cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Selective hippocampal subfield volume reductions in World Trade Center responders with cognitive impairment.

Introduction The objective of this study was to investigate associations between dementia in World Trade Center (WTC) responders and in vivo volumetric measures of hippocampal subfield volumes in WTC responders at midlife. Methods A sample of 99 WTC responders was divided into dementia and unimpaired groups. Participants underwent structural T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Volumetric measures included the overall hippocampus and eight subfields. Regression models examined volumetric measure of interest adjusting for confounders including intracranial volume. Results Dementia was associated with smaller hippocampal volume and with reductions across hippocampal subfields. Smaller hippocampal subfield volumes were associated with longer cumulative time worked at the WTC. Domain-specific cognitive performance was associated with lower volumetric measures across hippocampal subregions. Conclusions This is the first study to investigate hippocampal subfield volumes in a sample of WTC responders at midlife. Selective hippocampal subfield volume reductions suggested abnormal cognition that were associated with WTC exposure duration.
Variability is actively regulated in speech

Although movement variability is often attributed to unwanted noise in the motor system, recent work has demonstrated that variability may be actively controlled. To date, research on regulation of motor variability has relied on relatively simple, laboratory-specific reaching tasks. It is not clear how these results translate to complex, well-practiced and real-world tasks. Here, we test how variability is regulated during speech production, a complex, highly over-practiced and natural motor behavior that relies on auditory and somatosensory feedback. Specifically, in a series of four experiments, we assessed the effects of auditory feedback manipulations that modulate perceived speech variability, shifting every production either towards (inward-pushing) or away from (outward-pushing) the center of the distribution for each vowel. Participants exposed to the inward-pushing perturbation (Experiment 1) increased produced variability while the perturbation was applied as well as after it was removed. Unexpectedly, the outward-pushing perturbation (Experiment 2) also increased produced variability during exposure, but variability returned to near baseline levels when the perturbation was removed. Outward-pushing perturbations failed to reduce participants9 produced variability both with larger perturbation magnitude (Experiment 3) or after their variability had increased above baseline levels as a result of the inward-pushing perturbation (Experiment 4). Simulations of the applied perturbations using a state space model of motor behavior suggest that the increases in produced variability in response to the two types of perturbations may arise through distinct mechanisms: an increase in controlled variability in response to the inward-pushing perturbation, and an increase in sensitivity to auditory errors in response to the outward-pushing perturbation. Together, these results suggest that motor variability is actively regulated even in complex and well-practiced behaviors, such as speech.
Angle-based wavefront sensing enabled by the near fields of flat optics.

There is a long history of using angle sensors to measure wavefront. The best example is the Shack-Hartmann sensor. Compared to other methods of wavefront sensing, angle-based approach is more broadly used in industrial applications and scientific research. Its wide adoption is attributed to its fully integrated setup, robustness, and fast speed. However, there is a long-standing issue in its low spatial resolution, which is limited by the size of the angle sensor. Here we report a angle-based wavefront sensor to overcome this challenge. It uses ultra-compact angle sensor built from flat optics. It is directly integrated on focal plane array. This wavefront sensor inherits all the benefits of the angle-based method. Moreover, it improves the spatial sampling density by over two orders of magnitude. The drastically improved resolution allows angle-based sensors to be used for quantitative phase imaging, enabling capabilities such as video-frame recording of high-resolution surface topography. Generally, wavefronts are measured using angle-based sensors like the Shack-Hartmann sensor. Here, the authors present an angle-sensitive device that uses flat optics integrated on a focal plane array for compact wavefront sensing with improved resolution.
Science as Psychology: Sense-Making and Identity in Science Practice

Science as Psychology reveals the complexity and richness of rationality by demonstrating how social relationships, emotion, culture, and identity are implicated in the problem-solving practices of laboratory scientists. In this study, the authors gather and analyze interview and observational data from innovation-focused laboratories in the engineering sciences to show how the complex practices of laboratory research scientists provide rich psychological insights, and how a better understanding of science practice facilitates understanding of human beings more generally. The study focuses not on dismantling the rational core of scientific practice, but on illustrating how social, personal, and cognitive processes are intricately woven together in scientific thinking. The book is thus a contribution to science studies, the psychology of science, and general psychology.
Chapter 7. Fetoscopy and Fetal Biopsy

