cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploring individual- to population-level impacts of disease on coral reef sponges: using spatial analysis to assess the fate, dynamics, and transmission of Aplysina Red Band Syndrome (ARBS).

Background Marine diseases are of increasing concern for coral reef ecosystems, but often their causes, dynamics and impacts are unknown. The current study investigated the epidemiology of Aplysina Red Band Syndrome (ARBS), a disease affecting the Caribbean sponge Aplysina cauliformis, at both the individual and population levels. The fates of marked healthy and ARBS-infected sponges were examined over the course of a year. Population-level impacts and transmission mechanisms of ARBS were investigated by monitoring two populations of A. cauliformis over a three year period using digital photography and diver-collected data, and analyzing these data with GIS techniques of spatial analysis. In this study, three commonly used spatial statistics (Ripley’s K, Getis-Ord General G, and Moran’s Index) were compared to each other and with direct measurements of individual interactions using join-counts, to determine the ideal method for investigating disease dynamics and transmission mechanisms in this system. During the study period, Hurricane Irene directly impacted these populations, providing an opportunity to assess potential storm effects on A. cauliformis and ARBS. Results Infection with ARBS caused increased loss of healthy sponge tissue over time and a higher likelihood of individual mortality. Hurricane Irene had a dramatic effect on A. cauliformis populations by greatly reducing sponge biomass on the reef, especially among diseased individuals. Spatial analysis showed that direct contact between A. cauliformis individuals was the likely transmission mechanism for ARBS within a population, evidenced by a significantly higher number of contact-joins between diseased sponges compared to random. Of the spatial statistics compared, the Moran’s Index best represented true connections between diseased sponges in the survey area. This study showed that spatial analysis can be a powerful tool for investigating disease dynamics and transmission in a coral reef ecosystem.
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): Modulation of Executive Function in Health and Disease

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive method of neuromodulation used in human basic and clinical neuroscience. In this article we review its use in the cognitive neurosciences to study executive function, and current preliminary explorations of its therapeutic value as a cognitive enhancer for patients with compromised dysexecutive symptoms. We discuss published studies analyzing their methodology and results. A number of experiments describe improvement in experimental measures of inhibitory control, working memory, and verbal fluency with anodal stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Positive findings are also described in different clinical populations. Despite the growing promise and interest in tDCS given its safety, simplicity, and low cost, findings are not always consistent across studies due to a host of variables we discuss (study design, stimulation parameters, neuroanatomy, genetics, etc.), highlighting the need for a better mechanistic understanding of the effects of tDCS.
Effect of bean pod mottle virus on soybean yield.

Field experiments to determine the effects of various infection levels and time of infection with bean pod mottle virus (BPMV)on soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, yield and plant emergence from seed produced on infected plants were conducted (1981–1982). Yield decreased as BPMV infection levels increased in ‘Bragg’ variety soybean. There was a numerical reduction in yield as BPMV infection levels increased with ‘Lee 74’ variety soybean, but the differences were not statistically significant. The younger the soybean plant at time of BPMV infection, the greater the reduction in pods and yield for the ‘Lee 74’ variety. There was a numerical, but not statistically, significant reduction in yield for the ‘Bragg’ variety infected at earlier growth stages. The maximum yield reduction attained due to BPMV infection was 52.4% for ‘Bragg’ and 35.8% for ‘Lee 74’ variety soybeans. Emergence of plants from seed of BPMV-infected plants was not affected.
Energy at work: Social psychological factors affecting energy conservation intentions within Chinese electric power companies

Abstract Energy use is becoming an important environmental concern in China. Based on the theory of planned behavior, this study investigates how energy concern influences employees’ intentions to conserve energy at work through the mediation effects of attitudes, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and injunctive norms. This study sampled 564 employees of nine state-owned electric companies in China. Results of structural equation modeling indicate energy concern directly influenced attitudes, PBC and injunctive norms, but not behavioral intentions. In addition, injunctive norms and PBC have direct and positive effects on energy conservation intentions. However, attitudes toward energy saving were not related to behavioral intention. Importantly, injunctive norms and PBC fully mediated the effect of energy concern on energy conservation intentions and injunctive norms had the strongest direct effect on energy conservation intentions.
“Functional Pain,” Functional Outcomes, and Quality of Life After Hyaluronic Acid Intra-articular Injection for Knee Osteoarthritis

