cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ontogeny of apelin and its receptor in the rodent gastrointestinal tract

Abstract Apelin is the endogenous ligand for the APJ receptor and both apelin and APJ are expressed in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The aim of this study was to define ontogeny of apelin and APJ in the developing rodent GI tract by measuring expression levels and characterizing abundance and cellular localization at an embryonic stage (E18.5 or E21), two postnatal stages (P4, P16) and in the adult. Apelin and APJ mRNA levels were measured by real time RT-PCR, apelin and APJ-containing cells were identified by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. Gastric, duodenal and colonic apelin and APJ mRNA levels were highest at birth and declined postnatally. In the postnatal rat stomach, few apelin peptide-containing cells were identified, the density of gastric apelin-containing cells increased progressively after weaning and into adulthood. A robust APJ immunostaining was observed postnatally in the epithelium, intestinal goblet cells and in smooth muscle cells. In the adult rat, APJ immunostaining in the surface epithelium and goblet cells decreased markedly. During the early postnatal period, in an apelin-deficient mouse, APJ expression and immunostaining in the gut were reduced suggesting that apelin regulates APJ. Together, our data support a role for the apelin–APJ system in the regulation of smooth muscle, epithelial and goblet cell function in the GI tract.
A randomized controlled trial of ketorolac for prevention of headache related to electroconvulsive therapy

Background and Purpose: Headache is one of the most common side effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), with a reported prevalence as high as 45%. Typical pharmacologic measures include aspirin, acetaminophen, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Among the latter, ketorolac may be especially advantageous in that it can be administered intravenously right before a treatment. The primary aim of this study was to measure the efficacy of intravenous ketorolac administration for the prevention of post-ECT headache at the first treatment session. Methods: Sixteen patients were assigned to the control group, while eight patients were assigned to the ketorolac treatment group (8 males, 16 females; mean age ± standard deviation = 46 ± 13.5 years). Statistical analysis consisted of a one-way analysis of variance using the two-sample test. We utilized a post-ECT headache severity scale from zero (no headache) to 3 (severe headache). Results:The mean score for the control group was 1.3 (±1.1), while the mean score for the ketorolac treatment group was 1.2 (±1.1), p = 0.86 (not significant). Conclusions: Ketorolac administration does not decrease the incidence of post ECT headache at the first treatment session. It is possible that ketorolac may be effective at subsequent treatments for patients with particularly bothersome headaches after the first treatment. Implications: Ketorolac should not be routinely used at the first treatment session to prevent headache associated with ECT.
Substance User MMPI-2 Profiles: Predicting Failure in Completing Treatment

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 protocols were examined in an attempt to develop a model able to identify chemically-dependent patients likely not to complete treatment. MMPI-2 profiles of 173 patients (142 male) were analyzed using profile code types and a multiple analysis of variance. A chi-square showed that patients classified as neurotic were more likely to fail treatment. A MANOVA indicated that elevated F-scores on Scales 7 and 8 (p <. 05) were related to noncompletion. Comparing these results with similar studies indicates that attempting to construct a predictive model based on a single objective measure may not be sufficient to determine outcome.
Pediatric spinal clear cell meningioma. Case report.

In this report the authors describe a unique case of spinal clear cell meningioma in a 13-year-old girl. Clear cell meningiomas (CCMs) are not uncommon. To the authors' knowledge, 14 cases of pediatric CCM occurring in the spinal canal have been reported. Factors lending resistance to meningioma initiation and invasion are analyzed. This 13-year-old girl presented with pain radiating down her left leg. Admission MR imaging showed an inhomogeneous enhancing intradural-extramedullary mass at the L4–5 level. Resection revealed a CCM, and radiotherapy was subsequently administered. Postoperatively there has been no recurrence in > 2 years. In this paper the authors report a case of CCM and provide a comprehensive literature review on this disease. Current recommendations for its management are still debatable, especially in the pediatric population, and the authors propose an algorithm for its treatment and surveillance.
Experience--a double edged sword for restorative neural plasticity after brain damage.

During the time period following damage, the brain undergoes widespread reorganizational processes. Manipulations of behavioral experience can be potent therapeutic interventions for shaping this reorganization and enhancing long-term functional outcome. Recovery of function is a major concern for survivors of CNS damage, and management of post-injury rehabilitation is increasingly becoming a topic of chief importance. Animal research, which is the focus of this review, suggests that, in the absence of behavioral manipulations, the brain is unlikely to realize its full potential for supporting function. However, experiences also have the capacity to be maladaptive for brain and behavioral function. From a treatment perspective, it may be unwise to adopt the canon of ‘first, do no harm’ since maladaptive experiences include behaviors that individuals learn to do on their own. A better understanding of how behavioral experience interacts with brain reorganization could result in rehabilitative therapies tha...
High P–T Brillouin scattering study of H2O melting to 26 GPa