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the different aspects of fetoscopy and fetal biopsy. Fetoscopy refers to endoscopic visualization of the fetus and placenta in utero. The procedure is used in the fourth and fifth months of pregnancy to obtain a limited view of fetal anatomy, to aspirate fetal blood samples, and to obtain biopsy specimens of fetal skin or fetal liver. Successful fetoscopy combines careful ultrasound examination with skillful endoscopic technique. Initial scanning is performed with either a B-mode contact scanner or a real-time scanner and identifies the fetal lie, placental site, umbilical cord attachments at the placenta, and any peculiarities of uterine or intrauterine anatomy. Fetoscopy affords the opportunity of controlled direct-vision blood sampling either from the umbilical cord or from vessels on the chorionic plate of the placenta. When pure blood is required for diagnostic studies the umbilical cord is the favored site for vessel puncture, either at or close to its attachment to the placenta. An alternative method for obtaining fetal blood to the use of fetoscopy is placentacentesis. After the placenta is localized by ultrasound a 19- or 20-gauge spinal needle is pushed through an anesthetized site on the maternal abdomen to the chorionic plate of the placenta.
The role of electrostatic and nonpolar interactions in the association of peripheral proteins with membranes

Abstract The membrane association of acylated and prenylated peripheral proteins, such as Src, the myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS), and K-ras4B, plays an important role in cellular signal transduction. This chapter reviews experimental and computational studies of the membrane partitioning of peptides corresponding to the membrane-interacting regions of these proteins. The computational model partitions the membrane interaction free energies into three components: electrostatic attraction between basic groups on the protein and acidic phospholipids in the membrane, desolvation of the protein and membrane as they associate, and nonpolar burial of aromatic side chains into the membrane interface. The electrostatic components of the binding free energy are calculated by solving the Poisson-Boltzmann equation for protein/ membrane systems represented in atomic detail (finite-difference Poisson-Boltzmann [FDPB] method). The nonpolar component is calculated as the product of an interfacial hydrophobicity coefficient and the change in solvent-accessible surface area of aromatic side chains as they penetrate the interface. The model predicts how membrane association changes as a function of the electrostatic properties of the system and how different combinations of electrostatic and nonpolar forces dictate a wide range of membrane-binding properties. The success of the FDPB methodology in describing experimentally characterized biophysical systems establishes the applicability of classical electrostatics and the continuum approach to protein/ membrane systems and justifies its extension to predicting the structural origins of the interfacial association of proteins of known structure. The biological implications of recent experimental measurements of the partitioning of MARCKS onto membranes containing phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate are discussed.
Bergmanns's size cline in New Zealand marine spray zone spiders (Araneae: Anyphaenidae: Amaurobioides)

Members of the spider genus Amaurobioides are restricted to the spray zone of rocky marine coasts, where they construct and hunt from silk retreats. Collecting for this study shows these spiders to be distributed around the entire New Zealand coast. A Templeton, Crandall, and Sing (TCS) analysis of the ND1 mitochondrial gene places specimens from the North Island and the northern half of the South Island into a group distinct from Amaurobioides maritima O.P.-Cambridge, 1883, which is restricted to the southern half of the South Island. Females of this northern group exhibit latitude- and temperature-related clines in body length, body mass, and residual index of condition, with larger individuals with greater indices of condition being found at cooler, southern sites. This size cline also appeared in a broader geographical analysis that included Amaurobioides piscator Hogg, 1909 from the sub-Antarctic Auckland and Campbell Islands. Thirteen ND1 haplotypes are represented in the northern group. Both independent contrast analyses and standard regressions of the mean body lengths and mean masses of these haplotypes, and the mean latitudes and temperatures of the sites where haplotypes were present, document a Bergmann's size cline, and provide evidence for an underlying genetic component. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 101, 78–92.
Efficacy of ascorbic acid in Chediak-Higashi syndrome (CHS): studies in humans and mice

The efficacy of ascorbic acid therapy in Chediak-Higashi syndrome (CHS) was assessed in two humans and in the mouse model of this disease. Ascorbic acid (6 g/day) was given for 8 mo to two brothers (26 and 27 yr old) with CHS. The therapy had no effect on the clinical course of these patients and no change in their complete blood count or abnormal leukocyte morphology (giant lysosomes). In addition, the leukocyte dysfunction seen in this disease was not improved by ascorbic acid; skin window responses, chemotaxis, and bactericidal activity remained abnormal and there was no change in lymphocyte function. No abnormality of leukocyte cAMP or cGMP was seen in our patients, and no changes in basal cyclic nucleotides occurred during ascorbic acid therapy. In other studies high doses of intraperitoneal ascorbic acid (20 mg/mouse) prolonged the survival of CHS mice from lethal infection with Candida albicans, although the survival of CHS treated mice was not as good as that of saline-treated controls. Ascorbic acid also improved polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis and bactericidal activity for Staphylococcus aureus. Despite the improved function there was no change in the morphology of CHS mouse leukocytes after ascorbic acid therapy. In addition, we found no abnormality of basal leukocyte cyclic nucleotide levels and no change in basal cyclic nucleotides after ascorbic acid therapy. These data indicate that although ascorbic acid may have a beneficial effect in mice with CHS, patients with CHS may not respond in a similar manner.
Assessment of lightweight mobile nuclear power systems

A review was made of lightweight mobile nuclear power systems (LMNPS). Data cover technical feasibility studies of LMNPS and airborne vehicles, mission studies, and non-technical conditions that are required to develop and use LMNPS.
Congenital Coronary and Other Anomalies