Objective To compare the effect of hyaluronic acid (HA) intra-articular knee injections on pain and functional outcomes in persons with knee osteoarthritis (OA) over 6 months, and to determine whether or not changes in functional pain are related to improvements in quality of life. Design A prospective cohort study. Setting A research laboratory in an academic medical center. Participants Patients with knee OA (N = 53) who were receiving medical care for OA. Interventions Intra-articular knee injections of HA (3 injections, each separated by 1 week) and a comparative noninjection group. Main Outcome Measurements Functional pain and outcomes assessments during chair rise, stair climbing, and a 6-minute walking test (by using 0-10 point numerical pain ratings during each test); gait parameters; Medical Outcomes Short Form-36 (SF-36) scores and subscores; the Western Ontario McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Results Six months after HA, the completion times for the chair rise and stair climb tasks, and the distance covered during the 6-minute walk were not different between the groups. However, functional pain ratings during stair climbing decreased in the HA-treated group ( P = .05). Six-month changes in gait velocity, cadence, stride length, step length, and the percentage of the gait cycle spent in single support were all higher after HA injection at month 6 (all P P Conclusions HA is associated with lower functional pain severity, with minimal impact on functional test scores. We interpreted this finding to represent an increase in the quality of the movement and functional activity. The change in functional pain did not correspond to changes in SF-36 quality-of-life scores.
Fluid City: Transforming Melbourne's Urban Waterfront

Kim Dovey, with Leonie Sandercock, Quentin Stevens, Ian Woodcock & Stephen Wood, UNSW Press, 2005, 277 pp., ISBN: 0-415-35923-6 Part urban design critique, part theory and part case study analysis,...
The importance of ecological studies as a basis for land-use planning☆

Abstract However valuable and indispensable the results of the specialized sciences, it is maintained that they must be unified by ecology—the science of interrelations—if natural resources are to be wisely managed and an environment of quality maintained or restored. Furthermore, the problems of resource use are not amenable to solution by the natural sciences alone, for each has economic, political, and other social parameters.
Optical pattern recognition algorithms, architecture, and applications: introduction to the feature issue

This issue of Applied Optics features eight papers in the areas of optical pattern recognition. They range from new algorithms for improved classification, rotation and scale invariant recognition to novel architectures and applications of optical correlation filters in information processing.
Multiscale Simulation of Concentration-Dependant Interaction of Hydrophobic Drug with Cell Membrane

Cell membranes are often the main and often final barriers for drug delivery. Little is known how hydrophobic drugs such as paclitaxel penetrate through cell membranes. Here we investigate interactions between paclitaxel and a model cellular membrane of palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) at the molecular level, using multiscale simulation with all-atomistic1 and coarse-grained models. We simulate several multiple systems of POPC bilayer membrane with several different paclitaxel concentrations in the membrane. Additionally, we calculate the free energy profile across the membrane interface, to compare with previously reported experimental measurements. Furthermore, coarse-grained models of the drug are refined2 to match the all-atomistic free energy profile. Along with the corresponding atomistic simulations, the coarse-grained models provide essential tools to investigate the concentration-dependent behavior of the drug in the membrane. For example, we examine the preferred positioning and orientation of the drug, anisotropic directional diffusion and aggregation over the extended timescale and system size. A better understanding of the interactions between hydrophobic drugs and model membranes and their transport will provide molecular-level insights of the drug delivery process.1.Kang, M.; Loverde, S. M., Molecular Simulation of the Concentration-Dependent Interaction of Hydrophobic Drugs with Moel Cellular Membranes. Journal of Physical Chemistry B 2014, Just Accepted Manuscript.2.Loverde, S. M.; Klein, M. L.; Discher, D. E., Nanoparticle Shape Improves Delivery: Rational Coarse Grain Molecular Dynamics (rCG-MD) of Taxol in Worm-Like PEG-PCL Micelles. Advanced materials 2012, 24 (28), 3823-30.
Interference-induced terahertz transparency in a semiconductor magneto-plasma

It is now shown that the semiconductor InSb becomes transparent to terahertz radiation when an appropriate magnetic field is applied. This effect has never been seen before, despite decades of research on InSb, and the phenomenon could find important applications in the burgeoning field of terahertz imaging.
Silicate in the metabolism of Azotobacter vinelandii.

MOLYBDENUM complexed as silico-molybdate has been shown to be very active in the re-activation of aldehyde oxidase from which the molybdenum has been removed by dialysis1. Other reports have implicated silicate, phosphate and other anions as agents which increase the activity of molybdate -dependent enzymes2,3. Jacobs and Sanadi4 suggested that a silico-molybdate complex was involved in a terminal electron transport system that was coupled with phosphorylation. It was shown by Glenn and Crane5, however, that the in vivo functioning of aldehyde oxidase was probably not dependent on silico-molybdate even though it did greatly enhance the activity of the in vitro system.
Simulation and Prediction of the Catalina Eddy

Abstract Observational studies generally suggest that the formation of the Catalina Eddy in the bight of southern California results from interaction between the synoptic-scale northerly flow and the topographic barrier along the southern California coast. In an attempt to better understand the eddy generation mechanisms, a high-resolution mesoscale model is initialized and forced on the lateral boundaries by NMC's large-scale objective analysis, and a detailed numerical study of the 26–30 June 1988 Catalina Eddy event is presented. The model results compare favorably with the observations and generally support the aforementioned mechanism of the eddy formation. It appears that a warm air mass over the bight resulting from adiabatic heating of low-level downslope flow deflected by the mountain barrier significantly helps create the alongshore and offshore pressure gradients favorable for the generation of a cyclonic vorticity. Although current operational forecast models are capable of often accurately pr...
Site-Selective Patterning Using Surfactant-Based Resists

