cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extramedullary hematopoiesis within the clivus: an unusual cause of lower cranial nerve palsy

We report one year follow up of a case of extramedullary hematopoiesis within the clivus. The imaging findings, brief clinical course, and endoscopic transphenoidal approach are described. A 29-year-old female with thalassemia developed worsening cranial nerve signs. After imaging studies discovered a large clival mass, she underwent endoscopic transphenoidal biopsy of the lesion. Neural compression from exuberant erythrogenesis within tissue normally quiescent of red blood cell production was found to be the etiology of her neural deficit. Treatment for this condition is generally non-operative unless significant neural compression is present. Radiotherapy and anti-neoplastic agents have been used with success.
Self-report of difficult defecation is associated with overactive bladder symptoms.

Aims The association of dysfunctional bowel elimination with lower urinary tract symptoms is well known in children, but not in adults. It was our objective to assess lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in women who report difficult defecation (DD). Methods This is a secondary analysis of 2,812 women, aged 35–64, who participated in a telephone interview. All subjects were asked “When you move your bowels, does the stool come out easily?” DD was considered present in those answering “no.” All subjects were queried regarding LUTS, urinary infections in the past year, self-perceived health status, medical history, and demographics. Symptoms of stress incontinence (five items), urge incontinence (five items), and the impact of these symptoms on their quality of life were solicited from subjects reporting more than 12 episodes of incontinence in 1 year. Results DD was reported by 10.4% (290/2,790) of women. Women with DD had higher LUTS than those who did not: nocturia (mean 1.8 ± 0.1 vs. 1.3 ± 0.0), urgency (47.6% vs. 29.2%), increased daytime frequency (mean 8.2 ± 0.3 vs. 7.2 ± 0.1), dysuria (22.9% vs. 13.7%), and a sensation of incomplete bladder emptying (55.6% vs. 28.2%). DD women were more often menopausal, reported a fair or poor self-reported health status, and had a higher number of comorbidities, less formal education, and lower annual household income. Conclusions Women with symptoms of DD have an increased rate of LUTS, consistent with the diagnosis of overactive bladder without incontinence. The pathophysiology underlying this association is worthy of future research. Neurourol. Urodynam. 29:1290–1294, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Building reusable information security courseware

Well-designed courseware improves teaching effectiveness and encourages active learning. This paper reports our experience in developing a multimedia and interactive courseware for an information security course in our distance education program as well as course supplementary materials for our on-site information security courses. The courseware emphasizes interactivity and reusability, following common cognitive principles and pedagogical methods.
A DOI Detector With Crystal Scatter Identification Capability for High Sensitivity and High Spatial Resolution PET Imaging

A new phoswich detector is being developed at the Crump Institute, aiming to provide improvements in sensitivity, and spatial resolution for PET. The detector configuration is comprised of two layers of pixelated scintillator crystal arrays, a glass lightguide and a light detector. The annihilation photon entrance (top) layer is a $48\times48$ array of $1.01 \times 1.01 \times7 ~\hbox{mm}^{3}$ LYSO crystals. The bottom layer is a $32 \times 32$ array of $1.55 \times1.55 \times 9~\hbox{mm}^{3}$ BGO crystals. A tapered, multiple-element glass lightguide is used to couple the exit end of the BGO crystal array ( $52 \times 52~\hbox{mm}^{2}$ ) to the photosensitive area of the Position Sensitive Photomultiplier Tube ( $46 \times 46~\hbox{mm}^{2}$ ), allowing the creation of flat panel detectors without gaps between the detector modules. Both simulations and measurements were performed to evaluate the characteristics and benefits of the proposed design. The GATE Monte Carlo simulation indicated that the total fraction of the cross layer crystal scatter (CLCS) events in singles detection mode for this detector geometry is 13.2%. The large majority of these CLCS events (10.1% out of 13.2%) deposit most of their energy in a scintillator layer other than the layer of first interaction. Identification of those CLCS events for rejection or correction may lead to improvements in data quality and imaging performance. Physical measurements with the prototype detector showed that the LYSO, BGO and CLCS events were successfully identified using the delayed charge integration (DCI) technique, with more than 95% of the LYSO and BGO crystal elements clearly resolved. The measured peak-to-valley ratios (PVR) in the flood histograms were 3.5 for LYSO and 2.0 for BGO. For LYSO, the energy resolution ranged from 9.7% to 37.0% full width at half maximum (FWHM), with a mean of $13.4 \pm 4.8\%$ . For BGO the energy resolution ranged from 16.0% to 33.9% FWHM, with a mean of $18.6\pm 3.2\%$ . In conclusion, these results demonstrate that the proposed detector is feasible and can potentially lead to a high spatial resolution, high sensitivity and DOI PET system.
Patient and family experiences and opinions on adding 22q11 deletion syndrome to the newborn screen.