A 48-year-old woman presented with a history of an abnormal myocardial perfusion stress test result in the anterior wall.
On the Aerodynamic Forces Acting on a Delta-wing in Supersonic Flow With Supersonic Leading Edges

A method is presented in order to find the aerodynamic forces acting on a delta-wing with supersonic leading edges in supersonic flow. The basic postulations of the method consist of the determination of the solution for a steady supersonic flow passing a delta-wing of arbitrary warping and chamber geometry. The solution for the steady flow for the flat lifting wing appears as a special case of this study. A functional relation between steady and unsteady solution is obtained using the transform techniques of operational calculus. The solution for the unsteady supersonic flow is presented in the closed integral form, in which the integrand contains the solution of the steady flow, and no difficulties of a pragmatical nature arise. The method can be extended without any difficulty to the wings of other shapes, in either symmetrical or yawed flow. Es wird eine Methode zur Bestimmung der aerodynamischen Krafte dargelegt, welche auf einen Deltaflugel mit Uberschall-Vorderkante in Uberschallstromung wirken. Das Wesentliche bei der Methode ist, die Losung fur eine stationare Uberschallstromung bei beliebiger Verwindung und Geometrie des Deltaflugels zu finden. Die Losung fur die stationare Stromung im Falle eines ebenen Tragflugels erscheint dann als Spezialfall. Eine funktionale Beziehung zwischen stationarer und nichtstationarer Stomung wird mit Hilfe der Transformationsmethoden der Operatorenrechnung gewonnen. Die Losung fur die nichtstationare Uberschallstromung wird in Form eines geschlossenen Integrals angegeben, wobei der Integrand die Losung fur den stationaren Fall enthalt und keinerlei pragmatische Schwierigkeiten auftreten. Die Methode kann ohne Schwierigkeiten auf andere Flugelformen ausgedehnt werden; dabei kann die Stromung in bezug auf die beiden Flugel symmetrisch oder — wie im Schiebeflug — unsymmetrisch sein.
Assessing predictions of population viability analysis: Peregrine Falcon populations in California

Population viability analysis (PVA) has been an important tool for evaluating species extinction risk and alternative management strategies, but there is little information on how well PVA predicts population trajectories following changes in management actions. We tested previously published predictions from a stage-structured PVA of Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) in California, USA (Wootton and Bell 1992), against population trajectories following the 1992 termination of statewide, active management (population supplementation of captive-reared young). In the absence of extensive post-management monitoring, we developed surrogate estimates of breeding population size by calibrating several citizen science data sets (Christmas Bird Count, CBC; and North American Breeding Bird Survey, BBS) to intensive population surveys taken primarily during the active management period. CBC abundance data standardized by observer effort exhibited a strong relationship to intensive survey data (r2 = 0.971), indicated significantly reduced annual population growth rates after management was terminated (λ = 0.023 ± 0.013 SE) than when supplementation occurred (λ = 0.089 ± 0.023 SE), and demonstrated an increasing population as predicted by the PVA. The population trajectory fell within the 95% CI of stochastic simulations of the model either with or without density dependence and assuming either measurement error or process error, but models with process error were most strongly supported by the data. These results indicate that PVA can quantitatively anticipate population trajectories following changes in management, highlight the importance of post-management monitoring of species of concern, and illustrate the benefits of using management changes as large-scale experiments to more rigorously test PVA.
Secular Reinforcement in Aymara Death Ritual1

Death ritual offers a primary channel for the study of values and general life orientation. As a series of complex symbol sets, each of which has multiple referrents, it clarifies and reinforces relationships among the living as well as between living and dead. An analytical example is taken from the Aymara. Each symbol set is described in terms of its relationship to manifest function, social structure, ecology, dogma, and other ceremonies. The most consistently reinforced attitude is found to be that of negativistic fatalism. This tends to confirm much that has already been written about the Aymara, and, when combined with brief examinations of death ritual in other cultures, argues for the rite's plasticity, and therefore its analytical usefulness.
Range-invariant anomaly detection applied to imaging Fourier transform spectrometry data

This paper describes the end-to-end processing of image Fourier transform spectrometry data taken of surrogate tank targets at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey with the long-wave hyper-spectral camera HyperCam from Telops. The first part of the paper discusses the processing from raw data to calibrated radiance and emissivity data. The second part discusses the application of a range-invariant anomaly detection approach to calibrated radiance, emissivity and brightness temperature data for different spatial resolutions and compares it to the Reed-Xiaoli detector.
Problems evaluating sales representative performance