Patterned SAMs of alkanethiols on gold or silver are explored as resists for electrodeposition and exhibit surprisingly rich behavior depending on the overpotential and the length of the alkane chain. At small overpotentials, SAMs are positive resists with deposition only in the surfactant-free regions. At larger overpotentials, SAMs are negative resists with preferential deposition in the SAM-modified regions. Tunable surfactant-based resists are potentially versatile tools to dictate the deposition of materials and are demonstrated as a means of creating complex, three-dimensional structures.
The relationship between alumni satisfaction and work experiences

Although alumni surveys frequently include questions about work experiences, little information is available about the relationship between work experiences and alumni satisfaction with college. The results of the present research indicate that work experiences are significantly related to alumni ratings of their college experiences. Specifically, alumni who are satisfied with their jobs are more likely to report being satisfied with their education experiences. The results of this research also indicate that women are less satisfied with their pay than men. Compared to men, women are neither more dissatisfied with the types of work they are performing nor more likely to be looking for another job. Counter to expectation, dissatisfaction with pay has a more significant effect on ratings of college experiences for women than for men.
Effects of dietary polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated biphenyls on the renal and hepatic toxicities of several chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents in mice

Male ICR mice were fed a control diet or the same diet supplemented with 100 ppm polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) or 200 ppm polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) for 28 d before single ip injections of various quantities of trichloroethylene (TRI), tetrachloro‐ethylene (TET), 1,1,2‐trichloroethane (TCE), or carbon tetrachloride (CCI 4 ). The ratio of liver weight to body weight was increased by dietary PBB and dietary PCB. PBB appeared to be more potent in this respect. Functional damage to the liver (elevated serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase activity) was not produced by acute administration of TRI, TET, or TCE. CCI A ‐induced liver damage was greater in PCB‐treated mice than in controls, and greater in PBB‐treated than in PCB‐treated mice. Functional renal damage (elevated blood urea nitrogen concentration, decreased organic anion transport capacity) was produced by acute administration of all solvents except TET. TRI‐induced renal dysfunction was potentiated by dietary PBB and dietary PCB. Both TCE‐induc...
Inhibition of aggression against the physically disabled.

Sammary.-Female Ss ostensibly delivered electric shock to 2 successive targets who were perceived in one condition as normal and in another as physically disabled. The sequence of targets included a normal person followed by a disabled one and a disabled person followed by a normal one. Each sequence included all combinations of sex-target sequence. Administrator Ss delivered significantly more shock to normal than to disabled targets. The sequence disabled-normal, yielded significantly higher shock levels than the sequence, normal-disabled. The sex-sequence did not yield significant differences. A significant interaction between physical condition of target and physical condition sequence was characterized by large increases in shock delivered to normal targets when such targets were preceded by disabled targets. This displacement was explained by extension of the frustration-aggression hypothesis. A recent scudy (Titley & Viney, 1969) demonstrated that female high school students would administer more electric shock to individuals perceived as normal than to those perceived as physically disabled. It made little difference, however, to male high school students, whether an individual was disabled or normal. The results were explained in terms of an extension of the frustration-aggression hypothesis (Dollard, Doob, Miller, Mowrer, & Sears, 1939). Briefly, it was assumed that physical atypicality has a frustrating effect and chat male and female high school students responded to such frustration in a manner consistent with typical social conditioning patterns which prevail in our culture. Thus, males of high school age are generally permitted freer expression of aggression than females and therefore may aggress rather directly against a source of frustration. Females, however, generally receive little social reinforcement for direct expression of aggression and are thus likely to inhibit aggressive responses. The present investigation involved an attempt to discern whether low shock levels administered to disabled targets by female Ss are the result oi inhibition. If such were the case, it might be expected that greater amounts of shock would be delivered to a relatively acceptable target when that target has been preceded by a disabled or unacceptable target. In other words, an initial encounter with an unacceptable target which produces inhibition should result in displacement of aggression on a subsequent acceptable target.
A simplified calculation of power-broadened linewidths, with application to resonance ionization mass spectrometry

Abstract I present a simple derivation of the power-broadened linewidth of an optical transition in a two-level atom. The novelty of the approach lies in its flexibility, as the approach described here can be applied to any spectral lineshape, corresponding to either homogeneous or inhomogeneous broadening mechanisms. For a Lorentzian profile, I recover the same dependence of linewidth on laser power that one calculates from the optical Bloch equations. The present treatment makes explicit that power broadening arises because of the saturability of the atomic response to intense lasers, rather than to explicitly quantum mechanical aspects of the laser–atom interaction, all of which are ignored. I discuss the utility of power broadening in resonance ionization mass spectrometry, where it is an important means of mitigating unwanted instrumental isotope fractionation.
Weak attractors from Lyapunov functions

Abstract References (Hurley, 1991, 1992, 1998) show that if a continuous map f on a metric space X has a “weak attractor”, A , then there is an associated Lyapunov function, h , which is a continuous, nonnegative, real-valued map whose zero set is A , and satisfying h∘f−h on a certain deleted neighborhood of A . In (1996) Kim et al. show that If X is locally compact and if the zero set Z of a Lyapunov function is compact, then Z is a weak attractor. Here we obtain the same result without the compactness assumption on Z , provided that the ambient space is σ -compact.
Evaluation of a passive hemagglutination technique for porcine growth hormone.

