cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Daily and seasonal variation in response to stress in captive starlings (Sturnus vulgaris): corticosterone.

We investigated the seasonal and daily variation in plasma glucose levels in response to stress in captive wild starlings. Starlings were captured from the wild during the winter, held on short days (11L:13D, mimicking winter), and then shifted to long days (19L:5D, mimicking summer). Birds were maintained on long days until they began a prebasic molt, the energetically costly replacement of feathers. Throughout the daily cycle we took a basal blood sample within 3 min of disturbance and took subsequent blood samples at 15 and 30 min. Birds were kept in cloth bags (restraint) between bleeds. Experiments were repeated during all three seasons (short day, long day, and molt). Starlings showed no sexual difference in circulating glucose levels at any time of the day or in any season. Both basal and stress-induced glucose levels, however, showed a significant effect of season, with birds held on long days exhibiting the highest levels, molting birds showing intermediate levels, and birds held on short days exhibiting the lowest levels. Basal glucose levels also showed a circadiel rhythm in all three seasons. Regardless of season, however, the daily peak in basal levels occurred at midday with nadir in the middle of the scotophase. This trend was paralleled in the overall weights of the birds. Although stress-induced glucose levels showed no circadiel rhythm, the stress-induced elevation of glucose above baseline showed a significant daily rhythm, indicating that stress elevated plasma glucose levels only during the scotophase in all three seasons.
Mesoscale Current Fields Observed with a Shipboard Profiling Acoustic Current Meter

Abstract Measurements of the near-surface currents obtained with a shipboard profiling acoustic current meter during the POLYMODE Local Dynamics Experiment are discussed. The large-scale spatial structure of the directly measured currents is very similar to that obtained from simultaneous hydrographic observations assuming geostrophic dynamics. The vertical shear of geostrophic currents is half that observed directly, and the two are poorly correlated. Vertical shear is dominated by currents having spatial scales shorter than about 180 km and having no geostrophic signature. Although the shear of the ageostrophic component is clearly evident, estimation of the ageostrophic current is hampered by large experimental uncertainties.
Reliability of hand diagrams for the epidemiologic case definition of carpal tunnel syndrome.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inter-rater reliability of hand diagrams, which are commonly used in research case definitions of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). To evaluate the potential of non-random misclassification of cases, we also studied predictors of rater disagreement as a function of personal and work factors, and of hand symptoms not classic for CTS. Participants in a longitudinal study investigating the development of CTS completed repeated self-administered questionnaires. Three experienced clinicians, blind to subjects’ work or personal history, independently rated all hand diagrams on an ordinal scale from 0 to 3. Disagreements between ratings were resolved by consensus. Reliability was measured by the weighted kappa statistic. Logistic regression models evaluated predictors of disagreement. Three hundred and thirty-three subjects completed 494 hand diagrams. Eighty-five percent were completed by self-administered questionnaire and 15% by telephone interview. Weighted kappa values representing agreement among the three raters, were 0.83 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.87) for right hand diagrams and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.83, 0.91) for left hand diagrams. Ratings from hand diagrams obtained by telephone interview produced better agreement. Agreement among raters was not affected by subjects’ personal or work factors. Disagreement among raters was associated with the presence of hand/wrist symptoms other than classic CTS symptoms. Overall, high levels of agreement were attained by independent raters of hand diagrams. Personal factors did not affect agreement among raters, but presence of non-CTS symptoms seemed to affect results and should be considered in studies focused on diverse populations with heterogeneity of upper extremity symptoms.
The application of microwave techniques in lightwave systems

Microwave techniques have a significant role in advancing the state-of-the-art of lightwave systems. Applications include the analysis and design of structures to support lightwave propagation, the development of devices and circuits to modulate, demodulate, and process microwaves bandwidth signals on lightwave carriers, and the development of circuits to process microwave bandwidth baseband signals. The merging of microwave and lightwave technologies will open new opportunities in system design.
Self-Similar Lattice Tilings

We study the general question of the existence of self-similar lattice tilings of Euclidean space. A necessary and sufficient geometric condition on the growth of the boundary of approximate tiles is reduced to a problem in Fourier analysis that is shown to have an elegant simple solution in dimension one. In dimension two we further prove the existence of connected self-similar lattice tilings for parabolic and elliptic dilations. These results apply to produce Haar wavelet bases and certain canonical number systems.
Developmental Pattern of 5α-Reductase Activity in the Rat Gubernaculum

5α-Reductase and aromatase activities were measured in fetal and newborn rat gubernaculum and other tissues by radiometric assays using [1β-3H]testosterone as substrate. Aromatase activity was measured by the steriospecific release of tritium into the incubation medium, and 5α-reductase was assessed by measuring the amount of 5α-reduced steroids produced during the same incubations. Aromatase activity was low (<0.2 pmol/h-mg protein) in gubernaculum at all ages studied, whereas the activity in postnatal ovary ranged from 3.9-20 pmol/h-mg protein. 5α-Reductase activity was relatively high in day 18 fetal gubernaculum (-115 pmol/h-mg protein), but 2 days later in development (fetal day 20), 5α-reductase activity had declined to approximately 21 pmol/h-mg protein. 5α-Reductase activity was very low (<10 pmol/h · mg protein) in the postnatal gubernaculum. Histological examination of day 18 fetal gubernaculum indicated that it is composed of dense, poorly organized, mesenchymal tissue. By day 20 of gestational...
Logic activities in Europe

