cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cyberbullying: Role of the School Counselor in Mitigating the Silent Killer Epidemic.

This manuscript will focus on cyber-bullying, which has become an epidemic in this country amongst children and teenagers of all different races, backgrounds, socioeconomic status, and religious beliefs. Using virtual mediums to harass, taunt, tease, threaten, and bully has become pervasive due to the availability of technology, the incredible ability to reach endless audiences, its relentlessness, as well as the aspect of anonymity. Cyberbullying can have many detrimental repercussions including decreased academic performance, poor social skills, reduced self-worth, isolation, loneliness, depression, anxiety, truancy, and suicide. School counselors play a critical role in helping perpetrators, as well as students who fall victim to cyberbullying by taking a strength based approach, teaching soft skills and social emotional learning, encouraging students to become more assertive, empathic, empowered, assisting students in regaining control, focusing on setting realistic goals, as well as encouraging increased parental involvement and monitoring of social media. The definition of cyberbullying, statistics, consequences, as well as best practices and the role of the school counselor to mitigate cyberbullying will be discussed.
Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Mimicking Myocardial Infarction in a Man with Myasthenic Crisis: A Case Report and Literature Review

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy is a syndrome characterized by transient and reversible regional myocardial dysfunction in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease classically resulting in ventricular apical ballooning. It has a strong female predominance with onset generally in seventh decade of life, with hypothesized pathophysiology related to excess of catecholaminergic stimulation, particularly during episodes of physical or emotional stress. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy has been previously reported during myasthenic crisis, the acute deterioration of myasthenia gravis typically involving respiratory failure that is also associated with physical or emotional stress. We present the case of an atypically young male patient with classical takotsubo cardiomyopathy in the setting of myasthenic crisis after thymectomy initially concerning for ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, and a review of the literature of takotsubo cardiomyopathy in myasthenic crisis.
What's gotten into you?: a review of recent research on parasitoid manipulation of host behavior.

Some parasitoids modify the behavior of their hosts, benefiting themselves at the host’s expense. This phenomenon is called ‘manipulation’, and current research on parasitoid manipulation of host behavior tends to fall into one of three categories. First, the frequency of manipulation and the magnitude of its benefits to the parasitoid remains unclear. Basic documentation of manipulations is thus a major research focus, with especially valuable recent data coming from spiders manipulated by Polysphincta wasps. Second, for a handful of systems, we now have sufficient phylogenetic and behavioral data to begin asking questions about how manipulation evolved. Finally, the field continues to probe the mechanisms through which parasitoids manipulate host behavior, and now examines the role of parasitoid symbionts in this interaction.
Bill Readings and the supplement

"Bill Readings and the supplement" is an attempt to trace the various connections of Bill Readings' work on Milton with his ethics of reading and writing, his pedagogical stance in class and relationship to his students, and finally his relationship to the name. The paper imagines setting up the rudiments of a symptomatic grapho-biography that juxtaposes itself to psychoanalytic readings-with their attendant implications of mastery.
Optical Flow, Perturbation Velocities and Postural Response In Virtual Reality

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of optical flow velocity in a virtual reality (VR) environment on user’s postural control. We hypothesized that the velocity of the optical flow will perturb user’s balance indicated by an increase center of pressure (COP) distance travelled and speed. Seventeen young, healthy participants were tested in one-foot support stances. Our study showed the visual perturbations increased COP distance in one-foot support and the slowest perturbation velocity induced the highest response. For VR communities, developers could use this information to raise their awareness that any sudden shift in the virtual environment at any velocity could reduce a user’s postural stability and place them at risk of falling, particularly at slower perturbation velocities.
Emergency and Disaster Nursing in Schools

Approximately 56.6 million children attend school in the U.S., spending more waking time during the week at school than at home. Schools and school communities must consider the unique needs of children and be prepared at all times to respond to natural and human-caused threats, emergencies, and disasters. This chapter discusses school emergency preparedness, including the functions of the School Emergency Operations Team and how to develop a School Emergency Operations Plan. The role of the school nurse in emergency and disaster preparedness, response, and recovery is outlined, as well as school considerations for the specific threats of pandemics and active shooter incidents.
Solvent Cage Effects: A Comparison of Geminate and Nongeminate Radical Cage Pair Combination Efficiencies

This study measured and compared the combination efficiencies (FcP) of geminate radical cage pairs to nongeminate (collisional) radical cage pairs (Fc′). For the [Cp′(CO)3Mo·, ·Mo(CO)3Cp′] radical ...
Adjuvant Therapy of Breast Cancer

This article examines questions about adjuvant systemic therapy, especially in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. The impact of adjuvant therapy on quality of life is addressed, as is the role of doxorubicin in adjuvant chemotherapy. The value of high dose adjuvant chemotherapy and late effects of adjuvant therapy are also examined.
Blue Carbon Stocks and Exchanges Along the Pacific West Coast

