cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Limitations of the standard Bernoulli equation method for evaluating Pitot/impact tube data

Abstract The inaccuracies of Pitot or impact tubes for the measurement of low fluid velocities have been demonstrated by several experimental investigations. However, owing to considerable data scatter, there does not exist a definitive criterion for establishing when these instruments are inaccurate with respect to low velocities. It is not that the instruments themselves are faulty, but rather that the methodology for extracting velocity information from the measured pressures fails. The standard method for extracting velocities from the pressure data is the application of Bernoulli’s equation. That equation is, however, based on an inviscid model. At low Reynolds numbers, the viscosity exerts a strong effect on the flow pattern and, thereby, invalidates the use of the Bernoulli equation. In the present investigation, a painstaking numerical simulation has been performed to establish criteria at which the Bernoulli interpretation of Pitot/impact tube data is not valid. Two types of nose pieces for Pitot/impact tube were investigated. One of these is a hemispherical nose, while the other is a flat-faced nose. It was found that for the former, the Bernoulli interpretation should not be used when ρU∞Router/μ
Diastolic Blood Pressure and Left Ventricular Filling

Many factors appear to influence diastolic left ventricular (LV) filling, including age, hypertension, and myocardial and coronary disease. Doppler-echocardiography was used to asses the influences of blood pressure (BP) on LV filling in 43 normotensive volunteers aged 12 +/- 0.98 years with heart rates less than or equal to 90 beats/min. Doppler peak diastolic transmitral flow velocities, diastolic flow integrals, and early diastolic deceleration were measured. An interesting difference was noted between the influence of systolic and diastolic BP. Systolic BP was related to LV mass (r = 0.43; P less than 0.005), but was unrelated to any of the Doppler filling indices. Diastolic BP was unrelated to LV mass, but was inversely related to peak early diastolic flow velocity (r = -0.37; P less than 0.05), early diastolic flow velocity integral (r = -0.34; P less than 0.05). The ratio of late-to-early filling (A/E) was directly related to diastolic BP (r = 0.42; P less than 0.005). The relationship between A/E and diastolic BP was strong in subjects (n = 21) with bimodal P waves in electrocardiogram (ECG) lead V1 (r = 0.61; P less than 0.005), but absent in those (n = 15) with unimodal P waves (r = 0.18; P = NS). Thus, the pattern of LV filling is related to the level of diastolic BP in normal adolescents, especially in those with bimodal P waves on ECG. These diastolic BP related changes are independent of heart rate and LV hypertrophy and may represent very early pre-hypertensive alterations in LV diastolic function.
The evolving role of intraoperative balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty in valve-sparing repair of tetralogy of Fallot

Objective The late morbidity of pulmonary regurgitation has intensified the interest in valve-sparing repair of tetralogy of Fallot. This study reviewed a single institution’s experience with valve-sparing repair and investigated the role of intraoperative balloon valvuloplasty. Methods A retrospective chart review identified 238 patients who underwent complete primary repair of tetralogy of Fallot at less than 180 days of age. Patients were divided into 4 groups on the basis of the type of right ventricular outflow tract repair: transannular patch (n = 111), commissurotomy or standard rigid dilation (n = 71), intraoperative balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty (n = 32), or no valvar intervention (n = 24). Results Baseline demographic and anatomic factors differed among the 4 procedural groups with substantial overlap. Among 142 patients with pulmonary valve hypoplasia ( z score, −2 to −4), 37% had valve-sparing repair. These patients had significant annular growth over time: z score increased 0.67 and 1.00 per year in the intraoperative balloon valvuloplasty ( P P z scores were 0.58 lower for the balloon valvuloplasty group across all time points ( P = .001). Freedom from reintervention and surgery was shorter for the balloon valvuloplasty group than for the other groups ( P Conclusions Patients with tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary valve hypoplasia who undergo valve-sparing repair with intraoperative balloon valvuloplasty have significant longitudinal annular growth, with normalization of annular size over time. Despite application in patients with more hypoplastic valves, balloon valvuloplasty resulted in similar valve growth and pulmonary regurgitation as traditional methods, but higher rates of reintervention. Although the precise role of this technique needs further refinement, it is likely to be most useful in patients with moderate pulmonary stenosis and moderate pulmonary valve dysplasia.
Effect of ifenprodil, a polyamine site NMDA receptor antagonist, on brain edema formation following asphyxial cardiac arrest in rats.