During Fall 1992, thanks to ONR, I had an opportunity to visit a fair number of West European centers of logic research. I tried to learn more about logic investigations and applications in Europe with the hope that my experience may be useful to American researchers. This report is concerned only with logic activities related to computer science, and Europe here means usually Western Europe (one can learn only so much in one semester). The idea of such a visit may seem ridiculous to some. The modern world is quickly growing into a global village. There is plenty of communication between Europe and the US. Many European researchers visit the US, and many American researchers visit Europe. Neither Americans nor Europeans make secret of their logic research. Quite the opposite is true. They advertise their research. From ESPRIT reports, the Bulletin of European Association for Theoretical Computer Science, the Newsletter of European Association for Computer Science Logics, publications of European Foundation for Logic, Language and Information, publications of particular European universities, etc., one can get a good idea of what is going on in Europe and who is doing what. Some European colleagues asked me jokingly if I was on a reconnaissance mission. Well, sometimes a cow wants to suckle more than the calf wants to suck (a Hebrew proverb). It is amazing, however, how di erent computer science is, especially theoretical computer science, in Europe and the US. American theoretical computer science centers heavily around complexity theory. The two prime American theoretical conferences | ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing (STOC) and IEEE Foundation of Computer Science Conference (FOCS) | are largely devoted to complexity theory (in a wider sense of the term). That does not exclude logic. As a matter of fact, important logic results have been published in those conferences. However, STOC and FOCS logic papers belong, as a rule, to branches of logic intimately related to complexity. Finite model theory is a good example of that; see [Fagin 1990, Gurevich 1988] and especially [Immerman 1989]. The di erence between theoretical computer science and the rest of computer science (and computer engineering) is relatively well delineated in this country. In Europe, the line between theoretical computer science and the rest of computer science and engineering is much more blurred, partially because computer science and engineering in general are more theoretical. A much greater proportion of European research goes into programming language theory, semantics, speci cation languages, proof systems, veri cation methods, etc. For brevity and the lack of a better term, I will use the term \formal methods" for all of these areas. Europeans put much more faith and e orts into
Stationary Gating of GluN1/GluN2B Receptors in Intact Membrane Patches

NMDA receptors are heteromeric glutamate-gated channels composed of GluN1 and GluN2 subunits. Receptor isoforms that differ in their GluN2-subunit type (A–D) are expressed differentially throughout the central nervous system and have distinct kinetic properties in recombinant systems. How specific receptor isoforms contribute to the functions generally attributed to NMDA receptors remains unknown, due in part to the incomplete functional characterization of individual receptor types and unclear molecular composition of native receptors. We examined the stationary gating kinetics of individual rat recombinant GluN1/GluN2B receptors in cell-attached patches of transiently transfected HEK293 cells and used kinetic analyses and modeling to describe the full range of this receptor's gating behaviors. We found that, like GluN1/GluN2A receptors, GluN1/GluN2B receptors have three gating modes that are distinguishable by their mean open durations. However, for GluN1/GluN2B receptors, the modes also differed markedly in their mean closed durations and thus generated a broader range of open probabilities. We also found that regardless of gating mode, glutamate dissociation occurred ∼4-fold more slowly (k− = 15 s−1) compared to that observed in GluN1/GluN2A receptors. On the basis of these results, we suggest that slow glutamate dissociation and modal gating underlie the long heterogeneous activations of GluN1/GluN2B receptors.
Large-Eddy Simulation/Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes Simulations of High-Speed Mixing Processes

A large-eddy simulation/Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes model is applied to three high-speed mixing layers and three sonic injection flows to generate data suitable for evaluating two current Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes models for turbulent mass diffusivity. These models solve transport equations for concentration variance and dissipation rate and differ in the constitutive relation for the turbulent mass diffusivity and the form of the evolution equation for the dissipation rate. The predictive capability of the large-eddy simulation/Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes model is assessed through simulations of an air–air mixing-layer experiment and a sonic ethylene injection into a Mach 2.0 airstream. This model provides good predictions of the mean velocity, turbulence intensity, and rms temperature fluctuation throughout the shear layer flowfield but slightly over-predicts the spreading rate of the mixing layer. The simulation of the sonic injection is in generally good agreement with the experiment but...
A randomized, double-blind, comparative study of the efficacy of ketorolac tromethamine versus meperidine in the treatment of severe migraine

