cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Functional neuroimaging of belief, disbelief, and uncertainty.

Objective The difference between believing and disbelieving a proposition is one of the most potent regulators of human behavior and emotion. When one accepts a statement as true, it becomes the basis for further thought and action; rejected as false, it remains a string of words. The purpose of this study was to differentiate belief, disbelief, and uncertainty at the level of the brain. Methods We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the brains of 14 adults while they judged written statements to be “true” (belief), “false” (disbelief), or “undecidable” (uncertainty). To characterize belief, disbelief, and uncertainty in a content-independent manner, we included statements from a wide range of categories: autobiographical, mathematical, geographical, religious, ethical, semantic, and factual. Results The states of belief, disbelief, and uncertainty differentially activated distinct regions of the prefrontal and parietal cortices, as well as the basal ganglia. Interpretation Belief and disbelief differ from uncertainty in that both provide information that can subsequently inform behavior and emotion. The mechanism underlying this difference appears to involve the anterior cingulate cortex and the caudate. Although many areas of higher cognition are likely involved in assessing the truth-value of linguistic propositions, the final acceptance of a statement as “true” or its rejection as “false” appears to rely on more primitive, hedonic processing in the medial prefrontal cortex and the anterior insula. Truth may be beauty, and beauty truth, in more than a metaphorical sense, and false propositions may actually disgust us. Ann Neurol 2007
Quantum structure of the non-Abelian Weizsacker-Williams field for a very large nucleus

We consider the McLerran-Venugopalan model for calculation of the small-x part of the gluon distribution function for a very large ultrarelativistic nucleus at weak coupling. We construct the Feynman diagrams which correspond to the classical Weizs{umlt a}cker-Williams field found previously [Yu. V. Kovchegov, Phys. Rev. D {bold 54}, 5463 (1996)] as a solution of the classical equations of motion for the gluon field in the light-cone gauge. Analyzing these diagrams we obtain a limit for the McLerran-Venugopalan model. We show that as long as this limit is not violated a classical field can be used for the calculation of scattering amplitudes. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Characteristics and Role Functions of Advanced Practice Nurses in a Tertiary Pediatric Setting

issues and purpose. To describe the characteristics and role functions of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) in a tertiary pediatric setting. design and methods. This descriptive survey design used a convenience sample (N = 39) of APNs at The Children's Hospital in Denver. A 56-item survey asked participants to define their role by rating how often they performed various primary and specialty care functions. results. Findings validated the notion that APNs combine expert knowledge and practice skills into a holistic framework to provide sick children and their families with a full range of comprehensive services across a variety of settings. APNs work collaboratively with physicians and other professionals and are an excellent resource for students. practice implications. Describing and characterizing how APNs contribute to and enhance the delivery of care help to clarify and authenticate the scope of practice of the pediatric acute care APN.
Acute and embryo-larval toxicity of phenolic compounds to aquatic biota

Because of the prevalence of phenolic compounds in various types of effluents, both acute and embryo-larval bioassays were performed on eight phenolic compounds with rainbow trout, fathead minnows andDaphnia pulicaria. In flow-through bioassays, the 96-hr LC50 values for rainbow trout and fathead minnows ranged from 100 mg/L for resorcinol.Daphnia pulicaria was consistently the least sensitive species tested as measured in 48-hr bioassays, while fathead minnows and rainbow trout varied in their relative sensitivity to phenolics as measured in 96-hr tests. Fathead minnows were more sensitive to phenol at 25°C than at 14°C. In embryo-larval bioassays with phenol, fathead minnow growth was significantly reduced by 2.5 mg/L phenol, while rainbow trout growth was significantly reduced by 0.20 mg/L phenol. For both species the embryolarval effects concentration was 1.1% of the 96-hr LC50. Another embryolarval bioassay was attempted withp-benzoquinone, a highly toxic phenolic compound found in fossil fuel processing wastewaters, which was discontinued because the compound was rapidly degraded chemically or biologically in the headtank and aquaria.
Emergency department customer satisfaction: the point of view paradox.

Abstract [Schwab RA. Emergency department customer satisfaction: the point of view paradox. Ann Emerg Med. May 2000;35:499-501.]
Nurses' Knowledge, Attitudes/Beliefs, and Care Practices Concerning Do Not Resuscitate Status for Hospitalized Neonates

ABSTRACT Objective To describe the knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and care practices of neonatal intensive care unit nurses concerning do not resuscitate status for hospitalized neonates and to assess differences based on years of neonatal intensive care unit experience and educational background. Design Comparative descriptive design. Setting Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit located in the northeastern United States. Participants A convenience sample of 66 neonatal intensive care unit nurses. Methods Nurses responded anonymously to an adapted pen and paper questionnaire assessing knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and care practices regarding the care of hospitalized neonates with do not resuscitate status. Results There was much ambiguity concerning the legal meaning of the term "do not resuscitate." Three fourths of respondents did not recognize do not resuscitate by its legal definition. A variety of attitudes/beliefs and care practices related to do not resuscitate designation was reported. Nurses with increased years of experience were less supportive of initiating certain aggressive care modalities for do not resuscitate patients. Responses regarding knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and care practices related to do not resuscitate designation for neonates did not appear to be influenced by the educational background of neonatal intensive care unit nurses. Conclusion Neonatal intensive care unit nurses need further education regarding the legal definition and scope of do not resuscitate orders in the clinical care of terminally ill neonates.
Light-microscope studies of the cytology of the adenohypophysis of the white-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii.

