cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of caffeine on blood pressure and heart rate: A review

Concerns have been raised frequently about caffeine's potential for increasing blood pressure (BP) and posing a risk for cardiovascular disease. This review surveys research concerning the effects of caffeine on BP and heart rate (HR). Tolerance to caffeine, family history of hypertension, borderline hypertension, and hypertension are also examined as potential moderators. Results from epidemiological studies are inconsistent. Experimental laboratory studies have generally found that caffeine produces acute rises in systolic and diastolic BP that are additive to any stress-induced increases. Synergistic effects which might pose a more serious risk are rarely found. Heart rate data are less consistent, possibly due to the different ways HR is measured. Tolerance to the cardiovascular effects of caffeine has reliably been reported; however, overnight abstinence may be sufficient to negate tolerance effects to most levels of caffeine ingestion in typical caffeine users. Though caffeine drinkers may exhibit acute increases in BP, the long-term effects appear to be minimal. However, persons at risk for hypertension may be more vulnerable to the BP effects of caffeine.
Measurement of the dipole moment of CF3CN

Abstract The Stark effect was observed for K = 0 and K = 1, J = 1 → 2 transitions in CF 3 CN. Measurements were made in a Stark modulated microwave spectrometer. The dipole moment obtained was μ = 1.262 ± 0.010 D. An analysis of the effects of electric field inhomogeneities on the observed Stark shifts for K = 0 and K = 1 states is included. Appropriate corrections are given for measuring linear Stark effects in a standard waveguide cell calibrated using a molecule with second-order Stark effect.
Fluorosugar Chain Termination Agents as Probes of the Sequence Specificity of a Carbohydrate Polymerase

Naturally occurring carbohydrate polymers are ubiquitous. They are assembled by polymerizing glycosyltransferases, which can generate polysaccharide products with repeating sequence patterns. The fidelity of enzymes of this class is unknown. We report a method for testing the fidelity of carbohydrate polymerase pattern deposition: we synthesized fluorosugar donors and used them as chain termination agents. The requisite nucleotide fluorosugars could be produced from a single intermediate using the Jacobsen catalyst in a kinetically controlled separation of diastereomers. The resulting fluorosugar donors were used by the galactofuranosyltransferase GlfT2 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and the data indicate that this enzyme mediates the cell wall galactan production through a sequence-specific polymerization.
Childhood steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome: Does the histology matter?

Renal biopsy specimens from 51 children with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome who were following a frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent course were reviewed by two histopathologists. In all cases the biopsy was performed prior to the commencement of an 8-week course of cyclophosphamide. The clinical courses of these patients both prebiopsy and for a minimum of 2 years after completion of cyclophosphamide therapy were analyzed using retrospective case note analyses. The distribution of histologic diagnoses differed significantly from that reported by the International Study of Kidney Disease in Children in their study of children who underwent biopsy at the time of presentation, there being an excess of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and mild mesangial hypercellularity in this series. The prebiopsy clinical course did not predict for histologic diagnosis, and there was no correlation between prebiopsy course or histology and postcyclophosphamide course. The findings of this study support the clinical impression that steroid sensitivity rather than histology is the major determinant of prognosis in childhood nephrotic syndrome and that frequency of relapse alone is not an indication for biopsy.
Conditional Probability: A New Fusion Method for Merging Disparate Virtual Screening Results

This paper introduces a new consensus scoring approach for merging the results of different virtual screening methods based on conditional probabilities. The technique is experimentally evaluated using several ligand-based virtual screening methods and compared to two variations of the established Sum-rank fusion method where it performs as well or better than the Sum-rank methods. Our experiments confirm that consensus scoring increases the number of active compounds retrieved with respect to the best individual methods on average.
finite-dimensional optimality conditions: B-gradients

The B-gradients are a convex set of generalized gradients contained in Clarke's generalized gradients. These gradients retain many of the nice properties of Clarke's generalized gradients. In this paper, necessary conditions for optimality in finite-dimensional perturbed optimization problems are given. A calmness condition is used for a constraint qualification.
Copper deficiency fails to affect vitamin A status

Abstract The effect of dietary copper (Cu) deficiency on vitamin A status as measured by serum and liver vitamin A was examined. Weanling male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned by weight to one of four groups of 11–12 animals. Group 1 was fed a Cu deficient diet; Group 2, Cu supplemented, pair fed; Group 3 Cu supplemented, weight-matched to Group 1; Group 4 Cu supplemented, ad lib. All diets were supplemented with vitamin A (1,200 retinol equivalents/Kg). After six weeks, the animals were sacrificed and indices of Cu and vitamin A status measured. There was no significant difference for body weight gain or food intake among Groups 1, 2 and 3, eliminating these as variables. Copper deficiency was verified in Group 1 by significantly lowered hematocrit as well as lower serum, heart, and liver Cu concentrations. In addition, liver Cu−Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was significantly lowered, and cardiac hypertrophy was evident in the Cu deficient group. Serum and liver vitamin A concentrations did not differ significantly among all four groups. Total liver vitamin A content was not significantly different among the livers of rats fed the Cu deficient diet (Group 1), the Cu supplemented diet (pair-fed, Group 2) or Cu supplemented diet (weight-matched, Group 3). The results demonstrate that Cu deficiency does not affect vitamin A metabolism as assessed by serum and liver vitamin A concentrations, using rats as the model.
Thin-Film Deposition of Organic−Inorganic Hybrid Materials