Abstract Objective: Brain edema occurs in experimental and clinical cardiac arrest (CA) and is predictive of a poor neurological outcome. N -Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors contribute to brain edema elicited by focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Ifenprodil, a NMDA receptor antagonist, attenuates brain edema and injury size in rats after focal cerebral I/R. We assessed the hypothesis that ifenprodil reduces CA-elicited brain edema. Methods: Eighteen male Sprague–Dawley rats were assigned to group 1 (normal control, n =6), group 2 (placebo-treated CA, n =6), or group 3 (ifenprodil-treated CA, n =6). CA was induced by 8min of asphyxiation and the animals were resuscitated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), ventilation, epinephrine (adrenaline), and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ). Ifenprodil of 10mg/kg or a placebo vehicle was given intraperitoneally 5min before CA. Brain edema was determined by brain wet-to-dry weight ratio at 1h after resuscitation. Results: There were no differences between groups 2 and 3 in all physiological variables at baseline. Time from asphyxiation to CA was 201.5±7.5s in group 2 and 160.7±10.4s in group 3 ( P P P P P Conclusions: Ifenprodil reduces CA-elicited brain edema. In addition, we observed significant hemodynamic changes caused by ifenprodil.
Toeplitz operators on weightedlp spaces and associated asymptotics

Asymptotic information is found in this paper for finite Toeplitz matrices generated by a piecewise continuous function. The eigenvalues for certain finite matrices are shown to lie near the range of the generating function. An asymptotic formula for ∑f(λi) where λi are the eigenvalues is also given. The basic technique of the paper is to get the above type of asymptotic information by studying the ordinary Toeplitz operators on weightedlp spaces.
Phase transitions and domain structures in strained pseudocubic (100) Sr Ti O 3 thin films

The mutual interactions between a structural transition and a ferroelectric transition are analyzed for different strain states in a pseudocubic (100) $\mathrm{Sr}\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ film by examining the equilibrium solutions of the total free energy as a function of polarization, strain and structural order parameter. The range of possible ferroelectric transition temperatures and the possible ferroelectric states of a strained $\mathrm{Sr}\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ film are determined with respect to the variation in the reported properties of bulk $\mathrm{Sr}\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ single crystals. The ferroelectric and structural domain morphologies at a biaxial tensile strain ${e}_{0}=0.94%$ were predicted using phase-field simulations. It is shown that variations in the reported values of bulk properties and in the Landau energy coefficients from different literature sources lead not only to a wide range of possible transition temperatures at a given strain, but also to different ferroelectric states (e.g., polarization along the pseudocubic ⟨110⟩ vs ⟨100⟩ directions) thus different domain structures under a biaxial tensile strain. Both optical second harmonic generation and confocal scanning optical microscopy measurements demonstrate that the domain states in $\mathrm{Sr}\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ films strained at ${e}_{0}=0.94%$ and 1.16% exhibit polar directions along the pseudocubic ⟨110⟩ directions within the pseudocubic (001) plane of the film.
Can we trust depression screening instruments in healthy 'old-old' adults?

Objective Despite a growing understanding of late-life depression, few studies focus on the old-old, those 75 years and over. We wished to characterize depressive symptoms and determine the accuracy of two common screening instruments for major and minor depression in a population of old-old retirees. Methods Participants lived independently in one of two Continuing Care Retirement Communities and volunteered for an in-home interview about cancer screening attitudes. As part of this baseline interview, they were screened with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale. Those agreeing to a second interview received an evaluation using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV), performed by a geriatric psychiatrist within two weeks of the initial interview. Results In an educated and cognitively intact group of retirees averaging 80 years of age, the GDS and CES-D performed poorly using standard cutpoints in detecting both major (sensitivity 60% for both) and minor (sensitivity 33% and 50%, respectively) depression. One in five participants had significant depression as confirmed by SCID-IV evaluation. Twelve percent had major depression and 7% had minor depression. Most participants had their first episode of either after age 60. Conclusions Contrary to most studies evaluating the GDS and CES-D for accuracy in detecting late-life depression, these instruments at standard cutpoints performed poorly in this group of healthy older adults. The healthy old-old may require novel screening interventions to detect clinically significant depression. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Researching the potential of forest tree mycorrhizae

During the last century important ecological and physiological principles in mycorrhizal associations were discovered. Effects of litter extracts on the microflora, nutrient uptake and translocation; hormonal relations, the M factor, and physiogical requirements of ectomycorrhizal fungi and metabolite exchanges are among those of particular significance. Reconsideration of this era of mycorrhizal research is worthy of current consideration since progress particularly in physiology has been slow. To derive the potentially vast benefits from mycorrhizal associations in field applications and to achieve genetic alteration to improve physiological benefits derived from mycorrhizas, fundamental characteristics and biochemical mechanisms in the fungus-root complex must be better understood.
The binding of deoxyguanosine to polycytidylic acid: An application of the thermodynamic model of monomer-polymer complex formation