22q11 deletion syndrome (22qDS) has recently been proposed for addition to the newborn screening panel in Wisconsin and it seems likely that it may soon be considered in other states as well. Input from patients with 22qDS and their family was gathered from 21 phone interviews. Cardiac, palate, hypocalcemia, and multiple anomalies were common reasons for involved patients to be diagnosed, though age at diagnosis ranged from birth to adulthood. Many commented on their struggles with 22qDS, including worries about the future and the patient’s independence. In general, respondents favored newborn screening for 22qDS because it would help prevent some medical problems, increase access to services, explain existing problems, and identify mild cases. However, a minority expressed reservations, including concerns that it would disrupt bonding, could be too costly, and would not be useful for mild cases.
Triggering and Visualizing the Aggregation and Fusion of Lipid Membranes in Microfluidic Chambers

We present a method that makes it possible to trigger, observe, and quantify membrane aggregation and fusion of giant liposomes in microfluidic chambers. Using electroformation from spin-coated films of lipids on transparent indium tin oxide electrodes, we formed two-dimensional networks of closely packed, surface-attached giant liposomes. We investigated the effects of fusogenic agents by simply flowing these molecules into the chambers and analyzing the resulting shape changes of more than 100 liposomes in parallel. We used this setup to quantify membrane fusion by several well-studied mechanisms, including fusion triggered by Ca2+, polyethylene glycol, and biospecific tethering. Directly observing many liposomes simultaneously proved particularly useful for studying fusion events in the presence of low concentrations of fusogenic agents, when fusion was rare and probabilistic. We applied this microfluidic fusion assay to investigate a novel 30-mer peptide derived from a recently identified human receptor protein, B5, that is important for membrane fusion during the entry of herpes simplex virus into host cells. This peptide triggered fusion of liposomes at an ∼6 times higher probability than control peptides and caused irreversible interactions between adjacent membranes; it was, however, less fusogenic than Ca2+ at comparable concentrations. Closely packed, surface-attached giant liposomes in microfluidic chambers offer a method to observe membrane aggregation and fusion in parallel without requiring the use of micromanipulators. This technique makes it possible to characterize rapidly novel fusogenic agents under well-defined conditions.
Magnetically levitated transportation

Abstract Magnetic levitation by means of mutual repulsion between a travelling superconductive magnet and induced eddy currents is explained. Schemes involving different configurations of magnet and ground conductor along with methods of obtaining the lift and drag forces are given. A conceptual design of a 300 m p h (480 km h −1 ) 100 passenger vehicle is developed. The vehicle weighs 100 000 lb (46 000 kg) and requires 6 MW of power for propulsion.
Generalizability of Findings of Exploratory Practice-Based Research on Polydrug-Addicted Mothers

The generahzability of research using small nonrandom convenience samples is a central issue in social work. This analysis empirically examines the generalizability offindings in exploratory practice-based research by using the case of a study involving polydrug-addicted women. This article extends the discussion of generality offindings past the single-case research to applied research using larger samples. Specifically, generalizability to the larger population of the responses of 39 polydrug-addicted mothers on their parenting beliefs, parenting stress, and parent-child interactions is explored. This is done by systematically comparing the demographic characteristics of the small sample of women with a large random sample of 2,082 drug-addicted women.
Revised Estimates of Power Plant Entrainment of Ichthyoplankton in Western Lake Erie in 1975–77

Abstract Previous estimates of larval production and power plant entrainment, distributed over four power plants, are revised using a lumped parameter method by which power plant mortality is estimated independently of natural mortality. Using the method, mean daily power plant entrainment of four species of ichthyoplankton averaged over three seasons of production (1975–77) ranged from zero to 7.6 percent. These estimates are statistically consistent with earlier estimates made by a more laborious, distributed parameter technique.
Paleosols of Bermuda

Sayles recognized five buried soils that stratigraphically separate eolianites and interbedded marine limestones in Bermuda. He considered that the paleosols represent interglacial ages or interstadials. Some soils were considered residual, and some accretionary. Estimates of time of weathering of residual soils were made by computing ratios of insoluble residues in parent eolianite to the overlying whole soil. Field study shows that island-wide correlation of the paleosols may be tenuous. No available cuts permit direct tracing of soils. Buried soils cannot be dated unless superposition is shown, and only section McGall9s Bay shows all five soils superposed; correlation with other sections is difficult. The morphology, physical and chemical properties, and mineralogy (as determined by X-ray, DTA, and thin sections) of the paleosols show that Sayles9 Shore Hills and St. George9s soils have considerable soil development and may represent major stratigraphic breaks. They are not residual but have other materials incorporated in their uppermost parts. Thus, Sayles9 time estimates are questionable. The Harrington, Signal Hill, and McGall9s paleosols have only weak color profiles and slight accumulations of organic matter in their uppermost parts. The latter two soils may represent only local pauses in accretion during accumulation of the later Bermuda dunes.
THEORY OF GRAPHS: APPLICATIONS TO AUTOMATON SYSTEMS

