be unsuitable for generation of simulated milking times. Fitting shifted gamma probability distributions to the milk flow time data at various pulsation ratios, vacuums, and milk yields per milking was suitable for generation of simulated milking times.
EXTENDED SINGLE-PARENT HOUSEHOLDS AND CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOR

This study examines the "additional adult" hypothesis for children living with single mothers. Using data from the National Survey of Families and Households, we formed three groups: married mothers, single mothers with no other adults in the household, and single mothers with one or more additional adults in the household. Single mothers' ratings of their children's behavior did not vary with the presence of an additional adult, in general. Among adolescents, however, living with an additional adult of the same sex was associated with comparatively positive ratings. Living with grandparents was associated with more positive ratings for adolescents but more negative ratings for children in middle childhood. The living arrangements of children in the United States have changed dramatically in the past 20 years. The proportion of children under 18 who live with a single parent increased from 12 percent in 1968 to about one-fourth at present (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990). According to Norton and Glick (1986), about 60 percent of all children in the United States will spend some period of time in a single-parent family before they reach the age of 18.
Bouldering in Yosemite: Emergent Signs of Place and Landscape

ABSTRACT A representationalist–constructivist bias is prevalent in contemporary anthropological research on meaning making, particularly research on large-scale domains of human life. This bias assumes that conceptual and imagined forms of sign processing originate and determine all significance manifesting in environments signifying as greater than local. Lived experience, however, also can originate and influence, if not fully determine, large-scale processes of meaning making. The case of rock climbing in Yosemite National Park illustrates the inscription and the processual emergence of symbolism into and out of bodily experience. Climbers internalize technical disciplines preconceived by translocal—in some respects, market-driven—multinational interests and emplace them into the Yosemite landscape while simultaneously originating significance via bodily encounters that are unmediated by conventional symbolic processes. Postphenomenological frameworks foreground how climbers’ unmediated bodily encounters bring into being generative lines of symbolism capable of reconfiguring previously established translocal structures of representation.
Surveying the a monument system at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory's Advanced Light Source accelerator

Particle accelerators with demanding alignment requirements face a need for periodic re-surveying of their reference monument systems. At the ALS, significant foundation settling and the necessary relocation of some floor monuments mean that the entire system of over 100 monuments must be re-surveyed to an accuracy of 100 microns at two year intervals. Last Fall, the monument survey was conducted entirely by the in-house Survey and Alignment crew using a simplified instrument mounting system and an inexpensive commercial software package. Precision levels, plummets, theodolites, and an electronic distance measuring system were used with the innovative "Monopod" instrument mounting system in a cost effective approach to this critical task.
Analysis of internet users' level of online privacy concerns

As the Internet permeates almost every aspect of our daily lives, some argue that the benefits of its use are diminished by threats to personal privacy. Privacy concern is a desire to keep personal information out of the hands of others. Online privacy is becoming an increasingly important policy issue as consumer groups rally to protect what they perceive to be basic privacy rights whereas others argue for freedom of information. This article presents an overview of the literature on privacy studies and examines survey results relating to Internet users’ demographic characteristics using data from 1998 online Internet surveys conducted at the Graphics, Visualization, and Usability Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Results indicate that there are small differences among degrees of Internet privacy concerns across groups divided by sex, education level, income level, and race, with all groups preferring privacy to convenience.
Efficient computation of forces on dislocation segments in anisotropic elasticity

We compare several alternative approaches for computing the stress field of a straight dislocation segment and its forces on other segments in an anisotropic linear elastic medium. The Willis–Steeds–Lothe expression can be implemented faster than Brown's formula and the matrix formalism is only slightly faster than the integral formalism. Expressions for self-stress and self-force are also explicitly derived. As an example, the critical stress to activate a Frank–Read source is computed as a function of its length in both isotropic and anisotropic materials.
Working together: words and math

Hybrid jumble and crossword puzzles can be used to bridge the gap between mathematics and language. These new puzzles use the traditional formats in new ways. Instead of using traditional word-based clues, these clues are hexadecimal equations whose answers are inserted into the puzzle through tiles. These answers can be words, numbers, or even a combination of letters and numbers. Combining math equations with words can help dissolve the barrier between language and math. This will help language-adept students realize that math is just another language. With this realization, a greater variety of people can understand and work with STEM topics, especially women who tend to perceive that they are stronger in languages than math. This paper explores this issue as well as the results of an initial assessment workshop held on the Loyola Marymount University campus in the summer of 2010.
Spatiotemporal Aquatic Field Reconstruction Using Robotic Sensor Swarm