Adenohypophyses from more than two hundred white-crowned sparrows of both sexes and different ages, and from different periods of their annual reproductive cycle, have been used for this investigation. In addition to examination of these normal birds, we have also studied the adenohypophyses of 23 castrates and 24 controls held in different photoperiodic conditions.
A Study of the Sensitivity of Plethodon cinereus (Caudata: Plethodontidae) to Damage-Released Cues from Conspecifics

Abstract Some prey species vary the intensity of antipredator responses according to the perceived level of threat associated with different concentrations of chemical cues related to predation. Here, we examine whether Red-Backed Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) respond to different concentrations of damage-released cues from the tails of conspecifics in a threat-sensitive manner. We exposed salamanders either to a control or to damage-released cues from conspecifics at one of three different concentrations. We found that salamanders exposed to damage-released cues significantly decreased their activity compared to salamanders exposed to a control. However, the intensity of the responses was not related to the concentration of the cue, suggesting that individuals of P. cinereus do not respond in a threat-sensitive fashion at the concentrations tested.
Perioperative Nurses' Roles in Managing New Technology

ABSTRACT The scientific knowledge base for medical technology doubles every two years. Whether new technologies will improve health care depends on how appropriately they are used; therefore, purchasing appropriate technology is crucial. Appropriate technologies include those that are valid, adaptable, acceptable, and affordable. Perioperative nurses can facilitate acquisition and use of appropriate technology in the OR by applying the process of technology assessment-a five-step process that examines the need, safety, effectiveness and efficacy, economappraisal, and social impact of new technology. This article details the technology assessment process and provides methods of preparing perioperative staff members to use new technology. AORN J 60 (Nov 1994) 81 5-827.
Attributing Responsibility to Female Victims After Exposure to Sexually Violent Films

We investigate the possibility that the degree to which female abuse victims are held accountable by other women who have been exposed to sexually violent mass media is primarily dependent upon 3 factors: situational relevance, personal similarity, and emotional arousal. Female subjects participated in an experiment. Factors were: film dose; film viewing/victim judgment time interval; victim-subject similarity; and situational relevance of the assault. The results showed less attribution of responsibility to similar victims and high attributions of responsibility to dissimilar victims in the personally relevant assault situation (rape). Women identified least with dissimilar rape victims and most with similar victims when they had not been desensitized. When subjects were desensitized, the defensive attribution effect failed to emerge. There was also a significant tendency among low film dose subjects to perceive more psychological injury and to attribute more distress to the victim than among high film dose subjects.
Objective sleep patterns and severity of symptoms in pediatric obsessive compulsive disorder: A pilot investigation

Sleep disturbances are common among youth with anxiety disorders, yet objective assessments of sleep in children with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) have been the focus of scant research. We therefore compared a small group of non-medicated, non-depressed children with primary OCD (ages 7-11 years) to matched healthy controls using home-based actigraphy during a 7-day prospective assessment. Validated parent and child sleep measures also were collected, and associations among objective sleep variables and severity of obsessions and compulsions were examined. We found significantly fragmented sleep patterns in the OCD group compared to controls including reduced total sleep time (TST) and longer wake periods after sleep onset. Severity of compulsions showed a significant negative correlation with TST. These preliminary findings indicate the presence of sleep abnormalities in pre-pubescent OCD patients with potential implications for future examinations of early developmental processes and features of the disorder.
Evidence of indirect impacts of introduced trout on native amphibians via facilitation of a shared predator

Hyperpredation occurs when non-native prey facilitate invasive predators, which then suppress native prey. Direct impacts of introduced fish on amphibians are well studied, but the role of fish in supporting shared predators has not been considered. We present evidence for indirect effects of trout on amphibians through snake predation. Analyses of the diet, distribution and density of the Pacific coast aquatic garter snake (Thamnophis atratus) relative to the sympatric common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) in the Klamath Mountains of California suggest that trout introductions facilitated expansion of T. atratus by providing alternative prey. T. atratus diet included trout and amphibians whereas T. sirtalis preyed solely upon amphibians. The distribution and density of T. atratus matched that of introduced trout instead of native amphibians. Populations of T. atratus could reach high densities in the absence of high densities of amphibians. When the snakes opportunistically prey upon amphibians whose numbers are already directly impacted by trout, they can cause significant additional declines. When T. atratus was present in lake basins, native Cascades frogs (Rana cascadae) were rarer than in basins without T. atratus. This case differs from other hyperpredation studies because the two prey species also interact via intraguild predation. Given the worldwide practice of stocking fish into aquatic habitats, it is important to understand the consequences of the practice on food-web structure and ecosystem functioning. Bottom-up impacts of introduced predators should be considered as well as top-down so that managers can incorporate the range of ecosystem-level effects into conservation goals and decisions.
Intrathecal coadministration of clonidine with serotonin receptor agonists produces supra-additive visceral antinociception in the rat.

