cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multi-layered Collaborative Semantic Omni-functional Documents

The extensive dynamic capabilities of browsers allow for platforms of infinite extensibility and omni-functional power to be delivered via the internet. This paper considers the advantages of converting web pages into multi-layered intelligent immersive omni–functional documents. Such standards-compliant documents can create powerful models for the next generation of internet usability. This paper documents the advantages of adopting multi–layered architectures for documents as against page–based architectures, and the interesting presentation possibilities associated with it. By providing multi-layered calculation elements, this medium provides powerful paradigms in the ability to calculate, to think and to present. Manipulation of content in such spaces is specifically considered. Algebraic expression of document structure is also attempted, to explain the salient features of omni-functionality, and how it interacts with the semantic web.
Time Domain Simulations of Arm Locking in LISA

Arm locking is a technique that has been proposed for reducing laser frequency fluctuations in the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). a gravitational-wave observatory sensitive' in the milliHertz frequency band. Arm locking takes advantage of the geometric stability of the triangular constellation of three spacecraft that comprise LISA to provide a frequency reference with a stability in the LISA measurement band that exceeds that available from a standard reference such as an optical cavity or molecular absorption line. We have implemented a time-domain simulation of arm locking including the expected limiting noise sources (shot noise, clock noise. spacecraft jitter noise. and residual laser frequency noise). The effect of imperfect a priori knowledge of the LISA heterodyne frequencies and associated "pulling" of an arm locked laser is included. We find that our implementation meets requirements both on the noise and dynamic range of the laser frequency.
Title: Adenovirus-mediated transfer of siRNA against survivin enhances the radiosensitivity of human non-small cell lung cancer cells

Expression of survivin has been reported to be correlated with shorter survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and overexpression of survivin may lead to radioresistance in various human cancers. In this study, we inhibited survivin expression by using an adenoviral vector (AdsiSurvivin)-mediated RNAi to elucidate the combined effect of survivin-targeting gene therapy and radiotherapy on the NSCLC cells. Our data revealed that AdsiSurvivin exerted survivin gene silencing, induced apoptosis, and significantly attenuated the growth potential in NSCLC cells within 72 hours after infection. The combined treatment modalities with AdsiSurvivin infection and radiation were significantly more potent on cell-growth inhibition than monotherapy. In H1650, H460, A549, and H1975 human NSCLC cells, the survival ratios of AdsiSurvivin-treated groups at m.o.i. of 25 and 50 were significantly lower than those of control groups at varying radiation dose (0~8 Gy; three-way ANOVA, p < 0.05). The cytotoxicity of combined AdsiSurvivin infection and irradiation increased in a dose-dependent manner in both the virus and the irradiation treatment. Knockdown of the survivin gene expression appears to be a promising treatment strategy for NSCLC. Our data warrants the need for further effort to develop survivin-targeted radiosensitizer for lung cancer treatment.
OPTIMAL CONTROL OF THE SPREAD OF MALARIA SUPERINFECTIVITY

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes. In this paper, a deterministic model for malaria transmission, that incorporates superinfection is presented. Qualitative analysis of the model reveals the presence of backward bifurcation in which a stable disease-free equilibrium co-exists with a stable endemic equilibrium when the associated reproduction threshold is less than unity. Optimal control theory is then applied to the model to study time-dependent treatment efforts to minimize the infected in individuals while keeping the implementation cost at a minimum.
Rapid Rates During Bradycardia Prolong Ventricular Refractoriness and Facilitate Ventricular Tachycardia Induction With Cesium in Dogs

Background Bradycardia can promote the development of some ventricular tachycardias (VTs). We investigated whether relative bradycardia per se or the transition from a rapid to a slower ventricular rate might be important in developing VT. Methods and Results We studied groups of anesthetized closed-chest dogs that had AV block produced by radiofrequency catheter ablation of the AV junction. One group had uninterrupted AV block; the other group underwent a period of rapid left ventricular pacing. Both groups then received incremental doses of CsCl until sustained VT resulted. We also measured ventricular effective refractory period (V-ERP) and QT interval in separate groups of dogs that had AV block for 1 week or 3 days with and without rapid pacing (pacing cycle length [PCL]=500 or 250 ms) for 1 hour or 30 minutes. Finally, we investigated the effects of rapid pacing on V-ERP by testing the effects of verapamil and autonomic denervation on these changes. We found that CsCl induced larger early afterdepol...
Sex and the Internet: A Survey Instrument to Assess College Students' Behavior and Attitudes

Due to the paucity of empirical data on college students' perceptions and behavior when searching the Internet for sexuality-related information, the purpose of this article is to present the development, psychometric properties, and initial validation results of an instrument designed to measure these factors. The questionnaire, based on Social Cognitive Theory, contained three scales to measure attitudes of students toward use of the Internet for (a) obtaining sexuality-related information, (b) establishing personal connections, and (c) for sexual entertainment/arousal. Each of these three scales consisted of two subscales, measuring expectancies and expectations for the above functions. The subscales demonstrated a high degree of internal consistency (alphas ranging from .76 to .95) and appropriate temporal stability (rs = .69 to .78). A Principal Components analysis of the subscales yielded a factor structure of six factors, accounting for 68.8% of the total variance. Importance of the instrument for ...
The Amino Terminus of Bacteriophage λ Integrase Is Involved in Protein-Protein Interactions during Recombination