Abstract. Salt marshes and seagrass meadows can sequester and store high quantities of organic carbon (OC) in their sediments relative to other marine and terrestrial habitats. Assessing carbon stocks, carbon sources, and the transfer of carbon between habitats within coastal seascapes are each integral in identifying the role of blue carbon habitats in coastal carbon cycling. Here, we quantified carbon stocks, sources, and exchanges in seagrass meadows, salt marshes, and unvegetated sediments in six bays along the Pacific coast of California. The salt marshes studied here contained approximately twice as much OC as did seagrass meadows, 23.51 ± 1.77 kg OC m−3 compared to 11.01 ± 1.18 kg OC m−3, respectively. Both seagrass and salt marsh sediment carbon stocks were higher than previous estimates from this region but lower than global and U.S.-wide averages, respectively. Seagrass-derived carbon was deposited annually into adjacent marshes during fall seagrass senescence. However, isotope mixing models estimate that negligible amounts of this seagrass material were ultimately buried in underlying sediment. Rather, the vast majority of OC in sediment across sites was likely derived from planktonic/benthic diatoms and C3 salt marsh plants.
Sex hormones differentially modulate STAT3-dependent antioxidant responses during oxidative stress in renal proximal tubule cells.

Background/aim Gender-associated dimorphism in renal oxidative stress may be related to the protective effects of estrogens or the adverse effects of testosterone. Signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3)-dependent transcription is vital in renal antioxidant responses, which may be differentially regulated by sex hormones. Materials and methods Renal proximal tubule cells were treated with 400 μM H2O2 in the presence or absence of 100 nM dihydrotestosterone (DHT), 100 nM 17β-estradiol (E2) or dominant-negative STAT3 (dnSTAT3). Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), phosphorylation/transcriptional activation of STAT3 and promoter activity of the STAT3-regulated antioxidant gene (MnSOD) were determined. Results After treatment with H2O2, DHT decreased tyrosine phosphorylation/transcriptional activity of STAT3 and promoter activity of MnSOD while E2 increased them. Consequently, DHT augmented while E2 attenuated ROS production. Effects of dnSTAT3 were similar to DHT. Conclusion Sex hormones may influence renal oxidative stress through differential regulation of STAT3-dependent antioxidant responses.
Overview of the balancing act: having it all.

(1987). Overview of the balancing act: Having it all. Health Care for Women International: Vol. 8, No. 2-3, pp. 101-108.
Comparative perspectives on human reproductive behavior

Cyclic changes in women's sexual desire are consistent with an ancestral pattern in which hormonal shifts around ovulation prime behavioral patterns. We use comparative primate data to evaluate the plausibility of a prominent hypothesis in evolutionary psychology, that cyclic variation in women's preferences for high-quality men leads them to seek out extra-pair sex at times of high conception risk. Our review suggests little reason to invoke substantially different reproductive strategies for human females versus other monogamous primates, which are distinguished behaviorally and morphologically from species that have adapted to female promiscuity. While cuckoldry clearly exists in human pair bonds, we conclude that its potential to transform female sexual strategies, or male morphology, has been overemphasized.
Development and assessment of a preliminary kinetic model for in situ pah bioremediation

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of organic nonaqueous‐phase liquid (NAPL) contaminants of critical environmental concern. The treatment method used for a contaminated soil depends primarily on the nature and extent of the contamination as well as the cost effectiveness of the method. Current research has shown that bioremediation is perhaps the simplest and most economic process for the treatment of large contaminated areas. Although bioremediation feasibility and effectiveness has been well documented, additional information is required to fully understand subsurface kinetics. Specifically, the importance and effect of interactions between bacteria, supplemental nutrients, oxygen source, contaminant, and soil type must be understood. Preliminary respirometer experiments have been conducted to address these factors for the development of a kinetic model for both steady‐state and unsteady‐state conditions.
Stochastic Models for Polymerization Reactions Under Nonequilibrium Conditions

Abstract The dynamics of polymer reactions in solutions can often be described quite well using the known chemical reaction mechanism and solving the associated chemical kinetic equations. However, when polymerization—either because of vulcanization in cross-linking reactions or because of aggregative assembly in chain growth—leads to substantial changes in the solvation and hence in the reaction rates, the solution can exhibit heterogeneity both in time and space. These in turn, lead to nonstationary interactions that can no longer be described by conventional kinetic (master) equations. Thus far, we have described the time-dependent nature of such polymerizing environments both through stochastic and lattice models capable of addressing such complex environment dynamics. The current article focuses on the former approach, but now rephrases the earlier justification of the use of the irreversible Langevin equation (iGLE) to the polymerization problem in the context of kinetic models, and specifically the chemical stochastic equation. The nonstationarity in the solvent response due to collective polymerization within the dense solvent appears naturally, and leads to a direct connection between these models. The kinetics of the polymer size distribution (and other observables) for two distinct living polymer systems, α -methylstyrene and 4-vinylbenzocyclobutene, are analyzed in the context of these models.
Time Representation in Prolog Circuit Modelling