The properties of solid and liquid phases of H2O at high pressure and temperature remain an active area of research. In this study, Brillouin spectroscopy has been used to determine the temperature dependence of sound velocities in H2O as a function of pressure up to 26 GPa through the phase field of ice VII and into the liquid to a maximum temperature of 1200 K. The Brillouin shift of the quasi-longitudinal acoustic mode moves to lower frequencies upon melting at each pressure. As a test of the method, measurements of the melting of Ar by Brillouin scattering at several pressures show a similar behavior for the acoustic mode, and measured melting points are consistent with previous results. The results of H2O melting are consistent with previously reported melting curves below 20 GPa. The data at higher pressure indicate that ice melts at a higher temperature than a number of previous studies have indicated.
Effects of dietary aluminum on pubertal mice

Abstract Puberty is a period of rapid growth and nervous system maturation, but it is little studied as a sensitive period for neurotoxicant effects. In this experiment, diets containing 7 (control), 100, 500, 750, or 1000-μg aluminum (Al)/g diet as Al lactate and 3.2% citrate (to promote Al absorption) were fed to male mice beginning at puberty (45 days of age) for either 4 or 8 weeks. ANOVAs were conducted to identify group differences from control, and regression analysis with Al intake was used to evaluate dose–response trends. Dose-responsive effects of dietary Al on brain weight, Al, and Mn concentration, and on grip strength were seen at the end of the 4-week exposure. Although brain Al concentration was also elevated at the end of the 8-week exposure, no dose-responsive effects on other variables were noted. Neither exposure influenced auditory startle amplitude. The period after puberty was sensitive to dietary Al exposure, but affected variables apparently recovered when exposure continued into young adulthood.
Isolation and purification of glutathione S-transferases from Brachionus plicatilis and B. calyciflorus (Rotifera).

1. 1. The enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST), a critical element in xenobiotic metabolism, was isolated from the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis and its freshwater congener B. calyciflorus. 2. 2. In B. plicatilis, GST comprised 4.2% of cytosolic protein and was present as three separate isozymes with mol. wts 30,000, 31,400 and 33,700. Specific activity of crude homogenates was 56 nmol min−1 mg−1 protein, while that of affinity chromatography purified GST was 1850. 3. 3. In B. calyciflorus, GST was present as two isozymes with mol. wts of 26,300 and 28,500, representing 1.0% of cytosolic protein. Crude GST specific activity was 1750 nmol min−1 mg−1 protein and purified was 72,400. 4. 4. Rotifer GSTs are unusual because they are monomers whereas all other animals thus far investigated possess dimeric GSTs.
Thyroid and adrenal emergencies in pregnancy

Endocrine emergencies are not common in pregnant women but when they occur they can be serious and life threatening. Those thyroid and adrenal emergencies that may be seen in pregnant women include thyrotoxicosis and thyroid storm, hypothyroidism and myxedema coma, Addisonian crisis, pheochromocytoma and primary hyperalderonism.
The Rush Memory and Aging Project: study design and baseline characteristics of the study cohort.

The long-term objective of the Rush Memory and Aging Project is to identify the postmortem indices linking genetic and environmental risk factors to the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The ov
Upper mantle S velocity structure of North America

We have inverted fundamental and higher-mode Rayleigh waveforms from 685 vertical component broadband seismograms with wave paths over North America to obtain an image of the upper mantle S velocity structure down to 660 km. Among the well-resolved features of the new model are (1) a high-velocity root beneath the North American craton which extends no deeper than 250 km except near the Archean core of the craton where depths of 350 km are reached, (2) a weak band of low-velocity along the eastern margin of the North American craton, which reaches into the transition zone, (3) a low velocity slab window beneath the western United States down to a depth of 300 km, (4) areas of low uppermost mantle velocity beneath the Cascade volcanoes, the Yellowstone hotspot track, the Colorado plateau, the Sierra Madre Occidental, and the grabens bordering the Jalisco block, and (5) a pronounced band of high velocities in the transition zone, coinciding with the expected location of the subducted trailing fragments of the Farallon plate. We introduce several improvements to the method of partitioned waveform inversion, which was used to compute the new model: rather than to correct for an estimated depth to the Mohorovicic discontinuity, we leave the crustal thickness as a free though yet poorly resolved parameter in the inversion; we also improve the windowing and filtering operator used to select uncontaminated waveforms.
X-ray and electron channeling characterization of CVD and combustion deposited diamond

Abstract Diamond deposits grown in acetylene flames have been measured by electron channeling for the presence of strain and by X-rays to determine texture. CVD grown deposits were also examined for texture. These techniques are used here for the first time on diamond deposits. Line broadening in electron channeling as measured directly on a line scan of the channeling pattern has been shown to be a sensitive measure of the presence of strain. The (220) channel was measured on both bulk diamond and individual large grains in the deposit. The linewidth was determined by fitting a sine curve to each edge of the channel. The values, 7.2 mrad for the bulk and 7.4 mrad for the deposit, were essentially the same, indicating that the deposit was strain free. Texture was characterized by (111) pole figures obtained using the Schulz reflection method. A moderate (100) texture was observed in the flame grown material, while the CVD deposit was nearly random, showing only a slight (111) texture. Lattice parameters for both types of deposit were the same as for natural diamond.
EEG estimates of engagement and cognitive workload predict math problem solving outcomes