Abstract The intrathecal (i.t.) coadministration of sub-antinociceptive doses of clonidine, an α 2 -adrenoceptor agonist, with DOI or RU-24969 (5-HT 2 or 5-HT 1B receptor agonists, respectively) produced dose-dependent supra-additive antinociceptive effects in a model of visceral pain. The enhanced attenuation of responses to noxious colorectal distension produced by the coadministration of these drugs is evidenced by significant leftward shifts in the dose-response curves as compared to those of each drug alone and by isobolographic analysis. The supra-additive antinociceptive effects produced following the i.t. coadministration of clonidine with RU-24969 were antagonized by i.t. pretreatment with phentolamine; the coadministration of phentolamine with methysergide produced no greater antagonism of effects. The supra-additive antinociceptive effects produced by i.t. coadministration of clonidine with DOI were antagonized by i.t. pretreatment with methysergide; the coadministration of methysergide with yohimbine produced no greater antagonism of effects. These data suggest that receptors acted upon by descending bulbospinal neurons interact to modulate the rostrad transmission of visceral nociceptive transmission.
Substance abuse and relationship violence among men court‐referred to batterers’ intervention programs

There is extensive theoretical and empirical evidence linking substance abuse and marital violence. However in batterer populations, researchers have not compared hazardous and nonhazardous drinkers' substance use characteristics, marital aggression, extramarital violence (i.e., general violence), depressive symptomatology, marital satisfaction, and other relevant variables. In addition, much of the previous research on substance use and abuse in batterer populations employed a single, nonstandardized measure of substance use, and no previous research has examined substance use in court-mandated batterers' relationship partners. We recruited 150 men who were arrested for violence and court-referred to batterer intervention programs. We administered multiple measures of substance use and abuse and assessed the batterers' marital aggression, relationship satisfaction, depressive symptomatology, use of general violence, and their relationship partners' substance use. We also divided the sample into groups of Hazardous Drinkers (HD) and Nonhazardous Drinkers (NHD). Across the entire sample, half of the batterers had an alcohol-related diagnosis and approximately one third reported symptoms consistent with a drug-related diagnosis. Over one third of the total sample reported that their relationship partners were hazardous drinkers. Relative to the NHD group, the HD group scored significantly higher on measures of general violence, depressive symptomatology, alcohol use, alcohol problems, and drug problems. The HD group also reported significantly higher partner alcohol and drug use and abuse scores, relative to the NHD group. The results of the study suggest that substance use and abuse should routinely be assessed as part of batterer interventions and that batterer programs would be improved by offering adjunct or integrated alcohol treatment.
Peripheral vasoconstriction with epinephrine for selective fixation of the central nervous system by perfusion.

A preferential flow of the perfusates to the brain and spinal cord is obtained in rodents, lagomorphs, carnivores and primates by the intracardial injection of high doses of epinephrine 1 min prior to perfusion with saline. Subsequently perfused Bouin's solution is distributed almost exclusively in the central nervous system. Adequate fixation is obtained with quantities corresponding to 1–2% of body weight for the saline and 2–4% of body weight for the Bouin's solution.
Optimal algorithms for extracting spatial regularity in images

Abstract Finding spatial regularity in images is important in military applications (e.g., finding rows of landmines), texture analysis, and other areas. We give an optimal Θ( n 2 ) algorithm for finding all maximal equally-spaced collinear subsets within a pointset in E d . We also generalize this method to yield an optimal Θ( n 3 ) algorithm for determining all maximal regular coplanar lattices.
The CD28/B7 pathway costimulates the response of primary murine T cells to superantigens as well as to conventional antigens.