A special class of graph, the “systems net,” is defined The set of all systems nets is broken down into equivalence classes, which are shown to be partially ordered by a particular type of condensation, the “simplification.” Finally, every class of systems net is shown to have a unique maximal simplification, and applications of the concepts of “systems net” and “simplification” to automaton modeling are discussed.
Satellite-based midlatitude cyclone statistics over the Southern Ocean: 2. Tracks and surface fluxes

[1] Midlatitude cyclone tracks over the Southern Ocean are constructed for the 1999–2006 period using two surface data sets: European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) sea-level pressure analyses on one hand, and on the other hand modified analyses in which high-wavenumber pressure variability derived from scatterometer swaths has been injected with a wavelet-based method. A comparison of track statistics reveals the differences between the two data sets. The fluxes of momentum and sensible and latent heat associated with these midlatitude cyclones are calculated and sorted by life span. Three aspects of these cyclone flux statistics are investigated. (1) The momentum flux into the ocean is stronger inside cyclones than over the rest of the Southern Ocean, while the ocean loses more sensible and latent heat outside of the cyclones. (2) The momentum flux into the ocean and the loss of sensible and latent heat by the ocean are larger when calculated from the scatterometer-modified analyses than when calculated from the original ECMWF analyses. (3) Mesoscale cyclones (short-lived cyclones) contribute a significant amount of the fluxes between the atmosphere and the Southern Ocean, although over slightly different geographic areas from longer-lived cyclones.
PBB in American Local Governments: It's More than a Management Tool

Despite academic findings that performance information seldom is used in appropriations decisions, many professional organizations and governments continue to press for integrating performance information into local public management, planning, and budgeting processes. Is it possible to reconcile such inconsistencies? Looking beyond the executive–legislative relationship and departmental appropriations, the author examines the budget implications of applying performance information at the subdepartmental program level. Case analysis of Indianapolis’s IndyStat initiative underscores that performance measurement application is positively related to intradepartmental program budget changes. Hence, performance-based budgeting (PBB) can improve local budgeting despite severe political constraints. Still, successful use of PBB requires strong executive leadership, and its effects remain less visible at the departmental level or within the wider political arena of legislative bargaining. The author concludes by recommending some rethinking of the current analytical focus of PBB both in future research as well as recommended practice.
Injury-Induced Immune Dysfunction: Is the Lymphocyte Irrelevant?

immune response to serious injury is one of inflammation, which is usually termed the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). In patients with major traumatic or thermal injury, SIRS is evident clinically shortly after initial resuscitation. In a significant minority (25–35%) of patients, SIRS persists without respite and may lead directly to the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), particularly if infection supervenes [1,2]. In the majority of patients SIRS remits after several days without progression to early MODS. However, the patient may be left with an increased susceptibility to nosocomial infection associated with production of anti-inflammatory mediators by the immune system, a process referred to as the compensatory anti-inflammatory response syndrome (CARS) [3]. Invasive infection occurring during this period may again induce systemic inflammation, which in turn may lead to the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (late MODS). Organ dysfunction both early and late is associated with substantial mortality [1,2]. Since cells of the innate immune system are the chief source of inflammatory mediators and cellular and humoral components of innate immunity are major effectors in the early defense against invading microorganisms, it is not surprising that the majority of research into the immune consequences of injury has focused on the innate immune system. The adaptive immune system, by contrast, ordinarily responds only when activated by antigen-presenting cells of the innate immune system. Whereas the T-cell receptors and antibodies of the adaptive immune system demonstrate amazing diversity and exquisite precision for individual antigenic epitopes, several days of clonal expansion following initial activation are ordinarily required for a significant response to become evident. Thus, at first glance, the adaptive immune system appears to be ill suited to play a role in host defense early after injury, although later participation might be anticipated. Yet, the macrophages and dendritic cells of the innate immune system and the Tand B-lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system are in intimate contact with one another in the secondary lymphoid organs and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. Thus, interactions between the two immune systems are continuous and likely to be of biological significance after injury as well as in the uninjured state. I will attempt to summarize the available evidence that the T-cells and B-cells of the adaptive immune system and their products participate along with the innate immune system in both the SIRS and CARS responses following major injury. The pivotal cell in the adaptive immune sysSURGICAL INFECTIONS Volume 3, Number 4, 2002 © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Slender PUF Protocol: A Lightweight, Robust, and Secure Authentication by Substring Matching

We introduce Slender PUF protocol, an efficient and secure method to authenticate the responses generated from a Strong Physical Unclonable Function (PUF). The new method is lightweight, and suitable for energy constrained platforms such as ultra-low power embedded systems for use in identification and authentication applications. The proposed protocol does not follow the classic paradigm of exposing the full PUF responses (or a transformation of the full string of responses) on the communication channel. Instead, random subsets of the responses are revealed and sent for authentication. The response patterns are used for authenticating the prover device with a very high probability. We perform a thorough analysis of the method's resiliency to various attacks which guides adjustment of our protocol parameters for an efficient and secure implementation. We demonstrate that Slender PUF protocol, if carefully designed, will be resilient against all known machine learning attacks. In addition, it has the great advantage of an inbuilt PUF error tolerance. Thus, Slender PUF protocol is lightweight and does not require costly additional error correction, fuzzy extractors, and hash modules suggested in most previously known PUF-based robust authentication techniques. The low overhead and practicality of the protocol are confirmed by a set of hardware implementation and evaluations.
Craving in Hospitalized Cocaine Abusers as a Predictor of Outcome