The study goal was to evaluate whether Electroencephalography (EEG) estimates of attention and cognitive workload captured as students solved math problems could be used to predict success or failure at solving the problems. Students (N = 16) solved a series of SAT math problems while wearing an EEG headset that generated estimates of sustained attention and cognitive workload each second. Students also reported on their level of frustration and the perceived difficulty of each problem. Results from a Support Vector Machine (SVM) training indicated that problem outcomes could be correctly predicted from the combination of attention and workload signals at rates better than chance. EEG data were also correlated with students' self-report of problem difficulty. Findings suggest that relatively non-intrusive EEG technologies could be used to improve the efficacy of tutoring systems.
Some new packaging schemes for integrated circuits

This paper investigates interconnection schemes based on multilayer printed wiring techniques necessitated by the development and the subsequent introduction of integrated circuits into the systems technology. The integrated circuits used in the particular scheme discussed and illustrated in this paper are current mode fast digital circuits packaged in the familiar TO-5, 10-pin device package. But similar designs exist for other device packages such as the ceramic flat package. The design of the interconnection scheme evolves around a predesigned TO-5, 10-pin package matrix with sandwiched voltage planes (one layer per voltage) and with all the logic signal interconnection lines on the two outside sides of the multilayer printed circuit board.
Effects of fasting, feeding, and bisphosphonate administration on serum calcitriol levels in phosphate-deprived rats.

Effects of fasting, feeding, and bisphosphonate administration on serum calcitriol levels in phosphate-deprived rats. Background In a recent study, we showed in phosphate-deprived rats that morning feeding decreased serum phosphate and increased serum calcium values as compared with similar rats fasted overnight, and high doses of bisphosphonates did not reduce the magnitude of hypercalcemia. In the present study, we evaluated in phosphate-deprived rats whether serum calcitriol values were: ( 1 ) affected by the differences in serum phosphate induced by morning feeding and overnight fasting, ( 2 ) correlated with changes in serum phosphate levels, and ( 3 ) influenced by bisphosphonate administration. Methods Four groups of rats were studied: ( 1 ) low-phosphate diet (LPD; P 2 ) LPD + the bisphosphonate pamidronate (APD), ( 3 ) normal diet (ND; P 0.6%), and ( 4 ) ND + APD. Both diets contained 0.6% calcium. In rats receiving APD, high doses (0.8 mg/kg) were given subcutaneously four times during the study. On day 11, rats were sacrificed after an overnight fast or two to four hours after morning feeding. Results In the fed phosphate-deprived rats (LPD and LPD + APD), serum phosphate levels were less ( P P P P = 0.10) in the fed than in the fasted groups. In APD-treated rats, serum calcitriol values were greater than in rats not given APD whether rats were ( 1 ) fed or fasted, or ( 2 ) on an LPD or ND. An inverse correlation was present between serum phosphate and serum calcitriol ( r = -0.58, P = 0.001). In a stepwise regression model in which serum calcitriol was the dependent variable and independent variables were APD administration and serum calcium, phosphate, and PTH, serum phosphate ( P = 0.003) had an inverse and APD ( P r 2 = 0.59). Conclusion Calcitriol synthesis is rapidly inducible in rats during chronic phosphate deprivation, and the increase in serum calcitriol values is best attributed to feeding-induced decreases in serum phosphate. APD administration independently increases serum calcitriol levels in rats on normal and phosphate-deprived diets. Finally, whether our results in the rat are applicable to the clinical setting should be evaluated because in previous human studies of dietary phosphate restriction, serum calcitriol measurements were performed the morning after an overnight fast.
A rainfall-runoff probabilistic simulation program: 1. Synthetic data generation

Abstract A computer program is described that generates synthetic rainfall data and catchment response data. These synthetic data are variable with respect to several parameters, and can be used for the evaluation of rainfall-runoff response sensitivity.
Why Is Assent Willing? Culture, Character and Consciousness:

Throughout history, people have accepted ideologies that ‘legitimate’ certain hierarchical social arrangements and subsequently valorize the ‘desirability’ of consent to the system and its leadersh...
Antarctic Bottom Water: Major Change in Velocity during the Late Cenozoic between Australia and Antarctica

Paleomagnetic and micropaleontological studies of deep-sea sedimentary cores between Australia and Antarctica define an extensive area centered in the south Tasman Basin, where sediment as old as Early Pliocene has been systematically eroded by bottom currents. This major sedimentary disconformity has been produced by a substantial increase in velocity of Antarctic bottom water, possibly associated with late Cenozoic climatic cooling and corresponding increased glaciation of Antarctica.
Reproductive performance of white-tailed deer in Iowa.