Abstract Activity-based costing (ABC) offers a way to improve performance evaluation by providing estimates of the cost of satisfying sales terms to which a sales representative may agree, such as number of batches in which an order is produced and number of training hours provided to customer employees. It also provides estimates of the cost of resources that a sales representative may use while engaging in marketing activities, such as making sales calls and attending trade shows. Traditional costing, which assumes that costs only vary at the unit level, does not provide estimates of the costs of many of these terms and activities.
ClOOCl: theoretical insights into its torsional potentials

In order to further facilitate the physical understanding of ClOOCl, many high level ab initio and density functional theory calculations were carried out. Among the methods employed were CBS-Q, CBS-QB3, G3, G3B3 and the density functional theory B3LYP hybrid density functional theory method. The calculations reveal very interesting information about the torsional potential, atomization energy, bond dissociation energies, which will be compared to the experimental values. Implications of the importance of this work to atmospheric processes will also be addressed.
Maternal scaffolding and children’s narrative retelling of a movie story

Abstract Five-year-old children (n = 31) watched a brief videotaped segment from a movie with their mother, discussed the movie story with her, and then retold it to an experimenter. The quality of the stories the children told was related to the scaffolding strategies used by their mothers. Children whose mothers focused their own and the children’s attention on the story, prompted the children’s memories with questions and explanations, talked about the characters’ emotions, corrected the children’s mistakes, and engaged in extended exchanges about critical topics in the story during the preparatory discussion told significantly better stories than children whose mothers did not use such strategies and children in a control group (n = 14) who did not discuss the story with their mothers. Children’s recall of objective actions in the story was most strongly predicted by joint mother-child attention, extended exchanges on critical topics, and the mother’s correction of the children’s mistakes. Children’s comprehension of characters’ internal states was most strongly predicted by the number of questions the mother asked, extended exchanges, and correction. These findings have implications for how adults can promote children’s ability to understand, remember, and narrate a story.
The Effect of Surface Finish on Low-Temperature Acetylene-Based Carburization of 316L Austenitic Stainless Steel

We observed a strong influence of surface finish on the efficacy of low-temperature acetylene-based carburization of AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel. Steel coupons were prepared with different surface finishes prior to carburization, from P400 SiC grit paper to 1-µm-diameter-diamond-paste. The samples with the finer surface finish developed a thicker “case” (a carbon-rich hardened surface layer) and a larger surface carbon concentration. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the differences arose mainly from the nature of the deformation-induced disturbed layer on the steel surface. A thick (>400 nm) disturbed layer consisting of nano-crystalline grains (≈10 nm diameter) inhibits acetylene-based carburization. The experimental observations can be explained by assuming that during machining or coarse polishing, the surface oxide layer is broken up and becomes incorporated into the deformation-induced disturbed layer. The incorporated oxide-rich films retard or completely prevent the ingress of carbon into the stainless steel.
Reconstructing ripeness II: Models and methods for fostering constructive stakeholder engagement across protracted divides

A priority objective for diplomats, mediators, negotiators, and other individuals working to rectify seemingly intractable conflicts is to help foster stakeholder “ripeness,” or a willingness and commitment to engage constructively in the conflict. This is often extremely difficult to achieve due to long histories between the parties of animosity, suspicion, hostility, and fear. Ripeness theory has been a useful starting point for understanding such motives, but has limited explanatory power under conditions of intractable conflict. The second in a two-part series, this article outlines the implications for practice resulting from an analysis of interviews with expert scholar-practitioners working in the field with intractable conflicts.
Deteriorating collagen synthesis and cell ultrastructure accompanying senescence of human normal and Werner's syndrome fibroblast cell strains.

Abstract Ultrastructural changes that accompanied senescence, in vitro, of six normal fibroblast cell strains were found to correspond to the morphological characteristics of a Werner's syndrome progeroid cell strain: greatly increased size of midnuclear diameters; heavy vacuolation; maturation of predominantly primary to secondary lysosomes; increase in multilobed nuclei; dilation of mitochondrial cristae; dilation of rough endoplasmic reticulum and the filling of intermembrane space with electron-dense particles presumably protein; and vacuolar accumulation of fibrous material which was later discharged into the medium. This fibrous material was produced only by late-passage fibroblasts and Werner's syndrome fibroblasts and had an ultrastructure dissimilar from that of normal collagen fibers produced by exponentially-growing cultures. The fibrous debris had a high subunit molecular weight (approx. 200000 D), an amino acid composition that included hydroxyproline, hydroxylysine, and relatively large amounts of proline and glycine, and was degraded by collagenase. This protein is believed to be a form of procollagen produced by either incorrect maturation of mRNA or incomplete processing of procollagen.
Placental Transfer of Dieldrin in Dairy Heifers Contaminated During Three Stages of Gestation

Abstract Placental transfer of dieldrin was shown in each of 33 dairy calves born to dams contaminated during gestation. Neither the stage of gestation during which contamination occurred nor the dieldrin concentration in body fat of the contaminated dams appeared to affect residue levels found in the calves at birth. Approximately 0.9% of the dieldrin ingested by the dams was recovered in the calves. Residue in calves contaminated in utero decreased with age and was not detectable in four of five calves at one year of age.
The Suitability of Various Mounting Media for Permanent Mounts of Small Chitinous Crustaceans, With Special Reference To the Observation of Integumental Organs

