cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical trials: Placebo effects in interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome.

Placebo effects are a major factor in randomized control trials of treatments for interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. Two studies in the past 4 years have shown greater placebo effects than are usually reported in the literature. A recent report by Bosch investigated how these placebo effects are enhanced by education and behavioural modification strategies.
Programmable Force Fields for Distributed Manipulation, with Applications to MEMS Actuator Arrays and Vibratory Parts Feeders

Programmable force vector fields can be used to control a variety of flexible planar parts feeders such as massively parallel microactuator arrays or transversely vibrating (macroscopic) plates. Th...
Imaging nonmelanoma skin cancers with combined ultrasound-photoacoustic microscopy

PDT has become a treatment of choice especially for the cases with multiple sites and large areas. However, the efficacy of PDT is limited for thicker and deeper tumors. Depth and size information as well as vascularity can provide useful information to clinicians for planning and evaluating PDT. High-resolution ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging can provide information regarding skin structure and vascularity. We utilized combined ultrasound-photoacoustic microscopy for imaging a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) tumor pre-PDT and the results indicate that combined ultrasound-photoacoustic imaging can be useful tool for PDT planning by providing both structural and functional contrasts.
A novel lab-on-a-tube for multimodality neuromonitoring of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI)

A novel lab-on-a-tube integrated with spirally-rolled pressure, temperature, oxygen and glucose microsensors is described for multimodal neuromonitoring of patients with traumatic brain injury. In addition to measuring various crucial parameters in real-time continuous formats, the newly developed device also works as an intraventricular catheter to lower the elevated intracranial pressure by draining cerebrospinal fluid.
Exact tests of significance in 2xM contingency tables

The problem of testing hypotheses in 2xm contingency tables with small cell sizes is discussed. An exact technique suggested by Freeman and Halton is recalled and a computer program for performing the calculations is presented.
Focal plane resolution and overlapped array time delay and integrate imaging

In this paper we model sub-pixel image registration for a generic earth-observing satellite system with a focal plane using two offset time delay and integrate (TDI) arrays in the focal plane to improve the achievable ground resolution over the resolution achievable with a single array. The modeling process starts with a high-resolution image as ground truth. The Parameterized Image Chain Analysis & Simulation Software (PICASSO) modeling tool is used to degrade the images to match the optical transfer function, sampling, and noise characteristics of the target system. The model outputs a pair of images with a separation close to the nominal half-pixel separation between the overlapped arrays. A registration estimation algorithm is used to measure the offset for image reconstruction. The two images are aligned and summed on a grid with twice the capture resolution. We compare the resolution in images between the inputs before overlap, the reconstructed image, and a simulation for the image which would have been captured on a focal plane with twice the resolution. We find the performance to always be better than the lower resolution baseline, and to approach the performance of the high-resolution array in the ideal case. We show that the overlapped array imager significantly outperforms both the conventional high- and low-resolution imagers in conditions with high image smear.
Separation of the oligophosphates

Abstract Mixtures consisting of orthophosphate, its linear polymers up to and including tridecaphosphate, and three cyclic polymers have been separated by ion-exchange chromatography. One of the cyclic polymers (found in polyphosphate glasses of −n ≅ 10) is probably pentametaphosphate. Its cyclic nature has been demonstrated by end-group titrations and by paper chromatography, but attempts to determine the number of phosphorus atoms in the ring failed because of the very small amount of the compound available. Evidence is presented in support of the common assumption that the linear phosphates above the tetramer are eluted in the sequence of their increasing degree of polymerisation.
Co-variation of ionic conductances supports phase maintenance in stomatogastric neurons

Neuronal networks produce reliable functional output throughout the lifespan of an animal despite ceaseless molecular turnover and a constantly changing environment. Central pattern generators, such as those of the crustacean stomatogastric ganglion (STG), are able to robustly maintain their functionality over a wide range of burst periods. Previous experimental work involving extracellular recordings of the pyloric pattern of the STG has demonstrated that as the burst period varies, the inter-neuronal delays are altered proportionally, resulting in burst phases that are roughly invariant. The question whether spike delays within bursts are also proportional to pyloric period has not been explored in detail. The mechanism by which the pyloric neurons accomplish phase maintenance is currently not obvious. Previous studies suggest that the co-regulation of certain ion channel properties may play a role in governing neuronal activity. Here, we observed in long-term recordings of the pyloric rhythm that spike delays can vary proportionally with burst period, so that spike phase is maintained. We then used a conductance-based model neuron to determine whether co-varying ionic membrane conductances results in neural output that emulates the experimentally observed phenomenon of spike phase maintenance. Next, we utilized a model neuron database to determine whether conductance correlations exist in model neuron populations with highly maintained spike phases. We found that co-varying certain conductances, including the sodium and transient calcium conductance pair, causes the model neuron to maintain a specific spike phase pattern. Results indicate a possible relationship between conductance co-regulation and phase maintenance in STG neurons.
Effect of Halogen Compounds on the Molecular Spectra of Air