This paper is an examination of some issues in domain ontology and of various knowledge representation techniques for the temporal modelling of digital electronic circuits in Prolog. It should serve as an example of the advantages of such analysis, an area of relative neglect within the logic programming community.
Avfs: an on-access anti-virus file system

Viruses and other malicious programs are an ever-increasing threat to current computer systems. They can cause serious damage and consume countless hours of system administrators' time to combat. Most current virus scanners perform scanning only when a file is opened, closed, or executed. Such scanners are inefficient because they scan more data than is needed. Worse, scanning on close may detect a virus after it had already been written to stable storage, opening a window for the virus to spread before detection. We developed Avfs, a true on-access anti-virus file system that incrementally scans files and prevents infected data from being committed to disk. Avfs is a stackable file system and therefore can add virus detection to any other file system: Ext3, NFS, etc. Avfs supports forensic modes that can prevent a virus from reaching the disk or automatically create versions of potentially infected files to allow safe recovery. Avfs can also quarantine infected files on disk and isolate them from user processes. Avfs is based on the open-source ClamAV scan engine, which we significantly enhanced for efficiency and scalability. Whereas ClamAV's performance degrades linearly with the number of signatures, our modified ClamAV scales logarithmically. Our Linux prototype demonstrates an overhead of less than 15% for normal user-like workloads.
LEARNING TO RESIST GAIT-SLIP FALLS: LONG-TERM RETENTION IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Bhatt T, Yang F, Pai Y-C. Learning to resist gait-slip falls: long-term retention in community-dwelling older adults. Objectives To determine whether the fall-resisting skills acquired from a single perturbation training session can be retained for 6 months or enhanced by an intermediate ancillary session. Design A randomized controlled trial. Setting Biomechanics research laboratory. Participants Community-dwelling elderly (N=48; age, >65y). Interventions Initial perturbation training applied to all subjects using low-friction platforms to induce unannounced blocks of repeated right-side slips, interspersed with nonslips. The single-session group retested with only 1 slip 6 months later. The dual-session group received an additional slip at 3 months after the initial session, followed by a retest of slips at 6 months. Main Outcome Measures Slip outcome (incidence of falls and balance loss), dynamic stability (based on the center-of-mass position and velocity), and vertical limb support (based on hip height). Results Subjects in both groups significantly reduced fall and balance loss incidence from first to last training slips, which resulted from improved stability and limb support control. Both groups demonstrated significant retention in all outcome measures at 6 months compared with the first novel slip, although performance decay was evident in comparison with the last training slip. The ancillary slip at 3 months led to significantly better control of stability and, hence, reduced balance loss outcome, in the dual-session group at 6 months than in the single-session group. Conclusions Motor memory could be retained for 6 months or longer after a single session of fall-resistance training, although a single "booster" slip could further impede its decay. Through the experience of slipping and falling, it may be possible to "inoculate" older adults against potentially life-threatening falls.
Reversal of tumor-induced immunosuppression by TGF-beta inhibitors.

The immune system is responsible for the early detection and destruction of newly transformed malignant cells. Some transformed cells become immunologically invisible by passive avoidance of immune surveillance (i.e., when tumor cells are immunologically indistinguishable from normal cells). Other transformed cells actively secrete cytokines that effectively blind the immune system to the presence of abnormal antigens on the tumor cell surface. Transforming growth factor-beta ("TGF-beta"), which is expressed by a majority of malignant tumors, is the most potent immunosuppressor and therefore, the most likely cytokine to be responsible for the latter phenomenon. In addition to playing a key role in tumor-induced immunosuppression, TGF-beta stimulates angiogenesis. Interestingly, tumor cells eventually become refractory to TGF-beta-mediated growth arrest, either due to loss of TGF-beta receptors or due to dysregulation in TGF-beta signaling pathways. Neutralization of TGF-beta or inhibition of its production is an effective method of cancer treatment in variety of animal models. Several agents targeting TGF-beta are in the early stages of development and include anti-TGF-beta antibodies, small molecule inhibitors of TGF-beta, Smad inhibitors and antisense gene therapy. Since tumors may express more than one isoform of TGF-beta, these new drugs should target all three TGF-beta isoforms produced by human tumors. The effects of therapies targeting TGF-beta are likely to be synergistic with cytotoxic chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Reversal of TGF-beta-induced immunosuppression is a new and promising approach to cancer therapy, with potential applications in other diseases such as AIDS.
Gene A Protein of Bacteriophage S13 Is Required for Single-Stranded DNA Synthesis

The product of gene A of the small icosahedral DNA phage S13 has been found to be needed for single-stranded DNA synthesis in vivo in addition to its previously known role in progeny replicative-form DNA synthesis.
Consistency and rates of convergence of k/sub n/ nearest neighbor estimation under arbitrary sampling

Consistency and rates of convergence of the k/sub n/-NN estimator are established in the general case in which samples are chosen arbitrarily from a compact metric space.
Yolk synthesis in the marine shrimp, Penaeus vannamei