Despite its common use, the term “craving” is controversial. Moreover, its measurement can be problematic, since craving is purely subjective and is highly influenced by setting and drug availability. Thus, one might expect patients in protective settings such as hospitals to experience little craving, despite potentially being at high risk to relapse upon discharge. In this study of 73 patients hospitalized for cocaine dependence, we developed a series of five questions to measure different aspects of cocaine craving: 1) current intensity, 2) intensity during the previous 24 hours, 3) frequency, 4) responsiveness to drug-related conditioned stimuli, and S) imagined likelihood of use if in a setting with access to drugs. We hypothesized that some hospitalized patients with low craving levels might believe their risk of relapse to be high in another setting. We then examined the relationship between inpatient craving levels and 3-month treatment outcome. Results revealed a high level of internal consistenc...
Artificial diagenesis in quartz sand and carbonate rocks

Diagenetic changes in carbonates and sand can be produced in the laboratory through injection of sea water. These changes are comparable to those found in the natural environment and are shown on photomicrographs. Artificial sea water of known composition under a partial pressure of carbon dioxide was injected through a composite lithology representing a shallow marine shelf. After passage of water for several days, the diagenetic alterations in the sediments were studied under a petrographic microscope. The study includes (1) the interrelation of the chemistry of the water in sediments and the mineralogy of the sediments, (2) the factors which control the processes of calcite and silica precipitation, (3) the processes responsible for transforming sediments into hard rock and, (4) the sequence of these processes.
STUDIES ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF FEVER XVII. THE CATIONIC CONTROL OF PYROGEN RELEASE FROM EXUDATE GRANULOCYTES IN VITRO

Evidence has been presented that the release of active endogenous pyrogen from rabbit exudate granulocytes incubated in isotonic NaCl is a relatively prompt energy-dependent process that is preceded by a rise in intracellular pyrogen, and involves a rise in total intracellular cations and an increased permeability of the cell membranes, but does not require the synthesis of new proteins.
Models of evaporating black holes. II. Effects of the outgoing created radiation

The two-dimensional stress-energy tensor of a quantized masssless scalar field is studied on fixed background evaporating-black-hole spacetimes (EBH's). The spherically symmetric EBH backgrounds are constructed by patching together ingoing- and outgoing-null-fluid Vaidya metrics along a timelike hypersurface which is near (but outside) the apparent horizon of the EBH. The timelike hypersurface on which the metrics are joined may be viewed as a shell of pair-creation events. It is found that a necessary (but not sufficient) condition for the quantized field's stress-energy to remain finite on the Cauchy horizon of the EBH is that $\mathrm{lim}(\frac{\mathrm{dM}}{\mathrm{du}})=0$ as $M\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$, where $u$ is the usual outgoing null coordinate defined on ${\mathcal{I}}^{+}$. This is particularly interesting because $\frac{\mathrm{dM}}{\mathrm{du}}$ is in principle measurable by a distant observer. If $\mathrm{lim}(\frac{\mathrm{dM}}{\mathrm{du}})\ensuremath{\ne}0$ as $M\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$, then the quantized field's outgoing energy flux (${T}_{\mathrm{uu}}$) and its integral (the total energy radiated) both diverge as the Cauchy horizon is approached.
The ontogeny of haematopoiesis in the marine teleost Leiostomus xanthurus and a comparison of the site of initial haematopoiesis with Opsanus tau

The ontogeny of haematopoiesis in the perciform fish, spot Leiostomus xanthurus, differed from that reported as the norm for fishes, as exemplified by the cypriniform zebrafish Danio rerio, and observed in the batrachoidiform oyster toadfish Opsanus tau. Erythropoiesis in spot was first evident in the head kidney of yolk-sac larvae 3 days after hatching (DAH). No embryonic intermediate cell mass (1CM) of primitive stem cells or blood islands on the yolk were apparent within embryos. Erythrocytes were first evident in circulation near the completion of yolk absorption, c. 5 DAH, when larvae were c. 2-0 mm notochord length (L N ). Erythrocyte abundance increased rapidly with larval development for c. 14 to 16 DAH. then became highly variable following changes in cardiac chamber morphology and volume. Erythrocytic haemoglobin (Hb) was not detected within whole larvae until they were 12 DAH or c. 3-1 mm L N , well after yolk and oil-globule absorption. The Hb was not quantified until larvae were >47 DAH or >7 mm standard length. The delayed appearance of erythrocytes and Hb in spot was similar to that reported for other marine fishes with small embryos and larvae. In oyster toadfish, a marine teleost that exhibits large embryos and larvae, the ICM and Hb were first evident in two bilateral slips of erythropoietic tissue in the embryos, c. 5 days after fertilization. Soon thereafter, erythrocytes were evident in the heart, and peripheral and vitelline circulation. Initial haematopoiesis in oyster toadfish conformed with that described for zebrafish. While the genes that code for the development of haematopoiesis are conserved among vertebrates, gene expression lacks phylogenetic pattern among fishes and appears to conform more closely with phenotypic expression related to physiological and ecological influences of overall body size and environmental oxygen availability.
Counseling: The Reactionary Profession.