Bacteriophage lambda integrase (Int) catalyzes at least four site-specific recombination pathways between pairs of attachment (att) sites. Protein-protein contacts between monomers of Int are presumed to be important for these site-specific recombination events for several reasons: Int binds to the att sites cooperatively, catalytic Int mutants can complement each other for strand cleavage, and crystal structures for two other recombinases in the Int family (Cre from phage P1 and Int from Haemophilus influenzae phage HP1) show extensive protein-protein contacts between monomers. We have begun to investigate interactions between Int monomers by three approaches. First, using a genetic assay, we show that regions of protein-protein interactions occur throughout Int, including in the amino-terminal domain. This domain was previously thought to be important only for high-affinity protein-DNA interactions. Second, we have found that an amino-terminal His tag reduces cooperative binding to DNA. This disruption in cooperativity decreases the stable interaction of Int with core sites, where catalysis occurs. Third, using protein-protein cross-linking to investigate the multimerization of Int during recombination, we show that Int predominantly forms dimers, trimers, and tetramers. Moreover, we show that the cysteine at position 25 is present at or near the interface between monomers that is involved in the formation of dimers and tetramers. Our evidence indicates that the amino-terminal domain of Int is involved in protein-protein interactions that are likely to be important for recombination.
Efforts Toward Expansion of the Genetic Alphabet: Structure and Replication of Unnatural Base Pairs

Expansion of the genetic alphabet has been a long-time goal of chemical biology. A third DNA base pair that is stable and replicable would have a great number of practical applications and would also lay the foundation for a semisynthetic organism. We have reported that DNA base pairs formed between deoxyribonucleotides with large aromatic, predominantly hydrophobic nucleobase analogues, such as propynylisocarbostyril (dPICS), are stable and efficiently synthesized by DNA polymerases. However, once incorporated into the primer, these analogues inhibit continued primer elongation. More recently, we have found that DNA base pairs formed between nucleobase analogues that have minimal aromatic surface area in addition to little or no hydrogen-bonding potential, such as 3-fluorobenzene (d3FB), are synthesized and extended by DNA polymerases with greatly increased efficiency. Here we show that the rate of synthesis and extension of the self-pair formed between two d3FB analogues is sufficient for in vitro DNA r...
Management Students as Consultants: An Alternative Perspective on the Service-Learning "Call to Action"

Service-learning is an emerging pedagogical tool in management education. Service-learning educators, however, have varying reasons for incorporating these projects into their courses. This article provides an alternative argument to Godfrey's "moral authority" perspective on service-learning integration. The argument put forth in this article describes the underlying rationale for, the constituents involved in, and the potential benefits of students serving as professional consultants to community service organizations. The student-as-consultant framework is founded on the notion that students gain insight into the potential for long-term business/community partnerships through "exposure to and understanding of" community issues. Implications for students, faculty members, university administrators, and community members are discussed.
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL OF GERMINATION IN SCRIPPSIELLA TROCHOIDEA (DINOPHYCEAE) RESTING CYSTS1

The effects of aging, temperature, and growth medium on germination in culture-produced resting cysts of the marine dinoflagellate Scrippsiella trochoidea (Stein) Loeblich ore examined. Cysts undergo a mandatory period of dormancy lasting approximately 25 days, during which germination does not occur. The duration of this period is not affected by temperature. Once the dormancy period is completed, germination is regulated by external factors. Cysts germinate optimally in nutrient replete medium at temperatures greater than approximately 14° C. At lower temperatures or in nutrient-depleted media germination rate is dramatically slowed, although the final germination frequency appears unchanged. The large Q10 of this temperature effect (ca. 11) suggests that the reduction in germination rate at lower temperatures is not merely the reflection of generally reduced metabolic rates, but rather the result of a temperature response specific to germination. At the highest temperatures tested (22–25° C), germination rate remains maximal although vegetative growth is greatly reduced. A shift in temperature or nutrient conditions, per se, is not necessary for germination. The relatively short dormancy period combined with the absence of a requirement for a dramatic shift in environmental conditions could facilitate rapid cycling between resting and vegetative stages in natural S. trochoidea populations. At the same time, the dramatic reduction in germination rate at low temperatures would permit cysts of this species to serve as overwintering cells as well.
Some remarks on Ising spin systems

We show that: (a) the free energy and correlation functions of the two-dimensional Ising-spin system with nearest-neighbour ferromagnetic interactions, remain infinitely differentiable with respect to β and h as h → O± for β > βc (where βc is the reciprocal of the critical temperature) and, (b) the equilibrium equations for the correlation functions of Ising-spin systems may admit a non-physical solution even in the region, β < βc, where they are known to have a unique physical solution.
Alternative dielectric films for rf MEMS capacitive switches deposited using atomic layer deposited Al2O3/ZnO alloys