Abstract The thermodynamic model (equation 1) for formation of monomer-polymer complexes developed for better interpretation of the sigmoidal isotherms for the binding of adenosine to polyuridylic acid (2) and chemically modified polyuridylic acids (3) has been successfully applied to reproduce the isotherms for both the duplex binding of deoxyguanosine (d-G) to polycytidylic acid (at pH 6.8) and the triplex binding at pH 4.1. The value for the equilibrium constant, K, of the triplex complex (per unit of C-G-C) is ∼2000 at the optimum value of n = 5 (n is the number of d-G units in the smallest complex that can form). The value of K for the duplex complex is 555 and the optimum value of n is 4. The value of ΔG for the triple helical complex is 4.15 kcal/mole, the value of w (the stacking free energy of the d-G units in the complex) is 2.05 kcal/mole. For the double helical complex at pH 6.8, ΔG° is 3.45 kcal/mole, w = 1.55 kcal/mole. It is also shown that equation (1) predicts that the shape and mid-point slope (i.e., w) of a binding isotherm depends only on the value of n; and thus the isotherms for rA-poly U (n = 5) and dG-poly C (n = 5) have the same mid-point slopes, and thus the same values of w. The difference between ΔG° and w is taken as a relative measure of the free energy of hydrogen bonding; values are calculated for the rA-poly U, the dG-poly C triple helix, and the dG-poly C double helical complexes.
Assessing South Carolina's 1990s congressional districting

Abstract In this study, the authors employ a computer-intensive method to assess the factual basis for a race-as-predominant-factor claim against South Carolina's congressional districting plan. They use four algorithms that weight traditional districting criteria (equal population, the preservation of county integrity, and district area compactness) to generate 10,000 alternative plans containing a total of 60,000 congressional districts. Based upon the analysis of these plans, the authors conclude that: (1) race is a factor in the design of South Carolina's congressional districts; (2) race predominates over the preservation of county lines; and (3) race may predominate over district compactness.
Determination of Plant Volatiles Using Solid Phase Microextraction GC–MS

This experiment combines analytical techniques of solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry with easily relatable and accessible plant volatile chemistry (floral and vegetative scents of local/available plants). The biosynthesis and structure of these chemicals are of interest in the areas of organic chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology. This laboratory exercise is well-suited for a broad range of cross-disciplinary topics in chemistry and biology courses. The methods described here could be used to expose undergraduate chemistry students to broad aspects of biological volatile chemistry in plants, and alternatively, to expose undergraduate biology students to analytical chemistry techniques useful in the study of plant biology and plant–insect interactions.
Two-Particle Exclusive Correlations at 23 GeV c Compared with a Diffraction Excitation and a Multiperipheral Model

Two-particle correlations in the process $p+p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}p+p+{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}+{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}+{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}+{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ at $23\frac{\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}}{c}$ incident momentum are analyzed with a diffraction excitation model, and a Reggeized multiperipheral model that contains symmetrization and baryon exchange. The former provides a slightly better description of the correlation data. Some single-particle distribution model calculations are presented and discussed.
Mapping the LINE1 ORF1 protein interactome reveals associated inhibitors of human retrotransposition

LINE1s occupy 17% of the human genome and are its only active autonomous mobile DNA. L1s are also responsible for genomic insertion of processed pseudogenes and >1 million non-autonomous retrotransposons (Alus and SVAs). These elements have significant effects on gene organization and expression. Despite the importance of retrotransposons for genome evolution, much about their biology remains unknown, including cellular factors involved in the complex processes of retrotransposition and forming and transporting L1 ribonucleoprotein particles. By co-immunoprecipitation of tagged L1 constructs and mass spectrometry, we identified proteins associated with the L1 ORF1 protein and its ribonucleoprotein. These include RNA transport proteins, gene expression regulators, post-translational modifiers, helicases and splicing factors. Many cellular proteins co-localize with L1 ORF1 protein in cytoplasmic granules. We also assayed the effects of these proteins on cell culture retrotransposition and found strong inhibiting proteins, including some that control HIV and other retroviruses. These data suggest candidate cofactors that interact with the L1 to modulate its activity and increase our understanding of the means by which the cell coexists with these genomic 'parasites'.
Human papillomavirus type 18 variant lineages in United States populations characterized by sequence analysis of LCR-E6, E2, and L1regions

While HPV 16 variant lineages have been well characterized, the knowledge about HPV 18 variants is limited. In this study, HPV 18 nucleotide variations in the E2 hinge region were characterized by sequence analysis in 47 control and 51 tumor specimens. Fifty of these specimens were randomly selected for sequencing of an LCR-E6 segment and 20 samples representative of LCR-E6 and E2 sequence variants were examined across the L1 region. A total of 2770 nucleotides per HPV 18 variant genome were considered in this study. HPV 18 variant nucleotides were linked among all gene segments analyzed and grouped into three main branches: Asian-American (AA), European (E), and African (Af). These three branches were equally distributed among controls and cases and when stratified by Hispanic and non-Hispanic ethnicities. Among invasive cervical cancer cases, no significant differences in the three HPV variant branches were observed among ethnic groups or when stratified by histopathology (squamous vs. adenocarcinoma). The Af branch showed the greatest nucleotide variability when compared to the HPV 18 reference sequence and was more closely related to HPV 45 than either AA or E branches. Our data also characterize nucleotide and amino acid variations in the L1 capsid gene among HPV 18 variants, which may be relevant to vaccine strategies and subsequent studies of naturally occurring HPV 18 variants. Several novel HPV 18 nucleotide variations were identified in this study.
Light-induced structural changes and their correlation to metastable defect creation in intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon films