Airborne halogen compounds have been found to greatly increase the intensity of the N2 and NO molecular spectra of air in an ac spark. Chlorinated materials cause the largest enhancement followed by brominated, iodinated, and fluorinated compounds. This phenomenon can effectively be used to measure the presence of many volatilized halogen compounds present in concentrations as low as 1 ppm.
Ozone oxidation of oleic acid surface films decreases aerosol cloud condensation nuclei activity

[1] Heterogeneous oxidation of aerosols composed of pure oleic acid (C18H34O2, an unsaturated fatty acid commonly found in continental and marine aerosol) by gas-phase O3 is known to increase aerosol hygroscopicity and activity as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Whether this trend is preserved when the oleic acid is internally mixed with other electrolytes is unknown and addressed in this study. We quantify the CCN activity of sodium salt aerosols (NaCl and Na2SO4) internally mixed with sodium oleate (SO) and oleic acid (OA). We find that particles containing roughly one monolayer of SO/OA show similar CCN activity to pure salt particles, whereas a tenfold increase in organic concentration slightly depresses CCN activity. O3 oxidation of these multicomponent aerosols has little effect on the critical diameter for CCN activation for unacidified particles at all conditions studied, and the activation kinetics of the CCN are similar in each case to those of pure salts. SO-containing particles which are acidified to atmospherically relevant pH before analysis in order to form oleic acid, however, show depressed CCN activity upon oxidation. This effect is more pronounced at higher organic concentrations. The behavior after oxidation is consistent with the disappearance of the organic surface film, supported by Kohler Theory Analysis (KTA). The κ-Kohler calculations show a small decrease in hygroscopicity after oxidation. The important implication of this finding is that oxidative aging may not always enhance the hygroscopicity of internally mixed inorganic-organic aerosols.
Lipopolysaccharide core components of Rhizobium etli reacting with a panel of monoclonal antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies that react with Rhizobium leguminosarum lipopolysaccharide core antigens (LPS-2) have been used to investigate LPS-2 structure in Rhizobium etli. The panel of antibodies (JIM 32 - JIM 35, JIM 37, JIM 38) specific for LPS-2 of R. leguminosarum strain 3841 and its core components displays similar reactivities towards isolated LPS-2 from R. etli CE109 (a mutant of wild-type strain R. etli CE3 that displays LPS-2 as its main LPS form on the cell surface). This result suggests the antibodies bind to similar epitopes on both strains and, hence, that R. leguminosarum and R. etli have very similar LPS core and lipid A antigen structures. More detailed analysis of the antibody binding sites with isolated LPS-2 and lipid A from R. etli suggests that some of the antibodies (JIM 32, 33, 34, and MASM-I) bind some part of the core oligosaccharides, while others (JIM 35 and JIM 38) involve lipid A. These antibodies have already proven useful in the biochemical analysis of the LPS antigen forms. For example, the loss of reactivity of certain LPS forms with antibody JIM 37 has led to the discovery of a hitherto unnoticed form of the LPS antigen in a precipitate formed during the phenol/water extraction procedure. This new form reacts with the JIM 37 antibody. Furthermore, the positive reaction of some of the antibodies with only sonicated wild-type R. etli cells suggests that either an effective way of masking the display of core antigens on whole bacterial cells is occurring or that core forms of the LPSs are never displayed on the surface of the bacterial cells. Either possibility, once confirmed, could be important for our picture of the Rhizobium cell surface and could also have some bearing on symbiotic nodule infection and development.
High-temperature Raman scattering behavior in diamond

Measurements of the first-order Raman spectrum in homoepitaxially grown synthetic diamond for the temperature range of 300 to 1200 K are presented. Similar measurements for natural type IIa diamond for the temperature range of 300 to 2000 K are also given. Both the Stokes and anti-Stokes components are analyzed for their intensity, Raman shift, and width variation with temperature. The depolarization of the Raman signal at elevated temperatures was found to be the same as that at room-temperature. The synthetic diamond Raman shift indicated the presence of internal stress. The experimental first-order Raman shifts for natural diamond, using units of cm -1 and absolute temperature, are conveniently expressed as (Delta)(nu) = a 1 T 2 + a 2 T + a 3 with the coefficients found to be -1.124 X 10 -5 cm -1 K -2 , -6.71 X 10 -3 cm -1 K -1 , and 1334.5 cm -1 , respectively.
Hadamard Transform Photoacoustic Spectrometry and Depth Profiling

The Hadamard transform technique has been extended to include photoacoustic detection. The feasibility of Hadamard transform photoacoustic spectrometry in the visible spectral region has been demonstrated. Depth profiling has been illustrated in a layered sample consisting of a thin (20 μm) surface layer of neodymium oxide dispersed in a polystyrene matrix on a thick (2.5 mm) interior layer of holmium oxide dispersed in a polystyrene matrix. Depth profiling may be accomplished by varying the modulation frequency or by phase-sensitive detection at the appropriate modulation frequency.
Mecamylamine does not precipitate withdrawal in cigarette smokers