A variety of mounting techniques has been tested, ultimately aimed at preparing permanent, multi-purpose mounts of (parts of) the exoskeletons of calanoid copepods. Thus, three clearing techniques, two staining methods, various other pretreatments, and eight mounting media can now be discussed, and the results evaluated. It is concluded that clearing specimens in lactic acid, without staining, yields the best possible objects. These are then put into position in drying polyvinyl lactophenol and next mounted by immersion in the same medium. The techniques are described in detail.
Quantifying the Neural Elements Activated and Inhibited by Globus Pallidus Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the globus pallidus pars interna (GPi) is an effective therapy option for controlling the motor symptoms of medication-refractory Parkinson's disease and dystonia. Despite the clinical successes of GPi DBS, the precise therapeutic mechanisms are unclear and questions remain on the optimal electrode placement and stimulation parameter selection strategies. In this study, we developed a three-dimensional computational model of GPi-DBS in nonhuman primates to investigate how membrane channel dynamics, synaptic inputs, and axonal collateralization contribute to the neural responses generated during stimulation. We focused our analysis on three general neural elements that surround GPi-DBS electrodes: GPi somatodendritic segments, GPi efferent axons, and globus pallidus pars externa (GPe) fibers of passage. During high-frequency electrical stimulation (136 Hz), somatic activity in the GPi showed interpulse excitatory phases at 1–3 and 4–5.5 ms. When including stimulation-induced GABAA and AMPA receptor dynamics into the model, the somatic firing patterns continued to be entrained to the stimulation, but the overall firing rate was reduced (78.7 to 25.0 Hz, P < 0.001). In contrast, axonal output from GPi neurons remained largely time-locked to each pulse of the stimulation train. Similar entrainment was also observed in GPe efferents, a majority of which have been shown to project through GPi en route to the subthalamic nucleus. The models suggest that pallidal DBS may have broader network effects than previously realized and the modes of therapy may depend on the relative proportion of GPi and/or GPe efferents that are directly affected by the stimulation.
Zero frequency modes of the Maclaurin spheroids

The location of all zero-frequency modes of oscillation along the Maclaurin sequence are found for modes corresponding to oblate spheroidal harmonics with indices (l, m) where l < 6 (equivalerntly, for modes described by Lagrangian displacements whose components in Cartesian coordinates are polynomials of degree $\leqslant$ 5). These points of zero frequency mark the onset of instability in each mode in the context of general relativity, or when a gravitational radiation reaction term is adjoined to the Newtonian theory.
Coupled reverse draw solute permeation and water flux in forward osmosis with neutral draw solutes

Understanding the simultaneous forward water flux and reverse draw solute flux in osmotically driven membrane processes is essential to the development of these emerging technologies. In this work, we investigate the reverse fluxes of three neutral draw solutes-urea, ethylene glycol, and glucose-across an asymmetric forward osmosis membrane. Our experiments reveal that for the rapidly permeating draw solutes (urea and ethylene glycol), an additional resistance to mass transfer develops due to external concentration polarization on the feed side of the membrane. A model to predict the reverse flux for these highly permeable solutes is derived and then validated using independently determined transport parameters. The experimentally measured water fluxes generated by these solutes are consistently lower than those predicted by theories for calculating the water flux in osmotically driven membrane processes-even when the effects of external concentration polarization are taken into account. These results are indicative of a coupling between the forward water flux and reverse solute flux, and a reflection coefficient is introduced to account for the solute–solvent coupling. Interestingly, our experiments demonstrate that solute–solvent coupling does not significantly impact the reverse flux of draw solute. The effect of this solute–solvent coupling on the reverse flux selectivity (i.e., the ratio of the forward water flux to the reverse solute flux) is demonstrated.
Temporal and spatial variations in R:P ratios in Lake Superior, an oligotrophic freshwater environment

[1] A study of respiration to photosynthesis (R:P) ratios in Lake Superior, based on the fraction of O2 saturation and the isotopic composition of O2, was undertaken to evaluate spatial and temporal variations in the trophic status of a large oligotrophic freshwater environment. The lake was predominantly net heterotrophic from April to October 2000 (R:P ratios: 1.2–2.5). Uniform R:P ratios of ∼1.5 with depth and across the lake in April 2000 and 2001 revealed the homogeneity of the water column during spring. A brief period of net autotrophy was observed during summer thermal stratification in 2000 and 2001, and surveys showed this condition to be prevalent and lake-wide in August 2001 (R:P ratios: 0.5–0.9). Strong net autotrophy (R:P ratios: 0.6) was found near Duluth, Minnesota, and suggested the potential for the formation of mesotrophic conditions within areas of increased nutrient loadings from urbanization. Respiration and photosynthesis were shown to exert a strong control on O2 gas exchange within Lake Superior, as evidenced by significant correlations between R:P ratios and O2 gas exchange during periods of net heterotrophy and autotrophy. This observation was unexpected since [O2] in the lake appears to be dominated by atmospheric O2 gas exchange, given that the fraction of O2 saturation is continuously near levels expected for equilibration with the atmosphere. Furthermore, the relationship between the biological and physical O2 fluxes may enable the use of R:P ratios to calculate O2 gas exchange and ultimately estimate CO2 fluxes between lakes and the atmosphere.
Depression and functional status are strongly associated with dyspnea in interstitial lung disease