Device-quality intrinsic a-Si:H films were prepared by three methods, hot-wire (HW) chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and glow-discharge (GD) CVD with and without H dilution, and show varied light-induced metastable defect creation [Staebler-Wronski effect (SWE)]. We found the following: (a) In addition to the nonuniform H distribution, the a-Si network is inhomogeneous, and the film prepared by GD is more homogeneous than the HW film. (b) The light-induced increase of Si-H stretching absorption at $\ensuremath{\sim}2000 {\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ is on the order of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ in all the films, and an additional decrease at $\ensuremath{\sim}2025 {\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ is found in films with larger SWE. (c) The change of the compressive stress is on the order of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ of the initial value in the HW films, which is the same order of magnitude as in GD films. Both the initial stress and light-induced volume expansion decrease with decreasing Si-H concentration. No simple correlation between the light-induced structural changes and the conductivity changes was found in the HW a-Si:H films. We describe the light-induced structural changes in conjunction with the creation of metastable defects by a two-phase model.
The Brookhaven-Columbia Plasma Lens

A uniform current density plasma is generated by discharging a high voltage capacitor bank into two electrodes in a low pressure gas. The magnetic field within the plasma produces achromatic focussing of pions and kaons travelling along the electrode axis.
A graphical method for investigating the stability of flow in open channels or in closed conduits flowing partly full

By making use of rectangular coordinates in which a certain stage variable ω is plotted as the horizontal coordinate and the mean velocity v as the vertical coordinate, some interesting properties of flowing water can be investigated. The method is then applied to a circular conduit flowing partly full.
Flicker noise in MOSFETs with gate-voltage-dependent mobility

Abstract Flicker noise measurements in MOSFETs at low drain bias are explained in terms of the dependence of the carrier mobility on the gate voltage of the form μ 00 [1 + β ( V G − V T − V 0 )] −1 . Excellent agreement, both for the ( I d , V g ) characteristic and for the flicker noise, is obtained. The noise current spectrum is expressed in the normalized functions f ( y 0 , y 1 ) and f ( y 0 , y 1 )/ y 0 in terms of the bias parameters y 0 = β ( V g − V T ) and y 1 = β ( V g − V T − V d ).
Substance uptake in variable systems with special reference to the use of the Fick equation

Abstract The Fick Principle expresses the indestructibility of a given substance in a fluid system wherein the rates of flow of the fluid, the concentration of the substance at each point in the system and the uptake rate are constant. It is not applicable to systems in which these parameters vary with time. An expression of conversation is derived here which is exactly valid in systems wherein the rates of flow, concentrations and uptake rate, as well as the paths of fluid flow in the system may vary. From the exact expression simpler expressions are derived which are exact in somewhat less general systems and are approximations in others. Limits for the error in the latter case are derived.
Electrocardiographic Findings of Severe Left Main Coronary Artery Stenosis

Studies have documented the occurrence of ST elevation in lead aVR and/or diffuse ST depression in the setting of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in patients with left main coronary stenosis (LMCS). We sought to describe the baseline ECG characteristics in LMCS patients outside of the ACS setting. Seventeen patients with ≥90% LMCS and 129 patients with 70–89% LMCS met criteria for the study. None of the 17 patients in the ≥90% LMCS group and 2/129 patients in the 70–89% LMCS group had ST elevation in aVR. None of the 17 patients in the >90% LMCS group and 3/129 patients in the 70–89% LMCS group had ST depression in ≥6 leads. Twenty-four percent of patents in the >90% LMCS group and 29% of patients in the 70–89% LMCS group had normal ECGs. While patients with severe LMCS outside of the ACS setting did not demonstrate ischemia, many exhibited normal ECGs.
Seismological investigations and oceanography

The results of seismological researches are of significance to the student of oceanography in the same way that they are to any other student of general geophysics. Most of the hydrosphere, one of the shells of material which compose the earth, is contained in the ocean basins, which are bounded above by the atmosphere and below by the lithosphere, two other shells of earth substance. If the student of the ocean wishes to understand the relations of the hydrosphere to the other components of the earth he must pay attention to seismology and studies of earth tides, for those are important sources of information on the internal constitution of the earth.
Potential problems and limitations of energy conservation and energy efficiency

Abstract We discuss that whilst energy conservation and energy efficiency both ultimately have the same goal they attempt to achieve this via very different approaches. We then discuss how both options face significant barriers to ultimately successfully reduce electricity consumption.
Exercising pulmonary blood flow in mitral stenosis with anomalous pulmonary venous connection.