Mecamylamine is an antihypertensive that acts via nicotinic antagonism and has been suggested as an aid in smoking cessation. Nicotine dependent patients may not accept mecamylamine if it precipitates withdrawal, as it does in nicotine dependent rats. This study examined mecamylamine's effects using procedures designed to measure precipitated withdrawal symptoms in humans. Ten cigarette smokers (mean of 37.5 cigarettes/day) and ten non tobacco-using subjects participated in three 6-h sessions. After a 2-h baseline period in which smokers smoked one cigarette every 30 min, oral mecamylamine (0, 10, or 20 mg randomly ordered across sessions) was administered (double-blind). No smoking was allowed for the remainder of the session. Mecamylamine reduced blood pressure and increased heart rate relative to placebo in both the smokers and the non-tobacco users. No reliable direct subjective effects of mecamylamine were observed. Smokers' subjective reports of cigarette craving and tobacco withdrawal increased, and DSST performance was disrupted over the last 4 h of each session. Effects were independent of dose (placebo versus active). These results suggest that up to 20 mg mecamylamine will not precipitate nicotine withdrawal and that this medication would be acceptable for use in smoking cessation.
Sensitivity of Salivary Glands to Radiation: from Animal Models to Therapies

Radiation therapy for head and neck cancer causes significant secondary side-effects in normal salivary glands, resulting in diminished quality of life for these individuals. Salivary glands are exquisitely sensitive to radiation and display acute and chronic responses to radiotherapy. This review will discuss clinical implications of radiosensitivity in normal salivary glands, compare animal models used to investigate radiation-induced salivary gland damage, address therapeutic advances, and project future directions in the field.
The global/local nexus in comparative policy studies: analysing the triple bonus system in Mongolia over time

The article analyses a phenomenon that has accompanied teacher salary reform in Mongolia: the import of two global education policies that were nearly identical to the already existing local bonus system (olympiads). To make sense of an import that appears superfluous, the author analyses the reception and translation of the triple bonus system over time. The interpretive framework draws on system theory and pays attention to: (1) developments within a system or a context that explain the likelihood of policy borrowing; (2) change processes over time that result from interactions within a system as well as the system with its environment; and (3) periods of convergence and divergence that occur over the lifespan of a policy. The author finds that research on policy borrowing and lending has greatly contributed to better understanding the transnational flows of educational reforms. In contrast to spatial analyses, the time dimension of the global/local nexus is neither sufficiently studied nor convincingly...
Facilitation of calcium-dependent potassium current

The activation of Ca-dependent K+ current, Ic, was studied in macropatches on the cell bodies of molluscan neurons. When a depolarizing voltage-clamp pulse was applied repeatedly, Ic facilitated in a manner that resembled the facilitation of synaptic transmitter release. Facilitation was characterized by an increase in Ic amplitude, a progressive increase in instantaneous outward current, and a decrease in utilization time. Experiments were done to investigate the mechanism responsible for Ic facilitation. Facilitation was reduced by microinjection of an exogenous Ca2+ buffer into the cytoplasm, indicating that facilitation is a Ca(2+)-dependent process. It was also reduced at elevated temperatures. Conversely, facilitation was greatly potentiated by blocking the Na/Ca exchange mechanism. It is concluded that the facilitation of Ca-dependent K+ current results from the accumulation of Ca2+ at the inner face of the membrane during the repeated activation of Ca2+ channels by depolarization. The Ca2+ indicator fluo-3 was used in fluorescence imaging experiments to measure changes in [Ca]i near the cell membrane during repeated depolarizing pulses and the interpretation of these results was aided by numerical simulations of Ca2+ accumulation, diffusion, and buffering in the peripheral cytoplasm. These experiments showed that the time course of Ic facilitation matches the time course of Ca2+ accumulation at the membrane. It was found that the strength of Ic facilitation varies among patches on the same neuron, suggesting that the accumulation of Ca2+ is not uniform along the inner surface of the membrane and that gradients in [Ca]i develop and are maintained during trains of depolarizing pulses. Potential mechanisms that may lead to local differences in Ca2+ accumulation and Ic facilitation are discussed.
Convenient syntheses of perdeuterated ionic liquids

Facile, gram-scale, one-pot or two-step syntheses for two different types of perdeuterated room-temperature ionic liquids from commercially available starting materials are described.
Analysis of the mechanical behavior, microstructure, and reliability of mixed formulation solder joints