Monitoring important aquatic processes like harmful algal blooms is of increasing interest to public health, ecosystem sustainability, marine biology, and aquaculture industry. This paper presents a novel approach to spatiotemporal aquatic field reconstruction using inexpensive, low-power, mobile sensing platforms called robotic fish. Robotic fish networks are a typical example of Cyber-Physical Systems where the design of cyber components (sensing, communication, and information processing) must account for inherent physical dynamics of the robots and the aquatic environment. Our approach features a rendezvous-based mobility control scheme where robotic fish collaborate in the form of a swarm to sense the aquatic environment in a series of carefully chosen rendezvous regions. We design a novel feedback control algorithm that maintains the desirable level of wireless connectivity for a sensor swarm in the presence of significant environment and system dynamics. Information-theoretic analysis is used to guide the selection of rendezvous regions so that the spatiotemporal field reconstruction accuracy is maximized subject to the limited sensor mobility. The effectiveness of our approach is validated via implementation on sensor hardware and extensive simulations based on real data traces of water surface temperature field and on-water ZigBee wireless communication.
The effects of healthy aging on cerebral hemodynamic responses to posture change

Aging is associated with an increased incidence of orthostatic hypotension, impairment of the baroreceptor reflex and lower baseline cerebral blood flow. The effect of aging on cerebrovascular autoregulation, however, remains to be fully elucidated. We used a novel optical instrument to assess microvascular cerebral hemodynamics in the frontal lobe cortex of 60 healthy subjects ranging from ages 20–78. Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) and nearinfrared spectroscopy (NIRS) were used to measure relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF), total hemoglobin concentration (THC), oxyhemoglobin concentration (HbO2) and deoxyhemoglobin concentration (Hb). Cerebral hemodynamics were monitored for 5 min at each of the following postures: head-of-bed 30 ◦ , supine, standing and supine. Supine-to-standing posture change caused significant declines in rCBF, THC and HbO2, and an increase in Hb, across the age continuum (p < 0.01). Healthy aging did not alter postural changes in frontal cortical rCBF (p = 0.23) and was associated with a smaller magnitude of decline in HbO2 (p < 0.05) during supine-to-standing posture change. We conclude that healthy aging does not alter postural changes in frontal cortical perfusion.
Emerging roles for triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells receptor family signaling in inflammatory diseases

Innate immune receptors represent important therapeutic targets for inflammatory disorders. In particular, the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family has emerged as a promoter of chronic inflammation that contributes to obesity, insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. Importantly, triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) has been characterized as an 'amplifier' of TLR2 and TLR4 signaling. TREM-1- and TREM-2-dependent signaling, as opposed to TREM-like transcript-1 (TLT-1 or TREML1), are mediated through association with the transmembrane adaptor DNAX activation protein of 12 kDa (DAP12). Recessive inheritance of rare mutations in DAP12 or TREM-2 results in a disorder called polycystic lipomembranous osteodysplasia with sclerosing leukoencephalopathy, and surprisingly these subjects are not immunocompromised. Recent progress into the roles of TREM/DAP12 signaling is critically reviewed here with a focus on metabolic, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. The expanding repertoire of putative ligands for TREM receptors is also discussed.
Suppression of Lipid Transfer Inhibitor Protein Activity by Oleate A Novel Mechanism of Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein Regulation by Plasma Free Fatty Acids

Abstract Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) mediates the interlipoprotein exchange of cholesteryl ester (CE) and triglyceride. A second plasma protein, lipid transfer inhibitor protein (LTIP), binds to lipoproteins and inhibits CETP activity by displacing CETP from the lipoprotein surface. Since free fatty acids (FFAs) enhance the binding of CETP to lipoproteins, we have examined the possible role of FFAs in modulating LTIP activity. Partially purified CETP, LTIP, and lipoproteins were incubated with 0 to 30 μmol/L sodium oleate, and the transfer of CE between a labeled donor lipoprotein and a given acceptor lipoprotein was measured. Without LTIP, oleate stimulated CETP-mediated CE transfer between VLDL, LDL, and HDL up to threefold. This stimulation was unique in both magnitude and oleate concentration dependence for each donor-acceptor lipoprotein pair. In contrast to CETP activity, in transfer reactions involving LDL or VLDL as donor, LTIP activity was suppressed (>80%) by 10 to 15 μmol/L oleate...
Comparison of direct and indirect immunoradiometric assays (IRMA) for Bacillus anthracis spores immobilised on multispot microscope slides