Abstract While the CD28/B7 pathway has been shown to play an important costimulatory role in the response of T cells to conventional antigens, its role in superantigen-mediated T cell activation has not been as clear. In this report, we used CD4+ T cells from ovalbumin-specific αβ-TCR-transgenic mice (DO11.10) to compare the ability of this pathway to costimulate the response of primary T cells to conventional antigens and superantigens. We show that either the addition of anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody or presentation with a B7 transfected cell line enhances the proliferative and interleukin-2 secretion response of DO11.10 CD4+ cells to both the conventional antigen, ovalbumin peptide (OVA 323-339), and the superantigen SEB. This implies that CD28-mediated costimulation plays a role in the response of murine T cells to superantigens as well as to conventional antigens.
Support needs of Chinese immigrant cancer patients

To enable better psychosocial, informational, and practical support of Chinese patients with cancer, this study was conducted to identify the specific support needs of Chinese immigrant cancer patients. The Cancer Portal Project at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Center for Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities is a patient navigation program that assists underserved and minority cancer patients in obtaining social and economic assistance at ten New York City cancer clinics. This need assessment was conducted as part of the Portal Project. Sixty-four questions were added to the existing Portal Intake Form about the needs and preferences for Chinese-language support and survivorship services. Descriptive analysis was performed, as well as an exploratory principal component’s factor analysis to determine if there were any patterns in the services and programs in which patients were interested. Ninety-six patients were approached for participation; 59 agreed to participate. Eighty-eight percent of participants were born in China. Ninety-seven percent preferred to speak Mandarin, Cantonese, or Fujianese in the healthcare setting. When asked about general interest in support programs, 53 % of the participants were "very interested," 27 % were "maybe interested," and 17 % were "not interested." Programs in which more participants were "very interested" included those that would provide information about obtaining financial assistance (79 %) and social assistance (74 %), information on treatment options (67 %), help in coping with the burden of illness on the family (65 %), and information about general healthcare (63 %). The factor analysis resulted in the identification of five factors: social/financial/treatment and care issues, nutrition and exercise/networking/general health care, coping with fear and stress, herbs and dietary supplements, and acupuncture and acupressure. In this study, 80 % of the participants expressed interest in programs tailored for Chinese cancer patients. The most frequently preferred topics for potential services were information-based. Findings provide a foundation for future research and the development of culturally and linguistically targeted support programs and interventions for this unique population.
Trace level analysis of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds in water using a membrane/jet separator interfaced to an ion trap mass spectrometer

An ion trap mass spectrometer, equipped with a membrane/jet separator interface, is used for the direct detection of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds in aqueous solutions. Aqueous sample is passed through a capillary membrane, the outside surface of which is continuously purged by helium. The permeate is pneumatically transported to the mass spectrometer via a jet separator which acts as an additional enrichment device. The performance and response characteristics of non-porous silicone and microporous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes are studied. The microporous membrane allows sufficient water to pass for it to be used as a reagent gas for chemical ionization. Both types of membranes provide detection limits in the parts per trillion (pptr) to parts per billion (ppb) range with a linear dynamic range of 3 orders of magnitude for some volatile organic compounds. Results show that there is no detectable matrix effect on response in the selected cases examined. The use of microporous membranes to analyze more polar compounds, such as 5-hydroxymethyl furfuraldehyde and lactic acid, is also demonstrated. The effects of other experimental parameters, such as membrane temperature and length, on sensitivity are also investigated.
Retrospective Versus Prospective Statements and Outcome of Presidential Elections

This study investigates retrospective and prospective voting from a communication perspective, looking to see whether there is relationship between election outcome and the relative emphasis U.S. presidential candidates place on retrospective (past) versus prospective (future) utterances in campaign messages. The sample includes a variety of presidential campaign messages (acceptance addresses, primary and general television spots, debates, direct mail advertising) from several campaigns (1948-2004) by numerous candidates. In the primary phase of the campaign, there is no difference between winners and losers in relative emphasis on retrospective and prospective statements. However, in the general phase of the presidential campaign, winners use a significantly larger proportion of retrospective (and a smaller proportion of prospective) utterances than losers. Furthermore, the relationship between emphasis on retrospective utterances and election outcome was larger for incumbents than challengers (but significant for both types of candidates). These findings support retrospective voting in the general, but not the primary, campaign.
Session summary: The RDAP12 panel on training data management practitioners

Editor's Summary Attendees at the ASIS&T Research Data Access and Preservation (RDAP) Summit, held in March 2012, discussed education and training for data managers and considered data literacy as a critical skill comparable to information and digital literacy. George Mason University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University in collaboration with the Cornell University Library are leading the way in programs offering degrees and certificates on data science research and education. Most educational materials are available online. There was agreement on the need for expanding the numbers of skilled data management practitioners and addressing data manager training in grants for heavily data-driven projects, though the balance between theory and practice prompted diverging opinions.
Deposition mechanisms of TiO2 nanoparticles in a parallel plate system