The transition from tin-lead to lead free soldering in the electronics manufacturing industry has been in progress for the past 10 years. In the interim period before lead free assemblies are uniformly accepted, mixed formulation solder joints are becoming commonplace in electronic assemblies. For example, area array components (BGA/CSP) are frequently available only with lead free Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solder balls. Such parts are often assembled to printed circuit boards using traditional 63Sn-37Pb solder paste. The resulting solder joints contain unusual quaternary alloys of Sn, Ag, Cu, and Pb. In addition, the alloy composition can vary across the solder joint based on the paste to ball solder volumes and the reflow profile utilized. The mechanical and physical properties of such Sn-Ag-Cu-Pb alloys have not been explored extensively in the literature. In addition, the reliability of mixed formulation solder joints is poorly understood. In this work, we have explored the physical properties and mechanical behavior of mixed formulation solder materials. Seven different mixture ratios of 63Sn-37Pb and SAC305 solder materials have been formed, which include five carefully controlled mixtures of the two solder alloys (by weight percentage) and the two extreme cases (pure Sn-Pb and pure SAC). For the various percentage mixtures, the melting point, pasty range, stress-strain curves, mechanical properties (modulus, strength), and creep curves have been characterized. The variations of the mechanical properties and creep rates with aging at room temperature (25 °C) and elevated temperature (100 °C) have also been measured. Finally, the microstructures realized with the various mixtures have been found and correlated to the mechanical measurements and microstructures found in actual mixed formulation BGA solder joints. The results for the mechanical and physical properties show a very complicated dependence on the mixture ratio.
Necessary conditions for optimum distributed sensor detectors under the Neyman-Pearson criterion

Distributed signal detection schemes that are optimum under the Neyman-Pearson criterion continue to be of interest. The functional forms of these schemes can be difficult to specify, especially for cases with dependent observations from sensor to sensor. For cases with dependent observations from sensor to sensor, the optimum sensor test statistics are generally not the likelihood ratios of the sensor observations. Equations expressing the forms of the optimum sensor test statistics in terms of the other optimum test statistics and the optimum fusion rule are given. Detailed proofs of these results are given in this correspondence and have not been given previously. In some communication, radar, and sonar system problems the amplitude of the received signal may be unknown, but the signal may be known to be weak. Equations expressing the forms of the optimum sensor test statistics for such cases are given. These expressions have already been shown to be useful for interpreting and finding optimum distributed detection schemes, but detailed proofs of the type given here have not yet been given.
THE RESPONSE OF TUNDRA PLANT BIOMASS, ABOVEGROUND PRODUCTION, NITROGEN, AND CO2 FLUX TO EXPERIMENTAL WARMING

We manipulated air temperature in tussock tundra near Toolik Lake, Alaska, and determined the consequences for total plant biomass, aboveground net primary production (ANPP), ecosystem nitrogen (N) pools and N uptake, and ecosystem CO2 flux. After 3.5 growing seasons, in situ plastic greenhouses that raised air temperature during the growing season had little effect on total biomass, N content, or growing-season N uptake of the major plant and soil pools. Similarly, vascular ANPP and net ecosystem CO2 exchange did not change with warming, although net primary production of mosses decreased with warming. Such general lack of response supports the hypothesis that productivity in tundra is constrained by the indirect effects of cold temperatures (e.g., low nutrient availability or short growing-season length) rather than by cold growing-season temperatures per se. Despite no effect on net ecosystem CO2 flux, air warming stimulated early-season gross photosynthesis (GP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) througho...
Profiles of Alexandrium catenella cysts in Puget Sound sediments and the relationship to paralytic shellfish poisoning events

The magnitude of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins in shellfish and the geographical scope of shellfish closures in Puget Sound have increased in recent decades. PSP, monitored by the Washington Department of Health, has spread from Sequim Bay in the 1950s into central Puget Sound in the 1970s and throughout Puget Sound by the 1990s. Alexandrium catenella, the species responsible for PSP toxins, produces a benthic resting cyst that, upon germinating, can seed blooms. This study examined whether there is a relationship between profiles of cysts in the sediment and temporal variation in PSP in shellfish and if the history of the toxin's southward expansion through Puget Sound can be seen in the cyst record. To address this question, sediment cores were collected from three Puget Sound basins, Sequim Bay, Penn Cove, and Carr Inlet, and cyst profiles were determined. Activities of 210Pb were fitted to a depth-dependent diagenetic model to date the sediment cores and determine mixing and sediment-accumulation rates. In order to compare historical variation in PSP with cyst profiles that have been altered by bioturbation, a depth and time-dependent diagenetic model was then used to predict vertical profiles of cysts that would occur under the assumption that cyst deposition rates are proportional to PSP concentration in shellfish measured over several decades at each site. The cyst profiles predicted by the model were compared to measured cyst profiles. These comparisons suggested that Alexandrium blooms and resulting PSP concentration in shellfish are more closely linked to cyst germination and deposition at some stations than at others. Sequim Bay had relatively large numbers of cysts and it is likely that the persistent toxicity here is the result of recurrent seeding from the cyst bed. Penn Cove and Carr Inlet had few cysts despite occasional blooms, suggesting that blooms are transported into those areas, perhaps from other sites of cyst germination. Sequim Bay and Penn Cove had cysts from top to bottom of the cores so it was not possible to determine the date when cysts were first introduced into these bays, but it is likely that A. catenella has been in Penn Cove since at least 1955 or for about two decades before the WDOH PSP toxicity data would indicate. The cyst profile in Carr Inlet suggested a first appearance date of 1985 that is consistent with the first appearance of PSP in shellfish in 1988.
An Analysis of Desmedt's Titration Procedure