Organic−inorganic hybrid films present special challenges and opportunities with respect to potential applications, as well as for the observation of interesting physical phenomena. Although the often disparate characteristics (e.g., solubility and thermal stability) of the two components provide a potential barrier toward forming workable and convenient film deposition strategies, recent results have demonstrated that not only is it possible to develop suitable techniques for these materials but relatively simple processes are often sufficient to yield high quality films. In the current review, some of these recent results on organic−inorganic hybrid films are discussed, with selected examples chosen from among the deposition of sol−gel materials, self-assembled hybrids, Langmuir−Blodgett films, and artificially layered materials. In addition to discussing film-deposition techniques, an effort will also be made, where appropriate, to indicate how the resulting films might be useful for applications such ...
Transesophageal Echocardiography During Radiofrequency Ablation of Left‐Sided Free Wall Atrioventricular Accessory Pathways in Wolff‐Parkinson‐White Syndrome

This study reports our initial experience in performing radiofrequency ablations (RFA) of Wolff-Parkinson-White accessory pathways in the lateral wall of the left ventricle with monitoring and guidance provided by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Fifty RFA procedures were performed in 48 patients. TEE was used to detect underlying heart disease (in nine patients), monitor coronary sinus catheterization (in 15 patients), guide atrial transseptal catheterization (in 29 procedures), help position the RFA catheter's tip, and evaluate for possible complications in all patients. The study suggests that TEE may help to guide electrophysiologists during their initial experience with RFA procedures.
Free, Open, Online Help Forums: Convenience, Connection, Control, Comfort, and Communication

In contrast to course delivery, help seeking has not advanced with the technological capabilities and preferences of todayâ€™s students. Help seeking in higher education remains primarily an individual, private, face-to-face activity. Open, online, help forums have the potential to transform help seeking into a public, social endeavor. These forums connect students with volunteer helpers who have the time, knowledge, and willingness to provide assistance with specific problems from coursework. Although many such forums currently exist and are a popular source of help seeking, they have remained largely off the radar of educational research. In this paper, a calculus help forum is examined for manifestations of convenience, connection, and control, which are commonly used to describe student expectations regarding information technology use. Results indicate that students can receive efficient, accessible, and self-regulated help. Two additional themes for student experience, comfort and communication, are proposed.
Making acceleration data more accessible and useful to microgravity investigators

Microgravity investigators are interested in enhancing the capabilities and improving the information return from accelerometer systems. A sensor is required which records local accelerations with a resolution of better than one micro-g over a frequency range from 0.0001 Hz to 100 Hz. This requires very stable measurements and results in the accumulation of large quantities of data. Innovative information processing algorithms can be used to reduce the large amounts of data while extracting the essential information on-line. In addition to reducing the total data storage requirements, on-line data reduction and analysis allows the investigator to monitor refined characterizations of the gravitoinertial environment and use these to make changes in the experimental process while it is still in space.
Furoxans (1,2,5-oxadiazole-N-oxides) as novel NO mimetic neuroprotective and procognitive agents.

Furoxans (1,2,5-oxadiazole-N-oxides) are thiol-bioactivated NO-mimetics that have not hitherto been studied in the CNS. Incorporation of varied substituents adjacent to the furoxan ring system led ...
Tears of the Accessory Ligament of the Superficial Digital Flexor and Their Relationship to the Carpal Sheath

Aims The study aimed to describe an ultrasonographic technique for evaluation of the accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor (ALSDF) and to report the presentation, clinical, ultrasonographic and endoscopic features associated with intrathecal tears of the ligament. Methods The case records of 83 horses that underwent ultrasonography of the carpal sheath by the author between 2008 and 2012 were evaluated. Injuries of the ALSDF were identified and reviewed. Results Ten horses had injuries to the ALSDF. All cases were assessed using linear and curved array transducers in caudomedial to craniolateral orientations. The former was used in transverse and longitudinal orientations and with colour Doppler to assess intra- and periligamentous vasculature. The curved array transducer was used for transverse studies both with the limb weightbearing and with slight carpal flexion. This combination of imaging studies detected tearing of the ALSDF which communicated with the carpal sheath in all 10 cases. Seven of the 10 cases underwent tenoscopic examination which confirmed the ultrasonographic findings. The areas of torn ALSDF were in consistent locations and with similar lesion morphology. Conclusions Disruption of the ALSDF can communicate with the carpal sheath resulting in lameness and intrathecal haemorrhage. The latter appears to result from vessels which are primary branches of the median artery and tears in the ALSDF can extend to this. The injuries are reliably predicted by ultrasonography. This also allows assessment of the proximity of the tear to the median artery which in turn is an important guide for subsequent tenoscopic surgery. Practical significance Ultrasonographic evaluation of the ALSDF can identify tears which communicate with the carpal sheath. Tenoscopy should then be considered as a treatment option. Ethical animal research Not required by this Congress: retrospective clinical study. Sources of funding: None. Competing interests: None.
Visual system abnormalities in adrenomyeloneuropathy