Summary 1. A passive hemagglutination technique has been developed and evaluated for porcine growth hormone. The concentration of porcine growth hormone used to coat sheep red blood cells treated with tannic acid and the incubation time for coating influenced the sensitivity of the test. Maximum sensitivity could be achieved with concentrations of porcine growth hormone greater than 28.4 μ g/ml and with incubation times greater than 10 minutes. 2. Other factors including the pH level of sensitization, temperature of sensitization and storage of sensitized cells at 4°, did not influence the sensitivity of the test. Although absolute sensitivity of the test was not determined, 100 ng of porcine growth hormone inhibited 4 complete hemagglutinating units of antibody.
Heat transfer from localized absorbing defects to the host coating material in HfO2/SiO2 multilayer systems

Finite-element analysis was applied in calculating the heat- transfer effects from localized absorbing defects to the host coating material in multilayer HfO2/SiO2 system, irradiated by 1-ns pulses. Thermoconductivity was considered the major heat-transfer mechanism. A comparison with high-resolution laser-damage morphology studies carried out by means of atomic-force microscopy allowed estimating peak temperatures reached by the absorbing defects. These peak-temperature values as well as the lateral length scales of the empirically found laser-damage features point toward the importance of radiative energy transfer from the heated defect as the driving mechanism of laser-damage initiation.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
An assay to quantitate the binding of Rhodococcus equi to macrophages

Abstract A Rhodococcus equi radiobinding assay has been developed using organisms labeled with 3 H-uracil. These labeled organisms resemble their unlabeled counterparts with respect to colony morphology, viability, and buoyant density. Bacteria routinely incorporate between 5 × 10 −3 and 5 × 10 −2 counts per minute per colony forming unit (cfu) which in this assay allows the detection of fewer than 0.2 cfu per macrophage. Once incorporated, greater than 90% of the label remains bacterial associated for at least 4 h postlabeling. The majority of the label is trichloroacetic acid precipitable, partitions into the aqueous phase following phenol/chloroform extraction and is ethanol precipitable. RNAse treatment of the ethanol precipitate abolishes label trichloroacetic acid precipitation. This radiolabeling technique has been used to quantitate the attachment of R. equi to both murine peritoneal and equine alveolar macrophages adherent to 13 mm glass coverslips. R. equi binding is dose dependent, saturable, and specific to macrophages. Further, binding is enhanced in the presence of fresh serum. Inhibition of radiolabeled bacterial binding can be obtained by competition with cold R. equi . This radiolabeled binding assay represents a crucial step in identifying the receptors on macrophages involved in the recognition of R. equi and may help to provide information on how macrophages recognize intracellular bacteria in general.
Proton Production from Nuclei Bombarded by Protons of 1, 2, and 3 BeV

The differential production cross-section for pions above 0.2 GeV/c has been found for targets of Be, C, Cu and Pb bombarded by 1, 2 and 3 GeV protons at one or more of the angles 0°, 17° and 32°, using a magnetic spectrometer and time-of-flight telescope. The spectral shapes show some agreement with Monte Carlo calculations of Bertini. Isobar decay adequately explains the production cross-section, except at 0°.
Dispositions and functions: Cummins on functional analysis

Robert Cummins in his recent work, The Nature of Psychological Explanation, develops an account of function attributions which he first outlined in his 1975 article 'Functional Analysis.'1 According to that earlier presentation, his analysis marks a sharp break with what Cummins takes to be the core doctrine of contemporary treatments of functions: "a function-ascribing statement explains the presence of the functionally characterized item i in a system s by pointing out that i is present in s because it has certain effects on s."2 In place of this principle Cummins argues that to ascribe a function to something is not to explain the presence of that thing but rather to ascribe a capacity to it that is singled out by its role in an analysis of some capacity of a containing system.3 In this paper I will argue that Cummins' account as it stands provides neither necessary nor sufficient conditions for func? tion-ascribing statements. In order to develop his account of functions, Cummins begins by contrasting two explanatory strategies: causal subsumption and analy? sis. "Causal subsumption" explanations serve to explain changes by way of subsumption under causal law: "one tries to fix on a set of state variables for the system that will allow one to exhibit each change of state as a function of a disturbing event and the state of the system at the time of the disturbance."4 Cummins emphasizes that the point of such explanations is to explain changes as effects of antecedent causes. In contrast, some "scientific theories are not designed to explain changes but are rather designed to explain properties."5 The charac? teristic question towards which a property theory is directed is: what is it for system s to have property P? The kinetic theory of heat offers one example of a property theory in that "it explains temperature in a gas by explaining how temperature is instantiated in a gas; it does not, by itself, explain changes in temperature."6 In answering questions concerning what constitutes having P for a system s the "analytic" strategy of explanation is employed: an analysis of s explains s's possession of P by appeal to the properties of s's
Clinical Predictors of Older Driver Performance on a Standardized Road Test