The "titration" procedure is reviewed together with its application to the auditory system of the cat. The relevant portion of the auditory system is described by a mathematical model, and calculations based on it show the merit of titration over the direct observation of a stimulus-response ratio. The model yields a good approximation to Desmedt's experimental titration data.
Rapid multi-element analysis of groundwater by high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive method was developed to determine, with a single dilution, the concentration of 33 major and trace elements (Na, Mg, Si, K, Ca, Li, Al, P, S, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Mo, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Cs, Ba, Re, Hg, Pb, Bi, U) in groundwater. The method relies on high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR ICP-MS) and works across nine orders of magnitude of concentrations. For most elements, detection limits for this method are considerably lower than methods based on quadrupole ICP-MS. Precision was within or close to ±3% (1σ) for all elements analyzed, with the exception of Se (±10%) and Al (±6%). The usefulness of the method is demonstrated with a set of 629 groundwater samples collected from tube wells in Bangladesh (Northeast Araiharzar). The results show that a majority of tube well samples in this area exceed the WHO guideline for As of 10 μg L−1, and that those As-safe wells frequently do not meet the guideline for Mn of 500 µg L−1 and U of 2 µg L−1.
Studying Software Evolution for Taming Software Complexity

Reducing software complexity is key to reducing software maintenance costs. To discover complexity-reducing practices, in this paper we study the evolution of seven sizable open source programs over a long period of time. We first measure how software complexity changes as programs evolve, and identify complexity-reducing releases. We then study the changes introduced in these releases and extract evolution patterns (we call them complexity-reducing steps) that lead to reduced program complexity. Finally, we categorize these steps and discuss their effectiveness. We believe that bringing these complexity-reducing measures to light, and encouraging developers to adopt them, has the potential to improve the state of practice in software maintenance.
Two proteins isolated from sea urchin sperm flagella: structural components common to the stable microtubules of axonemes and centrioles

Biochemical fractionation of axonemal microtubules yields the protofilament ribbon (pf-ribbon), an insoluble structure of 3-4 longitudinal protofilaments composed primarily of alpha/beta tubulin, tektins A, B and C, and two previously uncharacterized polypeptides of 77 kDa and 83 kDa. We have isolated the 77/83 kDa polypeptides (termed Sp77 and Sp83) from sperm flagella of the sea urchin Stronglyocentrotus purpuratus and raised polyclonal antibodies against them. Sp77 and Sp83 copurify exclusively with the pf-ribbon. Both the anti-Sp77 and anti-Sp83 antibodies detected the nine outer doublets and the basal bodies of sea urchin sperm by immunofluorescence microscopy. In addition, the anti-Sp83 antibody, but not the anti-Sp77 antibody, detected a single 83 kDa polypeptide on immunoblots of unfertilized sea urchin egg cytoplasm, and a single polypeptide of 80 kDa on blots of isolated mitotic spindles from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Previous studies have shown that tektins are present in the basal bodies and centrosomes/centrioles of cells ranging from clam to human. We found that anti-Sp83 decorates the spindle poles in sea urchin zygotes, and the interphase centrosome and spindle poles in CHO cells. In CHO cells arrested in S phase with aphidicolin, anti-Sp83 detects multiple centrosomes. The staining of the centrosome was not disrupted by prolonged nocodazole treatment, suggesting that the 80 kDa polypeptide is associated with the centrioles themselves. Our observations demonstrate that, like tektins, Sp77 and Sp83 are structural proteins associated with stable doublet microtubules, and may be components of basal bodies and centrioles of sea urchins and mammalian cells.
Female mating frequency increases with temperature in two cricket species, Gryllodes sigillatus and Acheta domesticus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

Although the effect of temperature on calling song of male crickets has been widely studied, its influence on female mating behaviour remains largely unexplored. We examined the effect of varying temperature on female mating frequency in two cricket species (Gryllodes sigillatus (F. Walker, 1869) (= Gryllodes supplicans (F. Walker, 1859)) and Acheta domesticus L., 1758) by providing females with multiple mating partners and recording the number of matings over 72 h intervals using time-lapse video recording. Female mating frequency increased with temperature in both species, but increased more steeply in A. domesticus than in G. sigillatus. Temperature accounted for approximately 50% of the variation in female mating frequency. These results suggest that the threshold for mating in females is temperature dependent, such that at lower temperatures only certain males are able to elicit the female mounting response required for successful mating. If temperature affects female selectivity, then male mating su...
Neuroendocrine tumor presenting as metastatic carcinoid and later as insulinoma: a rare metamorphosis