We studied the visual system in 59 men with adrenomyeloneuropathy. Pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials, magnetic resonance imaging, and clinical examination revealed that visual pathways are affected in 63% of patients, involving the optic discs, optic nerves, lateral geniculate bodies, optic radiations, and parietooccipital cortex. This indicates both primary demyelination of the optic nerves and discs, and more diffuse involvement of postchiasmal structures.
Variability of current symptoms in women with pelvic organ prolapse.

To describe the variability of current (day-to-day) symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and to compare women’s overall (comprehensive) and current ratings of prolapse symptoms. This was a prospective observational study of 45 women with symptomatic POP followed-up for 3 months between November 2004 and June 2005. Women had a total of three visits during the study period. We measured current symptoms using daily symptom diaries completed for a total of 4 weeks during the study period. The diaries included 100-mm visual analogue scales anchored at 0 (no symptoms) and 100 (extremely severe symptoms) and patients completed these at three different times each day. At each study visit, patients were examined and completed a 10-item questionnaire, which included questions adapted from the PFDI. This questionnaire compared overall and current symptoms at each study visit. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Current symptoms of vaginal bulging varied on a day-to-day basis. Current symptoms varied depending on the time of day with women reporting more severe symptoms in the evenings (P < .01). Women reported experiencing their most severe symptoms at only 13.7% of all study visits. On average, women reported less severe ratings of current symptoms at the time of each visit compared to overall recall ratings (P < .05). Women seeking care for symptomatic POP can have dynamic symptoms and are often not evaluated at the time of their most severe symptoms. This should be considered by clinicians evaluating women for symptoms of POP.
Economic methods for comparing alternative crop production systems: A review of the literature

New crop production technologies developed in response to growing concern over environmental contamination from agriculture may be neither more profitable nor higher yielding than the systems they replace, but they often reduce environmental contamination or improve soil and water quality. Systems designed with environmental objectives cannot be evaluated fairly just by productivity, which is what often is done in economic studies of alternative systems. We review 58 recent studies comparing alternative crop production systems to identify the key criteria for system comparisons, the system characteristics important in designing the analysis, and the methods most suited for comparing alternative systems. The four key criteria we looked for in system comparisons are expected profit, stability of profits, expected environmental impacts, and stability of environmental impacts. Most economic studies of crop production focus exclusively on profitability, and incorporate neither environmental criteria nor the dynamic characteristics inherent in alternative systems. We identify promising new approaches that take account of specific environmental characteristics and attempt to balance the objectives of profitability and environmental risk management. Balanced environmental-economic analysis is most likely to be achieved by integrating biophysical simulation models with economic optimization methods to model the trade-offs among profitability, environmental impact, and system stability (both financial and environmental).
Architecture for distributed multimedia database systems

Abstract In the past few years considerable demand for useroriented multimedia information systems has developed. These systems must provide a rich set of functionality so that new, complex, and interesting applications can be addressed. This places considerable importance on the management of diverse data types including text, omages, audio and video; these requirements in turn generate the need for a new generation of distributed heterogeneous multimedia database systems. In this paper, a set of f functional requirements is identified for a multimedia server considering database management, object synchronization and integration, and multimedia query processing. A generalization of the requirements to a distributed system is presented, and some current research and developing activities are discussed.
Numerical simulation of axisymmetric turbulent jet flow

The transport equations for the turbulent Reynolds stresses and energy dissipation rate in conjunction with the governing equations for the vorticity and stream function are numerically solved for in the case of an axisymmetric jet into stagnant surroundings. The time dependence of the equations is retained allowing for any transient results to be interpreted in terms of conditionally averaged flow quantities. The general form of the governing differential equations is presented as well as the numerical procedure used in the solution. Comments concerning the inherent limitations in solving the time-dependent set of equations are made and the versatility of the approach examined. Comparisons of the various components of the stationary Reynolds stress tensor are made with experimental results.
Monitoring with the Somanetics INVOS 5100C after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Introduction Vasospasm is a major cause of morbidity after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and current screening techniques (angiography, transcranial Doppler [TCD], and clinical examination) have serious limitations. Brain oximetry is a promising noninvasive tool to detect reduced brain oxygenation from vasospasm.
Pattern of Lisdexamfetamine Ingestions Reported to Texas Poison Centers