Reproductive biology of the white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) in Iowa and the Nebraska-owned portion of DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge on the Iowa side of the Missouri River was determined from female reproductive organs of deer killed on highways and by hunters from 1959 to 1963, 1965, and 1966. Rut for fawn does extended from mid-November into early January but peaked between 3 to 18 December. Presence of corpora lutea indicated 82 percent of the fawns had ovulated. Corpora albicantia in ovaries of 1½-year-old does indicated that 65 percent of the fawns had breed successfully. The peak of breeding by 1½-year-old does was about 24 November, and for 2½-year-old does about 22 November. Fertilization frequency for does (all ages) that had been in estrus was 92 percent. A primary sex ratio for 178 embryos from 109 does of all ages was 1.23 males:1 female. Corpora lutea counts and fertilization rates indicated fawns from Iowa may produce up to 30 percent of the annual increment.
Synthesis of aluminum rich MCM-41

The synthesis of MCM-41 mesoporous compounds with Si/Al ratios as low as 2 without observing the presence of octahedral Al in27AlMAS NMR is reported. FTIR spectra of chemisorbed pyridine indicated that MCM-41 materials in their protonated form exhibit both Bronsted and Lewis acid sites.
Regularity properties of time-optimal trajectories for two-input real-analytic systems without drift in dimension three

In this paper we prove that for two-input three-dimensional driftless analytic systems, there exists an open dense subset /spl Omega/ of the state space, whose complement is an analytic subset of positive codimension, such that for every point p/spl isin//spl Omega/ there exist a positive integer N and a neighborhood U of p with the property that every time-optimal trajectory an U is either a concatenation of bang and singular arcs with at most N pieces or replaceable by a bang-bang trajectory with at most two switchings.
TRANSIENT AND STEADY‐STATE SALT TRANSPORT BETWEEN SEDIMENTS AND BRINE IN CLOSED LAKES

A diffusional transport model for Lake Abcrt, Oregon, predicts the rates of salt transport from pore fluids into lake waters. In a lake without outflow clissolved salts may migrate across the sediment-water interface in response to a concentration difference between lake and interstitial brine. Transport of salt upward is transient; its direction can be reversed by external input of salt or by dcplction of salts stored in the sediments, and a steady-state concentration in lakc water is not attainable. Downward transport can be a stationary process if the sedimentation rate is rapid compared with molecular diffusion of salt in interstitial brine, but characteristic rates arc too slow to lead to steady-state concentrations within the lifetime of a closed lake. In Lake Rbert, diffusional flux upward was much more important than input of salt from other sources; 45% of the salt of lake brine in 1963-1964 was added from the sediment port space during the preceding 25 years, only 0.1% from external inflow. The sediment source will dominate input during high water level. Sucl~ ~uodcls permit comparison of salt transport across the sediment-water interface with other input so~nccs at different times of the lake’s history.
A retrospective study of treatment of orbital floor fractures with the maxillary sinus approach

Abstract The Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, protocol for the management of orbital fractures is presented. Diplopia which fails to resolve in 1 week or appears after oedema subsides, enophthalmos or radiographic depression of the orbital floor, associated tripod fracture deformity, or purulent maxillary sinusitis are indications for surgery. The surgical procedure is a modification of the maxillary sinus approach, which includes the use of iodoform gauze packing, nasal antrostomy, a double layer oral closure and prophylactic antibiotics. A review of 102 patients treated surgically over a 6-year period is presented. Post-operative diplopia was 9% and there were minor complications in 3%, which were significantly lower than previously reported series of orbital fractures treated either non-operatively, or through an orbital exploration approach. No patient treated non-operatively required surgery in the future. The protocol presented can eliminate unnecessary exploration and yields excellent results with a simple surgical procedure.
Urinary Lignans Are Associated With Decreased Incontinence in Postmenopausal Women

Objective To examine the association between urinary phytoestrogens and self-reported urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women in the United States using a large, cross-sectional, population-based cohort survey. Methods Data were analyzed for 1789 postmenopausal women aged 50 years or older who participated in one of the 2001-2010 cycles of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and underwent measurement of 4 isoflavone (soy derived) and 2 lignan (flax derived) phytoestrogens in their urine. Incontinence was defined as self-reported stress, urge, other, or mixed incontinence. Urine phytoestrogen concentrations were examined in weighted, multivariate logistic regression models for association with each of the lower urinary tract symptoms. All models were adjusted for age, body mass index, diabetes, race, smoking, and parity. Results Increasing urine concentrations of the lignan phytoestrogen enterodiol was associated with decreased likelihood of urge (odds ratio [OR], 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85-0.99), mixed (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82-0.98), and other (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.81-0.99) incontinence, whereas increasing urine concentrations of the lignan phytoestrogen enterolactone was associated with decreased likelihood of urge (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.86-0.99) and mixed (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.84-0.99) incontinence. No association was observed between any isoflavone phytoestrogens and types of incontinence. Conclusion This study demonstrates that lignan phytoestrogens may have a protective effect against incontinence in postmenopausal women. Prospective clinical and laboratory studies are warranted to investigate the mechanism of this relationship.
Solar wind stream interaction regions without sector boundaries