We describe a very rare case of a neuroendocrine tumor, which initially presented as metastatic carcinoid with lesions in the liver and bones. Diagnosis was made by an elevated blood serotonin level and 24 hour urine 5HIAA. Liver biopsy confirmed the presence of a well differentiated neuroendocrine tumor (NET) staining positive for Chromogranin and negative for insulin. Two years after the initial diagnosis, the patient started to experience neuroglycopenic symptoms. Insulin and C-peptide levels were markedly elevated along with severe and recurrent hypoglycemic episodes. Due to extremely high insulin secretion from a large tumor burden, the patient’s clinical condition rapidly deteriorated in spite of maximal medical treatment. Shortly after the diagnosis of metastatic Insulinoma with unknown primary was made, the patient developed multiple organ system failure which limited invasive diagnostic techniques for localization. It appears that this patient’s neuroendocrine tumor had undergone a partial or complete change in its humoral function from a carcinoid or indolent neuroendcorine tumor to an Insulinoma or that the tumor started to co-secrete insulin along with serotonin. Less likely, he may have developed a separate tumor in the pancreas which was unable to be visualized by conventional imaging. Excess secretion of both Serotonin and Insulin from a single tumor is extremely rare and very few cases have been reported in the literature where a gastroenteopancreatic NET was found to secrete both insulin and serotonin.
Irradiance and solar cycle variability: clues in cycle phase properties

We see solar cycle-related variations in almost every coronal, chromospheric, and photospheric measurement obtained over a several-years timescale. With such an abundant observational foundation, we should expect our physical models of the solar cycle to be overconstrained. In fact this is not the case and the “standard dynamo model” is not predictive. This paper describes some new thoughts on how solar irradiance variations may provide clues to the solar cycle regulation mechanism near the radiative–convection zone boundary.
Does the quality of care in Medicaid MCOs vary with the form of physician compensation

A growing fraction of Medicaid participants are enrolled in managed care organizations (MCOs). MCOs contract with primary care physicians (PCPs) to provide health-care services to Medicaid enrollees. The PCPs are generally compensated either via fee-for-service (FFS) or via capitated arrangements. This paper investigates whether the quality of care that Medicaid enrollees receive varies with the means by which PCPs are compensated. Using data for all Medicaid MCO enrollees in a large state, we find that enrollees in MCOs that pay their PCPs exclusively via FFS arrangements are more likely to receive services for which the PCPs receive additional compensation. These enrollees also are less likely to receive services for which the PCPs do not receive additional compensation. These findings suggest that financial incentives may influence the behavior of PCPs in Medicaid MCOs, and thus the quality of the health care received by Medicaid participants enrolled in MCOs.
Sensitivity of modulation index in satellite communication link analysis

The development of more efficient and reliable satellite communication systems requires more accurate link closure information between ground station and spacecraft or aircraft through developing effective coding and modulation techniques especially for deep space communication systems. Relations of modulation index with bandwidth, bit-error rate, signal to noise ratio, ranging, commanding, telemetry, and carrier power losses have been investigated and compared with hardware simulation results of Clementine (or Deep Space Program Science Experiment, (DSPSE) satellite communication links). Most criteria are characterized in terms of the BER, loop bandwidth to data rate ratio, signal-to-noise ratio, and modulation index. The results show that modulation indices exert a significant influence on satellite communication links, and that there exists an optimum range of modulation index which can be determined through the proposed analytical aspects of modulation index range determination for different aspects of ranging, command, telemetry, and carrier power losses.
Spectral characteristics of visually induced postural sway in healthy elderly and healthy young subjects

Spectral analysis and time-frequency analysis were applied to anterior-posterior (A-P) center-of-pressure (COP) data collected during quiet stance and sinusoidal (0.25 Hz) moving visual scene perturbations from sixteen healthy elderly subjects and thirteen healthy young subjects. While the total energy of COP was larger in the elderly subjects than in the young subjects, energy-normalized spectra of the entire COP time series were similar between the two populations. Further time-dependent analysis of the spectral characteristics showed that the time-varying spectra were also similar, as revealed by time-frequency analysis, although some differences were observed. Specifically, time-dependent mean frequency and bandwidth responses to the stimulus showed similar increases in both young and elderly subjects with the introduction of the stimulus. Furthermore, time-frequency analysis showed that both groups exhibited an initial increase in sway at the stimulus frequency that then declined as the sinusoidal scene movement progressed. This reduction in sway during visual stimulation may indicate an "adaptation" to constant frequency visual perturbation that is invariant with age. This finding is in contrast to results reported recently for patients with vestibular impairments, who appear to lack such adaptation.
Nonlinear analysis of high-harmonic slotted gyro-TWT amplifier

A nonlinear self-consistent simulation code is employed to investigate the behavior of the slotted gyrotron traveling-wave amplifier (gyro-TWT), in which an axis-encircling electron beam synchronously interacts with a high-order azimuthal mode in a magnetron-type waveguide. The efficiency of a fourth-harmonic device with an ideal 60 kV, 5 A beam is shown to reach 30% for alpha identical to nu /sub perpendicular to // nu /sub z/=2. The growth rate for the pi mode is roughly 25% larger than for the 2 pi mode. The efficiency increases for lower voltage and the device is found to be moderately sensitive to the radial spread of the beam's guiding center position and extremely sensitive to the axial velocity spread. For an ideal 60 kV, 5 A beam with alpha =1.5, the efficiency of a second-harmonic gyro-TWT is 42% and falls to 10% for an eighth-harmonic device. The design of a 35 GHz, 60 kV, 5A, alpha =1.5, eight-vane, fourth-harmonic gyro-TWT with 7% axial velocity spread is presented. It is predicted that this design will yield a peak output power of 90 kW, a peak efficiency of 30%, and 6.3% saturated bandwidth. >
Using Appreciative Inquiry To Promote Diversity In Higher Education