Background: Little information exists on lisdexamfetamine ingestions reported to poison centers. Objective: To describe the pattern of lisdexamfetamine ingestions reported during the first year of their approved use to Texas poison centers. Methods: The distribution of total cases of lisdexamfetamine ingestions with and without coingestants reported to Texas poison centers from July 2007-June 2008 was determined for the following selected variables: drug formulation, reported total dose ingested, patient sex and age, exposure site, and circumstances of the exposure. Results: Of 187 total ingestions, the total dose ingested was reported for 59% (mean 221.4 mg; range 5-3,080). Fifty-eight percent of the patients were male and 38% were aged 6-12 years. Thirty-eight percent of the ingestions occurred as a result of therapeutic error, 26% were due to general unintentional reasons, and 12% were suspected attempted suicide; 11% of the patients called the poison center due to an adverse reaction to lisdexamfetamine. Of the 133 (71%) cases without coingestants, 53% were managed on site (ie, not a healthcare facility) and 79% resulted in or were expected to result in, at most, minor effects or minimal toxicity. The most frequently reported adverse clinical effects among cases without coingestants were tachycardia (14%), agitation (14%), vomiting (6%), and nausea (5%). Conclusions: The majority of lisdexamfetamine ingestions reported to Texas poison centers did not involve coingestants. Of those without coingestants, most were managed on site and did not result in serious medical outcomes.
LDPC error correction for Gbit/s QKD

Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) error correction is a one-way algorithm that has become popular for quantum key distribution (QKD) post-processing. Graphic processing units (GPUs) provide an interesting attached platform that may deliver high rates of error correction performance for QKD. We present the details of our various LDPC GPU implementations and both error correction and execution throughput performance that each achieves. We also discuss the potential for implementation on a GPU platform to achieve Gbit/s throughput.
Neptunium determination by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)

The determination of neptunium-237 (237Np) traditionally has been performed by alpha spectrometry or neutron activation analysis. These methods are labor intensive and require several days for completion. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a possible alternative for237Np determinations. This paper describes the analytical method developed for samples that have significant levels of uranium present. The lower reporting limits achievable by ICP-MS are competitive with the counting methods, but the real advantage for this laboratory lies in the lower cost and faster turnaround time provided by ICP-MS.
Adult Susceptibility of Nebraska Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Populations to Selected Insecticides

Topical bioassays were conducted in 1995 to estimate the susceptibility of adult western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, populations from Nebraska to technical grade methyl parathion, carbaryl, and bifenthrin. Significant differences in susceptibility occurred among populations for each insecticide. The largest relative differences in LD50 values between the most tolerant and susceptible field populations were 16.4- and 9.4-fold for methyl parathion and carbaryl, respectively. The Fl colonies also exhibited significant differences in susceptibility to methyl parathion and carbaryl indicating that susceptibility traits are heritable. The response to bifenthrin (up to 4-fold difference in LD50 values) was more homogeneous across populations than the response to the other 2 compounds. Populations with the largest LD50values were located in 2 areas where adult management programs using carbamate and organophosphate insecticides have been extensively applied and control failures have been commonly reported. Results strongly suggest that corn rootworm management practices have selected for significant levels of resistance to methyl parathion, carbaryl, or both in certain areas of Nebraska.
Demographic Characteristics of Lesbian Parents in the United States

Most research on lesbian families draws on either nonrepresentative samples or on representative samples of female-partner households. In contrast, this article uses individual-level, nationally representative survey data to provide a demographic description of lesbian parents in the United States. Pooling data from the 2002 and 2006–2010 rounds of the National Survey of Family Growth yielded a sample of 15,784 women aged 20–44 years, about 1.3 % of whom are lesbians. Defining parents broadly to include legal and social parents, we find that about 23 % of lesbians are parents, compared to about 68 % of heterosexual and 56 % of bisexual women. Lesbians become parents through a more diverse set of pathways than other women, including adoption and parenting a spouse or partner’s child. Consistent with patterns in the broader population, but at odds with media portrayals, lesbian parents are more likely than lesbian nonparents to be women of color and foreign-born, and most appear to have become parents in prior heterosexual relationships. We found evidence, however, of a convergence in the pathways women follow to parenthood, with lesbians’ probability of biological parenthood increasing and their probability of adoptive or social parenthood decreasing between the two surveys. Recent changes in the legal and social context and improvements in medical technology provide grounds for speculating about this convergence. We recognize, however, that these speculations cannot be tested without population-based data collection efforts aimed at providing richer information on the diversity of family experiences in the contemporary United States.
Performance evaluation of selected combustion gas turbine cogeneration systems based on first and second-law analysis