Objectives. To determine the relationship between clinical variables (demographics, cognitive testing, comorbidities, and medications) and failing a standardized road test in older adults. Methods. Analysis of on-the road studies performed in optimal weather conditions, between January 1, 2005, and May 1, 2007. The standardized testing was held at the National Older Driver Research and Training Center (NODRTC), Florida, and included 127 adults aged 65 and older with current driver licenses, recruited by advertisement from the Gainesville, Florida, community. Measurements consist of demographics, self-reported medications and medical conditions, cognitive testing including Trail Making Part B, global rating score (pass/fail), and driver maneuver score (0–273, with 273 indicating perfect driving or zero errors). Results. A total of 127 older adults completed the protocol. Mean age was 74.8 years (SD = 6.3); 46.5% females. Mean time for Trail Making Part B was 114.3 seconds (SD of 83). Among the 127 drivers,...
Evaporation of Hypostoichiometric Plutonium Dioxide from 2070° to 2380°K

Total vapor pressures of PuO2-x, compositions were measured gravimetrically with tungsten Knudsen cells from 2070° to 2380°K. The vapor pressure equation for the composition approximating the congruent one, PuO1.82, is where Pc, is the pressure if the vapor is assumed to be entirely PuO2(g). The evaporation of PuO1.562 was univari-ant, indicating the presence of two condensed phases, and that of PuO1.62 was bivariant from 2240° to 2380°K; this result confirms that the phase boundary of the PuO2-x, phase remains at Pu1.61 at temperatures close to the liquidus.
Recent Advances in In-Situ Ocean Observation

Ocean observation has evolved tremendously, from collection and exchange of weather and sea state information by ocean going ships in the late 19th century to today’s multisensor, multi-platform, multi-disciplinary, large scale observation networks. Data are now transmitted and disseminated automatically in real-time to a variety of user groups with significant social and economical implications. This paper provides an overview of representative advances in in-situ ocean observation during the past decade. Major driving forces and representative advances and trends in in-situ observation are described. Advances are discussed under the categories of observation infrastructure and major measurement system components including sensor, platform, data collection and telemetry, and power supply. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a major participant of the global ocean observation programs and examples of its contributions and activities are introduced.
Cultural Diversity and Social Work Practice by Bruce A. Thayer, John S. Wodarski, Laura L. Myers, and Dianne F. Harrison (Eds.)

Cultural diversity is an important and integral concept in the social work profession, featured in the policies of the Council on Social Work Education and the National Association of Social Worker...
Regulation of Sympathetic Nervous System Function after Cardiovascular Deconditioning

Humans subjected to prolonged periods of bed rest or microgravity undergo deconditioning of the cardiovascular system, characterized by resting tachycardia, reduced exercise capability, and a predisposition for orthostatic intolerance. These changes in cardiovascular function are likely due to a combination of factors, including changes in control of body fluid balance or cardiac alterations resulting in inadequate maintenance of stroke volume, altered arterial or venous vascular function, reduced activation of cardiovascular hormones, and diminished autonomic reflex function. There is evidence indicating a role for each of these mechanisms. Diminished reflex activation of the sympathetic nervous system and subsequent vasoconstriction appear to play an important role. Studies utilizing the hindlimb-unloaded (HU) rat, an animal model of deconditioning, evaluated the potential role of altered arterial baroreflex control of the sympathetic nervous system. These studies indicate that HU results in blunted baroreflex-mediated activation of both renal and lumbar sympathetic nerve activity in response to a hypotensive stimulus. HU rats are less able to maintain arterial pressure during hemorrhage, suggesting that diminished ability to increase sympathetic activity has functional consequences for the animal. Reflex control of vasopressin secretion appears to be enhanced following HU. Blunted baroreflex-mediated sympathoexcitation appears to involve altered central nervous system function. Baroreceptor afferent activity in response to changes in arterial pressure is unaltered in HU rats. However, increases in efferent sympathetic nerve activity for a given decrease in afferent input are blunted after HU. This altered central nervous system processing of baroreceptor inputs appears to involve an effect at the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). Specifically, it appears that tonic GABAA-mediated inhibition of the RVLM is enhanced after HU. Augmented inhibition apparently arises from sources other than the caudal ventrolateral medulla. If similar alterations in control of the sympathetic nervous system occur in humans in response to cardiovascular deconditioning, it is likely that they play an important role in the observed tendency for orthostatic intolerance. Combined with potential changes in vascular function, cardiac function, and hypovolemia, the predisposition for orthostatic intolerance following cardiovascular deconditioning would be markedly enhanced by blunted ability to reflexly activate the sympathetic nervous system.
The mechanical properties of the rabbit carpal tunnel subsynovial connective tissue