Abstract Eyestalk neuroendocrine factors control specific yolk protein synthesis in the ovaries of the shrimp, Penaeus vannamei. A bioassay was developed to measure specific yolk protein synthesis in vitro. The eyestalk neuroendocrine complex may also produce a peptide capable of stimulation of yolk synthesis.
Longitudinal changes in white matter microstructure after heavy cannabis use

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies of cannabis users report alterations in brain white matter microstructure, primarily based on cross-sectional research, and etiology of the alterations remains unclear. We report findings from longitudinal voxelwise analyses of DTI data collected at baseline and at a 2-year follow-up on 23 young adult (18-20 years old at baseline) regular cannabis users and 23 age-, sex-, and IQ-matched non-using controls with limited substance use histories. Onset of cannabis use was prior to age 17. Cannabis users displayed reduced longitudinal growth in fractional anisotropy in the central and parietal regions of the right and left superior longitudinal fasciculus, in white matter adjacent to the left superior frontal gyrus, in the left corticospinal tract, and in the right anterior thalamic radiation lateral to the genu of the corpus callosum, along with less longitudinal reduction of radial diffusion in the right central/posterior superior longitudinal fasciculus, corticospinal tract, and posterior cingulum. Greater amounts of cannabis use were correlated with reduced longitudinal growth in FA as was relatively impaired performance on a measure of verbal learning. These findings suggest that continued heavy cannabis use during adolescence and young adulthood alters ongoing development of white matter microstructure, contributing to functional impairment.
Thirty-day hospital readmissions in systemic lupus erythematosus: predictors and hospital- and state-level variation.

Objective Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has one of the highest hospital readmission rates among chronic conditions. This study was undertaken to identify patient-level, hospital-level, and geographic predictors of 30-day hospital readmissions associated with SLE. Methods Using hospital discharge databases from 5 geographically dispersed states, we studied all-cause readmission of SLE patients between 2008 and 2009. We evaluated each hospitalization as a possible index event leading up to a readmission, our primary outcome. We accounted for clustering of hospitalizations within patients and within hospitals and adjusted for hospital case mix. Using multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression, we examined factors associated with 30-day readmission and calculated risk-standardized hospital-level and state-level readmission rates. Results We examined 55,936 hospitalizations among 31,903 patients with SLE. Of these hospitalizations, 9,244 (16.5%) resulted in readmission within 30 days. In adjusted analyses, age was inversely related to risk of readmission. African American and Hispanic patients were more likely to be readmitted than white patients, as were those with Medicare or Medicaid insurance (versus private insurance). Several clinical characteristics of lupus, including nephritis, serositis, and thrombocytopenia, were associated with readmission. Readmission rates varied significantly between hospitals after accounting for patient-level clustering and hospital case mix. We also found geographic variation, with risk-adjusted readmission rates lower in New York and higher in Florida as compared to California. Conclusion We found that ∼1 in 6 hospitalized patients with SLE were readmitted within 30 days of discharge, with higher rates among historically underserved populations. Significant geographic and hospital-level variation in risk-adjusted readmission rates suggests potential for quality improvement.
Factors Associated with Increased HPV Vaccine Use in Rural-Frontier U.S. States.

Objective This study sought to examine sociodemographic factors surrounding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine initiation and three-dose completion rates in the Intermountain West (IW). Design and Sample Analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2012 National Immunization Survey-Teen dataset was conducted with a survey-weighted Pearson chi-square test and multivariable Poisson regression to produce bivariate and multivariate analyses. Participants with daughters aged 13–17 with provider-verified immunization records were included. Dual-frame adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were produced with provider-phase sampling weights. Measures Factors included parents' and adolescents' sociodemographic and healthcare usage variables. Outcome measures included adolescents' receipt and completion of the HPV vaccine. Results Older parental ages (45 years and above) showed lower prevalence of adolescent HPV vaccine initiation (PR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.59–0.87, p = .003) and completion (PR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.44–0.96, p = .031) compared with parents younger than 35. Seventeen-year-old adolescents demonstrated highest prevalence of initiating (PR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.47–2.39, p < .001) and completing (PR = 2.92, 95% CI = 1.97–4.33, p < .001) the vaccination series compared to 13-year olds. Those who had received meningitis vaccinations had high prevalence of initiating (PR = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.50–2.48, p < .001) and completing the HPV vaccine (PR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.64–3.86, p < .001). Conclusion This study highlights parental, adolescent, and health care characteristics related to use of the HPV vaccine. Future research to investigate specific barriers and strategies for addressing HPV vaccination use in the IW is recommended.
Hyperfine and electronic heat capacities of AuMn

Abstract The heat capacity of AuMn has been measured below 1°K. A hyperfine field of 320 kOe at Mn nuclei was obtained. The remarkably low electronic heat capacity is interpreted as showing a negligible contribution of the d-band to the Fermi level density of states and suggests a 3d 5 configuration for the Mn ion cores.
Single step purification of rat liver aldolase using immobilized artificial membrane chromatography