The thermodynamic performance of selected combustion gas turbine cogeneration systems has been studied based on first-law as well as second-law analysis. The effects of the pinch point used in the design of the heat recovery steam generator, and pressure of process steam on fuel-utilization efficiency (first-law efficiency), power-to-heat ratio, and second-law efficiency, are examined. Results for these systems using state-of-the-art industrial gas turbines show clearly that performance evaluation based on first-law efficiency alone is inadequate. Decision makers should find the methodology contained in this paper useful in the comparison and selection of cogeneration systems.
Eph Family Transmembrane Ligands Can Mediate Repulsive Guidance of Trunk Neural Crest Migration and Motor Axon Outgrowth

In vertebrate embryos, neural crest cell migration and motor axon outgrowth are restricted to rostral somite halves by repulsive factors located in the caudal somite compartment. We show that two Eph family transmembrane ligands, Lerk2 and HtkL, are expressed in caudal somite halves, and that crest cells and motor axons express receptors for these ligands. In several independent in vitro assays, preclustered ligand-Fc fusion proteins can repulsively guide both crest migration and motor axon outgrowth. These repulsive activities depend on a graded or discontinuous presentation of the ligands when tested in the context of permissive substrates, such as laminin or fibronectin. These results identify Lerk2 and HtkL as potential determinants of segmental pattern in the peripheral nervous system.
Liquid ventilation in adults, children, and full-term neonates

Abstract We evaluated the safety and efficacy of partial liquid ventilation in a series of 19 adults, children, and neonates who were in respiratory failure and on extracorporeal life support. During partial liquid ventilation, the alveolar-arterial oxygen difference decreased from 590 (SE 25) to 471 (42) mm Hg (p=0·0002) and static pulmonary compliance increased from 0·18 (0·04) to 0·29 (0·04) mL cm H 2 O -1 kg -1 (p=0·0002). 11 patients (58%) survived. These preliminary data suggest that partial liquid ventilation can be safely used in patients with severe respiratory failure and may improve lung function.
Earthquakes: Ground motion

The effect of an earthquake on people and cities depends on more than magnitude alone: the Earth's crust can amplify or dampen the severity of shaking
Layered pre-descement intracorneal hemorrhage in a patient with end-stage glaucoma

A patient receiving anticoagulant therapy, who had a history of neovascular glaucoma secondary to proliferative diabetic retinopathy, presented with sudden loss of vision. He was found to have a layered, posterior, intracorneal hemorrhage associated with a Descement membrane detachment. Deep intracorneal hemorrhage may result in patients who have neovascular glaucoma with probable deep corneal neovascularization, possibly aggravated by anticoagulant therapy.
The endocrine system during sepsis

Endocrinopathy during sepsis can manifest as hyperglycemia and insulin resistance or as insufficient production of either adrenal corticosteroids or vasopressin. The results of a recent large clinical trial have demonstrated that tight glycemic control with insulin can confer survival benefit to selected intensive care unit patients. Relative impairment of adrenocortical reserve has been suggested to be an important contributor to the pathogenesis of shock in sepsis. Replacement doses of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids have been associated with improved survival in the subset of patients with blunted results on adrenocorticotropin hormone stimulation tests. Posterior pituitary production of vasopressin is diminished in septic shock while sensitivity to its vasopressor effects is enhanced. Clinical trials are underway to determine whether administration of vasopressin can improve outcomes in patients with septic shock. Whether the euthyroid sick syndrome represents an adaptive or a maladaptive response to severe illness remains unclear.
High extinction ratio pulse generation from FM signal by using dispersion imbalanced fiber loop mirror

A dispersion imbalanced fiber loop mirror is used to compress the FM modulated optical signal to pulse and improve its extinction ratio simultaneously. The pulse-width is adjustable by controlling the driving RF power.
In vivo quantification of contrast agent concentration using the induced magnetic field for time‐resolved arterial input function measurement with MRI