Study objective: To evaluate the relative efficacy of ketorolac tromethamine and meperidine hydrochloride in the emergency department treatment of severe migraine. Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind trial. Setting: University hospital ED. Participants: Patients presenting to the ED with an isolated diagnosis of common or classic migraine. Interventions: Subjects were randomized to receive a single intramuscular injection of either 30 mg ketorolac or 75 mg meperidine. Measurements and main results: Of the 31 patients completing the trial, 15 received ketorolac and 16 received meperidine. The demographic characteristics of both groups were comparable. At one hour, ketorolac was significantly less effective than meperidine in reducing headache pain ( P = .02) and in improving clinical disability ( P = .01). Ketorolac also was less effective at reducing nausea, photophobia, and the need for rescue medication ( P P = NS). No significant side effects were observed for either group. Conclusion: IM ketorolac tromethamine is less effective than meperidine in the ED treatment of severe migraine.
PHILOSOPHY AS ULTIMATE RHETORIC

L'art de la rhetorique chez Aristote et le concept moderne de manipulation verbale. Il y a place dans la philosophie contemporaine pour une philosophie comme rhetorique. L'A. s'appuie sur l'ontologie existentielle de Heidegger.
Children attribute moral standing to a personified agent

This paper describes the results of a study conducted to answer two questions: (1) Do children generalize their understanding of distinctions between conventional and moral violations in human-human interactions to human-agent interactions? and (2) Does the agent's ability to make claims to its own moral standing influence children's judgments? A two condition, between- and within-subjects study was conducted in which 60 eight and nine year-old children interacted with a personified agent and observed a researcher interacting with the same agent. A semi-structured interview was conducted to investigate the children's judgments and reasoning about the observed interactions as well as hypothetical human-human interactions. Results suggest that children do distinguish between conventional and moral violations in human-agent interactions and that the ability of the agent to express harm and make claims to its own rights significantly increases children's likelihood of identifying an act against the agent as a moral violation.
Progesterone increases brain-derived neuroptrophic factor expression and protects against glutamate toxicity in a mitogen-activated protein kinase- and phosphoinositide-3 kinase-dependent manner in cerebral cortical explants

The higher prevalence and risk for Alzheimer's disease in women relative to men has been partially attributed to the precipitous decline in gonadal hormone levels that occurs in women following the menopause. Although considerable attention has been focused on the consequence of estrogen loss, and thus estrogen's neuroprotective potential, it is important to recognize that the menopause results in a precipitous decline in progesterone levels as well. In fact, progesterone is neuroprotective, although the precise mechanisms involved remain unclear. Based on our previous observation that progesterone elicits the phosphorylation of ERK and Akt, key effectors of the neuroprotective mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3-K) pathways, respectively, we determined whether activation of either of these pathways was necessary for progesterone-induced protection. With organotypic explants (slice culture) of the cerebral cortex, we found that progesterone protected against glutamate-induced toxicity. Furthermore, these protective effects were inhibited by either the MEK1/2 inhibitor UO126 or the PI3-K inhibitor LY294002, supporting the requirement for both the MAPK and PI3-K pathways in progesterone-induced protection. In addition, at a concentration and duration of treatment consistent with our neuroprotection data, progesterone also increased the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), at the level of both protein and mRNA. This induction of BDNF may be relevant to the protective effects of progesterone, in that inhibition of Trk signaling, with K252a, inhibited the protective effects of progesterone. Collectively, these data suggest that progesterone is protective via multiple and potentially related mechanisms. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Investigating the Neural and Cognitive Basis of Moral Luck: It’s Not What You Do but What You Know

Moral judgments, we expect, ought not to depend on luck. A person should be blamed only for actions and outcomes that were under the person’s control. Yet often, moral judgments appear to be influenced by luck. A father who leaves his child by the bath, after telling his child to stay put and believing that he will stay put, is judged to be morally blameworthy if the child drowns (an unlucky outcome), but not if his child stays put and doesn’t drown. Previous theories of moral luck suggest that this asymmetry reflects primarily the influence of unlucky outcomes on moral judgments. In the current study, we use behavioral methods and fMRI to test an alternative: these moral judgments largely reflect participants’ judgments of the agent’s beliefs. In “moral luck” scenarios, the unlucky agent also holds a false belief. Here, we show that moral luck depends more on false beliefs than bad outcomes. We also show that participants with false beliefs are judged as having less justified beliefs and are therefore judged as more morally blameworthy. The current study lends support to a rationalist account of moral luck: moral luck asymmetries are driven not by outcome bias primarily, but by mental state assessments we endorse as morally relevant, i.e. whether agents are justified in thinking that they won’t cause harm.
Use of cloud radars and radiometers for tropical cyclone intensity estimation

[1] Tropical cyclone intensity is shown to be proportional to the difference between the moist static energy of the eyewall and that of the undisturbed environment, and to the difference between the absolute temperatures of the boundary layer and of the storm top. Measurements of the radial gradient of cloud top altitude and temperature from the eyewall to the outer region of the storm should therefore provide a measure of storm intensity, when coupled with an estimate of the total temperature difference between the sea surface and the cloud top. Here we develop a formalism for making such intensity estimates and apply it to cloud top heights and temperatures produced by an axisymmetric, nonhydrostatic hurricane model. The results are encouraging, and offer the potential for accurate remote detection of tropical cyclone intensity, to supplement existing satellite-based methods.
Risk-Constrained Bidding Strategy With Stochastic Unit Commitment