Abstract In this study, a microscope-based technique was utilized to understand the fundamental mechanisms involved in deposition of TiO 2 nanoparticles (TNPs). Transport and deposition studies were conducted in a parallel plate (PP) flow chamber with TNP labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) for visualization. Attachment of FITC-labeled TNPs on surfaces is a function of a combination of parameters, including ionic strength (IS), pH and flowrate. Significantly higher deposition rates were observed at pH 5 versus pH 7. This is attributed to the conditions being chemically favorable for deposition at pH 5 as compared to pH 7, as predicted by DLVO theory. Additionally, deposition rates at pH 5 were reduced with IS below 10 mM due to the decrease in range of electrostatic attractive forces. Above 10 mM, aggregate size increased, resulting in higher deposition rates. At pH 7, no deposition was observed below 10 mM and above this concentration, deposition increased with IS. The impact of flowrate was also observed, with decreasing flowrate leading to greater deposition due to the reduction in drag force acting on the aggregate (regardless of pH). Comparisons between experimental and theoretical approximations indicate that non-DLVO type forces also play a significant role. This combination of observations suggest that the deposition of these model nanoparticles on glass surfaces was controlled by a combination of DLVO and non-DLVO-type forces, shear rate, aggregation state, and gravitational force acting on TNPs.
Microbial community acclimation enhances waste hydrolysis rates under elevated ammonia and salinity conditions

Abstract Hydrolysis rates under potentially inhibitory concentrations of ammonia and salinity were investigated for two model feedstocks (manure and food waste). Rates were determined under a range of ammonia and salinity concentrations (1.0–10.0 g TAN [total ammonia nitrogen] L−1 and 3.9–20.0 g sodium L−1) with unacclimated and acclimated microbial inocula. Microbial community changes as a function of acclimation and feedstock were also investigated. Using unacclimated inocula, hydrolysis was found to be severely inhibited for elevated ammonia and salinity (∼4 to 10-fold, respectively) or hydrolysis was not detected. However, for inocula acclimated over 2–4 months, statistically significant inhibition generally was not detectable. Molecular analyses demonstrated that microbial community composition changed during acclimation, and bacterial communities under elevated ammonia were distinct from communities under elevated salinity. Feedstock source also had a major influence on bacterial community structure.
A prospective, randomized trial of complete avoidance of steroids in liver transplantation with follow-up of over 7 years

Objectives Steroids are a mainstay of treatment in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and are associated with significant morbidity. This trial was conducted to assess the efficacy of steroids avoidance.
Comparison of Functional Status After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients With and Without Diabetes Mellitus

Although previous studies have shown increased risk of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), data are conflicting on whether the gains in physical function and mental health after CABG achieved by patients with DM are similar to, or less than, those achieved by patients without DM. We compared the gains in physical function and mental health at 6 months after CABG surgery between 696 consecutive patients with DM and 376 without DM who underwent their first CABG from February 1999 to February 2001. Physical function and mental health were measured using the Short Form 36-item Health Survey. From the baseline and follow-up Short Form 36-item Health Survey data, the physical and mental component scales were derived. At 6 months, the patients with and without DM had significant improvement in physical function and mental health, but those without DM had improved significantly more than those with DM with respect to physical functioning. After adjusting for baseline characteristics, a lower proportion of patients with DM had experienced improvement (an increase of ≥5 points) in the physical component scale score compared with those without DM (45.0% vs 58.0.%, RR = 0.78, p = 0.002). Moreover, a higher proportion of patients with DM experienced a decrease in the physical component scale score compared with those without DM (14.9% vs 7.8%, RR = 1.91, p = 0.006). In contrast, no significant differences were found in the mental component scale score changes by DM status. In conclusion, CABG is associated with lower gains in physical function in those with DM than in those without DM. Special attention should be paid to the physical function of patients with DM after CABG, and any barriers to functional recovery in this group should be promptly identified and addressed.
Diminished cardiac contractile response to tetrahydropapaveroline in hypertension: role of β-adrenoceptors and intracellular Ca2+

Abstract Tetrahydropapaveroline (THP), a condensation product of ethanol-derived acetaldehyde, potentiates cardiac function through a β-adrenergic mechanism. It is well established that β-adrenergic activity is markedly depressed in hypertension. However, little is known about the myocardial action of THP in hypertension. In this study, the effect of THP was examined using left ventricular papillary muscles and ventricular myocytes from 10-week-old normotensive (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats. The mechanical parameters evaluated include: peak tension developed (PTD), peak twitch amplitude (PTA), time-to-PTD/PTA (TPT/TPS), time-to-90% relaxation/relengthening (RT 90 /TR 90 ), and the maximal velocities of contraction/shortening and relaxation/relengthening (±VT/±d L /d t ). Intracellular Ca 2+ transients were measured as fura-2 fluorescence intensity changes (ΔFFI). THP (0.01–100 μM) produced a concentration-dependent increase in myocardial contraction on muscles and myocytes from both groups of animals. However, preparations from the SHR group were generally less responsive to THP than their normotensive counterparts. The increase in contractility by THP was associated with increases in ΔFFI and ±VT, and shortening of TPT/TPS and RT 90 /TR 90 . The role of β-adrenoceptor(s) in the mechanism of action of THP was explored using specific β-receptor subtype antagonists CGP 207.12A (β 1 ) and ICI 118,551 (β 2 ). In preparations from both WKY and SHR hearts, the THP-induced increase in cardiac contractility was either attenuated or blocked by CGP 207.12A and ICI 118,551. These results indicate that THP exhibits a positive action on myocardial contraction that is mediated, in part, through both β 1 and β 2 adrenergic receptors. This cardiac inotropic response, however, is markedly diminished in hypertension, which is due possibly to alterations in β-adrenergic signal transduction.
Universalities in the spectra of disordered and chaotic systems.