Aldolase B is a peripheral membrane protein. Immobilized artificial membrane (IAM) surfaces were used to purify rat liver aldolase B in a single chromatographic step. Selective elution required dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) to be included in the mobile phase. Selective elution of aldolase from the IAM column when DPPC (0.2 mM) was added to the mobile phase indicates that DPPC was an affinity displacing ligand for this membrane associated protein. Since tissue preparation involved only homogenization and centrifugation, the single step purification of aldolase B using IAM chromatography is a very convenient method. The IAM stationary phase (1.5 g) has a loading capacity of at least 4.39 mg total protein from rat liver homogenates and typically approximately 17.7 microg of pure aldolase in a single step from approximately 60 mg wet weight rat liver cytosol can be obtained.
Reversal of prolonged postoperative muscle rigidity by dantrolene: a case report

The use of dantrolene to reverse severe unexplained postanaesthetic muscle rigidity in a previously “healthy” 13-year-old male is described. Anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone. After intubation with pancuronium, the patient had an entirely uneventful nitrous oxide, oxygen and halothane anaesthetic. Immediately following reversal of the relaxant, the patient developed generalized muscle tightness and rigidity involving the trunk and extremities. This was prolonged and severe enough to interfere with adequate ventilation. The patient also had a prolonged recovery from the anaesthetic. After ruling out malignant hyperthermia and some other causes of rigidity, a tentative diagnosis of myotonia was made. The symptoms responded to IV dantrolene in a total dose of 2.0 mg·kg-1. Further testing failed to establish a definite diagnosis. Dantrolene could be a useful drug in treating such unexplained muscle rigidity.
The velocity distribution of cometary hydrogen: evidence for high velocities?

We present high-velocity and spatial resolution two-dimensional spectra of Hα 6563 A emission in comets Austin (1989c_1) and Levy (1990c) obtained using the Hamilton Echelle spectrograph on the 3-m Shane telescope at Lick Observatory. Because of the high signal-to-noise of these spectra, achieved through long integrations with long-slit spectroscopy on these relatively bright comets, we can directly observe the hydrogen velocity distribution. The hydrogen velocity distributions in both comets confirm the presence of the components expected from water dissociation and collisional thermalization in the inner coma. In addition, the velocity distribution in comet Austin apparently has a spatially symmetric high-velocity component not predicted by current theory, although the ubiquitous emissions from a unidentified cometary molecule could coincidentally mimic the signature of this fast hydrogen. Comet Levy also shows high-velocity hydrogen, but, unlike the spatially symmetric emission in Austin, the fast hydrogen in Levy is located exclusively on the sunward side of the nucleus. The cause of the Levy fast hydrogen is unknown, but the source could be charge exchange with the solar wind related to the variability and sunward dust ejection observed in that comet by IUE and HST.
EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE FOR DYNAMICAL DECAY OF FINITE NUCLEAR MATTER

Ternary fission in the reaction ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}{+}^{232}\mathrm{Th}$ at ${E}_{\mathrm{lab}}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}22A\mathrm{MeV}$ reveals evidence for dynamical decay. The relative emission probability of intermediate-mass fragments (IMF: $3\ensuremath{\le}Z\ensuremath{\le}20$) as a function of the initial excitation of the composite system is examined. While IMFs emitted pre-scission exhibit behavior consistent with statistical emission, near-scission IMFs, characterized by unique angular and energy distributions, clearly exhibit a behavior consistent with dynamical decay.
The sensitivity of physical and spectral properties of silica glass to variations of interatomic potentials under high pressure

Abstract We have investigated with molecular dynamics various aspects of the structure and vibrational properties of silica glass at a temperature near 330 K to pressures of 40 GPa for three sets of interatomic potentials using 1500 atoms. The potentials were chosen from previous works. Only one of these potentials shows a transition from tetrahedral silicon coordination to octahedral silicon coordination. For this potential the percentage of five-fold coordinated silicon increases from 12% at 10 GPa to 35% at 15 GPa. The geometry of the five-coordinated complexes is that of a distorted pyramid with the silicon situated at the base, or, equivalently, it is an octahedron with one vertex missing. The shape of the OSiO distribution for the five-fold-coordinated complex is similar for all three potentials, but they are present in lesser amounts in the two which do not show the tetrahedral to octahedral transition. In the potential that shows the transition the distribution of SiOSi angles is bimodal at pressures above 30 GPa, coinciding with large populations of two-silicon rings. Analysis of the density of states reveals that two of the potentials give enhanced contributions from the frequencies in the 800–900 cm −1 range which agrees with in situ infrared spectroscopic studies of silica glass. The major effect of pressure on the velocity autocorrelation function is to increase the amount of negatively correlated motion for silicon atoms during the approach to the first maximum.
C. elegans Dopaminergic D2-Like Receptors Delimit Recurrent Cholinergic-Mediated Motor Programs during a Goal-Oriented Behavior