The topic of diversity and inclusion often evokes negative responses either spoken or unspoken. The importance of common language and promoting trust are necessary to begin dialogue. Appreciative Inquiry as a philosophy and approach began in the 1980’s and was formalized as an application in organizational change. The major principles of Appreciative Inquiry have informed the philosophy of Appreciative Leadership, the relational capacity to convert creative potential and to transform it into positive power. In addition to organizational change, the core values have been applied to social issues, team building, individual relationships, and global and international affairs. Appreciative Inquiry is a strength-based process through which people act in partnership to determine and co-create how to move an organization forward. As the importance of diversity and inclusion has become better recognized, social systems have become less homogeneous in fact and in our understanding of them. The principles and core values of Appreciative Inquiry can be applied to workshops on diversity. Rather than shame and blame, a workshop such as, Opening Doors: A Personal and Professional Journey, is based on recognition and appreciation of the many dimensions of diversity. The focus of these educational workshops is to provide tools for engagement and the deconstruction of the paradigms that have given rise to the various oppressions. The model is a collaborative relationship with allies and those who are empowered to be advocates for positive personal change and for the good of the whole. Thus the concept of fostering inclusion in diversity includes and not limited to position, religion, gender, ethnicity, age and other invisible identities. The goals are to create a welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment for all and to give voice to those who have been silenced. The program has been delivered to universities, human service agencies, government and community organizations in the United States and internationally. Results from a small sample of participants from a major university are presented. The data represent an overall view of the effectiveness and acceptance of the program as an alternative to the traditional workshops on diversity. Subsequent activities include sharing of resources and using discretionary power to interrupt oppressive behaviors and to give voice to the voiceless.
FEEDING OF HOUSE WREN NESTLINGS AFFLICTED BY HEMATOPHAGOUS ECTOPARASITES: A TEST OF THE PARENTAL COMPENSATION HYPOTHESIS

Abstract This study asked whether parent House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) in a Wyoming population increased rates of food delivery to broods parasitized by hematophagous blow fly larvae and mites. We observed no significant difference in rates at which pairs fed nestlings at nests with naturally heavy infestations of fly larvae (6–19 larvae per nestling) and nests in which nestling exposure to larvae was experimentally eliminated or severely reduced (0–2 larvae per nestling). The apparent failure of parents to compensate nestlings for resources lost to parasites may, in part, explain the reduced rates of mass gain by parasitized nestlings that we observed and the presence of reduced hemoglobin levels in parasitized nestlings documented in a companion study. Parasitized nestlings may be too weak or anemic to intensify begging activity which would alert parents to their increased need for food. Alimentacion de Polluelos de Troglodytes aedon Afectada por Ectoparasitos Hematofagos: Una Prueba de la Hipotesis d...
Workplace Abuse: Problems And Consequences

Workplace abuse is a relatively recent phenomenon that affects millions of employee in all types of organizations and occupations. Most of the literature on workplace management deals with employment discrimination and due process. Workplace issues of emotional abuse inflicted on employees by supervisors or managers are seldom addressed. An organization becomes abusive when it permits or tolerates abusive employee treatment by supervisors or managers. In the news each day, the media regularly report on violence facing society such as child, domestic, or elderly abuse. However, workplace abuse is rarely mentioned. As more employees become emotionally and even physically ill as a direct result of the work they do, some employers are examining their workplace management practices. The level of workplace stress has been recently intensified by economic downturn, massive layoffs, mergers, and restructuring. Many organizations worldwide have been forced to cut jobs, resulting in dramatic increase in workplace stress and abuse. This article identifies workplace abuse as an emerging organizational issue by focusing on the problems and consequences for management, employees, and their families. It also provides ideas on how to maintain a healthy workplace.
Preliminary Analysis of Pulp and Paper Environmental Effects Monitoring Data to Assess Possible Relationships between the Sublethal Toxicity of Effluent and Effects on Biota in the Field

Data from the sublethal toxicity testing of effluents may or may not be predictive of field effects. Although qualitative studies have attempted to support a predictive relationship at select sites, few quantitative studies have been undertaken to establish whether general predictive relationships exist for diverse recipient environments. Since Canada’s Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) Program encompasses a strong field component as well as a suite of sublethal toxicity tests, the Cycle 2 data set of the Pulp and Paper EEM Program presented an opportunity to elucidate whether relationships exist between various sublethal toxicity endpoints used in EEM and field effects that were determined in surveys of benthic invertebrate communities and fish populations. Sublethal toxicity data and key endpoints from the fish (gonad weight, liver weight and condition) and invertebrate surveys (taxon richness and abundance) were quantitatively analyzed using simple bivariate correlation analysis. Our preliminary analysis of the data did not reveal any meaningful general relationships between the field biomonitoring and sublethal toxicity data collected under the Pulp and Paper EEM Program. Although the sublethal toxicity tests are useful to assess changes in effluent quality, their ability to predict the field effects for the key endpoints that are currently measured for fish and benthos in the Pulp and Paper EEM Program remains unsubstantiated.
Two-Dimensional Crystallization by Dialysis for Structural Studies of Membrane Proteins by the Cryo-EM Method Electron Crystallography