During periods of high solar activity when there are many sources of solar wind on the solar disk, a spacecraft occasionally encounters consecutive solar wind streams with the same magnetic polarity. The low-speed wind in the region of interaction between the two streams exhibits many of the same features as, but has some differences from, the low-speed wind that includes crossings of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) where the direction of the heliospheric magnetic field reverses. The non-HCS slow wind exhibits many of the same small-scale structures usually associated with the slow wind around the HCS; these include discontinuous stream interfaces and other discontinuities, magnetic holes, and low-entropy structures. These entropy holes do not appear to have the same origin as the plasma sheets observed near the HCS, however. The helium abundances and heavy ion charge states in the non-HCS regions are not significantly different from those in HCS-associated regions. Some of the dynamical properties of the non-HCS regions differ from those found near the HCS; the regions between leading and trailing stream interfaces have a shorter duration or scale size, greater minimum speed, and lower peak and average densities. No correlation could be found between the non-HCS slow wind and visible coronal streamers.
Subunit Organization of Mcm2-7 and the Unequal Role of Active Sites in ATP Hydrolysis and Viability†

The Mcm2-7 (minichromosome maintenance) complex is a toroidal AAA ATPase and the putative eukaryotic replicative helicase. Unlike a typical homohexameric helicase, Mcm2-7 contains six distinct, essential, and evolutionarily conserved subunits. Precedence to other AAA proteins suggests that Mcm ATPase active sites are formed combinatorially, with Walker A and B motifs contributed by one subunit and a catalytically essential arginine (arginine finger) contributed by the adjacent subunit. To test this prediction, we used copurification experiments to identify five distinct and stable Mcm dimer combinations as potential active sites; these subunit associations predict the architecture of the Mcm2-7 complex. Through the use of mutant subunits, we establish that at least three sites are active for ATP hydrolysis and have a canonical AAA configuration. In isolation, these five active-site dimers have a wide range of ATPase activities. Using Walker B and arginine finger mutations in defined Mcm subunits, we demonstrate that these sites similarly make differential contributions toward viability and ATP hydrolysis within the intact hexamer. Our conclusions predict a structural discontinuity between Mcm2 and Mcm5 and demonstrate that in contrast to other hexameric helicases, the six Mcm2-7 active sites are functionally distinct.
SOCIAL SUPPORT AND UNDERMINING IN CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS: THEIR INDEPENDENT EFFECTS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS

Structural equation analyses were used to examine the impact of social support vs. social undermining (conflict) on mental health in longitudinal data from 1,087 recently unemployed respondents. The results demonstrated that social support and social undermining were not the opposite poles of the same factor, each having some impact independent of the other. Social undermining had statistically significant and strong adverse impact at each concurrent level of mental health. It also predicted improvement (but not a high level) in mental health in subsequent time waves. In contrast, social support had a significant beneficial impact on mental health only at Time 1. Compared with the volatile and extreme effects of social undermining, those of social support appear weaker but more stable. These findings are consistent with literature on the impact of life events (S. E. Taylor, 1991) and on marital interactions and satisfaction (J. M. Gottman & L. J. Krokoff, 1989).
Theorizing the Authentic Identity, Engagement, and Public Space

This article builds upon and extends the work of civic engagement, deliberative democracy, and discourse theorists by critically examining the ways in which civic engagement is currently conceptualized and utilized. Through this analysis, critical oversights, assumptions, and biases concerning the potential of public participation, the nature of who is or is not engaged, and the places where authentic engagement is occurring are revealed. To move the field forward and to prevent scholars and practitioners from inadvertently sustaining the very problems they are attempting to rectify, this author posits that a more critical and reflective approach to civic engagement and public participation efforts is needed. The article concludes with suggestions for alternative locations of engagement, future research, and public administration’s role in supporting and facilitating publicly engaged citizens.
A pilot study assessing the frequency and complexity of methadone tapers for opioid abstinence syndrome in children discharged to home.

Abstract Background Methadone is often prescribed as a taper schedule to prevent/treat opioid abstinence syndrome (OAS) or neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Objective The objective of this study was to determine the percentage of children discharged home on methadone tapers and to develop, assess, and implement an instrument for measuring the complexity of the methadone regimens. Methods This study used a descriptive retrospective design to examine patients younger than 18 years from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2008, administered methadone for prevention/treatment of OAS/NAS and discharged home on a methadone taper. Data collection included demographics and characteristics of methadone regimen. The primary objective was to determine the percentage of children discharged on methadone. Secondary objectives included characterization (ie, number of dosage and interval changes), duration, and complexity of the methadone taper. Descriptive statistics were performed using Stata v10 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX). Complexity was evaluated using the medication taper complexity score (MTCS) between 4 raters. Reliability of the MTCS was established using interrater correlation analyses of the regimen complexity scores. Results Thirty-three patients (41.8%) were discharged on methadone. The median (range) age was 0.42 (0-12) years, with most patients (75.8%) initiated on methadone for prevention of OAS. Thirty-one patients were included for further analysis of medication complexity. The median (range) duration of the home taper was 8 days (2-48), which included a median (range) of 4 (1-11) dose changes and at least 1 (0-2) change in the interval. MTCS ranged from 7 to 42, with the tool demonstrating 95% interrater reliability. Conclusions More than one-third of patients were discharged home on methadone. The median taper duration was 8 days and included a median of 5 adjustments in either the dose or interval. The MTCS demonstrated very good interrater reliability to measure wide variability in the complexity of individual tapers. Future studies should determine the construct validity of the MTCS and the applicability of this tool for further research and clinical application.
An algorithm for eliminating false intermods from the intermodulation spectrum computed for a nonlinear amplifier