The rabbit model is commonly used to study carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). It has been proposed that the subsynovial connective tissue (SSCT) in the carpal tunnel may play a role in the etiology of CTS, but the material properties of the rabbit SSCT are unknown. The purpose of this study was to develop a method to measure the shear properties of the rabbit SSCT. In six rabbit cadaver forepaws, the excursion of the third digit flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and load to failure of the SSCT were measured in a custom device. The mean excursion to full flexion in this model was 7.08mm (S.D. 0.77). The mean shearing force at full flexion was 317 mN (S.D. 166). At full flexion percentage of maximum shear force in the SSCT was 54.5% (S.D. 19.4). The mean energy absorbed at full flexion was 0.29mJ (S.D. 0.31). The mean excursion needed to reach 5% of the maximum shear force was 3.04mm (S.D. 0.99). The testing model presented in this study demonstrates structural parameters to evaluate the shear properties of the SSCT in a rabbit model. The data presented could be used for estimating sample sizes in a more comprehensive study of the effect of CTS on the SSCT properties.
Ultraviolet light-driven epitaxial growth of gallium arsenide at reduced substrate temperatures

We report on the photodeposition of gallium arsenide on gallium arsenide and silicon at low substrate temperatures utilizing ultraviolet radiation. A 1000 W Hg-Xe arc lamp serves as the light source with triethylgallium and arsine serving as the reactants. In this study, single crystal gallium arsenide thin films are obtained at substrate temperatures of approximately 357°. The electrical, chemical and structural properties of the photodeposited films are presented and the mechanisms involved in the deposition process are discussed. It is found that both photolytic and pyrolytic mechanisms are involved in the deposition process for the experimental conditions considered and that the desorption of excess arsenic is important in the low temperature growth of GaAs using photochemical means.
Screening asymptomatic adolescent males for chlamydia.

Abstract Ninety-seven asymptomatic 16–21-year-old sexually active adolescent males were evaluated for gonorrhea and chlamydia by culture, chlamydia enzyme immunoassay, and an analysis of a random urine sample for pyuria using centrifuged urine and urine cytometer. The incidence of gonorrhea was 5.3% and chlamydia by culture 12.3%. Immunoassay was superior in sensitivity and specificity (75% and 99%, respectively) to centrifuged urine (sensitivity 58%, specificity 92%) or urine cytometer (58% and 91%) in identifying asymptomatic chlamydia urethritis. Chlamydia enzyme immunoassay is an acceptable, more rapid, and less expensive alternative to culture. The absence of pyuria in asymptomatic males cannot be assumed to indicate the absence of a sexually transmitted disease.
Levator Aponeurosis Surgery for the Correction of Acquired Ptosis: Analysis of 113 Procedures

Abstract Levator aponeurosis surgery was used to treat 113 upper eyelids with acquired ptosis. Ninety-five percent of the eyelids were corrected to within 1 mm of the desired result. The range of eyelift lift was 1 to 5.5 mm. Followup period for these patients was 6 months to 7 years. Local anesthesia is required for this technique since the lid height is determined by asking the patient to look in various fields of gaze. Levator function of at least 8 mm should be present if more than 1 mm of ptosis needs to be corrected.
Importance of the characteristics of gatekeepers in the design of effective alcohol education programs

Community “gatekeepers” (N = 53) participated in an alcohol education workshop designed to increase indentification, intervention, and referral of women with alcohol problems. Participants completed questionnaires before and after the workshop and, participated in a six-month follow-up. Results suggest that the higher the educational level and more salient the topic of alcoholism in women, as suggested by greater percent of women clients, the greater the actual gain in knowledge. Gatekeepers with no prior alcoholism training perceived themselves as having less knowledge about alcoholism before the workshop and showed greater pains in perceived knowledge as a result of the workshop than gatekeepers with prior training.
Ultrastructure of alveolar bone during tooth eruption in the dog