A solid phase immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) is described in which Bacillus anthracis spores were heat fixed to the wells of glass multispot microscope slides. Assays for spores of B. anthracis Vollum and Sterne strains with 3H labels were evaluated in the direct and indirect versions. Neither single nor signal-to-noise characteristics of indirect assays were greatly improved by the use of immunopurified antibody (IPAB) or IgG anti-bacterial reagents rather than antiserum. However, the specificity of the direct and indirect assays for B. anthracis strains and B. cereus NCTC 8035 was altered by immunopurification of the anti-bacterial reagent. Although the signal-to-noise ratio was sometimes higher in indirect than in direct assays, signal values were usually no better. Evidence was produced that the overall ratio of the indirect : direct antibody molecules bound by preparations of B. anthracis spores rarely exceeded two but the antibody-molecular ratio for antigens on extracellular material in spore preparations was much higher than the ratio for antigens on the spores themselves.
The effects of primary elevation of cerebral venous pressure on cerebral hemodynamics and intracranial pressure.

The dynamics of an elevated cerebral venous pressure and its effect on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure have been studied in considerable detail in the past [ 1, 4, 11, 14, 151. However, controversy still exists over the relationships between these pressures. As early as 1887 Falkenheim and Naunyn [5] observed that venous occlusion at the right atrium resulted in a rise in intracranial pressure (ICP). Queckenstedt [ 131 in 1916 demonstrated the clinical importance of the relationship between cerebral venous pressure and ICP. The results of the previous studies have varied; some showing ICP consistently greater than cerebral venous pressure and others showing the reverse to be true. More recently, investigators have concerned themselves principally with the effects of primary elevation of ICP on the sagittal sinus wedge pressure and cerebral blood flow (CBF) [ 4, 10, 12, 141. There have been few reports concerning primary elevation of cerebral venous pressure and its effect upon CBF and ICP. Also, no reports are available on the effects of marked (over 30 mm Hg) elevations of cerebral venous pressure. For this report, a series of experiments were performed on the primate to determine the effect on ICP of a primary elevation of cerebral venous pressure. During each experiment the cerebral venous pressure was raised slowly to the systemic arterial pressure (SAP) while the effect on CBF was investigated. The pial vessels were observed directly through a watertight window as part of the experiment.
Surgical Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

Deep brain stimulation is now an established therapy for Parkinson’s disease, and DBS continues to be refined. Well-established targets, such as the STN and GPi, have shown clear benefit in reducing motor complications in PD, and other more novel targets, such as PPN are being explored. Furthermore, there have been advances in imaging which allow for improved lead placement and also can reduce patient discomfort. The way electrical current is delivered through the DBS lead is also undergoing a transformation, allowing for more options regarding current shaping, steering, and new stimulation paradigms. The future holds promise for novel methodologies of neuromodulation including closed-loop devices and more focused lesion therapies that alter CNS circuitry.
Revealing and Addressing Length Bias and Heterogeneous Effects in Frequency Case-Crossover Studies

The case-crossover design is useful for assessing whether a recurrent exposure (e.g., drug) triggers an event (e.g., myocardial infarction), using only cases, when finding good controls is impractical. In the basic frequency design, the observed exposure odds among cases, during a period immediately before the event, are compared with the expected exposure odds, based on their usual frequency of past exposures. This is equivalent to comparing observed gap times between the event and the last exposure with the expected gap times based on the subjects' exposure experience under the null hypothesis of no exposure-event relation. Such a comparison reveals two problems in the usual-frequency analyses: 1) length bias that exists even under the null hypothesis; and 2) loss of efficiency when exposure effects do exist. The first problem arises because the event will more likely fall on a longer-than-average period between exposures, even under the null hypothesis, resulting in a systematic downward bias of risk ratios. The second problem arises from categorizing cases as exposed or unexposed and from not fully using the data on gap times between events and preceding exposures. A new method of analysis is presented that is free from length bias and that efficiently uses gap time data.
Scale effects of hydrostratigraphy and recharge zonation on base flow.