This paper develops optimal bidding strategies based on hourly unit commitment in a generation company (GENCO) that participates in energy and ancillary services markets. The price-based unit commitment problem with uncertain market prices is modeled as a stochastic mixed integer linear program. The market price uncertainty is modeled using the scenario approach, Monte Carlo simulation is applied to generate scenarios, scenario reduction techniques are applied to reduce the size of the stochastic price-based unit commitment problem, and postprocessing is applied based on marginal cost of committed units to refine bidding curves. The financial risk associated with market price uncertainty is modeled using expected downside risk, which is incorporated explicitly as a constraint in the problem. Accordingly, the proposed method provides a closed-loop solution to devising specific strategies for risk-based bidding in a GENCO. Illustrative examples show the impact of market price uncertainty on GENCO's hourly commitment schedule and discuss the way GENCOs could decrease financial risks by managing expected payoffs
Influence of Structural Design on the Aeroelastic Stability of Brancusi’s Endless Column

Brancusi’s Endless Column (Târgu-Jiu, Romania) is an interesting case study in bluff body aeroelasticity. It has been referred to as aeroelastically indifferent owing to its remarkable aeroelastic stability. This stability has been attributed to its unconventional shape. Calculations are presented which show that this strictly aerodynamic view of the column behavior is incomplete, and that the structural dynamics characteristics of the column have a powerful role in ensuring its aeroelastic stability. The calculations show that the column’s design, which provided for significant damping and mass, would assure its aeroelastic stability even if the column had a conventional and aeroelastically less favorable shape, i.e., if it were a circular cylinder (a shape that is unfavorable from the point of view of vortex-induced response) or a square cylinder (a shape that is unfavorable from the point of view of galloping).
Pretreatment with the adenosine A1 selective agonist, 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CCPA), causes a sustained limitation of infarct size in rabbits

Objective: The highly selective adenosine A1 receptor agonist, 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyl-adenosine (CCPA), has been shown to be as cardioprotective as ischaemic preconditioning when evaluated with an early staining method using tetrazolium. However, tetrazolium-positive tissue measured 3 h after reperfusion may still overestimate the long term salvage. To test for this possible artefact, a 72 h reperfusion rabbit model of myocardial infarction was used, and infarct size was assessed by histology. Methods: Myocardial infarction was induced by a 30 min coronary occlusion. Rabbits were assigned to a control group receiving no treatment, pretreatment with 0.125 mg·kg−1 CCPA, or 0.25 mg·kg−1 pretreatment with CCPA (0.25 mg·kg−1) followed by an A1 selective antagonist, 8-cyclopentyl-l,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX) 30 min after reperfusion to reverse the haemodynamic side effects. Results: In the 0.125 mg·kg−1 CCPA group, 30.8(SEM 4.2)% of the ischaemic zone was infarcted, which was significantly less than that seen in the control group [46.5(3.0)%; p<0.01]. Reversing the side effects of CCPA by giving DPCPX soon after reperfusion did not block the protective effects [26.2(1.9)% infarction; p<0.01 v control]. Conclusions: This finding confirms a genuine anti-infarct effect of adenosine A1 receptor stimulation when given prior to the onset of ischaemia. Furthermore blocking the A1 receptors soon after reperfusion reverses the side effects but does not block protection. Cardiovascular Research 1993; 27 :652-656
Nanobiotechnology: is there a Rosetta stone to translate biology to technology?

The relationship between nanoscience and nanotechnology is discussed in this paper. Nanobiotechnology is aimed at the molecular design of interfaces for improved medical devices and diagnostics. Medical device implants, and the biomaterials that comprise them, are measured on macro scales (centimeters). Yet the biocompatibility of such devices may be dictated by phenomena best described at nanometer dimensions. Biological data on the in vivo healing responses of mammals to matricellular proteins such as osteopontin, thrombospondin 2 and SPARC with nonspecific protein adsorption is presented. The method including protein orientation (assembly) and type I collagen used to deliver signals along with their strategies is presented. Modern surface analysis techniques shows the complexity of a functional nanobiointerface.
Feeding Behaviors and Other Motor Development in Healthy Children (2–24 Months)

Objectives: To monitor infant’s gross, fine and oral motor development patterns related to feeding.Design: An incomplete block design was used with 57 to 60 (sample=98) mothers interviewed when their children were 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16 and 24 months (within ± 5 days of birth date). Each mother had 5 to 6 interviews.Setting: Selected developmental feeding behaviors were monitored using in-home interviews conducted by trained interviewers (n=2). At each interview, mothers reported the child’s age when behaviors first occurred, and anthropometric measurements were performed.Subjects: Subjects were healthy white children who lived mostly in homes with educated two-parent families of upper socioeconomic status.Results: Mean behavioral ages were within normal ranges reported in the literature, whereas individuals exhibited a wide diversity in reported ages. Examples of gross motor skills (age in months, ± SD) included sitting without help (5.50 ± 2.08) and crawling (8.00 ± 1.55). Mean ages for self-feeding ...
A preliminary study of the Coherent Phase Synchronous Oscillator (CPSO) for Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) applications