Abstract Atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to deposit an alternative dielectric barrier layer for use in radio frequency microelectromechanical systems (rf MEMS). The layer is an alloy mixture of Al2O3 and ZnO and is proposed for use as charge dissipative layers in which the dielectric constant is significant enough to provide a large down-state capacitance while the resistivity is sufficiently low to promote the dissipation of trapped charges. This paper investigates Al2O3/ZnO ALD alloys deposited at 100 and 177 °C and compares their material properties. Auger electron spectroscopy was used to determine the Zn concentrations in the alloy films, which was lower than expected. Atomic force microscopy images revealed an average surface roughness of 0.27 nm that was independent of deposition temperature and film composition. The dielectric constants of the Al2O3/ZnO ALD alloys films were calculated to be similar to pure Al2O3 ALD, being ∼7. Indentation was used to ascertain the modulus and hardness of the ALD films. Both the modulus and hardness were found to increase for the greater deposition temperature. ALD-coated rf MEMS switches showed a low insertion loss, ∼0.35 dB, and a high isolation, 55 dB at 14 GHz. Mechanical actuation of the ALD-coated devices showed lifetimes of over 1 billion cycles.
Identification of preferred hTBP DNA binding sites by the combinatorial method REPSA

Here we describe the application of a novel combinatorial method, restriction endonuclease protection selection and amplification (REPSA), to identification of a consensus DNA binding site for the TATA binding subunit (hTBP) of the human general transcription factor TFIID. Unlike most combinatorial methods, REPSA is based on inhibition of an enzymatic template inactivation process by specific ligand‐DNA complexes. The mild conditions of this method allow examination of proteins with atypical binding characteristics (e.g. limited discrimination between specific and non-specific binding sites), such as those found with hTBP. Analysis of 57 emergent sequences identified 47 sequences containing consensus 6 bp TATA elements as previously defined. However, further examination of these sequences indicated that a larger consensus, 54-TATAAATA-34, could be supported by the data. Studies of the binding affinities and transcriptional activities of these four consensus TATA sequences demonstrated that hTBP binding affinity correlated directly with transcriptional activity in vitro and that the TATAAATA sequence was the best among the TATA sequences investigated.
A Comparative Study of Arm-Restraint Methodology: Differential Effects of Mother and Stranger Restrainers on Infants' Distress Reactivity at 6 and 9 Months of Age

This study examined both differential patterns and the stability of infants' (N = 70) distress reactivity across mother and stranger arm-restraint conditions when infants were 6 and 9 months of age. Reactivity measures included observational variables for the rise, intensity, and duration of infant distress as well as motor activities associated with escape behaviors. Correlation analyses revealed that infant behaviors during arm restraint were modestly stable across conditions and over time; however, mean comparisons also showed that infants' distress responses appear to be sensitive to protocol parameters (whether restrainer is mother or stranger). At 6 months of age, infants cried more during maternal restraint than with strangers and exhibited escape behaviors more frequently with mothers. Findings further indicate that infants' distress reactivity undergoes developmental alterations from 6 to 9 months of age, with infants crying more quickly, reaching peak intensity of distress faster, and displaying more distress at 9 months compared to 6 months. These changes in infants' reactivity were particularly accentuated during maternal compared to stranger restraint conditions at 9 months of age.
Why Time Cannot and Should Not Heal the Wounds of History But Time Has Been and Can Be Redeemed

Considerant les guerres de la derniere decennie, l'A. affirme sa foi que la communion des saints rend possible une reconciliation de la memoire, autrement impossible. Son objectif est de rendre explicite la difference que la presence de Dieu fait dans notre monde. Il commence par exposer la position d'un opposant a cette idee. Il cite ensuite les attitudes de non oubli, le pardon de Dieu qui n'exclut pas le souvenir, et des demandes de pardon comme celle des eveques francais pour leur complicite face aux Juifs. Il termine en se demandant si la verite et la reconciliation sont possibles dans et entre les nations.
Mycobacterium bovis Vertebral Osteomyelitis as a Complication of Intravesical BCG Use

We report a culture-proven case of Mycobacterium bovis vertebral osteomyelitis in a 76-year-old man who had undergone intravesical BCG therapy for bladder cancer 7 years previously. He presented with debilitating back pain and had radiographic evidence of T6-7 disk space destruction with involvement of adjacent vertebrae. Tissue culture from the disk space confirmed the diagnosis of vertebral osteomyelitis due to hematogenous spread of M bovis. Treatment with antituberculous medications was begun soon after tissue diagnosis was made, and the patient fared well with medical therapy alone. Although uncommon, this infectious complication of BCG therapy should always be considered in the appropriate clinical setting. Timely diagnosis is important, because chemotherapy, when initiated early in the disease, can preclude the necessity for surgical intervention.
Factors Affecting Weight Gain and Infant Birth Weight in Pregnant Women