Previous work from our laboratories has established that eruption of the permanent mandibular premolars in dogs is dependent upon the presence of the dental follicle and that it involves resorption of alveolar bone and the roots of the deciduous predecessor above and formation of alveolar bone below the developing crown. This study illustrates the topography of the bone surfaces of the crypt by scanning electron microscopy and the ultrastructure of the cells on alveolar bone surfaces during tooth eruption. Above the developing crown where the eruption pathway forms, the bone surface is a pitted sheet, the characteristic topographic feature of bone resorption; between the crown and the mandibular canal, the bone surface has numerous interconnecting trabeculae. Transmission electron microscopy of bone cells lining the eruption pathway area of the crypt showed numerous osteoclasts with adjacent mononuclear cells. Both cell types contained specific, membrane-bound cytoplasmic vesicles shown by the work of others to be characteristic features of osteoclasts and their precursors. Basal trabeculated bone in the crypt was covered by plump osteoblasts. These data show that the metabolic events in alveolar bone associated with tooth eruption have the appropriate cellular and bony surface correlates and that the suspected control of alveolar bone resorption by the dental follicle may be mediated by its recruiting and directing to adjacent bone surfaces the mononuclear precursors of osteoclasts.
Effects of hypophysectomy and subsequent hormonal replacement therapy on hormonal and osmoregulatory status of coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch ☆

This study investigates the effects of hypophysectomy and subsequent hormone replacement therapy upon the hormonal and osmoregulatory status of coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, in 7% seawater (SW) and SW. Following hypophysectomy, coho salmon were injected every 2 days for 8 days with thyroxine, growth hormone, and cortisol, alone or in combinations, and sampled 2 days after the final injection. Increased environmental salinity raises plasma sodium, calcium, and magnesium levels, as well as plasma osmolality. Cortisol is hypercalcemic and thyroxine is hypocalcemic in hypophysectomized salmon, but it is unclear whether these effects are due directly to calcium regulation or are the consequence of general effects on the plasma osmotic/ionic balance. Growth hormone and thyroxine together, but not separately, decrease and increase magnesium levels, at low and high environmental salinities, respectively, indicating a complex endocrine control of plasma magnesium. Gill Na+, K+-ATPase activity in hypophysectomized salmon is stimulated by growth hormone and cortisol, but inhibited by thyroxine and raised environmental salinity. This implies a complex endocrine control and indicates that hormonal support is needed to sustain or raise gill Na+, K+-ATPase activity in seawater. Increased environmental salinity induces elevation of plasma cortisol levels in apparent absence of pituitary control, indicating that the interrenals may respond to changes in external and/or internal environment, either directly or indirectly through extrapituitary hormonal or nervous control. Cortisol is a potent inhibitor of calcitonin secretion, as seen by the large decrease in plasma calcitonin levels in cortisol-treated hypophysectomized fish. The study was carried out at a time when thyroxine plasma levels were low. These basal levels were not affected by hypophysectomy, possibly indicating a basal release of thyroxine from the thyroid without stimulatory support of the pituitary gland.
Boron modifications produced in an induction-coupled argon plasma.

Most of the small particles (50 to 100 micrometers in diameter) of microcrystalline β-rhombohedral boron that quickly transit an argon plasma maintained within a radio-frequency induction-coupled torch emerge as better crystallized spheroids of the same crystalline form and nearly the same size as the starting material. A few crystals of each of four distinctive, well-faceted habits are formed along with the general product. Three of these types are monocrystals of the β-rhombohedral polymorph, of the tetragonal-III modification, and of an unreported cubic form of boron. Specimens of the fourth type are polycrystals of another unreported form of boron, apparently consisting of many hexagonal platelets stacked in an imprecise fashion.
Comoving-frame radiation transport for nonrelativistic fluid velocities

Abstract We investigate the comoving-frame treatment of radiation transport for use in problems of nonrelativistic radiation hydrodynamics. The transport equation is re-derived, to O(v/c), retaining a term that is traditionally omitted. This reduced equation is not just formally, but also physically, correct to O(v/c), inasmuch as it keeps the wave speed bounded by light speed and can transformed to the correct Eulerian-frame transport equation in any physical regime. We strongly recommend that this equation, and its moments, be used in all situations where the fluid-flow speeds are nonrelativistic.
Dopamine controls the firing pattern of dopamine neurons via a network feedback mechanism

Changes in the firing pattern of midbrain dopamine neurons are thought to encode information for certain types of reward-related learning. In particular, the burst pattern of firing is predicted to result in more efficient dopamine release at target loci, which could underlie changes in synaptic plasticity. In this study, the effects of dopamine on the firing patterns of dopaminergic neurons in vivo and their electrophysiological characteristics in vitro were examined by using a genetic dopamine-deficient (DD) mouse model. Extracellular recordings in vivo showed that, although the firing pattern of dopamine neurons in normal mice included bursting activity, DD mice recordings showed only a single-spike pattern of activity with no bursts. Bursting was restored in DD mice after systemic administration of the dopamine precursor, l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-dopa). Whole-cell recordings in vitro demonstrated that the basic electrophysiology and pharmacology of dopamine neurons were identical between DD and control mice, except that amphetamine did not elicit a hyperpolarizing current in slices from DD mice. These data suggest that endogenously released dopamine plays a critical role in the afferent control of dopamine neuron bursting activity and that this control is exerted via a network feedback mechanism.
On the measurement of delusions