This preliminary study reviews important features of the injection locked Synchronous Oscillator (SO), which is a multi-functional network to synchronize, track, and amplify a reference signal. The SO can reduce the phase noise and the acquisition time of the system. The Coherent Phase-Locked Synchronous Oscillator (CPSO) is then presented and analyzed as a modified phase-locked loop (PLL) where the voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) in a conventional PLL is replaced by a voltage controlled SO (VSO) for wireless applications. The CPSO not only retains all the properties of the SO, but also provides the coherency with zero phase shift across the frequency locking range. To demonstrate the feasibility of the CPSO, phase plane trajectories are plotted to analyze the phase behavior of the system. The behavior of the system with respect to phase noise reduction has also been analyzed.
The capacity of Multihop Relay Wireless Networks

The scaling laws of wireless networks are studied when there are s(n) source-destination pairs in the network and the rest of n −s(n) nodes are relays. The transmission strategy is based on multihop communications which is more practical in wireless ad hoc networks. We call this network Multihop Relay Wireless Network (MRWN). It is shown that as the number of sources in the network increases (or equivalently the number of relays decreases), the capacity of such networks is either dominated by the number of source-destination pairs or by the number of relays. Both upper and lower bounds of throughput capacity are derived.
Outcomes Following Endovascular vs Open Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: A Randomized Trial

Context Limited data are available to assess whether endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) improves short-term outcomes compared with traditional open repair. Objective To compare postoperative outcomes up to 2 years after endovascular or open repair of AAA in a planned interim report of a 9-year trial. Design, Setting, and Patients A randomized, multicenter clinical trial of 881 veterans (aged ≥49 years) from 42 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers with eligible AAA who were candidates for both elective endovascular repair and open repair of AAA. The trial is ongoing and this report describes the period between October 15, 2002, and October 15, 2008. Intervention Elective endovascular (n = 444) or open (n = 437) repair of AAA. Main Outcome Measures Procedure failure, secondary therapeutic procedures, length of stay, quality of life, erectile dysfunction, major morbidity, and mortality. Results Mean follow-up was 1.8 years. Perioperative mortality (30 days or inpatient) was lower for endovascular repair (0.5% vs 3.0%; P = .004), but there was no significant difference in mortality at 2 years (7.0% vs 9.8%, P = .13). Patients in the endovascular repair group had reduced median procedure time (2.9 vs 3.7 hours), blood loss (200 vs 1000 mL), transfusion requirement (0 vs 1.0 units), duration of mechanical ventilation (3.6 vs 5.0 hours), hospital stay (3 vs 7 days), and intensive care unit stay (1 vs 4 days), but required substantial exposure to fluoroscopy and contrast. There were no differences between the 2 groups in major morbidity, procedure failure, secondary therapeutic procedures, aneurysm-related hospitalizations, health-related quality of life, or erectile function. Conclusions In this report of short-term outcomes after elective AAA repair, perioperative mortality was low for both procedures and lower for endovascular than open repair. The early advantage of endovascular repair was not offset by increased morbidity or mortality in the first 2 years after repair. Longer-term outcome data are needed to fully assess the relative merits of the 2 procedures. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00094575
Lunar Crescent Visibility

We report the results of five Moonwatches, in which more than 2000 observers throughout North America attempted to sight the thin lunar crescent. For each Moonwatch we were able to determine the position of the Lunar Date Line (LDL), the line along which a normal observer has a 50% probability of spotting the Moon. The observational LDLs were then compared with predicted LDLs derived from crescent visibility prediction algorithms. We find that ancient and medieval rules are higly unreliable. More recent empirical criteria, based on the relative altitude and azimuth of the Moon at the time of sunset, have a reasonable accuracy, with the best specific formulation being due to Yallop. The modern theoretical model by Schaefer (based on the physiology of the human eye and the local observing conditions) is found to have the least systematic error, the least average error, and the least maximum error of all models tested. Analysis of the observations also provided information about atmospheric, optical and human factors that affect the observations. We show that observational lunar calendars have a natural bias to begin early.
Numerical solution of the Fokker–Planck equation with variable coefficients

Abstract We study the numerical solution of the Fokker–Planck equation. This equation gives a good approximation to the radiative transport equation when scattering is peaked sharply in the forward direction which is the case for light propagation in tissues, for example. We derive first the numerical solution for the problem with constant coefficients. This numerical solution is constructed as an expansion in plane wave solutions. Then we extend that result to take into account coefficients that vary spatially. This extension leads to a coupled system of initial and final value problems. We solve this system iteratively. Numerical results show the utility of this method.
Real-Time PCR Assay for Detection and Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus Genotypes A to G