For pharmacokinetic modeling of tissue physiology, there is great interest in measuring the arterial input function (AIF) from dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) using paramagnetic contrast agents. Due to relaxation effects, the measured signal is a nonlinear function of the injected contrast agent concentration and depends on sequence parameters, system calibration, and time-of-flight effects, making it difficult to accurately measure the AIF during the first pass. Paramagnetic contrast agents also affect susceptibility and modify the magnetic field in proportion to their concentration. This information is contained in the MR signal phase which is discarded in a typical image reconstruction. However, quantifying AIF through contrast agent susceptibility induced phase changes is made difficult by the fact that the induced magnetic field is nonlocal and depends upon the contrast agent spatial distribution and thus on organ and vessel shapes. In this article, the contrast agent susceptibility was quantified through inversion of magnetic field shifts using a piece-wise constant model. Its feasibility is demonstrated by a determination of the AIF from the susceptibility-induced field changes of an intravenous bolus. After in vitro validation, a time-resolved two-dimensional (2D) gradient echo scan, triggered to diastole, was performed in vivo on the aortic arch during a bolus injection of 0.1 mmol ∕ kg Gd-DTPA. An approximate geometrical model of the aortic arch constructed from the magnitude images was used to calculate the spatial variation of the field associated with the bolus. In 14 subjects, Gd concentration curves were measured dynamically (one measurement per heart beat) and indirectly validated by independent 2D cine phase contrast flow rate measurements.Flow rate measurements using indicator conservation with this novel quantitative susceptibilityimaging technique were found to be in good agreement with those obtained from the cine phase contrast measurements in all subjects. Contrary to techniques that rely on intensity, the accuracy of this signal phase based method is insensitive to factors influencing signal intensity such as flip angle, coil sensitivity, relaxation changes, and time-of-flight effects extending the range of pulse sequences and contrast doses for which quantitative DCE-MRI can be applied.
The influence of blinding, olfactory bulbectomy and pinealectomy on plasma and anterior pituitary prolactin levels and on uterine and anterior pituitary weights in normal and neonatally androgenized rats.

Abstract Lactating Sprague-Dawley rats had their litters adjusted to 8–10 pups on day 3 of lactation favoring females and some litters were injected with 1.25 mg of testosterone proprionate to neonatally androgenize (NA) them. At 22–25 days of age both normal and NA animals were overiectomized (OVX) and subjected to either sham olfactory bulbectomy (ANOS) + sham pinealectomy (PX), blinding (BLD) + ANOS or BLD + ANOS + pinealectomy (PX). At 13 weeks of age all animals were injected with 0.5 mg of polyestradiol phosphate. At 15 weeks of age the animals were fitted with atrial catheters and at 16 weeks of age blood samples (0.3 ml) were obtained every 3 hours over a 24 hour period. Uterine and anterior pituitary (AP) weights were recorded at sacrifice. Plasma and AP were assayed for prolactin (PRL) by RIA and AP were also assayed for PRL using the Nb 2 lymphoma cell PRL bioassay. In both normal and NA animals, BLD + ANOS suppressed plasma PRL levels and PX partially prevented this response. Uterine weights were similar among groups while AP weights were significantly lower for sensory deprived animals. Anterior pituitaries extracted at pH 7.6 had a PRL concentration that was higher for the BLD + ANOS groups when estimated by either RIA or BA, a result that was not observed when the AP were extracted at pH 10.6. The amount of PRL extracted at pH 10.6 was twice that obtained at pH 7.6. Sensory deprived animals that were OVX prepubertally and administered estrogen as adults had a small but significant increase in mean plasma prolactin at 1700 hr. Both normal and NA animals responded in a similar manner to experimental manipulation.
Surficial geology of the Safsaf region, south-central Egypt, derived from remote-sensing and field data☆

Abstract We used a decorrelation-stretched image of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) Bands 1, 4, and 7 and field data to map and describe the main surficial units in the hyperarid Safsaf region in south-central Egypt. We show that the near-infrared bands on Landsat TM, which are sensitive to very subtle changes in mineralogy common to arid regions, significantly improve the geologist's capability to discriminate geologic units in desert regions. These data also provide the spatial and spectral information necessary to determine the migration patterns and provenance of eolian materials. The Safsaf area was the focus of our post flight field studies using Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR) data following the discovery of buried paleochannels in North Africa. Most of the channels discernible on SIR images are not expressed in TM data, but traces of a few channels are present in both the SIR and the TM data within the Wadi Safsaf area. Here we present a detailed digital examination of the SIR and the TM-band reflectance and reflectance-ratio data at three locations of the more obvious surface expressions of the buried channels. Our results indicate that the TM expressions of the channels are not purely topographic but are more compositional in nature. Two possibilities may account for the TM expressions of the buried channels: 1) concentrations of windblown, iron-rich materials that accumulated along subtle curvilinear topograpohic traps, or 2) curvilinear exposures of an iron-rich underlying unit of the flat sand sheet.
On using radon-222 and CO 2 to calculate regional-scale CO 2 fluxes

Because of its ubiquitous release on land and well-characterized atmospheric loss, radon-222 has been very useful for deducing fluxes of greenhouse gases such as CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O. It is shown here that the radon-tracer method, used in previous studies to calculate regional-scale greenhouse gas fluxes, returns a weighted-average flux (the flux field F weighted by the sensitivity of the measurements to that flux field, f ) rather than an evenly-weighted spatial average flux. A synthetic data study using a Lagrangian particle dispersion model and modeled CO 2 fluxes suggests that the discrepancy between the sensitivity-weighted average flux and evenly-weighted spatial average flux can be significant in the case of CO 2 , due to covariance between F and f for biospheric CO 2 fluxes during the growing season and also for anthropogenic CO 2 fluxes in general. A technique is presented to correct the radon-tracer derived fluxes to yield an estimate of evenly-weighted spatial average CO 2 fluxes. A new method is also introduced for correcting the CO 2 flux estimates for the effects of radon-222 radioactive decay in the radon-tracer method.
Energy efficient video compression for wireless sensor networks