Traditionally counselors have functioned as agents and apologists for the established system. Current counseling theory and practice place the onus for change on the individual. The existing social order is absolved of responsibility for individual and group problems that exist within the structure of its institutions, and persons and groups who express attitudes or who demonstrate behavior inconsistent with the prevailing norms are labeled “deviant” or “abnormal.” If counselors are to become more responsive to their clients' needs, they must acknowledge the negative effects that society and its institutions can have on individuals and begin to effect changes at the institutional level.
Concentration of particulate trace metals and particulate organic carbon in marine surface waters by a bubble flotation mechanism

Abstract The transport of particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate trace metals (PTM) to the sea surface by rising bubbles in samples of surface water collected in Narragansett Bay was examined using an adsorptive bubble separation technique. Recoveries of POC ranged from 30 to 59% while those of the particulate form of the trace metals, Al, Mn, Fe, V, Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cr and Cd were generally greater than 50%. The recovery data were used to arrive at a rough order of magnitude estimate of the bubble transport of POC and PTM under open-ocean conditions. While transport rates of the trace metals to the sea surface by both bubble transport and atmospheric deposition varied over approximately 3 orders of magnitude, the ratio of bubble transport to atmospheric deposition for most metals varied over approximately one order of magnitude, perhaps suggesting some degree of coupling between atmospheric PTM and bubble-transported PTM.
Upward versus downward anchoring in frequency judgments of social facts

Frequency estimation of social facts in two methods of judgment elicitation was investigated. In the "narrow-range" condition, subjects answered questions in the format: "Out of 100 incidents, how many belong to category X?" In the "wide-range" condition, the frequency for the same event was assessed with respect to "Out of 10,000." Judged frequencies in the wide-range condition were divided by 100, and were compared with the corresponding judgments in the narrow-range condition. Such comparisons were made for low-frequency and high-frequency events. Previous research has shown that, for low- frequency events, judged frequencies are proportionally greater in the narrow-range than in the wide-range condition. These results reflect cognitive processes of implicit anchoring, whereby judged frequencies lie close to small numbers within the response ranges provided. I call this process "downward anchoring," and predicted that this tendency would be replicated in the present study. Moreover, I predicted that assessments about high-frequency events would evoke similar cognitive processes operating in the opposite direction. By such "upward anchoring," judged frequencies would lie close to relatively larger numbers within the given response ranges. Consequently, I predicted that judged frequencies for high-frequency events would be proportionally greater in the wide-range condition than in the narrow-range condition. These predictions were confirmed.
Colloid osmotic homeostasis in humans: Intravascular oncotic energy under varying gravitational potential

Abstract From theoretical considerations it is possible to predict plasma volume—oncotic pressure changes that occur under changing gravitational or acceleration fields. The intravascular volume—colloid osmotic pressure integral has the dimensions of energy and correlates with the gravitational potential to which an individual is subjected. The postural hypotension found in returning astronauts and cosmonauts whose cardiovascular reflexes had been previously well trained can be explained in part on the basis of decreased total intravascular oncotic energy upon return from zero gravity conditions. Conversely a period of cardiovascular stress due to increased plasma volume occurs when going from higher to lower gravitational potentials.
Absence of cyclic adenosine 3':5' monophosphate responsive element modulator expression at the spermatocyte arrest stage

Abstract Objective: To test the hypotheses that variations in the expression of adenosine 3′:5′ monophosphate (cAMP) responsive element modulator are found in human seminiferous epithelium in men with impaired testicular function and subsequent infertility and that variations in apoptosis frequency are associated with differential cAMP responsive element modulator expression in male infertility states. Design: Standard immunohistochemical staining using a rabbit polyclonal antibody against the τ isoform of the cAMP responsive element modulator protein was performed on 5-μM sections of Bouin's fixed, paraffin-embedded testicular tissue obtained from azoospermic or severely oligozoospermic men for routine clinical purposes. Histologic diagnosis was confirmed with computerized image analysis of Feulgen-stained sections. Setting: Tertiary male infertility referral center at a medical school. Patient(s): Forty-eight testis biopsies were performed in 38 azoospermic or severely oligozoospermic males. Intervention(s): Rabbit polyclonal cAMP responsive element modulator τ antibody was applied to the paraffin-embedded testis sections. Main Outcome Measure(s): Testis immunoreactivity to polyclonal cAMP responsive element modulator τ antibody and apoptotic indices. Result(s): Although cAMP responsive element modulator immunoreactivity was present in the round spermatid stage of meiosis in testis biopsy specimens showing normal spermatogenesis, spermatid maturation arrest, and hypospermatogenesis, there was complete absence of expression in biopsy specimens from patients with Sertoli cell only and spermatocyte maturation arrest states. In addition, significantly increased apoptotic indices were observed in the spermatocyte maturation arrest state in comparison with normal spermatogenesis and Sertoli cell only pattern. Conclusion(s): These data suggest that cAMP responsive element modulator may be important for spermatid development and a stage-specific regulator of human spermatogenesis. Absence of cAMP responsive element modulator may be a cause of testicular failure in various types of male infertility.
Picture Detection in Rapid Serial Visual Presentation: Features or Identity?.