Garety (1985) analysed problems with existing definitions of delusions, focusing on the fixity and intensity of delusional beliefs. A quantitative method was proposed to evaluate with greater sensitivity the intensity of delusional conviction and its fixity over time. In this comment, three related points are raised about Garety's analysis and measure. None of the three challenges the fundamental usefulness or value of the measure, although potential problems are noted in the items used to check test-retest reliability and in the wording of one of the two forms described.
1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 a nd 19-nor-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin 32 suppress immunoglobulin production and thymic lymphocyte proliferation in vivo

BALB/CANNHSD female mice were intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) (20 ng/day) or 19-nor-1,25-(OH)2D2 (100 ng/day) for 7 days and then given the same dose every other day thereafter until day 17 for measuring cell-mediated immunity and on day 33 for observing immunoglobulin production. To observe Ig production, the mice were immunized with an injection of hemocyanin (150 microgram/0.1 ml, i.p.) on day 8. On the day 7, 15 and 20 after immunization, the IgG1, and on day 17 and 20, the IgG3 levels in 1,25-(OH)2D3 and 19-nor-1,25-(OH)2D2 groups were significantly lower than in the control group. To measure cell-mediated immunity, mice were sensitized with dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) on the shaved abdominal skin. The number of thymic lymphocytes and their stimulation index were significantly reduced by 1,25-(OH)2D3 and 19-nor-1,25-(OH)2D2. These results demonstrate that 1,25-(OH)2D3 and 19-nor-1,25-(OH)2D2 can suppress immunoglobulin production and thymic lymphocyte proliferation in vivo. 19-Nor-1,25-(OH)2D2 at doses of 100 ng/day was less effective than 1,25-(OH)2D3 at doses of 20 ng/day.
Sustainable Communities Case Study: Energy Management Using Demand Response Methods

Politicians, activists, business-leaders and engineers alike all agree that future societal progress depends heavily on the development of sustainable cities and communities designed to achieve long-term environmental, social, and economic viability. A key factor that must be considered when planning for sustainable communities is the desirability for living and the productivity potential for industry and research. At the foundation of both is energy — from generation through transmission to consumption. Innovations and novel designs at all levels within a community — from individual buildings to system-wide infrastructure — will allow homes and offices to operate without noticeable sacrifice of comfort and convenience. An interdisciplinary team of professors and graduate students at Cornell University has formed to address the energy challenges of transforming Cornell University campus into a sustainable community. Cornell University’s main campus in Ithaca, NY is uniquely situated to serve as a model for validation and implementation of an advanced electricity infrastructure, commonly known as a Smart Grid. The campus owns and operates its electricity infrastructure powered by a combination of renewable energy, coal production and other electricity purchased from independent providers. In addition, similar to other communities, Cornell has a variety of building types, each having its unique energy consumption profile and thus providing great opportunities for interaction between buildings. This can prove to be very beneficial in our validation as all communities have variable load profiles. With new capital expenditures for new infrastructure, we expect to see a great reduction in energy costs and lowered operation costs resulting from the implementation of smart-grid in the present electric grid. Moreover, introducing demand response schemes, one of the major components of a smart-grid, would allow the community to incorporate more renewable energy sources into its energy mix, increase energy efficiency, and achieve significant monetary savings.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Behavioural Support of a Proposed Neurocognitive Connection Between Physical Activity and Improved Eating Behaviour in Obese Women

Abstract Problem An explanation of the association between physical activity and improved eating behaviours has recently been posited via the effect of physical activity on executive functions of the brain resulting in a reduction in the hedonic drive to overeat. Decomposition and clarification of embedded relationship through a behavioural/psychological framework was sought. Methods Changes in theory-based psychosocial factors over 26 weeks were tested with 134 severely obese women (age 41.7 ± 10.4 years) initiating a physical activity support treatment. Mediation and reciprocal effects analyses incorporating these changes were then computed. Results Significant improvements in mood, self-regulation for eating, and self-efficacy for controlled eating were found. Emanating from mood change, a reciprocal relationship between changes in the self-regulation and self-efficacy measures was found. Thus, each factor reinforced the other's change. Conclusion Findings suggest a convergence of neurocognitively and behaviourally based explanations of the relations of physical activity and controlled eating. Implications for behavioural weight-loss theory and treatments were suggested.
Creatinine Clearance Estimation From Serum Creatinine Values: An Analysis of Three Mathematical Models of Glomerular Function

The logarithmic relationship of serum creatinine and creatinine clearance was analyzed in 100 adult patient studies using a geometric regression technique. Each sex was independently analyzed, and the subsequently derived regression formulae were age corrected resulting in mathematical models useful in estimating creatinine clearance from serum creatinine concentrations. These formulae were tested prospectively in another group of 100 patient studies in which creatinine clearance had been determined, and the results compared to values derived by use of two other published formulae. This newer method resulted in a closer distribution of data around a line of identity compared to other formulae and allowed for a good "bedside" estimation of creatinine clearance from serum creatinine concentration.