Caenorhabditis elegans male copulation requires coordinated temporal-spatial execution of different motor outputs. During mating, a cloacal circuit consisting of cholinergic sensory-motor neurons and sex muscles maintains the male's position and executes copulatory spicule thrusts at his mate's vulva. However, distinct signaling mechanisms that delimit these behaviors to their proper context are unclear. We found that dopamine (DA) signaling directs copulatory spicule insertion attempts to the hermaphrodite vulva by dampening spurious stimulus-independent sex muscle contractions. From pharmacology and genetic analyses, DA antagonizes stimulatory ACh signaling via the D2-like receptors, DOP-2 and DOP-3, and Gαo/i proteins, GOA-1 and GPA-7. Calcium imaging and optogenetics suggest that heightened DA-expressing ray neuron activities coincide with the cholinergic cloacal ganglia function during spicule insertion attempts. D2-like receptor signaling also attenuates the excitability of additional mating circuits to reduce the duration of mating attempts with unproductive and/or inappropriate partners. This suggests that, during wild-type mating, simultaneous DA-ACh signaling modulates the activity threshold of repetitive motor programs, thus confining the behavior to the proper situational context.
AN OUTBREAK OF PSITTACOSIS IN PIGEONS, INVOLVING THE PRODUCTION OF INCLUSION BODIES, AND TRANSFER OF THE DISEASE TO MAN

An epizootic disease in pigeons associated with atypical pneumonia in two persons handling the birds has been studied. Most of the observations made during the work were consistent with the idea that we were dealing with an infection caused by a member of the psittacosis-lymphogranuloma venereum group of viruses. The outbreak was peculiar, however, in that tissues of the diseased pigeons contained many intranuclear inclusions and that the viruses isolated from these birds produced both intranuclear inclusions and elementary bodies in the cytoplasm of cells of chorio-allantoic membranes of the developing egg. Whether the pigeons were simultaneously infected with two viruses or whether the virus of pigeon psittacosis can produce intranuclear inclusions under certain conditions remains to be determined.
Effects of the beta-blocker propranolol on cued and contextual fear conditioning in humans

Beta-adrenergic receptors are involved in the consolidation of emotional memories. Yet, a number of studies using Pavlovian cued fear conditioning have been unable to demonstrate an effect of beta-adrenergic blockade on acquisition or retention of fear conditioning. Evidence for the involvement of beta-adrenergic receptors in emotional memories comes mostly from studies using fear inhibitory avoidance in rodents. It is possible that fear inhibitory avoidance is more akin to contextual conditioning than to cued fear conditioning, suggesting that context conditioning may be disrupted by beta-adrenergic blockade. This study investigated the effects of the beta-adrenergic blocker propranolol on cued and contextual fear conditioning in humans. Subjects were given either placebo (n=15) or 40 mg propranolol (n=15) prior to differential cued conditioning. A week later, they were tested for retention of context and cued fear conditioning using physiological (startle reflex and electrodermal activity) and subjective measures of emotional arousal. The results were consistent with the hypothesis. The skin conductance level (SCL) and the subjective measure of arousal suggested reduced emotional arousal upon returning to the conditioning context in the propranolol group, compared to the placebo group. The acquisition and retention of cued fear conditioning were not affected by propranolol. These results suggest that beta-adrenergic receptors are involved in contextual fear conditioning.
Prospects for nuclear energy in Canada, the USA and Mexico

Recent years have seen a growing interest in the possibility of building new nuclear power plants in Canada and the USA. Electricity generating companies, especially in the south-eastern USA and Ontario, announced plans during 2005 and 2006 which could lay the groundwork for future decisions to construct commercial reactors that could come on line as early as 2015. The possibility of new nuclear power construction is also being examined in Mexico. This growing interest is driven by less expensive technologies, concerns regarding the environmental impacts of generation using fossil fuels and more favourable attitudes toward nuclear power from national and regional governments.
Integrated Social and QoS Trust-Based Routing in Delay Tolerant Networks

We propose and analyze a class of integrated social and quality of service (QoS) trust-based routing protocols in mobile ad-hoc delay tolerant networks. The underlying idea is to incorporate trust evaluation in the routing protocol, considering not only QoS trust properties but also social trust properties to evaluate other nodes encountered. We prove that our protocol is resilient against bad-mouthing, good-mouthing and whitewashing attacks performed by malicious nodes. By utilizing a stochastic Petri net model describing a delay tolerant network consisting of heterogeneous mobile nodes with vastly different social and networking behaviors, we analyze the performance characteristics of trust-based routing protocols in terms of message delivery ratio, message delay, and message overhead against connectivity-based, epidemic and PROPHET routing protocols. The results indicate that our trust-based routing protocols outperform PROPHET and can approach the ideal performance obtainable by epidemic routing in delivery ratio and message delay, without incurring high message overhead. Further, integrated social and QoS trust-based protocols can effectively trade off message delay for a significant gain in message delivery ratio and message overhead over traditional connectivity-based routing protocols.
Characterization of Drosophila carboxypeptidase D.