Exercising pulmonary blood flow was estimated from indicator-dilution curves in a patient with the infrequent combination of rheumatic mitral stenosis and anomalous pulmonary venous connection from the left lung. During supine exercise against progressively increasing external workloads, the proportion of flow to each lung remained nearly constant. The pulmonary vascular resistance was highest in the left lung, which emptied into the low-pressure systemic vein. Although right and left atrial pressures differed markedly during supine exercise, the proportion of pulmonary blood flow shunted to the systemic venous system remained essentially unchanged.
Decentralized sensor selection based on sensor observations for energy efficient hypothesis testing

We consider the sensor selection problem in a wireless sensor network attempting to solve a binary hypothesis testing problem. The selection is based only on the sensor observations and the focus is on the extreme case where the position of the sensors is not exploited except through its influence on the sensor observations. Decentralized processing approaches are desired. A subset of sensors are selected to transmit their observations to a fusion center where the hypothesis testing decision will be made. We propose three new sensor selection schemes based on observed data. The first scheme, called optimum sensor selection (OSS), uses all sensor observations to compute the metric used to rank each candidate subset. The second scheme, called selection by averaging over unseen sensors (SAUS), uses only the observations of the candidate subset to compute the ranking metric. The third approach, called GSAUS, is a distributed greedy sensor selection scheme based on SAUS. The performance of each proposed scheme is evaluated by Monte Carlo simulation for a Gaussian shift-in-mean hypothesis testing problem so that a comparison between the various sensor selection schemes can be performed. The results indicate that proper distributed selection approaches can provide performance close to the optimum centralized selection approaches and significant improvement over random selection, an approach which has been suggested in the past. A particular approach called the ordered magnitude log-likelihood ratio (OLLR) approach, which was suggested previously for a different problem formulation, looks especially attractive.
Prognostic Factors in Onychomycosis Treatment

Onychomycosis is a common fungal disease of the nail unit with a prevalence of 10% to 12% in the United States. Despite therapeutic innovations in the last few decades, as many as 20-25% of patients do not achieve a complete cure, and 10-53% are reported to relapse after successful treatment. Some of the factors associated with a poor response to onychomycosis have been well studied. They include patient characteristics and morbidities, nail characteristics, and the infecting organism. Therefore, the goal of therapy is to identify these specific prognostic features for each patient and devise an appropriate treatment plan that will allow for the best chance for cure. Scoring systems may be helpful for grading the severity of onychomycosis and predicting the therapeutic outcome.
Effect of Catalyst Supports in the Synthesis of Graphite Nanostructures

It is well established that the structural characteristics of graphite nanofibers can be controlled by several factors including, the chemical nature of the catalyst, the composition of the reactant gas mixture and temperature at which the growth process is performed. In the current investigation we have endeavored to modify the behavior of the catalyst by dispersing the active metals on different support media. We have found that the strength of the metal-support interaction exerts a significant impact not only on the average size of the nanofibers generated by such a procedure, but also results in major changes in the architecture of the carbon materials. The support imposes certain geometrical constraints on the metal particles and these features are manifested in modifications in the degree of crystalline perfection and arrangement of the graphite sheets constituting the nanofibers. In addition, there is also the possibility that the support can induce electronic perturbations in the metal particles, a feature that will be most pronounced with a conductive carrier.
Intracellular signaling in platelets.

Purpose of review Over the past few years, a large portion of platelet research has focused on intracellular signaling events that contribute to stable platelet adhesion and aggregation. Recent findings Studies of knockout mice have suggested critical roles for several previously unappreciated signaling molecules including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, the exchange factor CalDAG-GEFI, and the small GTPase Rap1b. These proteins may function to remodel the platelet cytoskeleton and thereby regulate both adhesion and aggregation. The abundant cytoskeletal protein talin appears to be a key regulator of the platelet integrin alphaIIbbeta3. Recent evidence suggests that talin binding to the cytoplasmic tail of beta3 promotes integrin oligomerization, thereby increasing the binding avidity the alphaIIbbeta3 complex for fibrinogen. Summary The identification of platelet signaling pathways not only has clinical implications for diagnosis, but perhaps more importantly for rationale drug design. Aspirin, dipyridamole (Persantine), and thienopyridines (ticlopidine and clopidogrel) are all examples of agents that specifically target discrete platelet signaling pathways. These drugs have already been proven to be beneficial in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Novel agents that target newly identified signaling pathways hold promise of greater specificity and efficacy.
Mice, Hamsters and Guinea Pigs Differ in Efficiency of Pyridoxine-5′-β-D-Glucoside Utilization