A pictured object can be readily detected in a rapid serial visual presentation sequence when the target is specified by a superordinate category name such as animal or vehicle. Are category features the initial basis for detection, with identification of the specific object occurring in a second stage (Evans & Treisman, 2005), or is identification of the object the basis for detection? When 2 targets in the same superordinate category are presented successively (lag 1), only the identification-first hypothesis predicts lag 1 sparing of the second target. The results of 2 experiments with novel pictures and a wide range of categories supported the identification-first hypothesis and a transient-attention model of lag 1 sparing and the attentional blink (Wyble, Bowman, & Potter, 2009).
Nicotine protects against μ-opioid receptor antagonism by β-funaltrexamine: Evidence for nicotine-induced release of endogenous opioids in brain

Abstract We have hypothesized that some effects of nicotine are mediated through endogenous opioids. This study was designed to demonstrate in rats that nicotine releases endogenous opioids in brain. In the control group, subcutaneous morphine (8 mg/kg) produced analgesia or antinociception as measured by prolongation of tail flick latency. Intracerebroventricular administration 24 h earlier of β-funaltrexamine (β-FNA, 2.5 μg), an antagonist which irreversibly alkylates opioid receptors, markedly reduced (66%) morphine analgesia. Subcutaneous administration of nicotine (0.1 mg/kg) prior to β-FNA attenuated (31%) the inhibitory effect of β-FNA on morphine analgesia. These data support our hypothesis that endogenous opioids released by nicotine bind to μ-opioid receptors in brain and protect them against inactivation by β-FNA.
Plagioclase-rich inclusions in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites: Liquid condensates?

The characteristics and formation of coarse-grained, plagioclase-rich inclusions are investigated. The textures, mineralogical compositions, and initial Al-26/Al-27 ratios for the plagioclase-rich inclusions are described. It is observed that plagioclase-rich inclusions in carbonaceous chondrites are either Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) composed of 30-60 vol pct anorthite, and less than 35 vol pct Ti-Al-pyroxene and melilite, or CA chondrites composed of plagioclase, pyroxene, olivine, spinel, and melilite. It is observed that CA chondrules are chemically and mineralogically the most similar components shared by carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites. The textural changes observed in the inclusions are examined. The data reveal that the CAIs have three textural groups: coarse anorthite laths, equigranular anorthite and Ti-Al-pyroxene, and lacy Ti-Al-pyroxene and fine-grained anorthite.
Consignment contracting: Who should control inventory in the supply chain?

Consignment is a popular form of business arrangement where supplier retains ownership of the inventory and gets paid from the retailer based on actual units sold. The popularity of such an arrangement has come with some continued debates on who should control the supply chain inventory, the supplier or retailer. This paper aims at shedding light on these debated issues. We consider a single period supply chain model where a supplier contracts with a retailer. Market demand for the product is price-sensitive and uncertain. The supplier decides his consignment price charged to the retailer for each unit sold, and the retailer then chooses her retail price for selling the product. We study and compare two different consignment arrangements: The first allows the retailer to choose the supply chain inventory, together with her retail price, and is labeled as a Retailer Managed Consignment Inventory (RMCI) program; and the second calls for the supplier to decide the inventory, together with his consignment price, and is labeled as a Vendor Managed Consignment Inventory (VMCI) program. We show that with an RMCI program, the supply chain loses at least 26.4% of its first-best (expected) profit, while with VMCI, it loses just or no more than 26.4% of the first-best profit. Second, we demonstrate that both programs lead to an equal split of the corresponding channel profit between the supplier and the retailer. These results indicate that it is beneficial both to the supplier and to the retailer when delegating the inventory decision to the supplier rather than to the retailer in the channel.
Identification of Discriminator Base Atomic Groups That Modulate the Alanine Aminoacylation Reaction