Background Little is understood about the characteristics of dyspnea in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), and its severity is likely influenced by multiple factors. Depression and functional status are known to influence dyspnea in patients with COPD. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of dyspnea with clinical parameters, including depression and functional status, in patients with ILD. Methods Dyspnea was measured with the Baseline Dyspnea Index and the University of California San Diego Shortness of Breath Questionnaire. Clinical parameters were recorded. Regression analysis was performed to determine independent correlates of dyspnea. Results Fifty-two subjects were enrolled. The two dyspnea scales were strongly correlated ( r = −0.79; P P = .002 and P P = .001 and P = .06), FVC ( P = .07 and P = .004), and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide ( P = .007). BMI had borderline significant association with the Baseline Dyspnea Index ( P = .10). Conclusions In patients with ILD, dyspnea is associated with depression score, functional status, and pulmonary function. These results suggest that attention to depression and functional status is important in these patients and that treatment directed at these comorbidities may improve dyspnea and quality of life. Trial registry ClinicalTrials.gov ; No.: NCT00611182 ; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov
Regional cerebral blood flow, cerebral blood velocity, and pulsatility index in newborn dogs.

Summary: A technique employing a Doppler ultrasound probe to measure cerebral blood velocity was used to study the cerebral circulation continuously in 30 newborn mongrel dogs. Utilizing a transfon-tanelle approach, the probe was maintained in fixed position throughout a given experiment. In 20 animals, changes in systolic, diastolic, and mean cerebral blood velocity during hypo- and hypercarbia were directly correlated (P < 0.01) with changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) determined in 12 regions of the brain by the [14C]iodoantipyrine autoradiography technique. In an additional 10 dogs, multiple determinations of systolic, diastolic, and mean blood velocity were made over a wide range of PaCO2 values and found to be directly related to the PaCO2 (P < 0.001). These data suggest that changes in cerebral blood velocity are closely related to changes in cerebral blood flow. We also calculated the pulsatility index (PI) from the peak systolic and end diastolic velocities and found a poor, but direct (r = 0.28, P < 0.05) relationship between the PI and PaCO2 rather than the indirect relationship, which has been suggested in published clinical studies. We conclude that the Doppler technique may be valuable in monitoring dynamic events of the neonatal cerebral circulation if a constant probe position is maintained. Our results suggest, however, that the PI is not a reliable index of cerebral vascular resistance.
An expedient synthesis of l-ribulose and derivatives

A significant improvement in the production of l-ribulose from inexpensive and commercially available starting materials, l-arabinose and sodium aluminate, is demonstrated. This has facilitated expeditious access to gram-scale quantities of l-ribulofuranoside derivatives.
Thermal Transport in LEDs for Solid State Lighting

Over 20% of electricity in US is used by lighting. Solid state lighting (SSL) efficiency can theoretically surpass that of incandescent and fluorescent lighting techniques. Nonetheless SSL efficiency is greatly reduced at high temperatures that result from inadequate heat dissipation. SSL requires blue and green light emitting diodes (LEDs) made from Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Indium Gallium Nitride (InGaN) to eventually generate white light. Using an infrared thermal imaging camera, temperatures of working blue and green LEDs with different efficiencies were measured. The results show that higher efficiency LEDs have lower active region temperatures when driven with the same power. Further, they motivate our study of thermal properties of the individual thin films that compose the LEDs, since earlier studies show that conduction is the primary dissipative mechanism for heat in LEDs. Bulk thermal properties are poor estimates of thin film properties due to increased boundary and defect scattering of phonons in the films. By examining real LED structures with the 3-omega technique, thin film thermal conductivities can be measured. For this technique, a thin metal line was fabricated onto a smooth dielectric sample surface. This thin metal line works as both a heater and a thermometer. Benchmark studies on Pyrex 7740 were used to validate our 3-omega setup. Data from real GaN/InGaN LED structures show that the effective thermal conductivities of the AlN buffer layer and multi-quantum-well active region are substantially suppressed relative to their anticipated values based on bulk properties.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Liberated Alice: Dodgson's female hero as domestic rebel

(1976). Liberated Alice: Dodgson's female hero as domestic rebel. Women's Studies: Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 195-205.
Hyperkalemia: Disorders of Internal and External Potassium Balance