Uncertainty regarding spatial variations of model parameters often results in the simplifying assumption that parameters are spatially uniform. However, spatial variability may be important in resource assessment and model calibration. In this paper, a methodology is presented for estimating a critical basin size, above which base flows appear to be relatively less sensitive to the spatial distribution of recharge and hydraulic conductivity, and below which base flows are relatively more sensitive to this spatial variability. Application of the method is illustrated for a watershed that exhibits distinct infiltration patterns and hydrostratigraphic layering. A ground water flow model (MODFLOW) and a parameter estimation code (UCODE) were used to evaluate the influence of recharge zonation and hydrostratigraphic layering on base flow distribution. Optimization after removing spatial recharge variability from the calibrated model altered base flow simulations up to 53% in watersheds smaller than 40 km 2 . Merging six hydrostratigraphic units into one unit with average properties increased base flow residuals up to 83% in basins smaller than 50 km 2 . Base flow residuals changed <5% in watersheds larger than 40 and 50 km 2 when recharge and hydrostratigraphy were simplified, respectively; thus, the critical basin size for the example area is ~40 to 50 km 2 . Once identified for an area, a critical basin size could be used to guide the scale of future investigations. By ensuring that parameter discretization needed to capture base flow distribution is commensurate with the scope of the investigation, uncertainty caused by overextending uniform parameterization or by estimating extra parameter values is reduced.
Characterization of the effects of heat stress on the DNA-intercalating dye EvaGreen for potential use with the joint biological agent identification and diagnostic system

ABSTRACT Although advances in real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology and equipment have facilitated field research, only a limited selection of reagents do not require cold storage. This study explored the temperature stability of the commercially available DNA-intercalating dye EvaGreen after exposure to a spectrum of temperatures for 176 days by analyzing quantification cycle (Cq) and end fluorescence levels during amplification of the invA gene of Salmonella typhimurium. To further characterize potential dye stability, the effects of small differences in dye volume were examined and dye samples were subjected to an Air Force deployment to the Middle East. Significant differences in Cq and end fluorescence were found; however, the magnitude of mean Cq differences was less than one cycle and the magnitude of mean fluorescence differences was less than that attributable to a difference of 0.25 μL of dye per 25 μL reaction. Liquid EvaGreen dye may thus be stable at temperatures as high as 65°...
Diurnal and Seasonal Patterns in Corticosterone in the Turks and Caicos Iguana (Cyclura carinata carinata)

Monitoring glucocorticoids is commonly used to evaluate heightened physiological demands on a population under varying conditions. However, detecting changes depends on knowing baseline and temporal patterns in glucocorticoids. Plasma corticosterone was measured in the Turks and Caicos iguana (Cyclura carinata carinata) to determine diurnal and bi-annual baseline patterns as part of monitoring associated with a large-scale translocation program. Plasma from wild males (N = 100) and females (N = 96) was obtained in January of 2002 and 2003 and June 2002. Glucocorticoid concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Glucocorticoid levels were significantly greater in females than males, and showed a tendency to be inversely related to body condition in females but not in males. For the January samples, there was a non-significant trend for glucocorticoid levels to be highest in the morning. Establishing a daily pattern for only the hours the animals are above ground is useful for evaluating subsequent field studies. The potential influence of reproductive state and seasonal rainfall patterns on glucocorticoid levels is dis- cussed.
Proposing OpenSHMEM Extensions Towards a Future for Hybrid Programming and Heterogeneous Computing

SHMEM is an important and popular Partitioned Global Address Space PGAS programming model. The OpenSHMEM API Specification Version 1.2 defines a SHMEM programming model and there are many implementations of at least most of the specification. This paper presents extensions to this API that can improve ease of programming and provide more opportunities for implementors to improve performance. Some of these features are particularly important for performance on heterogeneous system architectures with architectural features such as multi-core processors, processor accelerators, distributed memory, and heterogeneous memories. The new features described in this paper are: Alltoall Collectives, Flexible PE Subsets, Thread-Safety, Local Shared Memory Pointers, Put With Signal, and Non-blocking Put and Get. The benefits of each of these features in terms of ease of programming or program performance are also described.
Effects of 2, 4-dinitrophenol concentrations on rates of respiration and fermentation of yeast.