Abstract Specific aminoacylation of tRNAs involves activation of an amino acid with ATP followed by amino acid transfer to the tRNA. Previous work showed that the transfer of alanine fromEscherichia coli alanyl-tRNA synthetase to a cognate RNA minihelix involves a transition state sensitive to changes in the tRNA acceptor stem. Specifically, the “discriminator” base at position 73 of minihelixAla is a critical determinant of the transfer step of aminoacylation. This single-stranded nucleotide has previously been shown by solution NMR to be stacked predominantly onto G1 of the first base pair of the alanine acceptor stem helix. In this work, RNA duplexAla variants were prepared to investigate the role of specific discriminator base atomic groups in aminoacylation catalytic efficiency. Results indicate that the purine structure appears to be important for stabilization of the transition state and that major groove elements are more critical than those located in the minor groove. This result is in accordance with the predicted orientation of a class II synthetase at the end of the acceptor helix. In particular, substitution of the exocyclic amino group of A73 with a keto-oxygen resulted in negative discrimination at this site. Taken together, these new results are consistent with the involvement of major groove atomic groups of the discriminator base in the formation of the transition state for the amino acid transfer step.
Etiology of chronic diarrhea

With worldwide use of oral rehydration solutions, the treatment of acute diarrhea does not pose much of a problem. However, chronic diarrhea is still harmful, especially for the growth and development status of the children. Between January 1993 to December 1996, patients who suffered from chronic diarrhea for more than one month duration and admitted to Dr. Sami Ulus Children's Hospital were evaluated for epidemiological and etiologic factors. Seventy consecutive patients were evaluated. The mean age was 40.8 months and 52% were males. Malnutrition was detected in 80% of cases. Etiologic factors included celiac disease 30%, cow milk allergy 17%, bacterial and parasitic factors 26%, cystic fibrosis 10% and postinfectious gastroenteritis 10%. Eosinophilic gastroenteritis, chronic nonspecific diarrhea, pseudo-obstruction, neurofibromatosis and inflammatory bowel disease were rarely detected. Celiac disease and cow milk allergy were implicated as the most common causes of chronic diarrhea. The vicious cycle of faulty nutrition, malnutrition and infection and postinfectious enteropathy were also significant factors in the etiology of chronic diarrhea. It may be considered that cow milk protein prick test, sweat test, immunologic tests and mucosal biopsies should be performed for the definite diagnosis of chronic diarrhea.
Estimating Nitrogen Loading to Ground Water and Assessing Vulnerability to Nitrate Contamination in a Large Karstic Springs Basin, Florida

Abstract: A nitrogen (N) mass-balance budget was developed to assess the sources of N affecting increasing ground-water nitrate concentrations in the 960-km2 karstic Ichetucknee Springs basin. This budget included direct measurements of N species in rainfall, ground water, and spring waters, along with estimates of N loading from fertilizers, septic tanks, animal wastes, and the land application of treated municipal wastewater and residual solids. Based on a range of N leaching estimates, N loads to ground water ranged from 262,000 to 1.3 million kg/year; and were similar to N export from the basin in spring waters (266,000 kg/year) when 80-90% N losses were assumed. Fertilizers applied to cropland, lawns, and pine stands contributed about 51% of the estimated total annual N load to ground water in the basin. Other sources contributed the following percentages of total N load to ground water: animal wastes, 27%; septic tanks, 12%; atmospheric deposition, 8%; and the land application of treated wastewater and biosolids, 2%. Due to below normal rainfall (97.3 cm) during the 12-month rainfall collection period, N inputs from rainfall likely were about 30% lower than estimates for normal annual rainfall (136 cm). Low N-isotope values for six spring waters (δ15N-NO3 = 3.3 to 6.3‰) and elevated potassium concentrations in ground water and spring waters were consistent with the large N contribution from fertilizers. Given ground-water residence times on the order of decades for spring waters, possible sinks for excess N inputs to the basin include N storage in the unsaturated zone and parts of the aquifer with relatively sluggish ground-water movement and denitrification. A geographical-based model of spatial loading from fertilizers indicated that areas most vulnerable to nitrate contamination were located in closed depressions containing sinkholes and other dissolution features in the southern half of the basin.
High prevalence of inducible clindamycin resistance among Staphylococcus aureus isolates from patients with cystic fibrosis

Abstract Background Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is an important pathogen among patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Inducible clindamycin resistance (ICR) has been described as a cause of treatment failure in non-CF related infections. The prevalence of ICR among SA from patients with CF is unknown. Methods We compared clindamycin susceptibilities of SA isolated from patients with and without cystic fibrosis (CF) using hospital microbiology data. Patients with CF were primarily identified using CF registry data. We evaluated all patients who had SA isolated at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta microbiology laboratory during May 2004–May 2005. We performed antimicrobial susceptibility testing using broth microdilution and performed D-zone testing for ICR in accordance with the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) document M100-S16. Proportions were compared using a 2-sided Pearson's Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test to assess for significance. Results Of 703 patients with methicillin-resistant SA (MRSA), 48% of CF patients (68/143) had at least one isolate demonstrating ICR, compared to 8% of non-CF patients (43/560) ( P P Conclusions SA demonstrating ICR are significantly more prevalent among patients with CF than among those without CF.
Independent replication of cowpea mosaic virus bottom component RNA: in vivo instability of the viral RNAs.