The detection and quantification of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA play an important role in diagnosing and monitoring HBV infection as well as assessing therapeutic response. The great variability among HBV genotypes and the enormous range of clinical HBV DNA levels present challenges for PCR-based amplification techniques. In this study, we describe the development, evaluation, and validation of a novel real-time PCR assay designed to provide accurate quantification of DNA from all eight HBV genotypes in patient plasma specimens. A computer algorithm was used to design degenerate real-time PCR primers and probes based upon a large number (n = 340) of full-length genomic sequences including HBV genotypes A to H from Europe, Africa, Asia, and North and South America. Genotype performance was tested and confirmed using 59 genotype A to G specimens from two commercially available worldwide genotype panels. This assay has a dynamic range of at least 8 log10 without the need for specimen dilution, good clinical intra- and interassay precision, and excellent correlation with the Bayer Diagnostics VERSANT HBV DNA 3.0 (branched DNA) assay (r = 0.93). Probit analysis determined the 95% detection level was 56 IU/ml, corresponding to 11 copies per PCR well. The high sensitivity, wide linear range, good reproducibility, and genotype inclusivity, combined with a small sample volume requirement and low cost, make this novel quantitative HBV real-time PCR assay particularly well suited for application to large clinical and epidemiological studies.
Persistent Problems in Death and Dying.

Death and dying have been mainstream topics in bioethics since its emergence as an academic field. Technology continues to challenge our concepts of a good death and how to draw the line between li...
Oxidative Phosphorylation-Dependent and -Independent Oxygen Consumption by Individual Preimplantation Mouse Embryos

The self-referencing electrode technique was employed to noninvasively measure gradients of dissolved oxygen in the medium immediately surrounding developing mouse embryos and, thereby, characterized changes in oxygen consumption and utilization during development. A gradient of depleted oxygen surrounded each embryo and could be detected >50 microm from the embryo. Blastocysts depleted the surrounding medium of 0.6+/-0.1 microM of oxygen, whereas early cleavage stage embryos depleted the medium of only 0.3+/-0.1 microM of oxygen, suggesting a twofold increase in oxygen consumption at the blastocyst stage. Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) accounted for 60-70% of the oxygen consumed by blastocysts, while it accounted for only 30% of the total oxygen consumed by cleavage-stage embryos. The amount of oxygen consumed by non-OXPHOS mechanisms remained relatively constant throughout preimplantation development. By contrast, the amount of oxygen consumed by OXPHOS in blastocysts is greater than that consumed by OXPHOS in cleavage-stage embryos. The amount of oxygen consumed by one-cell embryos was modulated by the absence of pyruvate from the culture medium. Treatment of one-cell embryos and blastocysts with diamide, an agent known to induce cell death in embryos, resulted in a decline in oxygen consumption, such that the medium surrounding dying embryos was not as depleted of oxygen as that surrounding untreated control embryos. Together these results validate the self-referencing electrode technique for analyzing oxygen consumption and utilization by preimplantation embryos and demonstrate that changes in oxygen consumption accompany important physiological events, such as development, response to medium metabolites, or cell death.
Traps in diagnosing organization failure

Purpose – To provide practicing managers and consultants with advice about common pitfalls encountered in diagnosing the causes of organizational decline. Hopefully, the paper will help managers and their advisors avoid these pitfalls.Design/methodology/approach – Reviews common problems that the author and other researchers have documented in their research examining how firms and organizations respond to poor performance.Findings – Shows how managers naturally have “blind spots” in perceiving and interpreting the sources of organizational problems.Originality/value – Provides managers with explanations for why they may have a difficult time spotting organizational problems. Also, gives practical tips for avoiding the pitfalls encountered in diagnosing decline.
Pilot Test Results of an HIV Prevention Intervention for High-Risk Women:

Minority women, incarcerated women, and women using drugs or engaged in survival sex are most vulnerable to HIV. This pilot study was designed to estimate efficacy of an intervention, Women First!, to help these women correctly and consistently use male condoms. Women (N = 74) were recruited from jails, substance-abuse treatment centers, and public health clinics, and enrolled in a randomized controlled trial with an attention-only comparison group. The intervention, based on social cognitive theory and the theory of gender and power and awakening, was delivered over 6 weeks; unprotected vaginal intercourse and correct condom use were measured before and after the intervention. Changes on the dependent variables did not rise to statistical significance due to low power, but descriptive statistics and the multivariate partial η2 effect size estimate of 0.27 suggest that Women First! is a promising intervention. Future research will require improvements in recruitment, retention, and measurement.
Trends in the gap in life expectancy between Arabs and Jews in Israel between 1975 and 2004