Two-dimensional (2D) crystals of integral membrane proteins, comprising ordered protein reconstituted into a synthetic lipid bilayer, can be induced to form from detergent solubilized and purified membrane protein sources via the addition of exogenous lipid and the subsequent removal of the solubilizing detergent. This is most commonly accomplished by dialysis of a small volume of ternary protein-detergent-lipid mixture against a large volume of buffer, and can be carried out using common, easily available materials. Following successful crystallization, electron crystallographic data obtained by electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) of vitrified 2D crystals can be used to determine the structure of the lipid bilayer-embedded integral membrane protein.
The complete extrusion process

The extrusion processes offer the advantages of complete versatile plastic processing techniques unsurpassed in economic importance by any other process. Worldwide, extruder lines are the largest converters of plastics and can be considered the most important production machinery in the plastic industry. Commercially, extrusion lines are targeted to give advantages with regard to operating cost (output per hour). The two main reasons that make them attractive to the processors and markets are their almost unlimited range of applications and their continuous production capabilities to meet new market challenges [1]. There are also batch or noncontinuous processing of plastics (Chapter 18) that include injection blow molding (Chapter 15), injection molding (Chapter 18), and the major market of compounding plastic materials (Chapter 17).
Effects of Alkali and Alkaline Earth Cocations on the Activity and Hydrothermal Stability of Cu/SSZ-13 NH3–SCR Catalysts

Using a three-step aqueous solution ion-exchange method, cocation modified Cu/SSZ-13 SCR catalysts were synthesized. These catalysts, in both fresh and hydrothermally aged forms, were characterized with several methods including temperature-programmed reduction by H2 (H2-TPR), temperature-programmed desorption of NH3 (NH3-TPD), and 27Al solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopies. Their catalytic performance was probed using steady-state standard NH3–SCR. Characterization results indicate that cocations weaken interactions between Cu ions and the CHA framework making them more readily reducible. By removing a portion of Bronsted acid sites, cocations also help to mitigate hydrolysis of the zeolite catalysts during hydrothermal aging as evidenced from 27Al NMR. Reaction tests show that certain cocations, especially Li+ and Na+, promote low-temperature SCR rates while others show much less pronounced effects. In terms of applications...
Regulation of N-Formyl Peptide Receptor Signaling and Trafficking by Arrestin-Src Kinase Interaction

Arrestins were originally described as proteins recruited to ligand-activated, phosphorylated G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to attenuate G protein-mediated signaling. It was later revealed that arrestins also mediate GPCR internalization and recruit a number of signaling proteins including, but not limited to, Src family kinases, ERK1/2, and JNK3. GPCR-arrestin binding and trafficking control the spatial and temporal activity of these multi-protein complexes. In previous reports, we concluded that N-formyl peptide receptor (FPR)-mediated apoptosis, which occurs upon receptor stimulation in the absence of arrestins, is associated with FPR accumulation in perinuclear recycling endosomes. Under these conditions, inhibition of Src kinase and ERK1/2 prevented FPR-mediated apoptosis. To better understand the role of Src kinase in this process, in the current study we employed a previously described arrestin-2 (arr2) mutant deficient in Src kinase binding (arr2-P91G/P121E). Unlike wild type arrestin, arr2-P91G/P121E did not inhibit FPR-mediated apoptosis, suggesting that Src binding to arrestin-2 prevents apoptotic signaling. However, in cells expressing this mutant, FPR-mediated apoptosis was still blocked by inhibition of Src kinase activity, suggesting that activation of Src independent of arrestin-2 binding is involved in FPR-mediated apoptosis. Finally, while Src kinase inhibition prevented FPR-mediated-apoptosis in the presence of arr2-P91G/P121E, it did not prevent FPR-arr2-P91G/P121E accumulation in the perinuclear recycling endosome. On the contrary, inhibition of Src kinase activity mediated the accumulation of activated FPR-wild type arrestin-2 in recycling endosomes without initiating FPR-mediated apoptosis. Based on these observations, we conclude that Src kinase has two independent roles following FPR activation that regulate both FPR-arrestin-2 signaling and trafficking.
“The Mother of All Comebacks” A Critical Analysis of the Fitspirational Comeback Narrative of Dara Torres

Swimmer Dara Torres’s comeback to her sport at 41 years of age was a prominent story from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. While her record making swims made her comeback an athletic success, the importa...
Laser Induced Deposition of YBa2Cu3O7−x Thin Films

We describe here the deposition of the YBaCuO superconducting thin films by the laser evaporation technique. The characterization of this process, and possible optimization with regards to wavelength and pulse duration of the laser will be discus sed.