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: To examine the attitudes and factors affecting weight gain and infant birth weight in pregnant women. Few studies have measured and defined nutrition-related attitudes of women toward pregnancy weight gain. Negative attitudes about gaining weight during pregnancy may lead to inadequate weight gain during pregnancy and result in low infant birth weight This research determined factors affecting weight gain during pregnancy and ultimately, infant birth weight. A questionnaire, completed by 55 pregnant women receiving prenatal care at an urban family practice center, included 18-likert format questions expressing their attitudes toward weight gain. Other questions included family health history, financial and emotional support of the father of the baby and the participants family, and the physician's recommendation for weight gain during pregnancy. Attitudinal data and actual weight gain were obtained from the participants to determine whether attitudes toward slimness affected weight gain during pregnancy. A 24-hour dietary recall also was obtained as well as the infant's birth weight. One a scale of one to five, one denoting a negative attitude and five a positive attitude, the mean attitude score for this sample (n=55) is 3.56, indicating a moderately positive attitude toward pregnancy. Attitude scores related significantly to the reported physician's recommendation for weight gain (p=.03). Those individuals who reported they were supported financially by the father of the baby (n=9), had a significant positive relationship between their attitude and dietary intake (r=.6611-.8396; p=.01-.05). This study suggests that the physician's weight gain recommendation and the availability of support person (s) may influence attitudes toward pregnancy and weight gain as well as dietary intake during pregnancy, ultimately Meeting infant birth weight.
Buoy perspective of a high-resolution global ocean vector wind analysis constructed from passive radiometers and active scatterometers (1987–present)

[1] The study used 126 buoy time series as a benchmark to evaluate a satellite-based daily, 0.25-degree gridded global ocean surface vector wind analysis developed by the Objectively Analyzed airs-sea Fluxes (OAFlux) project. The OAFlux winds were produced from synthesizing wind speed and direction retrievals from 12 sensors acquired during the satellite era from July 1987 onward. The 12 sensors included scatterometers (QuikSCAT and ASCAT), passive microwave radiometers (AMSRE, SSMI and SSMIS series), and the passive polarimetric microwave radiometer from WindSat. Accuracy and consistency of the OAFlux time series are the key issues examined here. A total of 168,836 daily buoy measurements were assembled from 126 buoys, including both active and archive sites deployed during 1988–2010. With 106 buoys from the tropical array network, the buoy winds are a good reference for wind speeds in low and mid-range. The buoy comparison shows that OAFlux wind speed has a mean difference of −0.13 ms−1 and an RMS difference of 0.71 ms−1, and wind direction has a mean difference of −0.55 degree and an RMS difference of 17 degrees. Vector correlation of OAFlux and buoy winds is of 0.9 and higher over almost all the sites. Influence of surface currents on the OAFlux/buoy mean difference pattern is displayed in the tropical Pacific, with higher (lower) OAFlux wind speed in regions where wind and current have the opposite (same) sign. Improved representation of daily wind variability by the OAFlux synthesis is suggested, and a decadal signal in global wind speed is evident.
Preliminary examination of international students' adjustment and loneliness related to electronic communications

Electronic communication, e.g., e-mail, internet, may facilitate international students' adjustment through contacts maintained in their native country. In the present study, the scores of 45 international students on a measure of adjustment and the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale were significantly associated with their electronic communications involving their native country, but not with general internet or e-mail use. International students' scores on the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure were positively correlated with amount of contact with people in their native country but not with scores on measures of adjustment or loneliness.
The role of eating frequency on total energy intake and diet quality in a low-income, racially diverse sample of schoolchildren

Since the 1970s, childhood obesity prevalence has increased in developed countries worldwide(1). Estimates suggest that up to 60 % of obese adolescents become obese adults(2) and that dietary patterns established during childhood and adolescence often persist into adulthood(3). Accordingly, there has been an increased focus on diet and dietary behaviours in children and adolescents. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages(4–8), increased portion sizes(9,10) and eating more meals away from home(5,11) have all been positively associated with excess weight gain in childhood. Further, nationally representative US trend data from children aged 2 to 18 years show that average eating frequency has increased from three to five daily eating occasions between 1970 and the 2000s(12) and average total daily energy intake has increased by 770 kJ (184 kcal) over the same time frame(13). These findings, among others, have led researchers to explore what role eating frequency plays in dietary intake and weight status in childhood. The observed increase in eating frequency is largely attributable to snacking, given that the average American child eats three snacks per day(14). Snacking contributes nearly one-third of total energy consumed, the majority of which comes from desserts and sugar-sweetened beverages(14). Further, compared with breakfast, lunch and dinner meals, snacks have a significantly higher energy density(15). Despite these findings, the cross-sectional literature on the relationship between eating frequency and snacking generally suggests an inverse relationship with weight status(16,17). Given the inconsistencies in the literature, no consensus exists with regard to the impact of eating frequency on relative weight in children(18,19). A 2013 review of this relationship cited inconsistent definitions for snacking occasions, methodological limitations in cross-sectional studies and a shortage of prospective studies, and concluded that the evidence base is lacking(17). In the absence of clear guidance to parents, schools and clinicians as to an ideal eating frequency to help reduce childhood obesity risk, the objective of the present study was to explore the relationships of eating frequency, meal frequency and snack frequency with total energy intake and diet quality in an effort to clarify the possible role of eating frequency in excess weight gain in children. Further, given that younger children appear to have a better ability to self-regulate intake(20), and that adolescents typically have greater autonomy over their eating habits, have greater spending power and consume more meals outside the home(21), a secondary objective was to examine whether these associations differ between elementary school-age (9–11-year-olds) and adolescent participants (12–15-year-olds). We hypothesized that eating frequency would be positively associated with total energy intake and inversely associated with diet quality in this racially diverse, low-income sample of school-age children.
Intergenerational Time-for-Money Exchanges in Rural China: Does Reciprocity Reduce Depressive Symptoms of Older Grandparents?