Metallocarboxypeptidase D (CPD), is a 180-kDa protein that contains three carboxypeptidase-like domains, a transmembrane domain, and a cytosolic tail and which functions in the processing of proteins that transit the secretory pathway. An initial report on the Drosophila melanogaster silver gene indicated a CPD-like protein with only two and a half carboxypeptidase-like domains with no transmembrane region (Settle, S. H., Jr., Green, M. M., and Burtis, K. C. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 92, 9470–9474). A variety of bioinformatics and experimental approaches were used to determine that theDrosophila silver gene corresponds to a CPD-like protein with three carboxypeptidase-like domains, a transmembrane domain, and a cytosolic tail. In addition, two alternative exons were found, which result in proteins with different carboxypeptidase-like domains, termed domains 1A and 1B. Northern blot, reverse transcriptase PCR, and sequence analysis were used to confirm the presence of the various mRNA forms. Individual domains of Drosophila CPD were expressed in insect Sf9 cells using the baculovirus expression system. Media from domain 1B- and domain 2-expressing cells showed substantial enzymatic activity, whereas medium from domain 1A-expressing cells was no different from cells infected with wild-type virus. Domains 1B and 2 were purified, and the enzymatic properties were examined. Both enzymes cleaved substrates with C-terminal Arg or Lys, but not Leu, and were inhibited by conventional metallopeptidase inhibitors and some divalent cations. Drosophila domain 1B is more active at neutral pH and greatly prefers C-terminal Arg over Lys, whereas domain 2 is more active at pH 5–6 and slightly prefers C-terminal Lys over Arg. The differences in pH optima and substrate specificity between Drosophila domains 1B and 2 are similar to the differences between duck CPD domains 1 and 2, suggesting that these properties are essential to CPD function.
Pelvic Lymphadenectomy During Robot-assisted Radical Prostatectomy: Assessing Nodal Yield, Perioperative Outcomes, and Complications

Objectives To describe our pelvic lymphadenectomy (PLND) technique during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy and to evaluate the nodal yield and perioperative outcomes. PLND is commonly performed with radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer. Because of the limitations of the robotic arm pitch in accessing the pelvic sidewall and undersurface of the iliac bifurcation, uro-oncologists have questioned the adequacy of robotic PLND. Methods PLND was routinely performed on men with higher risk preoperative prostate cancer parameters (ie, prostrate-specific antigen >10 ng/mL, primary Gleason score ≥4, or clinical Stage T2b or greater). The outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy with bilateral, standard template PLND (group 1; n = 296 [26%]) were compared with those of a cohort of 859 robot-assisted radical prostatectomy patients (74%) without PLND (group 2). We also compared these data with those from a single-surgeon experience of open, standard-template PLND for retropubic radical prostatectomy. Results The mean number of lymph nodes removed was 12.5 (interquartile range 7-16). The mean operative time (224 vs 216 minutes; P = .09), estimated blood loss (206 vs 229 mL; P = .14), and hospital stay (1.32 vs 1.24 days; P = .46) were comparable between the 2 groups. The rate of intraoperative complications (1% vs 1.5%; P = .2), overall postoperative complications (9% vs 7%; P = .8), and lymphocele formation (2% vs 0%; P = .9) were not significantly different. The review of our open series and the historically published open standard-template PLND series revealed a mean yield of 15 and a range of 6.7-15 lymph nodes removed, respectively. Conclusions Our data support the feasibility and low complication rate of robotic standard-template PLND with lymph node yields comparable to those with open PLND. Considering the low morbidity of PLND in experienced hands, coupled with the potential of preoperative undergrading and understaging and the therapeutic benefit to patients with micrometastatic disease, an increase in overall standard-template PLND use should be considered.
Effects of Reinforcement and Coarse Aggregates on Chloride Ingress into Concrete and Time-to-Corrosion: Part 2—Spatial Distribution of Coarse Aggregates

Abstract The chloride concentration in concrete required to compromise reinforcing steel passivity and initiate active corrosion, [Cl−]th, is an important service life determinant for reinforced co...
A forward move algorithm for LR error recovery

A "forward move algorithm", and some of its formal properties, is presented for use in a practical syntactic error recovery scheme for LR parsers. The algorithm finds "valid fragment" (comparable to a valid prefix) just to the right of a point of error detection. For expositional purposes the algorithm is presented as parsing arbitrarily far beyond the point of error detection in a "parallel" mode, as long as all parses agree on the read or reduce action to be taken at each parse step. In practice the forward move is achieved serially by adding "recovery states" to the LR machine. Based on the formal properties of the forward move we propose an error recovery algorithm that uses the accumulated right context. The performance of the recovery algorithm is illustrated in a specific case and discussed in general.
Abnormalities of skeletal muscle metabolism during nerve stimulation determined by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in severe congestive heart failure