We compared the accumulation of cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) RNAs after inoculation of cowpea and Chenopodium quinoa protoplasts with bottom (B) or middle (M) component virions alone, or with a mixture of the M and B components. RNA extracted from infected protoplasts was subjected to quantitative spot hybridization after electrophoresis and blotting. Compared to the complete M plus B mixture, the B inoculum induced (1) a reduced rate and extent of accumulation of B-RNA of both the (+) and (-) polarities concomitant with a balance between synthesis and degradation and (2) B-RNA that decreased in amount after further RNA synthesis was prevented by administration of cordycepin. In contrast, the (-) B-RNA apparently was stable, possibly sequestered in double-stranded form. M-component-inoculated cowpea protoplasts were subsequently inoculated with B component at intervals, and, after further incubation, RNA was analyzed by electrophoresis and hybridization. Rescue of the ability to form M-RNAs was lost when the interval between inoculations was greater than 17 hr, although the protoplasts remained sensitive to the complete inoculum. The data suggest that both of the genomic RNAs are unstable in protoplasts when inoculated alone, i.e., under conditions that leave viral RNA unprotected by coat protein.
Overview of SAE standards for plug-in electric vehicle

With the increase in momentum in the transformation of the current grid to smart grid, there is an immediate need of proper standards in place for various distributed resources of energy. Electric vehicles are one such resource and have tremendous potential to play a part in the transformation of the grid and also to make the customers participate in clean technology initiatives. As with all new technologies, equipment, or processes, there is a requirement of body of standards that will govern the functioning of the electric vehicles and will also pave the way for easy assimilation into the fabric of consumer's lifestyle and vendors alike.
Absorption of high-energy gamma rays by photon-photon interactions near a star.

On discute de l'absorption du rayonnement gamma de haute energie (10 12 eV) due aux interactions photon-photon (γγ→e + e − ) au voisinage d'une etoile. Application des resultats aux sources Rγ de haute energie dans les systemes binaires tels que Cyg X-3
Meniscectomy in Children

The results of 42 meniscectomies in 41 children were evaluated 1 to 13 years (mean 5.6 years) after the operation. At the follow-up 11 patients (12 operated knees) had complaints. In four of these ...
Testing ceres-wheat with Free-Air Carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) experiment data : CO2 and water interactions

Dynamic crop-growth models are used to project the effects of rising atmospheric CO 2 concentration and associated climate change on crop yields. Such model predictions are largely untested in the field, for lack of experimental data. We tested the CERES-Wheat model, modified to include leaf-level photosynthesis response to elevated CO 2 , using field data from 2 yr of Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experiments with spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Yecora Rojo) in Maricopa, AZ. Two irrigation treatments (well-watered, WW; water-deficit stressed, WS) and two atmospheric CO 2 concentrations (ambient, 350 μmol mol -1 ; elevated, 550 μmol mol -1 ) were simulated. The model was evaluated using measurements of crop phenology, aboveground dry matter (DM) production, grain yield, and evapotranspiration (ET). Model calculations of crop phenology were within 2 to 3 d of observed values under WW, ambient CO 2 conditions in both years. The model did not simulate the accelerated crop phenology (5-8 d at physiological maturity) observed in the WW and elevated CO 2 treatments, indicating the need to include effects of increased stomatal resistance on canopy temperature. Simulations of DM and grain yield were within 10% of measured values, except for a tendency to overcalculate DM response to CO 2 by 10 to 15% in Year 1 for WS treatments. The model undercalculated cumulative ET under WW conditions by 15%; model sensitivity analyses suggest that simulation of potential evapotranspiration (PET) was too low for this arid site. The model reproduced measured dynamics of CO 2 -water interactions. Simulated reductions in water loss due to elevated CO 2 were about 4%, in agreement with measurements. The model simulated larger increases in DM production and yield due to elevated CO 2 under WS than under WW conditions. In Year 1, simulated crop response to CO 2 was 2% larger (measured: 3%) under WS than under WW conditions; in Year 2, it was 11% larger (measured: 9%). The ability to simulate CO 2 -water interactions, though it needs to be further evaluated with additional experimental datasets, is an important attribute of models used to project crop yields under elevated CO 2 and climate change.
EL PAPEL DE LA COACCIÓN EN LA TEORÍA DE LAS REGLAS DE HART

El objetivo del articulo es ofrecer una nueva interpretacion sobre el papel de la coaccion en la teoria de las reglas de H. L. A. Hart. En primer lugar, se explica por que una inadecuada interpretacion de la coercion rinde imposible la distincion entre reglas primarias secundarias y primarias, central en el pensamiento de Hart. En segundo lugar, se distingue entre coercion y reproche social, ademas se analiza el caracter epistemologico de El Concepto de derecho. Con base en estas dos precisiones, se sugiere que el papel de la coaccion en las reglas secundarias es determinar cuando estamos en presencia de una regla. Finalmente, se proponen posibles lineas de investigacion y de solucion de controversias en torno a la teoria de Hart, segun las tesis defendidas en el articulo.