In this study, we examined how children's financial support influenced the depressive symptoms of older parents in rural China. The mutual aid model of the Chinese family suggests that the psychological benefits of economic receipts would be contingent on whether older parents provided child care for the offspring of their migrant children. The sample we analyzed consisted of 1,027 parents, aged 60 and older, living in the rural village of Anhui Province, a region with high rates of labor force migration. Clustered regression analysis of longitudinal data from 3,112 parent–child dyads showed that financial support from children reduced depression in older parents. Further, the psychological benefits were most pronounced when financial support was accompanied by full-time provision of child care to the offspring of migrant children, particularly of daughters. We conclude that intergenerational “time-for-money” reciprocity is not only a survival strategy for ensuring the economic prosperity of rural migrant...
Picosecond Optical Electronic Measurements

AbstractWe report the development of an electro -optic sampling system and its application to the characterizationof high speed GaAs Schottky photodiodes. This system achieves a temporal resolution of 2 ps and shot noiselimited sensitivity of 11 uV-Hz.IntroductionElectrical sampling oscilloscopes available today have the ability to measure pulses as short as 30 pico-seconds duration (FWHM) limited by sampling gate switching times and the difficulty of generating preciselytimed electrical trigger pulses. CW mode -locked lasers, on the other hand, provide a source of extremelystable, picosecond pulses, which, can be combined with the linear electro -optic effect12 to allow electronicand optoelectronic devices to be characterized with very high temporal resolution. An electro -optic sampling system3based on this concept has been constructed and used to evaluate the impulse response of GaAs Shottky photodiodes. Sampling System DescriptionThe key element of the electro -optic sampler is a Pockels cell light amplitude modulator consisting ofa 25 Q microstrip transmission line deposited on a Z face of a rectangular piece of LiTa03 (see Figure 1).The remaining X or Y faces are polished parallel for passage of a probe beam. To complete the Pockels cell,the crystal is placed between a pair of crossed polarizers. A crystal quartz plate is used as a compensatorto bias the net phase retardation to the linear portion of the modulator's response. For the 25Q trans-mission line, the switching voltage Vr of the modulator is 2.2 kV.A commercial synchronously pumped, mode -locked dye laser is used as the optical source and generates atrain of 5 ps pulses at a 246 MHz rate. This pulse train is split into three beams. The first beam is inci-dent upon a scanning autocorrelator to provide an independent measurement of the optical pulse. The secondbeam excites the high speed photodiode under test which in turn launches an electrical waveform onto themicrostrip transmission line. An electro -optic light modulator is included in the optical path before thephotodiode to translate the measurement from D.C. to 8.5 MHz, well above the low frequency noise of the dyelaser as shown in Figure 2. This high frequency chopping results in a 50 dB improvement in the signal tonoise ratio as compared to low frequency mechanical chopping. The third beam is focused through thesampling Pockels cell where its intensity is modulated by the electric field under the transmission line, thussampling the signal. The modulated probe beam is detected by the "slow" photodiode which feeds a spectrumanalyzer operating as a fixed tuned 8.5 MHz receiver with a 10 Hz video bandwidth. A stepper motor drivencube corner reflector introduces a variable delay between the excitation and probe beams and scans at a rate
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and pathophysiology of the rat kidney in streptozotocin-induced diabetes