The serum potassium level is normally preserved de spite changes in potassium intake and output (the exter nal potassium balance) and changes in its distribution in the body (the internal potassium balance). External potassium homeostasis depends primarily on renal ex cretion of the daily exogenous potassium burden. Inter nal homeostasis depends on the extrarenal regulation of potassium. Skeletal muscle and liver are the dominant sites of that regulation. The two chief regulators of inter nal balance are insulin and catecholamines, the latter acting through β-adrenergic receptors. Acid-base bal ance and the cellular potassium content are other important regulators of internal balance. The major disorders of external balance are renal failure, hypo reninemic hypoaldosteronism, interstitial nephritis, and a variety of drugs that impair renal potassium excretion. The major disorders of internal balance are diabetes mellitus, acidosis, medications, and release of endoge nous potassium during vigorous exercise...
Noninvasive Imaging of Quantum Dots in Mice

Quantum dots having four different surface coatings were tested for use in in vivo imaging. Localization was successfully monitored by fluorescence imaging of living animals, by necropsy, by frozen tissue sections for optical microscopy, and by electron microscopy, on scales ranging from centimeters to nanometers, using only quantum dots for detection. Circulating half-lives were found to be less than 12 min for amphiphilic poly(acrylic acid), short-chain (750 Da) methoxy-PEG or long-chain (3400 Da) carboxy-PEG quantum dots, but approximately 70 min for long-chain (5000 Da) methoxy-PEG quantum dots. Surface coatings also determined the in vivo localization of the quantum dots. Long-term experiments demonstrated that these quantum dots remain fluorescent after at least four months in vivo.
Adult age and cautiousness in decision: a review of the literature.

After a brief description of the hypotheses proposed to account for adult-age differences in cautiousness, this article reviews findings from eight cross-sectional investigations. Adult-age differences were observed on the choice dilemmas instrument (the predominant methodology) only in the case when adults were permitted to refrain from responding to the life situations depicted in the items. In recent research, using behavioral measures of risk-taking, adult-age differences have been found. Need for achievement was posited to be an important intervening variable in understanding the context in which adult age differences in cautiousness emerge. Several areas of pertinent research were identified.
Getting past the impasse: Framing as a tool for public relations

Abstract J. Grunig, L. Grunig, and Dozier (1995) have proposed a two-dimensional model of public relations that combines the two-way symmetrical and asymmetrical models. They also have named strategies important for both public and organizational influence and called for research dealing with others. This article proposes frame analysis as such a strategy. To demonstrate the technique’s potential, the author employs framing to show how sex education can be promoted more effectively within public schools. Myra Gregory Knight is a doctoral candidate in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Divergent Patterns of Nest Construction in Eusocial Wasps

Abstract In most species of social insects, the nest is enlarged gradually as the colony grows. Here we call attention to some striking exceptions to this general rule of continuous nest construction. A common pattern among the swarm-founding, eusocial wasp species is explosive nest construction, in which the nest is built rapidly to a large size in the first one to three weeks after colony initiation. Nest size then remains static for weeks or months. We document this pattern of nest growth for the swarm-founding wasp, Polybia occidentalis. Data showing a high percentage of empty cells in pre-emergence-stage nests suggest that a similar pattern holds for some other swarm-founding polistine genera. In contrast, certain other genera seem to follow the continuous construction pattern of the independent founders. We propose five potential factors that could favor a strategy of explosive nest construction: maximization of colony productivity, work-group efficiency, protection of the brood, protection of the s...
Real-time microchip PCR for detecting single-base differences in viral and human DNA

This report describes real-time 5' nuclease PCR assays to rapidly distinguish single-base polymorphism using a battery-powered miniature analytical thermal cycling instrument (MATCI). Orthopoxviruses and the human complement component C6 gene served as targets to demonstrate the feasibility of using the MATCI for diagnosis of infectious diseases and genetic disorders. In the Orthopoxvirus assay, consensus Orthopoxvirus PCR primers were designed to amplify 266-281 base-pair (bp) segments of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene in camelpox, cowpox, monkeypox, and vaccinia viruses. A vaccinia virus-specific fluorogenic (TaqMan) probe was designed to detect a single-base (A/G) substitution within the HA gene. In the C6 gene assay, a 73-bp segment of the C6 gene was PCR-amplified from human genomic DNA, and TaqMan probes were used to detect a single-base (A/C) polymorphism in the second position of codon 98. The MATCI correctly identified the nucleotide differences in both viral DNA and human genomic DNA. In addition, using a rapid DNA preparation method, it was possible to achieve sample, preparation of human genomic DNA, DNA amplification, and real-time detection in less than 1 h.
Temperature effects in five-dimensional Kaluza-Klein theory