The Wigner-Dyson distribution of level spacings plays a central role in the classification of quantum chaotic systems. However, this description provides no information about the dispersion of the energy levels E i (X) in response to an external'perturbation. For weakly disordered metallic grains we demonstrate that the response depends on the detailed properties of the system only through mean-level spacing, and a conductance which we define. We derive a nonperturbative expression for the autocorrelator of density-of-states fluctuations for systems taken from both the unitary and orthogonal ensembles, showing that the dependence on these two parameters can be removed by a rescaling
On the zeros of a minimal realization

In an earlier work, the authors have introduced a coordinate-free, module-theoretic definition of zeros for the transfer function G(s) of a linear multivariable system (A,B,C). The first contribution of this paper is the construction of an explicit k[z]-module isomorphism from that zero module, Z(G), to V∗/R∗, where V∗ is the supremal (A,B)-invariant subspace contained in kerC and R∗ is the supremal (A,B)-controllable subspace contained in kerC, and where (A,B,C) constitutes a minimal realization of G(s). The isomorphism is developed from an exact commutative diagram of k-vector spaces. The second contribution is the introduction of a zero-signal generator and the establishment of a relation between this generator and the classic notion of blocked signal transmissions.
FGF-2-Responsive Neuronal Progenitors Reside in Proliferative and Quiescent Regions of the Adult Rodent Brain

Neurogenesis is restricted to discrete germinal zones within the developing and the adult central nervous systems. With few exceptions, cells that migrate away from these zones and into the parenchyma no longer participate in the generation of new neurons. In this work, we have found that basic fibroblast growth factor is able to stimulate the proliferation of neuronal and glial progenitors isolated from the septum and striatum of adult rats. These progenitors are indistinguishable from those isolated from the adult hippocampus and subventricular zone, two regions that generate neurons well into adult life. Although a variety of cell types are initially isolated from each brain region, the progenitor-like cells from all four regions are capable of considerable proliferation and, with limited serial passage, can be cultured as enriched populations of immature cells that are capable of differentiating into mature glia and neurons following density arrest and growth factor withdrawal. The fact that cells isolated from the septum and striatum proliferate and have the ability to differentiate into neurons once they are removed from their local environment indicates that neurogenesis may be restricted to discrete areas of the developing and the adult brain by regional differences in regulatory signals rather than from an absence of progenitors capable of responding to neurogenic cues.
The nickel ion catalysed iodination of 2-amino-2-hydroxymethyl-1,3-propanediol☆

Abstract Nickel (II) catalyses the iodination of 2-amino-2-hydroxymethyl-1,3-propanediol. The product is the N-iodo compound, and equilibrium exists between the reactants and products. The rate of the reaction, followed under pseudo first order kinetics, is increased by a factor of 50 in the presence of nickel (II) ions.
Application of machine learning to mapping primary causal factors in self reported safety narratives

Abstract A new method for analysis of text-based reports in accident coding is suggested. This approach utilizes latent semantic analysis to infer higher-order structures between documents and provide an unbiased metric to the narrative analysis process. Results from this study on a small sample of aviation safety narratives demonstrates an unsupervised categorization accuracy of 44% for primary-cause within the existing taxonomy. If provided with a large sample set, the indication is that a significant increase in accuracy is possible along with the possibility of recoding between data sets. Demonstrated is the ability of LSA to capture contextual proximity of a narrative.
Drosophila Stem Cell Niches: A Decade of Discovery Suggests a Unified View of Stem Cell Regulation

The past decade of research on Drosophila stem cells and niches has provided key insights. Fly stem cells do not occupy a special "state" based on novel "stem cell genes" but resemble transiently arrested tissue progenitors. Moreover, individual stem cells and downstream progenitors are highly dynamic and dispensable, not tissue bulwarks. Niches, rather than fixed cell lineages, ensure tissue health by holding stem cells and repressing cell differentiation inside, but not outside. We review the five best-understood adult Drosophila stem cells and argue that the fundamental biology of stem cells and niches is conserved between Drosophila and mice.
The Diagnosis and Treatment of Non-Cardiac Thoracic Trauma