Abstract Proton magnetic resonance imaging was performed on rats before induction of diabetes with streptozotocin (STZ) and at 2 and 12 days postinduction. Images revealed an increase in maximal longitudinal and axial dimensions of the kidneys at 2 days and a further increase at 12 days. Similarly, an increase in the size of the remaining kidney was seen in a rat which underwent uninephrectomy as a positive control. Two major differences were observed between the kidney undergoing compensatory hypertrophy and those developing diabetic nephropathy: (i) Expansion of the renal vasculature was seen only in images of the diabetic rat; (ii) A loss in conspicuity of the normal corticomedullary junction was seen in the T2-weighted images of the diabetic rat but not in the uninephrectomized rat. Histologic examination revealed that the medulla increased to a size greater than the cortex during diabetic nephropathy whereas the medullary volume was less than that of the cortex during compensatory hypertrophy. In vitro T1 relaxation times in cortex, outer medulla and inner medulla of kidneys from control rats were measured and compared with the same respective regions in diabetic rats. When these values were correlated with tissue water content, a linear increase in relaxation rate versus percent water content from cortex to inner medulla was found in the control kidneys, but this correlation was absent in diabetic nephropathy. These studies demonstrate that MRI is an effective noninvasive tool for studying the course of renal hypertrophy and hydration changes in the development of renal disease in STZ-induced diabetes in the rat.
p-Chlorophenylalanine eliminates long-term modulation of the exercise ventilatory response in goats.

Abstract Repeated hypercapnic exercise augments future exercise ventilatory responses, an effect termed long-term modulation. We hypothesized that serotonin depletion with p -chlorophenylalanine (PCPA, 100 mg kg −1 i.v.) would attenuate long-term modulation. Ventilation, CO 2 production and arterial blood gases were measured at rest and during exercise (4 km h −1 , 5% grade) in goats before and after training (14 hypercapnic exercise trials). Six post-training exercise trials were performed. Trials 1–3 and 4–6 were grouped for analysis (post-training 1 and 2, respectively). Without PCPA, training exaggerated the Pa CO 2 decrease from rest to exercise (pre-training: 1.4±0.3 mmHg ; post-training 1: 3.1±0.3 mmHg ; post-training 2: 2.3±0.3 mmHg ; P indicative of long-term modulation. The Pa CO 2 decrease from rest to exercise was unaffected by training following PCPA (pre-training: 1.4±0.1 mmHg ; post-training 1: 1.4±0.3 mmHg ; post-training 2: 1.1±0.5 mmHg ; P>0.05). Thus, PCPA abolishes long-term modulation, implicating serotonin in its underlying mechanism.
Some problems of scalar and vector-valued optimization in linear viscoelasticity

Optimal and Pareto-optimal stress rate histories are given for some simple scalar and vector-valued optimization problems in one-dimensional linear viscoelasticity.
Deficiency of PAR4 Attenuates Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Mice

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the USA. Antithrombotic therapy targeting platelet activation is one of the treatments for ischemic stroke. Here we investigate the role of one of the thrombin receptors, protease-activated receptor 4 (PAR4), in a mouse transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. After a 60 min MCAO and 23 h reperfusion, leukocyte and platelet rolling and adhesion on cerebral venules, blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, and cerebral edema were compared in PAR4-deficient mice and wild-type mice. Cerebral infarction volume and neuronal death were also measured. PAR4-/- mice had more than an 80% reduction of infarct volume and significantly improved neurologic and motor function compared with wild-type mice after MCAO. Furthermore, deficiency of PAR4 significantly inhibits the rolling and adhesion of both platelets and leukocytes after MCAO. BBB disruption and cerebral edema were also attenuated in PAR4-/- mice compared with wild-type animals. The results of this investigation indicate that deficiency of PAR4 protects mice from cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, partially through inhibition of platelet activation and attenuation of microvascular inflammation.
Neuropathologic findings of bromethalin toxicosis in the cat.

Ten random source male domestic shorthair cats, 2 to 6 years old and 3.0–4.4 kg body weight, were each given a single oral dose (1.5 mg/kg) of bromethalin (cat Nos. 1–5) or bait vehicle carrier (cat Nos. 6–10). Bromethalin-dosed cats developed a toxic syndrome characterized by ataxia, focal motor seizures, vocalization, decerebrate posture, decreased conscious proprioception, recumbency, depression, and semicoma. Bromethalin-dosed cats were euthanatized if seizure activity or hindlimb paralysis developed. Survival times were 48 hours (cat No. 1), 89 hours (cat No. 2), 90 hours (cat No. 3), and 97 hours (cat No. 4). Control cats (cat Nos. 6–10) and one bromethalin-dosed cat (cat No. 5) were euthanatized on day 20 after dosing. Spongy change (edema—characterized by the formation of vacuoles in extracellular spaces and myelin lamellae), hypertrophied fibrous astrocytes, and hypertrophied oligodendrocytes were observed in the white matter of the cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, spinal cord, and optic nerve o...
Localized acneiform eruption following cobalt irradiation.