Abstract We examine the combined effectsof thermal and quantum-mechanical fluctuations in a Kaluza-Klein universe with a single compact spatial dimension of length L ¯ 5 . From the one-loop effective potential for L ¯ 5 two types of instability are evident. If initially L ¯ 5 is less than a temperature-dependent critical length, L ¯ 5 will shrink at least down to a length comparable to the Planck length. This instability has been noted by Appelquist and Chodos in the zero-temperature limit. If, on the other hand, L ¯ 5 starts out larger than the critical length, it will tend to increase. This result suggests that temperature effects may play an important role in Kaluza-Klein cosmological models.
Longitudinal models of reliability and validity: A latent curve approach

The concepts of reliability and validity and their associated coefficients typically have been restricted to a single measurement occasion. This paper describes dynamic generalizations of reliabili...
Biodegradable, implantable sustained release systems based on glutamic acid copolymers☆

Abstract Polymer pellets that contain drugs and may be implanted under the skin offer effective means for providing sustained, controlled drug therapy to humans and animals. Among the most useful drug delivery systems are those based on biodegradable polymers that ultimately are absorbed by the body — eliminating the need for their surgical removal. Copolymers of L-glutamic acid and γ-ethyl L-glutamate biodegrade to L-glutamic acid and ethanol, at rates that are determined by the initial copolymer composition. The materials are permeable to a wide range of drugs, including steroids, narcotic antagonists, peptide hormones, antimalarials, and anticancer agents. When fabricated into matrix rods or capsules, the copolymers have been used to release drugs in animals at constant rates for prolonged periods of time. p]In this study, rods composed of a blend of drug and copolymer were found to be useful for the long-term release (i.e., 6 to 24 months) of drugs having low aqueous solubility, such as progesterone and levonorgestrel. Capsules, composed of a copolymer sheath surrounding the drug, were better suited for shorter durations of release (i.e., up to 6 months) of drugs having higher aqueous solubility, such as luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone and naltrexone. The physical dimensions and copolymer compositions of either dosage form were readily varied to meet specific delivery rate and duration objectives while satisfying equally important degradation requirements.
Spectroscopic studies of the interaction of ferrous Bleomycin with DNA

Bleomycin is an antibiotic used in cancer chemotherapy for its ability to achieve both single- and double-strand cleavage of DNA through abstraction of the deoxyribose C4'-H. Magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) and X-ray absorption (XAS) spectroscopies have been used to study the interaction of the biologically relevant FeIIBLM complex with DNA. Calf thymus DNA was used as the substrate as well as short oligonucleotides, including one with a preferred 5'-G-pyrimidine-3' cleavage site [d(GGAAGCTTCC)2] and one without [d(GGAAATTTCC)2]. DNA binding to FeIIBLM significantly perturbs the FeII active site, resulting in a change in intensity ratio of the d d transitions and a decrease in excited-state orbital splitting (5Eg). Although this effect is somewhat dependent on length and composition of the oligonucleotide, it is not correlated to the presence of a 5'-G-pyrimidine-3' cleavage site. No effect is observed on the charge-transfer transitions, indicating that the H-bonding recognition between the pyrimidine and guanine base does not perturb Fe-pyrimidine backbonding. Azide binding studies indicate that FeIIBLM bound to either oligomer has the same affinity for N3-. Parallel studies of BLM structural derivatives indicate that FeIIiso-PEPLM, in which the carbamoyl group is shifted on the mannose sugar, forms the same DNA-bound species as FeIIBLM. In contrast, FeIIDP-PEPLM, in which the -aminoalanine group is absent, forms a new species upon DNA binding. These data are consistent with a model in which the primary amine from the -aminoalanine is an FeII ligand and the mannose carbamoyl provides either a ligand to the FeII or significant second-sphere effects on the FeII site; intercalation of the bithiazole tail into the double helix likely brings the metal-bound complex close enough to the DNA to create steric interactions that remove the sugar groups from interaction with the FeII. The fact that the FeII active site is perturbed regardless of DNA sequence is consistent with the fact that cleavage is observed for both 5'-GC-3' and nonspecific oligomers and indicates that different reaction coordinates may be active, depending on orientation of the deoxyribose C4'-H.
Towards Sensing and Control of Separation in Subsonic Flows

The purpose of this study is to validate the use of Proper Orthogonal Decomposition POD and Modified Linear Stochastic Estimation mLSE based low-dimensional methods to model an external flow over a NACA 4412 airfoil. By using a combination of Particle Image Velocimetry PIV and multiple airfoil surface pressure measurements, the full velocity field (mean plus fluctuating) is estimated through implementation of a modified complementary technique. We will identify a low-dimensional mean flow just from the wall pressure, specifically observing when the profiles are at the incipient condition. This gives a reasonable estimate of the low-dimensional velocity field. The importance of this work lies in that the flow is estimated from the wall pressure only, providing a practical means for estimating the flow state. This is particularly important for flow control applications.Copyright © 2003 by ASME