Wireless video sensor networks are anticipated to be deployed to monitor remote geographical areas. To save energy in bit transmissions/receptions over a video sensor network, the captured video content needs to be encoded before its transmission to the base station. However, video encoding is an inherently complex operation that can cause a major energy drain at battery-constrained sensors. Thus a systematic evaluation of different video encoding options is required to allow a designer to choose the most energy-efficient compression technique for a given video sensing application scenario. In this paper, we empirically evaluate the energy efficiencies of predictive and distributed video coding paradigms for deployment on real-life sensor motes. For predictive video coding, our results show that despite its higher compression efficiency, inter video coding always depletes much more energy than intra coding. Therefore, we propose to use image compression based intra coding to improve energy efficiency in the predictive video coding paradigm. For distributed video coding, our results show that the Wyner-Ziv encoder has consistently better energy efficiency than the PRISM encoder. We propose minor modifications to PRISM and Wyner-Ziv encoders which significantly reduce the energy consumption of these encoders. For all the video encoding configurations evaluated in this paper, our results reveal the counter-intuitive and important finding that the major source of energy drain in WSNs is local computations performed for video compression and not video transmission.
Increased β-Oxidation in Muscle Cells Enhances Insulin-stimulated Glucose Metabolism and Protects against Fatty Acid-induced Insulin Resistance Despite Intramyocellular Lipid Accumulation

Skeletal muscle insulin resistance may be aggravated by intramyocellular accumulation of fatty acid-derived metabolites that inhibit insulin signaling. We tested the hypothesis that enhanced fatty acid oxidation in myocytes should protect against fatty acid-induced insulin resistance by limiting lipid accumulation. L6 myotubes were transduced with adenoviruses encoding carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT I) isoforms or beta-galactosidase (control). Two to 3-fold overexpression of L-CPT I, the endogenous isoform in L6 cells, proportionally increased oxidation of the long-chain fatty acids palmitate and oleate and increased insulin stimulation of [(14)C]glucose incorporation into glycogen by 60% while enhancing insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of p38MAPK. Incubation of control cells with 0.2 mm palmitate for 18 h caused accumulation of triacylglycerol, diacylglycerol, and ceramide (but not long-chain acyl-CoA) and decreased insulin-stimulated [(14)C]glucose incorporation into glycogen (60%), [(3)H]deoxyglucose uptake (60%), and protein kinase B phosphorylation (20%). In the context of L-CPT I overexpression, palmitate preincubation produced a relative decrease in insulin-stimulated incorporation of [(14)C]glucose into glycogen (60%) and [(3)H]deoxyglucose uptake (40%) but did not inhibit phosphorylation of protein kinase B. Due to the enhancement of insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism induced by L-CPT I overexpression itself, net insulin-stimulated incorporation of [(14)C]glucose into glycogen and [(3)H]deoxyglucose uptake in L-CPT I-transduced, palmitate-treated cells were significantly greater than in palmitate-treated control cells (71 and 75% greater, respectively). However, L-CPT I overexpression failed to decrease intracellular triacylglycerol, diacylglycerol, ceramide, or long-chain acyl-CoA. We propose that accelerated beta-oxidation in muscle cells exerts an insulin-sensitizing effect independently of changes in intracellular lipid content.
Stimulating creative problem solving: innovative set.

Summary.-This study was designed to determine whether a set toward innovative problem solving can be induced via an instructional manipulation. Performance of Ss given standard instructions for the Changing Work Procedures case (Maier, 1952, 1965) was compared with that of Ss given experimental instructions designed to foster confidence in their originality and problem-solving ability. 475 undergraduate Ss (348 males and 127 females) were randomly assigned to the standard and experimental conditions. It was found that Ss given experimental insuuctions generated innovative solutions significantly more often than those given standard instructions. The performance of females was improved to a greater exrent than that of males. The results suggest that the tendency to accept obvious solutions prevents individuals from performing up to their capacities; and it appears that current programs of research designed to identify highly creative individuals could well be complemented by smdies of short-term determinants of innovative behavior. Increasing the percentage of high quality solutions developed during problem-solving activity has long been of concern to psychological researchers and management personnel. Therefore various means of encouraging creative problem-solving behavior have been suggested. Implementing these suggestions, however, often requires a considerable investment of time, effort, or money. Extensive training, environmental manipulation, or massive personality change is frequently required. Can problem solutions be upgraded in other ways? Ways that might prove to be less expensive? Once one assumes thzt problem-solving performance cannot exceed the ability of the problem solver, a logical distinction between ability and performance is emphasized. A more specific question emerges. How can an ability to develop high quality solutions be brought to performance economically? Turner and Rains (1965) found that brainstorming instructions facilitated performance on a modified form of Guiiford's Uses Test for both high and low creative Ss.
Services provided to nonpregnant women during general medical and gynecologic examinations in the United States.