Abstract In summary, these data confirm the presence of abnormal skeletal muscle metabolic function in patients with chronic heart failure. These changes are independent of patient compliance and central hemodynamic response to conventional exercise, and may explain, in part, the marked decrease in exercise tolerance often observed in patients with chronic severe heart failure. The etiology of these abnormalities of metabolic function and nutritive flow remains uncertain. TNS may prove useful in furthur elucidation of the peripheral metabolic consequences of chronic heart failure.
Determination of the gas-liquid partition isotherms of the enantiomers of methyl 2-chloropropionate on trichloroacetyl pentyl β-cyclodextrin using the elution by characteristic points method

The gas-liquid partition isotherms of the enantiomers of methyl 2-chloropropionate on a trichloroacetyl pentyl β-cyclodextrin stationary phase were determined at three different temperatures using the elution by characteristic points method. The isotherms were described using the single-component and competitive bi-Langmuir isotherm equations. The measured and calculated isotherms as well as the retention factor and separation selectivity data agree, indicating that these isotherms might be suitable for the modeling of the preparative-scale gas chromatographic separation of the enantiomers.
The action of theI(1)npr-1+ locus on theDrosophila glue geneSgs-3 is cell-autonomous

The 2B5 chromosomal locus inDrosophila contains a gene,I(1)npr-1 +, whose product required intrans for the expression of the larval salivary gland-specific geneSgs-3. We have addressed the question as to whether this factor acts in a cell-autonomous manner or not. This was made possible by the use of a transformant strain that makes anSgs-3-E. coli β-galactosidase (lacZ) fusion protein, under the control of anSgs-3 promoter, allowing the cellular examination of gene expression by a histochemical assay for enzyme activity. Using genetic methods, larvae that were mosaic for the loss of function mutationl(l)npr-1 were generated. The expression of theSgs-3-lacZ fusion gene was assayed histochemically in such larvae. Our results strongly indicate a cell-autonomous requirement for the product ofl(1)npr-1+. This is in contrast to another factor, the hormone ecdysterone, which is also required forSgs-3 expression, but acts in a non-autonomous manner
Calculation of stereotactic coordinates from the computed tomographic scan

A protocol has been developed to use the GE 8800 scanner and its resident programs to calculate stereotactic coordinates, which has made it possible to use any stereotactic apparatus without modifying the apparatus in order to introduce a cannula into any lesion visualized on a computed tomographic (CT) scan to biopsy tumors, drain abscesses, implant radioisotopes, etc. The CT scanning is done in a routine fashion except that a lateral ScoutView, with the planes of each CT slice indicated, is included. Once the CT scan has been completed, resident programs for measuring distances are used to establish a zero point on a reference plane, from which all other coordinates can be defined. The stereotactic procedure is done at a separate time in the operating room, using the coordinates derived from the CT scan. The ScoutView image is compared to the lateral x-ray film taken during the stereotactic procedure to establish the location of the targets. It has been estimated that the accuracy of this system is 3 mm. Abscesses less than 1 cm in diameter deep within the cerebral hemisphere have been accurately aspirated and tumor biopsies have been successfully taken.
Target detection and tracking using a UWB sensor web

This paper describes the experimental and simulation studies that were conducted to locate and track a target inside a UWB sensor web system. The sensor web was designed using second generation UWB prototype devices and the simulation software was developed using MATLAB and C language. Return scans from the UWB devices were analyzed to determine the noise floor and the signal strength. Using the noise floor level, a threshold level is set above which the alarm is triggered to indicate the presence of a target. The probability of false alarm (PFA) is also determined using the signal-to-noise ratio and the threshold. The PFA was varied to minimize the false alarm level. The noise statistics of the sensor web system was also analyzed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test.
Angular Distribution of Protons and Deuterons Produced by Dissociative Ionization of H2 and D2 near Threshold

From observations of the kinetic-energy distribution of protons and deuterons at corresponding forward and backward angles with respect to the electron-beam direction, the forward momentum imparted to the dissociating ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ (${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$) molecule by the incident electron has been determined for electron energies up to 300 eV. The momentum transfer along the beam was found to remain nearly constant at all energies above threshold, although above 100 eV the values obtained for ${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$ were systematically higher than the values for ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$. When corrected to the center-of-mass system, the angular distribution of ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$ (${\mathrm{D}}^{+}$) near threshold was found to contain a large isotropic component and an anisotropic component which deviates, in a manner suggested by Zare, from the ${cos}^{2}\ensuremath{\Theta}$ dependence predicted from a simple dipole Born approximation.
Imaging of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Practical Guide to Differential Diagnosis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is most commonly seen in patients with cirrhosis. Criteria for diagnosis include arterial-phase enhancement, venous-phase washout, and a capsule on delayed sequences. Tiny HCC are best detected with magnetic resonance imaging using the new hepatocyte-specific gadolinium agents; otherwise, short-term follow up versus biopsy is considered. Diffuse HCC can be difficult to diagnose because of the inherent heterogeneous hepatic parenchyma in cirrhosis, however, portal vein expansion due to thrombosis is a helpful sign.