This paper describes an algorithm for making corrections to a new model for computing intermodulation spectra of arbitrary order for a nonlinear amplifier with specified amplitude and phase characteristics. Known as the joint occupancy algorithm (JOA) model, the new model is computationally much simpler than previous approaches. Furthermore, the complexity is virtually independent of the number of input signals and the order of the intermodulation spectra to be computed. However, when the number of input signals is small, the presence of false intermods causes significant distortion in the computed intermodulation spectrum. This paper introduces an algorithm for eliminating these false intermods. It is shown that the resulting corrected spectra exhibit excellent agreement with the spectra computed by more traditional methods.
Pre-learning stress differentially affects long-term memory for emotional words, depending on temporal proximity to the learning experience.

Abstract Stress exerts a profound, yet complex, influence on learning and memory and can enhance, impair or have no effect on these processes. Here, we have examined how the administration of stress at different times before learning affects long-term (24-hr) memory for neutral and emotional information. Participants submerged their dominant hand into a bath of ice cold water (Stress) or into a bath of warm water (No stress) for 3 min. Either immediately (Exp. 1) or 30 min (Exp. 2) after the water bath manipulation, participants were presented with a list of 30 words varying in emotional valence. The next day, participants' memory for the word list was assessed via free recall and recognition tests. In both experiments, stressed participants exhibited greater blood pressure, salivary cortisol levels, and subjective pain and stress ratings than non-stressed participants in response to the water bath manipulation. Stress applied immediately prior to learning (Exp. 1) enhanced the recognition of positive words, while stress applied 30 min prior to learning (Exp. 2) impaired free recall of negative words. Participants' recognition of positive words in Experiment 1 was positively associated with their heart rate responses to the water bath manipulation, while participants' free recall of negative words in Experiment 2 was negatively associated with their blood pressure and cortisol responses to the water bath manipulation. These findings indicate that the differential effects of pre-learning stress on long-term memory may depend on the temporal proximity of the stressor to the learning experience and the emotional nature of the to-be-learned information.
Bistatic impulse responses of a perfectly conducting sphere

The impulse response of a perfectly conducting sphere has long been a subject of fundamental interest, owing much to its unique properties and technological relevance. Previously published works have covered distant bistatic scattered field under smoothed impulse excitation and distant scattered field in the backward and forward directions under impulse or step excitation. To our knowledge, the bistatic scattered field from a perfectly conducting sphere with impulse excitation has not been given in the literature. We present the results of calculation of the proximity and distant scattered fields of an impulse excited perfectly conducting sphere in various bistatic directions. When a conducting sphere of radius a is centered at the origin and impinged by an impulsive plane wave, some representative impulse responses of the scattered field in the E-plane are shown.
Diagnostic and psychosocial differences in psychiatrically hospitalized military service members with single versus multiple suicide attempts.

Introduction: Individuals with multiple versus single suicide attempts present a more severe clinical picture and may be at greater risk for
The structure of the level surfaces of a Lyapunov function

Let f be a real-valued Cl function which is defined on Euclidian space R”. We are interested in characterizing the noncritical level surfaces off near its isolated relative maxima and minima. The technique which is used for this investigation is to study the relationship between the trajectories of a differential equation and its Lyapunov function. As an application of interest, we obtain characterizations of the level surfaces of a Lyapunov function and of the domain of asymptotic stability of an asymptotically stable critical point. The domain of asymptotic stability is diffeomorphic to R”, and the level surfaces are manifolds (as smooth as the defining function) which are homotopically equivalent to the (n 1)-sphere 3-l. It follows from the generalized PoincarC conjecture that the level surfaces are spheres if n # 4, 5. When n = 5, the problem of whether or not the level surface is homeomorphic to the sphere is equivalent to the PoincarC conjecture. The paper concludes with a discussion of similar statements for asymptotically stable sets and nonautonomous systems.
No-common-cause EPR-like funny business in branching space-times

There is "no EPR-like funny business" if (contrary to apparent fact) our world is as indeterministic as you wish, but is free from the EPR-like quantum-mechanical phenomena such as is sometimes described in terms of superluminal causation or correlation between distant events. The theory of branching space-times can be used to sharpen the theoretical dichotomy between "EPR-like funny business" and "no EPR-like funny business." Archived publication PITT-PHIL-SCI00000451 offered two analyses of the dichotomy, and proved them equivalent. This essay adds two more, both connected with Reichenbach's "principle of the common cause," the principle that sends us hunting for a common-cause explanation of distant correlations. The two previous ideas of funny business and the two ideas introduced in this essay are proved to be all equivalent, which increases one's confidence in the stability of (and helpfulness of) the BST analysis of the dichotomy between EPR-like funny business and its absence.
Cerebral Blood Flow In Man at High Altitude: Role of Cerebrospinal Fluid pH in Normalization of Flow in Chronic Hypocapnia