Mice, hamsters and guinea pigs were studied to assess species variation in utilization of pyridoxine-5'-D-glucoside (PN-glucoside), a form of vitamin B-6 found in plants. Animals fed vitamin B-6-deficient or marginally supplemented diets [1 mg pyridoxine (PN)/kg] were given an oral dose of [3H]PN-glucoside plus [14C]PN. Urinary and fecal isotopic excretion was measured over 24 h and the distribution of B-6 vitamins in liver determined at the end of the 24-h period. Intestinal absorption was nearly complete, as very little (< 6%) of each isotope was excreted in the feces. In mice, hamsters and guinea pigs, 31.3, 31.5 and 9.5%, respectively, of urinary 3H was present as intact PN-glucoside. Incorporation into liver was reflected by 3H/14C ratios of hepatic vitamin B-6 as follows: mice, 0.39; hamsters, 0.73; guinea pigs, 1.49 (means for both diets). The intake of dietary vitamin B-6 had little effect on [3H]PN-glucoside metabolism. Guinea pigs displayed greater utilization of PN-glucoside than did mice, hamsters or rats (seen previously), although they may not be the best animal model for the study of PN-glucoside metabolism. Because the bioavailability of PN-glucoside in humans has been estimated to be 58% relative to PN, mice or hamsters, rather than guinea pigs or rats, would be better species for quantitative studies of PN-glucoside bioavailability and associated enzymatic processes.
Impact of cigarette minimum price laws on the retail price of cigarettes in the USA

Introduction Cigarette price increases prevent youth initiation, reduce cigarette consumption and increase the number of smokers who quit. Cigarette minimum price laws (MPLs), which typically require cigarette wholesalers and retailers to charge a minimum percentage mark-up for cigarette sales, have been identified as an intervention that can potentially increase cigarette prices. 24 states and the District of Columbia have cigarette MPLs. Methods Using data extracted from SCANTRACK retail scanner data from the Nielsen company, average cigarette prices were calculated for designated market areas in states with and without MPLs in three retail channels: grocery stores, drug stores and convenience stores. Regression models were estimated using the average cigarette pack price in each designated market area and calendar quarter in 2009 as the outcome variable. Results The average difference in cigarette pack prices are 46 cents in the grocery channel, 29 cents in the drug channel and 13 cents in the convenience channel, with prices being lower in states with MPLs for all three channels. Conclusions The findings that MPLs do not raise cigarette prices could be the result of a lack of compliance and enforcement by the state or could be attributed to the minimum state mark-up being lower than the free-market mark-up for cigarettes. Rather than require a minimum mark-up, which can be nullified by promotional incentives and discounts, states and countries could strengthen MPLs by setting a simple ‘floor price’ that is the true minimum price for all cigarettes or could prohibit discounts to consumers and retailers.
From physician to consumer: the effectiveness of strategies to manage health care utilization.

Many strategies are commonly used to influence physician behavior in managed care organizations. This review examines the effectiveness of three mechanisms to influence physician behavior: financial incentives directed at providers or patients, policies/procedures for managing care, and the selection/education of both providers and patients. We reach three conclusions. First, all health care systems use financial incentives, but these mechanisms are shifting away from financial incentives directed at the physician to those directed at the consumer. Second, heavily procedural strategies such as utilization review and gatekeeping show some evidence of effectiveness but are highly unpopular due to their restrictions on physician and patient choice. Third, a future system built on consumer choice is contradicted by mechanisms that rely solely on narrow networks of providers or the education of physicians. If patients become the new locus of decision-making in health care, provider-focused mechanisms to influence physician behavior will not disappear but are likely to decline in importance.
Television and the Children of Ethnic Minorities.

“The issues that are raised by ethnic status are not exclusive to ethnicity but represent circumstances much wider in occurrence that appear more often among ethnic minorities.”
Iterative reliability-based decoding of low-density parity check codes

In this paper, reliability based decoding is combined with belief propagation (BP) decoding for low-density parity check (LDPC) codes. At each iteration, the soft output values delivered by the BP algorithm are used as reliability values to perform reduced complexity soft decision decoding of the code considered. This approach allows to bridge the error performance gap between belief propagation decoding which remains suboptimum, and maximum likelihood decoding which is too complex to be implemented for the codes considered. Trade-offs between decoding complexity and error performance are also investigated. In particular, a stopping criterion which reduces the average number of iterations at the expense of very little performance degradation is proposed for this combined decoding approach. Simulation results for several Gallager (1963, 1968) LDPC codes and different set cyclic codes of hundreds of information bits are given and elaborated.
Technique for Revealing the Three-Dimensional Architecture of Whole Preserved Spiculated Invertebrates

Procedures for revealing the three-dimensional arrangement of calcareous sclerites, spicules, or ossicles embedded within connective tissue in formalin fixed invertebrates are described. Spicules are stained with alizarin red S following maceration of preserved animals or colonies with either trypsin or KOH solutions. Connective tissue is stained with alcian blue in different samples prior to maceration. Stained animals or colonies are cleared in glycerin. This method for revealing spicular structure and arrangement and the gross morphology of connective tissues offers several advantages over either scanning electron microscopy or reconstruction from serial sections.
Sex‐related differential mortality of a marine copepod exposed to a toxic dinoflagellate