OBJECTIVES: To examine trends in the Arab-Jew life expectancy gap in Israel during 1975-2004 and to determine the contribution of age groups and causes of death to changes in the gap. METHODS: Data on life expectancy and mortality rates by cause of death, for Arabs and Jews, were obtained from the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Standard life table techniques were used for decomposition analysis to explore the contribution to changes in the life expectancy gap. RESULTS: While life expectancy of Arabs was lower than Jews during 1975-2004, there was a decline in this gap during 1975-98. However, during the following years the gap increased and the difference in 2004 was 3.2 years for men and 4 years for women. During 2000-04, the main causes of death contributing to the gap in life expectancy were chronic diseases, mainly heart disease and diabetes. Heart disease mortality contributed mostly to the overall life expectancy gap for males and females, accounting for 0.89 and 1.17 years, respectively. The age group >65 years contributed most to the gap (1.33 years among males, and 2.42 years among females). CONCLUSIONS: Following a period of reduction, the gap in life expectancy at birth between Arabs and Jews in Israel has started to widen. These findings indicate the need for increased attention to primary prevention and disease management in the Arab population. Reducing social and individual risk factors for major causes of death should be a national priority.
Collegiate Recreation Participation and Retention

Colleges and universities have been focusing on the rising costs to attend college and their impact on current and future students. Recruitment and retention of students is critical in justifying p...
Opiate Disruption of Maternal Behavior: Morphine Reduces, and Naloxone Restores, c-fos Activity in the Medial Preoptic Area of Lactating Rats

Morphine significantly impairs maternal behavior; naloxone, an opiate antagonist, restores it. Maternal behavior is associated with c-fos expression, an immediate early gene product, in the medial preoptic area (mPOA) of females. In two experiments, the effects of morphine-alone and morphine plus naloxone on the expression of c-fos were examined. On postpartum day 5, females were injected with morphine or saline (experiment 1), and morphine + naloxone or morphine + saline (experiment 2) and placed back in the home-cage, separated from their pups by a wire-mesh partition. A separate group in experiment 1 was injected but not exposed to pups. Processing for c-fos immunohistochemistry commenced, and c-fos positive cells in a proscribed portion of mPOA were counted. Morphine-treated females had fewer c-fos cells in mPOA compared to saline-treated females, and the presence of pups accounted for a significant increase in c-fos-expressing neurons, whereas in females not exposed to pups, morphine treatment did not significantly reduce baseline c-fos expression (experiment 1). Furthermore, naloxone mitigated the effect as morphine + naloxone-treated females expressed more c-fos cells compared to morphine + saline females (experiment 2). Morphine-treated females, therefore, may exhibit reductions in maternal behavior because of relative opiate-induced inactivation of areas of the brain devoted to the regulation of maternal behavior.
Treatment of medically inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer with stereotactic body radiation therapy versus image-guided tumor ablation: can interventional radiology compete?

Patients with medically inoperable stage IA non–small-cell lung cancer have treatment options that include image-guided tumor ablation or stereotactic body radiation therapy. Literature to date with both techniques suggests similar overall survival; however, local control rates appear to be higher with SBRT. It is important for interventional radiologists to understand the differences and similarities between these two techniques. Future research is important to determine which patients would benefit from these therapies. This review summarizes the two techniques and available clinical literature, provides relevant commentary, and suggests future directions for research in this area.
High-speed second harmonic generation holographic microscopy

We present three-dimensional images of biological samples using nonlinear optical, holographic microscopy. The femtosecond oscillator operates at a wavelength with low scattering in the sample and its low average power prevents damage to the samples.
Exploring Baldwin in Montpellier: The 2014 “James Baldwin: Transatlantic Commuter” Conference

This piece presents a brief overview of the “James Baldwin: Transatlantic Commuter” conference, which was held at the Universite Paul-Valery, Montpellier, in Montpellier, France, from 5–7 June 2014.
Measurement of αK for the 91.5 keV E2 transition in 164Er

The K-shell internal conversion coefficient, αK, for the 91.5 keV 2+→0+ transition in the decay of 164Ho to 164Er was measured by the K X-ray/γ ratio method with scintillation crystals. Photons seen by the NaI detector were required to be in coincidence with continuous beta rays in order to eliminate effects of the competing electron capture decay of 164Ho to 164Dy. The experimental conversion coefficient αK = 1.31±0.11 agrees with the presently available theoretical values for an E2 transition.
Bollywood Religious Comedy: An Inaugural Humor-neutics

This media review explores the nascent genre of religious comedy in mainstream Indian film (also known as Bollywood). Focusing on two recent hits, OMG! (2012) and PK (2014), the review investigates what conventions or unspoken rules license laughter “at” religion in successful iterations of the genre, as well as how such films navigate India’s cultural landscape, which is sensorily alive with multiple religions. Some of the more idiosyncratically Indian (which is to say, not merely Hindu) properties of the genre that are addressed include the subcontinental notion of secularism; the parallel texts produced by the actors’ own religions; and the saliency, ironically enough, of television to the films—of a portrayed tele-belonging. In this way, the review offers pedagogical guidance for those who may wish to teach a religious comedy from the Bollywood corpus.
Influence of energy supplementation on grazing ruminants: requirements and responses