Cerebral blood flow was determined by an N2O method in 7 normal men at sea level and after 6 to 12 hr and 3 to 5 days at 3810 m altitude. An infrared N2O analyzer was used both to measure end-tidal PN2O so that it could be kept constant for 15 min and to determine blood N2O, for which a simple gas extraction method was devised. In addition, acute changes in cerebral blood flow were estimated from cerebral A-V O2 differences. Control cerebral blood flow was 43 ml per 100 g per min; it increased 24% at 6 to 12 hours and 13% at 3 to 5 days at altitude. After 3 to 5 days, pH of cerebrospinal fluid was normal (7.31) in four subjects while arterial blood pH was alkaline (7.47); arterial blood Pco2 had fallen from 41 to 30 mm Hg. Acute correction of hypoxia restored cerebral blood flow to control while mean Pco2 was still 31 mm Hg. Addition of O2 and CO2 to inspired air raised cerebral blood flow 34% above control at Pao2 = 170, Paco2 = 35 mm Hg. Values obtained by extrapolation suggest that if arterial Pco2 was...
λ-conversion of 160-Gbit/s PDM 16-QAM using a single periodically-poled lithium niobate waveguide

We experimentally demonstrate wavelength conversion of both single polarization 40-Gbuad 16-QAM and 20-Gbuad polarization-division-multiplexed (PDM) 16-QAM in a PPLN waveguide. A polarization insensitive scheme utilizing bi-directional operation is employed. The power penalty as a function of pump power is also investigated and a minimum conversion penalty of ∼0.5 dB is obtained.
The role of mammography and physical examination in detecting recurrent tumor and contralateral breast cancer for patients with stage I–II breast cancer treated with breast conservation treatment

Materials/Methods: From November 1977 to December 1995, 1379 female patients with stage I and II invasive breast cancer had been treated with breast conservation treatment. The patients have been subsequently followed with regular physical examination and yearly bilateral mammography. The results of clinical examination, mammography, recurrence in the ipsilateral breast and development of contralateral breast cancer were evaluated. The methods of detection of local recurrent tumor in the ipsilateral breast and the methods of detection of contralateral breast cancer were compared to the methods of detection of the primary tumor.
Rainfall Measurement on Ship Revisited: The 1997 PACS TEPPS Cruise

Fifteen rain measurement instruments were deployed on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ship Ronald H. Brownduring the 1997 Pan American Climate Studies (PACS) Tropical Eastern Pacific Process Study (TEPPS). To examine differences in rainfall catchment related to instrument design, three types of disdrometers, an optical rain gauge, a ship rain gauge, and a siphon gauge were clustered in one location to ensure similar exposure. To address exposure effects, eight siphon rain gauges were deployed on different sides of the ship and on several different levels. Cross-ship differences in hourly rainfall accumulation were negligible when relative wind speeds were less than 3 m s21 and became significant at greater than 5 m s21, especially when the relative wind direction was 208 or greater from the bow. Instruments with both horizontal and vertical catchment surfaces yielded a measurable collection advantage over instruments with only horizontal catchment surfaces. Analysis of data collected during TEPPS using a multiple-instrument, multiple-location approach yields the following recommendations for reducing uncertainty in rain measurement at sea. The first two of the four recommendations apply to rain measurements on buoys as well as on ships. 1) Deploy experimental rain measurement instrumentation paired with a baseline minimum siphon gauge or other trusted instrument. Comparison of the rain-rate time series between the baseline gauge measurements and the experimental instrument data permits detection of erratic behavior and bias. 2) Apply an appropriate wind correction. To do this step properly, both a wind correction formula derived for the specific gauge type and a nearby measurement of relative wind are needed. These features are already incorporated into the ship rain gauge. 3) Locate gauges where distortion of the airflow by the ship is locally minimized and relative wind speeds are as low as possible. This analysis confirms previous recommendations for placement of rain instrumentation at lower locations as long as the location is protected against direct spray from the sea without being shadowed by higher objects. 4) Place instrumentation on both sides of ship and along centerline. Airflow distortion by the ship itself can induce significant differences between port and starboard accumulations at high wind speeds and high angle of wind attack to the bow. Multiple locations aid in constraining error, because relative wind direction and speed vary during a cruise and there is no one perfect location on ship for rain instrumentation.
In-Flight Detection of Errors for Enhanced Aircraft Flight Safety Using DTED with GPS and Radar Altimeter