In this study we hypothesized that the sexes of the copepod Acartia hudsonica experience different mortalities when exposed to the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense. In laboratory experiments, we manipulated toxin dose and measured sex-specific mortality. We also used a split-family design to determine whether there were genetic influences on sex determination, and therefore on sex ratio. When the dose of the toxic alga was high (25% of diet by carbon content), population mortality was high, and the fraction of males surviving to adulthood was low (20-30% of the adult population). No such effect was observed when A. fundyense comprised only 10% of the diet. Adult male copepods were also more susceptible to the toxic alga, though prior selection for resistance to toxins also had an effect on mortality. No genetic variation for sex ratio was detected in the split-family experiment. Males of A. hudsonica are more sensitive to the toxins of A. fundyense than are females. Resistance may be sex-linked, and copepod populations exposed to a bloom of toxic Alexandrium sp. may experience shifts in sex ratios away from males and toward females. Differential mortality and skewed sex ratios are feedback mechanisms potentially affecting both the population dynamics of grazers and the development of toxic algal blooms.
Optimization of Computer Software Settings Improves Accuracy of Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis Macrorestriction Fragment Pattern Analysis

Computer-assisted analysis of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) libraries can facilitate comparisons of fragment patterns present on multiple gels. We evaluated the ability of the Advanced Analysis (version 4.01) and Database (version 1.12) modules of the Phoretix gel analysis software package (Nonlinear USA, Inc., Durham, N.C.) to accurately match DNA fragment patterns. Two gels containing 38 lanes of SmaI-digested Enterococcus faecalis OG1RF DNA were analyzed to assess the impact of (i) varying the lane position of the standards, (ii) using gel plugs made at different times, and (iii) normalizing the fragment patterns by using molecular weight (MW) algorithms versus retardation factor (Rf) algorithms. Two sets of PFGE libraries (one containing SmaI restriction patterns from 62 Enterococcus faecium isolates and the other containing SmaI restriction patterns of 89 Staphylococcus aureus isolates) were analyzed to assess the impact of varying the matching tolerance algorithm (designated as the vector box setting [VBS]) in the Phoretix software. Varying the lane position of standards on a gel and using gel plugs made on different days resulted in different VBSs, although it was not possible to judge whether those differences were statistically significant. Normalization of E. faecalis OG1RF fragment patterns by Rf and MW methodology yielded no statistically significant differences in variability between the same fragment on different lanes. Suboptimal VBSs decreased the specificity with which related isolates were grouped together in dendrograms. The optimal VBS for analysis of PFGE fragment patterns from E. faecalis isolates differed from that for S. aureus isolates and sometimes was not that recommended by the manufacturer. Thus, computer-assisted analysis of PFGE patterns seemed to compensate for the intra- and intergel variation evaluated in the present study, and optimizing the software for the species to be tested was a critical preliminary step before further PFGE library analysis.
AMETHYST: a system for mining and exploring topical hierarchies of heterogeneous data

In this demo we present AMETHYST, a system for exploring and analyzing a topical hierarchy constructed from a heterogeneous information network (HIN). HINs, composed of multiple types of entities and links are very common in the real world. Many have a text component, and thus can benefit from a high quality hierarchical organization of the topics in the network dataset. By organizing the topics into a hierarchy, AMETHYST helps understand search results in the context of an ontology, and explain entity relatedness at different granularities. The automatically constructed topical hierarchy reflects a domain-specific ontology, interacts with multiple types of linked entities, and can be tailored for both free text and OLAP queries.
Changes of ornithine decarboxylase activity and polyamine content upon differentiation of mouse NB‐15 neuroblastoma cells

The possible functions of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and polyamines in the differentiation of mouse NB-15 neuroblastoma cells were investigated by examining the changes of these parameters in the differentiating and nondifferentiating NB-15 cells over a 5-day culture period. Differentiation of NB-15 cells was induced by the addition of dibutyryl cyclic AMP and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (1BMX) to the growth medium and was monitored by neurite outgrowth, increases of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and RI cAMP-binding protein. Plating of NB-15 cells in fresh serum-containing growth medium was accompanied by rapid growth and a marked increase of ODC activity; this early increase of ODC activity was attenuated, both in duration and in magnitude, in the differentiating cells. The spermidine content of the differentiating neuroblastoma cells was significantly lower than that of the nondifferentiating cells. In the fully differentiated neuroblastoma cells, the ODC activity and spermidine content were lower than that of the undifferentiated cells by approximately 15-fold and five-fold, respectively. Based on these results it is proposed that changes of polyamine metabolism may be of significance in the differentiation of mouse neuroblastoma cells.
Mac Kay's view of conscious agents in dialogue: Speculations on the embodiment of soul

Abstract Donald MacKay's description of the embodiment of an efficacious conscious mind is reviewed as a version of non‐reductive physicalism. Particular focus is given to MacKay's analysis of the emergence of consciousness in the capacity for self‐evaluation which results from informational feedback regarding the results of action. Unique to MacKay's posthumously published Gifford Lectures is his analysis of agents in dialog as a particular form of an environmental feedback loop. His analysis of dialog is reviewed and expanded to encompass concepts of a First and Second Order Theory of Mind. Finally, MacKay's view of the status of the soul is considered, and the particular role of dialogue as critical to the instantiation of soul is suggested.
A Computational Study of the Effect of False Vocal Folds on Glottal Flow and Vocal Fold Vibration During Phonation