Penetrating and blunt force mechanisms frequently result in thoracic trauma. Thoracic injuries cover the spectrum from trivial to lethal, and more than half are associated with head, abdomen or extremity trauma. Fortunately over eighty percent of injuries can be managed non-operatively utilizing tube thoracostomy, appropriate analgesia and aggressive respiratory therapy. Patients requiring emergency thoracotomy are either in shock or have life threatening injuries and, as expected, have significant mortality and morbidity. Injury to the thorax directly accounts for approximately 25% of trauma related mortality and is a contributing factor in another 25%. Early mortality results from haemorrhage, catastrophic injury or associated head or abdominal trauma. Not unexpectedly, late deaths are related to sepsis and organ failure. Blunt injury to the thorax most commonly results from motor vehicle collisions, with motorcycle accidents, pedestrians struck and falls next in frequency. Stab wound and gunshot wounds comprise the vast majority of penetrating injuries. In general the mortality from penetrating injury is higher and related to vascular injury and shock. Mortality from blunt trauma often results from abdominal and, especially, head injury. Rapid assessment and interventions, such as tube thoracostomy and airway control, can be life saving. The patient’s haemodynamic status drives early treatment, often necessitating emergency surgery. Detailed imaging studies are reserved for haemodynamically stable patients. The evaluation and treatment of specific thoracic injuries will be discussed, as well as some general principles in treating thoracic trauma.
The Future of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

I examine the value and limitations of Kuhn’s Structure of Scientific Revolutions. In the interests of developing a social epistemology of science, I argue that we should draw on Kuhn’s later work, published in The Road since Structure. There, Kuhn draws attention to the important role that specialty formation plays in resolving crises in science, a topic he did not discuss in Structure. I argue that we need to develop a better understanding of specialty research communities. Kuhn’s later work provides a research agenda for those who want to study scientific specialization. I briefly discuss some recent studies that promise to provide valuable insight into the social structure of science.
Secretion of Drugs by the Parotid Glands of Rats and Human Beings

The following drugs have been demonstrated to be secreted by the parotid glands of rats and human beings: amobarbital, chlorpromazine, codeine, glutethimide, meprobamate, pentobarbital, phenobarbital, and secobarbital. Methadone could not be detected in the parotid saliva of either rats or human beings, and morphine has been demonstrated only in parotid saliva of rats.
Slime a plasmodioid variant of Neurospora crassa

The slime variant of Neurospora is unique among the higher Fungi in growing on an agar surface by plasmodium-like outflows which are devoid of cell walls, and in which cells from older parts of an agar colony, and those in liquid culture, have very deficient cell walls. Heterocaryon studies indicate that the nucleus determines the slime phenotype. Genetic studies show that three independently inherited characters are essential to but insufficient for the slime phenotype. Some, but not all isolates with all three characteristics give rise to vegetatively derived isolates with stable slime phenotypes.
Development of criterion models for use in simulation analysis

Criterion models are important components in analyses of simulation output. These models represent the basis by which decision makers can rank alternatives in a simulation study. This work gives an overview of criterion models, especially as related to their uses with simulation models. In particular, examples of criterion models used in simulation studies are given. In addition, methodologies for choosing a set of attributes for a criterion model are described, along with a discussion of how these attributes should be "combined" in order to form a criterion model.
Delineation of Supraclavicular Target Volumes in Breast Cancer Radiation Therapy

Purpose To map the location of gross supraclavicular metastases in patients with breast cancer, in order to determine areas at highest risk of harboring subclinical disease. Methods and Materials Patients with axial imaging of gross supraclavicular disease were identified from an institutional breast cancer registry. Locations of the metastatic lymph nodes were transferred onto representative axial computed tomography images of the supraclavicular region and compared with the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) breast cancer atlas for radiation therapy planning. Results Sixty-two patients with 161 supraclavicular nodal metastases were eligible for study inclusion. At the time of diagnosis, 117 nodal metastases were present in 44 patients. Forty-four nodal metastases in 18 patients were detected at disease recurrence, 4 of whom had received prior radiation to the supraclavicular fossa. Of the 161 nodal metastases, 95 (59%) were within the RTOG consensus volume, 4 nodal metastases (2%) in 3 patients were marginally within the volume, and 62 nodal metastases (39%) in 30 patients were outside the volume. Supraclavicular disease outside the RTOG consensus volume was located in 3 regions: at the level of the cricoid and thyroid cartilage (superior to the RTOG volume), in the posterolateral supraclavicular fossa (posterolateral to the RTOG volume), and in the lateral low supraclavicular fossa (lateral to the RTOG volume). Only women with multiple supraclavicular metastases had nodal disease that extended superiorly to the level of the thyroid cartilage. Conclusions For women with risk of harboring subclinical supraclavicular disease warranting the addition of supraclavicular radiation, coverage of the posterior triangle and the lateral low supraclavicular region should be considered. For women with known supraclavicular disease, extension of neck coverage superior to the cricoid cartilage may be warranted.
Chronic ischemia preferentially causes white matter injury in the neonatal rat brain