SummaryLow concentrations of DNP stimulate the respiration of living yeast cells in the presence or absence of glucose. Respiration in the absence of substrate is normally insensitive to CO, but the increment increase due to DNP is sensitive to CO. Higher concentrations of DNP inhibit both respiration and fermentation of glucose. However, the respiratory pathway is considerably more sensitive to the inhibitor than is the fermentation pathway. In consequence, at certain concentrations of DNP, the Pasteur effect is depressed and there is a striking increase in the rate of aerobic fermentation.
Generalized Frequency Domain State-Space Models for Analyzing Flexible Rotating Spacecraft

The mathematical model for a flexible spacecraft that is rotating about a single axis rotation is described by coupled rigid and flexible body degrees-of-freedom, where the equations of motion are modeled by integro-partial differential equations. Beam-like structures are often useful for analyzing boom-like flexible appendages. The equations of motion are analyzed by introducing generalized Fourier series that transform the governing equations into a system of ordinary differential equations. Though technically straightforward, two problems arise with this approach: (1) the model is frequency-truncated because a finite number of series terms are retained in the model, and (2) computationally intense matrix-valued transfer function calculations are required for understanding the frequency domain behavior of the system. Both of these problems are resolved by: (1) computing the Laplace transform of the governing integro-partial differential equation of motion; and (2) introducing a generalized state space (consisting of the deformational coordinate and three spatial partial derivatives, as well as single and double spatial integrals of the deformational coordinate). The resulting math model is cast in the form of a linear state-space differential equation that is solved in terms of a matrix exponential and convolution integral. The structural boundary conditions defined by Hamilton’s principle are enforced on the closed-form solution for the generalized state space. The generalized state space model is then manipulated to provide analytic scalar transfer function models for original integro-partial differential system dynamics. Symbolic methods are used to obtain closed-form eigen decomposition–based solutions for the matrix exponential/convolution integral algorithm. Numerical results are presented that compare the classical series based approach with the generalized state space approach for computing representative spacecraft transfer function models.
A Convenient Synthesis of ω-Acetylenic Acids

Abstract ω-Acetylenic acids are valuable intermediates in the synthesis of long-chain acids. Their dimagnesium salts may be alkylated with 1-bromo-2-alkynes or 2-alkenes to synthesize many important naturally occurring fatty acids1–3. Also, internally-monounsaturated acids are prepared by alkylation of ω-acetylenic acid dilithium salts4,5 or the sodium salts of their N,N-dimethylamides6.
The Gentle Art of Making Rounds

(1957). The Gentle Art of Making Rounds. Postgraduate Medicine: Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. A-18-A-21.
Branch dependent shear coefficients and their influence on the free vibration of Mindlin plates

Abstract The effect of the shear correction coefficient on the branches of the frequency spectrum for the free vibrations of Mindlin plates is studied. Each of the three branches of the frequency spectrum for the Mindlin plate is associated with its corresponding branch of the frequency spectrum of the infinite elastodynamic plate through direct comparison. The use of branch dependent shear correction coefficients is proposed, and is utilized to bring each of the three branches of the Mindlin plate into best agreement with their corresponding elastodynamic branches. Conclusions with respect to the accuracy and range of applicability of the Mindlin frequency spectrum are drawn, with emphasis on the second flexural (Mindlin w 2 ) frequency branch. For the plate that is simply-supported on all of its edges, each of the three frequency branches contributes to the motion of the plate independently of the other two branches. Hence, only one of the branches is active for a given vibration mode, which allows one to solve for unique natural frequencies for each of the branches and to quantify their accuracy as well as to study the motion of each branch separately. This is not, however, the case for plates with other support conditions. In these cases, the vibrational motion corresponding to each of the branches of the frequency spectrum contributes to a given vibration mode. This, in turn, alters the implementation of Mindlin theory for these plates. Results for natural frequency predictions are compared to those of other studies in the literature as well as to those of the classical case when a single shear correction coefficient is employed. It is shown that natural frequency predictions are improved for the plate with all of its edges simply-supported, while the accuracy of the mode shape is improved for other boundary conditions.
Information Asymmetry in Perfectly Competitive Spatial Price Equilibrium Problems