The false vocal folds are believed to be components of the acoustic filter that is responsible for shaping the voice. However, the effects of false vocal folds on the vocal fold vibration and the glottal aerodynamic during phonation remain unclear. This effect has implications for computational modeling of phonation as well as for understanding laryngeal pathologies such as glottal incompetence resulting from unilateral vocal fold paralysis. In this study, a high fidelity, two-dimensional computational model, which combines an immersed boundary method for the airflow and a continuum, finite-element method for the vocal folds, is used to examine the effect of the false vocal folds on flow-induced vibration (FIV) of the true vocal folds and the dynamics of the glottal jet. The model is notionally based on a laryngeal CT scan and employs realistic flow conditions and tissue properties. Results show that the false vocal folds potentially have a significant impact on phonation. The false vocal folds reduce the glottal flow impedance and increase the amplitude as well as the mean glottal jet velocity. The false vocal folds also enhance the intensity of the monopole acoustic sources in the glottis. A mechanism for reduction in flow impedance due to the false vocal folds is proposed.
Electrostatic Self-Assembly Conjugated Polyelectrolyte-Surfactant Complex as an Interlayer for High Performance Polymer Solar Cells

A simple method is demonstrated to improve the film-forming properties and air stability of a conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) without complicated synthesis of new chemical structures. An anionic surfactant, sodium dodecybenzenesulfonate (SDS), is mixed with cationic CPEs. The electrostatic attraction between these two oppositely-charged materials provides the driving force to form a stable CPE-surfactant complex. Compared with a pure CPE, this electrostatic complex is not only compatible with highly hydrophobic bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) films, e.g. poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM), but also works well with other low bandgap polymer-based BHJ films. Using this complex as a cathode interface layer, a high power conversion efficiency of 4% can be obtained in P3HT:PCBM solar cells together with improved stability in air. Moreover, ∼20% performance enhancement can also be achieved when the complex is used as an interlayer to replace calcium metal for low bandgap polymer-based BHJ systems.
Thermal conductivity of hollow nanowires

This paper reports on the theoretical modeling of the phonon thermal conductivity of hollow nanowires and core-and shell nanowires. Both the axial and the radial thermal conductivity of hollow nanowires have been analytically modeled by solving the Boltzmann transport equation. The radial thermal conductivity has been modeled using the ballistic-diffusive heat conduction equations. Results for both axial and radial thermal conductivity are in excellent agreement with the numerical solution of the Boltzmann transport equation.
Technology and the Gene for Minimizing Effort

There is something so natural, so obvious, that it's invisible. That something is our knee-jerk association of value with technology's promise of ease, speed, convenience, and power. Google the keywords "Made Easy" and you get more than 70 million hits. Substitute "Fast" and over 1.6 billion sites check-in. This paper questions the automatic tie-in of goodness with human effort removal. It launches on the late Harvard linguist George Kingsley Zipf's Principle of Least Effort as it bears on the evolution, marketing, use, and abuse of technology. In a world not designed for our convenience, it made perfect sense to preserve what was once precious - food energy. Since effort burns energy, there was survival value in discovering and incorporating technology that was effort efficient. Today, in a developed world transformed to the tune of us, a world where acquiring food is as hard as letting your GPS talk you to the nearest McDrive-Up window, the instinct is fast getting us into accelerating trouble. Making life a little easier thanks to a specific product, service, or technique, is not the problem. It's the sheer sum total. With so many things capitalizing on this ship-out-of-water instinct to minimize effort, individually and collectively, physically and mentally, we're losing it because we're not using it. Soaring obesity, a kind of inner global warming, in America especially, is one hard to dismiss signature of the loss. Unfortunately, there's more. Looking at the knee that jerked to the hammer of ease is a first step en route to putting order back into the technology with humans system where it belongs (in us).
Monte-Carlo-based model for the extraction of intrinsic fluorescence from turbid media

A Monte-Carlo-based model of fluorescence is developed that is capable of extracting the intrinsic fluorescence properties of tissue, which are independent of the absorption and scattering properties of tissue. This model is flexible in its applicability to different illumination-collection geometries and is also valid for a wide range of optical properties, representative of tissue in the UV-visible spectrum. This is potentially useful in a variety of biomedical applications, including cancer diagnostics and monitoring the physiological response to therapy. The model is validated using phantoms composed of hemoglobin (absorber), polystyrene spheres (scatterer), and furan-2 (fluorophore). It is found that this model is able to retrieve the intrinsic fluorescence spectra of the tissue phantoms and recover the intrinsic fluorescence intensity of furan within the phantoms to within a mean error of less than 10%.