: This paper describes an integrated architecture using digital terrain elevation data (DTED) with kinematic GPS (KGPS) and a radar altimeter. Flight testing was performed to assess the feasibility of enhanced flight safety. Reasons for enhanced flight safety are twofold: (1) the ad hoc integration of terrain elevation data into the cockpit could conceivably create scenarios that would lead to accidents because the cockpit display is quite realistic, and (2) controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) is reduced. The radar altimeter is the principal sensor used to compare navigation outputs with publicly available DTED. Results show it is feasible to define an operationally useful detection threshold to determine the level of agreement among KGPS, DTED, and the radar altimeter by using a mean-square-difference test statistic. If the test statistic exceeds the detection threshold, the pilot can be warned that the terrain depiction does not agree with the navigation solution provided by KGPS, so that flight safety is enhanced.
Early-Medieval Exegesis of the Song of Songs and the Maternal Language of Clerical Authority

In a profound sense Carolingian society was oriented around and shaped by the study and interpretation of the Bible. Biblical interpretation occupied the energies of the most prominent intellectuals within the Carolingian world, suggesting models for social and political, as well as theological, practice and ensuring divine favor for the Carolingian dynasty. Early-medieval exegetes regarded themselves as guardians not only of the biblical text but also of the entire patristic tradition, which they used to decipher it. Like scripture, however, the patristic tradition was anything but systematic; moreover, it was not comprehensive, and it was further complicated by the vagaries of manuscript survival and the availability of texts. Even when early-medieval exegetes sincerely attempted to be faithful to the works of the Fathers, they often brought a degree of organization to bear in the interpretation of scripture that had not previously existed, and, of course, they were also entirely capable of shaping and ...
Centroid and envelope dynamics of charged particle beams in an oscillating wobbler and external focusing lattice for heavy ion fusion applications

Recent heavy ion fusion target studies show that it is possible to achieve ignition with direct drive and energy gain larger than 100 at 1MJ. To realize these advanced, high-gain schemes based on direct drive, it is necessary to develop a reliable beam smoothing technique to mitigate instabilities and facilitate uniform deposition on the target. The dynamics of the beam centroid can be explored as a possible beam smoothing technique to achieve a uniform illumination over a suitably chosen region of the target. The basic idea of this technique is to induce an oscillatory motion of the centroid for each transverse slice of the beam in such a way that the centroids of different slices strike different locations on the target. The centroid dynamics is controlled by a set of biased electrical plates called 'wobblers'. Using a model based on moments of the Vlasov-Maxwell equations, we show that the wobbler deflection force acts only on the centroid motion, and that the envelope dynamics are independent of the wobbler fields. If the conducting wall is far away from the beam, then the envelope dynamics and centroid dynamics are completely decoupled. This is a preferred situation for the beam wobbling technique, becausemore » the wobbler system can be designed to generate the desired centroid motion on the target without considering its effects on the envelope and emittance. A conceptual design of the wobbler system for a heavy ion fusion driver is briefly summarized.« less
Determinants of Laplacians on Surfaces

In modern quantum geometry of strings and especially in the so-called Polyakov string model [P] determinants of Laplacians play a crucial role. As a result the study of this quantity and in particular its dependence on the metric, has been very productive. Our aim here is to review some recent developments in one aspect of this subject and to point out a number of unexpected relationships. Many of the results and ideas discussed here were obtained in collaboration with B. Osgood and R. Phillips and appear in the paper [O-P-S].
Bowel perforation associated with robust response to BRAF/MEK inhibitor therapy for BRAF-mutant melanoma: a case report

Combination BRAF/MEK inhibition has shown improved response rates and longer progression-free and overall survival for patients with BRAF-mutant metastatic melanoma. A 63-year-old female with widely metastatic BRAF V600E-mutant melanoma was treated with dabrafenib/trametinib. Ten weeks into therapy, she was treated conservatively for a partial bowel obstruction involving a lesion in the distal ileum. She presented two weeks later with CT evidence of a high-grade bowel obstruction with perforation. Emergent surgery was performed. Intraoperative inspection and pathologic analysis of the resected specimen revealed no evidence of melanoma. Seven months postoperatively she is disease free and fully functional. Rapid BRAF/MEK inhibitor-induced regression of small bowel lesions can result in bowel perforation, which is critical to distinguish from the consequences of disease progression.
Decay of the Radioisotopes Ge 68 and Ga 68

The decays of ${\mathrm{Ge}}^{68}$ (275 day) and ${\mathrm{Ga}}^{68}$ (68 minute) have been reinvestigated with single and coincidence scintillation spectrometers. Comparison of the gamma-ray singles spectra of the two radioisotopes indicates that ${\mathrm{Ge}}^{68}$ decays only to the ground state of ${\mathrm{Ga}}^{68}$ by electron capture. In addition to the known annihilation quanta and a gamma ray of 1.07 Mev in the decay of ${\mathrm{Ga}}^{68}$, gamma rays of 0.81\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02, 1.24\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02, and 1.88\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02 Mev are observed. A level scheme of ${\mathrm{Zn}}^{68}$ with levels at 1.07, 1.88, and 2.31 Mev is proposed and is compared with level schemes of neighboring even-even nuclei.