In this chapter, we continue our investigations into information asymmetry and product quality. We now focus on perfectly competitive markets and present a spatial price equilibrium model with information asymmetry in quality in both static and dynamic versions. Producers at the supply markets know the quality of their products, whereas consumers, at the demand markets, are aware only of the average quality of the products that are shipped to their demand markets. Minimum quality standards are included in order to be able to evaluate the impacts of this policy instrument. We provide qualitative results, in the form of existence, uniqueness, and stability analysis. An algorithm is proposed, accompanied by a convergence proof. The algorithm is applied to compute solutions to a spectrum of spatial price equilibrium numerical examples in order to explore the impacts of information asymmetry under different scenarios. The numerical examples reveal that, as the number of supply markets increases, the “anonymizing” effect leads to a decrease in the average quality. In contrast, as the number of demand markets increases, the pressure to improve quality increases, and the average quality increases. Finally, the results reveal that, after minimum quality standards are imposed, the average quality at the demand markets increases and the prices also increase.
Gold Thiolate Nanomolecules: Synthesis, Mass Spectrometry, and Characterization

This chapter summarizes the synthetic routes used for the following HS-CH2-CH2-Ph protected gold nanoclusters: Au25(SR)18, Au38(SR)24, Au40(SR)24, Au67(SR)35, Au103–105(SR)45–46, Au130(SR)50, and Au144(SR)60. The synthetic routes are based on either (a) direct synthetic route or (b) a core-size conversion route. The synthetic routes leading to the most stable clusters are discussed and the characterizational techniques used to study the products are described.
Senescent intervertebral disc cells exhibit perturbed matrix homeostasis phenotype

Aging greatly increases the risk for intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) as a result of proteoglycan loss due to reduced synthesis and enhanced degradation of the disc matrix proteoglycan (PG). How disc matrix PG homeostasis becomes perturbed with age is not known. The goal of this study is to determine whether cellular senescence is a source of this perturbation. We demonstrated that disc cellular senescence is dramatically increased in the DNA repair-deficient Ercc1−/Δ mouse model of human progeria. In these accelerated aging mice, increased disc cellular senescence is closely associated with the rapid loss of disc PG. We also directly examine PG homeostasis in oxidative damage-induced senescent human cells using an in vitro cell culture model system. Senescence of human disc cells treated with hydrogen peroxide was confirmed by growth arrest, senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity, γH2AX foci, and acquisition of senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Senescent human disc cells also exhibited perturbed matrix PG homeostasis as evidenced by their decreased capacity to synthesize new matrix PG and enhanced degradation of aggrecan, a major matrix PG. of the disc. Our in vivo and in vitro findings altogether suggest that disc cellular senescence is an important driver of PG matrix homeostatic perturbation and PG loss.
Estradiol rapidly increases GluA2‐mushroom spines and decreases GluA2‐filopodia spines in hippocampus CA1

Hippocampal dendritic spine density rapidly increases following estradiol (E2) treatment, but the types of spines and trafficking of synaptic markers have received little investigation. We assessed rapid effects of E2 over time on the density of four spine types (stubby, filopodial, long thin and mushroom) and trafficking of AMPA receptor subunit GluA2 and PSD95 on tertiary, apical dendrites in CA1. Castrated male rats received 20 μg/kg of E2 or vehicle and were sacrificed 30 or 120 min later. Images of Golgi-Cox impregnated and PSD95/GluA2 stained dendrites were captured under the confocal microscope and quantified with IMARIS-XT. Stubby and filopodial spine densities did not change following treatment. Long-thin spines significantly decreased at 30 min while mushroom spines significantly increased at 120 min. GluA2, PSD95 and GluA2/PSD95 colocalization levels in stubby or long thin spines did not change, but filopodial spines had significantly reduced GluA2 levels at 30 min. Mushroom spines showed significantly increased levels for GluA2, PSD95 and GluA2/PSD95 colocalization at 120 min. Since GluA2 is important for memory consolidation, current results present novel data suggesting that trafficking of GluA2 to mushroom spines provides one mechanism contributing to estradiol's ability to enhance learning and memory by the PI3 signaling pathway. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
A public choice analysis of bond referenda and capital outlays of texas school districts

There were 398 bond referenda by Texas school districts from 1990-95. On average, these received a 58% voter approval rating and almost 75% of the referenda passed. A public choice model suggests many factors related to the voter percentage, including the amount of the bond issue per voter, percent of non-white population, and the amount of state and federal aid in the districts. Districts with Big Six auditors received higher voter percentages ceteris paribus, suggesting increased voter confidence in districts reviewed by brand name auditors. Districts with higher standardized test scores (TAAS) had more favorable votes, which can be interpreted that voters are willing to fund more infrastructure when output performance levels are adequate. A public choice model focusing on capital outlays was successful in explaining spending levels. A Big Six audit was associated with higher capital outlays, although TAAS was insignificant.