Energy requirements of grazing livestock seem to be poorly defined. Requirements generated from measurements in pen-fed animals present both theoretical and practical concerns when they are applied to grazing situations. In mature ruminants a majority of energy used for maintenance seems to be consumed by visceral tissues. Moreover, factors that affect visceral energy use are poorly understood. Energy supplementation to meet requirements and production demands is often practiced during periods of summer dormancy and in winter months. Source of supplemental energy varies widely and includes grains, readily digestible fiber sources, and high-quality forages. Intake and digestibility can be reduced or unaffected by energy supplementation. In some cases, lower levels of energy supplementation have been shown to increase utilization of grazed forage. Reductions in ruminal pH, often cited as the major cause of reduced fiber digestion, may not always explain reductions in intake and digestibility associated with energy supplementation. Livestock production is usually either enhanced or unaffected by energy supplementation. Additional research regarding energy requirements of grazing ruminants, visceral energy use, and mechanisms associated with reductions in intake and digestibility of grazed forage resulting from energy supplementation is warranted.
Analysis based on Ansoft 13: impact of permanent magnet synchronous machine demagnetization on loss of electric machines

According to recent study,the rare-earth permanent magnet synchronous machine(REPMSM) can save 10% electricity in comparison with the general motors,and the electricity saving rate of the special REPMSM is even up to 15%~20%,but the demagnetization fault is prone to occur due to the influence of temperature,armature reaction,vibration and other factors.The demagnetization of permanent magnet results in degradation of motor performance,increases the loss of the machine and even stalls.In this paper,the modeling and simulation of a adjust-speed REPMSM was performed on the basis of the finite element electromagnetic field analysis software Ansoft 13 to simulate the state of demagnetization fault,and study not only copper loss and iron loss of the motor,but also the relationship between demagnetization and loss.The analysis of REPMSM demagnetization fault is very important for taking measures to decrease the demagnetization.
Targeted Treatment Measures for Children with Severe Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease Complicated with Neurogenic Pulmonary Edema

Objective To assess the value of targeted treatment measures for children with severe hand-foot-mouth disease(HFMD) complicated with neurogenic pulmonary edema(NPE).Methods Totally 109 cases of severe HFMD children with NPE were given targeted treatment.1.General monitoring and rescue included monitoring temperature,pulse,respiration,blood pressure and urine output,blood glucose,blood gas and electrolyte,the establishment of 2 or more intravenous access,corticosteroid,ribavirin,mannitol,and gamma globulin.2.Immediate treatment stages:(1) Position:to avoid regurgitation and aspiration of gastric contents,which was helpful for rescue and airway open;(2) Airway and oxygen supply was ensured by ventilation to maintain pulse oxygen saturation92%,and control pulmonary hemorrhage;pulmonary fine wet rales were significantly reduced by auscultation;(3) Mean arterial pressure was maintained around 8.66 kPa;(4)Blood glucose was 4.4-11.0 mmol·L-1;(5)Rectal temperature was 38.5 ℃;(6)Fluid management was kept at 0.588-1.570 kPa for central venous pressure;liquid volume was kept at 60-80 mL·kg-1 per day;(7) Sedation and analgesia was ensured by patient-machine co-operation,without agitation or coughing;(8) Hemoglobin≥10 g·L-1,and haematocrit≥30% was maintained,and disseminated intravascular coagulation was controled.Results Ninety-eight cases were cured,and 7 cases died from neurogenic pulmonary edema,4 cases gave up treatment according to the family members' opinion and died due to severe brain damage after the control of pulmonary edema by family members.Survival rate in pulmonary edema was 93.6%,the final survival rate was 89.9%.Conclusion Targeted treatment mea-sures for HFMD with NPE provides a systematic,workable treatment program,which can significantly improve the success rate.
Crowdsourcing the nodulation gene network discovery environment.

The Legumes (Fabaceae) are an economically and ecologically important group of plant species with the conspicuous capacity for symbiotic nitrogen fixation in root nodules, specialized plant organs containing symbiotic microbes. With the aim of understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms leading to nodulation, many efforts are underway to identify nodulation-related genes and determine how these genes interact with each other. In order to accurately and efficiently reconstruct nodulation gene network, a crowdsourcing platform, CrowdNodNet, was created. The platform implements the jQuery and vis.js JavaScript libraries, so that users are able to interactively visualize and edit the gene network, and easily access the information about the network, e.g. gene lists, gene interactions and gene functional annotations. In addition, all the gene information is written on MediaWiki pages, enabling users to edit and contribute to the network curation. Utilizing the continuously updated, collaboratively written, and community-reviewed Wikipedia model, the platform could, in a short time, become a comprehensive knowledge base of nodulation-related pathways. The platform could also be used for other biological processes, and thus has great potential for integrating and advancing our understanding of the functional genomics and systems biology of any process for any species. The platform is available at http://crowd.bioops.info/ , and the source code can be openly accessed at https://github.com/bioops/crowdnodnet under MIT License.