Chronic ischemic brain injuries were studied in 7- and 14-day-old rat pups, which were subjected to bilateral carotid artery occlusion (BCAO) on postnatal day 1. BCAO preferentially injured white matter in the corpus callosum, subcortex and internal capsule areas while largely spared cortical neurons. White matter rarefaction in the corpus callosum was observed in 12 out of the 17 BCAO rat brains and significantly enlarged lateral ventricles were found in five out of seven P14 BCAO rat brains. These white matter changes were similar to injuries found in newborn infants with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). White matter injuries in the 7-day-old BCAO rat brain were accompanied with increased activation of microglia/macrophages, as indicated by ED1 and OX42 positive immunostaining. Immature oligodendrocytes in the 7-day-old BCAO rat brain, as indicated by O4+/O1+ staining, were much fewer than in the sham-operated rat brain. Immunostaining for myelin basic protein (MBP) at the fimbria hippocampus and the internal capsule areas in the 7-day-old BACO rat brain was also much less than in the control rat brain. Consistent with the immunostaining data, MBP mRNA expression in the 7-day-old, but not in the 14-day-old, BCAO rat brain was significantly less than in the control rat brain. The overall results suggest that pre-oligodendrocytes and immature oligodendrocytes might be major targets for chronic ischemic insults and activated microglia/macrophages are possibly involved in the process of white matter injury.
Learn to weight terms in information retrieval using category information

How to assign appropriate weights to terms is one of the critical issues in information retrieval. Many term weighting schemes are unsupervised. They are either based on the empirical observation in information retrieval, or based on generative approaches for language modeling. As a result, the existing term weighting schemes are usually insufficient in distinguishing informative words from the uninformative ones, which is crucial to the performance of information retrieval. In this paper, we present supervised term weighting schemes that automatically learn term weights based on the correlation between word frequency and category information of documents. Empirical studies with the ImageCLEF dataset have indicated that the proposed methods perform substantially better than the state-of-the-art approaches for term weighting and other alternatives that exploit category information for information retrieval.
Metnase mediates chromosome decatenation in acute leukemia cells

After DNA replication, sister chromatids must be untangled, or decatenated, before mitosis so that chromatids do not tear during anaphase. Topoisomerase IIα (Topo IIα) is the major decatenating enzyme. Topo IIα inhibitors prevent decatenation, causing cells to arrest during mitosis. Here we report that acute myeloid leukemia cells fail to arrest at the mitotic decatenation checkpoint, and their progression through this checkpoint is regulated by the DNA repair component Metnase (also termed SETMAR). Metnase contains a SET histone methylase and transposase nuclease domain, and is a component of the nonhomologous end-joining DNA double-strand break repair pathway. Metnase interacts with Topo IIα and enhances its decatenation activity. Here we show that multiple types of acute leukemia cells have an attenuated mitotic arrest when decatenation is inhibited and that in an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell line this is mediated by Metnase. Of further importance, Metnase permits continued proliferation of these AML cells even in the presence of the clinical Topo IIα inhibitor VP-16. In vitro, purified Metnase prevents VP-16 inhibition of Topo IIα decatenation of tangled DNA. Thus, Metnase expression levels may predict AML resistance to Topo IIα inhibitors, and Metnase is a potential therapeutic target for small molecule interference.
A Computational Study of Odorant Transport and Deposition in the Canine Nasal Cavity: Implications for Olfaction

Olfaction begins when an animal draws odorant-laden air into its nasal cavity by sniffing, thus transporting odorant molecules from the external environment to olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in the sensory region of the nose. In the dog and other macrosmatic mammals, ORNs are relegated to a recess in the rear of the nasal cavity that is comprised of a labyrinth of scroll-like airways. Evidence from recent studies suggests that nasal airflow patterns enhance olfactory sensitivity by efficiently delivering odorant molecules to the olfactory recess. Here, we simulate odorant transport and deposition during steady inspiration in an anatomically correct reconstructed model of the canine nasal cavity. Our simulations show that highly soluble odorants are deposited in the front of the olfactory recess along the dorsal meatus and nasal septum, whereas moderately soluble and insoluble odorants are more uniformly deposited throughout the entire olfactory recess. These results demonstrate that odorant deposition patterns correspond with the anatomical organization of ORNs in the olfactory recess. Specifically, ORNs that are sensitive to a particular class of odorants are located in regions where that class of odorants is deposited. The correlation of odorant deposition patterns with the anatomical organization of ORNs may partially explain macrosmia in the dog and other keen-scented species.
The Florida Hardware Design Language

The Florida Hardware Design Language (FHDL), an expandable language that provides a uniform method for specifying all portions of an integrated circuit's design, is discussed. FHDL was designed to support the development and testing of wafer-scale integrated circuits, especially at the functional level, but can be used to design other integrated circuits at many levels. FHDL is not just a design language, but a framework for developing a wide range of computer-aided design tools. The syntactic structure, extensibility, and automatic layout are discussed. >