Abstract Objectives: To estimate the number of visits coded as general medical or gynecologic examinations (GMGEs) per 100 nonpregnant women aged ≥18 years per year, to examine the content of the services provided during those examinations, to examine the degree of agreement between the patient’s stated reason for visits and the diagnosis coded by physicians for GMGEs, and to examine the extent of preventive services delivered during GMGE visits and non-GMGE visits. Methods: We analyzed data from two national surveys: the 1997 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and 1997 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. In addition, we obtained the number of women aged ≥18 years in the United States from the Bureau of Census and the number of women who were pregnant from the National Center for Health Statistics. Results: The number of visits coded as GMGEs by physicians was estimated to be Conclusions: GMGEs were important means of delivering preventive services to nonpregnant women, but not many women had GMGE visits. Evaluation of the acceptability and cost effectiveness of GMGEs to deliver preventive services to different populations is needed.
Distribution of Blood Flow in the Digestive Tract of the Rat

The rubidium fractionation technique has been used to make comparative measurements of functional perfusion rates in the gastrointestinal tract of relatively undisturbed but fasted and anesthetized rats. The duodenum has the highest functional perfusion rate per unit mass of the entire digestive tract; the stomach is less than half as well perfused. The remainder of the tract to the rectosigmoid shows a progressive decrease. The small intestine shows a progressive increase in functional flow per unit mass from the pylorus to the ligament of Treitz and then a progressive decrease, most marked in the jejunum to the ileocecal valve. Blood flow values to other structures of the gastrointestinal tract are also given.
The complexity of the union of (a, b)-covered objects

An (α, β)-covered object is a simply connected planar region c with the property that for each point p ∈ ∂c there exists a triangle contained in c and having p as a vertex, such that all its angles are at least α and all its edges are at least β · diam(c)long. This notion extends that of fat convex objects. We show that the combinatorial complexity of the union of n (α, β)-covered objects of ‘constant description complexity’ is O(λs+2(n) log 2 n log logn), where s is the maximum number of intersections between the boundaries of any pair of the given objects.
Long-term Effects of an Early Childhood Intervention on Educational Achievement and Juvenile Arrest: A 15-Year Follow-up of Low-Income Children in Public Schools

ContextMost studies of the long-term effects of early childhood educational interventions are of demonstration programs rather than large-scale public programs. Previous studies of one of the oldest federally funded preschool programs have reported positive effects on school performance, but effects on educational attainment and crime are unknown.ObjectiveTo determine the long-term effectiveness of a federal center-based preschool and school–based intervention program for urban low-income children.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsFifteen-year follow-up of a nonrandomized, matched-group cohort of 1539 low-income, mostly black children born in 1980 and enrolled in alternative early childhood programs in 25 sites in Chicago, Ill.InterventionsThe Chicago Child-Parent Center (CPC) Program (n = 989 children) provides comprehensive education, family, and health services and includes half-day preschool at ages 3 to 4 years, half- or full-day kindergarten, and school-age services in linked elementary schools at ages 6 to 9 years. The comparison group (n = 550) consisted of children who participated in alternative early childhood programs (full-day kindergarten): 374 in the preschool comparison group from 5 randomly selected schools plus 2 others that provided full-day kindergarten and additional instructional resources and 176 who attended full-day kindergartens in 6 CPCs without preschool participation.Main Outcome MeasuresRates of high school completion and school dropout by age 20 years, juvenile arrests for violent and nonviolent offenses, and grade retention and special education placement by age 18 years.ResultsRelative to the preschool comparison group and adjusted for several covariates, children who participated in the preschool intervention for 1 or 2 years had a higher rate of high school completion (49.7 % vs 38.5%; P = .01); more years of completed education (10.6 vs 10.2; P = .03); and lower rates of juvenile arrest (16.9% vs 25.1%; P = .003), violent arrests (9.0% vs 15.3%; P = .002), and school dropout (46.7% vs 55.0%; P = .047). Both preschool and school-age participation were significantly associated with lower rates of grade retention and special education services. The effects of preschool participation on educational attainment were greater for boys than girls, especially in reducing school dropout rates (P = .03). Relative to less extensive participation, children with extended program participation from preschool through second or third grade also experienced lower rates of grade retention (21.9% vs 32.3%; P = .001) and special education (13.5% vs 20.7%; P = .004).ConclusionsParticipation in an established early childhood intervention for low-income children was associated with better educational and social outcomes up to age 20 years. These findings are among the strongest evidence that established programs administered through public schools can promote children's long-term success.