Summary.— A woman aged 45 developed a severe dense eruption of open and closed comedones and follicular cysts, confined to the irradiated sites, 5 months following deep cobalt teletherapy for a mediastinal lesion. Histological study revealed typical open and closed comedones, ruptured follicular cysts with surrounding foreign body reaction, and features of steatocystoma. It is postulated that the severe acneiform eruption reflects the interaction of multiple acneigenic factors in which cobalt irradition served to localize the response.
Some cases of the Fontaine-Mazur conjecture

Abstract We prove more special cases of the Fontaine–Mazur conjecture regarding p -adic Galois representations unramified at p , and we present evidence for and consequences of a generalization of it.
Optimal Planning and Learning in Uncertain Environments for the Management of Wind Farms

AbstractWind energy is a key renewable source, yet wind farms have relatively high cost compared with many traditional energy sources. Among the life cycle costs of wind farms, operation and maintenance (O&M) accounts for 25–30%, and an efficient strategy for management of turbines can significantly reduce the O&M cost. Wind turbines are subject to fatigue-induced degradation and need periodic inspections and repairs, which are usually performed through semiannual scheduled maintenance. However, better maintenance can be achieved by flexible policies based on prior knowledge of the degradation process and on data collected in the field by sensors and visual inspections. Traditional methods to model the O&M process, such as Markov decision processes (MDPs) and partially observable MDPs (POMDPs), have limitations that do not allow the model to properly include the knowledge available and that may result in nonoptimal strategies for management of the farm. Specifically, the conditional probabilities for mode...
Limitations in assessing nerve growth factor levels in aqueous humor samples from human eyes.

Background Nerve growth factor (NGF) helps in the healing and survival of ganglion cells, photoreceptors, and optic nerve after injury and has been implicated to have a role in pathophysiology of glaucoma. So far, in animal studies, injury to iris in vitro has revealed an increase in NGF levels in aqueous. There is a great interest in investigating the levels of NGF in human aqueous in glaucomatous eyes, as suggested by animal studies, to gain a better understanding of the pathophysiology of glaucoma.
Electrocardiographic and Echocardiographic Features That Distinguish Anomalous Origin of the Left Coronary Artery from Pulmonary Artery from Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Many authors have reported noninvasive means of diagnosing anomalous left coronary artery from pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) and differentiating ALCAPA from idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Systematic evaluation using these noninvasive diagnostic modalities is not available. To distinguish between ALCAPA and DCM using a systematic approach, we examined 23 patients with ALCAPA (age 1 month to 23 years, median 7 months) and 23 patients with DCM (age 5 days to 16 years, median 6.6 months). Standard 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECG) and 2-dimensional (2-D) and color Doppler echocardiograms were performed. A logistic regression model was applied using ALCAPA diagnosis as the dependent variable and ECG and echocardiographic findings as independent variables. A scoring system was created to establish the ALCAPA diagnosis based on results from the logistic regression. On the logistic regression, the ECG feature of QT pattern in aVL (Q wave ≥ 3 mm deep with an inverted T wave) and echocardiographic features of right coronary artery diameter to aortic annulus ratio ≥ 0.14, increased papillary muscle echogenicity, and Doppler color flow of LCA from aorta or pulmonary artery were the most significant differentiating features between the ALCAPA and DCM groups. A scoring system was developed using the previous five variables and assigning a score of 1 to each variable (−1 to Doppler color flow of LCA from aorta). The scoring system had sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 91% for ALCAPA diagnosis. Compared with previous reported diagnostic features in differentiating ALCAPA and DCM, the scoring system had a much higher specificity and positive predictive value. In conclusion, we selected the most useful ECG and echocardiographic features to differentiate between ALCAPA and DCM and created a scoring system to aid clinical diagnosis. This scoring system may be useful in evaluating children with acute congestive heart failure.
Methodology for predicting spray quenching of thick-walled metal alloy tubes

This paper explores the parametric influences of spray quenching for thick-walled metal alloy tubes. Using the point-source depiction of a spray, an analytical model is derived to determine the shape and size of the spray impact zone, as well as the distribution of volumetric flux across the same zone. This distribution is incorporated into heat transfer correlations for all spray boiling regimes to generate a complete boiling curve for every location across the impact zone. By setting boundary conditions for both the sprayed and unsprayed portions of the tube surface, a heat diffusion model is constructed for a unit cell of the tube for both aluminum alloy and steel. This model is used to construct spray quench curves for every point along the sprayed surface and within the wall. Increasing nozzle pressure drop or decreasing orifice-to-surface distance are shown to increase the magnitude of volumetric flux, which hastens the onset of the rapid cooling stages of the quench as well as improves overall cooling effectiveness. The sprayed surface is characterized by fast thermal response to the spray, while regions within the wall display more gradual response due to heat diffusion delays. With their superior thermal diffusivity, aluminum alloy tubes transmit the cooling effect through the wall faster than steel tubes. For steel, the cooling effect is more concentrated near the sprayed surface, causing the sprayed surface to cool much faster and locations within the wall much slower than for aluminum alloy. The predictive approach presented in this paper facilitates the determination of surface temperature gradients in the quenched part to guard against stress concentration. Also, when combined with metallurgical transformation models for the alloy, it may be possible to predict material properties such as hardness and strength.
Integrated Optics for Microwave and Millimeter Wave Detection and Signal Processing

Integrated optical electrooptic modulators can play a crucial role in the sensing, control and processing of microwave and millimeter wave signals of phased array antenna systems. Integrated optical single side band modulators with narrowband resonant microwave electrode structures can serve as ideal microwave/optical transducers for antenna elements. The single side band modulation scheme allows the encoding of the microwave frequency and phase information onto an optical carrier shifted by the microwave frequency. This allows the use of coherent optical techniques for beam steering and signal processing of microwave signals used in phased array antenna systems.
Screening for cytochrome P450 3A in man: studies with midazolam and nifedipine.

This report describes work directed towards the development of a screening technique for cytochrome P450 3A activity which should be valid for a variety of drugs metabolized by this enzyme. A significant correlation (P < 001) was found between the ratio of the plasma concentration of nifedipine to that of its oxidized metabolite and the area under the time curve for the plasma concentration of midazolam. It is suggested that the nifedipine: metabolite ratio might have general predictive value for the metabolism of orally administered cytochrome P450 3A substrates.
DepoDur® (extended-release epidural morphine): a review of an old drug in a new vehicle

The use of epidural opioid can no longer be considered a novel postoperative analgesic, whether used as a one-time bolus or given via an epidural infusion with or without local anesthetic. In this role, epidural opioid is well accepted and efficacious. However, epidurals and other current strategies for treating acute postoperative pain are all limited by side effects and complications. Epidural infusions can provide excellent postoperative analgesia but can also lead to problems and complications related to catheter placement, such as the potential for epidural hematoma with anticoagulation, technical issues with the infusion pumps, and the time and labor necessary to place, adjust, and manage catheters and infusions. Extended-release epidural morphine (EREM, DepoDur ® ; Endo Pharmaceuticals, Chadds Ford, PA) has been studied and increasingly utilized as a method to improve postoperative analgesia of epidural dosing without the use of infusions. Via a delivery system using liposome encapsulation, EREM provides novel analgesic benefits but also contributes a new set of concerns to the field of pain management: unique onset and duration of opioid adverse effects. These issues have generated controversy in clinical anesthesia. In this review, we provide an overview of the published basic science, background research, and current clinical studies, as well as recent applications and experience with EREM.
Biological Feedbacks in Global Desertification

Studies of ecosystem processes on the Jornada Experimental Range in southern New Mexico suggest that longterm grazing of semiarid grasslands leads to an increase in the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of water, nitrogen, and other soil resources. Heterogeneity of soil resources promotes invasion by desert shrubs, which leads to a further localization of soil resources under shrub canopies. In the barren area between shrubs, soil fertility is lost by erosion and gaseous emissions. This positive feedback leads to the desertification of formerly productive land in southern New Mexico and in other regions, such as the Sahel. Future desertification is likely to be exacerbated by global climate warming and to cause significant changes in global biogeochemical cycles.
A Fitting Procedure for Impedance Spectra Obtained for Cases of Localized Corrosion

Abstract Pitting and crevice corrosion of Al alloys and Al-based metal matrix composites can be detected by characteristic changes in the low frequency region of the impedance spectra, which can be...
Petrologic and Geophysical Nature of Serpentinites

Mineralogically, serpentinites consist predominantly of lizardite, clinochrysotile, and antigorite. Recent work has shown that these minerals are not polymorphs. Chrysotile is the only mineral recognized as a synthetic product in experimental studies of the system MgO-SiO2-H2O. Antigorite seems to be stable at higher temperatures than lizardite or chrysotile. The density of individual serpentine species is dependent on their morphology; the low-density serpentinites (<2.55g/cc) consist predominantly of clino-chrysotile. Seismic velocities and magnetic susceptibilities of serpentinites are related to the degree of serpentinization. The transition of massive serpentinites from ductile to brittle behavior in laboratory experiments at high confining pressures and temperatures above 300°C has been related to dehydration which may provide a mechanism for developing deep-focus earthquakes along Benioff zones. Serpentinite is formed by direct hydration of ultramafic protolith in the crust. The most common ultramafic protoliths are harzburgite, dunite, and Iherzolite. The assemblage generally developed from these is lizardite + chrysotile + brucite + magnetite. In areas of high-grade metamorphism, antigorite is the predominant serpentine mineral. The common, large, alpine-type serpentinized ultramafic masses contain brucite and have MgO/SiO2 ratios similar to those of their protolith, resulting in volume increase during serpentinization. Metamorphic serpentinites and some highly sheared alpine-type serpentinites have lower MgO/SiO2 ratios than their protolith, lack brucite, and appear t o have been formed by volume-for-volume replacement with concomitant loss of magnesium or addition of silica. Many large, young masses of peridotite appear to be slabs of oceanic mantle over-thrust onto continental edges. Subsequent sedimentation, serpentinization, and tectonism have greatly modified these original slabs so that their recognition in older orogenic zones is equivocal. The concept of the tectonic evolution of ultramafic rocks from oceanic crust-mantle slabs invading continental margins and being incrementally serpentinized and moved by later tectonic events provides a working hypothesis that allows a better explanation of the many peculiar and varied occurrences of serpentinite. The evidence does not support Hess' suggestion that the third layer of the oceanic crust consists of partly serpentinized mantle peridotite.